Hollywood is a world of big dreams. Yet, a flop can transform those big dreams into dust. While a flop can be a mere blip in the journey towards a glorious return for some actors, for others, it can mark the beginning of a downward spiral in their careers. These are the top 10 films that impacted their careers in a big way. These are the films that made some actors disappear from the big screen.
10. Taylor Kitsch – John Carter
After his breakout role in Friday Night Lights, Taylor Kitsch was on his way to stardom until Disney’s science fiction extravaganza, John Carter, with a budget of over $250 million, tanked at the box office. Kitsch’s career went from being the “next big thing” in Hollywood to TV roles and supporting parts. He’s certainly working, but his ticket to superstardom went up in flames… on Mars.
9. Lindsay Lohan – I Know Who Killed Me
Lindsay Lohan is an actress who went from teen heartthrob to tabloid fixture, and “I Know Who Killed Me” was her cinematic Waterloo. It was a bad film with a convoluted plot and awkward execution, and Lohan’s performance won her multiple Razzies. A talented actress, she suddenly found it hard to land good roles. While she’s been working on her comeback, this is still a film she hasn’t been able to escape.
8. Halle Berry – Catwoman
Still basking in the glow of her Oscar victory, Halle Berry boarded Catwoman, one of the most notorious comic book flops of all time. Campy script, incoherent plot, and a leather bodysuit that became a joke—none of it struck gold. Berry’s career never really got back into high gear, and though she remained visible, top-notch roles grew much rarer after this debacle.
7. Sharon Stone – Basic Instinct 2
The original Basic Instinct turned Sharon Stone into a superstar. Its sequel did just the opposite. Basic Instinct 2 was unnecessary, uninspired, and unwanted. The film tanked miserably, taking away what little star power Stone had left and forcing her to scrounge for smaller roles. For all her undeniable talent, her A-list status never came back.
6. Jaden Smith – After Earth
As Will Smith’s son, Jaden was set to continue the family tradition. Sadly, After Earth was a cinematic crash and burn. Critics panned stiff dialogue and Jaden’s acting, and the box office returns rendered it a dead issue. Jaden has moved on to music and fashion, but his potential to be a top actor ended here.
5. Alicia Silverstone – Batman & Robin
Hot off the success of Clueless, Alicia Silverstone was Hollywood’s darling. Then there was Batman & Robin. The camp trainwreck is notorious for its ice puns and bat-nipples, and Silverstone’s Batgirl turn brought her nothing but scorn and a Razzie. Though she still acts, her days as a leading lady never came back.
4. Geena Davis – Cutthroat Island
After being an Oscar winner and box office attraction, Geena Davis bet on Cutthroat Island, a pirate film that capsized more quickly than its vessels. With a budget-breaking price tag and disastrous losses, the film is regularly ranked among Hollywood’s most explosive bombs. Davis’s cachet nose-dived, and though she’s admired, her career never regained its height.
3. Jamie Kennedy – Son of the Mask
The Mask was a comedy classic. Son of the Mask? A nightmare that ended a career. Jamie Kennedy starred in the sequel that no one wanted, and the movie that resulted was one that was ridiculed for its cringeworthy gags and flat energy. Kennedy never once secured anything remotely like a big Hollywood part after that, spending most of his career in supporting roles thereafter.
2. Mike Myers – The Love Guru
Mike Myers was a comedy king once, with blockbusters like Austin Powers and Shrek. But The Love Guru was a monstrous flop, packed with groan-inducing jokes and stereotypes that failed to take hold. Fans and critics turned on him, and his once smoking hot career imploded. He’s popped up here and there since then, but he never regained his top status.
1. Elizabeth Berkley – Showgirls
Few career falters are as legendary as Elizabeth Berkley’s. Following Saved by the Bell, Showgirls was meant to be her crossover into a life of stardom. Instead, it became a mythic bomb, ridiculed for its over-the-top melodrama. Berkley’s career never recovered, and she was a cautionary example of how one bad risk can destroy everything.
In Hollywood, your stock is never higher than your previous hit. For these actors, it took just one film to take down careers that had otherwise been unstoppable. Some had minor comebacks, others vanished completely—but all of them remind us how cruel the business can be when the box office does.