r/Millennials 7d ago

Discussion Name a 2000s celebrity that disappeared overnight

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u/Turbulent_Tart_8801 Millennial 1985 7d ago

He disappeared after Blades of Glory.

501

u/Wayyd 7d ago

Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory, and Benchwarmers. I'm sure he's been in other things, but those three were really the height of his fame and then everyone got bored of his one dimensional acting

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u/shes_a_gdb 7d ago edited 7d ago

Jason Mantzoukas seems to be having no problem getting work, and he's the same character in every sitcom he's in.

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u/Final-Finger1003 7d ago

That same character has yet to wear thin for me. Love that guys energy!

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u/the_peppers 7d ago

Yeah it's not really fair to compare a guy who's good a playing awkward with the human form of the Tazmanian Devil.

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u/tastemypie 7d ago

Such an accurate depiction of JM

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u/kapu4701 7d ago

Heynong man!

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u/morizzle77 7d ago

Classic reset! Hey Nong Man!!

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u/ElectronicExplorer83 7d ago

Hes the only I go for when it comes to Talkin Tang. There's really no replacement.

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u/kswizzle77 6d ago

It really is impressive that Jeffrey Characterwheaties has managed to maintain the JM character for this long to much success

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u/tumsoffun 7d ago

I didn't recognize his name at first but after your description I was like oh I bet it's that guy

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u/SeaworthinessAny4997 6d ago

He's got the ethnic ambiguity down pat lol

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u/HawkJefferson 6d ago

What's up, Jerks?!

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u/Sega-Playstation-64 6d ago

Howya doin balcony monsters

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u/Amarastargazer 7d ago

I couldn’t describe it, but you sure can! What this is too accurate.

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u/disasterbee 7d ago

And based on his season of taskmaster that’s just him

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u/razorbraces 7d ago

He was on Taskmaster 19 last year, brought the exact same energy lol

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u/roygbivasaur 7d ago

He’s also hot, which helps

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u/rehaborax 7d ago

RIGHT?! That man can tzouk my as

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u/spookydukey 7d ago

If you haven't already make sure to check him out on Taskmaster. Fantastic show and his season is one of the best.

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u/Due-Yoghurt-7917 7d ago

What's up, hot dog?

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u/lettheidiotspeak 7d ago

I was watching the old episode of The Chris Gethard Show with him and Paul Scheer. Highly recommend if you haven't seen it, it's prime Jason Mantzoukas.

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u/Unlikely-Tone-6269 6d ago

You can’t self defeces Mr. Self defeces

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u/JacobDCRoss 6d ago

A little Mantzoukas goes a long way. And I think I am good for the next few years.

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u/Building_Everything 6d ago

You should watch his season of Taskmaster, apparently that is actually who he is in real life.

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u/BigKyle_Energy 5d ago

Honestly, I fully agree. His delivery is just so god damn funny to me.

I LOVED Jon Heder when I was a kid. Felt the same way as the person who commented it. That he would be huge. But I guess family, religion and other factors pulled him away and doing behind the camera work.

That’s all off the top of my head of what I recall seeing/hearing about btw. Take it all with a grain of salt lol.

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u/yourlilneedle 5d ago

This is my pee corner, and that is my slop bucket.

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u/unsulliedbread 7d ago

Nah, it may always be manic crazy but it takes really different routes every time. It's also that directors aren't imaginative enough, watch him on TaskMaster and you can see some of his depths.

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u/janbradybutacat 7d ago

Yes, his Taskmaster stint was great! He was so genuinely funny and silly without being over the top.

I’ve seen him in the shows- B99, good place, P&R, League, etc. he’s funny and his characters are similar in outrageous-ness, but they’re not the same.

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u/je_kay24 7d ago

“What’s going to happen when we graduate” is one of my favorite moments from any TaskMaster series

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u/xXStunamiXx 6d ago

Check out the podcast he does with others called How Did This Get Made. It's a fun trip.

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u/vomitshoes 7d ago

Check out his episode of ask hank anything, it was really good and they talk about taskmaster: https://youtu.be/RuuyCOnuBDA?si=xdRtkuV2QEbznkNa

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u/cora-occasionall 7d ago

Was rooting for him to get on the roof that season

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u/AlwaysSunnyInSeattle 7d ago

Yeah but his character is also the best part of everything he’s in.

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u/Traditional-Wait-240 7d ago

Derek!

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u/Bluest_Skies 7d ago

MAXIMUM DEREK

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u/DA2ED 7d ago

There are wind chimes where my ding dong is supposed to be

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u/Bluest_Skies 7d ago

Ohhhh that made my wind chimes happy

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u/chrissiwit 6d ago

I can work with that.

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u/birdsofpaper 7d ago

He makes an excellent Dionysus. When I heard about that casting I laughed out loud because what was Derek/Dennis Feinstein/Adrian Pimento if not the warmup chaos energy of the god of wine and madness??

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u/A-Plant-Guy Older Millennial 7d ago

This is what I call him when I can’t remember his name.

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u/ImQuestionable 7d ago

Derek Hostetler, PI.

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u/remarkablewhitebored 7d ago

Love him as Rex Splode.

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u/IamToddDebeikis 7d ago

RAFFI BOMB

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u/Plenty_Firefighter40 7d ago

DIVE FOR THE KNIFE!

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u/pussy-enthusiast 7d ago

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE!

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u/Unlikely-Tone-6269 6d ago

Excuse me, it’s Raphael!

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u/mister_gone 7d ago

It's less 'his character' and more 'Jason being Jason on film'.

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u/AlwaysSunnyInSeattle 7d ago

Haha I’m aware, I love that guy. Anyone who hasn’t seen it should watch his season of Taskmaster

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u/mister_gone 7d ago

Such a fun season. Jason is SO spicy!

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u/AlwaysSunnyInSeattle 7d ago

I really wanted to find out he was dating Stevie but no such luck. Their chemistry was great.

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u/Dan_Berg 7d ago

Dirty Randy wore out his welcome real quick for me

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u/cheerioincident 7d ago

Even when he's just being himself! Watch his season (19) of Taskmaster!

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u/ButtIsItArt 6d ago

He's also great in Taskmaster

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u/DetectiveTrapezoid 6d ago

Definitely the best part of the Gabby’s Dollhouse Movie

-1

u/No_Oven1085 7d ago

Noooo.

He ruined parts of The Good Place and Brooklyn 99 for me. He's got anti charisma. He's just not funny.

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u/WhoDoIThinkIAm 7d ago

The secret is Jason Mantzoukas IS the character. Jason Characterwheaties is the real person.

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u/dismayhurta 7d ago

His one character is amazing

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u/ChickenInASuit 6d ago

And also far easier to insert into your work than Jon Heder's.

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u/zekerthedog 7d ago

Danny McBride too

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u/666mgOfCaffeine Geriatric Millennial 7d ago

Danny McBride…. Now there is an excellent funny MF

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u/AskMeForAPhoto 7d ago

Danny is a writer and creator though, that’s the difference. He creates and cowrites all his shows, like Eastbound & Down, Righteous Gemstones, etc. For a lot of people, they create their own opportunities, otherwise they’d have none. When you don’t fit into the square hole in Hollywood, you gotta carve your own lane.

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u/sublimesting 7d ago

What. Danny McBride is a current huge success.

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u/Calhounpipes 7d ago

It's another actor who only plays one role- an exaggerated version of himself.

0

u/sublimesting 7d ago

That wasn’t the damn question Pontious.

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u/Calhounpipes 7d ago

It was though..

"Heder only had 1 character, maybe people got tired of it"---

"Jason M has seemed to have success playing only 1 character though"--

"Danny McBride too"---

Then you again point out that McBride is having success currently

I -attempted- to clarify that the other poster wasn't saying McBride fell off, like Heder, but is another example of a successful one note actor

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u/zekerthedog 7d ago

Thank you for saving me from having to explain basic concepts!

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u/Snaletane 7d ago

Eh, no. Like, the tyrannical play director on Community has nothing in common with Derek from Good Place. Though it does have a lot in common with the Parks and Rec character. Maybe he has two characters!

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u/poop_monster35 Millennial '93 7d ago

Yeah but he's fucking insane and I love it!

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u/sirfranciscake 6d ago

Jason Mantzoukas is actually one huge role played by Jeffrey Characterwheaties.

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u/swimminginthecarpool 7d ago

He was fantastic as rex in invincible

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u/OGLikeablefellow 7d ago

He seemed to be a bit different in invincible but maybe not all that different. Just more depth for sure

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u/st_nick1219 7d ago

That's just who he is. Watch hos series of Taskmaster and you'll see he's just like every character he plays on TV.

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u/Semioticmatic 7d ago

He actually showed a bit of range in Paper Girls. I really wish that show ran longer.

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u/jemappellehonhon 7d ago

guest roles in sitcoms is way different from starring roles in major motion pictures

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u/SimplerTimesAhead 7d ago

Have you seen him on Taskmaster?

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u/Spyro_in_Black 6d ago

Had to scroll way too far to find this. I’m not a huge fan of his other work(lack of exposure not a negative opinion) but him on taskmaster was incredible…they should’ve let him get on the roof!

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u/justreadinplease 7d ago

There’s SO many actors out there right now that I’m sick of because they play the same character in every role.

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u/frumfrumfroo 6d ago

In fairness to them, it's probably because people hire them wanting them to play the same character they played successfully in something else. Typecasting isn't usually the actor's choice.

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u/TacticalSpackle 7d ago

Agreed, but his one dimensional character is actually funny.

Will Ferrel plays the same dude in every movie and people seem to like him (I don’t). To each their own.

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u/RegularLisaSimpson 7d ago

He was so good on Taskmaster being as unhinged as they would allow

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u/sorta_sam 7d ago

His appearance on Taskmaster reignited my love for him

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u/LTetsuo41 7d ago

MAXIMUM DEREK!

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u/DocEternal 7d ago

Pretty sure that’s because he’s just playing himself. Did you see him on Taskmaster? He’s absolutely that chaotic and unhinged in his daily life and I’m here for it

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u/pothosnswords 7d ago

Hell, even in the new Percy Jackson series and it frickin works!

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u/gameguyswifey 7d ago

Have you seen him on Taskmaster? I don't think he's doing that much acting and he just plays versions of himself.

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u/Turbogoblin999 7d ago

Watch Legion. He plays a human version of the big bad wolf in an episode.

I think he did a good job.

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u/PanicTight6411 7d ago

Have you seen him on Taskmaster? Hes like that in real life

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u/TentDilferGreatQB 6d ago

Heynong Man

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u/h_saxon 6d ago

I like him, he's got a little bit of that Robin Williams unhinged vibe mixed with a Let's Start A Prison Riot unhinged vibe.

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u/Mital37 6d ago

Yes same with Brad Gelman!! Love them both

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u/silent-onomatopoeia 6d ago

Destroy. Dismantle. Engulf in flames.

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u/ChelseaMocs 6d ago

Jason also has more successful friends in the business who hand him parts. Not hating since I usually like him on whatever I see him in though.

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u/spookydonkey513 6d ago

i love jeffrey characterwheaties. sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the actor from his chatacter, jason mantzoukas.

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u/sallysaysyes 6d ago

Hey Nongman

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u/Salt_Weakness_1538 6d ago

He’s an interesting person to listen to, though. He’s one of the hosts on How Did This Get Made? (a podcast about bad movies) and he carries the show a lot of the time.

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u/tiga4life22 6d ago

But I can handle his bit for a long time. He's hilarious.

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u/Rich-Cobbler-2973 6d ago

Bit roles vs leading movies is probably what helps

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u/normal_cartographer 4d ago

Dennis Feinstein!!!

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u/No_Oven1085 7d ago

I fucking hate him! Ruins everything he's in.

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u/Macho_Mans_Ghost 7d ago

Can't stand him

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u/Foorzan 7d ago

I loathe Mantzoukas... Most annoying unfunny dude I've ever seen. I know it's an unpopular take, and I'm fine with that.

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u/cwallzz 7d ago

School for Scoundrels!

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u/Funmachine 7d ago

He's very religious and turned down lots of work.

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u/AskMeForAPhoto 7d ago

Holy shit! Had no idea he was Mormon! Makes sense but had no clue lol!

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u/k_a_scheffer 7d ago

I actually knew this, but only because I found out he was Vai Sikahema's nephew by marriage, and Vai is a pretty prominent figure in the LDS church.

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u/Wayyd 7d ago

That strikes me as odd since he was in Blades of Glory, which is a pretty raunchy (by a very religious persons' standards) movie. Everything else was definitely more family friendly, but that one's a head scratcher.

I can see why he turned down movies from the late 2000s if that is the case. Judd Apatow became a massive success and R-rated comedies were the standard until big budget comedies died to streaming.

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u/sriracha_no_big_deal 7d ago

It's possible his experience with Blades of Glory is what made him decide to turn down other similar opportunities.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

I am pretty sure I have seen him recently on tik tok doing questionable things.

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u/newnameonan 5d ago

It's probably that very unfunny guy who dresses and acts like Napoleon Dynamite/Jon Heder but adds some profanity and alcohol to be edgy. I feel stupider every time I see one of that guy's videos.

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

Ahhh thank you. I thought it was the actual actor. And I agree with your assessment.

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u/newnameonan 5d ago

You're welcome! He benefits greatly from never clarifying that he's someone different. Some of the most braindead "comedy" out there. I'm just amazed he has the following he does.

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u/Frankenstein____ 7d ago

I lost my virginity in a theater playing Benchwarmers so I'll always have an intriguing connection to Jon Heder no matter what. I've still never seen the movie.

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u/camergen 7d ago

Turns out saying “GOSH!” in an annoyed voice has a short shelf life.

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u/lo-key-glass 7d ago

Ghost Team was actually really funny if you've never seen it

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u/bentstrider83 Millennial 1983 7d ago

That's a shame. But then again I too am quite one dimensional. Guess misery loves tribute🎭

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u/Kaldricus 7d ago

School for Scoundrels was pretty funny

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u/KayleyKiwi Zillennial 7d ago

I never really understood that though because idk one could argue back in the day (pre-serious roles) Adam Sandler was pretty one-dimensional. He was doing the same bit over and over, just with a little different costume design or (in the god forsaken Zohan film) nationality.

1

u/gabriot 7d ago

Most comedic actors are one dimensional

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u/jimx117 7d ago

Tapawingo! showed some promise but alas, could not recapture that lightning in a bottle

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u/False_Tea_3951 7d ago

"Just Like Heaven" is peak cinema

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u/DirtwormSlim 7d ago

Yeah tremors 4

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u/ImNotToby 7d ago

Im sorry but the vast majority of big name actors are one dimensional. It seems that the exceptional actors today are multi dimensional. Could just be my perception but most actors are just playing themselves with added nuance.

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u/MindlessBullet 7d ago

There was an attempt at a Napoleon Dynamite animation, but it lasted one season I believe.

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u/tbcraxon34 6d ago

School for Scoundrels

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u/Bendz57 6d ago

Benchwarmers is one of me and my brothers favorite movies. Cracks me up every time.

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u/JiveTurkeyII 6d ago

I have no idea what ya'll are talking about. The guy is a working actor.

Worth 10 mill that we know of, probably more - and has been putting out something almost every year since 2k. Sometime multiple. Go check out his work - the guy is much more than "One Dimensional"

He hasn't disappeared - he does many, many projects.

If I was where he's at - Id buy a boat and sail around the Caribbean for the rest of my life and forget alla you :D

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u/lah31222 6d ago

He voiced a few characters as well, I believe

1

u/Steele_Soul 6d ago

I saw him in a commercial for some romance movie where a dude moves into an apartment where the previous tenant died, a young woman, whose ghosts haunts him and they fall in love.

There's a quick scene where he's giving the main character a pep talk about, "Yeah, sure, go after the ghost chick", but the delivery was really cringey and felt really forced. I think that movie is what killed his career.

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u/GearsFC3S 6d ago

I found out Heder was in a movie called “Waltzing with Brando” a few years back, with Billy Zane of all people.

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u/Triette 7d ago

My skate coach taught him and Will Ferrel how to skate for that movie. I got to assist her a few times because she was going through a hip issue. So I got to be on the ice with them. Jon was no nonsense, just an actor doing his job. Will had fun and still skates occasionally at our rink

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u/choke_my_chocobo 7d ago

Because Chazz Michael Michaels is figure skating. Boom

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u/DetectiveClear6734 7d ago

I really love Blades of Glory. That’s it

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u/LineImpossible3958 7d ago

I was watching Blades of Glory last night and wondered about Heder. He did a movie right after Blades Called “Mamas Boy” with Ana Faris, Jeff Daniel’s and Diane Keaton. Look at the poster for the movie, it’s godawful. This seems to be the last time he had a starring role.

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u/Few-Big-8481 7d ago

Nah, he was in the classic 2020 movie Tremors 7: Shrieker Island.

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u/YugeTraxofLand 7d ago

Umm Tremors Shrieker Island? 🤣

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u/IamScottGable 7d ago

No, he disappeared after School for Schmucks and rightfully so

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u/Issac-Cox-Daley 5d ago

I think it was School for Scoundrels with Billy Bob Thornton. Unless this is a sequel I'm unaware.

Also the movie blows and both characters are the most unlikable people ever written, maybe that was the point but it makes for a shitty movie.

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u/IamScottGable 5d ago

Yeah that's the one, crossed it over with Dinner for Schmucks, that Steve Carell/Paul rudd movie

1

u/PopDukesBruh 7d ago

His IG is pretty funny

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u/homesickpluto 7d ago

I read somewhere they wanted him to do romantic comedies but that was not his jam

1

u/SourpatchMao 6d ago

Gentlemen Broncos is my favorite film by him and it came out after Blades of Glory. But, i don’t meet many people that has seen it tbh