Why didn't Joe Pilato have a better career?

[CaldoTheKid]

I know for years Day was considered the ugly sister of the the first trilogy, so I understand why he didn't become the new A-list star. Even if Day was more successful and critically acclaimed upon release, still it's a tough nut to crack becoming the new A-list star is a tough nut to crack. But following Day, even in crappy direct to video movies, he's playing bit parts roles and credited as detective, security guard and tech #2, so it's not like Day even typecast him as the guy you root for say Jason, Freddy, Michael to slaughter.

[Neil]

There's certainly just luck/bad luck involved. He was up to star in Dusk til Dawn, but in the end the studio pushed and Clooney got the role.

[JDP]

It's not just Pilato, but most of the main actors from Romero's zombie trilogy who didn't have great luck with their movie/TV acting careers. Some of them actually chose to not pursue it much further (Duane Jones, for example, who concentrated more on teaching.) The ones who have had more success are Ken Foree and Sherman Howard. They have been in quite a number of movies and TV shows.

[shootemindehead]

The bottom line is he was just not that good an actor. Also, he seemed a bit unhinged, to put it mildly. In interviews he doesn't come across well at all. That being said, he turned in one of the greatest villain performances of all time if you ask me. Rhodes is a complete bastard, right down to the point where he abandons his own men to save his own worthless neck.

[Mike70]

It's not just Pilato, but most of the main actors from Romero's zombie trilogy who didn't have great luck with their movie/TV acting careers. Some of them actually chose to not pursue it much further (Duane Jones, for example, who concentrated more on teaching.) The ones who have had more success are Ken Foree and Sherman Howard. They have been in quite a number of movies and TV shows. Katie Finneran is by far the best, most accomplished actor to be in any of the Dead films Romero did or was associated with. Yeah her performance in Night 90 is pretty raw but she was llike 18 or something. She's gone on to win two Tony awards and be one of the most in demand and highly regarded Broadway actresses of her generation. and she's done a bunch of TV too.