Award winner? Oh, how the mighty have fallen

Jennifer Grey
Grey’s story may not quite qualify as tragedy, but it’s close. Consider it a cautionary tale about how one bad decision can end a career. In one moment, she was riding high with a successful role as Ferris Bueller’s obnoxious sister and a Golden Globe-nominated performance as Baby in “Dirty Dancing.” In the next, she was under the knife for a nose job that ended up botched and resulted in a more traditionally beautiful but much less distinctive face. A face that was thereafter relegated to TV movies and obscurity. To her credit, Grey mocked herself during a rhinoplasty-referencing scene on late-’90s sitcom “It’s Like, You Know …” but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s unknown now. And nobody watched that sitcom anyway.

Eugene Levy

Bruno Vincent / Getty Images

This one’s tough, because every now and again, he’s great. But for every “Best in Show” or “A Mighty Wind,” there’s an “American Pie 5: The Naked Mile” or a “Cheaper by the Dozen 2.” Or a “The Ladies Man.” Or a “Bringing Down the House.” You get the picture. It’s too bad the crap has so diluted what was a brilliant comedic career. Remember “Vacation”? “Splash”? Hell, even “SCTV” had its oddly Canadian moments of hilarity.

Tim Allen
It’s arguable whether the grunt-happy actor once arrested for cocaine trafficking actually had talent to squander in the first place, but I’ll make the case for yes. While Allen was entertaining in the “Toy Story” movies, he was truly great in “Galaxy Quest” as a washed-up, boozing Shatner parody. Since then … not so much. “Santa Clause” sequels, kids’ flicks, a movie in which he’s a dog? Nope, we’ve lost him for good. And if you had any doubts, “Wild Hogs” is the final proof; it’s like a who’s who of washed-up once-greats: Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, Ray Liotta — they’re all here. Oh, and the inimitable William H. Macy is too, for some reason. The point is that Allen sucks now.

Patrick Enright is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in MSNBC.com, Mr. Showbiz, Wall of Sound, Movies.com and Seattle Weekly.

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