By December 1969, the 60s had already delivered moon landings, assassinations, protests, and a total rewrite of what pop culture could look like. But when The Rolling Stones rolled into Northern California for a free show at Altamont Speedway, what was supposed to be a triumphant celebration curdled into catastrophe. By the end of the night, a young man was dead—and the flower-powered optimism of the era felt like it had slipped through everyone’s fingers.

Special effects have never been just about flash. At their core, they’re about solving impossible problems, dreaming up ways to show audiences something that technology hasn’t quite caught up with yet. Every so often, a film arrives that doesn’t just wow viewers; it changes the rules for everyone.

While the hero archetype has always been around in film, the 1980s introduced a whole new class of Hollywood macho men, one of the most iconic of which was Sylvester Stallone. Whether he played a boxer, a veteran, or a law enforcement officer, Stallone was integral to ushering in the era of classic action stars. However, behind the scenes, he may have personified the worst parts of this masculine stereotype.

Take a nostalgic dive into the 1960s with these once-unstoppable celebrities whose fame faded over time, from teen idols and TV stars to pop chart legends people swore would never disappear.

James Van Der Beek, beloved Dawson’s Creek star, faced stage 3 colorectal cancer and significant tax debt before his death on February 11, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, family devotion, and heartfelt tributes.

Hayley Mills became one of Disney’s biggest child stars in the 1960s, but high British tax laws and financial structures left her without most of her childhood fortune before she ever gained control of it.