Actors often take "paycheck roles" just to put money in their pockets. Reputation is
also a valuable resource that gets casting directors to trust them in the future.
Choosing the wrong roles can derail their careers forever. Movies are expensive investments, and
it’s understandable to not want to take a chance on an actor that was in an unsuccessful movie.
Critics are also keen to rip actors apart, even if they’re not the only reason that a film flopped.
Heavyweights like Demi Moore aren’t immune to this problem. Keep watching
to learn why one bad movie ended her career overnight.
Sean Connery Sean Connery was the original James
Bond and stepped into the superspy’s tuxedo seven times over 21 years. He seemed like he couldn’t be
stopped until he starred in 2003s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, an adaptation of
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s comic book. It went through production hell and, once
it was released, received terrible reviews. The entire experience was so unpleasant that it even
made Sean announce his official retirement from acting in 2005. He hasn’t made another film since.
Warren Beaty Warren Beatty was as
successful if not more than Sean Connery, with 14 Academy Awards and a career than began in 1961. He
also stopped acting after a single terrible film. Town & Country began production in 2001. It was
fraught with issues such as rewrites and reshoots and earned 13% on Rotten Tomatoes
when it came out. Sean didn’t return to the silver screen until Rules Don’t Apply in 2016.
Tom Green Tom Green began as a
rap artist and then decided to focus on acting and comedy. MTV took notice and released the Tom Green
Show in 1999. He then moved on to small parts in films such as Road Trip and Charlie’s Angels.
20th Century Fox then gave him a chance to write, direct, and star in 2001’s Freddy Got Fingered,
but they’ve likely spent every day since wishing they hadn’t. It was
a major flop and didn’t make a profit. Freddy Got Finger has appeared on several
“Worst Movie Ever Made” lists, though it did become a bit of a cult classic
among fans of Tom’s gross, goofy humor. He hasn’t been on the big screen since,
but he reportedly plans to return to standup, TV, and his own YouTube channel.
Mike Myers Appearing
on Saturday Night Live and Wayne’s World shot Mike to fame in the 90s. He maintained it in the 2000s
with films such as Austin Powers and the Shrek franchise. Then The Love Guru came along in 2008.
He decided to co-write and co-produce it. It turned out to be racially insensitive
and even worse than his previous children’s film The Cat in the Hat.
The Love Guru earned Mike Razzie awards aplenty for acting, directing, and producing. He’s made
a few small cameos but hasn’t appeared in a major film since except for Shrek Forever
After. The 2022 Netflix show The Pentaverate may be his only hope to reach his former heights.
Madonna Not everyone can
be a triple threat, and Madonna’s acting career didn’t last long. Her first film appearance was
in 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan. A League of Their Own and Evita did fine, but it all fell
apart when she appeared in 2002’s Swept Away. She starred in it with her then-husband Guy
Richie. It was a major flop and earned less than $600,000 despite costing $10 million to make.
Guy took most of the blame, but the Razzies put it all on Madonna with a Worst Actress award for
her and a Worst On-Screen Couple award for the pair. Her next acting attempt, Die Another Day
earned her a Worst Supporting Actress award. She hasn’t chanced it by appearing in a movie
since but has made guest appearances on shows such as Will and Grace and Saturday Night Live.
Elizabeth Berkley Elizabeth Berkley first appeared
on screens as Jessie on the sitcom Saved by the Bell. Audiences loved her character there, but
her first film role didn’t fare as well. She played Nomi Malone in Showgirls in 1995.
Critics said it verged on adult cinema, and it was nominated for 13 Razzies. It did become a
cult classic and earned millions in rental sales. Elizabeth wasn’t able to reach her former heights
after the flop, and her agent even turned her back on her. She’s only been able to find short roles
on TV shows such as CSI: Miami and Law & Order. Chris Klein
Chris Klein can thank the American Pie franchise for his rise to fame. After that,
he decided to take an entirely different role. Instead of a comedian, he’d be an action hero in
the 2002 remake of the 1975 sci-film Rollerball. The film flopped and got slammed by critics,
and he went into a depressive spiral. It fed his addiction to alcohol and left him out of the 2003
American Wedding and rejected from Mamma Mia! Chris eventually went to rehab and was released
in 2010. Now that he’s healthy, he has managed to maintain a TV career but hasn’t been a leading
man in film again. Kevin Costner
This Oscar-winning actor became famous for hits such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,
The Bodyguard, and Dances with Wolves. In 1995, he joined the production of Waterworld.
The expensive movie was filmed entirely at sea and went through production hell. Kevin’s ego
allegedly didn’t help. The Postman in 1997 was his next attempt to regain his career,
but it also failed. His only semi-successful film since was 2003’s Open Range.
Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy’s career has been a rollercoaster
of ups and downs. His most famous flop was 2007’s Norbit. No one can say that he didn’t
put in enough work, playing the title character, his overweight wife, and an old Chinese American.
It wasn’t his worst commercial flop but was torn apart by critics over its insensitive
content. It’s speculated that it even cost him his Best Supporting Actor nomination
for Dreamgirls. Eddie went on hiatus until the 2019 Netflix film Dolemite is my name,
which essentially rescued his career. Like and subscribe for more on
troubled productions that were doomed to fail. Keep watching to learn about more bad movies that
ended actors’ careers overnight. Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba was an Oscar winner and critic favorite in Jerry Maguire and As Good
as it Gets. Unfortunately for him, it was the beginning of the end.
He starred in Snow Dogs, an inane children’s movie. That led to similar bombs such as Daddy
Day Camp, and he won a Razzie for his role in Norbit. Recent charges of sexual
misconduct have also cemented him as an actor whose career will never recover.
Christopher Reeves Christopher Reeves’ experience
began what was known as the Superman curse. He was a new actor when he first got to play the
Man of Steel in 1978 and then four more times. Superman III was a major hit. He agreed to
act in the fourth film if he had creative control. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
was a major flop and lead him to stop wanting to act and turn down potentially major roles.
In 1995, he fell from his horse and was paralyzed from the neck down.
He created The Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation to help those with disabilities.
Brandon Routh Brandon also got
to experience the Superman Curse firsthand. Like Christopher, he didn’t have an impressive resume
when he signed on for 2003’s Superman Returns, but his looks and charisma earned him the part.
The film could have been his breakout role, but that wasn’t the case. It received positive
reviews but poor box office returns. That led to the worst possible fate for a superhero film;
no opportunities for sequels. Brandon has only acted in small
parts since. He’s been part of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and a few straight-to-DVD releases.
Geena Davis Geena did well
during the 80s and 90s. She appeared in successful films such as Beetlejuice,
A League of Their Own, and Thelma and Louise. She even earned Academy Award nominations. That
level of success is bound to fall at some point. Cutthroat Island was a pirate film with a troubled
production. It earned terrible reviews and was one of the worst box office bombs in history,
making $10 million from its $98 million budget. The only noticeable appearance from Geena since
was her Golden Globe award-winning acting in 2005’s Commander in Chief. She’s become
an activist for film diversity and has a foundation for female
athletes. She’s respected but rarely gets cast in anything major thanks to Cutthroat Island.
Alicia Silverstone Alicia won hearts in 1995’s Clueless,
but she should have said “as if” to a part as Batgirl in 1997s Batman and Robin. It
was a major critical and commercial flop. She won the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress,
and she never earned a major part again. Jamie Kennedy
Jamie became a core part of the popular horror franchise Scream as Randy Meeks. He was both
the comic relief and an important source of information. He decided to take his comedy
chops a bit further with 2005’s Son of the Mask, a sequel to the Jim Carey hit The Mask,
but it couldn’t capture the originals’ charm. Jamie saw how it affected his career and decided
to make a documentary in 2007 called Heckler. It showed the power of reviewers to ruin an actor’s
carer. It, unfortunately, wasn’t successful either. Jamie is now only able to find parts
in small direct-to-DVD roles. Demi Moore
Demi was a major name in the 80’s Brat Pack and became known for her performances in 1990’s Ghost
and 1992’s a Few Good Men. She became the highest-paid actress of the time. In 1996,
she earned $12.5 million for Striptease, the highest for an actress in history.
The movie was a major flop and won six Razzie awards. She even took one home for
Worst Actress. Her next project, G.I. Jane, didn’t do much better. Her personal life is
still a topic of interest for the tabloids and media outlets, such as her relationships with
Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher, but her acting career has yet to fully recover.
Which actor’s career would you revive if you could? Let us know in the comments.