Let’s be real—Hollywood is as cruel as it is glamorous. One wrong turn, one cringe-worthy script, or one overly hyped bust, and even the brightest career can derail. For every actor who returns with a vengeance, others fade away quietly. Whether it’s a tone-deaf superhero movie or a musical fiasco, some films do irreparable harm. So here’s a 10-count of career-ending performances—plus two comebacks that demonstrate that not all is lost in Tinseltown.
10. Hayden Christensen – Star Wars: Episodes II & III
Slipping into Anakin Skywalker’s boots was supposed to be a golden ticket. Hayden Christensen instead got drowned under wooden lines, cringe-worthy love scenes, and fan anger that lasted for years. Critics were cruel, and his Razzie wins didn’t look good. Post-prequels, his career subsided. Thankfully, Christensen has found some redemption in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but that Anakin-shaped shadow took years to lose.
9. Eddie Murphy – The Adventures of Pluto Nash
At one point, Eddie Murphy could not be touched. Then, Pluto Nash, a sci-fi comedy that had a $100 million price tag and returned a meager $7 million. It tanked so badly that it is now Hollywood lore. Even Murphy himself conceded that his work in the early 2000s “sucked.” He took aka break from acting for a bit, but finally made it back with Dolemite Is My Name, reminding everyone of the Murphy mojo.
8. Kelly Clarkson – From Justin to Kelly
Successfully placing on American Idol should have been a springboard. Instead, Clarkson’s first major film appearance—under duress due to a contract—nearly sank her momentum. From Justin to Kelly was ridiculed mercilessly and received several Razzie nominations. Clarkson herself has admitted that she knew it was terrible before any cameras rolled. Fortunately, she did have the voice (and the attitude) to rebound—and her music career took off. Her film career, though, never did receive another chance.
7. Shaquille O’Neal – Steel
Shaq may rule the basketball court, but as a superhero in Steel? Not quite. Weakly written, weakly received, and agonizingly acted, the film has since taken its place on “worst superhero movie” lists. Even Shaq makes fun of it nowadays. After Steel, his Hollywood aspirations largely disappeared, and he smartly redirected towards broadcasting, entrepreneurship, and being everybody’s favorite celebrity spokesperson.
6. Paris Hilton – The Hottie and the Nottie
Paris Hilton attempted to leap from reality TV star to Hollywood actress—and what she got was The Hottie and the Nottie. It tanked on both critical and commercial fronts, and Paris won a Razzie in the bargain. The film has a genuinely pathetic 6% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hilton hasn’t led a film since, but she did go back to doing what she does best: branding, business deals, and being Paris.
5. Taylor Kitsch – John Carter
Following Friday Night Lights, Taylor Kitsch was primed to be the next major action hero. John Carter was meant to make it official. Instead, it tanked big-time—despite Disney’s huge investment. Its follow-up, Kitsch’s other big-budget effort (Battleship), didn’t do anything to rectify the situation, and his leading-man streak was suddenly at an end. He’s since remained active in supporting work and television, but the A-list door never quite opened again.
4. Rachael Leigh Cook – Josie and the Pussycats
Following her breakout in She’s All That, Rachael Leigh Cook was ubiquitous. But Josie and the Pussycats tanked at the box office, and her star quickly faded. Although the film has since developed cult status, at the time it was considered a failure, and Cook admitted to feeling that she was relegated to “movie jail.” Although she managed to find consistent work in television and low-budget movies, the Hollywood glare shifted away from her.
3. Taylor Lautner – Abduction
Fresh from the Twilight mania, Taylor Lautner was about to become the next big action hero. Then came Abduction, and critics tore it apart, describing his performance as robotic and flat. Even one review compared him to a robot repeating human dialogue. The backlash was quick—he went from teen idol to joke overnight. Lautner switched to low-key gigs and disappeared from the A-list altogether.
2. Alicia Silverstone – Batman & Robin
Clueless launched Alicia Silverstone into superstardom. Batman & Robin almost destroyed her career. As Batgirl, she starred in a film so hated that it earned her a Razzie—and permanently soured the entire Batman franchise for years. Silverstone has since spoken about how the experience left her with a bad taste and drove her away from the limelight. She’s made periodic comebacks to film and television, but the ’90s momentum never returned.
1. Mike Myers – The Love Guru
Following Austin Powers and Shrek, Mike Myers was on top of the world. Then, the Love Guru came crashing down. Critics eviscerated it. Audiences avoided it. Roger Ebert infamously wrote that it made him feel like something written on a high school bathroom wall. The film practically sank Myers’ comedic career. He’s appeared in a few things since, but never recaptured that comedic leading man status he had previously owned.
It’s a Long Way Down—and Sometimes Back Up
For certain thespians, one film and their career is halted. But Hollywood is enamored with a redemption story nearly as much as a crash. From Hayden Christensen’s glacial comeback to Eddie Murphy’s latter-day glow-up, some stars show that even the most epic flops don’t necessarily mean game over. Still… perhaps read the script twice.