The Punisher ruined his career
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Thomas Jane
metlaneth — 16 years ago(November 18, 2009 03:09 PM)
Back in 2002 and 2003 his movie career was on a good track. He's on a way to becoming a big international movie star. The producers saw this and gave him the lead role in The Punisher movie. He could be really great in that role. But bad script and bad direction completely ruined the movie. It flopped in the box-office. If the movie was a hit it would be his breakthrough, just like what the first X-Men movie did to Hugh Jackman. Even though TJ was blameless about the movie's bad outcome (actually he was the only good thing in it) his career affected pretty bad. Since then he couldn't have a breakthrough chance like that one. The Mist was good but it was a small, low budget movie and didn't earn enough to get any attention. And also transferring to a tv show is never a good thing for a movie star.
He needs a role that can repair the damage The Punisher has done. -
John_Doggett — 16 years ago(December 12, 2009 10:30 AM)
I think he's right were he wants to be A hit TV show, directing movies and producing comics & movies.
and about The Punisher Hopefully he'll be starring in the next one.
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Jensen Ackles for Captain America - Alexander Skarsgrd for THOR. -
JoesGirl67 — 16 years ago(December 15, 2009 02:15 PM)
And also trans111cferring to a tv show is never a good thing for a movie star.
He needs a role that can repair the damage The Punisher has done
What are you talking about? Have you not been watching television for the past five years or so? Have you not noticed the number of "movie stars" who are having incredible success on television?
Let's have a refresher, shall we?
Starting with Thomas' own wife,
Patricia Arquette
,
who has an Emmy
, plus a second Emmy nomination, 3 Golden Globe nominations, and 2 SAG nominations, all since she made the move from movies to television. (She never got that kind of recognition for her movies, and you can't tell me that she just suddenly became a great actress since switching to television. People who had never noticed her before were suddenly sitting up and paying attention to her. That's what television did for her career. Same thing is happening to Thomas now.)
And then there's multiple Emmy winners Glenn Close, Alec Baldwin, James Gandolfini, Martin Sheen and Sally Field, not to mention multiple nominees Kyra Sedgwick, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, to name a few.
The fact is, there are much better roles on television these days than there are in movies, and the list above proves it.
And considering that Thomas was just nominated for a Golden Globe for his work on
Hung
, I'd say he's doing pretty well. Wouldn't you?
As for his movies, maybe he doesn't
want
to be a big-time international movie star like Hugh Jackman. That could be why he turned down the part of Wolverine before it was offered to Jackman.
Ya think?
The attempt to force human beings to despise themselves is what I call hell. - Andre Malraux -
mrmovielover — 15 years ago(May 05, 2010 02:46 PM)
He was offered the role of Cyclops.
Also, he was offered the role of the Comedian in Watchmen.
He doesn't like playing comic book characters because they are not like the people of this world. He made the punisher a little for lifelike in the first film and more of a vigilante instead of a comic book character. Which is why he didn't do a 2nd punisher because of the arguments he had with the filmakers. Hopeflly he does another one.
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf -
wetbrain — 16 years ago(January 27, 2010 06:55 PM)
YES, his career was ruined (although not just by Punisher).
It's common for movie stars to move over to TV, but if we learned anything from watching Entourage, you only do TV when you are no longer on the "A-list" and can no longer star as lead in a movie.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Jennifer Love-Hewitt as a classic example of once-promising, now derailed movie actress.
It's not just about money by the way, as TV stars can make more than movie stars in the right situations (Seinfeld anyone). it's about the STATUS. -
HeronGuard — 16 years ago(February 11, 2010 07:28 AM)
Only Tom Jane is responsible for the films that he makes. It's not just one film that ruins an actor's caress. The Punisher of 1989 was only a Punisher film in name only and Tom was not offered the Wolverine role.
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JoesGirl67 — 16 years ago(February 28, 2010 10:00 AM)
First of all, the myth that "movie" actors only move to television only do this because they can't get a lead in a film anymore is just that. A MYTH. Look at how many "A-list" actors are working on television now, many of them still starring in big movies, like Alec Baldwin (Compromising Situations). Not to mention stars like Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, James Gandolfini and many others who could still get a big film role at the drop of a hat.
The reason that most "film" actors are moving to television is because there's better work on TV. Better scripts, better characters, etc. Just look at the movies that are being made today. The only ones that are having any success are the comedies full of bathroom humor, or over-the-top horror movies, or movies based on comic book characters. There are very few real, substantive mov5b4ie roles to be found these days. Most everything that is being is a remake or part of a franchise. That's why many actors are either going to television or choosing to do independent films.
And yes, Thomas was offered the role of Wolverine and he turned it down because he didn't want to be typecast as a "superhero" character.
The attempt to force human beings to despise themselves is what I call hell. - Andre Malraux -
AndyEN — 16 years ago(March 04, 2010 09:44 PM)
Hadn't heard anything about Thomas Jane being offered the role of Wolverine. It's definitely true though that Jackman wasn't the first -pick. Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine. I can't recall why he bowed out, but the initial casting was well publicized at the time.
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JoesGirl67 — 16 years ago(March 06, 2010 08:21 PM)
I do recall hearing that Dougray Scott was also tapped for the part, but Thomas was offered the part as well. He did a radio interview just this past week and he told the story of how Bryan Singer called him and asked him to test for the part, and he was all set to go to NYC to do it, but he was already booked to do a movie called
Under Suspicion
with Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman in Puerto Rico. Supposedly Singer tried to move heaven and earth to get Thomas the part without having to do the screen test, but the studio wouldn't budge and wouldn't hire him without seeing him first. In the end, he passed it up to do the movie with Freeman and Hackman.
The attempt to force human beings to despise themselves is what I call hell. - Andre Malraux -
viewangle — 16 years ago(March 12, 2010 09:53 PM)
I hated his character in Original Sin, which meant he did his job perfectly. His portrayal of Frank Castle in the Punisher, while not award-winning, is one of the very few things I found likable in that movie. I've also seen some of his earlier works; count me in as a fan. He's still making movies. That in itself, IMHO, is already a feat.
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GrownUpKid — 16 years ago(March 19, 2010 10:31 PM)
I don't know if it ruined his career or if his career is ruined but he was the best thing about that movie. I don't hate it but the movie was too conflicted. It wasn't sure if it wanted to be serious or campy, which I think will always be the case when they try to base it on Garth Ennis stuff. He was so awesome but J5b4ohn Travolta and company decided to ham it up like a Saturday morning cartoon.
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bluedragon2999 — 16 years ago(April 02, 2010 06:50 PM)
I actually really liked his Punisher movie, I thought he matched the character well. The initial character anyway trying to deal with everything that happened, before he became sort of the heartless guy he became later. I like both but his version of Punisher is much better than the one that happened in the horrid War Zone.
I do not think his career is ruined in any way. I would never have said he is an A list actor but he is capable without question. He is in a TV show, he gets decent movie roles in some solid movies and does some other things on the side. As far as I am concerned that is a pretty good life in the biz. Alot of the more down to Earth actors never want to have the risk of hitting it big then never again. I know if it were me I would rather have consistant success doing the things I enjoy than one movie that I looked at as could have been.
I liked Punisher too and think it is highly underrated.