History HollywoodHypeMachine / TooEarlyToCall

* Around TheNewTens, Hollywood was clearly looking to give Creator/LilyCollins a breakout role. As the daughter of famous musician Music/PhilCollins, she attracted a lot of attention from guest spots on the revival of ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' and a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated ''Film/TheBlindSide''. However her first attempts at leading roles - as the love interest in the Creator/TaylorLautner vehicle ''Abduction'' and Snow White in ''Film/MirrorMirror'' - were unsuccessful. The former was trashed by critics and was a BoxOfficeBomb, while the latter was overshadowed by the other Snow White film ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman''. The Hype Machine really got behind her with the announcement that she would play Clary Fray in the film version of the hit UrbanFantasy ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments''. The film ended up becoming a flop with audiences and critics, the sequel was cancelled and the franchise rebooted as the Netflix series ''{{Series/Shadowhunters}}'' with a new cast. Lily was however praised for her performances, some even comparing her to Creator/AudreyHepburn, and she did earn a Golden Globe nomination for 2016's ''Rules Don't Apply'', lots of acclaim for the Netflix film ''To The Bone'' and was chosen to co-lead the 2019 biopic ''Tolkien'' - so time will tell.

* Creator/JenniferLawrence had a huge boom throughout the first half of the 2010s but failed to keep up that momentum through the rest of the decade, leaving her career in a bit of a flux. She first came to critical notice with ''Film/WintersBone'' which earned her an Oscar nomination and then won one for ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'' at only 22. She then had huge financial success with ''Film/TheHungerGames'' from 2012-2015 and some of her earlier ''X-Men'' movies (including 2011's ''Film/XMenFirstClass'') but struggled to pick the right projects post-''Hunger Games'' which lead to commercial and critical troubles, especially being seen phoning it in the latter ''X-Men'' movies. Her first big budget outing after the former franchise , ''Film/Passengers2016'', was a critical and commercial flop. Her next two films: ''Film/Mother2017'' and ''Film/RedSparrow'' (2018) both were financial and critical misfires. Her performance in her last ''X-Men'' outing, 2019's ''Film/DarkPhoenix'', was lambasted and the film was poorly received and one of the costliest flops of all time. She then decided to take a break and figure out where to go next. She's still only 30 and a very talented actor in the right role so she shouldn't be counted out just yet.

* Creator/ViolaDavis has had a string of very well-received roles over the past few years starting with the acclaimed ''Doubt''. However she hasn't done anything really big since then; this isn't due to lack of talent, but more of how what kind of roles Hollywood offers black actresses. Davis' later films included small supporting parts in ''Film/EndersGame'', ''Film/BeautifulCreatures'', and ''Film/{{Prisoners}}''; something she's not very happy about, calling these roles "mammy-ish" and "down-trodden". For similar reasons, she also doesn't like ''Film/TheHelp'' all that much despite it being Academy Award-nominated, criticizing the fact that the black maids were essentially SupportingProtagonists to the white characters (which already attracted criticisms of a "white savior" narrative) and subsequently didn't give the audience enough of an idea about how her character and the other maids dealt with racism in the Jim Crow South. But she landed her own series with ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder'' on ABC which got renewed for a fourth season, and resulted in her winning an Emmy. She was also praised for her role as Amanda Waller in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' and won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance in ''Theatre/{{Fences}}'', which showed that her career is going steady for her.

* Creator/EmmaRoberts was heavily hyped as being the next big thing due to her relation to Creator/JuliaRoberts (she's her niece) and roles in a few high-profile movies. After an adaptation of ''Literature/NancyDrew'' in 2007 (among other flops like ''Film/WildChild'' and ''Film/FourThreeTwoOne'', which both went Direct-to-DVD in North America), it looked that she was never going to break out. Despite the obvious fact that no-one was biting, Hollywood continued to push her, which led to lackluster performances of ''Film/{{Scream 4}}'' and ''The Art Of Getting By''. Emma's still around, but it will take a major hit film to turn things around for her. On the brighter side, hooking up with Creator/RyanMurphy helped - she got positive reviews for her role on ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven'', returned for ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryFreakShow'' and ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCult'', and starred on ''Series/ScreamQueens2015''.

* Creator/ViolaDavis has had a string of very well-received roles over the past few years starting with the acclaimed ''Doubt''. However she hasn't done anything really big since then; this isn't due to lack of talent, but more of how what kind of roles Hollywood offers black actresses. Davis' later films included small supporting parts in ''Film/EndersGame'', ''Film/BeautifulCreatures'', and ''Film/{{Prisoners}}''; something she's not very happy about, calling these roles "mammy-ish" and "down-trodden". But she landed her own series with ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder'' on ABC which got renewed for a fourth season, and resulted in her winning an Emmy. She was also praised for her role as Amanda Waller in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' and won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance in ''Theatre/{{Fences}}'', which showed that her career is going steady for her.

* Creator/TomHolland. Although he started out in the stage adaptation of ''Film/BillyElliot'' and ''Film/TheImpossible'', his mainstream break-out performance came when he played Spider-Man in the MCU starting with ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''. Holland's performance was highly praised for balancing both the wisecracking action hero and nerdy everyman aspects of Spider-Man. Although his role was primarily comedic, many fans and critics noted how Holland was also surprisingly adept at dramatic performances with Holland improvising [[spoiler: the much lauded death of Peter Parker in ''Infinity War'']]. Even with his tendency to accidentally spoil movies and leak production secrets hasn't hurt his popularity since he goes out of his way to show utmost humility and avoid burning bridges. Even at his young age, he holds much clout in the film industry as Holland personally convinced Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman to form a new deal to keep Spider-Man in the MCU after negotiations initially broke down. Outside of the MCU franchise, some of his movies were a mixed bag: ''WesternAnimation/{{Onward}}'', where he voiced the lead character, earned him a nomination from the UsefulNotes/AnnieAwards while ''Film/ChaosWalking'' flopped badly. Though he was cast as Nathan Drake for the film adaptation of ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' and is set to star in ''The Crowded Room''. Holland noted to balance his career of acting in franchises and doing indie work.

* Creator/TomHolland. Although he started out in the stage adaptation of ''Film/BillyElliot'' and ''Film/TheImpossible'', his mainstream break-out performance came when he played Spider-Man in the MCU starting with ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''. Holland's performance was highly praised for balancing both the wisecracking action hero and nerdy everyman aspects of Spider-Man. Although his role was primarily comedic, many fans and critics noted how Holland was also surprisingly adept at dramatic performances with Holland improvising [[spoiler: the much lauded death of Peter Parker in ''Infinity War'']]. Even with his tendency to accidentally spoil movies and leak production secrets hasn't hurt his popularity since he goes out of his way to show utmost humility and avoid burning bridges. Even at his young age, he holds much clout in the film industry as Holland personally convinced Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman to form a new deal to keep Spider-Man in the MCU after negotiations initially broke down.
* Creator/PedroPascal played a lot of minor and supporting TV roles in the past until he played the dashing Prince Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which earned unanimous praise from critics and viewers. Later, he was given one of the lead roles in the Netflix series, ''Series/{{Narcos}}'' and was cast in ''Film/TheGreatWall'', ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' and ''Film/TheEqualizer2''. This boosted more on his star power which eventually led him to getting the role of Maxwell Lord in ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''. ''The Mandalorian'' proved wildly successful during its first two seasons, and when ''[=WW84=]'' ended up premiering one week after the second season finale[[note]]and on the same day as two of Pascal's less-hyped projects that year, ''Film/WeCanBeHeroes2020'' and a documentary about ''The Mandalorian'' Season 2[[/note]], Pascal earned acclaim for proving he could deliver subdued and boisterous performances with equal pathos.

* '''Creator/JenniferLawrence'' had a huge boom throughout the first half of the 2010s but failed to keep up that momentum through the rest of the decade, leaving her career in a bit of a flux. She first came to critical notice with ''Film/WintersBone'' which earned her an Oscar nomination and then won one for ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'' at only 22. She then had huge financial success with ''Film/TheHungerGames'' from 2012-2015 and some of her earlier ''X-Men'' movies (including 2011's ''Film/XMenFirstClass'') but struggled to pick the right projects post-''Hunger Games'' which lead to commercial and critical troubles, especially being seen phoning it in the latter ''X-Men'' movies. Her first big budget outing after the former franchise , ''Film/Passengers2016'', was a critical and commercial flop. Her next two films: ''Film/Mother2017'' and ''Film/RedSparrow'' (2018) both were financial and critical misfires. Her performance in her last ''X-Men'' outing, 2019's ''Film/DarkPhoenix'', was lambasted and the film was poorly received and one of the costliest flops of all time. She then decided to take a break and figure out where to go next. She's still only 30 and a very talented actor in the right role so she shouldn't be counted out just yet.

* Creator/PedroPascal played a lot of minor and supporting TV roles in the past until he played the dashing Prince Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which earned unanimous praise from critics and viewers. Later, he was given one of the lead roles in the Netflix series, ''Series/{{Narcos}}'' and was cast in ''Film/TheGreatWall'', ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' and ''Film/TheEqualizer2''. This boosted more on his star power which eventually led him to getting the role of Maxwell Lord in ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''. When ''[=WW84=]'' ended up premiering one week after the ''Mandalorian'' Season 2 finale[[note]]and on the same day as two of Pascal's less-hyped projects that year, ''Film/WeCanBeHeroes2020'' and a documentary about ''The Mandalorian'' Season 2[[/note]], Pascal earned more acclaim for proving he could deliver subdued and boisterous performances with equal pathos.

* Creator/PedroPascal played a lot of minor and supporting TV roles in the past until he played the dashing Prince Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which earned unanimous praise from critics and viewers. Later, he was given one of the lead roles in the Netflix series, ''Series/{{Narcos}}'' and was cast in ''Film/TheGreatWall'', ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' and ''Film/TheEqualizer2''. This boosted more on his star power which eventually led him to getting the role of Maxwell Lord in ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''. When ''[=WW84=]'' ended up premiering one week after the ''Mandalorian'' Season 2 finale[[note]]and on the same day as two of Pascal's less-hyped projects that year, ''Film/WeCanBeHeroes2020'' and a documentary about ''The Mandalorian'' Season 2[[/note]], Pascal earned more acclaim for proving he could deliver subdued and hammy performances with equal pathos.

* Creator/PedroPascal played a lot of minor and supporting TV roles in the past until he played the dashing Prince Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which earned unanimous praise from critics and viewers. Later, he was given one of the lead roles in the Netflix series, ''Series/{{Narcos}}'' and was cast in ''Film/TheGreatWall'', ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' and ''Film/TheEqualizer2''. This boosted more on his star power which eventually led him to getting the role of Maxwell Lord in ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''. ''The Mandalorian'' proved wildly successful in its first two seasons, with Pascal's expressive voice and selective body language (especially in Season 2, when Pascal found more time to wear the Mandalorian's armor himself as opposed to dubbing over a FakeShemp) engaging viewers in a subdued BruiserWithASoftCenter who very rarely shows his face. When ''[=WW84=]'' ended up premiering one week after the ''Mandalorian'' Season 2 finale[[note]]and on the same day as two of Pascal's less-hyped projects that year, ''Film/WeCanBeHeroes2020'' and a documentary about ''The Mandalorian'' Season 2[[/note]], Pascal won over viewers by both hamming up Max Lord's boisterous persona, and pulling off his privately emotional moments.

* Creator/PedroPascal played a lot of minor and supporting TV roles in the past until he played the dashing Prince Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which earned unanimous praise from critics and viewers. Later, he was given one of the lead roles in the Netflix series, ''Series/{{Narcos}}'' and was cast in ''Film/TheGreatWall'', ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' and ''Film/TheEqualizer2''. This boosted more on his star power which eventually led him to getting the role of Maxwell Lord in ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''.

* Creator/PedroPascal played a lot of minor and supporting TV roles in the past until he played the dashing Prince Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which earned unanimous praise from critics and viewers. Later, he was given one of the lead roles in the Netflix series, ''Series/{{Narcos}}'' and was cast in ''Film/TheGreatWall'', ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' and ''Film/TheEqualizer2''. This boosted more on his star power which eventually led him to getting the role of Maxwell Lord in the upcoming ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''.

* Creator/JeremyRenner initially did well with this trope, helped by the fact that he is much older than most of the stars usually being hyped. While he'd been working pretty consistently since 1995 and got attention for his roles in ''Dahmer'' and ''Film/TheAssassinationOfJesseJamesByTheCowardRobertFord'', it was ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' in 2008 that brought him huge acclaim and an Oscar nomination. He's since followed it up with critical acclaim and another Oscar nomination for ''Film/TheTown'', a supporting role in ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol'' and a central role in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' as Hawkeye. While ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'' and ''Film/TheBourneLegacy'' did well at the box-office but not so well with critics, the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse helped keep him working consistently. Unfortunately, in 2019 a snowballing series of embarrassments and worse seriously damaged his reputation: his musical side-career and a failed ''app'' became subjects of mockery, and his ex-wife accused him of DomesticAbuse. Combined with ongoing fandom snark about Hawkeye being the lamest hero in a series featuring LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, and his future in the franchise uncertain with the aforementioned allegations (not to mention that the MCU is planning on [[LegacyCharacter the introduction of the second, female, Hawkeye]]), the end may or may not be in sight.

* Michelle Dockery came to national attention for her role as Lady Mary in the worldwide hit ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' and much was expected of her. She didn't do much work outside of ''Downton'' so it remains to be seen if she'll remain prominent now the show has ended. She was given her own TV series in America; ''Series/GoodBehavior'', in which she goes wildly against type to critical acclaim. This led to leading roles in more TV series, including ''Series/Godless'' and ''Series/DefendingJacob''.

* Michelle Dockery came to national attention for her role as Lady Mary in the worldwide hit ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' and much was expected of her. She didn't do much work outside of ''Downton'' so it remains to be seen if she'll remain prominent now the show has ended. She was given her own TV show in America; ''Series/GoodBehaviour'', in which she goes wildly against type to critical acclaim. The show was also successful enough to gain a second season.

* Creator/SethRogen has been dancing around this trope for a while. He's been acting since the late nineties but he got his biggest push from ''Film/KnockedUp'' in 2007. Like Michael Cera, he was then on the receiving end of criticism for playing the same character (The vulgar but loveable slacker) too many times in films that weren't successful or were despite his presence. The biggest exception was ''Film/ObserveAndReport'', in which he [[PlayingAgainstType played against type]] as a delusional, sinister mall cop, but it received mixed reviews. Though he earned back quite a bit of cred with his surprising dramatic performance in ''Film/FiftyFifty'' which have made people view him in a better light, and ''Film/ThisIsTheEnd'', which he co-wrote and starred in, was a commercial and critical success, as was his follow-up ''Film/{{Neighbors|2014}}'' and his infamous North Korea comedy ''Film/TheInterview''. Some of his works after like Creator/DannyBoyle's ''Film/SteveJobs'' and ''Film/Neighbours2'' weren't as successful though he did have another hit with the rated R animated film ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty''.

* Creator/ViolaDavis has had a string of very well-received roles over the past few years starting with the acclaimed ''Doubt''. However she hasn't done anything really big since then; this isn't due to lack of talent, but more of how what kind of roles Hollywood offers black actresses. Davis' later films included small supporting parts in ''Film/EndersGame'', ''Film/BeautifulCreatures'', and ''Film/{{Prisoners}}''; something she's not very happy about, calling these roles "mammy-ish" and "down-trodden". But she landed her own series with ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder'' on ABC which got renewed for a fourth season, and resulted in her winning an Emmy. She was also praised for her role as Amanda Waller in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' and won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance in ''Theater/{{Fences}}'' which showed that her career is going steady for her.

* Creator/AndrewGarfield had a string of indie successes (''Film/BoyA'', ''Film/LionsForLambs'', ''Film/TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus'') before hitting it big with ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan''. Even critics who didn't care much for it praised him in the title role, favorably comparing him to Creator/TobeyMaguire (who also found the right balance between big budget films and small dramatic films). Although, he left the ''Amazing Spider-Man'' franchise over creative disputes with Sony, he became a critical darling with his acclaimed roles in fare such as ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'' (which many felt he was overlooked for at the Academy Awards), ''Film/{{Silence}}'' and ''Film/HacksawRidge'' (which did earn him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor). As such, it's looking hopeful he'll stay big for a long while.

* Creator/EmmaRoberts was heavily hyped as being the next big thing due to her relation to Creator/JuliaRoberts (she's her niece) and roles in a few high-profile movies. After an adaptation of ''Literature/NancyDrew'' in 2007 (among other flops like ''Film/WildChild'' and ''Film/FourThreeTwoOne'', which both went Direct-to-DVD in North America), it looked that she was never going to break out. Despite the obvious fact that no-one was biting, Hollywood continued to push her, which led to lackluster performances of ''Film/{{Scream 4}}'' and ''Film/TheArtOfGettingBy''. Emma's still around, but it will take a major hit film to turn things around for her. On the brighter side, hooking up with Creator/RyanMurphy helped - she got positive reviews for her role on ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven'', returned for ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryFreakShow'' and ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCult'', and starred on ''Series/ScreamQueens2015''.

* Creator/EmmaStone also fits, with ''Spider-Man'' crowning a rise after a series of well-received movies (''Film/{{Zombieland}}'', ''Film/EasyA'', ''Film/TheHelp''). She later earned an Oscar nomination for ''Film/{{Birdman}}''. Then in 2016, she earned a lot of praise for her performance in the musical film, ''Film/LaLaLand'', for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical and an Oscar for Best Actress. Later, she got nominated again at the 2019 Oscar in the supporting category for her role in ''Film/TheFavorite''.

* Creator/OliviaWilde, after a successful stint as Thirteen on ''Series/{{House}}'', was given a big push in by starring in such blockbusters as ''Film/TronLegacy'', ''Film/CowboysAndAliens'', and ''Film/InTime''. While all of these movies under-performed, she is still getting steady work in film and TV, so another (successful) push is not out of the question...

* Creator/TomHardy was once considered the next big star with a role in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''. However the film flopped badly and nearly killed his career before it got started. This resulted in Hardy [[DrivenToSuicide falling into an addiction to alcohol and crack]] which he eventually overcame. His role in ''Film/{{Bronson}}'' helped revive his fortunes but it was his role in ''Film/{{Inception}}'' that [[CareerResurrection made him big again]]. He followed it up with ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'', ''Film/{{Warrior}}'', ''Film/ThisMeansWar2012'', ''Film/{{Lawless}}'' and, most notably, his role as [[BigBad Bane]] in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' which was a colossal hit and earned him huge acclaim. 2015's ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' opened to rave reviews, ending up being the most critically acclaimed film of the year, and ''Film/TheRevenant'' nabbed him an Oscar nomination, so don't expect Hardy to fade into obscurity anytime soon. Even the maligned ''Film/{{Venom}}'' made a lot of money and had reviewers conceding that as bad as the movie was, Hardy at least made it watchable!

* The fictional character Comicbook/{{Batwoman}}. When the character was announced as appearing in the weekly comic series ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' in 2007 there was a massive media response, even branching into non-comic related formats. The character was a [[ContinuityReboot recreation of the classic character from the 1950's]], but was written as a lesbian involved with one of the primary characters for the series. Most of the media focus was on her sexuality, and she became regarded as the highest profile gay superhero in Franchise/TheDCU. Creator/DanDiDio, Chief Editor of Creator/DCComics, has said that even he was completely unprepared for the massive news fixation on the character, and did not know how to properly respond. Though [[UrbanLegends unconfirmed]], rumors circulate that the ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl| 2000}}'' series being published at the time of her introduction was canceled in order to make room for her character. However, the amount of coverage on the character was completely out of proportion to her role in the series, which was a supporting role spread out over a year, and she spent the following two years as a minor and unused character, only appearing in guest spots in other series. However, in 2009 she became the [[CareerResurrection headline character]] in ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' and received a well-received title-series by Creator/GregRucka that effectively delved into her backstory.

* Creator/SethRogen has been dancing around this trope for a while. He's been acting since the late nineties but he got his biggest push from ''Film/KnockedUp'' in 2007. Like Michael Cera, he was then on the receiving end of criticism for playing the same character (The vulgar but loveable slacker) too many times in films that weren't successful or were despite his presence. The biggest exception was ''Film/ObserveAndReport'', in which he [[PlayingAgainstType played against type]] as a delusional, sinister mall cop, but it received mixed reviews. Though he earned back quite a bit of cred with his surprising dramatic performance in ''Film/FiftyFifty'' which have made people view him in a better light, and ''Film/ThisIsTheEnd'', which he co-wrote and starred in, was a commercial and critical success, as was his follow-up ''Film/{{Neighbors|2014}}'' and his infamous North Korea comedy ''Film/TheInterview''. Some of his works after like Creator/DannyBoyle's Creator/SteveJobs biopic and ''Film/Neighbours2'' weren't as successful though he did have another hit with the rated r animated film ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty''.
* Creator/EmilyBlunt became known outside of the UK in 2006 with her performance in ''Film/TheDevilWearsPrada'' and a Golden Globe win for the drama ''Gideon's Daughter''. But since then, her career has been a rollercoaster of critical hits (''Film/TheAdjustmentBureau'', ''Film/SunshineCleaning'', ''Literature/SalmonFishingInTheYemen'') and major misfires (''Film/TheWolfman2010'', ''Film/TheFiveYearEngagement''). She actually had to decline the role of Black Widow in ''Film/IronMan2'' (and the subsequent appearances in films like the box-office juggernaut ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'') because of a scheduling conflict with ''Gulliver's Travels'', which was a box office bomb during the 2010 holiday season. However the year 2014 was very good to her with hits like ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'' and ''Film/IntoTheWoods'' and the repeated commercial success of ''{{Film/Sicario}}'' and ''Literature/TheGirlOnTheTrain'' seems to have kept the ball rolling.

* Creator/JeremyRenner initially did well with this trope, helped by the fact that he is much older than most of the stars usually being hyped. While he'd been working pretty consistently since 1995 and got attention for his roles in ''Dahmer'' and ''Film/TheAssassinationOfJesseJamesByTheCowardRobertFord'', it was ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' in 2008 that brought him huge acclaim and an Oscar nomination. He's since followed it up with critical acclaim and another Oscar nomination for ''Film/TheTown'', a supporting role in ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol'' and a central role in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' as Hawkeye. While ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'' and ''Film/TheBourneLegacy'' did well at the box-office but not so well with critics, the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse helped keep him working consistently. Unfortunately, in 2019 a snowballing series of embarrassments and worse seriously damaged his reputation: his musical side-career and a failed ''app'' became subjects of mockery, and his ex-wife accused him of DomesticAbuse. Combined with ongoing fandom snark about Hawkeye being the lamest hero in a series featuring LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, and his future in the franchise uncertain with the aforementioned allegations, the end may or may not be in sight.

* Creator/TomHardy was once considered the next big star with a role in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''. However the film flopped badly and nearly killed his career before it got started. This resulted in Hardy [[DrivenToSuicide falling into an addiction to alcohol and crack]] which he eventually overcame. His role in ''Film/{{Bronson}}'' helped revive his fortunes but it was his role in ''Film/{{Inception}}'' that [[CareerResurrection made him big again]]. He followed it up with ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'', ''Film/{{Warrior}}'', ''Film/ThisMeansWar2012'', ''Film/{{Lawless}}'' and, most notably, his role as [[BigBad Bane]] in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' which was a colossal hit and earned him huge acclaim. 2015's ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' opened to rave reviews, ending up being the most critically acclaimed film of the year, and ''Film/TheRevenant'' nabbed him an Oscar nomination, so don't expect Hardy to fade into obscurity anytime soon.

* Creator/BryanCranston has been acting for over three decades, but 2008 onwards have seen him make his way up to the A-List. Already famous and acclaimed for his role in ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', it was his role on ''Series/BreakingBad'' that saw him win enormous acclaim, three Emmys and has since been considered one of the best actors on television. His film career has been shaky with his some flops (''Film/TotalRecall2012'', ''Film/RockOfAges'', ''Film/JohnCarter'') and some big hits (''Film/{{Argo}}'', ''[[Film/{{Godzilla2014}} Godzilla]]''), but he was not the major box-office draw of these films. Like Michael Shannon and Jeremy Renner, he has the advantage of being considerably older and having a more distinctive presence than most other actors and he has a hugely dedicated fanbase, with [[IAmNotSpock type casting]] being a lesser issue as he has already proven he can reinvent himself even late in his career. Time will tell what happens next.

* Creator/LilyJames has received a lot of good press, coming from ''Downton'' as well. She was at one point touted as "the next Keira Knightley" and was brought to national attention with her widely praised role as the title character in Disney's live-action remake of ''{{Film/Cinderella|2015}}''. Her first follow-up to that - ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudiceAndZombies'' - playing with her 'English Rose' typecasting, was a BoxOfficeBomb. But she already had ''Downton'' and another well-received role in the BBC adaptation of ''Literature/WarAndPeace'' to fall back on, so time will tell. Starring in Edgar Wright's hit ''Film/BabyDriver'' is certainly promising. She also had a prominent role in Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain, which was a commercial and critical success.

* Creator/MargotRobbie, although somewhat well-known in her native Australia, got a lot of attention after being in Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheWolfOfWallStreet'', where she turned out to be surprisingly talented for an actress in a role that could've easily been written off as MsFanservice. Then, she starred in several films such as ''Film/{{Focus}}'' and ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan'', neither of which performed that well with audiences or critics. Her starring in the financially successful but critically panned ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' also didn't help, although her performance as Comicbook/HarleyQuinn was noted to be one of the more enjoyable parts of the move. However, she made a quick recovery by gaining critical praise for her performance as disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in the {{Biopic}} ''Film/ITonya'', which got her numerous nominations during the awards season including a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical and an Oscar for Best Actress. For what it's worth, she is willing to pursue roles in different genres to avoid typecasting and her [[NoStuntDouble willingness to perform her own stunts]] in ''Suicide Squad'' and ''I, Tonya'' does sell her as a committed actress. Not to mention that Warner Bros. is willing to give her more creative input on the upcoming ''Film/{{Birds of Prey|2020}}'' movie, going so far as to bump her up to the producer role and letting her choose the writers and director. She also had the major role in Creator/QuentinTarantino's 2019 film ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood'' as Creator/SharonTate, a performance that was well received and even earned approval from Tate's sister. Time will tell if Robbie will indeed live up to the hype and keep a good career going.

** Recent years have not been so kind -- in 2012, [[Music/OneDirection a certain British boy band]] started to cannibalize his fanbase. He ''did'' manage another successful album (''Believe'', considered to have [[GrowingTheBeard grown the beard]]) and another successful world tour... but [[http://www.thewrap.com/crummy-christmas-keanu-reeves-sly-stallone-robert-de-niro-justin-bieber/ his next concert film flopped]] and his subsequent album was withdrawn from iTunes. He soon got an arrest and a DUI under his belt, adding to the likeliness that he would burn out.

* The entire cast of ''Film/StarTrek2009'' has gotten huge hype from their roles but arguably none more so than Creator/ChrisPine, playing the role of Captain Kirk. While he had some hits and critical acclaim before, it was his role in the 2009 reboot that put him firmly on the A-List. Since then, he's had some great success with roles in ''Film/{{Unstoppable}}'', ''Film/ThisMeansWar'' and ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians''. He was also cast as ''Literature/JackRyan'' in the film of the same name, taking over a role previously held by Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/AlecBaldwin and Creator/BenAffleck. His latest major role as Steve Trevor in ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'' has done much favors for him as the film was not only a critical and commercial hit, but many praised his performance and chemistry with lead Creator/GalGadot.

* Creator/TomHardy was once considered the next big star with a role in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''. However the film flopped badly and nearly killed his career before it got started. This resulted in Hardy [[DrivenToSuicide falling into an addiction to alcohol and crack]] which he eventually overcame. His role in ''Film/{{Bronson}}'' helped revive his fortunes but it was his role in ''Film/{{Inception}}'' that [[CareerResurrection made him big again]]. He followed it up with ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'', ''Film/{{Warrior}}'', ''Film/ThisMeansWar'', ''Film/{{Lawless}}'' and, most notably, his role as [[BigBad Bane]] in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' which was a colossal hit and earned him huge acclaim. 2015's ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' opened to rave reviews, ending up being the most critically acclaimed film of the year, and ''Film/TheRevenant'' nabbed him an Oscar nomination, so don't expect Hardy to fade into obscurity anytime soon.

* Ever since the Music/PussycatDolls split up, Hollywood has been trying their absolute damnedest to make Nicole Sherzinger a pop superstar. She had one album, long stuck in DevelopmentHell, released in 2010, to mild success. She's also won a season of ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'', had multiple TV spots, including judging spots on the UK and US versions of ''Series/TheXFactor'' and her own episode of ''Behind The Music.'' It's still up in the air if all of it will finally pay off.

* Although prominent since ''Film/{{Clueless}}'', character actor Creator/PaulRudd's stint as a Hollywood leading man has been built upon the popularity of the Creator/JuddApatow films he has appeared in. He had a promising start with ''Film/RoleModels'' and ''Film/ILoveYouMan'', but practically every film since then have been either box-office flops or disappointments. ''Film/ThisIs40'' has gotten a lot of praise though and he's guaranteed a career in prominent supporting roles. His performance as Scott Lang in the 2015 Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film ''Film/AntMan'' boosted his career a bit.

* Creator/TessaThompson suddenly started attracting a lot of praise with well-received roles in ''{{Film/Creed}}'' and ''Series/DearWhitePeople''. This led to her getting a prominent role in ''{{Series/Westworld}}'', and she was brought to international attention when cast as Valkyrie in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''. She was noted to be the standout of the cast, and her star power was enough to make her feel comfortable to propose an all-female team-up movie in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. She also earned roles in ''Film/MenInBlackInternational'' and the live-action adaption of ''Disney/LadyAndTheTramp''.

* Creator/GalGadot started out playing a supporting roles in ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'', but her big break came when she played Franchise/WonderWoman in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. Although the character debuted as a supporting character in the polarizing ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Gadot's performance was well-received even by the film's harshest critics. The subsequent ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'' origin movie was a critical and commercial success with many critics positively comparing Gadot to Robert Downey Jr. and Christopher Reeve as the generation's most iconic superhero actor. Not only that, but a ''Wonder Woman'' sequel was fast-tracked while many other DCEU movies linger in DevelopmentHell, ensuring that she will keep playing Wonder Woman even as her co-stars Creator/HenryCavill and Creator/BenAffleck have a much more uncertain future in the franchise. Outside of ''The Fast and the Furious'' and DC movies, she had a voice role in ''Disney/RalphBreaksTheInternet'' and managed to surprise many by being not only a decent voice actor but also a good singer. If anything, Gadot may become the new face-of-the-brand player for the DCEU just like Robert Downey Jr. has become for the rival MCU.

* Creator/MargotRobbie, although somewhat well-known in her native Australia, got a lot of attention after being in Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheWolfOfWallStreet'', where she turned out to be surprisingly talented for an actress in a role that could've easily been written off as MsFanservice. Then, she starred in several films such as ''Film/{{Focus}}'' and ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan'', neither of which performed that well with audiences or critics. Her starring in the financially successful but critically panned ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' also didn't help, although her performance as Comicbook/HarleyQuinn was noted to be one of the more enjoyable parts of the move. However, she made a quick recovery by gaining critical praise for her performance as disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in the {{Biopic}} ''Film/ITonya'', which got her numerous nominations during the awards season including a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical and an Oscar for Best Actress. For what it's worth, she is willing to pursue roles in different genres to avoid typecasting and her [[NoStuntDouble willingness to perform her own stunts]] in ''Suicide Squad'' and ''I, Tonya'' does sell her as a committed actress. Not to mention that Warner Bros. is willing to give her more creative input on the upcoming ''Film/{{Birds of Prey|2020}}'' movie, going so far as to bump her up to the producer role and letting her choose the writers and director. She also has a major role in Creator/QuentinTarantino's next film ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood''. Time will tell if Robbie will indeed live up to the hype and keep a good career going.

* Creator/DomhnallGleeson had some hits with ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' and a supporting role in ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' and was known in his native Ireland for being the son of Creator/BrendanGleeson but it was ''Film/AboutTime'' that really launched his career. Since then, he's been on a major critical and commercial hot streak with ''Film/ExMachina'', ''Film/{{Brooklyn}}'', ''Film/TheRevenant'', ''Film/AmericanMade'' and, most notably, a major role in ''Franchise/StarWars'' among other films. If he can continue his ability to choose good projects and mix respected smaller films and major commercial hits, he will have a very successful career ahead.
* Creator/GalGadot started out playing a supporting roles in ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'', but her big break came when she played Franchise/WonderWoman in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. Although the character deubted as a supporting character in the polarizing ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Gadot's performance was well-received even by the film's harshest critics. The subsequent ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'' origin movie was a critical and commercial success with many critics positively comparing Gadot to Robert Downey Jr. and Christopher Reeve as the generation's most iconic superhero actor. Not only that, but a ''Wonder Woman'' sequel was fast-tracked while many other DCEU movies linger in DevelopmentHell, ensuring that she will keep playing Wonder Woman even as her co-stars Creator/HenryCavill and Creator/BenAffleck have a much more uncertain future in the franchise. Outside of ''The Fast and the Furious'' and DC movies, she had a voice role in ''Disney/RalphBreaksTheInternet'' and managed to surprise many by being not only a decent voice actor but also a good singer. If anything, Gadot may become the new face-of-the-brand player for the DCEU just like Robert Downey Jr. has become for the rival MCU.