If Hollywood were to have one thing it would love almost as much as sequels, it would be a nice comeback story. Just beneath all the glitz and the fame, the stories are the same: rejections, personal issues, and times when quitting would have seemed easier than going on. But some stars still did not let themselves disappear-they battled with their dark times and converted their defeats into triumphant returns. Below is the list of ten Hollywood’s best comedies.
10. Hedy Lamarr – From a Movie Beauty to a Scientist
Hedy Lamarr at one time was called “the most beautiful woman in the world,” but still, she was more than a beautiful actress. After she got out of the abusive marriage in Austria, she took the Hollywood world by storm-though she made history quietly outside the camera. During the War, Lamarr developed a secret communication method with composer George Antheil that used piano rolls to change frequencies of the radio transmissions. The military at the time rejected the idea, but today the concept goes into almost all the wireless communications that we have, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. To sum up, her genius was not only on the screen, but it is still present in almost all modern technology that we use.
9. Millie Bobby Brown – From Rejection to Breakout Star
Before Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown experienced rejection upon rejection, including an audition for Game of Thrones that came close to making her abandon acting altogether. Just as she was ready to leave, she was cast as Eleven, a role that catapulted her from relative unknown to international superstar. Sometimes, that final attempt at something makes all the difference.
8. John Krasinski – From Quitting to Jim Halpert
Decades of rejection prepared John Krasinski to give up. He even phoned his mom, telling her he was quitting. She persuaded him to hold on for just a little longer, and three weeks later, he landed the role of Jim on The Office. That gig only kick-started his career; it made him one of TV’s favorite everymen.
7. Laverne Cox – Breaking Down Barriers
Laverne Cox was broke, struggling, and thinking of quitting acting before Orange Is the New Black. But she kept at it, and when she landed the part of Sophia Burset, she became the first openly transgender actor nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Her journey wasn’t a personal resurrection; it was making history.
6. Jon Hamm – Beating His Own Deadline
At 25, Jon Hamm set himself five years to “make it” in Hollywood or quit. He got by waiting tables and teaching until, on his 30th birthday, he played his first film role. Success didn’t happen overnight, but at 3,7 he became Don Draper in Mad Men, one of television’s most famous roles. Hamm’s tale attests to the fact that timing truly is everything.
5. Melissa McCarthy – Making It Just in Time
Melissa McCarthy gave herself the same timeline: if she was not making a living as an actor by 30, she’d leave it all behind. With only a few days until her birthday, she landed Gilmore Girls. Playing Sookie not only provided her with consistent employment for seven years, but it also catapulted her to the comedy force she is today.
4. Sylvester Stallone – From Rock Bottom to Rocky
Before Rocky, Stallone was homeless and penniless, even sleeping in a bus terminal. Refusing to quit, he went through rejection after rejection until finally obtaining a minor role in The Lords of Flatbush. Along came the script he wouldn’t sell unless he was allowed to play it, Rocky. That risk made him an icon.
3. Samuel L. Jackson – The Breakthrough After 40
Today, Samuel L. Jackson is one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing stars. But his big break didn’t arrive until his 40s. After years of small roles, his performance in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever at 42, and later Pulp Fiction at 45, made him impossible to ignore. Proof that it’s never too late to make it big.
2. Halle Berry – From Homeless Shelter to Hollywood Royalty
Long before winning her Oscar, Halle Berry slept in a homeless shelter while attempting to enter the business. She fought her way up through acting and modeling jobs, ultimately becoming the first African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress. Her tale is one of determination, perseverance, and unwavering faith in herself.
1. Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man’s Resurrection
Few comebacks are as dramatic as Robert Downey Jr.’s. Following decades of drug addiction, run-ins with the law, plus failed efforts at recovery, he was “uninsurable” in Hollywood. But thanks to grit and determination, he rebuilt his life, and in 2008, Marvel took a chance on him as Tony Stark. The rest is history. Downey’s comeback is more than a career resurgence; it’s a tale of redemption.
Hollywood shines with stardom, but it’s the determination behind the glitz that makes these celebrities immortal. Each resurrection is evidence that no matter the odds against you, it’s possible to get up, rebuild, and reimagine your history.