History CareerResurrection / Film

* '''Creator/BrendanFraser'' in ''Film/TheWhale''. Fraser was a rising star in the 1990's to mid 2000's, with hits such as ''Franchise/TheMummy'' and ''Film/SchoolTies'', before his career was derailed with ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' and several other bombs. In the late 2010's, his career started to regain traction and critical acclaim on the small-screen with ''Series/{{Trust}}'' and ''Series/DoomPatrol2019''. In 2022, he won his first Oscar for ''The Whale'', with more key roles in major-studio films.

* '''Creator/MichelleYeoh''' in ''Film/CrazyRichAsians''. Yeoh moved from her homeland Malaysia to China so she could try acting after establishing herself prior as a model. She quickly became a major figure of Hong Kong action cinema who frequently did her own stunts. Yeoh then made her Hollywood debut as Wai Lin opposite Creator/PierceBrosnan in the Franchise/JamesBond flick ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', with her performance and role praised as a good {{foil}} to his 007. Her biggest role came when Creator/AngLee cast her in his ''wuxia'' epic ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', which truly established her in the eyes of international audiences. Yeoh's screen career afterwards, however, sagged with a string of failures like ''Film/MemoirsOfAGeisha'' (which got mixed reviews, especially for casting non-Japanese actors like Yeoh and Creator/ZhangZiyi in Japanese roles, perpetuating the racist perception in Hollywood that Asians are interchangeable), ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'' (which became both the lowest-grossing and worst-received entry in the Creator/BrendanFraser series), ''Film/BabylonAD'', and ''Film/{{Morgan}}'', with her sole hit for almost a decade being a voice role in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2''. Her popularity, fortunately, recovered around the tail end of TheNewTens, starting with ''Series/StrikeBack'', ''Series/MarcoPolo'', and ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' on TV. She then got her first major Hollywood role in years via the film adaptation of ''Literature/CrazyRichAsians'', playing the imperturbable matriarch Eleanor Young. The film was notable for being the first American film in nearly 25 years to feature a predominantly Asian cast, following ''Film/TheJoyLuckClub'' in 1993. It received widely positive reviews and was a surprise box office success in 2018, later on becoming the highest-grossing {{romantic comedy}} of the decade. Yeoh's performance was particularly hailed, with talk of her possibly nabbing an Oscar nomination circulating which ultimately didn't come to fruition. Yeoh eventually went back to her action movie roots with a supporting role as Ying Nan in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' [[note]]following a cameo as a different character in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''[[/note]], which was a decent hit in 2021. In 2022, she finally played another lead role as multiversal traveler Evelyn Wang in ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' (which co-starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan, who have been previously listed on this page above). The film surpassed expectations to become the biggest financial success of indie studio Creator/{{A24}} and got even better reviews than ''Crazy Rich Asians'', while Yeoh's performance in it has been described as her finest yet. She got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for it, making history as the first Asian actress to be nominated in this category.

* '''Creator/JamieLeeCurtis''' found her career slowing down in the 2000s and announced that she was going into retirement after ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks'' flopped. She returned properly to the public eye with a starring role in ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'', which got her a Golden Globe nomination. She also returned to the series that made her famous with ''Film/Halloween2018'', which became the biggest financial success of the franchise and some critics called it her best work in years. She later joined the ensemble casts of ''Film/KnivesOut'' in 2019 and ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' in 2022. In addition to getting massive critical praise and shockingly good box office returns, the latter got Curtis her first UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination in her career.

* '''Creator/KeHuyQuan''' with ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce''. Quan was a notable child actor in TheEighties, notably playing Short Round in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' and Data in ''Film/TheGoonies''. However, he struggled to find roles in adulthood and eventually retired from acting in TheNineties. After graduating from film school at USC, he moved to behind the camera work in various production positions. Inspired by the massive success of ''Film/CrazyRichAsians'' in 2018, Quan decided to return to acting right around the time Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka DANIELS) were casting ''Everything Everywhere All at Once''. He was later announced as part of the film's cast in January 2020, with the film later being released in March 2022 to astounding success. Quan's performance as a husband navigating the multiverse garnered particularly favorable attention, with reviews noting that it's a genuine comeback performance after decades of obscurity. He won and got nominated for numerous awards, including an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was quickly cast in further high-profile projects, including the second season of ''Series/{{Loki}}'' and the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''American Born Chinese''.

* '''Creator/ShaneBlack''' with ''Film/KissKissBangBang''. He started out hot with ''Film/LethalWeapon'', and his style of WittyBanter was quickly imitated by Hollywood action movies in the late '80s/early '90s, but the failure of 1996's ''Film/TheLongKissGoodnight'' brought his success to a screeching halt. Black came back swinging with ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' after spending nearly a decade in retirement, which also served as his directorial debut and the beginning of [[Creator/RobertDowneyJr its lead actor's]] own Career Resurrection. Although Black didn't direct another film for eight years, said feature (''Film/IronMan3'') reunited him with Robert Downey Jr. and became his highest-grossing film with over a billion-dollar gross at the box office. His following film ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' was a lower-budget affair that was closer in style to ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' and earned positive reviews. While it turned in an adequate profit, ''The Nice Guys'' has found renewed attention as a CultClassic on home media.

* '''Creator/AnnaPaquin''' in ''Film/XMen1''. Paquin was a fading child star by the end of the 1990s, having [[ToughActToFollow never reclaimed the glory]] she captured with her Oscar-winning turn in ''Film/ThePiano''. Then she was cast in ''Film/XMen1'' and she became popular as an adult superstar. She continues to remain relevant to this day through her turn on ''Series/TrueBlood'' and continued work in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''. [[note]]In fact, her performance in ''Film/ThePiano'' was destined to be another footnote in Oscar lore due to having fallen short of the record held by Tatum O'Neal for ''Film/PaperMoon''. Nowadays, there are more people aware of Paquin being the ''second''-youngest Oscar winner in history than O'Neal being the actual youngest. Nowadays, it's also the most memorable thing about the 1993 Oscars aside from being the year of ''Film/SchindlersList.''[[/note]]

* '''Zach Cregger''''s directorial debut was the ''very'' poorly-received ''Film/MissMarch'', which he co-directed with Trevor Moore, one of his castmates from ''Series/TheWhitestKidsUKnow''. The film was heavily criticized for its over-reliance on crass, crude humor, leading him to [[OldShame disown the final product]]. 13 years later, he finally landed a win in the form of the [[CreatorsOddball horror]] movie ''Film/{{Barbarian}}'', a critical and commerical success that earned praise for Cregger's direction and screenplay.

* '''Creator/SpikeLee''' with ''Film/BlacKkKlansman''. Lee first established himself in the '80s as a confrontational force tackling heavy matters of race with his classic ''Film/DoTheRightThing''. While his films left white audiences divided, he experienced critical if not always commercial acclaim through the 1990s. That acclaim faded over the course of the 2000s and early 2010s, as his films (with the exception of ''Film/InsideMan'') either weren't well received or flopped at the box office. Lee instead became more notorious for his controversial statements and off-set behavior, including his lawsuit against [=SpikeTV=] over his name and a public feud with fellow director Creator/QuentinTarantino following the release of ''Film/DjangoUnchained''. It wasn't until ''[=BlacKkKlansman=]'' surpassed expectations that he became mainstream again and truly returned to his social commentary roots. Many consider it Lee's best film since ''Do the Right Thing'', and it led to him winning a long overdue Oscar (for Adapted Screenplay). The positive reception towards 2020's ''Film/Da5Bloods'' further solidified his resurrection.

* '''Creator/JossWhedon''' with ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. The success of his BreakthroughHit ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and its spinoff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' proved to be a ToughActToFollow for much of the '00s, with ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' getting ScrewedByTheNetwork, ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' proving to be divisive, and ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' (co-written with director Drew Goddard) winding up on TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment for three years thanks to Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer's financial woes. He spent much of the late '00s and early '10s working in comics, web shows, and gun-for-hire TV directing gigs, which allowed him to maintain his fanbase but didn't become anything close to the mainstream sensation that the Franchise/{{Buffyverse}} had been. Whedon himself described his career as having been [[https://www.popmatters.com/173510-joss-whedon-film-society-of-lincoln-center-2495740687.html "on the skids"]] during this time. However, Creator/KevinFeige decided to take a risk on him, sensing that he was the right man to direct the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse's first CrisisCrossover. The result paid off handsomely, not only turning the MCU into a pop culture colossus but also restoring Whedon's mainstream profile, and for a good chunk of the early-mid 2010s, he was renowned as geek royalty. Unfortunately, later in the decade the failure of ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' (which many fans blamed him for, especially after the release of the much-better-received [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague "Zack Snyder cut"]]), combined with reports of adultery and PrimaDonnaDirector behavior on his part, knocked him back down.

* '''Creator/PaulBettany''' with ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. Bettany got his breakout role playing the title character in the 2000 crime film ''Film/GangsterNo1'', which subsequently led to roles in more high profile movies: among those were ''Film/AKnightsTale'', ''Film/ABeautifulMind'', ''Film/MasterAndCommander'', ''Film/{{Wimbledon}}'', etc. Even ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'', which drew a great deal of controversy, was a big hit nevertheless. His input later on, however, declined with failures like ''Film/{{Firewall}}'', ''Literature/{{Inkheart}}'', ''Film/{{Legion}}'', ''Film/TheTourist'', and ''Film/Priest2011''. Bettany retained a steady income with his voice role as J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse [[note]]films ''Film/IronMan1'', ''Film/IronMan2'', ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', and ''Film/IronMan3''[[/note]], [[https://www.businessinsider.com/how-paul-bettany-cast-as-vision-2015-5 but his live-action career was described as dead]] before he was double cast as [[Characters/MCUVision The Vision]] in ''Avengers: Age of Ultron''. The role, which was his most prolific one in live-action after four years, renewed his audience recognition and garnered him tons of praise, with critics noting his performance was an unexpected but welcome surprise in the film, that somehow stood out within its ensemble cast. He returned as Vision in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', along with the Creator/DisneyPlus miniseries ''Series/{{WandaVision}}'' opposite Creator/ElizabethOlsen as [[Characters/MCUWandaMaximoff Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch]]. For his performance in ''[=WandaVision=]'', Bettany got an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward nomination. Alongside Olsen and Creator/KathrynHahn, this made the three of them the first actors in an MCU property to get major awards acknowledgment. [[note]] In early 2023, Creator/AngelaBassett became the first actor to get an Oscar nomination for starring in an MCU film with ''Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever''.[[/note]]

* '''Creator/HaileeSteinfeld''' in ''Film/PitchPerfect 2'' and ''Film/TheEdgeOfSeventeen''. After garnering acclaim plus an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination at the age of thirteen for her performance as Mattie Ross in the 2010 remake of ''Film/TrueGrit'', she was one of Hollywood's most heavily hyped child actors. However, she instead took time off from acting. Upon returning three years later with a new adaptation of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', critics tore the film to shreds and criticized Steinfeld's performance in particular for feeling too childish to suitably convey Juliet's {{coming of age|Story}}. A string of later failures resulted in many writing her off as a flash in the pan. However, ''Pitch Perfect 2'' in 2015 became both a big hit and also gave Steinfeld the means to start a successful second career as a pop singer. The next year, ''The Edge of Seventeen'' was widely hailed and restored her critical stature. She got another hit with the ''[[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]]'' spin-off ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'', while making her television debut portraying American poet Creator/EmilyDickinson on the Creator/AppleTVPlus series ''Series/{{Dickinson}}''. By the end of the decade, Steinfeld became one of the biggest {{Teen Idol}}s active in both film and music. She also voiced animation work as Spider-Gwen in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' (returning for its sequel ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse Across the Spider-Verse]]'') and as Vi in the Creator/{{Netflix}} adult show ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}''. In late 2020, she was cast as Kate Bishop / Hawkeye II in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse – making her first appearance in the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}''.

* '''Creator/MichelleYeoh''' in ''Film/CrazyRichAsians''. Yeoh moved from her homeland Malaysia to China so she could try acting after establishing herself prior as a model. She quickly became a major figure of Hong Kong action cinema who frequently did her own stunts. Yeoh then made her Hollywood debut as Wai Lin opposite Creator/PierceBrosnan in the Franchise/JamesBond flick ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', with her performance and role praised as a good {{foil}} to his 007. Her biggest role came when Creator/AngLee cast her in his ''wuxia'' epic ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', which truly established her in the eyes of international audiences. Yeoh's screen career afterwards, however, sagged with a string of failures like ''Film/MemoirsOfAGeisha'' (which got mixed reviews, especially for casting non-Japanese actors like Yeoh and Creator/ZhangZiyi in Japanese roles, perpetuating the racist perception in Hollywood that Asians are interchangeable), ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'' (which became both the lowest-grossing and worst-received entry in the Creator/BrendanFraser series), ''Film/BabylonAD'', and ''Film/{{Morgan}}'', with her sole hit for almost a decade being a voice role in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2''. Her popularity, fortunately, recovered around the tail end of TheNewTens, starting with ''Series/StrikeBack'', ''Series/MarcoPolo'', and ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' on TV. She then got her first major Hollywood role in years via the film adaptation of ''Literature/CrazyRichAsians'', playing the imperturbable matriarch Eleanor Young. The film was notable for being the first American film in nearly 25 years to feature a predominantly Asian cast, following ''Film/TheJoyLuckClub'' in 1993. It received widely positive reviews and was a surprise box office success in 2018, later on becoming the highest-grossing {{romantic comedy}} of the decade. Yeoh's performance was particularly hailed, with talk of her possibly receiving an Oscar nomination circulating which ultimately didn't come to fruition. Yeoh eventually went back to her action movie roots with a supporting role as Ying Nan in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' [[note]]following a cameo as a different character in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''[[/note]], which was a decent hit in 2021. In 2022, she finally played another lead role as multiversal traveler Evelyn Wang in ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' (which co-starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan, who have been previously listed on this page above). The film surpassed expectations to become the biggest financial success of indie studio Creator/{{A24}} and got even better reviews than ''Crazy Rich Asians'', while Yeoh's performance in it has been described as her finest yet. She got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for it, making history as the first Asian actress to be nominated in this category.

* '''Creator/SachaBaronCohen''' in ''Film/TheTrialOfTheChicago7'' and ''Film/BoratSubsequentMoviefilm''. In the late 2000s, Baron Cohen became famous for his role in 2006's ''Film/{{Borat}}''. However, none of the films that followed (''Film/{{Bruno}}'', ''Film/TheDictator'', ''Film/{{Grimsby}}'') achieved the same level of success. Luckily, 2020 saw the above two critically acclaimed films released on Creator/{{Netflix}} and Prime Video respectively. The former is seen as one of the best movies of 2020, while the latter is considered a worthy sequel and became the second most streamed movie of 2020 (after ''Hamilton'' on Creator/DisneyPlus). %% Family name is Baron Cohen, not Cohen.

* '''Creator/PaulBettany''' with ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. Bettany got his breakout role playing the title character in the 2000 crime film ''Film/GangsterNo1'', which subsequently led to roles in more high profile movies: among those were ''Film/AKnightsTale'', ''Film/ABeautifulMind'', ''Film/MasterAndCommander'', ''Film/{{Wimbledon}}'', etc. Even ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'', which drew a great deal of controversy, was a big hit nevertheless. His input later on, however, declined with failures like ''Film/{{Firewall}}'', ''Literature/{{Inkheart}}'', ''Film/{{Legion}}'', ''Film/TheTourist'', and ''Film/Priest2011''. Bettany retained a steady income with his voice role as J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse [[note]]films ''Film/IronMan1'', ''Film/IronMan2'', ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', and ''Film/IronMan3''[[/note]], [[https://www.businessinsider.com/how-paul-bettany-cast-as-vision-2015-5 but his live-action career was described as dead]] before he was double cast as [[Characters/MCUVision The Vision]] in ''Avengers: Age of Ultron''.

* '''Creator/GeorgeBurns''' was a {{Vaudeville}} comedian who made his fame during the Golden Age of Radio and Television with ''Radio/TheBurnsAndAllenShow'', and doing the rounds with Creator/SidCaesar, Creator/JackBenny, and others. He faded like many stars of the age before winning an Academy Award for ''Film/TheSunshineBoys'' at age 79 and then starring in the smash ''Film/OhGod'' series, and remained a hot property til his death at age 100.

* '''Creator/HaileeSteinfeld''' in ''Film/PitchPerfect 2'' and ''Film/TheEdgeOfSeventeen''. After garnering acclaim plus an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination at the age of thirteen for her performance as Mattie Ross in the 2010 remake of ''Film/TrueGrit'', she was one of most heavily hyped child actors in Hollywood. However, she instead took time off from acting. Upon returning three years later with a new adaptation of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', critics tore the film to shreds and criticized Steinfeld's performance in particular for feeling too childish to suitably convey Juliet's {{coming of age|Story}}. A string of later failures resulted in many writing her off as a flash in the pan. However, ''Pitch Perfect 2'' in 2015 became both a big hit and also gave Steinfeld the means to start a successful second career as a pop singer. The next year, ''The Edge of Seventeen'' was widely hailed and restored her critical stature. She got another hit with the ''[[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]]'' spin-off ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'', while making her television debut portraying American poet Creator/EmilyDickinson on the Creator/AppleTVPlus series ''Series/{{Dickinson}}''. By the end of the decade, Steinfeld became one of the biggest {{Teen Idol}}s active in both film and music. She also voiced animation work as Spider-Gwen in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' (returning for its sequel ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse Across the Spider-Verse]]'') and as Vi in the Creator/{{Netflix}} adult show ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}''. In late 2020, she was cast as Kate Bishop / Hawkeye II in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse – making her first appearance in the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}''.

* '''Creator/GaryOldman''' was known throughout the '80s and '90s for films such as ''Sid and Nancy'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''[[Film/TheProfessional Leon: The Professional]]'', but by the early 2000s roles were getting scarcer. He took the role of Sirius Black in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' because [[MoneyDearBoy he desperately needed the work, not having done a film in over a year,]] but this turned out for the best because he got to stay with the [[Franchise/HarryPotter series]] for multiple films. He was sought out later by Creator/ChristopherNolan to play [[PlayingAgainstType Commissioner Gordon]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins'', resulting in him [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy also]] returning for [[Film/TheDarkKnight its]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises sequels]]. The two franchises combined led to his name being known amongst a new generation of fans which thrust him back into the limelight. Other successes he was in during this period were ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' and ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', while he got his first [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] nomination in his decades-long career playing British intelligence operative George Smiley in ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy''. He finally got recognized by award committees in 2017 for his portrayal of UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill in ''Film/DarkestHour'' and swept that year's awards season, capped with an Oscar win for Best Actor. He garnered more plaudits and another Oscar nomination for portraying Herman J. Mankiewicz in the 2020 biopic ''Film/{{Mank}}'', directed by Creator/DavidFincher. In 2022, he starred in the Creator/AppleTVPlus espionage drama ''Series/SlowHorses''. The show marked the first time he had a lead role in a television series after guest spots in the past, with his performance getting hailed once more.
* '''Creator/AlPacino''' has undergone several Career Resurrections throughout the years. After first making it big in TheSeventies with [[Film/TheGodfather several]] [[Film/Scarecrow1973 of]] [[Film/{{Serpico}} that]] [[Film/TheGodfatherPartII decade's]] [[Film/DogDayAfternoon best]] [[Film/AndJusticeForAll films]], his trajectory started dipping downward in the following decade. ''Film/{{Cruising}}'', released in 1980, was reviled by critics and condemned by the LGBT community for its homophobic undertones, while ''[[Film/Scarface1983 Scarface]]'', despite being [[VindicatedByHistory later reappraised]] as one of Pacino's best films, was poorly received and criticized for its graphic content upon its initial release. The utter disappointment of ''[[Film/Revolution1985 Revolution]]'' in 1985 led Pacino to take a hiatus from acting till 1989, when he appeared in a little film called ''Film/SeaOfLove''. The film was a minor success, spurring Pacino to take roles [[Film/DickTracy in]] [[Film/TheGodfatherPartIII bigger]] [[Film/FrankieAndJohnny films]], culminating in 1992 with the consecutive successes of ''Film/GlengarryGlenRoss'' and ''Film/ScentOfAWoman'', the latter for which he won a long-overdue Oscar for Best Actor. Pacino had the pick of his roles for the rest of TheNineties, with a plentiful output of box office hits (''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'', ''Film/AnyGivenSunday''), critical darlings (''Film/CarlitosWay'', ''Film/TheInsider'') or films that were both (''Film/{{Heat}}'', ''Film/DonnieBrasco''). However, he would fall into yet another slump in the following decade, first by taking a supporting role opposite Creator/BenAffleck in the aforementioned ''Film/{{Gigli}}''. He had a brief respite with his Emmy-winning performance in the HBO miniseries ''Theatre/AngelsInAmerica'' and a supporting role as the villain in ''Film/OceansThirteen''. His next lead film roles, unfortunately, were in ''Film/EightyEightMinutes'' and ''Film/RighteousKill'', which were eviscerated by critics, ignored by audiences, and garnered Pacino Razzie nominations for Worst Actor in 2008. Pacino would spend the next ten years afterwards slumming it in schlock (the most notorious of which, ''Film/JackAndJill'', garnered him a Razzie win for Worst Supporting Actor), with his sole saving grace being the HBO television film ''You Don't Know Jack'': for which he won another Emmy. In 2019, however, he appeared in two of the year's best films, Creator/QuentinTarantino's ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood'' and Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheIrishman''. Pacino's performance as Jimmy Hoffa in Scorsese's film has been deemed his best work in years, and it even garnered him his first Oscar nomination since his win for ''Scent of a Woman''. He later appeared as Aldo Gucci in Creator/RidleyScott's crime drama ''Film/HouseOfGucci'', which was released in November 2021.

* '''Creator/HaileeSteinfeld''' in ''Film/PitchPerfect 2'' and ''Film/TheEdgeOfSeventeen''. After winning acclaim and an Oscar nomination at the age of thirteen for her performance as Mattie Ross in the 2010 remake of ''Film/TrueGrit'', she was one of most heavily hyped child actors in Hollywood. However, she instead took time off from acting, and when she returned three years later with a new adaptation of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', critics savaged the film, with Steinfeld's performance in particular criticized for feeling too childish to convey Juliet's {{coming of age|Story}}. A string of box-office failures afterward caused many to write her off as a flash in the pan. However, ''Pitch Perfect 2'' in 2015 was not only a massive hit, but it also gave Steinfeld the means to start a successful second career as a pop singer, while ''The Edge of Seventeen'' the following year was widely praised and restored her critical stature. By the end of the decade, she was one of the most high-profile {{Teen Idol}}s out there, in both film and music. In late 2020, she was cast as Kate Bishop / Hawkeye II in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse – making her first appearance in the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}''.

* '''Creator/ForestWhitaker''' in ''Film/TheLastKingOfScotland''. Whitaker, a well-regarded character actor for many decades, got started in TheEighties with supporting roles in films like ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'', ''Film/TheColorOfMoney'', ''Film/{{Platoon}}'', and ''Film/GoodMorningVietnam'', before gaining critical acclaim for his first lead role as jazz saxophonist Music/CharlieParker in the biopic ''Bird'', directed by Creator/ClintEastwood. More high-profile work followed, notably the title role in ''Film/GhostDogTheWayOfTheSamurai''. Then ''Battlefield Earth'', where he starred with the aforementioned John Travolta, was utterly ravaged in 2000, sending his career into a downward spiral, which was ironic since it was meant to be his first big blockbuster. Whitaker's input, besides a brief spell of luck with supporting roles in ''Film/PanicRoom'' and ''Film/PhoneBooth'', comprised of duds for over six years before he played Ugandan dictator UsefulNotes/IdiAmin in ''The Last King of Scotland''. It received a widely positive reaction, with Whitaker's performance praised especially and winning many accolades like the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor. He has gone on since then to star in a lot of high-profile projects: most notably ''Film/{{Arrival}}'', ''Film/RogueOne: A Franchise/StarWars Story'', and ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}''. Whitaker also proceeded to forge a respectable career in television beginning with a critically hailed guest run on ''Series/TheShield'', followed by his stint on ''Series/{{Empire}}''. He currently stars on ''Series/GodfatherOfHarlem'' as Bumpy Johnson and also reprised his ''Star Wars'' role on the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''Series/{{Andor}}''.

* '''Creator/MichelleYeoh''' in ''Film/CrazyRichAsians''. Yeoh moved from her homeland Malaysia to China so she could try acting after establishing herself prior as a model. She quickly became a major figure of Hong Kong action cinema who frequently did her own stunts. Yeoh then made her Hollywood debut as Wai Lin opposite Creator/PierceBrosnan in the Franchise/JamesBond flick ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', with her performance and role praised as a good {{foil}} to his 007. Her biggest role came when Creator/AngLee cast her in his ''wuxia'' epic ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', which truly established her in the eyes of international audiences. Yeoh's screen career afterwards, however, sagged with a string of failures like ''Film/MemoirsOfAGeisha'' (which got mixed reviews, especially for casting non-Japanese actors like Yeoh and Creator/ZhangZiyi in Japanese roles, perpetuating the racist assumption in Hollywood that Asians are interchangeable), ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'' (which became both the lowest-grossing and worst-received entry in the Creator/BrendanFraser series), ''Film/BabylonAD'', and ''Film/{{Morgan}}'', with her sole hit for almost a decade being a voice role in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2''. Her popularity, fortunately, recovered around the tail end of TheNewTens, starting with ''Series/StrikeBack'', ''Series/MarcoPolo'', and ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' on TV. She then got her first major Hollywood role in years via the film adaptation of ''Literature/CrazyRichAsians'', playing the imperturbable matriarch Eleanor Young. The film was notable for being the first American film in nearly 25 years to feature a predominantly Asian cast, following ''Film/TheJoyLuckClub'' in 1993. It received widely positive reviews and was a surprise box office success in 2018, later on becoming the highest-grossing {{romantic comedy}} of the decade. Yeoh's performance was particularly hailed, with talk of her possibly receiving an Oscar nomination circulating which ultimately didn't come to fruition. Yeoh eventually went back to her action movie roots with a supporting role as Ying Nan in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' [[note]]following a cameo as a different character in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''[[/note]], which was a decent hit in 2021. In 2022, she finally played another lead role as multiversal traveler Evelyn Wang in ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' (which co-starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan, who have been previously listed on this page above). The film surpassed expectations to become the biggest financial success of indie studio Creator/{{A24}} and got even better reviews than ''Crazy Rich Asians'', while Yeoh's performance in it has been described as her finest yet. She got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for it, making history as the first Asian actress to be nominated in this category.

* '''Creator/WillemDafoe''' with ''Film/ShadowOfTheVampire'' and ''Film/SpiderMan1''. Dafoe initially was one of the most notable up-and-coming actors of the 80s, having attained an Oscar nomination for his supporting performance as Sgt. Elias in Creator/OliverStone's ''Film/{{Platoon}}'' and further critical praise for his role as UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist''. His trajectory dipped down, however, when he starred opposite Music/{{Madonna}} in the critically reviled erotic thriller ''Film/BodyOfEvidence'', which was deemed one of the worst films of TheNineties and was nominated for six UsefulNotes/{{Golden Raspberry Award}}s (with Dafoe being nominated for Worst Actor). While Madonna was able to retain success with her music, Dafoe spent the next few years in relative anonymity. He kept popping up sporadically in supporting roles, before his portrayal of silent film star Max Schreck in the 2000 film ''Shadow of the Vampire'' netted him rave reviews and another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later, he portrayed the ComicBook/GreenGoblin in Creator/SamRaimi's ''Spider-Man'', which became his first big financial success in years. Since then, Dafoe garnered two more Oscar nominations for ''Film/TheFloridaProject'' and ''At Eternity's Gate'', became a member of Creator/WesAnderson's ProductionPosse, appeared in the $1B dollar-grossing ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'', and appeared in many other critically acclaimed films (''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars'', ''Film/JohnWick'', ''Film/TheLighthouse'', etc.), re-affirming his place on Hollywood's A-List. He would later reprise his role as the Green Goblin in the MCU-set ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', which eclipsed the first ''Spider-Man'' and ''Aquaman'' as his highest-grossing film ever. Despite its 2021 release amid the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, ''No Way Home'' scored over $1 billion dollars during its first two weeks in theaters. It became the first film since the start of the pandemic to do so and broke many other box office records in the process. Reviews were positive as well, with Dafoe's performance considered a standout for the manic energy he brought to the role while also being game to do his own stunts despite being '''in his sixties'''.

* '''Creator/MichaelBJordan''' in ''Film/{{Creed}}''. Jordan was already doing quite well for himself until he hit the brick wall that was ''[[Film/FantasticFour2015 Fant4stic]]''. Unlike his castmates, Jordan suddenly hit his revival so soon after with ''Creed'', where he played the illegitimate son of the late Apollo Creed and trained to follow in his footsteps by his father's former rival Rocky Balboa. This resurgence allowed him to take up the role of the villainous Erik Killmonger in ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', which redeemed him from his earlier comic failure.

* '''Creator/AlPacino''' has undergone several Career Resurrections throughout the years. After first making it big in the 70s with [[Film/TheGodfather several]] [[Film/Scarecrow1973 of]] [[Film/{{Serpico}} that]] [[Film/TheGodfatherPartII decade's]] [[Film/DogDayAfternoon best]] [[Film/AndJusticeForAll films]], his trajectory started dipping downward in the following decade. ''Film/{{Cruising}}'', released in 1980, was reviled by critics and condemned by the LGBT community for its homophobic undertones, while ''[[Film/Scarface1983 Scarface]]'', despite being [[VindicatedByHistory later reappraised]] as one of Pacino's best films, was poorly received and criticized for its graphic content upon its initial release. The utter disappointment of ''[[Film/Revolution1985 Revolution]]'' in 1985 led Pacino to take a hiatus from acting till 1989, when he appeared in a little film called ''Film/SeaOfLove''. The film was a minor success, spurring Pacino to take roles [[Film/DickTracy in]] [[Film/TheGodfatherPartIII bigger]] [[Film/FrankieAndJohnny films]], culminating in 1992 with the consecutive successes of ''Film/GlengarryGlenRoss'' and ''Film/ScentOfAWoman'', the latter for which he won a long-overdue Oscar for Best Actor. Pacino had the pick of his roles for the rest of the 90s, with a plentiful output of box office hits (''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'', ''Film/AnyGivenSunday''), critical darlings (''Film/CarlitosWay'', ''Film/TheInsider'') or films that were both (''Film/{{Heat}}'', ''Film/DonnieBrasco''). However, he would fall into yet another slump in the following decade, first by taking a supporting role opposite Creator/BenAffleck in the aforementioned ''Film/{{Gigli}}''. He had a brief respite with his Emmy-winning performance in the HBO miniseries ''Theatre/AngelsInAmerica'' and a supporting role as the villain in ''Film/OceansThirteen''. Unfortunately his next lead film roles were in ''Film/EightyEightMinutes'' and ''Film/RighteousKill'', which were eviscerated by critics, ignored by audiences, and garnered Pacino Razzie nominations for Worst Actor in 2008. Afterwards, Pacino would spend the next ten years slumming it in shlock (the most notorious of which, ''Film/JackAndJill'', garnered him a Razzie win for Worst Supporting Actor), with his sole saving grace being the HBO television film ''You Don't Know Jack'', for which he won another Emmy. In 2019, however, he appeared in two of the year's best films, Creator/QuentinTarantino's ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood'' and Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheIrishman''. Pacino's performance as Jimmy Hoffa in Scorsese's film has been deemed his best work in years, and it even garnered him his first Oscar nomination since his win for ''Scent of a Woman''. He later appeared as Aldo Gucci in Creator/RidleyScott's crime drama ''Film/HouseOfGucci'', which was released in November 2021.

* '''Creator/RobertAltman''' with ''Film/ThePlayer''. He was one of the biggest directors of TheSeventies, having directed acclaimed hits such as ''Film/{{MASH}}'', ''Film/McCabeAndMrsMiller'', and ''Film/{{Nashville}}''. His career was then derailed by an adaptation of ''Film/{{Popeye}}'' released in 1980, after which his output consisted of flop after flop. Released in 1992, ''The Player'' was a critical success and was nominated for 3 Oscars – including Best Director for Altman. He would be nominated for Best Director again the following year (for ''Film/ShortCuts'') and in 2001 (for ''Film/GosfordPark'', which also served as a second comeback as his career post ''Short Cuts'' began to lag). Altman would remain well-regarded by the time he died in 2006, with his final film ''Film/APrairieHomeCompanion'' being warmly received by audiences and critics.

* '''Creator/NicoleKidman''' first became famous in the 90's through a variety of performances in acclaimed films, the most notable being 1999's ''Film/EyesWideShut'' (where she co-starred opposite her then-husband Creator/TomCruise). Further successes came with ''Film/MoulinRouge'' and ''Film/{{The Others|2001}}'' in 2001, which culminated with a Best Actress Oscar win for her role in 2002's ''Film/TheHours''. Starting around 2004, however, she began falling into a slump with flops like ''Film/{{Bewitched}}'', ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'', ''Film/{{Australia}}'', and ''Film/JustGoWithIt''. Her sole saving grace during this time was the 2010 adaptation of the play ''Theatre/RabbitHole'', which was an AcclaimedFlop that still earned her another Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Kidman's lowest point came in 2014 with ''Grace of Monaco'', a film with a rather TroubledProduction that was critically derided (with a glaring 9% on Website/RottenTomatoes) and had its theatrical release revoked in the U.S. (ultimately being shunted to a debut on Creator/{{Lifetime}}). After that debacle, however, Kidman's luck began to turn for the better. First, she appeared as the main antagonist in the well-received children's film ''Film/{{Paddington}}''. Her next notable role was in 2016's ''Film/{{Lion}}'', which was a financial SleeperHit that received multiple Oscar nominations (including another acting nomination for Kidman, this time in the Best Supporting Actress category). She branched out into television with HBO's ''Series/BigLittleLies'' the following year, for which she won Primetime Emmy Awards for acting in and producing the miniseries. She then had three theatrical releases in 2018: ''Film/{{Destroyer|2018}}'', ''Film/BoyErased'', and most notably, the superhero film ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'' as the titular character's mother, which became her biggest financial success. In 2021, she portrayed Creator/LucilleBall in the Creator/AaronSorkin drama ''Film/BeingTheRicardos''. While the film itself got mixed reviews, Kidman earned raves (and a Golden Globe) for her work. Her performance has once more put her into the contest for Oscar glory and, indeed, she did get nominated for Best Actress, alongside Javier Bardem (see above) portraying Ball's husband Creator/DesiArnaz (for which he got an Oscar nomination too).

* '''Creator/GaryOldman''' was known throughout the '80s and '90s for films such as ''Sid and Nancy'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''[[Film/TheProfessional Leon: The Professional]]'', but by the early 2000s roles were getting scarcer. He took the role of Sirius Black in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' because [[MoneyDearBoy he desperately needed the work, not having done a film in over a year,]] but this turned out for the best because he got to stay with the [[Franchise/HarryPotter series]] for multiple films. He was sought out later by Creator/ChristopherNolan to play [[PlayingAgainstType Commissioner Gordon]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins'', resulting in him [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy also]] returning for [[Film/TheDarkKnight its]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises sequels]]. The two franchises combined led to his name being known amongst a new generation of fans which thrust him back into the limelight. Other successes he was in during this period were ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' and ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', while he got his first [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] nomination in his decades-long career playing British intelligence operative George Smiley in ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy''. He finally got recognized by award committees in 2017 for his portrayal of UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill in ''Film/DarkestHour'' and swept that year's awards season, capped by an Oscar win for Best Actor. He garnered further critical acclaim and a third Oscar nomination for playing Herman J. Mankiewicz in the 2020 biopic ''Film/{{Mank}}'', directed by Creator/DavidFincher. In 2022, he starred in the Creator/AppleTVPlus espionage drama ''Series/SlowHorses''. The show marked the first time he had a lead role in a television series after guest spots in the past, with his performance getting hailed once more.

* '''Creator/JuliaRoberts''' in ''Film/MyBestFriendsWedding''. Roberts looked like a rising star with critically acclaimed roles in ''Film/MysticPizza'', ''Film/SteelMagnolias'', and her StarMakingRole ''Film/PrettyWoman''. ''Film/SleepingWithTheEnemy'' was panned but did very well at the box office. However, her career hit turbulence when ''Dying Young'' and ''{{Film/Hook}}'' were both trashed by critics, not helped by a CreatorBreakdown as her relationship with Creator/KieferSutherland fell apart -- even fleeing the set of ''Hook'' to hide out in Ireland briefly. She took a two-year hiatus from acting, and when she returned, it was to flops like ''Film/ILoveTrouble'', ''Film/MichaelCollins'', and ''Film/MaryReilly''. However, ''My Best Friend's Wedding'' proved to be a return to form. All her subsequent films did good business and she ended up as the highest paid actress of TheNineties. An Oscar win later came for ''Film/ErinBrockovich''.

* '''Creator/KristenStewart''' in ''Film/CloudsOfSilsMaria''. Just as it was for her co-star (and [[RomanceOnTheSet boyfriend]]) Creator/RobertPattinson, ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' was a double-edged sword that made her rich and famous but seemed to limit her career prospects afterwards, earning her a reputation for DullSurprise performances. ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' in 2012 knocked her off the A-list, especially after she was caught cheating on Pattinson with the film's director Rupert Sanders, which caused ''Twilight'' fans to [[YokoOhNo turn against her]]. However, again like Pattinson, she responded to her exile from Hollywood by going indie and demonstrating that [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct she could actually act]], and with her performance in ''Clouds of Sils Maria'', she became the first American actress to win a César Award (the French version of the Oscars). She also did a 180 on her public image, going from TheIngenue to a bisexual, semi-butch GoodBadGirl that turned out to be a much better fit for her. Whereas in 2012 she was one of the most disliked young actresses in Hollywood, by the end of the decade it seemed as though all was forgiven. In 2021, she played Princess Diana in ''Film/{{Spencer}}''. Her performance has been acclaimed as her finest work yet, and she even got an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Actress.

* '''Creator/JavierBardem''' initially found fame in his native Spain before moving to Hollywood. After truly making his name known in America with his [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]-winning role in ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'' (having received a previous nomination for ''Literature/BeforeNightFalls''), his career, with further hits like ''Film/VickyCristinaBarcelona'' (which he starred in opposite his wife Penélope Cruz, also mentioned on this page), ''Film/EatPrayLove'' (which was a surprise box office success despite getting mixed reviews), ''Film/{{Biutiful}}'' (which got him his third Oscar nomination), and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' (where he played a Bond villain) continued rising. However, Bardem's input began to slump after ''Skyfall'' with films that either were polarizing (''Film/ToTheWonder'', ''Film/TheCounselor'', ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'', ''[[Film/Mother2017 mother!]]'', etc.) or just hated (like ''Film/TheGunman''). His luck, thankfully, changed for the better in 2021 with roles in three movies: ''The Good Boss'', ''Film/{{Dune|2021}}'', and ''Film/BeingTheRicardos''. The latter two got particularly positive notices after becoming major contenders in that year's Oscars ceremony, with Bardem even getting his fourth Oscar nomination for playing Creator/DesiArnaz in ''Being the Ricardos'' (starring with Nicole Kidman, also mentioned on this page, who got an Oscar nomination herself for playing Creator/LucilleBall).

* '''Creator/NicoleKidman''' first became famous in the 90's through a variety of performances in acclaimed films, the most notable being 1999's ''Film/EyesWideShut'' (where she co-starred opposite her then-husband Creator/TomCruise). Further successes came with ''Film/MoulinRouge'' and ''Film/{{The Others|2001}}'' in 2001, which culminated with a Best Actress Oscar win for her role in 2002's ''Film/TheHours''. Starting around 2004, however, she began falling into a slump with flops like ''Film/{{Bewitched}}'', ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'', ''Film/{{Australia}}'', and ''Film/JustGoWithIt''. Her sole saving grace during this time was the 2010 adaptation of the play ''Theatre/RabbitHole'', which was an AcclaimedFlop that still earned her another Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Kidman's lowest point came in 2014 with ''Grace of Monaco'', a film with a rather TroubledProduction that was critically derided (with a glaring 9% on Website/RottenTomatoes) and had its theatrical release revoked in the U.S. (ultimately being shunted to a debut on Creator/{{Lifetime}}). After that debacle, however, Kidman's luck began to turn for the better. First, she appeared as the main antagonist in the well-received children's film ''Film/{{Paddington}}''. Her next notable role was in 2016's ''Film/{{Lion}}'', which was a financial SleeperHit that received multiple Oscar nominations (including another acting nomination for Kidman, this time in the Best Supporting Actress category). She branched out into television with HBO's ''Series/BigLittleLies'' the following year, for which she won Primetime Emmy Awards for acting in and producing the miniseries. She then had three theatrical releases in 2018: ''Film/{{Destroyer|2018}}'', ''Film/BoyErased'', and most notably, the superhero film ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'' as the titular character's mother, which became her biggest financial success. In 2021, she portrayed Creator/LucilleBall in the Creator/AaronSorkin drama ''Film/BeingTheRicardos''. While the film itself got mixed reviews, Kidman earned raves (and a Golden Globe) for her work. Her performance has once more put her into the contest for Oscar glory, and she did indeed get nominated for Best Actress.

* '''Creator/GaryOldman''' was known throughout the '80s and '90s for films such as ''Sid and Nancy'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''[[Film/TheProfessional Leon: The Professional]]'', but by the early 2000s roles were getting scarcer. He took the role of Sirius Black in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' because [[MoneyDearBoy he desperately needed the work, not having done a film in over a year,]] but this turned out for the best because he got to stay with the [[Franchise/HarryPotter series]] for multiple films. He was sought out later by Creator/ChristopherNolan to play [[PlayingAgainstType Commissioner Gordon]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins'', resulting in him [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy also]] returning for [[Film/TheDarkKnight its]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises sequels]]. The two franchises combined led to his name being known amongst a new generation of fans which thrust him back into the limelight. Other successes he was in during this period were ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' and ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', while he got his first [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] nomination in his decades-long career playing British intelligence operative George Smiley in ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy''. He finally got recognized by award committees in 2017 for his portrayal of UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill in ''Film/DarkestHour'' and swept that entire year's awards season capped by an Oscar win for Best Actor. He garnered more critical acclaim and another Oscar nomination for playing Herman J. Mankiewicz in the 2020 biopic ''Film/{{Mank}}'', directed by Creator/DavidFincher. In 2022, he starred in the Creator/AppleTVPlus espionage drama ''Series/SlowHorses''. The show marked the first time he had a lead role in a television series after occasional guest spots in the past, with his performance getting hailed once more.

* '''Creator/SeanPenn''' in ''Film/DeadManWalking''. Penn became popular in TheEighties, with performances in wildly different films like ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'' and ''Film/TheFalconAndTheSnowman''. However, his career soon took a severe beating after he starred opposite his then-wife Music/{{Madonna}} in the notorious disaster ''Film/ShanghaiSurprise''. Her career remained intact with her music, but his career stalled for many years. Though Penn made several attempts to rev up his career again, it was unsteady for some time with a potential hit followed by a poor dud. His career finally got back on track after ''Dead Man Walking'' became both a financial and critical darling while he got a Best Actor UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for his performance as an inmate on death row. He later won two Oscars in that category for ''Film/MysticRiver'' and ''Film/{{Milk}}'', while also getting two more nominations for ''Film/SweetAndLowdown'' and ''Film/IAmSam''.

* '''Creator/MarlonBrando''' in ''Film/TheGodfather''. Brando was a major star in the '50s with classic hits such as ''Film/AStreetcarNamedDesire'' and ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'', and he had won an Oscar for Best Actor for the latter. By the 1960s, however, Brando's failed movies outweighed his successes, partly due to his temper on set, and most movie studios considered him a risk. Flash forward to 1972, when Creator/FrancisFordCoppola was adapting Mario Puzo's novel onto the big screen, and he wanted the 47-year-old Brando to play the patriarch of a Mafia family. Creator/{{Paramount}} finally gave in after Coppola gave Brando a screen test, and ''The Godfather'' became an instant classic. Brando won a second Oscar for his performance as Don Vito Corleone, and high-profile roles in ''Film/LastTangoInParis'', ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' soon followed.

* '''Creator/JamieLeeCurtis''' found her career slowing down in the 2000s and announced that she was going into retirement after ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks'' flopped. She returned properly to the public eye with a starring role in ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'', which got her a Golden Globe nomination. She also returned to the series that made her famous with ''Film/Halloween2018'', which became the biggest financial success of the franchise and some critics called it her best work in years. She later joined the ensemble casts of ''Film/KnivesOut'' in 2019 and ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' in 2022.

* '''Creator/GaryOldman''' was known throughout the '80s and '90s for films such as ''Sid and Nancy'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''[[Film/TheProfessional Leon: The Professional]]'', but by the early 2000s roles were getting scarcer. He took the role of Sirius Black in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' because [[MoneyDearBoy he desperately needed the work, not having done a film in over a year,]] but this turned out for the best because he got to stay with the [[Franchise/HarryPotter series]] for multiple films. He was sought out later by Creator/ChristopherNolan to play [[PlayingAgainstType Commissioner Gordon]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins'', resulting in him [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy also]] returning for [[Film/TheDarkKnight its]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises sequels]]. The two franchises combined led to his name being known amongst a new generation of fans which thrust him back into the limelight. He finally got recognized by award committees in 2017 for his performance as UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill in ''Film/DarkestHour'', sweeping that entire year's awards season capped by an Oscar win for Best Actor. He garnered more critical acclaim and another Oscar nomination for playing Herman J. Mankiewicz in the 2020 biopic ''Film/{{Mank}}'', directed by Creator/DavidFincher. In 2022, he starred in the Creator/AppleTVPlus espionage drama ''Series/SlowHorses''. The show marked the first time he had a lead role in a television series after occasional guest spots in the past, with his performance getting hailed once more.

* '''Creator/ForestWhitaker''' in ''Film/TheLastKingOfScotland''. Whitaker, a well-regarded character actor for many decades, got started in TheEighties with supporting roles in films like ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'', ''Film/TheColorOfMoney'', ''Film/{{Platoon}}'', and ''Film/GoodMorningVietnam'', before gaining critical acclaim for his first lead role as jazz saxophonist Music/CharlieParker in the biopic ''Bird'', directed by Creator/ClintEastwood. More high-profile work followed, notably the title role in ''Film/GhostDogTheWayOfTheSamurai''. Then ''Battlefield Earth'', where he starred with the aforementioned John Travolta, was utterly ravaged in 2000, sending his career into a downward spiral, which was ironic since it was meant to be his first big blockbuster. Whitaker's input, besides a brief spell of luck with supporting roles in ''Film/PanicRoom'' and ''Film/PhoneBooth'', comprised of duds for over six years before he played Ugandan dictator UsefulNotes/IdiAmin in ''The Last King of Scotland''. It received a widely positive reaction, with Whitaker's performance praised especially and winning many accolades like the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor. He has gone on since then to star in a lot of high-profile projects: most notably ''Film/{{Arrival}}'', ''Film/RogueOne: A Franchise/StarWars Story'', and ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}''. Whitaker also proceeded to forge a respectable career in television beginning with a critically hailed guest run on ''Series/TheShield'', followed by his stint on ''Series/{{Empire}}''. He currently stars on ''Series/GodfatherOfHarlem'' as Bumpy Johnson, and reprised his ''Star Wars'' role on the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''Series/{{Andor}}''.

* '''Creator/TerenceStamp''' with ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' and ''Film/SupermanII''. By the mid-1970s, Stamp's acting career had dwindled away after having some attention in the 1960s. However, after playing General Zod so memorably in those blockbuster superhero films, Stamp found himself having the pick of roles for the rest of his career.

* '''Creator/JulieAndrews''' with ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries''. She had been an icon from TheSixties till TheEighties for popular hits like ''Film/MaryPoppins'' and ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic''. She, frustrated at such typecasting, sought to break away from it, notably in the 1970 flop ''Film/DarlingLili''. Though she later succeeded in 1982 with ''Film/VictorVictoria'', a botched throat surgery damaged her iconic voice. It wasn't until ''The Princess Diaries'' that she truly returned to the public eye in 2001 by returning to her Disney roots. Andrews now possesses a different CoolOldLady image by slightly AdamWesting her previous sweet persona. She also enjoys a lot of success as a CelebrityVoiceActor in the ''{{WesternAnimation/Shrek}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' franchises, later voicing a sea monster in 2018's ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'' as well as providing the narration for Lady Whistledown in ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}''.

* '''Creator/EddieMurphy''' went through this twice. Murphy was one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1980s, but as time went on, films like ''Film/TheGoldenChild'' and ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII'' tainted his reputation with critics. In the early [[TheNineties 1990s]], they disappointed financially too (the vanity project ''Film/HarlemNights'', ''Film/VampireInBrooklyn'', etc.). He might have gone down as something of a relic of the '80s if not for his multiple-role performance in ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'', which was a huge hit. Since then, the quality and financial success of his work has been wildly hit and miss, ranging from ''Film/{{Bowfinger}}'' to ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPlutoNash''. He has a RatedGForGangsta reputation now (due to doing many family films, most famously the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' franchise), but he was still an A-lister for much of the 2000s, even receiving an Oscar nomination for ''Film/{{Dreamgirls}}''. Unfortunately, in the late 2000s/early 2010s another string of financial and/or critical flops (''Film/MeetDave'', ''Film/{{Norbit}}'', ''Film/AThousandWords''), combined with the end of the ''Shrek'' franchise, put him back on the scrap heap, outnumbering hits like ''Film/TowerHeist''. But then Murphy hit Creator/{{Netflix}} starring as Rudy Ray Moore in the biopic ''Film/DolemiteIsMyName'', which was acclaimed as a long-awaited return to the R-rated comedy that made him a star in the 80s as well as the prestige material that he was previously praised for in ''Dreamgirls''. Earning a Golden Globe nomination, he followed this up with a well received return to ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' that boosted the show's ratings to their highest in a decade.

* '''Creator/SachaBaronCohen''' in ''Film/TheTrialOfTheChicago7'' and ''Film/BoratSubsequentMoviefilm''. In the late 2000s, Baron Cohen became famous for his role in 2006's ''Film/{{Borat}}''. However, none of the films that followed (''Film/{{Bruno}}'', ''Film/TheDictator'', ''Film/{{Grimsby}}'') achieved the same level of success. Luckily, 2020 saw the above two critically acclaimed films released on Creator/{{Netflix}} and Prime Video respectively. The former is seen as one of the best movies of 2020, while the latter is considered a worthy sequel and became the second most streamed movie of 2020 (after ''Hamilton'' on Disney+). %% Family name is Baron Cohen, not Cohen.

* '''Creator/HarveyKeitel''' was a rising star from TheSixties until TheSeventies, with his performances in [[Film/WhosThatKnockingAtMyDoor four]] [[Film/MeanStreets early]] [[Film/AliceDoesntliveHereAnymore films]] [[Film/TaxiDriver by]] Creator/MartinScorsese gaining him particularly favorable attention. He was then cast as Capt. Benjamin Willard in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' — and was promptly sacked after only one week of filming to be replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Though keeping busy via minor roles in various, often negatively received films during TheEighties, it wasn't until 1991 when Keitel regained some esteem with supporting roles in popular Oscar contenders ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise'' plus ''Film/{{Bugsy}}'' (with the latter getting him a Best Supporting Actor nomination). The next year, Creator/QuentinTarantino cast Keitel as Mr. White in ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' whereas Creator/AbelFerrara cast him as the eponymous ''Film/BadLieutenant''. These roles helped reacquaint audiences with his original image as a hard-boiled street hood while garnering him more attention than he got in years. He still acts just as much since then, but is more likely to be playing a key role (or, as in ''Film/PulpFiction'', getting a [[OneSceneWonder notable cameo]]).

* '''Creator/GaryOldman''' was known throughout the '80s and '90s for films such as ''Sid and Nancy'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''[[Film/TheProfessional Leon: The Professional]]'', but by the early 2000s roles were getting scarcer. He took the role of Sirius Black in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' because [[MoneyDearBoy he desperately needed the work, not having done a film in over a year,]] but this turned out for the best because he got to stay with the [[Franchise/HarryPotter series]] for multiple films. He was sought out later by Creator/ChristopherNolan to play [[PlayingAgainstType Commissioner Gordon]] in ''Film/BatmanBegins'', resulting in him [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy also]] returning for [[Film/TheDarkKnight its]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises sequels]]. The two franchises combined led to his name being known amongst a new generation of fans which thrust him back into the limelight. He'd (finally) get recognized by award committees in 2017 for his performance as UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill in ''Film/DarkestHour'', sweeping that entire year's awards season that culminated with an Oscar win for Best Actor.

* '''Creator/HarveyKeitel''' in ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. Keitel was an up-and-comer in TheSeventies, with his performance in ''Film/TaxiDriver'' in particular gaining him favorable attention. He was then cast to play the role of Capt. Benjamin Willard in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' — and was sacked after only a week of filming, to be replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Although he kept quite busy for the next 15 years, appearing in small roles in many different films, it was not until Creator/QuentinTarantino cast him as Mr. White in ''Reservoir Dogs'' that Keitel attracted much attention. Since then, he still acts just as much, but he's far more likely to be playing a key role (or, as in ''Film/PulpFiction'', getting a [[OneSceneWonder scene-stealing cameo]]).

* '''Creator/MichaelKeaton''' in ''Film/BirdmanOrTheUnexpectedVirtueOfIgnorance''. Known for his comedic roles in the 1980s, Keaton first hit it big playing the titular role in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989''. However, once he left after the [[Film/BatmanReturns sequel]], his career started a downward swing that was finally destroyed by ''Film/JackFrost1998''. The 2000s saw Keaton pursuing a number of secondary roles in lesser films, though he still managed to do some good voice work for Pixar in ''{{WesternAnimation/Cars}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. ''Birdman'', in which Keaton plays [[ActorAllusion a washed-up actor known for a superhero role twenty years ago]], earned him a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and set him on the path to becoming a leading man once again. His next two films, ''Film/{{Spotlight}}'' and ''Film/TheFounder'', opened to excellent reviews (with ''Spotlight'' winning the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture) before he starred as the Vulture in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''. Keaton's performance was acclaimed by fans and critics as one of the best villain performances in not just the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, but superhero movies in general. He will later don the Batman cowl once more, this time in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse film ''Film/{{The Flash|2023}}''.

* '''Creator/RobertPattinson''' in ''Film/TheLighthouse''. While the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' films made him a TeenIdol, they also made him into a target of ridicule, with his detractors (especially those who never liked ''Twilight'' to begin with) believing that he [[DullSurprise couldn't act]]. The end of the series in 2012 seemed to kill his career prospects... at least until he, his meal ticket paid for by those teen vampire movies, realized that he was free to do whatever the hell he wanted, and proceeded to go indie. A string of acclaimed performances such as ''Film/GoodTime'' and ''Film/TheLostCityOfZ'' followed, [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct surprising critics]] who'd written him off in the past, culminating in ''The Lighthouse'' being praised as one of the best horror films of 2019. He played [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} the title role]] in Creator/MattReeves' ''Film/TheBatman2022'', a casting decision that met [[WTHCastingAgency the usual reaction]] at first but which died down considerably once his defenders pointed out his entire post-''Twilight'' career.

* A truly unique example comes from the film ''Film/{{Amadeus}}''. Before the film, composer Antonio Salieri and his music were mostly forgotten, but the film revived interest in his work. Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} notes how many of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Salieri#Legacy Salieri's operas and compositions]] have since been produced and recorded by modern artists, and festivals and theatres have been named in his honor.

* '''Creator/EllenDeGeneres''' saw her career suffer when she came out of the closet in 1998 and her character promptly followed suit on ''Series/{{Ellen}}''. This cost the show sponsors and viewers, leading to its cancellation. She attempted a comeback with ''The Ellen Show'', but the show failed to attract enough viewers and was canceled before its only season finished broadcasting. Then came ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', where her performance as Dory brought her back into the spotlight in probably the biggest way this has ''ever'' happened with a voice acting role. Riding the hype and acclaim of the role, Ellen received a talk show and a couple of stints hosting the Oscars and came to be considered one of America's most beloved celebrities (until 2020, when her popularity waned due to her reputation for being rather mean to her crew off-camera). Thirteen years later, the main draw of ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' was considered to be that [=DeGeneres=] was the star.

* '''Creator/JulieAndrews''' with ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries''. She had been an icon in the '60s and '80s for mega-hits like ''Film/MaryPoppins'' and ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic''. Frustrated at such typecasting, she sought to break away from it, notably in the 1970 flop ''Film/DarlingLili''. Although she succeeded eventually with ''Film/VictorVictoria'', a botched throat surgery left her iconic voice damaged. It wasn't until this 2001 comedy that she really returned to the public eye, also returning to her Disney roots. She now enjoyed a different CoolOldLady image, somewhat AdamWesting her previous sweet persona. She's also enjoyed lots of success as a CelebrityVoiceActor in the ''{{WesternAnimation/Shrek}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' franchises, later voicing a sea monster in 2018's ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'' as well as providing the narration for Lady Whistledown in ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}''.

* '''Creator/AmandaSeyfried''' in ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain''. Seyfried was one of Hollywood's biggest "it girls" at the TurnOfTheMillennium with roles in ''Series/VeronicaMars'' and ''Film/MeanGirls'', before she seemingly became a big star with the mega-popularity of ''Film/MammaMia'' However, three critical and/or financial flops released between 2011 to 2012 (''Film/RedRidingHood'', ''Film/InTime'' and ''Film/{{Gone|2012}}'') snuffed the momentum Seyfried accumulated. She got a minor boon when ''Film/LesMiserables2012'' became a smashing success that year, but most of the acclaim was heaped upon Creator/HughJackman and Creator/AnneHathaway for their acting. Her next film, ''Film/{{Lovelace}}'', was an AcclaimedFlop in 2013; while her next attempt at a major blockbuster, ''Film/{{Pan}}'', instead became one of the most notoriously hated {{Box Office Bomb}}s of 2015. Seyfried's career prospects seemed like they couldn't get better before she reprised her role for the sequel to ''Mamma Mia!'' It came out in 2018 to a much better critical reception than its predecessor and did well at the box office. Two years later, Seyfried played Marion Davies in Creator/DavidFincher's widely praised drama ''Film/{{Mank}}''. Her performance was noted by many critics as a standout, leading her to get an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Then in 2022, she played disgraced former medical entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes in the Creator/{{Hulu}} miniseries ''Series/TheDropout''. Her performance as Holmes is viewed by many as her finest work yet, and she won an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward for it.

* '''Creator/JimmyStewart''' with ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife.'' He first established himself in the '30s as a supporting actor before gaining bigger exposure as the title role in 1939's ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington'', for which he got nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. He subsequently won an Oscar the following year for ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'', which also revived Katharine Hepburn's career (see above). However, when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Stewart opted to partake in the effort as a military pilot and served until the war's end. After finishing his service, Stewart, having lost a good chunk of recognition after being away from the screen for so long, struggled to find roles in Hollywood. Luckily, Creator/FrankCapra, his director on ''Mr. Smith'', offered him the lead role of George Bailey in ''It's a Wonderful Life.'' While the film did fine enough at the box office, Stewart's performance was widely praised. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including another nomination for Stewart as Best Actor. The film has since been VindicatedByHistory, and signaled a new beginning for Stewart, who would go on to have an extensive, fruitful career in Hollywood.

* '''Creator/DavidORussell''' with ''Film/TheFighter''. His first three films were relatively successful. But in 2004, he made ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'', which got mixed reviews, didn't make a profit, and Russell's [[PrimaDonnaDirector difficult on-set behavior]] became more famous than the actual movie. His next project, ''Nailed'', suffered from so much delay, that production was shut down because the crew was not getting paid. However, in 2010, Russell made ''Film/TheFighter'', which received critical acclaim, was a commercial success, and brought him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. His next [[Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook two]] [[Film/AmericanHustle films]] followed suit. However, the Sony email hacks would eventually expose Russell was back to his old tricks on the set of ''Film/AmericanHustle'', with Amy Adams eventually revealing all the abuse she suffered during filming. Not helping matters was the revelation that the film's female leads had been paid drastically lower wages than their male co-stars. Russell's follow-up film ''Film/Joy2015'' got mixed reviews and quickly faded from public consciousness, after which he wouldn't make a film for seven years. That film, ''Film/Amsterdam2022'', was released to mediocre financial and financial reception, which combined with more allegations of controversial behavior becoming known following the Weinstein effect and [=#MeToo=] movement, seems to have put his career six feet under.

* '''Creator/BenAffleck''' and ''Film/GoneBabyGone''. After ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' and his messy break-up with Music/JenniferLopez, his career hit rock bottom. Then in 2007, he made his directorial debut with the critical and commercial success ''Gone Baby Gone''. He followed it up with ''Film/TheTown'' in 2010, which also received critical and commercial success. He won his second Oscar [[note]]after having prior won for co-writing ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' with Creator/MattDamon[[/note]] as a producer in 2013 when his third movie ''Film/{{Argo}}'' won Best Picture.
* '''Creator/DonAmeche''' in ''Film/TradingPlaces''. Ameche was one of Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox's biggest romantic stars and light comedians in the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, starring in numerous successful films such as ''The Story of Alexander Graham Bell'' and ''Film/{{Heaven Can Wait|1943}}''. After 1949, however, his film career flatlined with only five film appearances over the course of the next three decades. He made frequent television appearances and also starred in a few Broadway musicals, but his main income came from a dinner theatre. In 1983, the 75-year-old Ameche was cast in the major role of Mortimer Duke in the hit comedy ''Trading Places'', his first film in 13 years. The film brought him back into the Hollywood mainstream after 34 years put out in the pasture. He won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor for his following film, ''Film/{{Cocoon}}'', and worked steadily for the rest of his life.

* '''Creator/DanielDayLewis''' in ''Film/GangsOfNewYork''. Day-Lewis was considered one of the top stars of the early 90s, thanks to his Oscar-winning role in, oh ''Film/MyLeftFoot'' and megahits like ''Film/TheLastOfTheMohicans''. Afterwards, due to his infamous selectiveness, he decided to retire from acting due to not liking the roles offered to him. Scorsese convinced him to return for OneLastJob. His iconic performance as Bill the Butcher and his second collaboration with his favorite director[[note]]Lewis always cited ''Film/TaxiDriver'' as the film that inspired him to become an actor[[/note]] revived his passion for his craft, and Lewis went on to the second stretch of his career which lasted fifteen years between this and ''Film/PhantomThread'' (which led to his second retirement). During this period, he won two more Best Actor Oscars for ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'' and ''Film/{{Lincoln}}'', establishing himself as the best film actor of his generation and putting him in the pantheon with Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/RobertDeNiro.

* '''Creator/RobertDowneyJr''' in ''Film/IronMan1''. One of the biggest examples of this is in modern Hollywood. He played a few roles in his Brat Pack years before receiving high critical praise in the biopic ''Film/{{Chaplin}}'' as Creator/CharlieChaplin, and the sky was the limit. Then his well-documented substance abuse problems eventually landed him in state prison in California as well as being in and out of rehab. He landed a recurring role on ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' (which he got fired from due to his last arrest) and would surface in a big-budget A-list film like ''Film/USMarshals'' with Creator/TommyLeeJones or ''Film/{{Gothika}}'' with Creator/HalleBerry, but never as the first-billed star. He would invariably be seen on the cover of some tabloid and being carted back to rehab shortly thereafter. Heck, his addiction and arrests were referenced on shows such as ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''. Downey Jr. rehearsed a comeback with critically praised roles in ''Film/KissKissBangBang'' and ''Film/AScannerDarkly''. Then ''Iron Man'' hit, his next film (''Film/TropicThunder'') netted him an Oscar nomination, ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'' won him a Golden Globe, and ''Film/IronMan2'' was a smash hit at the box office. He also got top billing in the AllStarCast of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', once again reprising what's now recognized as his signature role, Tony Stark[=/=]ComicBook/IronMan, a character he has gone on to portray throughout the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. He became so well known for his role as Iron Man that the public eventually forgot about his arrests in TheNineties, and he was even pardoned by the state of California in 2015. As of now, he's considered one of the highest-paid male actors of all time alongside Creator/TomCruise and Creator/SamuelLJackson (whom he has worked with in multiple [=MCU=] films.)

* '''Creator/JamieFoxx''' in ''Film/DjangoUnchained''. Foxx first became prominent in TheNineties as a cast member on the sketch comedy series ''Series/InLivingColor'' Its success resulted in Foxx receiving [[Series/TheJamieFoxxShow his own sitcom]], which was a big enough hit on television to last up to five seasons on Creator/TheWB. [[TomHanksSyndrome He pivoted towards drama]] after ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' concluded its run: first with supporting roles in ''Film/AnyGivenSunday'' and ''Film/{{Ali}}'' before 2004 certified his star power with two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated performances in ''Film/{{Collateral}}'' and ''Film/{{Ray}}'', soon winning the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Music/RayCharles in the latter. However, his career trajectory plummeted after his Oscar victory: first with his lead role in the notorious disaster ''Film/{{Stealth}}'' opposite Creator/JoshLucas and Creator/JessicaBiel, with most of his subsequent films (''Film/{{Jarhead}}'', ''Film/MiamiVice'', ''Film/TheKingdom'', ''Film/TheSoloist'', ''Film/LawAbidingCitizen'', ''Film/ValentinesDay'', and ''Film/DueDate'') failing commercially and/or critically. Luckily, Creator/QuentinTarantino cast Foxx as the title protagonist of ''Django Unchained'' after his original choice Creator/WillSmith declined the role. The film became a commercial and a critical hit during the 2012 Christmas season, restoring Foxx's position on the A-list. Foxx's renewed success continued rising when he played the Spider-Man villain Electro in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' (although it got mixed reviews and became the lowest-grossing Spider-Man film yet, it was still profitable), and in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]]-set ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' (which surpassed ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' in terms of both profit and reviews, being widely acclaimed while making almost $2 billion at the box office worldwide). He also starred in several hits between his Spider-Man films – such as ''Film/BabyDriver'', ''Film/JustMercy'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'' – while returning to television via hosting the game show ''Series/BeatShazam''.

* '''Creator/MichaelKeaton''' in ''Film/BirdmanOrTheUnexpectedVirtueOfIgnorance''. Known for his comedic roles in the 1980s, Keaton first hit it big playing the titular role in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989''. However, once he left after the [[Film/BatmanReturns sequel]], his career started a downward swing that was finally destroyed by ''Film/JackFrost1998''. The 2000s saw Keaton pursuing a number of secondary roles in lesser films, though he still managed to do some good voice work for Pixar in ''{{WesternAnimation/Cars}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. ''Birdman'', in which Keaton plays [[ActorAllusion a washed-up actor known for a superhero role twenty years ago]], earned him a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and set him on the path to becoming a leading man once again. His next two films, ''Film/{{Spotlight}}'' and ''Film/TheFounder'', opened to excellent reviews (with ''Spotlight'' winning the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture) before he starred as the Vulture in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''. Keaton's performance was acclaimed by fans and critics as one of the best villain performances in not just the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, but superhero movies in general. He will later don the Batman cowl once more, this time in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse films ''Film/{{The Flash|2023}}'' and ''Batgirl''.
* '''Creator/HarveyKeitel''' in ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. Keitel was an up-and-comer in the 1970s, with his performance in ''Film/TaxiDriver'' in particular gaining him favorable attention. He was then cast to play the role of Capt. Benjamin Willard in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' — and was sacked after only a week of filming, to be replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Although he kept quite busy for the next 15 years, appearing in small roles in many different films, it was not until Creator/QuentinTarantino cast him as Mr. White in ''Reservoir Dogs'' that Keitel attracted much attention. Since then, he still acts just as much, but he's far more likely to be playing a key role (or, as in ''Film/PulpFiction'', getting a [[OneSceneWonder scene-stealing cameo]]).

* '''Creator/MarkRuffalo''' with ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. He was never derailed but remained forever on the B-list in the 2000s. There even used to be a trope called 'Mark Ruffalo Syndrome' that was used to describe an actor who is eternally stuck in secondary roles. However becoming part of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has made him more famous than he ever was - and led to him taking leading roles in films like ''Film/BeginAgain'', ''{{Film/Foxcatcher}}'', and ''{{Film/Spotlight}}'', while garnering critical acclaim for ''Film/TheNormalHeart''. He has earned two Oscar nominations since and later won an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward for ''Series/IKnowThisMuchIsTrue''.

* '''Creator/AmandaSeyfried''' in ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain''. Seyfried was one of Hollywood's biggest "it girls" at the TurnOfTheMillennium with roles in ''Series/VeronicaMars'' and ''Film/MeanGirls'', before she seemingly became a big star with the mega-popularity of ''Film/MammaMia'' However, three critical and/or financial flops released between 2011 to 2012 (''Film/RedRidingHood'', ''Film/InTime'' and ''Film/{{Gone|2012}}'') snuffed the momentum Seyfried accumulated. She got a minor boon when ''Film/LesMiserables2012'' became a smashing success later that year, but most of the praise was heaped upon Creator/HughJackman and Creator/AnneHathaway for their acting. Her next film, ''Film/{{Lovelace}}'', was an AcclaimedFlop in 2013; while her next attempt at a major blockbuster, ''Film/{{Pan}}'', instead became one of the most notoriously hated {{Box Office Bomb}}s of 2015. Seyfried's career prospects seemed like they couldn't get better before she reprised her role for the sequel to ''Mamma Mia!'' It came out in 2018 to a much better critical reception than its predecessor and did well at the box office. Two years later, Seyfried played Marion Davies in Creator/DavidFincher's widely praised drama ''Film/{{Mank}}''. Her performance was noted by many critics as a standout, leading her to get an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Then in 2022, she played disgraced former medical entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes in the Creator/{{Hulu}} miniseries ''Series/TheDropout''. Her performance as Holmes is viewed by many as her finest work yet, and she got an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward nomination for it.

* '''Creator/JohnTravolta''' in ''Film/PulpFiction''. His career started with iconic roles in ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'' and ''Film/{{Grease}}'', a respectable run on the very successful sitcom ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' and even critical acclaim with ''Film/BlowOut''. He spent most of the 1980s in hiding, emerging briefly in the narmish ''Film/LookWhosTalking'' (which was a hit) and its two sequels (the first which was only a minor success and the second which failed). However, Travolta made his comeback with the iconic Creator/QuentinTarantino Academy Award-nominated hit and followed up with ''Film/GetShorty'', cementing him as an A-list actor for the next few years. Then, of course, came ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'', a passion project based on the works of Creator/LRonHubbard that was a StarDerailingRole that left his career in ruins. After a decade of a flop after flop, he's fallen into DirectToVideo hell.
* '''Creator/ReeseWitherspoon''' in ''Film/{{Wild}}''. Witherspoon was a critical darling with films like ''Film/{{Freeway}}'', ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'', and ''Film/{{Election}}'', with film magazines praising her as "the next Creator/MerylStreep". She became a genuine star in ''Film/LegallyBlonde'', culminating with an Oscar win for her highly acclaimed turned-in ''Film/WalkTheLine''. After that, she became in a string of films that either was bombs (''Rendition'', ''Film/{{Penelope|2006}}''), critically panned (''Film/FourChristmases''), or both (''Film/ThisMeansWar2012'', ''How Do You Know''), later being "honored" by ''Forbes'' and one of the "most overpaid actors" in Hollywood, three years in a row, due to the businesses of those films. Even modest success, like ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' and ''Film/WaterForElephants'', didn't do much for her. She attributes this to [[CreatorBreakdown her divorce from ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe, and a simple lack of passion about the job]]. What happened next? After garnering great reviews for her small roles in much-praised films such as ''Film/{{Mud}}'' and the Creator/PaulThomasAnderson-directed ''Film/InherentVice'', she started a production company that produced ''Film/GoneGirl'', a commercial and critical success, and starring/producing ''Film/{{Wild}}'', directed by Creator/JeanMarcVallee, giving an Oscar-nominated performance that has been acclaimed as the best of her career. She later starred in/produced the HBO miniseries adaptation of the national best-seller, ''Literature/BigLittleLies'', also directed by Vallée, which garnered her critical acclaim once again, with critics praising her performance as even ''better'' than what she accomplished in ''Wild''. She would later go on to win her first Primetime Emmy Award as a producer when the project won Best Limited Series in 2017 and additionally earned a nomination for Lead Actress. Unfortunately, her film career after ''Wild'' hasn’t been too good, suffering critically panned, box office flops such as ''Film/HotPursuit'' (which she also produced), ''Home Again'', and ''Film/AWrinkleInTime2018'', although she did have a voice role in the box office hit ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}''. However, while her film career is in doubt, with the second season of ''Big Little Lies'', the new Apple TV+ series ''Series/TheMorningShow'' starring her and Creator/JenniferAniston, and the Hulu miniseries ''Literature/LittleFiresEverywhere'' starring her and Creator/KerryWashington, her newfound career in television will ensure she’ll be getting high profile work for years to come.

* '''Creator/RobertAltman''' with ''Film/ThePlayer''. He was one of the biggest directors of TheSeventies, having directed acclaimed hits such as ''Film/{{MASH}}'', ''Film/McCabeAndMrsMiller'', and ''Film/{{Nashville}}''. His career was then derailed by an adaptation of ''Film/{{Popeye}}'' released in 1980, after which his output consisted of a flop after flop. Released in 1992, ''The Player'' was a critical success and was nominated for 3 Oscars – including Best Director for Altman. He would be nominated for Best Director again the following year (for ''Film/ShortCuts'') and in 2001 (for ''Film/GosfordPark'', which also served as a second comeback as his career post ''Short Cuts'' began to lag). Altman would remain well-regarded by the time he died in 2006, with his final film ''Film/APrairieHomeCompanion'' being warmly received by audiences and critics.

* '''Creator/DavidORussell''' with ''Film/TheFighter''. His first three films were relatively successful. But in 2004, he made ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'', which got mixed reviews, didn't make a profit, and Russell's [[PrimaDonnaDirector difficult on-set behavior]] became more famous than the actual movie. His next project, ''Nailed'', suffered from so much delay, that production was shut down because the crew was not getting paid. However, in 2010, Russell made ''Film/TheFighter'', which received critical acclaim, was a commercial success, and brought him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. His next [[Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook two]] [[Film/AmericanHustle films]] followed suit. However, the Sony email hacks would eventually expose Russell was back to his old tricks on the set of ''Film/AmericanHustle'', with Amy Adams eventually revealing all the abuse she suffered during filming. Not helping matters was the revelation that the film's female leads had been paid drastically lower wages than their male co-stars. His follow-up film ''Film/Joy2015'' got mixed reviews and quickly faded from public consciousness - so time will tell.

* '''Creator/MNightShyamalan''': Once hailed as the next Creator/StevenSpielberg with ''Film/TheSixthSense'', Shyamalan's reputation went into the gutter as he became more and more known for being a self-absorbed and pretentious filmmaker with the increasingly ridiculous uses of his Main/TwistEnding that was one of the reasons why he was successful in the first place. Then came the quadruple bogey of ''Film/LadyInTheWater'', ''Film/TheHappening'', ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', and ''Film/AfterEarth'' which bombed critically and/or commercially with most of the film industry thinking his career was over. There was talk of resurrection when, with his back to the wall and $5 million of his own money invested, he made ''Film/TheVisit'' and received mixed-to-positive acclaim. However, with the release of ''Film/{{Split}}'', his career seems to be back in full force, as the movie not only received glowing reviews, but also ended up making four times its budget on its opening weekend. Despite the follow-up ''Film/Glass2019'' not critically meeting up to the expectations set up by ''Split'', ''Glass'' was a CriticProof box office hit that grossed 12 times its own budget. His next film, 2021's ''Film/{{Old}}'', was a modest box office success despite getting mixed reviews and being released amidst the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic.

* Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer and Creator/UnitedArtists seem to be making a comeback as of the start of TheNewTwenties. United Artists merged with MGM after the failure of ''Film/HeavensGate'' in 1980, and MGM itself went bankrupt in 2010, which meant that it's films had to be distributed by other studios. However, MGM and UA would resume self distribution of their films in 2018 starting with ''Creed II'', which was considered a worthy successor to the original film. In 2019, the company changed the name ''United Artists Releasing'' and managed to put out hits such as ''Booksmart'', ''The Hustle'', and ''The Addams Family''. Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic shaking things up for the company and the rest of Hollywood in 2020, the studio had a surprisingly decent 2021, with the only true failure being ''Respect'' - ''No Time To Die'' became one of the highest grossing films of 2021. ''House of Gucci'' became the highest grossing drama film of the year. ''Licorice Pizza'' became an Oscar contender. ''Wrath of Man'' and ''The Addams Family 2'' also turned in profits. With ''Dog'' turning into a surprise comedy hit the following year, it seems that MGM is slowly but surely returning to its former glory. In March 2022, Creator/{{Amazon}} completed its purchase of the studio for $8.45 billion.
* Creator/{{Paramount}} has not had the best of times during the latter half of the 2010s and early 2020s, thanks to a volatile combination of high profile and costly bombs, leadership turnovers, and toxic industry politics. 2022 has seen a change for the better, as the studio released two acclaimed franchise movies that made back their small budgets many times over - ''Film/{{Scream|2022}}'' and ''Series/{{Jackass}} Forever'', with the former even getting a sequel green-lit a month after its release and the latter getting a second revival series. They also experienced a mid-budget hit with the adventure rom-com ''Film/TheLostCity'', which became the first non-IP film post-pandemic to open with more than $30m worldwide. Then ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'' opened to better reviews than its predecessor and made $71 million dollars in its opening weekend, confirming that the studio a new franchise to rely on. Paramount's good luck also extended to ''Film/TopGunMaverick'', which opened in the Cannes Film Festival to stellar reviews, and became the first film from the studio to open over $100m in its opening weekend since 2014. Their streaming service, Creator/ParamountPlus, has also seen major growth, thanks to such hits as ''Series/{{Halo}}'', ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'', etc.

* '''Creator/EllenDeGeneres''' saw her career suffer when she came out of the closet in 1998 and her character promptly followed suit on ''Series/{{Ellen}}''. This cost the show sponsors and viewers, leading to its cancellation. She attempted a comeback with ''The Ellen Show'', but the show failed to attract enough viewers and was cancelled before its only season finished broadcasting. Then came ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', where her performance as Dory brought her back into the spotlight in probably the biggest way this has ''ever'' happened with a voice acting role. Riding the hype and acclaim of the role, Ellen received a talk show and a couple of stints hosting the Oscars, and came to be considered one of America's most beloved celebrities (until 2020, when her popularity waned due to her reputation for being rather mean to her crew off-camera). Thirteen years later, the main draw of ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' was considered to be that [=DeGeneres=] was the star.

* '''Creator/BenAffleck''' and ''Film/GoneBabyGone''. After ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' and his messy break-up with Music/JenniferLopez, his career had hit rock bottom. Then in 2007, he made his directorial debut with the critical and commercial success ''Gone Baby Gone''. He followed it up with ''Film/TheTown'' in 2010, which also received critical and commercial success. He won his second Oscar [[note]]after having prior won for co-writing ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' with Creator/MattDamon[[/note]] as a producer in 2013 when his third movie ''Film/{{Argo}}'' won Best Picture.
* '''Creator/DonAmeche''' in ''Film/TradingPlaces''. Ameche was one of Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox's biggest romantic stars and light comedians in the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, starring in numerous successful films such as ''The Story of Alexander Graham Bell'' and ''Film/{{Heaven Can Wait|1943}}''. After 1949, however, his film career flatlined with only five film appearances over the course of the next three decades. He made frequent television appearances and also starred in a few Broadway musicals, but his main income came from dinner theatre. In 1983, the 75-year-old Ameche was cast in the major role as Mortimer Duke in the hit comedy ''Trading Places'', his first film in 13 years. The film brought him back into the Hollywood mainstream after 34 years put out in the pasture. He won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor for his following film, ''Film/{{Cocoon}}'', and worked steadily for the rest of his life.
* '''Creator/JulieAndrews''' with ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries''. She had been an icon in the '60s and '80s for mega-hits like ''Film/MaryPoppins'' and ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic''. Frustrated at such typecasting, she sought to break away from it, notably in the 1970 flop ''Film/DarlingLili''. Although she succeeded eventually with ''Film/VictorVictoria'', a botched throat surgery left her iconic voice damaged. It wasn't until this 2001 comedy that she really returned to the public eye, also returning to her Disney roots. She now enjoyed a different CoolOldLady image, somewhat AdamWesting her previous sweetly persona. She's also enjoyed lots of success as a CelebrityVoiceActor in the ''{{WesternAnimation/Shrek}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' franchises, later voicing a sea monster in 2018's ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'' as well as providing the narration for Lady Whistledown in ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}''.

* '''Creator/SachaBaronCohen''' in ''Film/TheTrialOfTheChicago7'' and ''Film/BoratSubsequentMoviefilm''. In the late 2000s Baron Cohen became famous for his role in 2006's ''Film/{{Borat}}''. However, none of the films that followed (''Film/{{Bruno}}'', ''Film/TheDictator'', ''Film/{{Grimsby}}'') achieved the same level of success. Luckily, 2020 saw the above two critically acclaimed films release on Creator/{{Netflix}} and Prime Video respectively. The former is seen as one of the best movies of 2020, while the latter is considered a worthy sequel and became the second most streamed movie of 2020 (after ''Hamilton'' on Disney+). %% Family name is Baron Cohen, not Cohen.

* '''Creator/PenelopeCruz''' reached immense heights in the 2000's after she got critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in 2006's ''Film/{{Volver}}'' (which was her third collaboration with acclaimed Spanish director Creator/PedroAlmodovar, after starring in ''Live Flesh'' and ''Film/AllAboutMyMother'' in TheNineties), before soon winning the award for Best Supporting Actress in ''Film/VickyCristinaBarcelona'' two years later. After her Oscar victory, however, she fell into a slump starting with the 2009 adaptation of the musical ''[[Theatre/NineMusical Nine]]''. While she got another Oscar nomination for it, critical reception and box office profits were far inferior than ''Vicky Cristina Barcelona''. Cruz's next films failed to light the world on fire (although ''Film/SexAndTheCity2'' and ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'' made money despite mediocre reviews), with her career hitting its nadir when ''Film/Zoolander2'' became a critical and financial disappointment. However, she soon rose from the ashes of that film's failure. After ''Film/MurderOnTheOrientExpress2017'' became her first box office success in years, Cruz appeared as Donatella Versace on ''Series/AmericanCrimeStory'''':'' ''Series/TheAssassinationOfGianniVersace''. Her performance on the FX series was critically acclaimed, and she received her first Emmy nomination for it. Cruz soon reunited with Almodóvar to star in his autobiographical ''Film/PainAndGlory'', before headlining his 2021 drama ''Parallel Mothers''. The film premiered in Venice to a dazzling reception, with Cruz later winning the film festival's award for Best Actress. Her performance in it would later garner Cruz her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress since ''Volver''.

* '''Creator/WillemDafoe''' with ''Film/ShadowOfTheVampire'' and ''Film/SpiderMan1''. Dafoe initially was one of the most notable up and coming actors of the 80's, having attained an Oscar nomination for his supporting performance as Sgt. Elias in Creator/OliverStone's ''Film/{{Platoon}}'' and further critical praise for his role as UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist''. His trajectory dipped down, however, when he starred opposite Music/{{Madonna}} in the critically reviled erotic thriller ''Film/BodyOfEvidence'', which was deemed one of the worst films of TheNineties and was nominated for six UsefulNotes/{{Golden Raspberry Award}}s (with Dafoe being nominated for Worst Actor). While Madonna was able to retain success with her music, Dafoe spent the next few years in relative anonymity. He kept popping up sporadically in supporting roles, before his portrayal of silent film star Max Schreck in the 2000 film ''Shadow of the Vampire'' netted him rave reviews and another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later, he portrayed the ComicBook/GreenGoblin in Creator/SamRaimi's ''Spider-Man'', which became his first big financial success in years. Since then, Dafoe garnered two more Oscar nominations for ''Film/TheFloridaProject'' and ''At Eternity's Gate'', became a member of Creator/WesAnderson's ProductionPosse, appeared in the $1B dollar-grossing ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'', and appeared in many other critically acclaimed films (''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars'', ''Film/JohnWick'', ''Film/TheLighthouse'', etc.), re-affirming his place on Hollywood's A-List. He would later reprise his role as the Green Goblin in the MCU-set ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', which eclipsed the first ''Spider-Man'' and ''Aquaman'' as his highest-grossing film ever. Despite its 2021 release amid the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, ''No Way Home'' scored over $1 billion dollars during its first two weeks in theaters. It became the first film since the start of the pandemic to do so and broke many other box office records in the process. Reviews were positive as well, with Dafoe's performance considered a standout for the manic energy he brought to the role while also being game to do his own stunts despite being '''in his sixties'''.
* '''Creator/BetteDavis''' pulled this off twice. After transitioning from Broadway to the silver screen, she became one of Hollywood's most respected leading ladies of the 1930s and 40s. But after she had a failed lawsuit against her studio, she found herself doing smaller and smaller films. Then came her famous performance as Margo Channing in ''Film/AllAboutEve'' and the following Oscar nomination. After the buzz from that had died down, she went radically against type as a psychotic WhiteDwarfStarlet in ''Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane'' - and that ensured that she was still working steadily until her death.
* '''Creator/DanielDayLewis''' in ''Film/GangsOfNewYork''. Day-Lewis was considered one of the top stars of the early 90s, thanks to his Oscar-winning role oh ''Film/MyLeftFoot'' and megahits like ''Film/TheLastOfTheMohicans''. Afterwards, due to his infamous selectiveness, he decided to retire from acting due to not liking the roles offered to him. Scorsese convinced him to return for OneLastJob. His iconic performance as Bill the Butcher and his second collaboration with his favorite director[[note]]Lewis always cited ''Film/TaxiDriver'' as the film that inspired him to become an actor[[/note]] revived his passion for his craft, and Lewis went on to a second stretch of his career which lasted fifteen years between this and ''Film/PhantomThread'' (which led to his second retirement). During this period, he won two more Best Actor Oscars for ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'' and ''Film/{{Lincoln}}'', establishing himself as the best film actor of his generation and putting him in the pantheon with Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/RobertDeNiro.
* '''Creator/JohnnyDepp''' arguably underwent this twice, first in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''. He started off as [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984 Freddy's]] first victim and later gained notice on ''Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' before breaking through in ''Film/EdwardScissorhands''. After that, his resume is a bit spotty, mixing dubious films (like ''Film/DonJuanDeMarco'' and ''Film/NickOfTime'') and some hidden gems (''Film/DonnieBrasco'', ''Film/EdWood'' and ''Film/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas'') along with a lone blockbuster (''Film/{{Sleepy Hollow|1999}}''... like Edward, with Creator/TimBurton). Then he turns up in ''Pirates'', earns an Oscar nomination, signs on for the sequels and renews his partnership with Burton to fantastic results in ''Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' and ''Film/{{Alice in Wonderland|2010}}''. However, although it was a huge hit at the box office, ''Alice in Wonderland'' was heavily criticized with many arguing that Depp had become typecast as an eccentric loner. Depp's next films, ''Film/{{Transcendence}}'', ''Film/TheRumDiary'', ''Film/TheTourist'' and ''Film/{{Mortdecai}}'' were outright bombs, and culminated in the massive flop ''Film/TheLoneRanger''. Depp's performance in ''Film/BlackMass'' was widely hailed as a return to form and seemed to have restored his critical respectability, but his next film after that, ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass'', [[StarDerailingRole irreparably nuked that respectability by being another colossal flop]], not helped by his simultaneous domestic violence scandal. His replacement casting of Creator/MadsMikkelsen in the sequel to ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' didn't help, although he still maintains strong fan support and is rumored to be signing up for smaller scale indie roles in the new decade.
* '''Creator/LauraDern''' was a critical darling in the early 90's, appearing in such acclaimed films as ''Film/BlueVelvet'', ''Film/{{Mask|1985}}'', ''Film/WildAtHeart'' and ''Rambling Rose'' - as well as her prominent role in ''Film/JurassicPark''. She faced some backlash in her career when she starred in ''{{Series/Ellen}}'''s infamous "The Puppy Episode" and claims that she didn't work for a full year afterwards because of her role (though she claims she'd still do it all over again). Dern maintained a low profile in the 2000's but slowly returned to prominence in TheNewTens. It started with an appearance in the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated ''Film/TheMaster'' and aided by the SleeperHit ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars''. She got an Academy Award nomination for ''{{Film/Wild}}'', and later was cast the star-studded miniseries ''Literature/BigLittleLies'' as well as ''Film/TheLastJedi''. She finally won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for ''Film/MarriageStory'' in 2019, and returned in summer 2022 to the ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' series with ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion''.

* '''Creator/RobertDowneyJr''' in ''Film/IronMan1''. One of the biggest examples of this in modern Hollywood. He played a few roles in his Brat Pack years before receiving high critical praise in the biopic ''Film/{{Chaplin}}'' as Creator/CharlieChaplin, and the sky was the limit. Then his well-documented substance abuse problems eventually landed him in state prison in California as well as being in and out of rehab. He landed a recurring role on ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' (which he got fired from due to his last arrest) and would surface in a big-budget A-list film like ''Film/USMarshals'' with Creator/TommyLeeJones or ''Film/{{Gothika}}'' with Creator/HalleBerry, but never as the first-billed star. He would invariably be seen on the cover of some tabloid and being carted back to rehab shortly thereafter. Heck, his addiction and arrests were referenced on shows such as ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''. Downey Jr. rehearsed a comeback with critically praised roles in ''Film/KissKissBangBang'' and ''Film/AScannerDarkly''. Then ''Iron Man'' hit, his next film (''Film/TropicThunder'') netted him an Oscar nomination, ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'' won him a Golden Globe, and ''Film/IronMan2'' was a smash hit at the box office. He also got top billing in the AllStarCast of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', once again reprising what's now recognized as his signature role, Tony Stark[=/=]ComicBook/IronMan, a character he has gone on to portray throughout the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. He became so well known for his role as Iron Man that the public eventually forgot about his arrests in TheNineties, and he was even pardoned by the state of California in 2015. As of now, he's considered one of the highest paid male actors of all time alongside Creator/TomCruise and Creator/SamuelLJackson (whom he has worked with in multiple [=MCU=] films.)

* '''James Fox''' with ''Literature/APassageToIndia''. He was a prominent star of the British New Wave in the '60s with prominent roles in films like ''Film/TheServant'', ''Literature/KingRat'', and ''Film/{{Performance}}'', while becoming recognizable among American audiences for his role in ''Film/ThoroughlyModernMillie''. However, Fox became heavily involved in drug culture, which (along with his father's death) precipitated a physical and mental breakdown. Fox left the film industry in 1970, became a born-again Christian and disavowed his earlier career. In 1984, Fox appeared in the Creator/DavidLean epic ''A Passage to India'' and experienced a major comeback, both as a leading man and as a popular character actor, appearing in films as varied as ''Film/PatriotGames'', ''Film/TheRemainsOfTheDay'', ''Film/SexyBeast'', ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' and ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009''.
* '''Creator/JamieFoxx''' in ''Film/DjangoUnchained''. Foxx first became prominent in TheNineties as a cast member on the sketch comedy series ''Series/InLivingColor'' Its success resulted in Foxx receiving [[Series/TheJamieFoxxShow his own sitcom]], which was a big enough hit on television to last up to five seasons on Creator/TheWB. [[TomHanksSyndrome He pivoted towards drama]] after ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' concluded its run: first with supporting roles in ''Film/AnyGivenSunday'' and ''Film/{{Ali}}'' before 2004 certified his star power with two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated performances in ''Film/{{Collateral}}'' and ''Film/{{Ray}}'', soon winning the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Music/RayCharles in the latter. However, his career trajectory plummeted after his Oscar victory: first with his lead role in the notorious disaster ''Film/{{Stealth}}'' opposite Creator/JoshLucas and Creator/JessicaBiel, with most of his subsequent films (''Film/{{Jarhead}}'', ''Film/MiamiVice'', ''Film/TheKingdom'', ''Film/TheSoloist'', ''Film/LawAbidingCitizen'', ''Film/ValentinesDay'', and ''Film/DueDate'') failing commercially and/or critically. Luckily, Creator/QuentinTarantino cast Foxx as the title protagonist of ''Django Unchained'' after his original choice Creator/WillSmith declined the role. The film became a commercial and a critical hit during the 2012 Christmas season, restoring Foxx's position on the A-list. Foxx's renewed success continued rising when he played the Spider-Man villain Electro in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' (although it got mixed reviews and became the lowest-grossing Spider-Man film yet, it was still profitable) and in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]]-set ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' (which surpassed ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' in terms of both profit and reviews, being widely acclaimed while making almost $2 billion at the box office worldwide). He also starred in several hits between his Spider-Man films – such as ''Film/BabyDriver'', ''Film/JustMercy'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'' – while returning to television via hosting the game show ''Series/BeatShazam''.
* '''Creator/MorganFreeman''' in ''Film/MillionDollarBaby''. Gaining momentum in the late 1980s to early-mid 1990s, mostly for his role as a pimp in 1987's ''Street Smart'', he grew to become a household name for African-American cinema and was known for his award-winning performances in ''Film/{{Glory}}'', ''Film/DrivingMissDaisy'', ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'', and ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', until he was derailed with the flops of ''Literature/MollFlanders'' and ''Film/ChainReaction''. For the next several years, he would only play roles as narrators and other supporting roles, until a shed of light appeared, when he was praised for his performance as {{God}} in ''Film/BruceAlmighty''. When he won an Academy Award for his role as a former boxer in ''Film/MillionDollarBaby'', he once again returned to A-list status, and it seems he still is not looking back.
* '''Creator/RichardGere''' with ''Film/InternalAffairs'' and ''Film/PrettyWoman''. He first gained notice in the mid-70's as a supporting actor before winning the lead role in Creator/TerrenceMalick's ''Film/DaysOfHeaven'', which made him a star overnight. Gere soon became a recognizable leading man in the early 80's, with ''Film/AmericanGigolo'' and ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman'' being his biggest successes. Unfortunately, his career was then battered badly by the consecutive failures of ''Film/TheCottonClub'' and ''Film/KingDavid''. ''The Cotton Club'' was notorious for being an extremely TroubledProduction and eventual BoxOfficeBomb, which overshadowed its muted acclaim (see [[TroubledProduction/FilmSerialOffendersCreators Francis Ford Coppola's section on that page for more details]]). ''King David'', on the other hand, flopped badly, with critics in particular noting how Gere was woefully miscast in the title role. The latter film's critical and financial failure led to Gere being passed over for many sought after roles for the next few years until 1990, when the consecutive successes of ''Internal Affairs'' and ''Pretty Woman'' put him back on the A-list.
* '''Creator/HughGrant''' is a two-folded self-inflected example - after gradually losing his boyhood looks and starhood status in the mid-naughties, he retired from acting to pursue larger parts behind the camera as a producer and outspoken political activist. This worked well for him until ''Film/FlorenceFosterJenkins'' was offered to him, in part because the opportunity to work opposite Creator/MerylStreep was just too good to pass up. The film was a flop, but the acting bug bit him hard and he would soon appear as the BigBad in ''Film/Paddington2'', a delightfully [[MetaCasting Meta Casted]] LargeHam part that leapfrogged him into future OneSceneWonder bit-parts.
* '''Creator/JackieEarleHaley''' in ''Film/LittleChildren'' and ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''. Known for his early role in ''Film/TheBadNewsBears'', Haley's movie career was sidelined by a reputation as a FormerChildStar. He all but retired from acting in 1993 and was forced to take menial work over the years (including a stint as a limo driver) until he started directing TV commercials in Texas. He was remembered by fellow actor Creator/SeanPenn (they co-starred in a play in the early 1980s), who got him a role in the remake of ''Film/AllTheKingsMen''. It was followed by ''Film/LittleChildren'', which was critically-acclaimed and gave Haley an Oscar nomination. And then Haley virtually became a fan icon overnight after landing the role of Rorschach in Creator/ZackSnyder's ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' in 2009, and he has since become the go-to actor for portraying disturbing anti-heroes and villains. While ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet2010'' received negative reviews, Haley's portrayal of Freddy Krueger was well received. He has since gone back to supporting roles (such as ''Film/DarkShadows'', ''Film/{{Lincoln}}'', the 2014 remake of ''[[Film/Robocop2014 RoboCop]]''), and later played a corrupt sleazebag villain with a tragic backstory in the TV adaptation of ''Series/{{Preacher|2016}}''.

* '''Creator/WoodyHarrelson''', although pretty much always cast as a sidekick or character actor, had a solid run on ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' for nearly a decade. During and after its run he turned in a steady string of solid performances in fairly successful films (''Film/LAStory'', ''Film/DocHollywood'', ''Film/WhiteMenCantJump'', ''Film/IndecentProposal'', ''Film/NaturalBornKillers''), and even earned several award nominations (among them an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward) for his performance as "Hustler" magnate Larry Flynt in ''Film/ThePeopleVsLarryFlynt''. He sort of vanished after that, turning up in bit parts in major films or as a guest star on a television series (including a memorable stint on ''Series/WillAndGrace''). However, his career began to pick up in the mid-2000's; first he obtained a minor but noteworthy role in ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'', which revived the careers of Josh Brolin (see above) and the Coen brothers (see below in Directors). In 2009, he turned in a memorable performance in ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'' as gun-toting, redneck, Twinkie-seeking Tallahassee; that same year, he also got critical acclaim and another Academy Award nomination for his supporting performance in ''Film/TheMessenger2009''. Harrelson was eventually cast as Haymitch Abernathy in ''Film/TheHungerGames'', and stayed for [[Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire all]] [[Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart1 three]] [[Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart2 sequels]]. These hits put Harrelson back on the A-List, often in a first- or second-billed role. He later starred alongside Creator/JulianneMoore in ''Film/GameChange'' and alongside old friend Matthew [=McConaughey=] in ''Series/TrueDetective'', and received UsefulNotes/EmmyAward nominations for his work in both. Later on, ''Film/ThreeBillboardsOutsideEbbingMissouri'' netted Harrelson a third Academy Award nomination.

* '''Creator/DennisHopper''' in ''Film/ApocalypseNow''. Although it seems impossible looking back at his career over the past twenty years, there was a time when Hopper was anathema to studios and audiences. After a meteoric rise to the top in the 1950s with appearances in ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'' and ''Film/{{Giant}}'' as well later appearing alongside Creator/JohnWayne in ''Film/TheSonsOfKatieElder'' and ''Film/TrueGrit'', and after his directorial debut ''Film/EasyRider'' in 1969, Hopper was on top of the world. However, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and had a dissolving marriage to boot. In 1971, Hopper released his second film as a director, ''Film/TheLastMovie'', which was a complete flop with audiences and critics. Hopper would disappear into obscurity for years afterwards by hiding out in New Mexico and appearing in a number of low budget films in the 1970s, often as a "tormented maniac", an archetype that landed him a role in 1979's ''Film/ApocalypseNow''. After a failed "suicide" attempt in the early 1980s (it ended up being a stunt), though, he went into rehab and subsequently started a run of critically-acclaimed performances, culminating in 1986 with his career-defining role as Frank Booth in David Lynch's ''Film/BlueVelvet'' and an Oscar-nominated one in ''Film/{{Hoosiers}}''.
* '''Creator/MichaelBJordan''' in ''Film/{{Creed}}''. Jordan was already doing quite well for himself until he hit the brick wall that was ''[[Film/FantasticFour2015 Fant4stic]]''. Unlike his castmates, Jordan suddenly hit his revival so soon after with ''Creed'', where he played the illegitimate son of the late Apollo Creed and training to follow in his footsteps by his father's former rival Rocky Balboa. This resurgence allowed him to take up the role of the villainous Erik Killmonger in ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', which redeemed him for his earlier comic failure.
* '''Creator/MichaelKeaton''' in ''Film/BirdmanOrTheUnexpectedVirtueOfIgnorance''. Known for his comedic roles in the 1980s, Keaton first hit it big playing the titular role in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989''. However, once he left after the [[Film/BatmanReturns sequel]], his career started a downward swing that was finally destroyed by ''Film/JackFrost1998''. The 2000s saw Keaton pursuing a number of secondary roles in lesser films, though he still managed to do some good voice work for Pixar in ''{{WesternAnimation/Cars}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. ''Birdman'', in which Keaton plays [[ActorAllusion a washed-up actor known for a superhero role twenty years ago]], earned him a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and set him on the path to become a leading man once again. His next two films, ''Film/{{Spotlight}}'' and ''Film/TheFounder'', opened to excellent reviews (with ''Spotlight'' winning the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture) before he starred as the Vulture in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''. Keaton's performance was acclaimed by fans and critics as one of the best villain performances in not just the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, but superhero movies in general. He will later don the Batman cowl once more, this time in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse films ''Film/{{The Flash|2023}}'' and ''Batgirl''.
* '''Creator/HarveyKeitel''' in ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. Keitel was an up and comer in the 1970s, with his performance in ''Film/TaxiDriver'' in particular gaining him favorable attention. He was then cast to play the role of Capt. Benjamin Willard in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' — and was sacked after only a week of filming, to be replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Although he kept quite busy for the next 15 years, appearing in small roles in many different films, it was not until Creator/QuentinTarantino cast him as Mr. White in ''Reservoir Dogs'' that Keitel attracted much attention. Since then, he still acts just as much, but he's far more likely to be playing a key role (or, as in ''Film/PulpFiction'', getting a [[OneSceneWonder scene-stealing cameo]]).

* '''Creator/MarkRuffalo''' with ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. He was never derailed, but remained forever on the B-list in the 2000s. There even used to be a trope called 'Mark Ruffalo Syndrome' that was used to describe an actor who is eternally stuck in secondary roles. However becoming part of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has made him more famous than he ever was - and led to him taking leading roles in films like ''Film/BeginAgain'', ''{{Film/Foxcatcher}}'', and ''{{Film/Spotlight}}'', while garnering critical acclaim for ''Film/TheNormalHeart''. He has earned two Oscar nominations since, and later won an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward for ''Series/IKnowThisMuchIsTrue''.

* '''Creator/AmandaSeyfried''' in ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain''. Seyfried was one of Hollywood's biggest "it girls" at the TurnOfTheMillennium with roles in ''Series/VeronicaMars'' and ''Film/MeanGirls'', before she seemingly became a big star with the mega-popularity of ''Film/MammaMia'' However, three critical and/or financial flops released between 2011 to 2012 (''Film/RedRidingHood'', ''Film/InTime'' and ''Film/{{Gone|2012}}'') snuffed the momentum Seyfried accumulated. She got a minor boon when ''Film/LesMiserables2012'' became a smash success later that year, but most of the praise was heaped upon Creator/HughJackman and Creator/AnneHathaway for their acting. Her next film, ''Film/{{Lovelace}}'', was an AcclaimedFlop in 2013; while her next attempt at a major blockbuster, ''Film/{{Pan}}'', instead became one of the most notoriously hated {{Box Office Bomb}}s of 2015. Seyfried's career prospects seemed like they couldn't get better before she reprised her role for the sequel to ''Mamma Mia!'' It came out in 2018 to a much better critical reception than its predecessor and did well at the box office. Two years later, Seyfried played Marion Davies in Creator/DavidFincher's widely praised drama ''Film/{{Mank}}''. Her performance was noted by many critics as a standout, leading her to get an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Then in 2022, she played disgraced former medical entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes in the Creator/{{Hulu}} miniseries ''Series/TheDropout''. Her performance as Holmes is viewed by many as her finest work yet, and she got an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward nomination for it.

* '''Creator/TerenceStamp''' with ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' and ''Film/SupermanII''. By the mid 1970s, Stamp's acting career had dwindled away after having some attention in the 1960s. However, after playing General Zod so memorably in those blockbuster superhero films, Stamp found himself having the pick of roles for the rest of his career.
* '''Creator/HaileeSteinfeld''' in ''Film/PitchPerfect 2'' and ''Film/TheEdgeOfSeventeen''. After winning acclaim and an Oscar nomination at the age of thirteen for her performance as Mattie Ross in the 2010 remake of ''Film/TrueGrit'', she was one of most heavily hyped child actors in Hollywood. However, she instead took time off from acting, and when she returned three years later with a new adaptation of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', critics savaged the film, with Steinfeld's performance in particular criticized for feeling too childish to convey Juliet's {{coming of age|Story}}. A string of box-office failures afterwards caused many to write her off as a flash in the pan. However, ''Pitch Perfect 2'' in 2015 was not only a massive hit, it gave Steinfeld the means to start a successful second career as a pop singer, while ''The Edge of Seventeen'' the following year was widely praised and restored her critical stature. By the end of the decade, she was one of the most high-profile {{Teen Idol}}s out there, in both film and music. In late 2020, she was cast as Kate Bishop / Hawkeye II in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse – making her first appearance in the Creator/DisneyPlus series ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}''.
* '''Creator/JimmyStewart''' with ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife.'' He first established himself in the 30's as a supporting actor before gaining bigger exposure as the title role in 1939's ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington'', for which he got nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. He subsequently won an Oscar the following year for ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'', which also revived Katharine Hepburn's career (see above). However, when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Stewart opted to partake in the effort as a military pilot, and served until the war's end. After finishing his service, Stewart, having lost a good chunk of recognition after being away from the screen for so long, struggled to find roles in Hollywood. Luckily, Creator/FrankCapra, his director on ''Mr. Smith'', offered him the lead role of George Bailey in ''It's a Wonderful Life.'' While the film did fine enough at the box office, Stewart's performance was widely praised. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including another nomination for Stewart as Best Actor. The film has since been VindicatedByHistory, and signaled a new beginning for Stewart, who would go on to have an extensive, fruitful career in Hollywood.

* '''Creator/UmaThurman''' in ''Film/KillBill''. She became an "[[HollywoodHypeMachine it girl]]" after ''Film/PulpFiction'', only to watch her career crash and burn after ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' and ''Film/TheAvengers1998''. Fortunately for her, Creator/QuentinTarantino still saw something he liked in her, and gave her the lead role in what turned out to be one of the biggest action flicks of the year. ''Motherhood'' dented her career a bit - selling an embarrassing eleven tickets on its opening night in the UK. But she still got an Emmy nomination for her role in ''Series/{{Smash}}'', got critical acclaim for ''The Slap'' miniseries and doesn't seem to be disappearing without a fight. Unfortunately, as she would reveal years later, a neck injury on the set of ''Kill Bill'' not only damaged her [[ProductionPosse working relationship with Tarantino]], but prevented her from taking the action roles that might have otherwise become her bread and butter in the wake of that film's success.
* '''Creator/JohnTravolta''' in ''Film/PulpFiction''. His career started with iconic roles in ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'' and ''Film/{{Grease}}'', a respectable run on the very successful sitcom ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' and even critical acclaim with ''Film/BlowOut''. He spent most of the 1980s in hiding, emerging briefly in the narmish ''Film/LookWhosTalking'' (which was a hit) and its two sequels (the first which was only a minor success and the second which failed). However, Travolta made his comeback with the iconic Creator/QuentinTarantino Academy Award-nominated hit and followed up with ''Film/GetShorty'', cementing him as an A-list actor for the next few years. Then, of course, came ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'', a passion project based on the works of Creator/LRonHubbard that was a StarDerailingRole that left his career in ruins. After a decade of flop after flop, he's fallen into DirectToVideo hell.
* '''Creator/ReeseWitherspoon''' in ''Film/{{Wild}}''. Witherspoon was a critical darling with films like ''Film/{{Freeway}}'', ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'', and ''Film/{{Election}}'', with film magazines praising her as "the next Creator/MerylStreep". She became a genuine star with ''Film/LegallyBlonde'', culminating with an Oscar win for her highly acclaimed turned in ''Film/WalkTheLine''. After that, she became in a string of films that either were bombs (''Rendition'', ''Film/{{Penelope|2006}}''), critically panned (''Film/FourChristmases''), or both (''Film/ThisMeansWar2012'', ''How Do You Know''), later being "honored" by ''Forbes'' and one of the "most overpaid actors" in Hollywood, three years in a row, due to the businesses of those films. Even modest success, like ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' and ''Film/WaterForElephants'', didn't do much for her. She attributes this to [[CreatorBreakdown her divorce from ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe, and a simple lack of passion about the job]]. What happened next? After garnering great reviews for her small roles in much-praised films such as ''Film/{{Mud}}'' and the Creator/PaulThomasAnderson-directed ''Film/InherentVice'', she started a production company that produced ''Film/GoneGirl'', a commercial and critical success, and starring/producing ''Film/{{Wild}}'', directed by Creator/JeanMarcVallee, giving an Oscar-nominated performance that has been acclaimed as the best of her career. She later starred in/produced the HBO miniseries adaptation of the national best-seller, ''Literature/BigLittleLies'', also directed by Vallée, which garnered her critical acclaim once again, with critics praising her performance as even ''better'' than what she accomplished in ''Wild''. She would later go on to win her first Primetime Emmy Award as a producer when the project won Best Limited Series in 2017 and additionally earned a nomination for Lead Actress. Unfortunately, her film career after ''Wild'' hasn’t been too good, suffering critically panned, box office flops such as ''Film/HotPursuit'' (which she also produced), ''Home Again'', and ''Film/AWrinkleInTime2018'', although she did have a voice role in the box office hit ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}''. However, while her film career is in doubt, with a second season of ''Big Little Lies'', the new Apple TV+ series ''Series/TheMorningShow'' starring her and Creator/JenniferAniston, and the Hulu miniseries ''Literature/LittleFiresEverywhere'' starring her and Creator/KerryWashington, her newfound career in television will ensure she’ll be getting high profile work for years to come.
* '''Creator/NatalieWood''', after ''Film/TheSearchers'', appeared in a string of failed films. According to Creator/EliaKazan, by 1960, she was considered as "washed up" at just 22 (she had been acting since age 5). Kazan still cast her in ''Film/SplendorInTheGrass'', which came out in 1961, received critical acclaim and brought Wood her second Oscar nomination. Also in 1961, she starred in ''Film/{{West Side Story|1961}}'', which was the biggest hit of the year and won the Oscar for Best Picture. This one-two-punch shot her straight back to the A-list.
* '''Creator/ReneeZellweger''' in ''Film/Judy2019''. After winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for in 2003's ''Film/ColdMountain'', her movies became less financially and critically successful as her career went into TheNewTens. The nadir arrived with ''Film/Case39'', a movie that was delayed twice and, when it was finally released in 2010, received negative reviews and flopped at the box office, opening at #7 on its first week. This resulted in a six-year hiatus from acting. A brief return to the carpet in 2014 saw a drastic change in her looks, which was claimed to be due to extensive plastic surgery to the point she was almost unrecognisable (though she has denied this) which many deemed the final nail in the coffin for her career. However, she returned to acting in 2016 with films including ''Literature/BridgetJones's Baby'', a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel critically speaking but not commercially successful otherwise. She would eventually reclaim her profile in 2019 after her role as Creator/JudyGarland in the eponymous biopic won rave reviews from critics, topped off with an Oscar for Best Actress.

* '''Creator/RobertAltman''' with ''Film/ThePlayer''. He was one of the biggest directors of TheSeventies, having directed acclaimed hits such as ''Film/{{MASH}}'', ''Film/McCabeAndMrsMiller'', and ''Film/{{Nashville}}''. His career was then derailed by an adaptation of ''Film/{{Popeye}}'' released in 1980, after which his output consisted of flop after flop. Released in 1992, ''The Player'' was a critical success and was nominated for 3 Oscars – including Best Director for Altman. He would be nominated for Best Director again the following year (for ''Film/ShortCuts'') and in 2001 (for ''Film/GosfordPark'', which also served as a second comeback as his career post ''Short Cuts'' began to lag). Altman would remain well-regarded by the time he died in 2006, with his final film ''Film/APrairieHomeCompanion'' being warmly received by audiences and critics.

* '''Creator/ShaneBlack''' with ''Film/KissKissBangBang''. He started out hot with ''Film/LethalWeapon'', and his style of WittyBanter was quickly imitated by Hollywood action movies in the late '80s/early '90s, but the failure of 1996's ''Film/TheLongKissGoodnight'' brought his success to a screeching halt. Black came back swinging with ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' after spending nearly a decade in retirement, which also served as his directorial debut and the beginning of [[Creator/RobertDowneyJr its lead actor's]] own Career Resurrection. Although Black didn't direct another film for eight years, said feature (''Film/IronMan3'') reunited him with Robert Downey Jr. and became his highest-grossing film with over a billion-dollar gross at the box office. His following film ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' was a lower budget affair that was closer in style to ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' and earned positive reviews. While it turned in an adequate profit, ''The Nice Guys'' has found renewed attention as a CultClassic on home media.

** The first was in the 1990's. After ''Film/TheHudsuckerProxy'' very nearly killed their careers entirely, they made ''Film/{{Fargo}}'', which not only revived their momentum completely but was nominated for several Oscars (including Best Picture) and winning for Best Original Screenplay.
** Again in the 2000's. After the runaway success of ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou,'' they followed it up with the commercially unsuccessful ''Film/TheManWhoWasntThere2001,'' the less distinctive ''Film/IntolerableCruelty,'' and the coolly received ''Film/TheLadykillers2004.'' Critics had begun to believe that the brothers had lost their touch and they didn't make another film until three years later. That movie? ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen,'' which [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome won the Oscars for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay]].

* '''Creator/SpikeLee''' with ''Film/BlacKkKlansman''. Lee first established himself in the 80's as a confrontational force tackling heavy matters of race with his classic ''Film/DoTheRightThing''. While his films left white audiences divided, he experienced critical if not always commercial acclaim through the 1990s. That acclaim faded over the course of the 2000's and early 2010's, as his films (with the exception of ''Film/InsideMan'') either weren't well received or flopped at the box office. Lee instead became more notorious for his controversial statements and off-set behavior, including his lawsuit against [=SpikeTV=] over his name and a public feud with fellow director Creator/QuentinTarantino following the release of ''Film/DjangoUnchained''. It wasn't until ''[=BlacKkKlansman=]'' surpassed expectations that he became mainstream again and truly returned to his social commentary roots. Many consider it Lee's best film since ''Do the Right Thing'', and it led to him winning a long overdue Oscar (for Adapted Screenplay). The positive reception towards 2020's ''Film/Da5Bloods'' further solidified his resurrection.

* '''Creator/DavidORussell''' with ''Film/TheFighter''. His first three films were relatively successful. But in 2004, he made ''Film/IHeartHuckabees'', which got mixed reviews, didn't make a profit, and Russell's [[PrimaDonnaDirector difficult on-set behavior]] became more famous than the actual movie. His next project, ''Nailed'', suffered from so much delay, that production was shut down, because the crew was not getting paid. However, in 2010, Russell made ''Film/TheFighter'', which received critical acclaim, was a commercial success and brought him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. His next [[Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook two]] [[Film/AmericanHustle films]] followed suit. However, the Sony email hacks would eventually expose that Russell was back to his old tricks on the set of ''Film/AmericanHustle'', with Amy Adams eventually revealing all the abuse she suffered during filming. Not helping matters was the revelation that the film's female leads had been paid drastically lower wages than their male co-stars. His follow-up film ''Film/Joy2015'' got mixed reviews and quickly faded from public consciousness - so time will tell.

** While the later half of the 1980s were a rough spot for him, ''Film/GoodFellas'' gave him his AuteurLicense back. Its success restored Scorsese's commercial cache and critical reputation, allowing him to make films with bigger budgets that tackled uncommercial subject matter like ''Literature/TheAgeOfInnocence'', ''Film/{{Kundun}}'', and ''Film/{{Hugo}}''. Scorsese continues to thrive today, bolstered by the mainstream success of films like ''Film/TheDeparted'' and ''Film/TheWolfOfWallStreet''.
* '''Creator/MNightShyamalan''': Once hailed as the next Creator/StevenSpielberg with ''Film/TheSixthSense'', Shyamalan's reputation went into the gutter as he became more and more known for being a self-absorbed and pretentious filmmaker with the increasingly ridiculous uses of his Main/TwistEnding that was one of the reasons why he was successful in the first place. Then came the quadruple bogey of ''Film/LadyInTheWater'', ''Film/TheHappening'', ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', and ''Film/AfterEarth'' that bombed critically and/or commercially with most of the film industry thought his career was over. There was talk of a resurrection when, with his back to the wall and $5 million of his own money invested, he made ''Film/TheVisit'' and received mixed-to-positive acclaim. However, with the release of ''Film/{{Split}}'', his career seems to be back in full force, as the movie not only received glowing reviews, but it also ended up making four times its budget on its opening weekend. Despite the follow-up ''Film/Glass2019'' not critically meeting up to the expectations set up by ''Split'', ''Glass'' was a CriticProof box office hit that grossed 12 times its own budget. His next film, 2021's ''Film/{{Old}}'', was a modest box office success despite getting mixed reviews and being released amidst the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic.
* '''Creator/RobertStevenson''' with ''Film/OldYeller''. Stevenson began his career in 1932 directing English films such as ''Tudor Rose'' and the first film adaptation of ''King Solomon's Mines''. His work caught the attention of ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' producer David O. Selznick, who was so impressed that he offered Stevenson a contract in 1940, which Stevenson agreed to. However his first American film ''Tom Brown's School Days'' was a flop and he spent the next five years bouncing around various Hollywood studios, his movies ranging from the Academy Award-nominated ''Joan of Paris'' to doing collaborative work on ''Forever and a Day''. After UsefulNotes/WorldWarII he spent the next seven years doing a run of crime dramas and film noirs, most of them for RKO and all of which were box office bombs. For most of the 1950s he was stuck doing television work and his story looked set to become a cautionary tale of European auteur directors being swayed by the allure of Hollywood during the golden age... until he was tapped by Creator/WaltDisney to direct a two-part episode of [[Series/WaltDisneyPresents the Disneyland television show]] centered around the story of Literature/JohnnyTremain. Disney liked the way that the episodes turned out so much that he released them into theaters as a single film, and proceeded to sign Stevenson to direct ''Old Yeller''. The film became Stevenson's biggest hit at the time and it led him to spend the remainder of his career at Creator/{{Disney}}, where he directed some of the studio's most famous films of the era including ''Film/TheShaggyDog'', ''Film/TheAbsentMindedProfessor'', ''Film/MaryPoppins'' (for which he received an Oscar nomination), ''Film/TheLoveBug'' and ''Film/BedknobsAndBroomsticks'' until his retirement in 1976.
* '''Creator/JossWhedon''' with ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. The success of his BreakthroughHit ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and its spinoff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' proved to be a ToughActToFollow for much of the '00s, with ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' getting ScrewedByTheNetwork, ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' proving to be divisive, and ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' (co-written with director Drew Goddard) winding up on TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment for three years thanks to Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer's financial woes. He spent much of the late '00s and early '10s working in comics, web shows, and gun-for-hire TV directing gigs, which allowed him to maintain his fanbase but didn't become anything close to the mainstream sensation that the Franchise/{{Buffyverse}} had been. Whedon himself described his career as having been [[https://www.popmatters.com/173510-joss-whedon-film-society-of-lincoln-center-2495740687.html "on the skids"]] during this time. However, Creator/KevinFeige decided to take a risk on him, sensing that he was the right man to direct the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse's first CrisisCrossover. The result paid off handsomely, not only turning the MCU into a pop culture colossus but also restoring Whedon's mainstream profile, and for a good chunk of the early-mid 2010s he was renowned as geek royalty. Unfortunately, later in the decade the failure of ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' (which many fans blamed him for, especially after the release of the much-better-received [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague "Zack Snyder cut"]]), combined with reports of adultery and PrimaDonnaDirector behavior on his part, knocked him back down.

* A film scoring example is '''Music/ElmerBernstein'''. Once a notable name for action films and dramas in the 1950s and 1960s, Bernstein had found himself reduced to scoring mostly TV shows by the 1970s (although even in the 1950s and 1960s he was happy to work in television, a medium he never considered himself above). Then Creator/JohnLandis, who was Bernstein's neighbor as a child, needed someone to score ''Film/AnimalHouse'' after the first score was rejected. He suggested Bernstein and the film's success resurrected Bernstein's career, later going on to score many successful comedies as well as thrillers and dramas (he was not only a regular composer for Landis, but for Creator/IvanReitman and Creator/MartinScorsese as well) until his retirement in 2002 and eventual passing in 2004.