Penelope Singh articles

Jerry Orbach seemed fine, but he was actually battling cancer through most of his time on Law & Order.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars have admitted they were confused by the role, puzzled by the script, or still trying to make sense of the story long after filming began. Here are some famous actors who admitted they never fully understood their most iconic rolls.

The 1960s were packed with Westerns that dominated prime-time television and turned actors into household names. While a few classics remain familiar today, many once-popular frontier dramas have largely disappeared from modern viewing habits. These shows helped define an era of television and offer a fascinating look at how the American West was portrayed on the small screen.

She was mostly known as the only child of Elvis Presley, but this wasn't always a good thing for Lisa Marie Presley. Her life went through many tumultuous twists and turns, just like the King of Rock and Roll...but it was her shocking and tragic end that ultimately mirrored her father's story the most.

Rue McClanahan became a television icon as Blanche Devereaux, but that role was only one chapter in a much longer career. Before The Golden Girls, she spent years honing her craft on stage, in soap operas, and in hit sitcoms. When the right opportunity arrived, McClanahan reinvented herself as a pop culture phenomenon and proved that career-changing success can come at any age.

Demond Wilson became a household name as Lamont Sanford on Sanford and Son. The NBC comedy made him one of the most recognizable television actors of the 1970s. Then, after more roles and years in the spotlight, Wilson stepped away from Hollywood to pursue ministry and service.

When The Andy Griffith Show premiered in 1960, Andy Griffith was expected to be the main comedic attraction. Instead, viewers quickly became captivated by Don Knotts as the nervous and hilariously overconfident Deputy Barney Fife. Knotts turned what could have been a simple supporting role into one of television's most memorable characters. Before long, Barney became one of the biggest reasons audiences tuned in every week.

The 1980s produced some truly bizarre TV shows that disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived. Networks filled the decade with futuristic crimefighters, aliens, supernatural sitcoms, and offbeat comedies that only lasted one season. Some featured future stars, while others became forgotten cult curiosities that perfectly captured how weird 1980s TV could be.

River Phoenix had already taken Hollywood by storm by the time he reached adulthood. Coming from humble origins, his striking talent had some whispering his name alongside the greats. But tragedy would put a premature end to a promising career.