Afternoon Baseball

Washington Post

Few things in Hollywood are sadder than the untalented, aging actress struggling to keep her career going. Heather Graham is exhibit A at the moment.

She turns 36 a week from today, hasn't had a big-time movie, arguably, since "Austin Powers: The Spy That Shagged Me" in 1999 ("Bowfinger" was actually pretty good that year, too, but I don't think it did well at the box office). She did have a recurring role on "Scrubs," but everyone and their mother has appeared on that critically acclaimed, ratings-challenged show.

No one has ever claimed that she's a good actress -- her guest-appearance in season 1 of "Arrested Development" where she's George-Michael's ethics teacher with an odd crush on Saddam Hussein is a great episode precisely because her character is an overdramatic, slutty ditz. Ditto for "Austin Powers," "Bowfinger, "Boogie Nights," "Two Girls and a Guy," and her 5-second uncredited appearance in "Anger Management."
But at some point, she's not going to be really hot anymore, and then what will she do? This isn't me saying she doesn't deserve a career because she's older. Far from it. Look at the above resume. Her best stuff is good.
This is me saying that Hollywood is sending her out to pasture, and actually has been doing so almost from the moment she became a star. They've got something against her, and it's too bad. Maybe Ed Burns has been blacklisting her since he dumped her. Who knows?

The Sports Guy has his own way-too-thought-out theory. After 5-6 weeks it'll be locked behind the ESPN Insider wall, so here's the gist: Early nudity kills careers.