This weekend marks the release of four new movies, and you might have accepted that these films feature movie stars. But… why are these people stars?
Megan Fox- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Fox had been a working actress since 2001, when she did a Mary Kate and Ashley movie. She then worked on TV a bit, notably on Hope and Faith, and finally landed her breakout role in Transformers. Her next two films were flops, but Michael Bay stuck with her and she came back for Transformers 2. She earned a minor amount of respect for Jennifer’s Body, but remains more in the public eye because no one will stop talking about her, than her film work.
Will Arnett- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Arnett has been acting since 1996. He even appeared on The Sopranos. Finally, he landed a series regular gig in 2003 on Arrested Development, which changed his life forever. He was offered his own movies, including Let’s Go To Prison and The Brothers Solomon, and later more TV shows, like Running Wilde and Up All Night. This is not the first time Arnett and Fox have been in a movie together. That would be Jonah Hex.
William Fichtner- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Fichtner has been in the game since 1987. He was even on Grace Under for 8 episodes. Mid-90’s, the size of his roles started to increase with Heat, Contact, and Armageddon. He continued being a strong working character actor in Go, The Perfect Storm, and Black Hawk Down, always fleshing out the cast. He started getting bigger credits on TV, however, with a lead role in the flop MD’s, the one-season wonder Invasion, Prison Break, and even a stint on Entourage. Last summer, he played the villain in The Lone Ranger. He’s that guy you recognize, and you’ve seen in a ton of films, but rarely gets above the title recognition.
Richard Armitage- Into The Storm
Though not a household name, Armitage has been in the business since 1992. He started getting notice in England for stuff like North and South. He’s probably more recognizable to Americans as Guy Of Gisborne in BBC’s Robin Hood, or his role on Strike Back. He also plays Thorin in the Hobbit trilogy.
Sarah Wayne Callies- Into The Storm
Callies started on TV, with her first TV regular gig being in the WB flop Tarzan. TV didn’t hold it against her, and she became a regular again eventually in Prison Break. She finally got her big break as Lori Grimes on The Walking Dead. Into The Storm is her first major film role.
Helen Miren- The Hundred Foot Journey
Helen started in 1966. She was more well known overseas than in America. Her first real glimpse to the American public was in Caligula, which was followed by films like Excalibur, White Nights, The Mosquito Coast, and The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover. She rose to a different level with the BBC series Prime Suspect, and again with her role in The Queen.
Briana Evigan- Step Up All In
She had her first role in 1996 in something called House Of The Damned. She didn’t act again until 2003, but didn’t get her big break until Step Up 2. After Step Up 2, she did Sorority Row, S. Darko, and some other D-list movies. She returns to the Step Up franchise, before headed back into D-list territory with awful sounding movies like Paranormal Island and Lap Dance.
