There are all sorts of reasons why Hollywood stops casting a previously successful actor, and we’re going to look at them here. In some cases, actors have turned their back on the profession, but many others weren’t given another option. Find out where these once-hot celebrities have been in recent years.
Megan Fox Has a Big Mouth
Actress Megan Fox rose to prominence in the Transformers film franchise. She had previously been relatively unknown before director Michael Bay gave her her big break, but she still had a lot to say about the guy. “He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is,” she said in an interview. She ended up leaving the franchise, but it’s pretty understood that she was given no other choice.
When asked in an interview about dropping Megan from the Transformers, Michael said, “She was in a different world, on her Blackberry (phone.)” He revealed that director Steven Spielberg told him to “fire her” after her dancing comment. From there, other studios continued to give her a chance at redemption, but every movie she was in got panned by critics and audiences alike. Basically, she’s not cut out for showbiz.
Tobey Maguire Ages Like a Fine Wine
There are four main reasons why we don’t see Tobey Maguire anymore since his major stint as Spider-Man. Firstly, the studio had to replace him because he was getting too old for the role – he was pushing 35. Secondly, in 2011 Tobey was linked to a poker club, of which an organizer told the press that he “was the worst tipper, the best player, and the absolute worst loser.” Talk about bad publicity.
Thirdly, Tobey was getting older and wanted to play more mature roles, but couldn’t shake off his naturally boyish looks. Still, he couldn’t carry on playing a 20-year-old anymore. And lastly, he has since become a father to two kids with his recently-divorced ex-wife Jennifer Meyer. Let’s just say he’s got his hands pretty full.
Seann William Scott Is Heard but Not Seen
Seann William Scott grew in popularity after starring as Steve Stifler in the American Pie franchise. But when he was one of the leading actors in other movies like Dude, Where’s My Car? and Dukes of Hazzard, they failed to do well with both critics and audiences. On top of that, he’s been totally typecast. Talking about his role as Stifler, Seann said: “I don’t want to be known as that character forever.”
He continued: “Now I’m probably realizing that I will be known as that character forever.” That being said, he scored a recurring role in the Ice Age franchise voicing the character Crash. And he’s been supporting himself with this, along with other voiceover work, ever since.
Brendan Fraser Can’t Get Taken Seriously
Brendan Fraser used to star in several Hollywood movies. But in 2010 he starred in two box office duds – Furry Vengeance and Extraordinary Measures. This tarnished his previous winning streak with Hollywood, and things only continued to get worse from there.
He continued to appear in film after film, which all failed to even make back the production costs in the box office. And right when he was really in need of some positive publicity to earn back his good name, he was turned into an internet meme for his goofy laughing at an awards show. Basically, Hollywood just cant take him seriously anymore.
Jessica Alba Fell Out of Love With Showbiz
Fantastic Four was Jessica Alba’s big break, but the experience left a sour taste in her mouth. The director asked her to “be prettier when you cry,” which lead Jessica into a whirl of self-doubt. She later admitted that “then it all got me thinking: Am I not good enough? Do people hate [my emotions] so much that they don’t want me to be a person? And so I just said, ‘F*** it. I don’t care about this business anymore.’”
She still popped up in movies but never quite starred in leading roles. Instead, she chose to focus on her growing family life and new natural consumer goods business, The Honest Company. And it’s been pretty successful. She swapped out showbiz for the chance to make baby and household products safer, and it’s been paying off.
Mike Myers Found His Favorite Role
Saturday Night Live, Wayne’s World, Austin Powers, and Shrek – all add up to making a huge star out of Mike Myers. His comedic acting style was a hit with audiences, but he’s been noticeably absent since he starred in The Love Guru in 2008. And there are two major reasons why we just don’t see him around anymore. Firstly, he’s a man of many hobbies and much prefers painting or playing Dungeons & Dragons now that he’s made his millions.
But secondly, Mike’s been loving his life as a father to three kids. In an interview, he revealed: “Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it. I am the happiest I have ever been in my life.” Happily married to cafe owner Kelly Tisdale since 2010, Mike couldn’t care less about Hollywood these days.
Rob Schneider’s Opinion’s Held Him Back
Rob Schneider use to be a familiar face on the Hollywood circuit. But there are two significant reasons for why he’s failing to get work like he once did. Firstly, his best-known roles were always supporting roles, like when he was the Cajun guy in Adam Sandler’s movie The Waterboy. And even then, these films weren’t received well by critics or audiences alike.
On top of that, he’s come out as a loud and proud anti-vaxxer. He was outspoken about vaccines in 2014, citing their link to autism, which is a theory that has now been debunked. His controversial stance led to insurance company State Farm dropping him from their ad campaign the same year, and his career has never recovered since.
Jennifer Connelly Couldn’t Stand the Pressure
Where’s Jennifer Connelly been hiding you ask? She’s had starring roles in films such as He’s Just Not That Into You and The Labyrinth but is barely heard of these days. She even won an Oscar for her performance in the critically acclaimed A Beautiful Mind, but her success was quickly clouded by the critically panned 2002 Hulk film directed by Ang Lee. It was a total flop.
And it looks like the pressures of fame just got to her. She admitted that after walking on stage to receive her Oscar: “I remember looking up and seeing the sign that said you only had 45 seconds to speak and just feeling shocked by the exposure.” Talking in an interview with The Telegraph, she continued: “It made me feel quite shallow. You just don’t know what to expect up there.” These days she’d prefer to focus on her family life.
Edward Norton Wants Things Done His Way
Edward Norton became a Hollywood icon after starring as the leading character in 1999’s Fight Club. But his demanding character has made him pretty hard for filmmakers to work with. He angered Marvel when he agreed to shoot for the sequel movie The Incredible Hulk in 2003. He only agreed to be on board if they included rewrites or suggestions he put forward. They agreed initially, before scrapping his last-minute changes.
Studios almost never comment on why an actor is dismissed from his position. But in Edward’s case, they released a statement saying that they wanted “an actor who embodies the creative and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members.” He’s had the same problems in the movies Red Dragon, American History X, and Death to Smoochy. Basically, he unleashes his inner Hulk if studios don’t listen to his suggestions.
Cameron Diaz Wanted Out
Cameron Diaz was a huge international star with a likable personality and supermodel looks. But we haven’t seen her around much lately, and it’s pretty much due to the fact that she wanted out. She once stated that “When you’re making a movie… they own you. You’re there for 12 hours a day for months on end, and you have no time for anything else.” And it’s been like that for Cameron since she was 22 years old.
In 2014, Cameron announced she was finally going her separate ways with the profession. She said, “I just decided that I wanted different things out of my life. I had gone so hard for so long — working, making films — and it’s such a grind. I didn’t really make any space for my personal life.” And she has no regrets so far. “I got peace in my soul. I finally was taking care of myself.”
Jean-Claude Van Damme Made a Miscalculation
Belgian-born martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme isn’t as in-demand as he once was, and there are a few good reasons why. Mainly, he made a bad career move after his successful movie Timecop. He was offered to star in a trilogy that would earn him a huge $12 million per movie but he turned it down in hopes to negotiate a much larger sum.
Actor Jim Carrey had recently been in the papers for becoming the first actor to receive $20 million for a movie role. Jean-Claude demanded the studio pay him the same whopping figure for each film of the trilogy, and they simply turned him down. Years later he admitted: “Jim Carrey was being paid a fortune. And I wanted to play with the system. Like an idiot. Ridiculous.” From then on, he was blacklisted in Hollywood.
Alyson Hannigan Should Have Bitten her Lip
Alyson Hannigan grew in fame after starring as Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie series throughout the early 2000s. She was then thrust back into the spotlight for her role as Lily Aldrin in the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother. While the show was a hit, Alyson actually spoke out against how the producers chose to end the series.
She explained how she thought they rushed the finale plotline and cut many important scenes: “All this stuff that I think the audience needed.” She continued: “They needed that time to process that information, instead of having it slap them in the face.” After that, she was cast a couple of times in other TV shows, but they failed to make a lasting impression. Now that she’s 46, it’s increasingly harder for her to work the Hollywood circuit.
Taylor Lautner Hasn’t Won the Critics’ Hearts
When The Twilight Saga was at the height of its fame, Taylor Lautner was thought to be the hottest rising young star. But we haven’t seen much of him anywhere, and it’s easily explained. Firstly, it was more than a bit hard to move out of the shadow of his Twilight character Jacob. He starred in the 2011 movie Abduction, but his performance got panned by critics.
Taylor’s acting skills have been called in to question time and time again. On top of that, he comes with a pretty hefty price tag making him hard to take a gamble on. As one film critic put it after watching Abduction, Taylor “looks like a stranger in his own performance.” He’s choosing to stay away from the limelight these days, but he wasn’t given much choice otherwise.
Freddie Prinze Jr Is Old News
You probably best recognize Freddie Prinze Jr from his roles in the Scooby-Doo franchise as Fred Jones or from hit sitcom Friends as Sandy the “male nanny.” But there’s been a serious reason why he hasn’t been starring in much lately. His health took a turn for the worse, and he had to undergo surgery on his spine in 2014.
But, to be honest, it’s not all down to his back issues. He also starred in one of the biggest box office flops of all time, Delgo. And his roles in She’s All That, and I Know What You Did Last Summer got old pretty fast, as he played the typical college hunk type. For Freddie, more interesting or prestigious roles never really came his way.
Anna Faris Shy’s Away From the Spotlight
Anna Faris was known for being more than just a pretty face – she was also a hilarious comedic actress. Having starred in the Scary Movie series, Just Friends, and My Super Ex-Girlfriend, she appeared to drop from the movie scene in recent years. The truth is, she’s has been taking on major roles, but mainly in animation movies as a voice-over artist.
But this has worked out quite well for Anna, who was once married to fellow actor Chris Pratt. Their relation in the public eye led to a lot of stress in Anna’s personal life, ultimately making her shun more public acting roles. She keeps herself busy with work and podcasting and is even writing her own book.
Tom Felton Has High Expectations
Tom Felton was only a child when he starred in the Harry Potter film series as antagonist Draco Malfoy. Naturally, he found it hard to be seen past his role as a young wizard, and looking for new film roles was a daunting task. “I’m much more nervous in auditions now than I was at 11. You take a lot of hits before you get something good,” he later revealed.
We might not see Tom as much as we thought because he’s aiming for out-of-reach. He auditioned for the role of James Bond, and it didn’t go to plan: “I haven’t landed James Bond yet. Playing Bond or a Bond villain was why I wanted to do movies in the first place.” Films he has been in haven’t faired well, so it seems things aren’t looking up for the Hogwarts alumni.
Miranda Cosgrove Had a Tour Bus Mishap
Miranda Cosgrove rose to fame while only a child, in roles for School Of Rock, Darke & Josh, and iCarly. But she hasn’t been as prominent in her adult years. She pursued a music career after iCarly but failed to reach the success of former child stars-turned pop stars like Miley Cyrus. The movie and TV roles she landed after her early success also flopped.
She also suffered an injury after her tour bus crashed in 2011, breaking her ankle. It forced her to cancel her tour and put her out of work for months. She has since pursued studying at college and has found some success as a voiceover artist. Today, you can hear her in the Universal Pictures animation, Despicable Me.
Ashton Kutcher Is Famous For Being Famous
Ashton Kutcher was the “it” guy during the 2000s, but he’s failed to carry that momentum into the last decade. A big reason why Hollywood has dropped him is because of his typecast as the goofy but lovable hunk. When he starred as Steve Jobs in the 2013 movie Jobs – a perfect chance for him to prove himself otherwise – it failed to strike a chord with critics and audiences.
You may remember when he replaced Charlie Sheen in 2011 as one of the main actors in Two and a Half Men. But since he started appearing, their ratings steadily declined. He’s started focusing more on earning venture capital instead since Hollywood has all but abandoned him. That being said, he’s in the public eye a lot still usually because of his high-profile relationships.
Jessica Biel Was Hired For Her Looks
She’s famous for being married to pop star Justin Timberlake, but what happened to Jessica Biel’s movie career? Well, for one thing, she tends to be hired more for her looks than for her acting skills. She was dubbed Esquire’s “Sexiest Woman Alive” in 2005, but it didn’t give her the career boost she hoped for.
Jessica told an interviewer: “When this whole thing went down… I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be great! I’m going to get so many jobs from this!’… That wasn’t really the case… I felt like I was kind of on this pedestal a little bit, and it definitely didn’t just open all the doors for me, which I thought it would.” When she has had the chance to star in movies, they never managed to gain large enough crowds to justify them.
Hayden Christensen Didn’t Want To Just Ride a Wave
Hayden Christensen got famous quickly after starring in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith in the 2000s. But despite his easy ascension to fame, he hasn’t appeared in much else since then. In an interview, he revealed that after Star Wars, he “bought some farmland and largely retreated from Hollywood.”
Hayden explained: “I guess I felt like I had this great thing in Star Wars that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me. I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.” He has appeared in a few roles since, but they are few and far between. Since 2014 he’s been busy raising his daughter.
Halle Berry Called Out Her Castmates
Halle Berry made history when she became the first black woman to win an Oscar for her performance in 2002’s Monster’s Ball. But her films that followed have been a string of major flops. Remember 2006’s Catwoman, anyone? That turned out to be one of the biggest box office fails of all time. On top of that, she let her mouth run in 2005 at the Golden Raspberry Awards – an event that honors the worst films of the year.
It was surprising enough to see her turn up in person to accept the award, but it didn’t stop there. She thanked Warner Bros “for casting me in this piece-of-s**t, god-awful movie.” She added: “I’d like to thank the rest of the cast. To give a really bad performance like mine, you need to have really bad actors.” Needless to say, she kind of stuck her foot in it.
Josh Radnor Is Jack of All Trades
Hollywood hasn’t been casting Josh Radnor anymore, and it comes down to these few reasons. He became a major TV star in How I Met Your Mother but failed to bring that success over to the silver screen. His TV appearances after 2014 failed to amount to anything substantial, so he’s been dabbling in other creative pursuits. He’s been spending more time focusing on his Indie music and joined a band, but it hasn’t made him the new Chris Martin.
He’s been trying to publish some written books, the most recent of which promised: “An ongoing quest that takes [the author and actor] from his youth in heartland Ohio to the unexpected lessons of celebrity and beyond.” But it hasn’t managed to hit the stores yet. His screenwriting and directing pursuits look more promising however, so that might be his next step.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Couldn’t Move Beyond Horror
Sarah Michelle Gellar was a major star in the nineties thanks to her fan-favorite show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Arguably her most famous movie, Cruel Intentions, also kept her a household name; however, she hasn’t managed to keep the movie offers coming. One main reason is that she was pigeonholed pretty early on in her career as a Horror genre starlet. Films like Scream 2, The Return, and The Grudge all helped ensure that.
When she has ventured outside of horror, it hasn’t faired well at the box office. Films like Harvard Man, Southland Tales, and Veronika Decides to Die allowed Sarah to stretch her acting wings, but audiences and critics didn’t respond well. Lately, she’s been taking a similar route to Jessica Alba in opening her own business. Foodstirs, a “cooking and lifestyle brand,” has been taking up a lot of her time lately.
B. J. Novak Is Way Too Busy
Best known for playing Ryan in NBC’s The Office, B. J. Novak hasn’t been seen doing so much since 2013. But it may surprise you to know that he’s been anything but bored. He’s moved away from performing in front of the camera to writing and directing behind the scenes. He’s also busiest himself with writing books for adults and children alike.
To add to that, he’s found a passion for developing smartphone apps. He launched “The List App” in 2015, before closing it two years later. But he’s alrady working on another one. And investing in sustainable lab-grown meat is another venture he hopes pays off soon. One day, we might see him running for Mayor of Boston, as he’s publicly admitted it might be in his horizons.
Liv Tyler Is Sick of Hollywood Ageism
Liv Tyler was the elven beauty Arwen in the hugely successful Lord of the Rings franchise. But the truth is she’s hardly been seen since then, and we know the reason why. She gave an interview in which she spoke about her then-age: “Thirty-eight is a crazy number. It’s not fun when you see things start to change.”
Liv explained: “When you’re in your teens or 20s, there is an abundance of ingenue parts which are exciting to play. But at [my age], you’re usually the wife or the girlfriend — a sort of second-class citizen. There are more interesting roles for women when they get a bit older.” She went on to star in the TV series The Leftovers in 2014 after having almost quit acting for good. But she’s still not as prominent as she once was.
Jim Carrey Can’t Hold Back Anymore
Jim Carrey was once one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, raking in the highest salary of any of his counterparts. Now almost 60, he’s found himself less able to keep shtum about questionable Hollywood practices. He explained how he just “didn’t want to be in the business anymore. I didn’t like what was happening, the corporations taking over and all that.”
But it’s allowed Jim to focus on another passion project of his: “And maybe it’s because I felt pulled toward a different type of creative outlet and I really liked the control of painting – of not having a committee in the way telling me what the idea must be to appeal to a four-quadrant whatever.” These days, you can find him on Twitter unleashing a politically-charged tirade.
Fairuza Balk Is Fed Up Chasing Fame
Fairuza Balk gained popularity after appearing in films like American History X, The Waterboy, and Almost Famous. But she’d already reached icon-status in her childhood after starring in Return to Oz in the 80s. While she’s been typecast as the gloomy alternative girl in many pictures, there are other reasons why Hollywood doesn’t pick up the phone anymore.
Mainly, Fairuza has shied away from the Hollywood scene. She sees herself as an artist first, so acting isn’t her priority anymore. “I struggled a lot with being pushed too hard in my 20’s,” she revealed in an interview. “With people telling me that I had to keep taking more and more movies because that’s really only when I’d be relevant. Hollywood is designed that way; it’s always about the new flavor of the moment and I’ve always preferred to be a bit more mysterious.”
Vince Vaughn Isn’t Laughing Anymore
Funnyman Vince Vaughn was once considered to be a member of the Hollywood “frat pack,” a group of Hollywood actors who frequently starred in comedy films together. Films like Swingers, Dodgeball, and Wedding Crashers were a hit with audiences, but he more or less only played the same character each time. He became known for being a bit of a one-note performer. Aside from that, he wasn’t feeling as inspired to make movies as he once was.
“The machine can make you idle,” he told an interviewer. “You read a script and then you agree to a role, then soon enough you’re on set looking at a scene that has had all the juice and the life sucked right out of it. You become a hired gun doing a very inoffensive PG-13 movie and, well, you kind of just go along with it. Like anything in life you’re either growing or you’re dying. When you get too comfortable you start to decline.”
Jason Lee Bows Out of the Chase
Jason Lee rose in prominence for his role in Mallrats in the nineties. And he achieved huge TV success by starring as the title character in My Name Is Earl from 2005-2009. But a big reason why we might not see him around anymore could be to do with his deep connection to the Church of Scientology. He’d been a devoted believer for over 20 years.
Scientology was so important to Jason that he even left his first wife Carmen Llywelyn when she became disconnected from the religion. But him and his current wife have since moved away from Scientology, and Jason’s pursuing other interests in skateboarding and photography in Texas. It seems like he’s done chasing stars and just wants a bit of normalcy.
Daniel Stern Wanted To Give Back
Where’s Daniel Stern been hiding all these years since his well-known stint as Marv in Home Alone? He played a goofball funnyman and it became hard for him to break away from that archetype. But he’s had his hand full with other pursuits outside of acting, one of which is to do with his nightclub in Malibu.
He moved into the area with his wife and kids and got stuck in with local charity work. In 2010 he received Malibu’s President’s Volunteer Service Award for doing over 500 hours of volunteer work. He stated: “My success as an actor has afforded me the unique opportunity to give back to my community, putting my vision of creating a strong and sensitive society into practice.” How inspiring!
Lindsay Lohan Let’s Everyone Down
Lindsay Lohan enjoyed huge success in her childhood and teen years, arguably while she was too young to handle it. She was then making headlines for all the wrong reasons in her twenties when her hard-partying was evident for all to see. In hardly any time at all she went from being an A-list actress to being on the Hollywood blacklist.
Lindsay has had opportunities to work her way back in Hollywood, but repeatedly lets everyone around her down. She’s been accused of arriving three hours late to set, not studying her lines, and even not turning up for filming. Her lack of professionalism has made it near-impossible for studios to want to cast her these days.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse Will Forever Be McLovin
Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s iconic character McLovin in the 2007 comedy Superbad is his most memorable role to date. But it was 14 years ago that it came out and Christopher hasn’t managed to out-grow that movie since. Many believe that he’s finding it hard to be seen as anything but the young and helpless McLovin, despite the fact he’s 31 years old.
It didn’t help that his first TV project, Friend Me, never quite made it to our screens. It was the perfect project for him to get himself out thereafter finding fame with Superbad, but when CBS pulled it from their line-up early on, Christopher didn’t have anything to show during a crucial time. He’s since been appearing in the CBS sitcom The Great Indoors, but the show is receiving mixed reviews.
Christina Ricci Has Struggled To Find Her Place
Christina Ricci experienced fame from an early age when she was cast as Wednesday Addams in 1991s The Addams Family. She’s appeared in several films since then, notably Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp, but she never became the megastar we expected her to turn into. That might be in part due to her ever-lasting baby-face.
But she wasn’t immune to suffering from the pressures of Hollywood. “I know that had I been thinner at the time my indie movies were hitting, I could’ve been in a much better position in my career,” she once revealed. But she admits: “I have to say I still audition for movies. I don’t really have as much control over my career as others would like to pretend that I do.”
Billy Zane Can’t Outgrow Titanic
Billy Zane has held some pretty iconic roles in his time. He has been in Back To The Future, Titanic, and hit series Twin Peaks. But despite his famous face he hasn’t carved a career out of being the leading actor in a production. That might be why Hollywood has more or less forgotten about him.
But his role as Caledon Hockley in Titanic has pretty much overshadowed his entire acting career. He says that it’s all people remember him from: “‘You’re the ******* from Titanic.’ That one I get a lot which is really nice. Nice to meet people that way,” he joked. He’s still proud to have played such a prominent role in the iconic movie though: “I’m so honored and flattered to have just been on that ride.”
Bella Thorne Can’t Count on Her Disney Following
Bella Thorne was only a kid when she starred in the Disney Channel’s Shake It Up. By 2010 she was an international success, at the time starring alongside Zendaya. While she carried over her younger fans into her more mature film and TV work in recent years, she’s hasn’t managed to impress anybody else. She was cast as the lead actress in the drama series Famous In Love, but that failed to make it past its second season.
Allegedly, she exhibited “diva-like behavior,” and word got around. She also starred in the horror movie Amityville: The Awakening in 2017, which failed to earn even $1,000. Comedy Assassination Nation failed to do much better the following year. Despite her young fan base, she’s failing to hit the mark time and time again.
Tara Reid Partied Too Hard
Tara Reid is exactly the kind of person everyone expected would become a huge movie star. She was the “it” girl in the 90s and 2000s, after her breakthrough role as Vicky in American Pie. She actually has managed to stay in the press over the years, but for all the wrong reasons. Her hard-partying took its toll on her health and reputation.
Tara has continued to act, but she’s earned a reputation as a terrible actress. She’s earned more than one “Worst Actress” Razzie at The Golden Raspberry Awards for her roles in films like My Boss’s Daughter and Alone in the Dark. And her choice to star in the TV movie Sharknado is now something of a legend. Her personal life and career choices have made it hard to succeed in a place like Hollywood.
Hulk Hogan’s Affair Was Caught on Camera
Hulk Hogan made himself a household name after starring as one of the main wrestlers on the WWE Network. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he was a pop culture icon, famous for his massive muscles, trademark blonde hair, and husky voice. His reality TV show Hogan Knows Best also gave us some insight into his private family life.
Aside from his appearances in films like Rocky III, No Holds Barred, and Santa with Muscles, he just never managed to become as big of a star as former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Rock was just better at drawing in the audience. That and the fact that Hogan had a whole sex tape scandal when he cheated with his best friend’s wife… and the tape got leaked.
Catherine Zeta-Jones Has Personal Demons
Do you remember when Catherine Zeta-Jones was starring in big 90s films like The Mask of Zorro and Entrapment? She even won an Oscar for her performance in 2002s Chicago and frequently has attention brought to how young she looks for 51. On top of that, she’s married to bigshot actor Michael Douglas.
But it hasn’t been enough to keep her on our movie screens. People think it’s because of marriage troubles with Michael, who she admitted to living separately from in 2013. She was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her adult life, which she calls her “pain in the ass.” With such challenges in her personal life, it’s no wonder her career has taken a back seat. It helps if you’re sitting on millions, though.
Kat Dennings Was Dropped by Marvel
Kat Dennings made a name for herself in hit TV shows like Sex and the City and CSI in the early 2000s. But she’s also had a lot of movie work, appearing in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The House Bunny, and the Thor franchise. From 2011, she also starred as one of the leading actresses in 2 Broke Girls.
The main reasons why she’s faded out from Hollywood is likely down to her typecast as an indie “cool girl.” It’s more or less what she’s known for playing, and these days there are plenty of actresses who fit the bill. Plus, after the second Thor movie Marvel dumped her from their universe. She hasn’t been seen anywhere near the superhero’s since Thor: The Dark World, and according to the screenwriter she’s not expected back.
Matthew Fox Has a Sketchy Past
Everyone knows Matthew Fox from his significant role in the hit show Lost, but that ended back in 2010. His role as Charlie Salinger on the 90s show Party of Five also brought him fame, but he’s since fallen out of favor with the Hollywood crowd. However looking at his film record, it’s not so surprising.
Matthew has starred in a string of pretty unsuccessful movies, such as Emperor, Alex Cross, and Speed Racer – they all had bad reviews. But his personal life has been in the papers more than once and it hasn’t reflected well. He was charged with a DUI in 2012 and was called out once by fellow Lost-costar Dominic Monaghan for being abusive in relationships. Yep, Hollywood doesn’t want to go anywhere near him.
Cara Delevingne Has Been Bombing the Box Office
It feels like Cara Delevingne only recently embarked on her acting career, but it hasn’t proved to be as successful as her modeling. She’s one of the most recognizable supermodels in the world, so we naturally thought Hollywood would be a piece of cake for her to crack. In 2015 and 2016 she appeared in Paper Towns and Suicide Squad.
Most recently she portrayed Laureline in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and she has a couple of other movies in the pipeline. But so far, everything she’s done has been a critical disaster. Her acting abilities might not be 100% there yet, but there’s still time for her to turn it around.
Michael Cera Has Failed To Impress
When Michael Cera joined the Hollywood circuit he seemed like he was bringing something new and fresh to the scene. He starred in the hit sitcom Arrested Development and followed that up with leading roles in Superbad and Juno. But you might have noticed it’s been a while since we’ve seen him in anything.
It’s likely that Michael has been typecast as the goofy-awkward guy, and there’s plenty of those to go around. On top of that, a lot of people confuse him for fellow actor Jesse Eisenberg, and that doesn’t fare well for filmmakers. If people have a hard time remembering which actor you are, maybe you dont leave much of an impression?
Bridgette Wilson Wanted To Be a Housewife
Bridgette Wilson was the former-pageant queen and rising star of the 90s who everyone thought was going to make it big. After being crowned Miss Teen USA in 1990, she starred in the soap opera Santa Barbara before moving onto films. You might remember her from movies like Mortal Kombat, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Wedding Planner.
Bridgette married former professional tennis player Pete Sampras in 2000 and has basically ditched her Hollywood life ever since. After meeting at a movie theater they fell madly in love, and Bridgette’s focus shifted. “I know I want to have a family and be a housewife, that’s really the most important thing with me,” she admitted back in 1993. And she’s living out that dream today, happily raising their son in California.
Stacey Dash Wants To Run for President
Stacey Dash played Dionne Marie Davenport in the cult classic Clueless, where she starred opposite Alicia Silverstone. It was a hit back in 1995, so it looked like Stacey had a big future in Hollywood ahead of her. She went on to appear in TV shows like CSI and Single Ladies, but her career never took off how she wanted it to. But it’s pretty clear why filmmakers won’t hire her – she’s politically outspoken and even has plans to run for president.
She told People: “I’ve been blacklisted in Hollywood. My agency dropped me because of my politics. They told me that when they pitched me, casting directors would say, ‘We give you credit for pitching her with a straight face.’ It makes me so angry.” She added, “Republicans in Hollywood hide. I’m challenging them to stand up and have courage. I won’t be scared into submission.”
Jorge Garcia’s Secret Passion
Jorge Garcia has been called “the life and soul” of the hit TV show Lost. But that finished back in 2010 after six seasons, so what’s he been up to since? You’d be forgiven for wondering whether he’s still even acting today as he tends to keep a low profile. But the truth is, he’s hasn’t stopped acting since Lost ended.
He’s appeared in shows Alcatraz, Once Upon a Time, and Hawaii Five-0, but rarely makes up part of the leading cast. It’s probably due to his other career pursuits, namely stand up comedy. It’s always been his other secret passion, and telling jokes to a room of 300 people takes time and practice.
Lori Loughlin Was Released From Prison
Lori Loughlin is best known to us as Aunt Becky on Full House from 1988 to 1995. She reprised her role for the Netflix sequel Fuller House in 2016, obviously as a far different Aunt Becky. Her role on 90210 as Debbie Wilson also contributed to making her a household name.
She recently served two months in prison over the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, where she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud. The truth is, Hollywood blacklisted her long before the scandal – she never outgrew her role as Aunt Becky. But this brush with the law certainly isn’t going to help.
Nina Dobrev Is Far Too Picky
Nina Dobrev’s big break came when she starred as Mia Jones in Degrassi: The Next Generation back in 2006. But she’s most famous for her role as Elena Gilbert on the teen fantasy drama, The Vampire Diaries. She left the show in 2015 and starred in the comedy film The Final Girls, which was a critical success. Unfortunately for her, it was short-lived.
Nina’s admitted herself that her standards are too high: “The things I want to do aren’t necessarily the things that are expected of me,” she said upon leaving The Vampire Diaries. “I don’t want to play a teenager anymore. I want to play adult roles and be challenged and work with great filmmakers and tell incredible stories, and that has meant being really picky.” But exciting mainstream roles just haven’t been coming her way.
Elisha Cuthbert Annoyed Viewers
Elisha Cuthbert seemed like she had a big and exciting career ahead of her after her breakout role in the TV drama 24. After that ended, she joined the cast of Happy Endings, a TV comedy, until it also ended in 2013. Despite her looks and youth, however, it’s been hard for Elisha to get noticed out in Hollywood.
But in all honesty, many viewers hated her role as Kim Bauer, the counter-terrorist agent’s daughter, in 24. Entertainment Weekly put her in their “20 Most Annoying TV Characters Ever” and they weren’t alone in thinking it. On top of that, her first leading movie role was for the teen film The Girl Next Door, where she plays an adult film actress. But it was a commercial and critical flop.
Chris O’Donnell Turned Down the Role of a Lifetime
Chris O’Donnell was once a much-loved American heartthrob back in the mid-90s. His role in Mad Love opposite Drew Barrymore and Circle of Friends opposite Minnie Driver in the early 90s catapulted his dreamboat status, but his most famous role was yet to come. He went on to star as Robin in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin and looked to have a promising career ahead.
But it’s easy to see where things went wrong for Chris. The sequel film Batman & Robin totally bombed and left no one wanting to pick up the pieces. Chris was also offered to appear as Agent J in Men in Black – a hugely successful role for Will Smith – but he turned down the chance. He may have the acting ability, but he’s not so good at spotting an opportunity.
Dane Cook Was Accused Of Stealing Jokes
Comedian Dane Cook was a big-shot stand-up in his own right when he successfully transitioned to the big screen in the early 2000s. He starred opposite Steve carrel and Jessica Alba in Dan In Real Life in 2007, but after that things started to look down for Dane. Critics started attacking his roles in comedy films, writing things like “Can we finally just admit that Dane Cook isn’t funny?”
It didn’t help when comedian Carlos Mencia accused Dane of stealing jokes. Joe Rogan then accused Dane taking some of his own material and trying to pass it off as his own. And then people started to catch on to some similarities between Dane and stand-up Louis C. K. There ‘s really no coming back after all that bad publicity.
Tom Welling Is Super Picky
Tom Welling was a huge star in the 2000s when he starred as young superman Clark Kent in the Smallville series. He stayed in the role for the most part of a decade, and after a pretty full-on filming schedule. Because of it, he chose to take a break from acting once the series was over.
But he might have pushed it a little too far. He’s known for being extremely picky about what movie roles he takes on, having only appeared in three films since Smallville ended in 2011. And they haven’t been a hit with audiences and film reviewers. Instead of launching him into fame and fortune as everyone expected, his long career as Superman hijacked a large part of his acting life and left him a little jaded.
Julia Stiles Was Given Lots of Chances
Julia Stiles has had major roles in several well-known movies. Think back to 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, and the Bourne film series. But she appears to have fallen from favor in recent years because we’ve rarely seen her. And for that, she has a string of unsuccessful films to blame.
She appeared in films like Hamlet, Down to You, and A Guy Thing after her initial acting success, but they all fell flat at the box office. She then tried to produce her own movie but eventually lost her rights to it after failing to assemble the right team. To add to all of this, she’s not much of an Instagrammer, which has led to an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of situation.