Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ooh! I just thought of another one: Rock Hudson.
To people my age he'll always be the closeted-gay guy who died from AIDS. To people my mom's age, he was a heart-throb movie star.
I was really just thinking of "movie stars from the old days" not people who were famous more recently who simply had a career change.
In that case Fred Grandy from Love Boat would make the list because later he became a congressman.
But I don't include these people in my "OJ effect" list. Sonny Bono will always be more famous for "Sonny & Cher" than he ever will be for his political career. Clint Eastwood will always be known for being an actor, and few will remember he was mayor of some California city (unless you're from that city).
Fred Thompson was a little-known TV actor who later got into politics. This isn't the "OJ effect" in my book.
I also would reject Shirley Temple for this list. She will always be known for being the little curly haired girl in depression-era movies, not so much for her later career with the red cross. Her acting career is still primary: if you suddenly ask a person on the street "what is Shirley Temple known for?" I'll bet money that they'll say "singing and dancing in old movies" not "the Red Cross." So Shirley doesn't make the list.
If you ask any person on the street what Rock Hudson was best known for, they are most likely to say "died of AIDS" and not his movie career. He makes the list.
If you ask anyone on the street what Jerry Lewis is known for, they are most likely to say "telethons" rather than "comic movie actor." He makes the list.
We might end up having an offshoot list of people who are more famous for their death than for their career in show business.
These people have "average" or alomost-forgettable movie/music careers, but they became more famous for how they died:
The Big Bopper
Richie Valens
(I omit Buddy Holly, since he continues to be more famous for his music than for his death)
Most of Lynrd Skynrd
Marilyn Monroe
James Dean
Kurt Cobain
Brandon Lee
Cass Eliot
Janis Joplin
Jim Morrison (he's on the edge for me: equally famous for his music as for his death)
Jayne Mansfield
Margeaux Hemingway
Dana Plato
Freddie Prinze (more famous for his suicide and his son than for his career)
Lindsay Lohan (oops, sorry, the death hasn't happened yet)
This list I'll call the "Rock Hudson effect" meaning you're more famous for how you died than for your showbiz career.
Gene Autrey, who later was the owner of the California Angels baseball team. Actually, Bing Crosby was also once part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but that was not a very well-known fact for which he was famous.
Phil Collins is much better known as a singer. Many people may not know that he was a teen-aged film actor, and was later actually quite good starring in several films, including "Buster".
Here's a twist - Audie Murphy. He was a Medal of Honor recipient and one of the most highly decorated soldiers of WWII. Later, he became a movie star. I always think of him in terms of his military experience but some think actor when they hear his name.
This could be an interesting thread - the OP has his/her rules but clearly all of these are subjective opinions informed by our own experience. For example, when I lived in DC, I knew many people who didn't realize Shirley Temple Black had been a child actress - they only knew her from her diplomatic career as a US ambassador. Of course, it's a very politically oriented town, but that just underscores how subjective these opinions are - and how different people's perspectives can be.
Some old hollywood stars become known for their children...
ie - Jon Voight (Angelina Joli0
Tippi Hedrin (Melanie Griffith)
Goldie Hawn (kate Husdon)
Jayne Mansfield (Mariska Hargitay)
Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller (Ben Stiller, who if he didn't have those parents probably wouldn't be as famous as he is, lol)
Gene Autrey, who later was the owner of the California Angels baseball team. Actually, Bing Crosby was also once part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but that was not a very well-known fact for which he was famous.
Phil Collins is much better known as a singer. Many people may not know that he was a teen-aged film actor, and was later actually quite good starring in several films, including "Buster".
I did NOT know that. TY.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
