Authors & Actors: Is There Such a Thing as Oversaturation?

As I flip through the movies on Netflix, the same stars keep popping up: Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman. The same thing happens with authors, at the library and bookstore: Stuart Woods, Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clarke. You recognize the names. Who wouldn't?

The dictionary on my computer defines "saturation" as, among other things--packed full, heavy bombing, maximum absorption. Can there be too many movies starring the same actor? Too many books by the same author? In a word: oversaturation.

Don't get me wrong, I've come to thoroughly enjoy most of the actors and authors mentioned here. And there are many more that probably come to your mind. Indeed, the problem is not bad acting or poor writing, but I think the questions in my mind become more along the lines of:

Do I want to see another movie with this actor in it? Or read another book by this author?

Can the actor possibly come across as different in every movie he or she plays in?

Can the author really write unique books and stories when he or she is under contract for 2-4 manuscripts a year (or more)? Or does each book feel as if it is cut from the same template?

When you see new movies starring the same old stars or new books by the same old authors, are you more apt to watch those movies and read those books? Or, are you more likely to want to try a movie starring someone completely new, or a book written by someone you haven't read yet?

To tell you the truth, I don't have the answers to these questions. As I said, I quite like the prolific actors and authors mentioned here. In fact, I wish I wrote my novels faster than I do! In the world of books, we are often told that the more books you have on the market, the faster and larger your following can become.

All food for thought...what do you think?