(Yes, I stole this idea from Carl's thread...)

Who comes to mind when you think of a big (movie, music, television, etc.) star (dead or alive) from a past era that that is barely remembered these days? (And by "remembered", I mean discussed about, celebrated, and / or canonized...)

I'll start with:

Though I wasn't around during Burt's 70s superstar heyday (though I did watch plenty of his flicks on TV, as well as WKRP in Cincinnatti in reruns, as a kid), I do remember he and Loni being a big deal as a celebrity couple when I was a kid - so much so that their nasty divorce ran neck and neck with Kurt Cobain's suicide for news domination. Nowadays, it seems as if they both dropped off the face of the earth.

Burt still pops up, but yes, Loni is MIA. I do remember when they were both huge.

She's popping up again recently but for years I would have said Lauryn Hill.

Sally Struthers. Mostly relegated to joke status in the 90s and now I'm not sure what she's doing.

The last time I'd seen Sally was on Gilmore Girls, so at least I can say that I've seen her this century.

I haven't seen Loni in ages and the last time that I'd seen Burt was in Boogie Nights.

Other folks that come to mind are...

You'd never know that he was of the hottest stars on TV once upon a time, since he's been MIA since that Miami Vice got cancelled - especially since the closest thing to a contemporary in those days, Denzel Washington (who had a smaller role on his show), pretty much left him in the dust.

We should call Philip's psychic friend...

Sally Struthers doesn't show up on TV much anymore, but she seems to have built a career in touring theatre. I saw her a number of years back as Mrs. Hannigan -- she was quite delightful -- and she's currently touring with Hello Dolly as, well ... Dolly Levi.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Tho, I believe by choice.

That's great for her.

I guess most of the big names of 70s TV are generally forgotten now, if they're still alive. Not sure if Polly Holiday is still acting.

Sally was on Gilmore Girls on a recurring status for a number of years. She was often in scenes with Liz Torres, who was also on All in the Family in the 70s.

Burt still pops up, but yes, Loni is MIA. I do remember when they were both huge.

She's popping up again recently but for years I would have said Lauryn Hill.

Sally Struthers. Mostly relegated to joke status in the 90s and now I'm not sure what she's doing.

Edited February 14, 201411 yr by robbwolff

I wouldn't call Polly Holiday a big star from the 1970s. ALICE was never a prestige show or even top rated. I would say people like Veronica Hamel and Michael J Travanti fit into this category, as does someone like Helen Hunt who was forgotten almost immediately. Susan St James, Ali McGraw, and if we can reach back a little further, someone like Dean Jones. In music, people like Tony Orlando might qualify or even Gloria Gaynor maybe.

Edited February 15, 201411 yr by quartermainefan

Helen Hunt got nominated for an oscar last year so I don't think she's forgotten.

Polly had a national catchphrase and got her own spinoff. I think for that era she was big.

I guess it's tough to pin down what a huge star is, though.

I think of someone like Debralee Scott, who was everywhere in the mid-late 70s and then went into obscurity until she passed away. I'm not sure if she was ever a big star though, as much as I loved her.

I guess we could count Louise Lasser.

Polly had a national catchphrase and got her own spinoff. I think for that era she was big.

I guess it's tough to pin down what a huge star is, though.

I think of someone like Debralee Scott, who was everywhere in the mid-late 70s and then went into obscurity until she passed away. I'm not sure if she was ever a big star though, as much as I loved her.

I guess we could count Louise Lasser.

Louise Lasser was big because Mary Hartman was a huge show and borderline pop culture event while it was on. Back to Polly Holliday. I can only go by my own recollection and Alice was around for many years but was never a prestige show like AITF or MTM. It was just there, like the way Dukes Of Hazzard was always there. She (PH) I don't recall ever being big on TV again (if she was really even big then). Was Vic Taybeck big? Spinoffs don't always mean someone was big or popular. Without going to wikipedia or google, does anyone know the name of the actor that played "Enos"? That was a spinoff from "Dukes" but I don't think back then anyone really knew why.

ALICE was consistently in the Top 20 for most of its run (Top 10 for 4 seasons), so I'd say it was a big hit, even if it wasn't a critical darling. FLO also managed to crack the Top 10 as a midseason replacement.

Gloria Gaynor is still talked about in the proper context. She's definitely considered one of the major queens of disco.

Another barely remembered big star from yesteryear is Joe Pesci, who pretty much was on top 20 years ago. It's incredible that he isn't even on the Hollywood radar these days.

Polly played Big Mama in COAHTR opposite Charles Durning on Broadway several seasons ago, not sure about what she's done since.

Burt and Loni are such a perfect example, they got an unbelievable amount of tabloid coverage. I remember ET covering her first taping of Nurses, and she got such thunderous and long entrance applause post messy divorce that they had to stop tape and Loni broke into a laugh/cry.

Most of the people who come to mind are TV stars of hit shows, so I guess it's all relative that when the shows end, so shifts the spotlight. I remember when people like Michele Lee and Donna Mills made regular talk show appearances, were featured guests on Oprah and all that. And I can hardly believe it when a J.R. Ewing or Alexis Carrington reference goes over somebody's head. What a difference only a couple of years in age can make. It's kind of nuts to me that you have to explain who Elizabth Taylor or even Zsa Zsa Gabor is to some people.