William Hung.....Actor
 

Looks like William Hung's 15 minutes of fame is still ticking...

and can you believe he sold 100,000 albums

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Musi....ap/index.html

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Critics have described his singing as less than heroic, but "American Idol" reject William Hung says he wants to play only good guys in his fledgling acting career.

In Singapore to promote his first film, the action-comedy "Where is Mama's Boy?," the Hong Kong-born Hung ruled out any nasty roles.

"I would like to preserve a good image and not play the bad guy or do anything that's obscene," Hung was quoted by The Straits Times newspaper as telling a news conference.

Hung stars in the Cantonese-language film, opening Thursday in Singapore, playing a street vendor who befriends a music club owner played by Hong Kong starlet Nancy Sit.

Hung shot to fame in the United States in a bungled but earnest audition for the U.S. talent show "American Idol." The 21-year-old won legions of fans by telling the judges he did his best and had no regrets about being panned for his nerdy, out-of-tune rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs."

Hung, who studies in California, later released an unlikely hit album, "Inspiration," which has sold more than 100,000 copies

So, when does someone with "15 minutes" who remains famous officially lose the tag? Can anybody think of examples of people who've made the transition?

Good question... I need to ponder this...

Kato Kaelin?

Madonna - she really should have been a one hit wonder.

Bah. next he'll be in porn.

His name is perfect for it.

I think MTV has produced quite a number of them actually.

OK... here's what I've come up with:

- Justin Timberlake: Should have faded to bolivian when his boy band broke up, but he started dating a pop starlet, then disrobed Janet Jackson during the Super Bowl. Maybe now he'll go away. But I'm not counting on it.

- Nick Lachey: Similar to above - should have died with 98 degrees, but got smart and married Jessica Simpson.

- Sharon Osbourne: The Osbournes made her famous. Now she's had a few other shows (I guess), and won't go away. Same for her kids.

- Johnny Cochrane: The Simpson trial was his 15 minutes, but he made an icon out of himself from it. Every now and then, he pops up for a football contract negotiation or a big lawsuit or some legal commentary on CNN.

- "Posh" Spice (Victoria whatshername): Should have gone extinct with the Spice Girls, but married the world's most recognizeable soccer player.

- Doug Flutie (Controversial... but, think about it...): Undersized QB that was famous for that Hail Mary pass at BC to win that bowl game (saw it live myself... was a kid at the time... it was the most incredible live sporting event of my life, at that point, and for a long time). Does nothing in the NFL for a while. Sticks it out in the CFL. Comes back, plays well in relief duty for Buffalo. Gets a cereal with his face on the box. Gets on some collect call commercials. It's pretty phenominal, when you think about it - now he's a household name, and he's never been an NFL starter for more than a year, consecutively.

I'm sure I'll think of more...

Wasn't he the "Greatest American Hero?"

Paris Hilton is the obvious choice.

Another that comes to mind is Elizabeth from Survivor... the one who's now on The View.

Isn't she married to a fellow 15 minutes of fame...Tim Hasselback?

You know what sucks about William Hung is that his success probably ruins the only really good part of American Idol - the auditions. Now, they'll likely have a bunch of fakers on there trying to be as unintentionally funny as Hung, and fail miserably.

Yup. But she makes him look famous, even though he's an NFL player.

Speaking of, where's The Bachelor Jesse Palmer?

CUT CUT CUT

I bought "Inspiration." I missed out on "Hung for the Holidays" though.

I disagree about Justin Timberlake - even if you don't like his style of music, the guy is pretty talented...

Might be worth adding Rob and Amber to that list, particularly if they go on the next Amazing Race, as rumored...

Some could argue that Nick Lachey wasn't even famous before he and Jessica were on MTV as a couple. 98 degrees? They weren't nearly as famous as the other boy bands, NSync or the Backdoor Boys.

Carson Daly is my submission. And again, I think MTV has launched a number of people who've gone well beyong 15 minutes (Daisy Fuentes also jumps to mind).

And Paris Hilton is a solid suggestion, Maple Leafs.

It already started last season when they showed the guy throw the water at Simon.

Maybe that's why they've been pushing the outstanding talent level this year in the promos.

All defensible choices. I'm especially interested in hearing about people who got famous purely by accidents of fate. Kato Kaelin, Joey Buttafuoco come to mind. Kato, I do recall was doing a show on the Vegas strip in the late 90s, and is still a household name. But, I don't see too many of these lasting too long in the public eye.

Nick Lachey, Flutie, etc., I'd lump into a separate category since they were legit before their "hyper-fame" period. But again, one could make the case that they are 15 minute types.

How about the guy from the Subway commercials?

He's still around isn't he?