Megan Fox
Megan Fox rose to superstardom when she appeared in the first two installments of the Transformers franchise. However, her star didn’t continue to rise after that. She was cut out from the remaining movies after she made comments against director Michael Bay, whom she called a “Nazi” on set. She continued to make movies after Transformers, but many of those flopped such as Jonah Hex. She reconciled with Bay and worked with him again on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but she didn’t achieve the same degree of fame as before.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler has had his fair share of boos and applause. His films have always been either a hit or a miss, but to his credit, he still had a loyal following that turned up at cinemas to support his movies. But the last straw for Sandler loyalist was Jack and Jill, which is regarded as his most-hated movie of all time. He earned multiple Razzies for the movie and made subsequent films That’s My Boy and Blended struggled to entice viewers. Even Pixels, which was hoped to draw in viewers that enjoyed Wreck-It Ralph and The Lego Movie, bombed at the box office.
The Rock
Like Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career was nearly derailed when he appeared in a Disney-produced family comedy. Right now, he is one of the highest-paid actors in the industry but there was a time when he almost lost his career. His role in Tooth Fairy wasn’t received well by critics and the movie was a commercial failure. Fortunately, he did manage to recover and is now receiving credit for his role in family-friendly movies such as Moana and Jumanji. Not only is he doing well in action movies, but he is also earning a following in the comedy department as well.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore was a Hollywood darling in the mid-80s to the ‘90s. She starred in a string of critically-acclaimed movies, from Ghost to A Few Good Men. In the middle of the ‘90s, she officially ranked as one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses. Then came 1996’s Striptease. Moore was paid $12.5 million for the role, but the erotic comedy tanked at the box office and her career went down with it. She tried to make a comeback with G.I. Jane but it was no redemption for Moore. To her credit, she has established a reputable acting portfolio before Striptease.
Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner made moviegoers swoon when he took on the role of Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga. Lautner, who played the often shirtless werewolf best friend to Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan, immediately became the movie’s breakout star and he landed roles in action films such as Michael Bay’s Incarceron. Due to Lautner’s popularity at the time, Lionsgate made massive investments to have him star in Abduction. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t do well in the box office and the production company suffered losses. Outside the Twilight franchise, Lautner struggled to maintain his fame in mainstream movies.
Vin Diesel
When people mention Vin Diesel, you immediately think of this tough guy figure, big action star. Can you imagine him playing a babysitter in a Disney produced movie? I don’t think so. Diesel’s attempt at expanding his acting chops and breaking into family comedy in Disney’s The Pacifier didn’t go so well for the actor. To his credit, critics did consider the movie as “moderately funny”. His career was almost destroyed by the movie. Thankfully, he had the high octane Fast and Furious franchise, where he plays the lead Dominic Toretto, to fall back on. He hasn’t gone back to comedy since.
Kevin Costner
At one point, Kevin Costner was one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Since the ‘80s, he has put together a prolific acting portfolio consisting of critically-acclaimed movies such as Robin Hood and Dances With Wolves, for which he won Oscars for directing and acting. However, things slowed down when Costner starred in the dystopian film Waterworld. The movie was a production nightmare, and its measly box office returns didn’t earn enough credit to compensate for its huge production budget. Since then, Costner’s movies have failed to excite audiences and his star status began to slowly burn out.
Scarlett Johansson
Whitewashing is a prevalent occurrence in Hollywood, and it is one that many are protesting against. Scarlett Johansson was heavily affected by this after she played Major Motoko Kusanagi in the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. There was a massive outcry to recast the role and boycotts followed. The film suffered a great deal and Johansson defended her casting by saying she never attempted to play a character of a different race. Luckily, Johansson was already a big-name actress and her career wasn’t as badly hit. She’s now receiving credit for her performance in A Marriage Story with a Best Actress nomination.
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom was relatively unknown when he took on the role of Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His blue eyes and overall good looks made him a hit with the ladies, earning him leading roles in other big-budget films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Troy. But his track record went down a notch with Elizabethtown, a movie that lacked electricity so it bored critics to death. He wasn’t able to pick the pace back up since then, and his portfolio largely consisted of franchise sequels and prequels. He turned his attention to Broadway, making his debut in the 2013 production of Romeo and Juliet.
Bruce Willis
It would be hard to imagine that Bruce Willis’ most iconic role became the one factor that affected his career, but it did. The Die Hard series is a staple in pop culture and is well-loved by many to this day. However, an accident that took place while filming left Willis partially deaf in his left ear. He carries the effects of the injury to this da,y and he admitted that he hates having to make people repeat what they were saying. Even with this hearing impairment, he remains one of the most bankable stars of all time. With his huge net worth, he probably doesn’t have to worry about medical insurance for his impairment.
George Clooney
George Clooney’s Syriana is one of the hallmarks for the actor’s career. The geopolitical thriller was loved by critics and Clooney received an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for his performance. How could this movie have drastic effects on Clooney’s life? The actor suffered a traumatic brain injury while filming Syriana, and it led to severe headaches and neurological side effects. It reached an extremely excruciating degree to the point that the actor even contemplated ending his life. Thankfully, the actor was able to recover after several brain surgeries and undergoing therapy.
Madonna
Madonna is widely recognized as a pop icon, but she’s also received praise for her performance as an actress, particularly in movies like A League of Their Own and Evita. However, her role in Swept Away cast doubt on her acting skills and it didn’t exactly sweep anyone away. The movie was an investment money nightmare—it raked in less than $600,000 at the box office against its $10 million production cost. Madonna was even awarded Worst Actress at the Golden Raspberry Award. Since then, Madonna was no longer taken seriously as an actress, and she quietly stepped out of the spotlight.
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is a reputable actor and he has several critically-acclaimed movies under his belt. However, the vast majority of his successful movies came early in his career. His more recent work, however, did not receive the same acclaim. He starred in a long list of flops, including The Wicker Man, Ghost Rider, and Bangkok Dangerous. The latter was the ultimate disappointment as the production company failed to recoup the massive costs they incurred in making the film. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of blockbuster movies anymore, he still maintains a good credit score with his net worth marked at $25 million as of 2019.
Hayden Christensen
Star Wars fans weren’t so keen to have Hayden Christen portray Anakin Skywalker in the prequels Episode II and Episode III. He was also criticized for his acting chops throughout his run as the young Darth Vader. Given the success of the Star Wars franchise, Christensen’s career was expected to blow up. Sadly, it didn’t. He went on to star in smaller films, but Jumper was perhaps the last straw. The sci-fi movie underwhelmed critics and audiences, and plans for sequels were immediately thrown out. He’s never landed a film that has the same big-budget degree as Star Wars since then.
Sofia Coppola
Being the daughter of one of the most renowned directors of all time and getting cast in one of his most iconic movies wasn’t the best combo for Sofia Coppola. In The Godfather: Part III, Coppola starred as the leading lady and love interest of Andy Garcia’s character. At the time, Coppola wasn’t sure if she wanted a career in acting, but she accepted the role anyway. It was the one role that made her decide that acting wasn’t her thing. Her performance was heavily criticized and critics slammed the nepotism that took place during casting. Although her acting career didn’t gain traction, Coppola is now receiving credit for her work as a respected filmmaker just like her father.
Cuba Gooding, Jr
Cuba Gooding, Jr. was poised to become a huge star when he took the lead in Boyz n the Hood. The film drew in critical acclaim and brought attention to Gooding. He later won an Oscar for his role in Jerry Maguire, where he played Rod Tidwell, a football player who needs a huge contract to avoid bankruptcy and have enough money to provide for his family. He had well-received follow-ups in the coming years until 2002 when he ventured into comedy with Snow Dogs and Boat Trip. Both movies were critical disasters and didn’t justify Gooding’s caliber as an Oscar-winning actor.
Meg Ryan
There was a time when Meg Ryan was the biggest name in Hollywood. She had made a name for herself as the queen of romantic comedies in the ‘90s. However, Ryan’s streak hit a wall when she starred in Proof of Life. It wasn’t the movie per se that destroyed her career, but rather her controversial real-life fling with co-star Russell Crowe, which took place when Ryan’s marriage to Dennis Quaid was on the rocks. In 2019, Ryan admitted to the New York Times that the failure of Proof of Life and her infamous affair with Crowe was a “big turning point” for her career.
Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy was best known for his role as Randy Meeks in the Scream movies. While well-loved for his slasher genre movies, his career took an ill-fated turn when he starred in 2005’s Son of the Mask. His role put an end to his chances of becoming Jim Carrey’s successor. The backlash from the movie greatly affected him so much so that he made a documentary about the destructive power of movie blogs, which at the time was a relatively new medium. He later made investments to form a production company called Wannabe Producers and focused more on doing television shows.
Justin Chatwin
The problem with playing with a hugely popular and expansive franchise is that it could easily turn into a huge disaster that would drag down everyone involved in it. Such was the case of Justin Chatwin when he played Goku in Dragon Evolution. Chatwin seemed set to become the next big thing, but his portrayal of the legendary anime character was hated by fans and critics. The film was problematic on many levels—Chatwin was a white dude playing an Asian character, and the film was a snoozefest that did a disservice to the anime franchise. Although the movie earned enough to recoup the investment money used for production, it gave everyone a lesson about how not to do live-action adaptations.
Courtney Thorne-Smith
Courtney Thorne-Smith and Kristin Kreuk were in similar situations because they both left successful TV shows in pursuit of establishing a movie career. Thorne-Smith left the hit Fox soap Melrose Place to star in Chairman of the Board back in 1998. The film was despised by audiences and critics, and the lead stars, including Thorne-Smith, receive the brunt of the blame. While her film career went bust, things didn’t turn out so bad for her afterward. She went on to become part of the award-winning Ally McBeal series, where she played lawyer Georgia Thomas, who was among the main characters of the show.
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni went from Academy Award winner for Best Actor to a lead star in a zero-rated movie real quick. In 1997, Benigni was at the top of his game when he came up with Life Is Beautiful, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Five years later, he was named Worst Actor for his role in the 2002 adaptation of Pinocchio. The film was reviled by critics and audiences alike. Despite this epic misfire, Benigni continued to receive praise for his contributions to the film industry. Aside from film awards, he was given honorary degrees from universities around the globe.
Alicia Silverstone
Like Freddie Prinze Jr., Alicia Silverstone was one of the icons of the 1990s teen flicks. She has been immortalized in pop culture as Cher Horowitz in Clueless, where she portrayed a high-schooler from a rich family who’s making her way through adolescence while occasionally helping out her lawyer dad with work. While admired as the teen flick “it girl”, she was heavily criticized for her role as Batgirl in Batman & Robin. Even George Clooney’s star power wasn’t able to save the film from critics and Silverstone quickly went from Hollywood “it girl” to has-been. Her biggest achievement since then was an Emmy nomination for the short-lived 2003 series Miss Match.
Efren Ramirez
Efren Ramirez rose to superstardom after he played Pedro in the cult hit Napoleon Dynamite. He landed bigger roles on screen and TV afterward. Unfortunately, his twin, Carlos, decided to capitalize on his fame, too. Carlos started making paid public appearances posing as Efren, which led to a falling out between the brothers. Efren hired a lawyer and sued Carlos for $10 million for falsely impersonating him without his consent. Carlos said that some of those appearances were made at Efren’s requests, although he admitted that he did take it too far. Who knew that of all movies Napoleon Dynamite would be one to break a family apart.
Chris Kattan
Chris Kattan was a celebrated member of the Saturday Night Live cast during the late 1990s. He has received credit for delivering some of the most unforgettable skits on the program. Like many SNL alumni, Kattan starred in movies during breaks. At one point, he left SNL for good in an attempt to expand his movie portfolio with Corky Romano. It didn’t go so well for Kattan as the movie became a box office failure. He hasn’t appeared in a major movie role since then. His most notable work in recent years is doing voice over for Hotel Transylvania 2.
Michael Massee
Michael Masse’s role in The Crow haunted him for years after a stunt went wrong. In one scene, Massee had to shoot a prop gun at his co-star, Brandon Lee. However, the prop gun was mistakenly loaded with a live round, not a blank. The scene led to Lee’s death. Although the accident was not in any degree his fault, Massee was traumatized by what happened and suffered from nightmares of his late co-star’s death. He took a break from acting for a year. Fortunately, he was able to recover and has appeared in several movies since then, including The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Jake Lloyd
A lot of kids would be thrilled to take part in the Star Wars franchise, but not Jake Lloyd. While he got to live every sci-fi fans’ dream when he was cast as the young Anakin Skywalker for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, it was the one role that made Lloyd leave acting for good. After the movie was released, he became the subject of bullying in school. He was criticized for his awkward performance and was affected by the negative reviews Star Wars fans initially gave the movie. The bullying came to such a disappointing degree that Lloyd was forced to throw away all the Star Wars merchandise he owned.
Topher Grace
Topher Grace started his acting career in the hit That ‘70s Show. Although he left early, he built a solid movie portfolio. It seemed like Grace was being groomed for leading man status until he played Venom in Spider-Man 3. The movie did well in the box office, but an opinion about Grace’s portrayal of the villain was polarized. He lacked the physical physique to fit the profile expected of Venom, and he was also one of the three villains in the movie so it was difficult to stand out. His career didn’t run out of gas, though. He still bagged roles in critically-acclaimed movies like Interstellar.
Kristin Kreuk
It seemed that 2009 was the year when anime titles were given live-action adaptations in Hollywood. Enter Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Kristin Kreuk was heavily criticized for her lackluster performance as Chun-Li. One may also say that Kreuk made a huge mistake when she left the long-running Smallville series just so she could play Chun-Li. Luckily, she was able to make a comeback in television, and she now stars in Burden of Truth where she plays corporate attorney Joanna Hanley, who uncovers a bigger controversy behind a case she’s defending for a huge pharmaceutical company.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
In the 1990s, Freddie Prinze Jr. was the heartthrob of every teenager’s dream. He made a name for himself by starring in some of the most obsessed-over teen romantic comedies and thrillers at the time. However, his career took a nosedive after he starred in the live-action remake of Scooby-Doo in 2002. The film wasn’t well-received by critics, and the actor went on to appear in a string of critical flops when 2000 kicked in. He later revealed in an interview that he didn’t enjoy making the movie and left Hollywood to pursue other passions. His career never recovered and we can only hope that this didn’t affect his credit score.
C. Thomas Howell
The plot of Soul Man was problematic, to begin with. The story centers on a young white man, played by C. Thomas Howell, who, in the hopes of obtaining a college degree, takes tanning pills in order to look like an African-American and get a minority scholarship for college. The film and Howell were harshly criticized and protests rose from the African-American community. Although Howell explained in interviews that he didn’t intend to discriminate anyone and that did not regret taking on the role, even if his career suffered a huge blow and offers for leading roles dwindled.
Jim Caviezel
There’s always a risk that comes with taking part in a controversial movie project such as The Passion of Christ. Playing Jesus Christ in a movie carries its own risk and dangers. Actor Jim Caviezel took this risk in the hopes of bagging the opportunity of a lifetime. Unfortunately, it seems the odds were ever against his favor. During filming, Caviezel was struck by lightning twice. He also struggled with hypothermia and pneumonia during the shoot. His role didn’t spark any electricity for his career as he had trouble getting other roles because he became widely recognized as the face of Jesus in a movie.
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin has cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s all-time greats. The Great Dictator is considered by critics and fans as one of the best political satires in film. It was both funny and powerful, but the impact it had on Chaplin’s life was anything but a laughing matter. The final speech Chaplin gave towards the end of the movie roused the attention of the FBI, who ended up questioning the actor’s political views. This forced him to leave the country, and he was banned from re-entering the United States. Guess that was time for him to call the moving company.
William Atherton
When Ghostbusters hit theaters in 1984 it was an immediate hit. The comedic electricity and the spooky special effects put the movie at the top of the box office at the time. The movie made even bigger stars of its actors, except William Atherton. He played the villain in the movie and was on the receiving end of on-screen insults from the members of Ghostbusters. In real life, Atherton still received insults from Ghostbusters fans even years after the movie’s release. This led him to fight with the movie’s director Ivan Reitman.
Colin Farrell
The 2004 movie Alexander was, to a great degree, one hot mess. The film, which saw Colin Farrell portrayed a bisexual Alexander the Great, was heavily criticized for its loose interpretation of historical facts. The film also failed to breakeven, scoring only $155 million in the box office against its $167-million budget. Before Alexander, Farrell had a winning streak of blockbusters that included Daredevil and S.W.A.T. After Alexander, he never quite regained his superstar status. More recently, however, he’s been making a comeback with well-received films such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Dumbo, and Lobster.
Chris O’Donnell
The film Batman and Robin probably ranks as the worst Batman movie in film history and was disliked by many. While George Clooney’s career remained unharmed after the movie, the same could not be said of Chris O’Donnell’s career. He was never elevated to superstar status and never took part in any big movie project since then. What’s worse, he made the wrong career choice when he turned down a role in Men in Black, which eventually went to Will Smith. Before taking acting full-time, O’Donnell attended Boston College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing.
Adriana Caselotti
You may not have heard of Adriana Caselotti’s name before, but you’ve probably heard her voice. She was the voice of Snow White in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Although the film has cemented its place as one of the many greats in history, it wasn’t quite the lucky charm for Caselotti’s career. She had trouble scoring roles thereafter. Producers and directors wouldn’t hire her because the moment they heard her voice, Snow White immediately came to mind. To her credit, she was given the Disney Legends Awards, which is a hall of fame program that recognizes an individual’s contribution to the Walt Disney Company.
Geena Davis
To her credit, Geena Davis has done it all. She went from being a model to becoming an actress and then an Oscar winner. It didn’t take long for her to become a hot commodity in Hollywood, and she was soon cast to play in hit movies such as The Fly and Beetlejuice. However, her success came to a halt when she appeared in the swashbuckling Cutthroat Island, which was directed by her husband Renny Harlin. The movie cost $98 million to create but only pulled in $10 million at the box office. The couple teamed up for another project, The Long Kiss Goodnight, which was a moderate success, but Davis’ career never quite recovered since Cutthroat.
Emile Hirsch
Emile Hirsch made his mark in the industry for his eclectic performances in a string of indie movies such as Lords of Dogtown, Milk, and Into the Wild. When he branched out into a more mainstream project, it didn’t quite go well for Hirsch. Speed Racer didn’t turn out to become the box office hit it was expected to be. It even failed to recoup its $120 million production budget and subsequent films weren’t green-lighted. To his credit, he recently joined forces with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is currently generating an Oscar buzz.
Taylor Kitsch
In Hollywood, it’s not enough to have a pretty face and solid acting chops. Sometimes it takes the right project for one’s career to take off and the wrong one for everything to fall apart. Expectations ran high when Taylor Kitsch was set to star in Disney’s John Carter. Unfortunately, the film was a box office failure, leading to a $20 million loss for the studio despite making investments to promote the movie. His next film, Battleship, also disappointed viewers, further pulling down Kitsch’s casting chances for future roles. John Carter could’ve been his big break, but it only broke his big-screen streak.
John Travolta
John Travolta is a Hollywood icon, but his film reputation has been quite on a roller coaster ride. One day he’s making critically-acclaimed movies such as Grease and Pulp Fiction. The next thing we know he’s starring in odd projects such as Battlefield Earth. The 2000 film is probably the one that hit his reputation the worst. Critics agreed across the board that it is probably one of the worst movies ever made in history. Since the movie, he hasn’t quite clawed his way back up the acting ladder. Nevertheless, he still maintains a decent credit score— with his net worth of $170 million!
Tom Green
Tom Green was expected to be one of those breakout stars in comedy. For a while, he was the next big thing in comedy films until he appeared in the 2001 film Freddie Got Fingered. The movie failed to turn a profit and was heavily scorned by critics. Green’s once rising star came crashing down, and the actor has been unable to recapture the public’s interest since then. With his film career down, he was able to avoid bankruptcy by starring in a steady stream of television shows and stand-ups. In 2019, he was voted as America’s Favorite House Guest on Celebrity Big Brother.
Mike Meyers
Mike Myers’ career in comedy hasn’t always been consistent. There were hits, such as Austin Powers and Shrek. There were also misses. The worst one is probably The Love Guru, which many will agree is the most hated comedy of all time. Myers, whose father was an insurance agent, hasn’t acted on screen since. He has shifted his focus on other things such as directing and producing. In April 2019, it was announced that he will be starring and executively producing shows for Netflix. He also published a book called Canada, which narrated the country’s history and popular culture.
Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell was one of the hottest stars in the ‘90s. She single-handedly dominated the slasher genre with Scream and Scream 2. But her career took a negative turn after she appeared in the erotic thriller Wild Things. The movie received mixed reviews but it never bodes well for the actress’s career. She stepped out of the spotlight and largely missed the subsequent Scream movies, which has since switched studios after Dimension Films filed for bankruptcy after the Harvey Weinstein scandal. She resurfaced in 2016 when she took on a recurring role in House of Cards, where she portrayed political strategist LeAnn Harvey.
Jennifer Lopez
Oftentimes, when one says a movie is memorable it is usually a good thing. The same can’t be said for Gigli, which was is remembered as the low point for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s acting career. Before Gigli, Lopez, whose derriere is reportedly covered by a billion dollar-worth insurance, had earned leading lady status. Post Gigli, her charm dwindled and the projects came in slower. However, she didn’t let one bad movie ruin her acting career. There’s a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding her latest movie Hustlers, and she’s even heavily favored to be nominated for an acting award for her role.
Chris Klein
Kids these days have probably never heard of Chris Klein. No, he is not related to Calvin Klein, but he was pretty well known in the 1990s. He was stereotyped as the jock in a lot of films, including Election and American Pie. He enjoyed a steady stream of projects until he joined LL Cool J in the Rollerball reboot. Clearly, casting agents weren’t having a ball with the movie, and it seemingly put an end to Klein’s movie career. He made a comeback in television recently as the main villain in the fifth season of the high-electricity series The Flash.
Brandon Routh
Playing an established character such as Superman entails a huge responsibility. Whoever followed Christopher Reeves had big shoes to fill in. Newcomer Brandon Routh seemed like the ideal Superman. His looks and his build screamed Man of Steel. But that wasn’t enough to make a superstar out of him. Superman Returns widely received negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. Routh became the scapegoat for the film’s failure and it badly affected his career. He did, to a certain degree, receive recognition as the guy who was the “okay enough” Superman. He didn’t star in big movies after that.
Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett was a huge heartthrob in the ‘90s, starring in hits that included The Virgin Suicides and The Faculty. He went on to star in big-budget titles and earned acting credit for his roles in Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, and Sin City. It seemed like nothing could go wrong for Hartnett’s career until Lucky Number Slevin happened. Despite a powerhouse cast composed of Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, the film failed to impress critics and viewers. It clearly wasn’t a lucky movie for Hartnett as it saw the steady fall of his once stellar movie career.
Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart became a standout in the back-to-back slasher films Scream 2 and Urban Legends. She enjoyed a steady shift in television, appearing in teen dramas Beverly Hills and 90210. She would make her return to the teen movie scene with Jawbreaker, and it was the one movie that broke her career. The movie was a major flop and was scorned by critics and viewers. She failed to climb out of the acting B-list forever. Her marriage didn’t end happily, too. After 14 years of marriage, she called her lawyer to file for divorce from Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane, citing “irreconcilable differences”.
Sean Connery
Over the years, Sean Connery has established a solid acting foundation that is impossible to break. He was James Bond for three decades after all. Even with box office flops such as Entrapment and The Avengers, he was still named People’s “Sexiest Man of the Century” at age 69. Such as the proof of Connery’s star power. But when you ask what it was that put Connery off the map, it would have to be The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. The film received mixed reviews and Connery hasn’t appeared on screen since then. But the film didn’t hurt the actor financially as he still lives comfortably with a great credit score and a $350-million net worth.
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty is one of the living legends from Hollywood’s Golden Age. He took Hollywood by storm when he took on the lead role in the iconic Bonnie and Clyde movie. He considered as one of his generation’s true renaissance man as he excelled in both acting in directing, most notably in Heaven Can Wait, Bulworth, and Dick Tracy. Like most actors, Beatty also had his fair share of box office bombs but nothing was worse than the spectacular failure that was Town & Country, where he played an architect for lavish home insurance-covered houses in New York’s posh areas.
George Reeves
George Reeves had a successful run as the Man of Steel in The Adventures of Superman television series. The show, which aired for six seasons in the 1950s, was a big hit, but to a certain degree, it took an immense toll on Reeves’ career. Because of how his contract was structured, he was prohibited from taking on other acting opportunities. He wasn’t able to capitalize on his popularity and turned down roles that didn’t harmonize with his Superman filming schedule. Whenever he did appear in movies, test audiences would still identify him as Superman, which led to his scenes getting cut from the final movie.
Maria Schneider
Starring opposite Hollywood legend Marlon Brandon should be a career boost for any star, but such wasn’t the case for Maria Schneider. In Last Tango in Paris, she felt humiliated when a particular scene was included in the final cut without her being consulted or informed about it beforehand. The infamous “butter scene” came as an unpleasant surprise for the actress as it highlighted the abuse that she went through during filming. In an interview, she revealed that the scene was not included in the script and that she should’ve called a lawyer because no one should be forced to do something that was not in the script.
Ben Affleck
Perhaps everyone who has seen Gigli will agree that it was a bad attempt at a romantic comedy that damaged its lead stars’ careers. To this day, Affleck is still a huge name in the industry, and he has starred and created notable films such as the Oscar-winning Argo. But the years that immediately followed Gigli was a dry season for the actor and his co-star and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. It was around that time that Affleck tried his hand at directing. He has since directed many films, including Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Live By Night.
Lindsay Lohan
As a young child actress in The Parent Trap, Lindsay Lohan was a star to watch out for. Years later she would make her big comeback with the pop culture favorite Mean Girls. What followed was a string of successful teen romantic comedies, three of which were produced by Disney. However, Lohan changed gears and went for a more mature role in I Know Who Killed Me and her acting streak never recovered since then. The troubled actress saw a slump in her career for years and was even on the brink of bankruptcy, following problems with drug addiction and alcohol abuse.
Elizabeth Berkley
From 1989 to 1993, Elizabeth Berkley’s star was on the rise. She had become a household name for her portrayal as the brainy Jessie Spano in Saved By The Bell. When NBC canceled the series, Berkley went for more mature roles in film, particularly Showgirls. However, starring in the NC-17 rated movie didn’t save her career at all. As a matter of fact, it plummeted, probably together with her credit report at that time. That year, Berkley was awarded a Razzie for Worst Actress and Worst New Star. She eventually made a comeback on television by taking on smaller roles in CSI: Miami, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The L Word.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson became a household name when she starred in the hit series Baywatch. The Canadian model-turned-actress enjoyed a steady success as C.J. Parker in Baywatch, but because of her popularity, she made a huge jump to the movie industry in the mid-90s. She started with the adaptation of comic book series Barb Wire. The movie was a flop, and it only proved that Anderson’s acting abilities weren’t that diverse and well-developed. With her fame short-lived, Anderson is said to have filed for bankruptcy and even owes the IRS more than $2 million in delinquency taxes and over $112,000 to the state of California.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt was considered a ‘90s teen royalty, starring in movies such as Can’t Hardly Wait and I Don’t Know What You Did Last Summer. She was on her way to becoming a big star until she made the mistake of starring in Jewtopia. The romantic comedy was a flop and opened to negative reviews. While her movie career failed to take off since then, she found huge success in television. She has several hit shows in her credit, including Criminal Minds, Ghost Whisperer, and currently 9-1-1. She also made her directorial debut by helming several episodes for Ghost Whisperer and The Client List.
Mark Hamill
It’s impossible to imagine that Mark Hamill’s career would be affected by the one movie franchise that gave him a career in the first place. Hamill made his mark in the industry as Luke Skywalker. However, outside of this character, he had no other notable roles. When Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi came out, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher had already done other movies while Hamill had zero. ROTJ was Hamill’s last major movie role, and he was practically inseparable from it. He did earn a successful career in voice acting.
Judy Garland
The Wizard of Oz is certainly a species of its own and was considered a milestone in filmmaking. The movie was an absolute dream for film critics and audiences—from its scenic world, amazing costume design, and unique shift from black-and-white to technicolor—it was far beyond its time. Filming, however, wasn’t exactly a fairytale for its lead star Judy Garland who was constantly pressured to lose weight. She resorted to following a restrictive diet and smoking cigarettes just to shed pounds. Fortunately, credit was given where it was due, and Garland received an Academy Award for her magical performance.
Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard is a reputable actor with an Academy Award nomination under his belt. Unfortunately, he seems to have fallen off the map after playing Captain Rhodes in the first Iron Man movie. When he first joined the cast, he was the highest-paid actor in the film. However, his character was largely forgettable, urging Marvel to cut down his paycheck. After Iron Man, he failed to score any major movie roles. Fortunately, he found new fame in Empire, where he plays Lucious Lyons, a former drug dealer who makes the right investments to build his own recording company, Empire Entertainment.
Halle Berry
Fresh from her Oscar win in 2002 for her role in Monster’s Ball, Halle Berry was on a roll. She quickly became one of the most bankable actresses in the industry, but it all came to a screeching halt when she starred in Catwoman. The Batman spinoff was a huge disappointment and didn’t spark any electricity with the audience and there was even a demand that she return her Academy Award. Since then, she hasn’t been booked for any big leading roles. Despite this, she still maintains her A-list status and is still one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood.
Janet Leigh
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is undoubtedly one of the best films in history, and the iconic shower scene with Janet Leigh is one of the most recognizable movie scenes of all time. The horror classic has terrified many viewers, particularly with its graphic violence and plot twist towards the film’s end. Even its lead star, Leigh, was traumatized for life by the movie. In the iconic shower scene, Leigh is attacked while taking a shower at the Bates Motel. Since then, Leigh has vowed not to take showers and instead took baths and kept her curtains open while doing so. Interestingly, the scene has spewed parodies in the plumbing services industry.
Macauley Culkin
Macauley Culkin is probably the poster child star of the 1990s. He had a series of hits, including the well-loved Home Alone franchise, where he played a little boy who made his own home security system to scare off burglars. Although Kevin McCallister was the character that put him on the map, it was also the one that broke his career. His fast rise to fame after Home Alone left the young Culkin wanting to live a normal life. Years later, he returned to acting with a more mature image and had a couple of run-ins with the law.