Why did Ken Wahl's career go right down the shitter?

Publish date: 2024-05-20

Was it because Bette Midler hated him so much and had him black listed?

He was at one point one of the hottest actors in Hollywood

by Anonymousreply 89August 16, 2021 6:58 AM

Why did she hate him (if that is indeed true)?

by Anonymousreply 1February 21, 2020 12:43 AM

He got fat during the second season of Wiseguy and lost his looks.

by Anonymousreply 2February 21, 2020 12:44 AM

I remember seeing the film they made together, and it was actually kind of fun. There were all sorts of things in the newspapers about Bette hating him, apparently he didn't treat her well during the filming. I forget the details though.

by Anonymousreply 3February 21, 2020 12:45 AM

He never appeared especially bright, on or offscreen, but he had IT--sex appeal in spades. His TV show WISEGUY was very entertaining and he was good on it.

I take Bette Midler's takes on her co-stars with a grain of salt. The numbers of actors and colleagues she has pissed off, alienated, and treated poorly are LEGION.

by Anonymousreply 5February 21, 2020 12:47 AM

Jinxed! was a jinx for everyone involved, but both Wahl and Midler recovered a few years later with Wiseguy and Ruthless People.

by Anonymousreply 6February 21, 2020 12:47 AM

I read that Ken gave an interview where he said when he kissed Bette Midler he had to think of his dog to get thru it or something like that.

by Anonymousreply 7February 21, 2020 12:49 AM

Wahl is still a beautiful man.

by Anonymousreply 8February 21, 2020 12:49 AM

Midler with play Bella Abzug to Julianne Moore's Gloria Steinem later this year. How will she compare with Harvey Fierstein?

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by Anonymousreply 9February 21, 2020 12:55 AM

Also... drugs, OP. Many, many drugs.

Allegedly.

by Anonymousreply 10February 21, 2020 12:58 AM

he's my facebook friend..he married one of the Barbie twins and screws the other sister. He's a big animal activists and a trumpster now

by Anonymousreply 13February 21, 2020 2:12 AM

This thread is no good without pics...

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by Anonymousreply 14February 21, 2020 11:11 AM

I think another problem with Jinxed! was the choice of director Don Siegel. Midler famously got him back when she used the experience for a scene in Beaches.

by Anonymousreply 15February 21, 2020 11:22 AM

Bette couldn't stand him. She said he was a lousy person and every other word out of his mouth was some slur against gays or non-whites.

by Anonymousreply 16February 21, 2020 5:21 PM

R16, considering he’s a Trumpster, I believe that totally.

by Anonymousreply 17February 21, 2020 5:43 PM

Ken Wahl's looks and weight didn't change noticeably in Wiseguy's two-year run before the follow-up short season with Steven Bauer, [R2]. Whatever happened to him physically was afterwards.

by Anonymousreply 18February 21, 2020 5:52 PM

Not only did he marry one Barbi twin and, with her permission, screws the other Barbi twin, but Wahl suggested an incestuous 3-way with them. IIRC a Howard Stern interview with one of the twins.

A fucked up guy.

by Anonymousreply 19February 21, 2020 6:04 PM

R18, I remember seeing wardrobe tricks to cover his growing girth. They added a layer to his shirts and raised the belt line. His action scenes were hilarious by the end.

That’s what stopped his career. Whatever The National Enquirer wrote about him turned old farts against him.

by Anonymousreply 20February 21, 2020 6:05 PM

He said Bette Midler was ugly and that it was torture kissing her.

by Anonymousreply 21February 21, 2020 6:07 PM

lord, it probably was r21

by Anonymousreply 22February 21, 2020 6:16 PM

Barbie Twins, motorcycle accident, drugs, got fat, drugs. A tale as old as time.

by Anonymousreply 23February 21, 2020 6:44 PM

Wiseguy was such a good series. I wouldn't mind a reboot of that on a streaming service.

by Anonymousreply 24February 21, 2020 8:16 PM

[quote]Wiseguy was such a good series. I wouldn't mind a reboot of that on a streaming service.

Not a reboot, but Tubi has the series.

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by Anonymousreply 25February 21, 2020 8:22 PM

I want to know why Michael "The Pretender" Weiss kinda faded out. I dated a french guy that looked just like him.

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by Anonymousreply 26February 21, 2020 8:27 PM

This guy was never on my radar, and I had no clue he existed. Perhaps I was too young. But I looked at his photos online for about 10 minutes, before falling back asleep. I’m running a fever, have a sinus infection, and have been in bed for the last few days.

Anyhow, I fell asleep, and suddenly, I’m dreaming that this guy and I are living together, and in a full on relationship. In my dream, he drove a truck, and worked as a carpenter, and general contractor. He was really sweet, and his best friend came over for dinner all the time, because he was single, and didn’t know how to cook.

What a weird dream! It was really detailed, and completely logical. No abstract stuff. Well, except for the “Watcher”.

I always have this one person watching me, whenever I dream of ex-boyfriends, or about my ex husband. He was watching me with this Ken guy, and today, for the first time ever, I finally saw his face in my dream, and know who he is. That freaks me out even more, because I had no idea my “watcher” or my “observer” in my dream was a person identifiable as other than myself. I always suspected it was not me, because it felt like it wasn’t me, but today, I saw his face, and it wasn’t me - even though I know philosophy and psychology literature tells me that it probably is.

Weird. This guy isn’t even my type. I like brown hair brown eyes.

by Anonymousreply 27February 21, 2020 8:32 PM

I remember Liz Smith (circa 1989) bitched in her column that everyone was talking about Delta Burke's weight, so it was only fair to point out Ken Wahl's weight gain too.

by Anonymousreply 28February 21, 2020 9:16 PM

R23 covered it well. Not only was he brutal to our Divine Miss M but he became impossible to work with on the tv show due to ¨ back pain and personal demons¨.- I loved that show´s casting - so many great guest appearances ... Spacey´s ¨the toes knows¨.

by Anonymousreply 29February 21, 2020 10:43 PM

Why is Ken Wahl virtually un-Googleable now? Even if you Google "Ken Wahl actor" -- crickets.

by Anonymousreply 30February 21, 2020 10:44 PM

R30, maybe because he hasn’t had any work in the last 20 plus years?

by Anonymousreply 31February 21, 2020 11:41 PM

He became a bloated mess and married one of the Barbi twins who shared him.

by Anonymousreply 32February 21, 2020 11:43 PM

[quote] He got fat during the second season of Wiseguy and lost his looks.

Imagine, getting fat and losing your looks!

by Anonymousreply 33February 21, 2020 11:45 PM

Why did Michael Weiss burn out? Oh that one's easy. Crysta! Meth. Lots and lots and lots of crystal meth.

by Anonymousreply 34February 22, 2020 12:31 AM

Ken Wahl was also accident prone having suffered a bad motorcycle crash in 1984 and falling down a flight of marble stairs in 1992. The ensuing botched surgeries, chronic pain and the addiction to painkillers and alcohol didn't help him or his career.

by Anonymousreply 35February 22, 2020 1:17 AM

There are no pics from him today. Anyone have some recent pics?

by Anonymousreply 36February 22, 2020 1:29 AM

"Accident prone' is publicist lingo for 'totally fucking wasted'.

by Anonymousreply 37February 22, 2020 1:34 AM

Whoever this dude is, I’m glad I perused his photos and dreamed of his 1980s self, and myself, because I got to see my Watcher, who, by the way, IS my type, and whom I’m really into.

Weird. I wonder if when we dream, we go into an alternative reality? Dreams really do reveal things about ourselves that no amount of therapy ever will.

by Anonymousreply 38February 22, 2020 1:39 AM

a "recent" photo from 2015

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by Anonymousreply 39February 22, 2020 1:40 AM

^He turned into a fat Tom Wopat?

by Anonymousreply 40February 22, 2020 1:44 AM

Oh noooooo, R39. Oh nooooooo!

by Anonymousreply 41February 22, 2020 1:44 AM

a "recent" publicity photo, date unknown.

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by Anonymousreply 42February 22, 2020 1:46 AM

That is not him. No way. That guy at r39 is actually pulled together—and sober (looking). . I don’t think Ken Wahl is anything close to that.

by Anonymousreply 43February 22, 2020 1:47 AM

Where to learn my re able ur the Watcher or the Observer...

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by Anonymousreply 45February 22, 2020 2:04 AM

Correction:

Where to learn more about the Watcher or the Observer....

by Anonymousreply 46February 22, 2020 2:06 AM

If those recent photos really are Wahl, they still can't erase my memory of his dreamy perfection in better days.

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by Anonymousreply 47February 22, 2020 2:09 AM

Neither of those "recent" pics are of him.

by Anonymousreply 48February 22, 2020 2:11 AM

R48 Yes Ken, we understand your concern!

by Anonymousreply 50February 22, 2020 2:28 AM

He was once hot enough for this Nissan 240 commercial:

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by Anonymousreply 51February 22, 2020 5:58 AM

Here's a scene from Wiseguy where it looks like he's about to rear-end Kevin Spacey...

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by Anonymousreply 52February 23, 2020 2:34 PM

He was so beautiful. Everyone thought so, as I recall.

by Anonymousreply 53February 23, 2020 2:47 PM

Isn’t it common knowledge that he had very serious drug issues, which quickly killed whatever momentum his career had at that point?

by Anonymousreply 54February 23, 2020 2:54 PM

Who was that guy on Wiseguy who died of AIDS? I thought that was Ken Wahl.

by Anonymousreply 55February 23, 2020 3:07 PM

16 pounds and you go to nifty story material - “My Plumber’s Ass Smiled At Me”.

by Anonymousreply 56February 23, 2020 5:28 PM

[quote]Who was that guy on Wiseguy who died of AIDS?

That was Ray Sharkey, who played Sonny Steelgrave in the first season.

by Anonymousreply 57February 23, 2020 6:10 PM

sadly he's a right wing asshole. His twitter is a mess

by Anonymousreply 58August 11, 2020 10:52 AM

barbie twins jinxed him, he was a hot piece of ass till they got hold of him.

by Anonymousreply 59August 11, 2020 11:16 AM

R59 his right wing views are his own

by Anonymousreply 60August 12, 2020 3:51 AM

He had a supporting role in [italic]the Favor[/italic], about a married woman who dreams about her high-school boyfriend (Wahl) and their unconsummated relationship. She asks her best friend to visit him and report back. One of the dream sequences is hilarious. Wahl still looked pretty good at that point, 1994. I think this movie was shelved and finally released when Brad Pitt's career took off; he has a small role as the best friend's boyfriend.

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by Anonymousreply 61August 12, 2020 10:42 AM

Did he ever get naked for the camera?

by Anonymousreply 62August 12, 2020 12:53 PM

It was actually Bette Midler, not Ken Wahl, who was (temporarily) "blacklisted" following the troubled making of the flop comedy "Jinxed!"

It was one of those movies where reports from the set about fights and tension kept leaking to the press during filming, which nearly always spells doom for a movie; it just puts a stink on the whole thing and primes the critics and the public to hate the movie before they've even seen it. In actuality, "Jinxed" wasn't that bad at all, from what I can recall. It wasn't great, but it was nowhere near as awful as it was made out to be at the time.

Anyway, the scoop was that Bette was getting over-involved in everything: the script, the directing, etc. She wasn't being a good little actress and doing what she was told, which led to the director and Ken Wahl both HATING her and bad-mouthing her. The result was that Midler was labeled "difficult" and didn't land another movie role for several years, until the director of "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" decided to take a chance on her, and wound up reviving her film career in a big way. It was a big, unexpected hit, and the critics and audiences loved Bette, which led to her string of successful 80's comedies. At the time of "Beverly HIlls", she was publicly VERY grateful for having been given a second chance, and basically said that she'd learned her lesson about how the game was played, and that from then on, she would just show up on time, do the job she was hired to do, and trust that the directors, writers, and producers knew what they were doing.

by Anonymousreply 63August 12, 2020 1:16 PM

Because Hollywood already had Matt Dillon. They didn't need another one.

by Anonymousreply 64August 12, 2020 1:24 PM

R61. I saw The Favor ina theater. I was the only person there. I had a Ken Wahl thing, what a waste of a beautiful man. Drugs are bad mkay.

by Anonymousreply 66August 13, 2020 1:40 PM

He was always ugly. I never understood his appeal.

by Anonymousreply 67August 13, 2020 2:03 PM

R51 Thanks for reminding me about that commercial- I think that may have been the only thing I saw him in in the 1980s since I never watched Wiseguy.

But that link is dead, so I found another one:

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by Anonymousreply 68June 22, 2021 8:45 PM

R62 There was a scene in The Wanderers where you can see his ass...and I think his dick from a distance, IIRC.

by Anonymousreply 69June 22, 2021 8:58 PM

R39 Boy, wifey was sure johnny-on-the-spot with her "THAT'S NOT HIM! I SHOULD KNOW, I'M MARRIED TO HIM" rebuke to that twitter post, lol!

What a nut-case she is. Doesn't she have anything better to do? Seems like a total control freak. Poor Ken. I'll bet he's completely sick of her ass by now. He'd kinda trapped, though. She got her claws into him when he was vulnerable.

by Anonymousreply 70June 22, 2021 9:10 PM

Because he is an inbred looking uggo.

by Anonymousreply 71June 22, 2021 9:26 PM

According to Rolling Stone, he tried to strangle Bette during one of their fights. It apparently got really ugly between them.

Bette checked herself into a hospital for "physical exhaustion" during the movie, but the truth was that she had a nervous breakdown and required psychiatric treatment.

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by Anonymousreply 72June 22, 2021 9:31 PM

R72 Interesting. I'll have to see if I can find that article.

by Anonymousreply 73June 22, 2021 9:38 PM

I want to see Fat Ken. The Barbi Twins must hate his weight gain. They were obsessively bulimic. They'd only eat ice cream for days because it was so easy to throw up. Also a fact gleaned from their Stern interview. It sounded like a whole hive of crazy with Ken being the craziest.

by Anonymousreply 74June 22, 2021 9:59 PM

R74 I want to see Fat Ken too, lol. I bet he still looks better than the freaky twins whose eyes are too close together (notice how their faces are always photographed from the side...)

But I find it hard to believe that Ken fucks both of them, and that they'd admit it in public if he did. That sounds like some of Stern's own sophomoric speculation.

by Anonymousreply 75June 22, 2021 10:06 PM

R74 The wife probably likes him fat, because it keeps him dependent on her, and she doesn't have to worry about him going around screwing women half her age.

by Anonymousreply 76June 23, 2021 7:34 AM

He was gorgeous in "The Soldier".

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by Anonymousreply 77June 26, 2021 7:22 PM

R76 since when did that stop a man cheating

by Anonymousreply 78June 26, 2021 7:25 PM

R23, like this one? I can't even imagine Busey and Stroud together. Yikes.

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by Anonymousreply 79June 26, 2021 7:27 PM

JFC, Sharkey sounds like a royal POS.

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by Anonymousreply 80June 26, 2021 7:57 PM

R80 Yeah, he got HIV from IV drug use, and then slept with a bunch of women, knowingly infecting them. One of them tried to sue him before he died, but he was broke.

He was a major fucked-up individual.

by Anonymousreply 81June 27, 2021 5:05 AM

R30 Really? I get a ton of photos when I search him.

by Anonymousreply 82July 5, 2021 2:12 AM

Midler didn't have the power to blacklist him, not then.

by Anonymousreply 83July 5, 2021 2:14 AM

I think we should get together a DL search party to go find him. He's in Tucson somewhere, right? I want to know what the Barbi sisters have done with him!

by Anonymousreply 84July 5, 2021 2:31 AM

R20 Career suicide by fork. Matthew Leblanc too.

by Anonymousreply 85July 5, 2021 2:33 AM

R84 No, I think he's in CA.

He posts on FB and Twitter often...if that's really him...

There must be somebody who lives near him who can snap a pic when he's pumping gas! Jesus, how hard can it be?

by Anonymousreply 86July 5, 2021 2:34 AM

He's REALLY changed since his heyday.

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by Anonymousreply 87July 5, 2021 4:00 AM

R13 R19 This is probably where those rumors started. I take it with a grain of salt, because the twins were getting pretty desperate for publicity at this point and Ken was suicidally-depressed and drinking heavily. I actually think both twins are lesbians and he doesn't sleep with either of them. He may even be impotent because of his injuries (which is not uncommon with neck/spinal injuries). I think they have an agreement where Shane takes care of him, she gets to be "Mrs. Ken Wahl" and the sister is along for the ride. It's a fucked-up scenario, regardless of the details (mainly because of the twins, because they are WEIRD).

"THE buxom BARBI TWINS, who shot to fame by posing nude for Playboy, even share a HUSBAND in bed.

The lucky man is movie star Ken Wahl, who's married to 37-year-old Shane Barbi - but shares bedtime romps with her sister, Sia.

'Sia and I are like the same person,' says Shane. 'So it seems fitting that we share things we both enjoy, including my husband.'

It's the second time the Playboy twins have shocked the world.

Recently they told how they had been brought up by a lesbian 'husband and wife' - and even had a gay godmother, the late pop star Dusty Springfield.

'The only dysfunctional part of our growing up was having to keep it a secret from the world. But there's nothing to be ashamed of,' says Shane."

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by Anonymousreply 88July 19, 2021 2:50 AM

R88 Ken had NOTHING to do with that. That was a stunt cooked up by the Zombi Twins to resuscitate their sagging (pun intended) careers. Ken didn't take those photos, either.

Ken is no longer allowed to do any podcast interviews, because it was leading to job offers that he wanted to take, and that was a big "no-no" for his wife. So-- no more interviews, no more jobs, no more social media (she pretends to be him online). For all intents and purposes, he's essentially being held hostage. I wish his fans knew about this, it's very sad.

by Anonymousreply 89August 16, 2021 6:58 AM

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