Greatest Star Making Turns

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 12:45pm

What are some of the greatest performances that truly put actors on the map and solidified that they would be stars? Of those that Ive seen, what comes to mind is:

Ben Platt - Dear Evan Hansen

Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs - Hamilton

Katrina Lenk - The Bands Visit

Ethan Slater - SpongeBob

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 1:08pm

It’s a film and not a play, but the pun is too good to miss: the iconic moment in “Lawrence of Arabia” where Peter O’Toole spins like Julie Andrews while admiring his reflection in a polished sword is quite literally a star-making turn.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 1:13pm

I mean these are before my day but,

Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady
Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl
Patti LuPone in Evita

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 1:20pm

Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls is the first to come to mind. Streisand was already at least a semi-star - if not larger - when Funny Girl premiered, and already had had a Tony nomination and a Top 10 Grammy winning album.

[morosco]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 1:38pm

Sutton Foster in MILLIE comes to mind.

[PeterC6482]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 2:13pm

NameGreg said: "What are some of the greatest performances that truly put actors on the map and solidified that they would be stars? Of those that Ive seen, what comes to mind is:

Ben Platt - Dear Evan Hansen

Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs - Hamilton

Katrina Lenk - The Bands Visit

 
Ethan Slater - SpongeBob

"
Liz Callaway in "Baby."

 


 

Updated On: 1/25/21 at 02:13 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 2:32pm

Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 3:14pm

Two that I would say are: Angela Lansbury in Mame and Idina Menzel in Wicked.

Both ladies had stable and successes in their careers previous to these shows, but it was in these shows were they were catapulted into the spotlight, with thousands and millions now really knowing their name. This is especially true if we look just within the world of musical theatre.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 3:54pm

fashionguru_23 said: "Two that I would say are:Angela Lansbury in Mame andIdina Menzel in Wicked.

Both ladies had stable and successes in their careers previous to these shows, but it was in these shows were they werecatapulted into the spotlight, with thousands and millions now really knowing their name. This is especially true if we look just within the world of musical theatre."

Funny, those were the first two that came to mind for me.  Angela Lansbury was famous before Mame, but was never a star, let alone a superstar.  I agree with most of the other posts, although I do not remotely think that Ethan Slater and Liz Calloway are stars.  I do not think Diggs (who I still feel gave the best performance by supporting actor in a musical in the past 55 years) or Odom Jr. quite live up to the subject wording.  In some ways, Jennifer Holliday was a one-hit wonder, so I wonder if she qualifies more as a legendary performance than a real star.  I would also add:

— Joel Grey for Cabaret

— Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin for Evita

— Barbara Harris for The Apple Tree, except she did not want it and sorta became a ‘2-hit wonder’

— Zoe Caldwell in Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

— Jim Dale in Scapino

— Frank Langella in Dracula

— James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope

— Maureen Stapleton in The Rose Tattoo

— Robert Preston for The Music Man...not unlike Lansbury...pretty known known but not a star

— Gwen Verdon for Can Can

— Yul Brynner for The King and I

— Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday

— Kevin Kline in The Pirates of Penzance

 

i know there are others...these are the ones that come to mind.

Updated On: 1/25/21 at 03:54 PM

[goodlead]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 5:27pm

Chita in WEst Side Story.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/25/21 at 6:17pm

Kristen Chenoweth, STEEL PIER 

Not one of the greatest star making turns.
But it's my first response to the question, as for me in the audience, a first sighting of someone hitherto unknown to me whom I immediately recognized was destined for stardom. It was obvious. Her exceptional talent and, more critically, her unique personality announced that she was going to be a star.  

Updated On: 1/25/21 at 06:17 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 12:31am

I don’t think that is true...Chita’s stardom occurred over time.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 2:06pm

I would add Alex Sharp for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Jessie Mueller for Beautiful

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 2:20pm

Robert Lindsay in "Me and My Girl".

( Ethan Slater - SpongeBob?  In what universe is Ethan Slater a star...?)

[JSquared2]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 2:24pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I would add Alex Sharp for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Jessie Mueller for Beautiful"

Neither of those people (and especially Alex Sharp) are Stars.  Jessie is sort of a Broadway star -- but no one outside of these boards know who she is.  

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 2:29pm

Jarethan said: "fashionguru_23 said: "Two that I would say are:Angela Lansbury in Mame andIdina Menzel in Wicked.

Both ladies had stable and successes in their careers previous to these shows, but it was in these shows were they werecatapulted into the spotlight, with thousands and millions now really knowing their name. This is especially true if we look just within the world of musical theatre."

Funny, those were the first two that came to mind for me. Angela Lansbury was famous before Mame, but was never astar, let alone a superstar. I agree with most of the otherposts, although I do not remotelythink that Ethan Slater and Liz Calloway are stars. I do not think Diggs (who I still feel gave the best performance by supporting actor in a musical in the past 55 years) or Odom Jr. quite live up to the subject wording. In some ways, Jennifer Holliday was a one-hit wonder, so I wonder if she qualifies more as a legendary performance than a real star. I would also add:

— Joel Grey for Cabaret

— Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin for Evita

— Barbara Harris for The Apple Tree, except she did not want it and sorta became a ‘2-hit wonder’

— Zoe Caldwell in Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

— Jim Dale in Scapino

— Frank Langella in Dracula

— James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope

— Maureen Stapleton in The Rose Tattoo

— Robert Preston for The Music Man...not unlike Lansbury...pretty known known but not a star

— Gwen Verdon for Can Can

— Yul Brynnerfor The King and I

— Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday

— Kevin Kline in The Pirates of Penzance



i know there are others...these are the ones that come to mind."

"On the Twentieth Century" made Kevin Kline a star--in a supporting role at that!!

Zoe Caldwell, Gwen Verdon and Jim Dale (who was a movie lead before Barnum) all became Broadway stars but I think we're talking about people who gave performances onstage that propelled them to be stars of other mediums as well.

 

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 4:37pm

Owen22 said: "Jarethan said: "fashionguru_23 said: "Two that I would say are:Angela Lansbury in Mame andIdina Menzel in Wicked.

Both ladies had stable and successes in their careers previous to these shows, but it was in these shows were they werecatapulted into the spotlight, with thousands and millions now really knowing their name. This is especially true if we look just within the world of musical theatre."

Funny, those were the first two that came to mind for me. Angela Lansbury was famous before Mame, but was never astar, let alone a superstar. I agree with most of the otherposts, although I do not remotelythink that Ethan Slater and Liz Calloway are stars. I do not think Diggs (who I still feel gave the best performance by supporting actor in a musical in the past 55 years) or Odom Jr. quite live up to the subject wording. In some ways, Jennifer Holliday was a one-hit wonder, so I wonder if she qualifies more as a legendary performance than a real star. I would also add:

— Joel Grey for Cabaret

— Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin for Evita

— Barbara Harris for The Apple Tree, except she did not want it and sorta became a ‘2-hit wonder’

— Zoe Caldwell in Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

— Jim Dale in Scapino

— Frank Langella in Dracula

— James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope

— Maureen Stapleton in The Rose Tattoo

— Robert Preston for The Music Man...not unlike Lansbury...pretty known known but not a star

— Gwen Verdon for Can Can

— Yul Brynnerfor The King and I

— Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday

— Kevin Kline in The Pirates of Penzance



i know there are others...these are the ones that come to mind."

"On the Twentieth Century" made Kevin Kline a star--in a supporting role at that!!

Zoe Caldwell, Gwen Verdon and Jim Dale (who was a movie lead before Barnum) all became Broadway stars but I think we're talking about people who gave performances onstage that propelled them to be stars of other mediums as well.

"

I created this more as stars within the Broadway community, which is why I included Lenk and Slater whose stars have considerably risen since their breakthrough roles.

Obviously people who became stars in other mediums count as well though, but I wasn’t trying to limit the thread to that, as evidenced by my including two actors who aren’t big name in on other media at all.

[KingOfTheMine]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 4:43pm

Cynthia Erivo in The Color Purple

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 8:13pm

Even though, I am not a fan of hers, I'd also say Beanie Feldstein in Hello Dolly. I feel like she was nowhere, and then once the show opened she was everywhere.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 9:15pm

Even though, I am not a fan of hers, I'd also say Beanie Feldstein in Hello Dolly. I feel like she was nowhere, and then once the show opened she was everywhere.

The success of the film LADY BIRD in 2017 is what catapulted her career.  HELLO, DOLLY! was responsible for her casting as the film was produced by Scott Rudin but she was cast for the film prior to HELLO, DOLLY! starting its run in March 2015.  It’s safe to assume she was cast during HELLO, DOLLY! rehearsals. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 9:32pm

Carey Mulligan in The Seagull.

Perhaps not as flashy as some of the others mentioned here, but her performance was shattering and it was a shame she wasn’t nominated that year. 

Updated On: 1/26/21 at 09:32 PM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 9:52pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Even though, I am not a fan of hers, I'd also sayBeanie Feldstein in Hello Dolly. I feel like she was nowhere, and then once the show opened she was everywhere.

The success of the film LADY BIRD in 2017 is what catapulted her career. HELLO, DOLLY! was responsible for her casting as the film was produced by Scott Rudin but she was cast for the film prior to HELLO, DOLLY! starting its run in March 2015. It’s safe to assume she was cast during HELLO, DOLLY! rehearsals."

Hello, Dolly! opened in April of 2017. By that point Beanie Feldstein had already done several small TV appearances, Neighbors 2, and Lady Bird, though not going into wide release in November of 2017, had finished filming in October of 2016. So it's more likely that her work on the set of Lady Bird gave her the leg up with Scott Rudin and getting cast in Hello, Dolly!, not the other way around.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 11:10pm

fashionguru_23 said: "Even though, I am not a fan of hers, I'd also sayBeanie Feldstein in Hello Dolly. I feel like she was nowhere, and then once the show opened she was everywhere."

C’mon...’greatest star making turns’...Beanie Feldstein as Minnie Fay.  That is absurd.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/26/21 at 11:10pm

fashionguru_23 said: "Even though, I am not a fan of hers, I'd also sayBeanie Feldstein in Hello Dolly. I feel like she was nowhere, and then once the show opened she was everywhere."

C’mon...’greatest star making turns’...Beanie Feldstein as Minnie Fay.  That is absurd.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/27/21 at 8:51am

Jarethan said: "fashionguru_23 said: "Even though, I am not a fan of hers, I'd also sayBeanie Feldstein in Hello Dolly. I feel like she was nowhere, and then once the show opened she was everywhere."

C’mon...’greatest star making turns’...Beanie Feldstein as Minnie Fay. That is absurd."

Oh, Jarethan...when I was thinking about "star making turns", I was thinking about a Broadway role that made them come into a larger scope. Feldstein might be a tricky one. I forgot about Lady Bird. In my mind, once Hello Dolly opened, suddenly she was in many tv shows, or a movie and was on every talk show. Granted, she had a career before Dolly, but everyone has. I'm thinking of these as what started the snowball to turn into a snowman.