It’s pretty easy to wonder what happened to Allison Dean since her role in Coming to America was her first time in the movies and it was probably one of her biggest roles throughout her career since she was cast as a supporting character that had more than a few lines. After that, her career path is kind of spotty since she doesn’t have a lot to speak of in the way of great roles. She’s played an extra and has starred in projects that are less than noteworthy by the standards of a lot of people, but it would appear that she’s still on the scene and still working after what looks like an extended leave that could have come for any number of reasons. It doesn’t look as though she was brought back for the sequel to Coming to America, and there might be a few reasons why, but it almost feels as though she should have been brought back at least for a cameo since one would think that Patrick McDowell would be needed just to make certain that the McDowell family was still in the picture since their eldest daughter did marry the prince in the first movie. But the fact that she doesn’t appear to be showing up is a decision that a lot of people might just let slide since so far the movie isn’t exactly gaining the type of attention that might have been desired.
It’s still interesting to find out how many actors from the 80s and 90s have been finding success throughout the years and how many have been kind of just skating by here and there as they continue to act without really being noticed by a lot of people. It does sound kind of saddening to think that someone that might have been popular a few decades ago is struggling now that time has kind of passed them by and hasn’t been too kind as it drifted along. But the fact that Allison has been working kind of takes any sting out of that thought since thinking that she’s been able to sustain herself and find one job after another makes it a little easier to think that she hasn’t been down and out over the years. The truth of the matter is that some actors do need to take on regular jobs now and then, but some manage to keep up their acting career no matter if they have to pull a 9 to 5 living. Acting for some is a dream come true since it gets them closer to where they want to be in life and affords them a chance to be seen by the masses, while for others it’s something to do, perhaps something to prove to others and themselves that they can accomplish. In fact, to some, acting is something that they kind of stumbled into and didn’t really have any intentions of continuing until they found that the paychecks were worth the trouble.
That might sound a little bit cynical, but the truth of it is that actors go into acting for a few reasons, some of which are altruistic and many of which are centered on their need to be somebody, to get paid, and to be seen by many others for how great they think they are. While some of them end up proving that they are great actors and thus get paid for it, others get into the job and find that it can be a lot of fun, but it’s still a job and still requires work from time to time. Many people react to acting in very different ways since some of them slug it out and keep going even if their career isn’t going to that well, while others might take breaks now and then to ascertain whether or not acting is really for them. While some among them might fade off and find something else that keeps them paid and happy, others will stick around and continue to do something, anything, to keep their reputation up and keep things moving forward. Allison has definitely taken breaks in her career for her own reasons, but the fact is that she’s still around and she’s still doing her thing, which is a testament to the idea that she loves what she’s doing enough to keep coming back.
Such an outlook on one’s career is definitely to be commended since it would indicate that she’s here because she wants to be, not out of any obligation to anyone or anything that might be keeping her around. Whether we’ll see her in any big productions in the coming years or if she’ll stay low-key is hard to say, but it’s enough to see that she’s still very much in the business and might be here to stay for a while.
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