All It Takes Is One Bad Movie
If you want an idea of how fickle audiences can be, look at the careers of any of the actors on this list. Before their fateful film, they were media darlings, celebs that everyone wanted to see and be around. After? Not so much.
Meg Ryan
If you were watching a romantic comedy in the mid to late 90s, there was a good chance Meg Ryan played a lead role. Films like When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless In Seattle placed Ryan in superstar territory for light-hearted date movies.
Columbia, When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Meg Ryan: In The Cut
Choosing to shed her squeaky clean image, Ryan took a role in Jane Campion’s murder mystery In The Cut. Audiences did not respond well, both to the film and to Ryan stepping out of their comfort zone. Ryan’s career did not fare well afterward.
Elizabeth Berkley
To a whole generation of television viewers, Elizabeth Berkley was the gorgeous and geeky Jesse Spano from the sitcom Saved By The Bell. Upon leaving the celebrated teen series, Berkley decided she wanted to play some more “grown up” roles.
NBC, Saved by the Bell (1989-1993)
Elizabeth Berkley: Showgirls
Paul Verhoeven’s notorious drama about Las Vegas showgirls was one heck of a 180-degree turn for Berkley. The infamous pool scene will live on as one of the most awkward moments in a film filled with awkward moments. Berkley’s career and rep never really recovered.
United Artists, Showgirls (1995)
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone cemented her place in Hollywood history with her star turn as Cher in the celebrated comedy Clueless. She was also the face of Aerosmith music videos and showed her darker side in the thriller The Crush.
Alicia Silverstone: Batman & Robin
A blockbuster superhero film role? What could go wrong? The better question with Batman & Robin is, what could go right? This George Clooney vehicle tanked at the box office, and Silverstone’s role as Batgirl was the end of her time as Hollywood royalty.
Warner Bros., Batman & Robin (1997)
Halle Berry
Bond girl, Best Actress Oscar winner, successful superhero in a franchise well before the MCU came along. Everything seemed to be coming up roses for Halle Berry. One of the most recognizable actors in the world by the early 2000s, it seemed she could do no wrong.
Halle Berry: Catwoman
Catwoman is considered by many to be one of the worst superhero films of all time. Bearing little resemblance to the source material, the film was critically lambasted and Berry’s career took a sizable hit. She’s still making films, but this one put a damper on her stardom for quite some time.
Dana Carvey
Like his pal Mike Myers, Dana Carvey had a successful career built on his hilarious performances on Saturday Night Live. His role as the lovable Garth, sidekick to Wayne in Wayne’s World, seemed to be his ticket to stardom.
Paramount, Wayne's World (1992)
Dana Carvey: The Master Of Disguise
Then came The Master of Disguise. Carvey’s undeniable comedic talents were on show here, but the film provided very little else. Without the support of his SNL career, and with Wayne’s World over and done, Carvey receded into the background.
Columbia, The Master of Disguise (2002)
Chris Klein
Chris Klein was a star on the rise, thanks to roles in the mega-popular American Pie series, and an acclaimed performance in Election. His chiseled good looks and soft-spoken deliveries were perfectly suited for leading man status.
Chris Klein: Rollerball
Starring in a remake that no one really seemed to think was necessary was the beginning of the end for Klein. Rollerball did nothing to improve on the original 70s film, which was already seen as being a pretty good film to begin with. Klein’s career rolled out from under him.
Eddie Murphy
He was probably one of the most successful comedians of the 1980s, a Saturday Night Live alum, with a string of hit films under his belt. Eddie Murphy was riding high as a Hollywood star and nothing seemed to be able to stop him.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Eddie Murphy: Norbit
2007’s Norbit saw Murphy play both sides of an unhappy marriage, which sounds like it would be a perfect fit for the chameleonic funnyman. It was not. Many critics believe that this complete flop of a film cost Murphy an Oscar nomination for his better-received role in Dreamgirls.
Brandon Routh
Actually, there’s not much Brandon Routh before the movie that, seemingly, stopped his career. Routh appeared in some short-lived television series and had a small part as a concert-goer in Gilmore Girls, as well as a year-long stint on the soap opera One Life To Live.
Brandon Routh: Superman Returns
Routh was tapped to fill in Christopher Reeve’s bit red boots in the continuation of the Superman film series. He seemed a perfect fit, but the 2006 film did not do as well as expected, and Routh’s career stalled before it really began. He reprised his Man of Steel role in an episode of Legends of Tomorrow years later.
Warner Bros., Superman Returns (2006)
John Travolta
One of the most recognizable faces of 70s cinema, Travolta had already come and gone by the time he experienced a renaissance in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. But the heartthrob from Grease seemed to be on the rise again.
John Travolta: Battlefield Earth
A bulky science fiction novel written by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard was an odd choice for Travolta’s continued path back to fame. In fact, it was the wrong choice. The film was seen as a complete failure and Travolta’s return to stardom stalled with it.
Warner Bros., Battlefield Earth (2000)
C Thomas Howell
In the 1980s, C Thomas Howell starred in some of the most beloved films of the decade. ET, The Outsiders, and Red Dawn are classics of the era and made the handsome and talented actor a household name.
Warner Bros., The Outsiders (1983)
C Thomas Howell: Soul Man
Oh, C Thomas, what were you thinking? Donning blackface for a comedy stopped Howell’s career in its tracks. He has continued to act, but the majority of his roles are now direct-to-video stinkers that few, if any, people have seen.
Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy will forever be enshrined in horror film legend for his meta role in Wes Craven’s celebrated film Scream. He also played a supporting role in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, and seemed to be a comedic talent on the rise.
Jamie Kennedy: Son Of The Mask
Trying to fill the funny shoes of comedian Jim Carrey was a big gamble for Kennedy and one that, sadly, did not pay off. Son of the Mask failed to bring in box office or critical acclaim, and Kennedy’s career stalled out under a rubbery green mask.
Dark Horse, Son of the Mask (2005)
Taylor Lautner
Twilight. Do we really have to say any more? Lautner was one of the faces of the teen vampire mega-hit, and like Robert Pattinson and Kirsten Stewart, it was just assumed that he would become Hollywood royalty.
Summit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Taylor Lautner: Abduction
Sadly, the Twilight magic didn’t seem to work for Lautner. Abduction was the beginning of a string of forgettable films for the once-desirable werewolf Jacob. Lautner has faded from view over the last decade or so, unlike his sparkly vampire co-stars.
Taylor Kitsch
Much like Brandon Routh, Taylor Kitsch had some television roles under his belt before being cast in a film that was supposed to kick-start a stellar career. Fresh off the football drama Friday Night Lights, Kitsch was ready for some big-screen stardom.
NBC, Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
Taylor Kitsch: John Carter
It’s not that John Carter is a bad film. It just did really, really poorly at the box office, and the sad fact of the matter is that Taylor Kitsch was the face of this financial disaster. Kitsch has continued to act, but the failure of John Carter has kept him from achieving any real stardom.
Walt Disney, John Carter (2012)
Rachel Leigh Cook
Rachel Leigh Cook was one of the hot faces of 90s film. She’s All That was an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, and Cook played the lead role to great acclaim. After starring in one of the most popular films of the decade, it seemed she could do no wrong.
Miramax, She's All That (1999)
Rachel Leigh Cook: Josie And The Pussycats
It’s said that this film stopped a lot of careers, Rachel Leigh Cook’s included. Co-star Tara Reid became a legendary Hollywood disaster story after this flop. Cook more gracefully faded into the background, with television and voice roles over the last few decades.
Universal, Josie and the Pussycats (2011)
Kevin Costner
It’s tough to say that Kevin Costner’s career ever really stalled. When you’ve got films as big as Robin Hood, Dances With Wolves, and The Bodyguard, it would be difficult to ever stop being a bonafide star. But then there was Waterworld. And then…
Warner Bros., The Bodyguard (1992)
Kevin Costner: The Postman
The Postman feels like it should have worked. A post-apocalyptic drama, thoughtful and action-packed. And really, really long. Though the project was epic in scope and boasted a stellar cast, audiences did not respond well, and Costner’s career was set back as a result.
Warner Bros., The Postman (1997)
Roberto Benigni
Italian actor Roberto Benigni rocketed to North American fame after his critically acclaimed, award-winning World War II film Life Is Beautiful. All of a sudden, studios were falling over themselves to let the talented actor and director make his next masterpiece.
Miramax, Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Roberto Benigni: Pinocchio
Have you ever heard of a film with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? Well, now you have. Benigni’s adaptation of the classic tale Pinocchio did well in his native Italy. But the English-dubbed version was an utter disaster, and Benigni bore the brunt of the criticism.
Jim Caviezel
Jim Caviezel had some decent films behind him before taking on a role that stalled his career. WWII film The Thin Red Line and novel adaptation The Count of Monte Cristo put Caviezel on the path to Hollywood stardom.
Touchstone, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Jim Caviezel: The Passion Of The Christ
And then controversy ensued! Playing Jesus in The Passion of the Christ opened Caviezel up to all of the criticisms of Mel Gibson’s take on the life of Christ. Though the film was acclaimed, it was a bad career move for Caviezel, who has never really reached the same heights again.
Icon, The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine was a recognizable face thanks to starring in some very big films in the 1980s, including Full Metal Jacket, Vision Quest, and Married to the Mob. Modine starred in a slew of critically acclaimed projects.
Warner Bros., Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Matthew Modine: Cutthroat Island
The 1995 pirate film Cutthroat Island put an end to all that. Modine played a lead role in the adventure film, but despite his acting chops, the film did not do well at the box office. Modine managed a renaissance thanks to his sinister role on Stranger Things, but it took decades for his career to recover.
Mike Myers
The Canadian comedian got a huge start on Saturday Night Live, and then turned in a series of comedy smashes. The Wayne’s World films and the Austin Powers series made Myers a bonafide celebrity, as did his unforgettable voice work on Shrek.
Paramount, Wayne's World (1992)
Mike Myers: The Love Guru
Hoping to capitalize on the kind of comedy that had made Austin Powers so successful, Myers took the questionable step of poking fun at a racial stereotype. It did not go well. The film flopped and Myers has done mainly voices and bit parts in the decades since.
