History Main / HollywoodHypeMachine

** [[HollywoodHypeMachine/ActorsThatDidntHoldUp Actors)]]
** [[HollywoodHypeMachine/ActorsThatDidntHoldUpMToZ Actresses]]

** [[HollywoodHypeMachine/ActorsThatDidntHoldUpAToL Actors that didn't hold up (A-L)]]
** [[HollywoodHypeMachine/ActorsThatDidntHoldUpMToZ Actors that didn't hold up (M-Z)]]

If the resulting push succeeds, great. [[StarDerailingRole If it bombs...]]? Well, the star will linger for a year or two before disappearing, as people wonder "what the hell ever happened to...?". At best, they will continue working in indie flicks, low-key studio pictures, and television, and may even be able to [[CareerResurrection mount a comeback later]]. At worst, they will be in rehab, on unemployment lines, and "Where Are They Now?" specials ([[BleachedUnderpants or]] [[TheInternetIsForPorn worse]]). Sometimes, even if they're successful, the actors may get overwhelmed and suffer public burnouts, become {{typecast|ing}} or too associated [[IAmNotSpock with a particular role]], or simply [[CelebrityIsOverrated reject Hollywood]] for a normal life.

Many examples of actors and directors from all folders can be found on ''Website/LebeausLeBlog'': [[http://lebeauleblog.com/about-what-the-hell-happened/ "What the Hell Happened?"]]

[[quoteright:299:[[Creator/MNightShyamalan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shyamalan_newsweek.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:299:And then came the HypeBacklash. \\

[[quoteright:299:[[Creator/MNightShyamalan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shyamalan_newsweek_1.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:300:[[Creator/MNightShyamalan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shyamalan_newsweek_1.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:And then came the HypeBacklash. \\

Compare CondemnedByHistory, HypeAversion, HypeBacklash, MusicIsPolitics, OneHitWonder, ToughActToFollow. Also compare it to the "star system" employed by the studios during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, which is effectively a modernized version. Contrast StarMakingRole, BreakthroughHit. A related term in ProfessionalWrestling is referred to by fans as "pushed to the moon." Basically, when the people backstage take a particular shine to a new wrestler, they're hyped ("pushed" in wrestling slang) and promoted well beyond their current skill set (both wrestling ability and characterization and ability to cut promos, known as "mic work.") Some can catch up and become superstars, others sadly can't.

Ever since Hollywood has been in existence, it has tried to make new stars. A new big star can sell a movie, and once they're proven a success, they can sell many ''other'' movies. This is especially handy when the fickle viewing audience turns on a big-name actor with star power, or RealLifeWritesThePlot and they do something scandalous. Having a long line of replacements always pays off, and you can never have too many major stars.

The Hollywood Hype Machine refers to the massive set-up that is in place to create said new stars, or new TV shows, books or movies. An aspiring, good-looking young actor, after getting a few noteworthy roles in indie films, TV shows, or [[LimeyGoesToHollywood their home country]] under his or her belt, will be chosen by a studio to be the "next big thing" (and are often ordained by entertainment journalists as the "it girl" or "it boy") and will thus get a major headlining role. They'll immediately appear in celebrity magazines and on entertainment programs and be touted as the Next Big Thing, and they'll give interviews in every medium possible. Several new roles will be announced at once. Tabloids will start following them around. Men's/women's interest magazines will be lining up to offer them [[PublicExposure a sexy photo shoot]]. They'll show up to host ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. They'll make ''People'''s list of the 50 Most Beautiful People and, if they're female, the "Top 100 Hottest Women" list of any men's magazine. Meanwhile, failed stars will suddenly drop off these lists. Did they suddenly become less good-looking? No, they're just not worth pushing any more.

If the resulting push succeeds, great. [[StarDerailingRole If it bombs...]]? Well, the star will linger for a year or two before disappearing, as people wonder "what the hell ever happened to...?". At best, they will continue working in indie flicks, low-key studio pictures, and television, and may even be able to [[CareerResurrection mount a comeback later]]. At worst, they will be in rehab, unemployment lines, and "Where Are They Now?" specials ([[BleachedUnderpants or]] [[TheInternetIsForPorn worse]]). Sometimes, even if they're successful, the actors may get overwhelmed and suffer public burn-outs, become {{typecast|ing}} or too associated [[IAmNotSpock with a particular role]], or simply [[CelebrityIsOverrated reject Hollywood]] for a normal life.

The Hollywood Hype Machine is very fickle, but has a never-ending supply of willing young stars and starlets ready to take the place of the old one. The reason that magazines, tabloids and TV shows (even ones unaffiliated with Hollywood studios) get into it is because, by pushing these new big stars, they can have big headlines and have paparazzi follow ''them'' around, thus selling more magazines and getting higher ratings.

Women seem more affected by this than men, perhaps as a result of roles and stardom coming to the most recent pretty new girl on the scene. As the female stars age, Hollywood decides they aren't [[WhiteDwarfStarlet pretty enough anymore]], and casts the new young thing. Male stars, meanwhile, are offered a lot more leeway with their looks, and can even be downright unattractive (and can therefore get known for things besides their bodies), so they are less affected and are generally less replaceable. The main exceptions are, of course, young PrettyBoy actors whose main purpose is to make young women {{squee}} their way to the theater. For every Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio who makes it to the top, there are countless young studs off of Creator/TheWB or Creator/TheCW who don't.

Compare CondemnedByHistory, HypeAversion, HypeBacklash, MusicIsPolitics. Also compare it to the "star system" employed by the studios during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, which this is effectively a modernized version of. A related term in ProfessionalWrestling is referred to by fans as "pushed to the moon." Basically, when the people backstage take a particular shine to a new wrestler, they're hyped ("pushed" in wrestling slang) and promoted well beyond their current skill set (both wrestling ability and characterization and ability to cut promos, known as "mic work.") Some can catch up and become superstars, others sadly can't.

The Hollywood Hype Machine refers to the massive set-up that is in place to create said new stars, or new TV shows, books or movies. An aspiring, good-looking young actor, after getting a few noteworthy roles in indie films, TV shows, or [[LimeyGoesToHollywood their home country]] under his or her belt, will be chosen by a studio to be the "next big thing" (and are often crowned by entertainment journalists as the "it girl" or "it boy") and will thus get a major headlining role. They'll immediately appear in celebrity magazines and on entertainment programs and be touted as the Next Big Thing, and they'll give interviews in every medium possible. Several new roles will be announced at once. Tabloids will start following them around. Men's/women's interest magazines will be lining up to offer them [[PublicExposure a sexy photo shoot]]. They'll show up to host ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. They'll make ''People'''s list of the 50 Most Beautiful People and, if they're female, the "Top 100 Hottest Women" list of any men's magazine. Meanwhile, failed stars will suddenly drop off these lists. Did they suddenly become less good-looking? No, they're just not worth pushing any more.

The Hollywood Hype Machine refers to the massive set-up that is in place to create said new stars, or new TV shows, books or movies. An aspiring, good-looking young actor, after getting a few noteworthy roles in indie films, TV shows, or [[LimeyGoesToHollywood their home country]] under his or her belt, will be chosen by a studio to be the "Next Big Thing" (or "It Girl" if female) and will thus get a major headlining role. They'll immediately appear in celebrity magazines and on entertainment programs and be touted as the Next Big Thing, and they'll give interviews in every medium possible. Several new roles will be announced at once. Tabloids will start following them around. Men's/women's interest magazines will be lining up to offer them [[PublicExposure a sexy photo shoot]]. They'll show up to host ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. They'll make ''People'''s list of the 50 Most Beautiful People and, if they're female, the "Top 100 Hottest Women" list of any men's magazine. Meanwhile, failed stars will suddenly drop off these lists. Did they suddenly become less good-looking? No, they're just not worth pushing any more.

Ever since Hollywood has been in existence, it has tried to make new stars. A new big star can sell a movie, and once they're proven a success, they can sell many ''other'' movies. This is especially handy when the fickle viewing audience turns on a big-name actor with star power, or RealLifeWritesThePlot and they [[UnderminedByReality do something]] [[ContractualPurity scandalous]]. Having a long line of replacements always pays off, and you can never have too many major stars.

Many examples of actors and directors from all folders can be found in [[http://lebeauleblog.com/about-what-the-hell-happened/ "What the Hell Happened?"]]

* A two part episode of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' was devoted to this trope in regard to Ashley. Will helps Ashley breakout as a singer, turning her into an overnight success. Ashley [[SmallNameBigEgo quickly develops an ego due to her new found success]] but no less than a few weeks later her album completely bombs because [[HypeBacklash people got sick of her.]] This also becomes a rather unfortunate FunnyAneurysmMoment because Tatyana Ali's real life efforts to break out into the music business failed miserably.

Compare DeaderThanDisco, HypeAversion, HypeBacklash, MusicIsPolitics. Also compare it to the "star system" employed by the studios during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, which this is effectively a modernized version of. A related term in ProfessionalWrestling is referred to by fans as "pushed to the moon." Basically, when the people backstage take a particular shine to a new wrestler, they're hyped ("pushed" in wrestling slang) and promoted well beyond their current skill set (both wrestling ability and characterization and ability to cut promos, known as "mic work.") Some can catch up and become superstars, others sadly can't.

!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Too Early To Call]]
* 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/GerardButler. After roles in such films as ''Film/{{Dracula 2000}}'' and the ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider'' sequel, ''People'' magazine predicted he would become a megastar upon the release of the movie version of the musical ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera2004''. However, not only was that film a modest performer at the box-office, but Butler turned out to be a '''big''' reason for the fandom's BrokenBase. In early 2006, he finally attracted big-time attention via ''Film/ThreeHundred'', and since then has alternated between action films (''Film/{{Gamer}}'', ''Film/LawAbidingCitizen'') and ChickFlick[=/=]RomanticComedy fare (''Film/TheBountyHunter'', ''Film/TheUglyTruth''). He's getting plenty of work, but ''Website/TheOnion'' probably had a point when it joked that saying Butler is ''starring'' in a film is just false advertising.
* Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard got a lot of attention for ''Series/TrueBlood'' and for dating former starlets, but what his current fans perceive as famewhoring and paparazzi baiting seems to be turning them off. He's on the fence until future efforts succeed in replenishing the ranks. Solid and HoYay-riffic work on ''Series/GenerationKill'' seems to be doing the trick. He also won lots of acclaim for his turn in ''Series/BigLittleLies''.
* Creator/JakeGyllenhaal and Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal. Hollywood seems entranced by the both of them, despite their continued failure to gain traction with audiences. The movie Bloom turned down, ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', performed under expectations, and even Maggie's presence in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' hasn't been enough to bolster her career, with most of the praise she received only being in comparison to Creator/KatieHolmes, the woman she replaced. Her unconventional facial appearance (big jowls and looking much older than the current crop of young starlets) is part of it as well. But the suits seem undeterred, so who knows? Maybe someday, one of them will hit it big. ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', naturally, was not above pointing all of this out with a cutaway gag in which the two bickered over which one was "more offputting" and "more unappealing in a lead role."
* 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.
* Music/JustinBieber rode an immense wave of success in the early years of his career (despite releasing the same album three times [[note]]a two-part album released in halves four months apart, a compilation of the aforementioned two-parter, and an acoustic re-release with mostly identical content, but focused on vocals and instrumentals, rather than synthetic production[[/note]] and a Christmas album), with his third album (and second album of all original music) going platinum in several countries. He was a major sensation to pre-teen girls, but like most people with that target fanbase, their careers are prone to flaming out quickly. The biggest threat to Bieber's career as a mature performer was initially people getting completely sick of him, as he saturated every form of media out there, even appearing on shows and in magazines that have nothing to do with his target demographic of young children and teens. HypeBacklash was thus a major concern.
** 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 tables finally turned in 2015. After spending the first half of 2015 on an apology tour and doing his best to undo the damage of his 2014 scandals, along with the surprise hit with Music/{{Skrillex}} and Music/{{Diplo}} "Where Are Ü Now", his highly-promoted comeback single "What Do You Mean?" debuted at #1 on the Hot 100, something that Music/OneDirection never achieved; his subsequent album ''Purpose'' was released on the same day as 1D's, and went on to trounce it, debuting at number one (subsequently ending 1D's perfect #1 album streak at 4) and having two enormously successful followup singles ("Sorry" and "Love Yourself"), which were the two biggest hits of 2016. Two more tracks featuring Bieber, Major Lazer's "Cold Water" and DJ Snake's "Let Me Love You", were also smash hits in the summer of 2016. While he's still on shaky ground (and 1D arguably still has a bigger "hardcore" following), he gained a larger casual following than he or 1D ever had. It's certainly a positive turning point and the future looks bright.
* The boys of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}.'' Both Creator/JensenAckles and Creator/JaredPadalecki have gotten incredible praise for the show (including helping to raise it above the ScifiGhetto), and for being a couple of members of "Young Hot Hollywood" who can actually act instead of relying on their good looks. However, both of their attempts at film careers after starting ''Supernatural'' (Jensen in ''Film/MyBloodyValentine3D'' and Jared in the ''Film/FridayThe13th2009'' remake) went nowhere. The big test will be when they branch out of the sci-fi/horror genre, and when ''Supernatural'' ends they can be choosier about film roles (since right now they are limited to what they can do while ''Supernatural'' is still on the air).
* Creator/PatrickDempsey had a serviceable but unremarkable film career for a while. Once ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' became successful, Hollywood started trying to promote him as the next big thing. Of the leading-man roles he's had since then, only ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' was really a critical and/or commercial success, and that one was arguably helped by having the Disney name behind it as well. His other roles haven't really set the world on fire, though he readily admits that his acting on ''Grey's'' mainly helps finance his auto racing career and he wouldn't mind pursuing motorsports full-time.
* Creator/GemmaArterton began being hyped as the next big UK starlet after a OneSceneWonder role as Strawberry Fields in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' (managing to overshadow even lead female Creator/OlgaKurylenko). However, none of her post 007 roles (''Film/TheDisappearanceOfAliceCreed'', ''ComicBook/TamaraDrewe'', ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans|2010}}'', ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'') have managed to meet the hype. There's still a slight chance that she could pull it off but it's looking very unlikely.
* Music/JustinTimberlake has been a very successful singer since his days in Music/{{NSYNC}}, but his movie career has had a lot of ups and downs. His entrance into Hollywood was rough: ''Film/AlphaDog'' had mixed reviews, but his performance was mostly praised. Then ''Film/SouthlandTales'', ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'', and ''Film/TheLoveGuru'' ruined the careers of everyone involved, including him. Nobody cared for ''The Open Road'', but then ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'' gave him a massive career boost. From then on it was bumpy again: voicing [[Film/YogiBear another CGI character]], picking [[Film/InTime the wrong sci-fi thriller]] to star in, and being [[Film/FriendsWithBenefits hit]] or [[Film/BadTeacher miss]] with the rom-com genre. A supporting role in ''Inside Llewyln Davis'' may keep him afloat acting-wise in the short term; to work with both Creator/DavidFincher and Creator/TheCoenBrothers illustrate that some big-name directors still have a lot of faith in him.
* 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.
* Guy Henry, better known as [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mhd6/characters/henrik-hanssen Henrik Hanssen]] in ''Series/HolbyCity'' has become critically acclaimed, and has avoided things such as SmallNameBigEgo etc. Unlike Music/JustinBieber, he isn't criticised or the subject of jokes, and is considered attractive by a lot of women - as much as the aforementioned individual.
* Beth Behrs, from ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'' has also received critical acclaim as well, and time will tell if this lasts or not. However, her GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff status - in the United Kingdom - probably counts for this too.
* 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.
* 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/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/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/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.
* 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.
* 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.
* Australian star Jason Clarke, similar to Creator/JeremyRenner, is an older actor who is gaining huge success in his forties with roles in ''Film/ZeroDarkThirty'', ''Film/{{Lawless}}'' and ''Film/TheGreatGatsby2013'' as well as a leading role in the ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' and ''Film/TerminatorGenisys''. Time will tell if he can keep it up.
* 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.
* Creator/AaronTveit has kicked around Broadway for a few years with the occasional recurring part, but the Powers That Be have been [[http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/gracelands-aaron-tveit-talks-transitioning-broadway-tv-95846 actively looking]] for a vehicle to introduce him to the mainstream. It finally happened with a turn in the film adaptation of ''Film/LesMiserables2012'' and the new show ''Series/{{Graceland}}''. However, as seen under Amanda Seyfried's entry, much of the attention of ''Les Mis'' was directed toward Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, and while he's getting great praise for ''Graceland,'' its status as a darker show on the normally bright and optimistic USA Network has made its reception a little lukewarm.
* Creator/MichaelShannon had been kicking around for years in prominent supporting roles in films such as ''Film/EightMile'' and ''Film/BadBoysII'' but it was his scene-stealing role in ''Film/RevolutionaryRoad'' in which he just about stole the film from Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/KathyBates with ten minutes of screen time, that earned him huge praise and an Oscar nomination. Since then, he has gone from one success to another with acclaimed starring roles in films like ''Film/TheIceman'' and ''Film/TakeShelter'', rave reviews for supporting roles in ''Film/PremiumRush'' and ''The Runaways'' and most notably his role in HBO's ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' and his role as Zod in blockbuster ''Film/ManOfSteel''. He later received another Oscar nomination for ''Film/NocturnalAnimals'' and was praised for his performance in ''Film/TheShapeOfWater''. While he may not exactly be anyone's idea of a leading man, it is likely he will stay around for a while.
* 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.
* Cranston's costar from ''Series/BreakingBad'' Creator/AaronPaul is less lucky. He won three Emmy Awards for his role as Jesse Pinkman. However, the films he starred after his breakthrough, ''Film/NeedForSpeed'' and ''Film/ALongWayDown'', were critical flops. He has had some success with his involvement in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'', though and is cast for the third season of ''Series/{{Westworld}}''.
* BoyBand Music/OneDirection took America practically overnight. While they had a slower rise in Europe, they were relatively unheard of in the United States--and then they started appearing ''everywhere''. Although initially pegged as rivals to fellow rising boy band The Wanted, One Direction [[CurbStompBattle made short work of them]], and The Wanted's career fizzled after one big hit. Then, the band's eyes were set on Justin Bieber. One Direction shocked the world when they defeated Justin Bieber at the 2012 Video Music Awards, which was a sign that Bieber's reign atop the teen world was coming to an end. One Direction proved that the victory was no fluke by continuing to ''dwarf'' his accomplishments and sales. Not only were the Brits' popularity skyrocketing past the Canadian's and closing in on his peak, but it was also obvious that Bieber's popularity was starting to fall (his own behavior would hurt it even worse). It's quite clear that One Direction are the biggest teen phenomenon since Music/{{NSYNC}}.
* Creator/TaylorKitsch has been having a rough time with this trope as of late. He first rose to prominence with his role in ''Friday Night Lights'' showing he could be a very good actor in addition to being fan service like in ''Film/TheCovenant''. His post career has been very rough with 2012 proving a disastrous year with ''three'' high-profile disasters in ''Film/{{Battleship}}'', ''Film/{{Savages}}'' and most notably ''Film/JohnCarter'', which was one of the biggest box-office disasters in recent memory. He does have an advantage in that he wasn't blamed for any of the failures, with ''John Carter'''s attributed to a very poor marketing campaign and an enormously bloated budget, and the fact that critics and audiences already know how well he can act. He's been confirmed for the second season of ''Series/TrueDetective'' but earned mixed reception for his performance which doesn't help that the second season was not as good as the first.
* Creator/ChanningTatum broke out into the mainstream with ''Film/StepUp'' and ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra''. This had the effect of typecasting him as either a bland meathead or a MrFanservice. Although he attracted a swarm of EstrogenBrigade, critics didn't think too highly of him, nicknaming him 'The Charming Potato' - though he had proved that he did have some acting prowess in his earlier roles in ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' and ''Film/StopLoss''. The year 2012 was very successful for him - with both ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' and ''Film/MagicMike'' proving to be Box Office smashes and critical successes. Both were followed up with successful sequels, and he won lots of acclaim for a dramatic turn in ''{{Film/Foxcatcher}}'' as well as a wildly against type role in ''Film/TheHatefulEight''. The Box Office failure of ''Film/JupiterAscending'' and the DevelopmentHell for his {{ComicBook/Gambit}} movie seems to be throwing a bit of a wrench into things however. Though his work with Steven Soderbergh has won him considerable acclaim and earned him a new life as a more respected actor.
* Creator/ChrisEvans has had his ups and downs with this trope. After his role in ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'', he got a number of prominent roles, most notably as the Human Torch in the ''[[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four]]'' franchise. While most of his films did fairly well, they were usually not well-received by critics, and he never broke out as a major star. While he did get some positive press for his roles in ''Film/{{Sunshine}}'' and ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', they didn't do very well at the box office. However, his career started to pick up in 2011, when he was cast as Captain America in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' and the subsequent Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse films. While his films outside it (''Film/TheIceman'' and ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'') have been only moderately successful, his Marvel roles should keep him around for a while. Especially with the success of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''. If anything kills Evans's career it may well be Evans himself; he's expressed ambivalence about his blockbusters and stated that he may well retire after his Marvel contract is up to focus on directing. He has seemed more enthusiastic during the lead-up to ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', though, and suggested he may be willing to extend his contract until ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' which is his last movie as Captain America.
* Since ''Film/{{Divergent}}'' is considered by several in terms of hype to be "The New ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Hunger Games]]''," being a film adaptation of a popular Young Adult book series (and every new such franchise launched between the two has bombed), there are already some press that are hyping up ''Divergent'' star Creator/ShaileneWoodley as "The New Creator/JenniferLawrence." Adding to this comparison is the fact that both got their first break on low-budget cable series (''The Bill Engvall Show'' for Lawrence, ''Series/TheSecretLifeOfTheAmericanTeenager'' for Woodley.) The box office success of ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars'' is certainly a step in the right direction but after ''Allegiant'' bombed so badly, she refused to return to the final movie which was regulated as a TV movie. Fortunately, her performance in ''{{Film/Snowden}}'' and ''Series/BigLittleLies'' was praised which means there's hope for her.
* 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...
* Music/FiveSecondsOfSummer are an Australian pop rock boy band who got their big break opening for One Direction, and the success they experienced was enormous, becoming the only boy-band able to stand toe-to-toe with them. Groups like The Wanted and Big Time Rush had their careers flushed down the toilet by their rivals, whereas upcoming groups like [=Emblem3=], Midnight Red, and Union J were unable to take off, so 5 Seconds of Summer was expected to suffer the same fate. But instead, the group debuted at number-one with their first album, outsold One Direction's opening, got 5 top 40 hits in only three months, and are apparently next in line for the teen idol throne.
* 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/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.
* Her ''Cinderella'' co-star Creator/RichardMadden has received similar hype, he too coming from a hit TV-show (''Series/GameOfThrones''). His first follow-up - the film ''Bastille Day'' didn't make much headway and got mixed reviews. Then, he got the lead role in BBC's ''[[Series/BodyguardUK2018 Bodyguard]]'' which earned him critical praise and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He stars in Elton John's biopic, ''Film/{{Rocketman 2019}}'', as his music manager and is cast in the upcoming Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film, ''The Eternals''.
* Creator/KevinHart is climbing up this ladder as we speak, in large part thanks to his highly respected stand up career. While the films he's starred in, like ''Film/RideAlong'' and ''Film/GrudgeMatch'', haven't been well-received by critics, audiences have enjoyed them more thanks to box office gross. Forbes even named him the top-paid comedian of 2016 with $87.5 million, surpassing long-time record holder Creator/JerrySeinfeld. More recently, he has had a couple of commercially and critical successful films that costarred Wrestling/DwayneJohnson: ''Film/CentralIntelligence'' and ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' as well as having a role in the highly successful animated film ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretLifeOfPets''. He was supposed to host for the Oscars 2019 but after two days since the announcement, he dropped out after a series of his old homophobic tweets resurfaced which he apologized on the next day.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1GbcK4HpYY Sarah Rogers, ITV news reporter]] has had critical acclaim and her Twitter feed is popular - although it's very much a dry type of Twitter, with no controversial tweets. She was believed to be in ''Series/StrictlyComeDancing'' [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but that never got anywhere]], amd she's covered [[DarkerAndEdgier many dark and edgy news topics]], sometimes news stories with AnAesop in them, and she is considered a good up-and-coming reporter who deserves national attention. Time will tell if she becomes as big a star as Scarlett from Gogglebox.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyuDELIhPkU Carolin Roth]] from CNBC is well-known to the fanbase who watch ''Street Signs'' on CNBC weekday mornings 9am-11am UK time, but recently, she's become very popular and has been well-received for her [[ThoseTwoGuys appearances with Louisa Bojesen on Street Signs]] and her ability to present, with an interesting mixture of TechnicianVsPerformer. Although it's too early to call, she is still getting a cult following from viewers, and people are expecting her to be on reality shows by 2017 (although the probability of that is anyone's guess).
* Irish actor Jack Reynor was given a lot of hype thanks to his breakout role in ''Film/WhatRichardDid''. HypeBacklash set in pretty quickly, especially after his turn in ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'', which had some viewers questioning whether the former was just a fluke. He did earn critical acclaim for his parts in smaller films like ''Film/ARoyalNightOut'', ''Sing Street'' and the 2015 adaptation of ''{{Theatre/Macbeth}}'' so time will tell.
* Creator/FelicityJones had a slow climb to the top, starting out as a child actress in ''Literature/TheWorstWitch''. She had a series of respectable roles in well-received films, before netting a lot of acclaim for ''Like Crazy''. Her attempt at joining a franchise - namely as Felicia Hardy in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' - didn't go so well when Sony sold the ''Spider Man'' rights back to Marvel. But an Oscar nomination for ''Film/TheTheoryOfEverything'' gave her a real boost and she headlined three films in 2016 - ''Film/DanBrownsInferno'', ''Film/AMonsterCalls'' and the Franchise/StarWars spin-off ''Film/RogueOne''. Time will tell if this translates into superstardom.
* 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/EmiliaClarke is slowly rising on the top ever since she was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which got her an Emmy nomination. By then, she landed a role as Sarah Connor in ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'' which received negative critical reviews and most of these reviews panned her performance. Although she quickly recovered with her starring role in ''Film/MeBeforeYou'', her film career was hampered by the commercial failure of the film ''Film/{{Solo}}''. With ''Game of Thrones'''s disastrously-received finale in 2019 -- which her character was at the center of -- only time will tell if she will stay on top or be remembered as a one-hit wonder.
* Creator/TomHiddleston has been gradually climbing to the top ever since he first gained mainstream exposure as the villainous Loki in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' with subsequent reprisals as the villain in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' only adding to his stardom. In between starring as Loki, he has been finding consistent, critically-acclaimed work like ''Series/TheNightManager'', which netted him a Golden Globe award. His biggest hit that he headlined outside of the MCU was ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', which received good reviews and grossed over $550 million world wide though some felt that his otherwise solid performance was overshadowed by the AllStarCast. What helps Hiddleston stand out from the other MCU cast members is how takes an active role in smaller budget productions to garner goodwill from critics and avoid high-profile flops that could tarnish his record. For the time being, Hiddleston seems to be doing well and may be on his way to securing A-list stardom if he can continue his consistent track record.
* 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/JonHamm has had an odd relationship with this trope. After a few years of doing bit work and supporting roles, He burst onto the scene with ''Series/MadMen'' and won huge acclaim for his role and he has made a few forays into film such as ''Film/TheTown'' and ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'', the latter of which allowed him a chance to prove his comedy skills. But he hasn't fully made the leap to film success yet. This is partially due to his admitted aversion to franchises that require long contracts, ruling him out of superhero films even though many had been and still are pushing for him to play ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' in the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'', something which Hamm has said he'd be up for if the script were good enough. Like some other actors on here, his older age gives him a degree of protection from being replaced and his acclaimed work on TV means he'll be around for a good while. He also had a huge hit with ''Film/BabyDriver'' so the possibility of him breaking out as a film star is definitely still there.
* 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.
* Barry Keoghan became a household name in his home country of Ireland with a starring role in ''Series/LoveHate''. He's been given the opportunity to star in high profile films such as ''{{Film/Dunkirk}}'', ''Film/TheKillingOfASacredDeer'' and ''Black 47'' - though not as a lead yet. Time will tell if he can live up to the hype.
* 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 leave 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. and Scarlett Johansson have become for the rival MCU.
* 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 the upcoming ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Would-be and one-time A-Listers]]

!! These examples fit for people who were once big names (often for years), and then faltered, or people who failed to hit the A-List, but nonetheless managed to have decent careers.

* Where do we even begin with Creator/AdamSandler?
** Sandler made his first hit as a cast member for ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' for five seasons, at a time when the show was about to head for another DorkAge since the infamous season six. After leaving ''SNL'', he made his feature film debuts in ''Film/BillyMadison'' and ''Film/HappyGilmore'', both of which were released a year from each other. Despite both film receiving mixed reviews, they both scored modest box office returns. His next film was ''Film/{{Bulletproof}}'', which was critically panned and nearly fizzled out his career, but then got a ''huge'' push when he became star of ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'', which became Sandler's first blockbuster hit. This paved the way for Sandler becoming a CriticProof star, with ''Film/TheWaterboy'' and ''Film/BigDaddy'' becoming big hits against a backdrop of otherwise mediocre reception. With the exceptions of ''Film/LittleNicky'', ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'' and ''Film/ReignOverMe'' (the latter of which was a rare [[TomHanksSyndrome departure from comedy to drama]]), Sandler's films managed to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars and turn big profits regardless of poor critical reception.\\\
However, by the early 2010's, audiences began to lose interest in Sandler's crass humor, and his films began to underperform. ''Film/JackAndJill'' went on to be regarded as one of the worst films ever produced, and ''Film/ThatsMyBoy'' became Sandler's first biggest flop since ''Eight Crazy Nights''. Additionally, studio executives began to grow irritated with how terrible his movies were becoming to the public eye, and his [[MeanCharacterNiceActor usual friendliness with everyone he works with]] ended up going downhill one day when Sandler [[IdiotBall marched into Sony's studio offices demanding that $200 million be set aside]] for a potential ''TabletopGame/CandyLand'' movie, a move that ended up sending the film into DevelopmentHell. He did one final attempt to save his floundering career with ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', but it instead became one of the most hated films of 2015 and bombed spectacularly, ensuring that audiences were no longer attracted to Sandler's comedy as they were a decade ago. Following this flop, Sandler began to divest himself heavily from Sony and has almost completely disappeared from the silver screen aside from voice parts in the ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania'' films, and has been relegated to doing films for Creator/{{Netflix}}.
** His career behind the camera hasn't worked out well, either. Aside from his own films, most of Sandler's off-screen production ventures, such as ''Film/TheMasterOfDisguise'' and ''Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star'', were universally panned and did poorly at the box office, and also helped [[StarDerailingRole derail the careers of those who starred in them]]. All of them were produced through his company, Happy Madison Productions, which has become synonymous with abysmal low-brow humor.
* Creator/EddieMurphy was the hottest comedian around back in TheEighties. He started out on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' during one of its toughest {{Dork Age}}s, perhaps being ''the'' reason SNL escaped cancellation. He would soon bring his wit to the big screen in films like ''Film/FortyEightHours'', ''Film/TradingPlaces'', ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' and ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII'', and ''Film/ComingToAmerica'' (his only misstep was 1986's ''Film/TheGoldenChild''), as well as his standup specials ''Delirious'' and ''Raw'', and even [[SoBadItsGood a couple of hit songs]] such as "Party All the Time". But after the failure of his 1989 vanity project ''Film/HarlemNights'', in which he directed and starred with his comic idols Creator/RichardPryor and Redd Foxx, Murphy's career plummeted in TheNineties, with ''Film/Another48Hours'', ''Film/TheDistinguishedGentleman'', ''Film/Boomerang1992'', ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopIII'', and ''Film/VampireInBrooklyn'' all bombing (though ''Boomerang'' has been VindicatedByHistory). He had become a walking punchline, infamously mocked by Creator/DavidSpade on SNL in 1995 when he said "Look, kids! a falling star! Make a wish!", which ''really'' [[BerserkButton made him mad]]. He bounced back with his 1996 remake of ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'', and other films like ''Film/{{Metro}}'', ''Film/DrDolittle'', ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'', ''Film/{{Life|1999}}'', and ''Film/{{Bowfinger}}''. But in the 2000s, Murphy slipped again as he made more [[RatedGForGangsta family-friendly films]], which, with the exception of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' series, were poorly received. Films like ''Film/DaddyDayCare'', ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'', ''Film/MeetDave'', and ''Imagine That'', were panned by audiences and critics, and 2002's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPlutoNash'' was [[BoxOfficeBomb one of the biggest bombs in Hollywood history]]. He received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination as Best Supporting Actor for ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}'' in 2006, but the much-maligned 2007 film ''Film/{{Norbit}}'' probably torpedoed his hopes of winning. He was praised for starring in ''Film/TowerHeist'' in 2011, but 2012 brought ''Film/AThousandWords'' (filmed several years before its release), which was universally panned (and had the "privilege" of being his first film to go [[DirectToVideo Direct-to-DVD]] in Britain). Since then, he has only had an appearence at the SNL 40th anniversary special and one film called ''Film/MrChurch'', which, while a more dramatic role for Murphy, was still critical panned and was a box office failure.
* Similar to Eddie Murphy, Creator/JimCarrey was ''the'' big comedian of the 1990s. Carrey started off playing supporting or minor roles in movies in TheEighties, but after the back-to-back successes of ''Film/AceVentura'', ''Film/TheMask'', and ''Film/DumbAndDumber'' in 1994, his star shot up like a rocket. Unfortunately for him, while his comedic roles brought a major bank, it made him severely {{typecast|ing}} as an actor. [[TomHanksSyndrome Attempts at more dramatic fare]], such as ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', ''Film/ManOnTheMoon'', ''Film/TheMajestic'', and ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'', while earning him praise from critics, under-performed if not flopped at the box office[[note]]''Film/TheTrumanShow'' was the exception due to [[NeverTrustATrailer the trailer downplaying the drama]].[[/note]] compared to his broad comedies. Unlike most however, Carrey's status is more self-imposed, making a conscious decision to [[TomHanksSyndrome pursue more serious works]] rather than continue with the comedies that made him incredibly popular. After making ''Film/AceVenturaWhenNatureCalls'', he repeatedly refused to star in sequels to his comedic works (except for ''Film/DumbAndDumberTo''), which was likely a wise choice given the critical receptions those films wound up getting.
* Creator/JudeLaw spent years as a bit player as well as earning two Oscar nominations for both ''Film/TheTalentedMrRipley'' and ''Literature/ColdMountain'' before receiving a huge, notable Hollywood marketing push in 2004, starring in ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'', the remake of ''Film/{{Alfie}}'', and half a dozen other films. Creator/ChrisRock engaged in some LampshadeHanging at his expense at the Oscars ceremony, making fun of how this "Creator/TomCruise [[PoorMansSubstitute Lite]]" was receiving so much hype and so many pictures for what seemed to be no reason ("If you can't get Tom Cruise... just ''wait''!"). Of course, every film either bombed or was a disappointment, and then he got caught cheating on his then-fiance Sienna Miller with his children's nanny, shattering any hopes for him as an A-Lister. Even with his career damaged, however, Law has continued plugging away, with major roles in ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', ''Film/RepoMen'', and other recent Hollywood films. It's a serviceable career, although not nearly the highly bankable, Cruise-style A-lister that the studios were hoping he would be. This might changed after he was cast as the younger version of Albus Dumbledore in ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' and as Yon-Rogg in ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' which shows that he's still around.
* Creator/OrlandoBloom appeared in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' trilogies and was one of the biggest stars of the [[TurnOfTheMillennium early-mid '00s]]. Since then, his career has suffered several hits, including critical thrashing and HypeBacklash, but he works steadily in highly regarded (if small) productions, for which he is finally starting to receive positive attention from the critics. His career appears to be thriving, but it's doubtful it will reach its former stratospheric heights. By all accounts, this seems to be his intention (he reportedly turned down Jake Gyllenhaal's role in ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'').[[note]] It seems fairly obvious that the role was written with him in mind and that Gyllenhaal was basically told "act as much like Orlando Bloom as possible." So he isn't wholly out of the loop...[[/note]] He recently came back into prominence with ''Series/CarnivalRow''.
* Creator/FayeDunaway exploded onto the scene with ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'' and a subsequent Oscar nomination. She was hyped up throughout the 60s/70s with hits like ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1968'', ''Film/TheToweringInferno'', ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', ''{{Film/Chinatown}}'', and ''Film/{{Network}}'' (for which she won an Oscar). She got singled out by Creator/JoanCrawford, who said that she was the only actress of her generation who "has what it takes" to become a star. Prophetic words - as Faye was chosen to play Joan herself in the adaptation of her daughter's tell-all book ''Literature/MommieDearest''. What was anticipated as a hard-hitting and gritty biopic ended up a hammy [[{{Narm}} unintentional comedy]] with the portrayal of Joan turned into a deranged cartoon character. Her hopes of winning an Oscar vanished, and the film's reception as a SoBadItsGood camp classic destroyed the star's reputation - along with stories of her being a massive primadonna on set (rumour has it that the cast and crew found her so horrible they told her there wasn't a wrap party). She all but vanished from leading roles afterwards, with her most notable credits since being ''Film/{{Supergirl}}'' and ''Film/DunstonChecksIn''.
* Music/JenniferLopez practically became an A-list star overnight after her performance in ''Film/{{Selena}}'' was praised by critics, and she followed it up with several critically acclaimed films such as ''Film/OutOfSight'' and ''Film/TheCell''. She also became noteworthy for being one of the few thespians who was able to successfully juggle both a singing and acting career, in 2000 she became the first person to have both the number one album and star in the number one film in the same week. Though some critics were disappointed when she later switched over to starring in middling romantic comedies like ''The Wedding Planner'', ''Film/MonsterInLaw'', and ''Film/MaidInManhattan'', but her films were still successful box-office wise for the most part, and even the critically mauled ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' didn't seem to stall her career much. But then she took a four-year break from her film career, and her first film since her break, ''The Back-Up Plan'' received worse reviews then any other film she's starred in so far, so while Lopez is still getting work in films ([[Series/AmericanIdol and]] [[Series/ShadesOfBlue television]]), it's pretty likely she'll never return to her former A-list status.
* Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger started out as a low-budget actor with forgettable films like ''Hercules in New York'' in his name, but soon found luck when a little-known director named Creator/JamesCameron tapped him to play the title role in ''Film/TheTerminator''. Although the movie received initially mixed reviews, it soon became such a massive pop culture behemoth that its [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay sequel]] in 1991 grossed ''seven times'' its predecessor. He soon scored more action roles throughout the 1980's and 1990's, with major box-office hits like ''Film/{{Predator}}'', ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' and ''Film/TrueLies'' becoming quintessential action flicks of the era. Unfortunately, his stint as Mr. Freeze in ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' didn't fare as well, and it ended up [[{{Pun}} freezing]] his star power for the rest of the 90's. He made one final stint as T-800 in ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' before deciding to take a break from acting and serve as the Governor of California for eight straight years before returning to film. His recent films though haven't been particularly successful with even his return to the ''Terminator'' series, ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'', proving to be a commercial disappointment. He did recently host a celebrity season of ''Series/TheApprentice'' in 2017 but left after one season. Now, with Cameron back in the ''Terminator'' fold, Schwarzenegger will return as T-800 once again in a new ''Terminator'' film that will conclude the franchise for good. Time will tell if that helps Schwarzenegger get back on his feet.
* Creator/CatherineZetaJones made a ''major'' splash with her {{Fanservice}}-y role in ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro'', and instantly became a household name (internationally, anyway - she had already been fairly well-known for a while in the UK). Unfortunately, before she could get much work, she hooked up with Creator/MichaelDouglas and practically vanished for years, only making the occasional movie like ''Film/{{Chicago}}'' (for which she won an Oscar). She doesn't seem to mind her current obscurity, but she could have been as A-List as anybody given enough of a push. However, she recently went public about her struggles with bipolar disorder (as well her husband's cancer diagnosis a few years back) which could be a fair explanation for why she has not worked as much as she used to.
* Creator/JohnnyDepp was THE TurnOfTheMillennium leading man. Making his debut as [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984 Freddy Krueger's first victim]], he spent much of the 1990s starring in critically-acclaimed and/or financially successful films, such as ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' (his first film with Creator/TimBurton), ''Film/BennyAndJoon'' and ''Film/DonnieBrasco''. However, he wouldn't hit the A-list until the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' series, which turned his Jack Sparrow character into a pop culture icon, catapulted him to the top. Magazine covers of him soon followed, and nearly every film he starred in thereafter turned a major profit for the studios who released them.\\\
However, with the live-action ''Film/{{Alice in Wonderland|2010}}'' film being critically mauled while financially successful, HypeBacklash kicked in. Audiences grew tired of Depp's LargeHam tendencies in his roles, and the drug and alcohol abuse that plagued his career since the mid-to-late '80s became an issue again. In 2011, while ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'' and the fourth ''Pirates'' movie were hits, ''Film/TheRumDiary'' and ''Film/DarkShadows'', the latter film released the following year, tanked. Then came ''Film/TheLoneRanger2013'', in which he -- despite being Caucasian -- played the title role's sidekick Tonto to much controversy (especially as he played him as a Jack Sparrow-style buffoon). The film received poor reviews and became Disney's biggest BoxOfficeBomb, leading to a studio write-down of $190 million ''and'' the end of their long-time relationship with producer Creator/JerryBruckheimer. Depp's star power faded overnight, with ''Film/{{Transcendence}}'' and ''Film/{{Mortdecai}}'' total flops. Although he did receive critical praise for ''Film/BlackMass'', that was a brief respite. In 2016 came a high-profile domestic violence case against him from his former wife, Creator/AmberHeard, who published shocking pictures of bruises on her face, allegedly from him, to back up her claims. This, combined with audience disinterest in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass'', led to ''its'' box office failure. He's never recovered from this scandal; his days as a leading man came to a halt when ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'' became the lowest-grossing film of the franchise, resulting in Disney publicly distancing themselves from him ''and'' Warner Bros. downplaying his role in the marketing campaign for ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald''. With the #[=MeToo=] movement increasing scrutiny of him due to his domestic violence history, the struggles of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' films, and his reputation for being financially irresponsible and difficult to work with, his career may well end with that of the series.
* Following her [[StarMakingRole Star-Making Role]] in ''Film/WhenHarryMetSally'', Creator/MegRyan starred in a string of successful romantic comedies and dramas over the course of the 1990s (most notably her three films with Creator/TomHanks, with ''Film/SleeplessInSeattle'' and ''Film/YouveGotMail'' both grossing over $100 million at the domestic box office). She very quickly became "America's Sweetheart" as a result. However, Ryan's reported affair with her ''Proof of Life'' co-star Creator/RussellCrowe (while Ryan was still married to, albeit separated from Creator/DennisQuaid) did serious harm to Ryan's [[ContractualPurity "good girl"]] image. She gained even more negative publicity when she appear on the UK talk show ''Parkinson'' while promoting the erotic thriller (and very much a PlayingAgainstType role) ''Film/InTheCut''. The interview was awkward and uncomfortable, with host Michael Parkinson later calling her "terrible" while Ryan shot back saying she felt like he was a "disapproving father" towards her with his tone. Not helping were the ill-advised cosmetic procedures, which further diminished her [[GirlNextDoor "girl next door"]] appeal. Following the 2004 boxing drama ''Against the Ropes'' (which [[BoxOfficeBomb flopped at the box office]] and was panned by critics for being a stale ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' clone), Ryan wouldn't appear in another movie for three years. She would resurface in the independent movie ''In the Land of Women'' and [[DirectToVideo direct-to-DVD movies]] like ''The Deal'' and ''Mom's New Boyfriend.'' That was already a massive slide from where she'd been previously, but quite possibly the [[StarDerailingRole biggest nail in her coffin]] was her next major theatrically released film, 2008's ''The Women''. Response from critics was overwhelmingly negative, with the film garnering a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Ryan herself would also be nominated for a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Worst Actress Razzie]] (alongside co-stars Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Debra Messing).\\
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Ryan had been the queen of The '90s, but between problems in her personal life (which would irreparably damage [[OvershadowedByControversy the public's perception of her]]) and poor choices in roles, she's now [[CelebrityIsOverrated disappeared from the Hollywood landscape]] (literally too, as she's now living in New York). While some of her earlier films are still well liked for [[NostalgiaFilter nostalgic reasons]], it's also clear many of them haven't aged well. Ryan herself meanwhile isn't looking to make a [[CareerResurrection comeback]] anytime soon either, as she's stated in later interviews that she's felt liberated since losing her America's Sweetheart image and generally likes [[ReclusiveArtist keeping a low profile]] and living a normal life.
* Creator/MelGibson was an A-list superstar and a beloved heartthrob in the '80s and '90s, especially as he successfully branched out into directing. While he'd always been known to have fairly controversial views, he kept them under wraps well enough that audiences were able to ignore them and turn out for his movies in droves. His career peaked in 2004 with ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'', a retelling of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' crucifixion which, despite controversy (especially over its portrayal of Jews), was one of the most successful independent films of all time, financed largely through Gibson's own efforts. Not long after ''The Passion'', however, things changed virtually overnight thanks to the revelation of his racism, anti-Semitism, and {{Jerkass}} [[DomesticAbuse treatment]] of his girlfriend across a number of widely publicized incidents, which only made the controversy over ''The Passion'' that much more notable.\\
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For many, he's now a despised joke punchline and virtually persona non grata, [[OvershadowedByControversy to the point where even those who think he's a good actor will stop well short of defending his views and behavior]]. Even his older hits such as the ''Film/MadMax'' and ''Film/LethalWeapon'' series have fallen from the pop culture landscape even as other '80s franchises were rediscovered and put through the NostalgiaFilter. As [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160110034820/http://moviebob.blogspot.com/2015/05/whos-real-speed-bump-on-fury-road.html this article]] by Creator/BobChipman noted, the ads for ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' went out of their way to downplay any association with Gibson (who had played the title character in the original films), lest he serve as box-office poison merely through association with the series. As for Gibson himself, it's been noted that post-meltdown he's shown a willingness to take on villain roles, something he had never done before, perhaps implying he's [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity embraced the public perception of himself]]. He did have a [[CareerResurrection major comeback]] with ''Film/HacksawRidge'', which he directed but didn't star in, and ''[[Film/DaddysHome Daddy's Home 2]]'' was an onscreen success story, so he's not quite finished yet. At the same time, a good deal of ink has been spilled by critics wondering ''why'' creatives and audiences support someone who hasn't repented of/atoned for his past actions.
* Creator/GinniferGoodwin received something of a Kate Hudson-esque push, getting numerous romantic comedy roles and magazine covers. But she didn't do a film after ''Film/SomethingBorrowed'' until 2016's ''{{Disney/Zootopia}}'' (a five year gap). She was however chosen as the headliner of ABC's ''Series/OnceUponATime'' which has been a consistent hit with viewers. She appears to be slowing down after giving birth, and has had consistently less screen time in recent years, but remains part of the main cast at least.
* Creator/MilaKunis was well-known to audiences for her roles in ''Series/That70sShow'' and ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', but she got a big breakthrough with ''Film/ForgettingSarahMarshall'' - taking much of the spotlight away from Kristen Bell (mentioned above). She won lots of acclaim for her role as Lily in ''Film/BlackSwan'', and was named the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2013. Although her next big blockbuster ''Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful'' made plenty of money, her performance was widely panned. Not helping matters was her first headlining role - ''Film/JupiterAscending'' - being a BoxOfficeBomb. She has ''Family Guy'' to fall back on, and plenty of magazine covers, so time will tell.
* Creator/ChevyChase was '''the''' original breakout star of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' thanks to a winning combination of deadpan humour and slapstick. He was even dubbed "Funniest Man in America" and his status as the original host of the Weekend Update led to a rumour that he would replace Creator/JohnnyCarson as the host of ''Series/TheTonightShow''. After leaving ''SNL'', he was one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1980s, thanks to the likes of ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'', the ''Film/{{Vacation}}'' series, ''Film/{{Fletch}}'', ''Film/SpiesLikeUs'' and ''Film/ThreeAmigos''. He even appeared with Music/PaulSimon in the video for "You Can Call Me Al". In TheNineties, however, things went south -- his movies began consistently underperforming, and his attempt at a late night talk show was such a disaster that it was cancelled after just six weeks in 1993. As well, his reputation for being difficult to work with was catching up with him; he was even permanently banned from guest-hosting ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1997. After years of minor roles, he experienced a CareerResurrection in ''Series/{{Community}}'' -- but that was short-lived due to him feuding with Creator/DanHarmon and complaining about the quality of the show. He recently announced that he's clean and sober and willing to work, but nobody in Hollywood ''wants'' to work with him due to his notorious status. (The movie ''Film/{{Accepted}}'' joked about this with a class called "The Rise and Fall of Chevy Chase".)
* Creator/JeffGoldblum didn't ''quite'' made it to the A-list during his "prime" years of TheEighties and TheNineties. After a near-decade toiling away in minor, supporting, and ensemble roles, plus one unsuccessful (if cultishly-loved) TV vehicle in ''Tenspeed and Brown Shoe'', 1983's hit dramedy ''Film/TheBigChill'' gave him a major leg up. While ''Film/TheFly1986'' proved a bravura StarMakingRole, '80s Hollywood didn't have a surfeit of leading roles that suited his unconventional looks, unusual speaking cadence, and eccentric intensity on offer (aside from the flop ''Film/{{Vibes}}'', and only because Creator/DanAykroyd quit)[[note]]Geena Davis, his co-star in ''The Fly'' and two other films (and for a few years his wife), got a much bigger push from it -- see the folder for Examples That Didn't Hold Up above[[/note]] and he ended up working primarily in independent or European productions. Then came 1993 and a scene-stealing supporting turn in ''Film/JurassicPark''. Overnight he became '''the''' go-to performer for MotorMouth and/or TallDarkAndSnarky turns. But while there was a little hype put behind him, he remained a supporting player -- sometimes to actors getting or just past a full Hype Machine push (Creator/HughGrant in ''Film/NineMonths'', Creator/WillSmith in ''Film/IndependenceDay'', Creator/EddieMurphy in ''Holy Man''...) -- with but two exceptions, ''Literature/{{Hideaway}}'' and ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark''. He became an easy performer to spoof and mock, having come to define the GibberingGenius trope. At the TurnOfTheMillennium he was working consistently and frequently but rarely as a lead, the most high-profile exceptions two TV shows (''Series/{{Raines}}'', which was tossed away by the network, and the later seasons of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'', in which he was stuck in the shadow of original/alternate lead Creator/VincentDOnofrio).\\
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But all those roles, combined with talk show appearances that made him a favorite of Creator/ConanOBrien, Creator/StephenColbert, and others, endeared him to late Generation X-ers and millennials. In TheNewTens he became an affectionate subject of {{Memetic Mutation}}s, and he [[AdamWesting cheerfully played up and into his natural eccentricity]] to please fans. Combined with creatives who'd grown up with his films wanting to work with him (in particular Creator/TaikaWaititi, who cast him as the Grandmaster in ''Film/ThorRagnarok''), by the end of the decade he was enjoying fame that many who were chewed up and spat out by the Hype Machine would envy.
* Creator/KeanuReeves first made a splash with the ''Film/BillAndTed'' stoner comedy films. Soon after he got a big push with ''Film/PointBreak1991'' and ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', and 1994's ''Film/{{Speed}}'' cemented him as an A-List star. While he maintained steady work throughout the rest of the '90s, people were beginning to notice his [[DullSurprise limited acting range]] and his star power began to fade. Then came 1999 and the release of ''Film/TheMatrix'', and Reeves became a bigger star than ever before, only for that to fade as quickly as it came: the highly-anticipated ''Matrix'' sequels left a bad taste in both audience and critics' mouths, leaving the franchise functionally dead. Coupled with, again, criticism of Reeves' acting range (or lack thereof) the rest of his films in the '00s were flops or underperformers, reaching a low point with the TroubledProduction ''Film/FortySevenRonin'' in 2013. And ''then'' he made a huge comeback with the ''Film/JohnWick'' films, making him [[CareerResurrection a household name again]] in the age of social media (helped along by, as in Jeff Goldblum's case, longstanding affection for his best work). 2019 was humorously dubbed the year of the "Keanussance" between the third ''John Wick'' film and ''Film/AlwaysBeMyMaybe'', ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' and ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Examples on the fence]]
* A rather sad example is Creator/AnnaMayWong, who is recognised as the first Asian-American movie star in Hollywood. After a few years working as an extra, she made a bang with her first leading role in ''The Toll of the Sea'' - and the Hype Machine got behind her. The only problem? Hollywood had no idea what to do with her - reluctant to give leading roles to an actress with Chinese ancestry. For most of her Hollywood career, she was stuck playing DragonLady roles, while white actresses in {{Yellowface}} were given the meatier parts that she wanted. There was considerable hype when an adaptation of ''Literature/TheGoodEarth'' was produced - and the press cited her as a perfect choice for the lead O-Lan. But UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode prevented her from playing the love interest to a white actor (even if he was in Yellowface). She ended up going to Europe and Asia, where she was able to play non-stereotypical roles - and managed to do so in a few American B-movies too. So while she never became the Creator/BetteDavis or Creator/MaryPickford level leading lady that was predicted, she is at least recognised as a significant contributing factor to humanising Asian-Americans to American audiences.
* Creator/SharonTate was being hyped up as a potential new star throughout the 1960s. She was notably kept in small roles in film and television before her supporting part in ''Film/EyeOfTheDevil''. It was the successes of ''Film/TheFearlessVampireKillers'' and ''Literature/ValleyOfTheDolls'' that marked her official breakout. However more attention was given to her beauty and willingness to do nudity, paralleling her character in ''Valley of the Dolls''. She resented the beach film ''Film/DontMakeWaves'' marketing her as a MsFanservice (mockingly calling the ad campaign of her in a bikini as "sexy little me"), and expressed an interest to go into comedy. Her final film was ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' - before she was tragically and horrifically murdered by the Manson Family in 1969. Since her death, her films were re-evaluated, and people have pointed to potential she may have tapped into had she lived longer. She is sadly probably more associated with her tragic death than what she accomplished in life.
* The entire cast of ''Series/{{Friends}}'' were given countless movie roles the second that show became a sensation. The results have been mixed.
** Creator/CourteneyCox and Creator/MatthewPerry have gone back to TV. The former had a flop with ''Series/{{Dirt}}'', and while ''Series/CougarTown'' was initially a hit, declining ratings led to it being put on hiatus in the middle of S2, held for mid-season in S3, and pushed from ABC to TBS for S4. The latter was 0 for 3 with ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip'', ''Series/MrSunshine'' and ''Series/GoOn'', though critics like his recurring appearances on ''Series/TheGoodWife'' and he finally landed a series that didn't get cancelled after one season with ''Series/TheOddCouple''.
** Creator/MattLeBlanc made a series of hellacious bombs: he did ''Ed'', a movie with a baseball-playing chimp, and ''Film/LostInSpace''... and then there was ''Series/{{Joey}}''. He's currently starring in the low-rated but critically successful Creator/{{Showtime}} comedy series ''Series/{{Episodes}}'' (playing himself, no less). After ''Episodes'' finished production, he was immediately announced as one of the new hosts of ''Series/TopGear'' and simultaneously had a network TV hit with the three-camera ''Man with a Plan''.
** Creator/DavidSchwimmer started directing, where he seems happy. Although, as of late, he has been trying to do more dramatic television roles, such as playing Robert Kardashian in ''Series/AmericanCrimeStory: The People vs. O.J. Simpson''.
** Creator/LisaKudrow went for indie cred, partially to avoid being typecast.
** Creator/JenniferAniston has fared the best so far -- while she didn't headline a $100 million hit until 2011's ''Film/HorribleBosses'' (which arguably was helped out by the other heavyweights like Jason Bateman and Kevin Spacey in the film -- she's never had a starring role do that well until ''Film/WereTheMillers'' in 2013, and is mostly known for Romantic Comedies), she was fortunate enough not to have a major flop during the time in between, and at the very least she's ''treated'' like a major star by most of Hollywood.
* Creator/ChrisRock got his start as a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' cast member, then his career ''exploded'' in the mid 90's with the Creator/{{HBO}} stand-up special ''Bring the Pain'', which made him a network favorite for the rest of the decade. He soon got film roles for a number of comedy films including ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', ''Film/BeverlyHillsNinja'' and ''Film/DownToEarth''. Unfortunately, most of his films were mediocre at best, and didn't draw many audiences to the theaters. He eventually took a break from starring in films in the mid 2000's and went to voice work, notably voicing Marty in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' series, and eventually ventured into television production with the highly successful sitcom ''Series/EverybodyHatesChris'', which ran for four seasons. He's also hosted two Oscar ceremonies to wit, so he's still kicking for the time being.
* Creator/UmaThurman was victimized by this. After notable roles in the late '80s with films like ''Literature/DangerousLiaisons'' and ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'', she became an "It Girl" with ''Film/PulpFiction''. This push ultimately faltered within three years after subsequent films, particularly ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' and ''Film/TheAvengers1998'', did poorly, and she vanished from the limelight (rumour has it she took time off to concentrate on motherhood, which might have killed buzz even further) before ''Film/KillBill'' [[CareerResurrection reignited her career]] in 2003. Since then it's partially faltered again (her film ''Motherhood'' set a British record by only selling ''eleven tickets'' in its opening weekend), but most people like her acting no matter how the film itself does.
* Creator/LouisCK started out as a struggling hack comedian with a few unsuccessful projects under his belt like ''Film/PootieTang'', which he wrote and directed, and his HBO show ''Series/LuckyLouie'' which only lasted one season. Eventually he revised his comedy act using Creator/GeorgeCarlin's method of writing new material every year and scrapping his old material, since then he has become one of the most popular stand up comedians in the world. He parlayed his success with stand-up into other forms of entertainment, giving well received performances in films like ''Film/AmericanHustle'' and ''Film/BlueJasmine''. He also created and starred in ''Series/{{Louie}}'', a semi-autobiographical TV show that became popular with both audiences and critics. He also had a leading role in hugely successful animated film WesternAnimation/TheSecretLifeOfPets. \\
And then that wave of success came to a screeching halt in late 2017 when he was accused of sexually harassing various women, and unlike other men being accused of sexual misconduct around that time (most famously Harvey Weinstein), CK immediately admitted that the allegations were true and apologized. Netflix, FX, and various other companies that were in business with him immediately cut ties. There was a small chance that his honesty would save his career, only for that to fail when his attempts at a comeback ran into controversy with his bashing of LGBTQ people and the Parkland shooting victims.
* Creator/{{Disney}} has started creating an alarming number of {{Kid Com}}s in recent years, starting with the success of ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'' and Music/HilaryDuff. With Duff, they managed to create a crossover starlet (with movies, TV shows, albums, and clothing lines coming out) of high repute. They immediately created a formula with this, spawning ''Series/HannahMontana'' and others, with all their myriad starlets being built up the exact same way. Most of them (although [[Music/MileyCyrus there]] [[Music/SelenaGomez are]] [[Music/DemiLovato exceptions]]) have only received minor hype after their Disney shows' runs were finished, and have mostly failed to find real stardom outside of their original shows.
** Creator/AnneHathaway, for instance, became an acclaimed actress only after ''leaving'' the Disney machine and going for legit cred in ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' and ''Film/RachelGettingMarried''. She later won an Oscar for ''Film/LesMiserables2012''.
** Creator/ZacEfron has so far achieved the most success out of any of his ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' castmates. Despite that, [[Film/SeventeenAgain he's only had two]] [[Film/{{Neighbors2014}} bonafide hits.]] So time will tell whether he can successfully make the transition.
** Music/VanessaHudgens attempted to distance herself from her Disney roots with darker roles in ''Film/SuckerPunch'' and ''Film/SpringBreakers''. Her films did decently enough, but she has enjoyed more success as a singer and on Broadway.
* Creator/RyanGosling became a star with ''Film/TheNotebook'' and a critical darling with ''Half Nelson'', and Hollywood seems intent on selling the idea that he is sexier than sex. It's debatable whether there's widespread audience agreement. His movies have done fairly well financially, but a lot of that could be the result of high-profile co-stars like Creator/GeorgeClooney and Creator/SteveCarell. Critics still love him, but he has yet to headline a real blockbuster, and given that he tends to choose small-scale dramas over special-effects spectacles, he might never become another Creator/TomCruise or Creator/WillSmith. (It's possible or even probable that he ''prefers'' it that way, though.) It should be also noted that he's somewhat becoming typecast after ''Film/{{Drive}}'', with all his following roles being bend on giving him similar roles of tough guys in very violent (read: R-rated) actionesque flicks. However, he earned a lot of praise for being a funny guy in ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' and his musical performance in ''Film/LaLaLand'' won him a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
* In a tragic example of this trope, Music/{{Aaliyah}} was never able to prove whether or not she deserved all the hype she was given. After being the female lead in the surprise 2000 hit ''Film/RomeoMustDie'', it was widely predicted that she would be able to translate her highly successful R&B career into being a Hollywood leading lady, resulting in her getting the title role in ''Film/QueenOfTheDamned'', along with a major part in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' and ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. Unfortunately, right after finishing principal photography on ''Queen of the Damned'', she was killed in a plane crash, and the rock performance-heavy nature of the film meant it was extremely reliant on ADR dubbing, which she never had the chance to do before her death, meaning that nearly all her character's dialogue in the finished film was recorded by a sound-alike (her part in the ''Matrix'' sequels was subsequently recast with Nona Gaye). If nothing else however, the enduring success of her music well over a decade later shows that the hype around her R&B career was entirely justified.
* Much was expected of Creator/RachelMcAdams after her roles in ''Film/MeanGirls'' and ''Film/TheNotebook'', and she was immediately hailed as Hollywood's new it girl. With the successes of ''Film/WeddingCrashers'' and ''Film/RedEye'', the hype appeared to be justified. But then she took a break from 2006 to 2007, halting her career in its tracks, and admitted that she had never wanted to be a big movie star. She did eventually make a return, with high points including ''Film/TheTimeTravelersWife'', ''Film/MidnightInParis'', ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'', and the ''[[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 Sherlock Holmes]]'' franchise, but her films have been hit or miss outside of that. Her career appears to be thriving, but she could have been as A-list as anybody given the chance.
* Creator/JamesFranco had a slower climb to the top than most, with noted roles in the short-lived ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'' and the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. His push didn't come until ''Film/OneHundredAndTwentySevenHours'' and being named the Sexiest Man Living in 2009. For the next three or so years, he headlined a lot of big films - some did well and others less so. He took a step back from acting to focus on his education, and has leaned more towards becoming a producer and director in addition to acting. Things seemed to be going well for him when he won a Golden Globe for his role as Creator/TommyWiseau in ''Film/TheDisasterArtist'', but almost immediately afterwards, he started getting sexual assault allegations thrown at him, which probably contributed to him not getting Oscars for the film. Only time will tell if his career can recover from those allegations.
* Creator/AlyssaMilano got fame as a child star in the 80s with ''Series/WhosTheBoss'' and got a huge Japanese following - enough to sign her to a five album recording contract over there. As she entered her twenties, she suffered the age-old ContractualPurity that dogs many child stars. She finally succeeded in breaking out of her nice girl image with erotic films that became cult classics. Magazine covers and cosmetic endorsements followed, as did a MsFanservice push in ''Series/MelrosePlace'' and ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}''. The latter lasted a shocking eight seasons and it was predicted she would become a breakout star from it. Film offers came but she never had a notable hit. In TheNewTens, she settled comfortably into the host of ''Project Runway: All Stars''. It's not the career it could have been, but she doesn't seem stuck for work. However in the late 2010s, she became well-known for her progressive political activism during the Donald Trump presidency; in particular, her feminist activism in the wake of the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein by kickstarting the #[=MeToo=] movement and supporting the ''Time's Up'' movement.
* The cast of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' undoubtedly got this - the most prominent of which included Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston. Lewis's attempts in films didn't amount to much - with bombs like ''{{Film/Dreamcatcher}}'', ''{{Film/Stormbreaker}}'' and ''Film/YourHighness''. But on television, he fared much better with the worldwide success that was ''{{Series/Homeland}}''. After he left that, he successfully transitioned to another headlining role in ''{{Series/Billions}}''. Livingston already had fame from ''Film/OfficeSpace'' but remained in below-the-radar projects, the most high profile of which was ''Film/TheConjuring''. The men in the cast who became stars - Creator/MichaelFassbender, Creator/JamesMcAvoy, Creator/TomHardy and Creator/SimonPegg - had minor roles, with Fassbender the only one who appeared in more than two episodes. Donnie Wahlberg maintained a steady career of supporting roles, including the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series, before getting the lead in ''Series/BlueBloods''. Creator/NealMcDonough, Creator/RossMcCall, Creator/MichaelCudlitz, and Richard Speight Jr. became TV regulars, while Frank John Hughes transitioned to screen writing and Dexter Fletcher became a highly successful director. Scott Grimes's attempt at joining a franchise - Ridley Scott's ''Film/RobinHood2010'' - was unsuccessful, but he enjoyed more success in [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad voice acting]] and music. A lot of the rest were doomed to type casting or else retired from acting altogether.
* Creator/DianeKruger debuted with a memorable bang in ''{{Film/Troy}}'' as Helen and got lots of work in America as a result, most notably in the ''Film/NationalTreasure'' films. She also won lots of critical acclaim for ''Film/IngloriousBasterds''. But she rarely found herself getting work outside of roles that catered to her beauty, and her momentum seemed to dry up in TheNewTens. She's still modelling and working away though, so she's not completely gone.
* The actors who played Film/JamesBond had some hits and misses in their careers particularly after their tenure in playing the character:
** Creator/SeanConnery is the most memorable and possibly the most successful Bond actor. After his post-Bond stint, he starred in acclaimed and successful movies such ''Film/{{Marnie}}'', ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', ''Film/MurderOnTheOrientExpress1974'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' and ''Film/TheUntouchables'' where he is the first and only Bond actor to win an Oscar. But he did have a few flops such as ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' which is his last film before his retirement.
** Creator/GeorgeLazenby is the unluckiest of all Bond actors and many people have mixed feelings on his performance in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService''. After Bond, he starred in a bunch of TV movies, commercials, various recurring roles in TV series, several Bond movie spoofs and several Hong Kong action films, using his martial arts expertise which he learned from the legendary Creator/BruceLee. He became the wealthiest actor to play Bond, thanks to investing in real estate.
** Creator/RogerMoore was already a successful actor before his Bond career where he starred in several TV shows such as ''Series/{{Maverick}}'', ''Series/TheSaint'' and ''Series/ThePersuaders''. He became the longest-serving Bond actor, but after his Bond stint, he did a bunch of cameos. Regardless, he spent most of his post-Bond career doing charity works which earned him a knighthood and other honors and remained one of the most respected British actors.
** Creator/TimothyDalton had a good theater career prior to his Bond tenure. However, his portrayal as Bond is still regarded as a BrokenBase due the DarkerAndEdgier approach of the movies. After Bond, he continued his theater career and still got some movie and TV roles including his stint in ''Series/DoctorWho'', his voice work in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' and his leading role in ''Series/PennyDreadful''.
** Creator/PierceBrosnan had a good start in his acting career where he starred in ''Series/RemingtonSteele''. It was his tenure as Bond that resurrected the franchise in TheNineties but he considered his Bond movies post-''Film/GoldenEye'' as an OldShame. During and after his time as Bond, he got into a lot of successful movies such as ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1999'', ''Film/TheTailorOfPanama'', ''Film/AfterTheSunset'', ''Film/MammaMia'' and ''Film/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians''. However in TheNewTens, he doesn't have much success like he used to.
** Creator/DanielCraig got a lot of flak when he was chosen as Bond due to being blonde and shorter than the other Bonds. While he had showed his detractors wrong with the reboot, ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}'', it didn't stop his Bond movies from falling victim to the StarTrekMovieCurse (with ''Casino Royale'' and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' garnering critical acclaim, while ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' earned mixed reception -- it's pending for ''Film/NoTimeToDie''). Prior and during his Bond tenure, he had been into a bunch of movies such as ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', ''Film/{{Munich}}'', ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'', ''Film/TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo'', ''Film/LoganLucky'' and ''Film/KnivesOut'' among others and, had a good career as a theatre actor.
* Creator/ScarlettJohansson. An indie darling in the [[TheNineties late '90s]], she was crowned the new "It Girl" in 2003 on the back of her two acclaimed performances in ''Film/LostInTranslation'' and ''Film/GirlWithAPearlEarring''. Her failure to secure an Oscar nomination for either film did a lot to stall her momentum, and her follow-ups were not nearly so well received. Luckily for her, Creator/WoodyAllen declared her his latest muse and they made three films together, including one of his most popular latter-day films, ''Film/MatchPoint''. This kept her career on life support until she made a stab at a mainstream comeback with ''Film/IronMan2'' and ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. She followed this up with acclaimed turns in ''Film/{{Her}}'' and with ''Film/{{Lucy}}'' being her biggest hit outside the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (and her first film as a solo lead to pass $100 million). However, ''Film/UnderTheSkin'', albeit a smashing success with critics, flopped at the box office. Ironic, as she was brought into that film because a star with a big draw was needed. Her next solo movie, ''Film/GhostInTheShell'', was also a BoxOfficeBomb after being hit with the controversial RaceLift casting, costing Paramount more than 60 million. ''Rough Night'' landed with a thud with both critics and audiences as well. Though she still had other movies, it remains uncertain if she can still have a leading role. And then she caused upset regarding her comments about whitewashing in Hollywood and that she supports and is still willing to work with Creator/WoodyAllen.
* Much like his ''Film/RedEye'' co-star Creator/RachelMcAdams, Creator/CillianMurphy is a case who deliberately didn't want to live up too much to the hype. His role as Jim in ''Film/TwentyEightDaysLater'' was the first major exposure he got to American audiences, and then he hit the big-time in 2005 with ''Film/BatmanBegins'', ''Film/RedEye'', and ''Film/BreakfastOnPluto'' (the last of which earned him a Golden Globe nomination), and several entertainment outlets touted him as the "next big star". However, between his discomfort with the Hollywood system and celebrity culture and annoyance with being TypeCast as a "villain actor" because of his performances in ''Batman'' and ''Red Eye'', he's deliberately gone out of his way to stay out of the spotlight. He's still steadily working and earning rave reviews for his performances, especially in ''Series/PeakyBlinders'', but he could have been as A-list as anybody if he'd wanted to be.
[[/folder]]

[[HollywoodHypeMachine/ExamplesThatDidHoldUp Examples that did hold up]]

[[folder: Examples that didn't hold up]]

[[folder: Examples that ''did'' hold up]]
* Creator/MerylStreep burst onto the scene very quickly in the 1970s with a OneSceneWonder role in ''Julia'' that led to Creator/RobertDeNiro recommending her for ''Film/TheDeerHunter'' - which got her an Oscar nomination. Her second - for ''Film/KramerVsKramer'' - she won. Another Oscar came for ''Film/SophiesChoice'' but HypeBacklash set in during the 90s. Meryl herself grew tired of OscarBait roles and longed to go against type and do more comedies - which had varying degrees of success. But she came back to prominence with ''Film/TheBridgesOfMadisonCounty'', confirming that she was here to stay. Fans and critics alike view ''Film/MammaMia'' as a real turning point for her as well; when it grossed over $600 million worldwide, they remarked that "the greatest American actress has now become a movie star". Throughout the years she has alternated between critic-pleasing dramas and various other genres, continuing to prove her versatility. These days she's essentially the standard against which all young actresses are measured.
* Creator/AngelinaJolie. Years of indie-cred roles in ''Film/{{Gia}}'', ''Film/{{Hackers}}'', and other films paid off with a big push from ''Film/GirlInterrupted'' in 1999, which won her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar and resulted in a near-endless push that got her big roles in such films as ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider'' and ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005''. When the latter got her together with Creator/BradPitt, the "Brangelina" media juggernaut was born. Clearly a major success story for everyone involved, as her films do generally well (though she stopped making them so quickly and focused on her home life and activist work), and the magazines get to make money off of her image (proof that being tabloid-bait isn't ''always'' a bad thing -- only if that's ''all'' you're known for). Ironically, Jolie has stated on several occasions that she wants to give up acting for her growing family.
* Creator/TomCruise got a big push in TheEighties, and tons of film roles. Virtually every one proved to be a success. Obviously, he kept on being famous and having huge box office smashes until he royally screwed up and [[CreatorBreakdown went crazy]] in the mid-2000s, with the infamous couch-jumping incident on ''Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow'' being the telltale sign of his downfall. Twenty years? A pretty good run. Currently, he and the Hype Machine are going into overdrive to re-make him as a successful A-Lister, as he [[AdamWesting pokes fun at himself]] with humorous roles, and tries to fit back into the "romantic Action Hero" archetype once again, with ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol'' coming out to rave reviews and ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'', ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'' and ''Film/JackReacher'' also being modest hits. With the continued success of ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'' solidifying both the franchise's continued bankability and Cruise's return to stardom, the future is looking bright, with Mission 6 already confirmed, ''Jack Reacher 2'' filming, and a biopic, ''Mena'', forthcoming.
* Creator/NicoleKidman received a big push after earning critical praise for her role in ''Film/ToDieFor'', and her career has held up pretty well since then. Though her career didn't really take off until Tom Cruise dumped her and she won an Oscar for her role in ''Film/TheHours''.
* Wrestling/HulkHogan: Began this way in late 1980/early 1981 as an extension of his arrogant heel character in the WWF, when he bragged endlessly on TV about being the "next big thing" in movies and wrestling. In an era before ''Series/EntertainmentTonight'' and the Internet ([=TMZ.com=] wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye, for instance), it was possible for on-screen announcers to roll their eyes and be skeptical about Hogan's "supposed" connections with Creator/SylvesterStallone and that he had been cast as a professional wrestler named "Thunderlips" in ''Film/RockyIII'', and successfully pull off their skepticism that he was actually going to be in the movie and be the next big thing because of it. Of course, that all did come to pass, ''Rocky III'' was a huge box-office success (in part because of Hogan) ... and although Hogan's acting career wasn't exactly a major success, his wrestling career would become legendary.
* Creator/HeathLedger started out as this in a big way, to the point where they even made a joke about it in ''Film/JosieAndThePussycats''. However, the reclusive Ledger went back to having a low profile until ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' established him as an actor to truly be taken seriously. Sadly, he then experienced the greatest career surge of all -- [[DeadArtistsAreBetter a premature death]]. ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' helped establish his legacy, and at the very least, he will be more remembered for his latest work than for being a TeenIdol.
* Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio did some very well-received work in indie films (notably the retarded brother in ''Film/WhatsEatingGilbertGrape'' alongside Creator/JohnnyDepp) before being cast as the romantic, {{bishonen}} male lead in ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}''. Starring in the highest-grossing film (before inflation) of the 20th century will turn anyone into a star. Even when ''Titanic'' wound up getting hit hard with HypeBacklash, [=DiCaprio=]'s career and reputation managed to come out completely intact, thanks to his work with Creator/MartinScorsese, winning an Oscar for Best Actor in ''Film/TheRevenant'', and ability to take on different roles.
* Creator/KateWinslet got her big break in ''Titanic'' too and thus attracted the hype machine. Luckily she already had some cred before ''Titanic'' - with an Oscar nomination for ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility''. She chose her projects well over the years, making her a critical darling and netting Oscar nominations for ''Film/LittleChildren'', ''Iris'', ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'', ''Film/SteveJobs'' and ''Film/TheReader'' (which she won for). She opted to stay away from big budget studio releases save for ''{{Film/Contagion}}'' and the ''{{Literature/Divergent}}'' franchise, and these days is considered one of the best actresses of her generation.
* Creator/SandraBullock got her big push from ''Film/{{Speed}}'' much like Creator/KeanuReeves did. However, she has had much better luck channeling that into a long-lasting career. There was initial worry as the "ChickFlick" movement slowed down in the late '90s and she vanished for a while, but with a long string of more recent hit movies running through the TurnOfTheMillennium, including the two [[Film/TheProposal biggest]] [[Literature/TheBlindSide hits]] of her career (one of which won her an Oscar) in 2009, there's no doubt about her place on the A-List.
* Creator/JuliaRoberts got her huge push with ''Film/PrettyWoman'' in 1990, and Hollywood got behind her as they rarely ever do for a female star not known for nudity. Twenty years later, she's still a bankable A-List star, though with less "legit" cred as she sticks to more mainstream, pedestrian "{{chick flick}}s" than serious films. Still, movies like ''Film/ErinBrockovich'' gave her ''some'' critical acclaim (and in ''Erin'''s case, a Best Actress Oscar).
* Creator/CameronDiaz got tons of publicity after ''Film/TheMask'' became a Top 10 box-office hit and for several years after she was in many critically and/or commercially successful films such as ''Film/MyBestFriendsWedding'', ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'', ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'', and ''Film/BeingJohnMalkovich''. She is the second actress to earn $20 million for a film, after Creator/JuliaRoberts. Also branched out into voice work and struck gold with the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' film series. In 2017, years after her last in ''Film/Annie2014'', Diaz formally announced her retirement from acting.
* Creator/GwynethPaltrow got a huge amount of hype right from around ''Film/{{Se7en}}'' and several high-profile romances with major Hollywood hunks (including Creator/BradPitt and Creator/BenAffleck). Unlike most flash-in-the-pan hotties with famous boyfriends, she proved her acting chops and won an Oscar for ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'', had several hits (enough to offset the occasional bombs -- and she was in her fair share, enough to derail almost ''any'' career), and has managed to become a legitimate star in her own right. Her movies are rarely blockbusters (''Film/IronMan'' notwithstanding), but she has artistic cred and enough of a name to get almost any role (it's unlikely anyone regrets her being on ''Series/{{Glee}}'', especially after she won an Emmy). Although it should be noted that she is now more famous for her infamous "lifestyle brand" website "Goop" than she is for her acting roles.
* Creator/ReeseWitherspoon certainly worked out well. After being a fairly run-of-the-mill actress in the early [[TheNineties '90s]], she all of a sudden got this massive push, first with the critically acclaimed ''Film/{{Election}}'' and then commercial success with the ''Film/LegallyBlonde'' series and various {{Chick Flick}}s. She effectively became the next Creator/JuliaRoberts, and even got an Oscar for her trouble (for ''Film/WalkTheLine'').
* Music/{{Madonna}}. Coinciding with a huge breakout in the early to mid 1980's music scene, she soon sought to capitalize in film as well, and it seemed to work at first, with her first starring role in ''Film/DesperatelySeekingSusan'' proving very well with critics and audiences. Although her acting career quickly fell flat with ''Shanghai Surprise'' (which would cost her her marriage with future mega-star Creator/SeanPenn), her music career got even stronger, and she would become the biggest-selling female music artist of all time.
* Creator/RobertDowneyJr has been a {{Zig Zag|gingTrope}} with the Hype Machine. Starting off as a member of the Creator/BratPack in the 80's, Downey got his big break in the late '80s - early '90s which culminated with him getting an Oscar Nomination for his role as Creator/CharlieChaplin in the biopic ''Film/{{Chaplin}}.'' Unfortunately he had a real life downward spiral that led to drug abuses and arrests. After gaining sobriety in the mid 2000s, Downey returned to acting in the indie scene. He ended up making his CareerResurrection in 2008 with his starring role in ''Film/IronMan'' and has since then taken off and hasn't looked back since.
* Creator/BenAffleck, like Thurman, is an example of both failure and success in the Hype Machine. After ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' and ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'', there was a period from 1998 through 2003 in which he was the biggest star in Hollywood. Then came ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'', ''Film/{{Gigli}}'', and the entire Bennifer saga, which derailed his career so badly that he wouldn't do any movies at all in 2005. He became a Hollywood punchline in the [[TurnOfTheMillennium mid-'00s]]. However, he was able to quickly bounce back with "legit cred" in 2006 and after, not only as an actor in films like ''Film/{{Hollywoodland}}'', ''Film/StateOfPlay'', and ''Film/CompanyMen'', but also as a director with the critically acclaimed crime dramas ''Literature/GoneBabyGone'' and ''Film/TheTown''. He was comfortably married with kids to Creator/JenniferGarner, and he mostly stays out of the tabloid limelight. In 2012 he topped himself by directing and starring in ''Film/{{Argo}}'', which went over big with critics and audiences and won three Academy Awards - although he wasn't nominated either for acting or directing, he still received one for Best Picture (this Oscar is awarded to a film's producers, which in this case included Affleck himself). In recent years, his acting career has also improved with turns in his own work, being cast in Creator/DavidFincher's ''Film/GoneGirl'' and, most notably, being cast as Batman in the hotly anticipated ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''.
* In recent years, Creator/MelissaMcCarthy has become a seemingly unstoppable draw for audiences in television ''and'' movies alike. For a while, she was usually known for various supporting roles (such as her character Sookie on ''Series/GilmoreGirls''), but after garnering an Academy Award nomination for her much-lauded role in ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'', she continued her streak of box-office successes with ''Film/IdentityThief'' and ''Film/TheHeat''. Her proverbial Midas touch hasn't been lost in her television work, either. She won an Emmy for her role on ''Series/MikeAndMolly'', and she's been Emmy-nominated for guest-hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' not once, but ''twice.'' With a DistaffCounterpart film of the James Bond series planned with frequent collaborate Paul Feig, it's safe to say that she'll be around to stay for quite some time.
* In Creator/MatthewMcConaughey's case when ''Film/ATimeToKill'' and ''Film/LoneStar'' came out in 1996, he was called the "next Creator/BradPitt" and given a ''ton'' of new major roles. ''People'' covers soon followed, and he was expected to become the next A-list star. What ended up happening was a major string of box-office disappointments and minor roles over the course of the '00s, and he became instead known for appearing shirtless in "Celebrity Beach Body" specials, showing up in DirectToVideo indie films, and being the romantic male lead in {{Chick Flick}}s. Not quite what was expected. It was only in the early '10s when he had a CareerResurrection as a "mature" leading man, with his acclaimed performances in ''Literature/TheLincolnLawyer'', ''Film/KillerJoe'', ''Film/MagicMike'', ''Film/{{Mud}}'' and ''Film/DallasBuyersClub''. And with winning an Oscar for Best Actor for the latter film and starring in Creator/ChristopherNolan's film, ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'', there's a good chance that he's going back in the limelight.
* Creator/WillSmith had a huge one. Starting out as a comedic rap star, of all things, he had a pretty funny sitcom for years with ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', and had a decently-sized box office hit with the [[BuddyCopShow buddy-cop]] action movie ''Film/BadBoys''. Then, starting with ''Film/IndependenceDay'' and never stopping, he was showing up in one guaranteed A-List movie every other year. His comedies and action/explosion movies all make huge money (even [[Film/WildWildWest his bombs]] make $100 million), and he has earned legit cred from his more artistic or serious movies. His career has slowed in recent years, with no movies at all from 2009 to 2011 (presumably his own choice), but he did have a hit with ''Film/MenInBlack3'' in 2012 and only really stumbled with ''Film/AfterEarth'', but he's nevertheless still high in demand and could easily come back. His role as Comicbook/{{Deadshot}} for 2016 Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse film, ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'', still have some bumps (most of the good things about the film is Creator/MargotRobbie's performance as Harley Quinn) but earned more money despite the negative reviews.
* Creator/JenniferLawrence is considered one of the better actresses of the new generation, and is currently one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She first came to notice with ''Film/WintersBone'' which earned her an Oscar nomination but it seems to be ''Film/TheHungerGames'' that is getting her the most press. That franchise as well as her role as Mystique in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and her roles in films like ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'' (which won her a best Actress Oscar) and ''Film/AmericanHustle'' (which got her another Oscar nomination) are likely to keep her around for a while.
* Creator/TomHanks has had a blockbuster career right from the start, spending much the 80's starring in well-received comedy hits such as ''Film/{{Splash}}'' and ''Film/{{Big}}'', as well as cult classics ''Film/BachelorParty'', ''Film/NothingInCommon'' and ''Film/TheBurbs''. Although he initially preferred to stick to comedy fare during those years, [[TomHanksSyndrome he got into more serious subject matter just a decade later]], which ended up pushing his career to heights he would had never imagined in the 80's. He ended up scoring '''two''' Academy Awards for Best Actor in a row for his performances in ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}'' and ''Film/ForrestGump'', as well as a nomination for his performance in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. Since then, he's mostly stuck to dramatic fare and away from comedic roles, and most of his performances during those years have been accused of being OscarBait, but despite that and a few slip-ups [[Film/TheDavinciCode here]] and [[Film/LarryCrowne there]], his career or reputation hasn't faded one bit.
* Creator/BenedictCumberbatch was not well-known outside of the UK until he played the titular character in BBC's ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' which earned him a lot of praise and fans (most of them are girls) and few years later, he won an Emmy. Because of this, he appeared in several critically acclaimed films such as ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'', ''Film/TwelveYearsASlave'' and ''Film/TheImitationGame'' (which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) and three franchises (''Film/TheHobbit'', ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse where he took the title role of ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}''). And since he's listed in ''Time'' magazine's "Most Influential People in the World" in 2014, he will be around for a long time.
* Creator/WillFerrell. After a stint with The Groundlings for several years, he first got his big break as a cast member of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' in 1995. There, he performed many of the most memorable impressions of the show's history, namely that of Robert Goulet, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush and Creator/AlexTrebek, and became one of ''Saturday Night Live''[='=]s most beloved cast members. During Ferrell's final season at ''SNL'' in 2001, he performed as the antagonist in the CultClassic ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'', and two years later had his first starring film role post-''SNL'' in the moderately-received ''Film/OldSchool''. But his career soon got a ''huge'' push later that year, when he was cast as Buddy in the Christmas comedy film ''Film/{{Elf}}'', which was highly successful critically and commercially and solidified Ferrell's status as an A-list comedy superstar. He followed the film up a year later with ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy'', which became a pop culture touchstone throughout the mid-2000's. Despite a slip-up in 2005 with ''[[Film/TheProducers The Producers '05]]'', ''Kicking & Screaming'' and ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'', he soon bounced back with ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'' and ''Film/BladesOfGlory''. Since then, his films continue to draw critical praise and large crowds (with the critically-panned BoxOfficeBomb ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' being a rare exception), and even though he's also balanced his major work with less-known indie fare, he's likely going to be a big name in Hollywood for a long, long time.
* Creator/CateBlanchett. In a ''big'' way. After her StarMakingRole in ''{{Film/Elizabeth}}'' earned her widespread critical praise, numerous high profile magazine covers (such as ''Vogue'', ''Vanity Fair'', etc) and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, she was tipped for very big things. Immediately following that she was cast as Galadriel in Creator/PeterJackson's ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' trilogy which went on to become the most financially successful movie trilogy of all time, as well as one of the most popular and critically acclaimed. Since then she's barely put a foot wrong in the eyes of, well, [[HundredPercentAdorationRating near enough everyone]]. She won her first Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) in 2005 for her role as Creator/KatharineHepburn in Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheAviator'' (making her the only actor in history to win an Oscar for playing another Oscar winning actor), and has since gone on to receive five more Oscar nominations for ''Film/NotesOnAScandal'', ''Film/ImNotThere'', ''[[{{Film/Elizabeth}} Elizabeth: The Golden Age]]'', ''Film/BlueJasmine'' and ''{{Film/Carol}}''. She won her second Oscar (this time for Best Actress) for ''Blue Jasmine'', and in fact achieved the largest awards sweep for a single movie performance of all time, earning an astonishing [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334873/awards 46 individual industry awards for her performance]]. These days, as one of Hollywood's most acclaimed and profitable actresses (not to mention, "the greatest actress of her generation", as the media is constantly calling her), she is in the very enviable position of being able to pick and choose her movie roles, fitting them around her work in the theatre (her first love) and her role as the mother of four children. Whereas, in her earlier career, she was often called 'the next Creator/MerylStreep', the young up and coming actresses of this generation sometimes have the honor of being called 'the next Cate Blanchett'.
* Creator/KeiraKnightley was predicted as a possible new star with highly praised roles in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''. A lot of the blockbusters she headlined were hit and miss, but she became a critical darling with an Oscar nomination for ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice2005''. She tried to resist typecasting in period films at first, but eventually embraced it and delivered very well received performances in ''{{Film/Atonement}}'', ''Film/AnnaKarenina'', ''Film/TheDuchess'', ''Film/SeekingAFriendForTheEndOfTheWorld'' and eventually a second Oscar nomination for ''Film/TheImitationGame''. She has also successfully made the transition to the stage, with praised appearances on the West End and Broadway.
* Creator/AmyAdams labored for years in small parts on TV shows, direct-to-video films and other projects. When she was cast in ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'', Steven Spielberg hoped it would be her breakout role and he was devastated when she didn't work for a full year afterwards. But a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the film ''{{Film/Junebug}}'' got the ball rolling, and she achieved worldwide fame with the blockbuster success of Disney's ''{{Film/Enchanted}}''. For a while there was worry that she'd been typecast as {{Genki Girl}}s and {{Manic Pixie Dream Girl}}s but she did stay in critics' good graces with projects like ''Film/SunshineCleaning'', ''Film/JulieAndJulia'' and the adaptation of ''{{Theatre/Doubt}}''. Working with David O Russell helped show her range, allowing her to go against type in ''Film/TheFighter'' and ''Film/AmericanHustle'' - as well as her drastically villainous turn in ''Film/TheMaster'' and playing ComicBook/LoisLane in the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse''. With five Oscar nominations to her name, Amy Adams is now considered one of the best actresses working in Hollywood.
[[/folder]]

!!Actors:

* Creator/KevinJames rose to become the next top comedy star with the popularity of ''Series/TheKingOfQueens'' and the success of ''Film/{{Hitch}}'' marking high notes in his career. Then, just two months after the cancellation of ''Queens'', he co-starred with longtime partner Creator/AdamSandler in ''Film/INowPronounceYouChuckAndLarry'', which critics everywhere tore apart for alleged [[UnfortunateImplications gay stereotyping]]. He bounced back a couple years later with ''Film/PaulBlartMallCop'', which was also panned but became the highest grossing film released in January, only to take another downturn in the next two years with ''Film/GrownUps'' and ''Film/{{Zookeeper}}'', both of which received bad reviews and did mediocre business at the box-office. After yet another Sandler-James collaboration, ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', bombed critically and financially, he decided to go straight back to television in the CBS sitcom ''Series/KevinCanWait''. That series got canned after its second season due to CBS attempting to make it more like ''The King of Queens'', going as far as to fire Erinn Hayes, [[McLeaned kill off her character]] and replace her with ''Queens'' co-star Leah Remini, a decision met with largely unfavorable reactions.
* Creator/ChrisTucker was actually considered to be "the next Creator/EddieMurphy" after ''Film/{{Friday}}'' and the first ''Film/RushHour'' movie in the mid-late '90s. Unfortunately, Tucker wasn't much motivated to branch out and capitalize immediately; he had become born-again during that time, and declined to reprise his role in ''Next Friday'' due to its raunchy content. Tucker has only appeared in a handful of movies since 1998, two of which were the sequels to ''Rush Hour'' (Tucker was apparently paid $20 million for ''Rush Hour 2''). Tucker has seemed to be more passionate about his charity work, buddying up with the late Music/MichaelJackson, and his stand-up. Rumor has it he was offered the same type roles over and over again, and turned them down out of frustration. After landing a major supporting role in the 2012 acclaimed comedy ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'', it seemed he had an opportunity to make a comeback in film. However, his only film role since then was ''Film/BillyLynnsLongHalftimeWalk'', which was a critical and commercial flop.
* Creator/JoshHartnett rocketed to super-stardom in the late 90's and early 00's with roles in teen films like ''Literature/TheVirginSuicides'', ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'', and ''Film/TheFaculty'', and was voted several times by People Magazine as one of their top teen stars of the year. Gradually, however, his momentum died down -- in spite of a starring turn in the critically acclaimed ''Film/BlackHawkDown'', Hartnett was in a long list of commercial flops including ''Film/TownAndCountry'', ''Film/PearlHarbor'', and ''Film/HollywoodHomicide''. His last work of note, 2007's ''Film/ThirtyDaysOfNight'', barely recouped its production budget, and he's spent the late '00s and early '10s working on small indie projects. He's started a small comeback in the Showtime horror series ''Series/PennyDreadful'', but time will tell if he'll be able to return to maiunstream success.
* Creator/DanielStern. While he wasn't much of a big name to begin with, he had supporting roles in smaller fare in the early 1980s, but then he changed when he co-stared in the 1982 comedy drama ''Film/{{Diner}}'', a film that was largely applauded by critics that it gave Stern a shed of light to being the next young comedy star in Hollywood (to the point where the producers of the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' series offered him the role of Biff Tannen, which he unfortunately turned down), and years later he got a voice part in the largely successful sitcom ''Series/TheWonderYears'', which would last over six seasons. His biggest career pushes, however, came with ''Film/HomeAlone'' and ''Film/CitySlickers'', both of which grossed over the $100 million mark at the box office and renewed Hollywood producers' attention toward Stern.\\

His newfound success, however, did not last long. While he tried to look for main roles in films, he still was degraded to the supporting role he had played in many of his works, and his works after ''City Slickers'' suffered heavily as a result. ''Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork'' ended up grossing less than its predecessor, ''Film/RookieOfTheYear'' (which he also directed) wasn't much of a hit, and ''[[Film/CitySlickersIITheLegendOfCurlysGold City Slickers II]]'' nearly flopped[[note]]it was presumably made because main star, producer, and writer Creator/BillyCrystal suffered a severe SmallNameBigEgo case after the first film was released[[/note]]. After these snags, he was finally given a starring role in the two comedy movies ''Film/{{Bushwhacked}}'' and ''Film/CelticPride'' (which he intended to be {{Star Making Role}}s for him), both of which fared so badly with critics that they were massive box office flops that [[StarDerailingRole literally obliterated all the hype]] Stern had built for his entire career. Since then, he's only made television appearances and direct-to-video movies, including turning down offers to reprise his role in the third and fourth ''Home Alone'' movies, and his comeback attempt in ''Film/WhipIt'' was a box office disaster, despite being applauded for his role.
** He was cast in a supporting role alongside Creator/MirandaCosgrove in the NBC sitcom ''Girlfriend in a Coma'', but the series didn't go ahead. However, he did get cast on ''Series/{{Manhattan}}'', and the series has been renewed for a second season.
* Edward Burns was heavily hyped as being a future voice in independent film after starring and directing in the acclaimed ''The Brothers [=McMullen=]'' in 1995. However, numerous attempts at trying to recapture the success of that film and his follow-up ''She's The One'', combined with attempts to break into acting (despite those talents not being as good as his directing skills) and a failed attempt to make his ex-girlfriend a star, failed to catch on and his hype died out fast. He's still around, but most of his films (starring or directing), like ''Film/ASoundOfThunder'' and the ''Film/OneMissedCall'' remake, were critical and commercial failures and either go DirectToVideo or get barely released.
* Dougray Scott got a lot of hype after his role as Prince Charming in ''Film/EverAfter'' and soon became the front-runner for roles such as [[Film/XMenFilmSeries Wolverine]] and Film/JamesBond. But after ''Film/MissionImpossibleII'' went over schedule, he was forced to give up the Wolverine role to a little-known Australian actor named Creator/HughJackman. While Jackman became a huge star, Scott's career fell into a tailspin as he's spent much of his career toiling away in TV movies, short-lived TV series (plus a single season on ''Series/DesperateHousewives'', just as the show was beginning its long descent in ratings and buzz) and little-seen movies (his possible low point being the 2011 film ''Love's Kitchen'', which grossed just £121 at the UK box office).
* Creator/EmileHirsch was a rising star who had built up much acclaim from films such as ''Film/IntoTheWild'' and ''Film/AlphaDog''. Then the failure of ''Film/SpeedRacer'' (an attempt to turn him into a big star) more or less led his hype to dry up, as he would not appear in another lead role until the 2011 flop ''Film/TheDarkestHour''. Though he still has the occasional supporting role (most recently in ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood''), Hirsch's time seems to have passed. Also not helping his case was his 2015 assault conviction.
* After appearing in a number of well-regarded supporting appearances in various films and TV shows, Creator/BrandonRouth got a massive push when he was cast in the role made famous by Creator/ChristopherReeve in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' in 2006. His StarMakingRole ended up being a dead end when the film received mixed reviews, general viewer apathy and (despite making $400 million at the box office) negative profit due to prior production costs. Routh then disappeared for two years before landing a pair of cameo roles in a couple of films (''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno'', ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'') and a guest spot on the third season of ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', all of which failed to make much impact with audiences. His intended comeback in ''ComicBook/DylanDog: Dead of Night'', based on a bestselling comic series, also flopped at the box office ($4 million against a $20 million budget). Barring a major hit, it seems like he'll be stuck making small indie projects for quite some time. Though, he got a major role in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' as Ray Palmer aka Comicbook/TheAtom and then, he's one of the main cast of the spin-off, ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' so, at least, playing another superhero doesn't hurt.
** Routh is only one of several actors who are believed to fall victim to the second version of [[TheProductionCurse the "Superman Curse."]] Namely that the role is so iconic, any actor who plays him is inevitably doomed to type casting and is unable to shake it. Routh is but one example, with Creator/TomWelling and Creator/DeanCain also seen as examples of it. People are already telling Creator/HenryCavill to be careful because of it.
* Creator/MikeMyers was one of the bigger stars of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' at the turn of TheNineties, especially after a movie based on the ''Film/WaynesWorld'' sketches he toplined was a hit. The sequel and ''Film/SoIMarriedAnAxeMurderer'' weren't as successful, but a few years after those he struck gold with the first ''Film/AustinPowers'' film and [[ActingForTwo his two highly quotable characters in it]]. Though not a box-office blockbuster, it proved so successful on the video market that the 1999 sequel ''was''. His star rose even higher after he voiced the title character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}''.\\

However, he developed a reputation for being egotistical and tough to work with, walked out of a planned movie adaptation of the ''SNL'' "Sprockets" sketches, and the ''Austin Powers'' sequels were met with frostier critical reactions (primarily due to vulgarity and {{Sequelitis}}) than the original had. A StarDerailingRole came with his critically roasted turn as ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'' in 2003, which was so terrible that Creator/DrSeuss' [[FranchiseKiller estate has prohibited any more live-action adaptations of his works]], and it was his last live-action leading role for five years. In the interim he continued with the ''Shrek'' franchise, but ''that'' went into decline with the third installment. 2008's ''Film/TheLoveGuru'' was intended as a comeback vehicle but bombed spectacularly. With the ''Shrek'' saga closing out quietly in 2010, and no leading roles in the pipeline, early hopes that he would be the second coming of Creator/PeterSellers have proven unfounded. In the summer of 2017, Creator/{{ABC}} relaunched ''Series/TheGongShow'' with "English presenter" Tommy Maitland, who just happens to be Myers under heavy makeup and a Scottish accent (though of course the network is denying that). Following a cameo in ''Film/BohemianRhapsody'', it was reported that he will be starring in and executive producing a comedy series for Netflix, with it to last for six episodes and him playing multiple characters.[Time will tell if it helps Myers' career.
* Myers' old costar, Creator/DanaCarvey, had it even worse. After a few minor roles, he got his big break in 1986 with ''Tough Guys'', where he managed to hold his own alongside Creator/KirkDouglas and Creator/BurtLancaster. Shortly thereafter, he joined ''SNL'', and was one of the people to help reverse its declining popularity and make it "must-see TV" once again. After his success in the ''Wayne's World'' movies, it seemed like he was destined for great things.\\

However, his work afterwards was a story of disappointment and missed opportunities. His first movie after ''Film/WaynesWorld2'' was the critical flop ''Film/CleanSlate'', a pattern that would continue for ''Film/TheRoadToWellville'' and ''Film/TrappedInParadise''. In 1995, he turned down a role in ''Film/BadBoys'' because he felt overwhelmed by fatherhood. 1996 gave him a chance at a return to form with ''The Dana Carvey Show''. However, Carvey made the ill-advised decision to try out raunchier, edgier material, despite the show airing during primetime. While it was notable for launching the careers of Creator/SteveCarell and Creator/StephenColbert (''The Ambiguously Gay Duo'' first appeared on the show), ratings declined and the show was cancelled after only seven episodes. His attempted comeback vehicle, ''Film/TheMasterOfDisguise'', failed in its intended purpose. Since then, Carvey has mostly retired from the screen and stuck to stand-up.
* Creator/MartinLawrence was one of the fastest rising comedic stars of [[TheNineties the '90s]]. His sitcom, ''Series/{{Martin}}'', was incredibly popular, and then in 1995 he starred along with Creator/WillSmith in ''Film/BadBoys'', which was the StarMakingRole for both actors.[[note]]For more emphasis on how far he's fallen, he was billed '''ahead''' of Will Smith.[[/note]] Unfortunately, real life drug issues and a sexual harassment suit would stain his career. On the film side, while Smith went on to star in other [[Film/MenInBlack smash]] [[Film/IndependenceDay hits]], Lawrence stuck with acting in comedies that only produced lukewarm responses (the first ''Film/BigMommasHouse'' and ''Film/WildHogs'' arguably being exceptions).
* Might come as a surprise, but Kadeem Hardison was actually fairly popular in the early '90s (at least in the black community). It was assumed (perhaps naively) that he was going to become a huge breakout star after ''Series/ADifferentWorld'' ended. Needless to say, for whatever reason that never happened. It might be a case of both CriticalDissonance and PopCultureIsolation. Same could be said for Jasmine Guy, and Lisa Bonet.
** This actually happens to ''a lot'' of up and coming black actors, who ended up with mediocre or stalled careers after a fairly huge beginning. Examples include Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Bokeem Woodbine, Allen Payne, Creator/ThandieNewton, Derek Luke, Gabrielle Union, and Lisa Raye. Basically, let's just say every black "it" actor/actress that's not Creator/WillSmith, Creator/SamuelLJackson, or Creator/DenzelWashington has faced this. Again, a mix of PopCultureIsolation, industry politics, and arguably racism play a part.
** Creator/AnthonyMackie is a weird case. Some of his supporters find it frustrating that Mackie has been touted as one of Hollywood's future A listers (he appeared on the Hollywood issue of ''Vanity Fair'' along with Creator/RyanReynolds, Creator/AnneHathaway, Creator/JenniferLawrence, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Creator/RashidaJones, Creator/JesseEisenberg, Creator/GarrettHedlund, Creator/NoomiRapace, Creator/MilaKunis, Creator/OliviaWilde, Creator/AndrewGarfield, and Creator/JakeGyllenhaal) and yet remains the only male up and comer featured there that has yet to headline a major movie. People started saying he's stuck playing supportive roles as the BlackBestFriend. He was cast as ComicBook/TheFalcon in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', though, so only time will tell if he will ever break out.
** Kadeem ''does'' seem to be getting a CareerResurrection via a different target audience as of 2015--he plays the father of Creator/{{Zendaya}} title character on Creator/DisneyChannel's ''Series/KCUndercover''.
* After the success of ''Film/GardenState'' and the popularity of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', much was expected from Creator/ZachBraff. Then ''The Last Kiss'' (which he was given near-complete creative control over in an attempt to create another ''Garden State'') fared so badly with critics and audiences that he more or less disappeared after the cancellation of the latter and little has been heard from him since (his first film project after this one was the little-seen 2011 film ''The High Cost of Living'').
* Creator/{{ABC}} threw Eddie Cibrian in every single "beefcake [[LatinLover Latin Lothario]]" role they could think of for a three-year period, including ''Series/UglyBetty'' and the failed ''Football Wives'' pilot, even though nobody was interested in him and the ''Ugly Betty'' fan reaction when he was paired up with Betty's sister was 'anyone but him'. ABC eventually gave up and after the mess of his personal life involving his affair and eventual tabloid-ready marriage with Music/LeAnnRimes was dredged up (we also have him to blame for his ex-wife and mistress becoming ''Real Housewives'' regulars) and a quick season of ''Series/CSIMiami'' where he did nothing memorable, he was poison, and his derided role in ''Series/ThePlayboyClub'' assured his star burned out quickly; everything he's done since then has been C-level cable network work, and his 2014 Creator/VH1 reality series with his wife saw substandard ratings which should make sure he never sees a major television role again.
* Much was expected from Creator/FreddieHighmore after his roles in ''Film/FindingNeverland'' and ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' (both of which paired him with megastar Creator/JohnnyDepp). However, a series of flops (such as ''Film/ArthurAndTheInvisibles'' and ''Film/AugustRush'') and criticisms that his acting talent never improved past his earlier successes derailed his chances of a successful career in his teenage and adult years. An attempt to do an edgier role in ''Film/TheArtOfGettingBy'' resulted in awful reviews and low box office, signaling an end to his career as a leading man on the big screen. But the small screen turned out to be a much more fruitful frontier for him anyway, first with ''Series/BatesMotel'' and second with ''Series/TheGoodDoctor''.
* ''Film/TheSixthSense'' got the then-eleven-year-old Creator/HaleyJoelOsment an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1999, making him the hottest child actor since Creator/MacaulayCulkin. Unfortunately, his first film role afterward was as the saintly hero of ''Film/PayItForward'', a failed piece of OscarBait that became SnarkBait instead. He had one more chance to prove himself as a star with ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'' the following summer, but that film proved to be a divisive box-office underperformer. Afterward he did several films' worth of voiceover work for Disney and ''Film/SecondhandLions''; his highest-profile gigs since then have been voicing Sora in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' video game franchise.
* There was at one point in the late-2000s, when there were three movies made in an attempt at turning Creator/DaneCook into a movie star, beginning with ''Film/EmployeeOfTheMonth'' and continuing with ''Film/GoodLuckChuck''. The last film, ''Film/MyBestFriendsGirl'', ended up a flop, and showed that success as a comedian doesn't always translate into a successful acting career. Since then, Cook has mostly done stand-up and supporting roles in both films and TV.
* Creator/ShiaLaBeouf - who ironically ''didn't'' get the hype machine from Disney like his contemporaries, has had the most post-Disney success. While being featured in several big blockbusters in a supporting role (such as ''Film/IRobot'' and ''Film/{{Constantine}}'') helped to establish his cred, it was his relationship with Creator/StevenSpielberg that pushed him over the edge. Through Spielberg, [=La=]Beouf got cast as the lead in the ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' franchise and one of the leads of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''. Overtime though, [=La=]Beouf developed a negative reputation when he started to [[CreatorBacklash publically slam the movies he was part of.]] Though unlike most, [=La=]Beouf's falling off ended up being his own decision [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/shia-labeouf-abandoning-big-budget-movies-361943 after revealing he hates the studio system.]] Then he was found to be plagiarizing a Daniel Clowes comic for a short film that he premiered at a festival and was reviled for months (to the point where he wore a paper bag over his head), though the backlash eventually died down. He later got a supporting role in Creator/DavidAyer's UsefulNotes/{{W|orldWarII}}W2 film ''Film/{{Fury 2014}}'' and has worked steadily since, though he doesn't appear to be eager to get back up to his former heights of fame. If anything, he moved onto a niche role as a performance artist starring in bizarro stage acts and public one-man theater shows.
* Creator/ColinFarrell, starting with ''Film/HartsWar'', had a big push in the early to mid-00's, starring in or having large supporting roles in blockbusters like ''Film/MinorityReport'', ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'', ''Film/{{SWAT}}'', ''Film/TheNewWorld'' and most infamously, Creator/OliverStone's ''Film/{{Alexander}}'' and Creator/MichaelMann's ''Film/MiamiVice''. With the exception of ''Minority Report'', all of these films flopped or under-performed, and Colin went under the radar for a few years, starring in smaller budget/indie films. While he's had some small hits like ''Film/InBruges'' and ''Film/FrightNight2011'', he's still made flops like the ''Film/TotalRecall2012'' remake, and regardless his career is nowhere near the A-List status it once was. Then, he's one of the main cast in the second season of ''Series/TrueDetective'' as one of the main leads. He was praised for his performance on the show if it wasn't bogged by the convoluted plot, making the second season a ToughActToFollow. In 2016 he appeared in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' spin-off ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' [[spoiler:as the lead villain]], but it's too soon to tell.
* Stephen Collins made a name of himself beginning with his critically-praised role in ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'' and the cult series ''Series/TalesOfTheGoldMonkey'', but he wouldn't hit the big time until seventeen years later when he was cast as the Reverend Eric Camden in the television drama ''Series/SeventhHeaven'', which became the highest-rated program of Creator/TheWB for much of the network's existence and caused studios left and right to offer Collins roles in various films and shows. However, none of these roles offered Collins the star power he had with ''7th Heaven'', and thus the spotlight began turning away from him, especially following the cancellation of ''7th Heaven'' after just one season on Creator/TheCW. Since then, Collins tried to find suitable roles and avoid being [[{{Typecasting}} cast as Eric Camden again]], to little success. He made several appearances in the ABC series ''Series/PrivatePractice'' and ''Series/{{Scandal}}'', but all that became overshadowed by his highly-publicized divorce with Faye Grant and the nasty proceedings that followed. And then came TMZ leaking an audio tape of Collins admitting to Grant during a private therapy session that he had molested several children decades prior, and the HypeBacklash came. RoleEndingMisdemeanor doesn't even begin to describe the immediate fallout from the scandal, such as his character in ''Scandal'' getting McLeaned, Collins resigning from his position at the Screen Actors Guild board, getting fired from production of ''Film/Ted2'', and multiple stations and networks yanking reruns of ''7th Heaven'' from their schedules. With all these events, it's safe to say Collins may never be able to repair his career.
* After coming to the public's attention with his role in ''Series/{{Skins}}'', Creator/DevPatel's career exploded with the success of ''Film/SlumdogMillionaire''. He was nominated for many awards, and looked to be a star in the making. Unfortunately, his next role was as Zuko in ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', a critically-derided bomb that quickly put a stop to his rising international career. He managed to repair his reputation somewhat in Britain with ''Film/TheBestExoticMarigoldHotel'' and landed a good supporting role in Creator/AaronSorkin's ''Series/TheNewsroom'', so he's not completely gone, but his chance at superstardom seems to be long past. However, he was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for ''{{Film/Lion}}'', so things may be looking up for him.
* Creator/ArmieHammer has suffered repeated disappointments, including one legendary bomb. After several years of TV roles he got a breakthrough part (or [[ActingForTwo parts]]) in ''Film/TheSocialNetwork''. All of Hammer's subsequent projects - ''Film/MirrorMirror'', ''Film/JEdgar'' and ''Film/TheLoneRanger2013'' - have flopped critically and financially. He's still getting high-profile roles, including the ''Film/TheManFromUNCLE2015'' remake... but it failed to light the world on fire. It's only until in 2017 where he received a lot of critical praise in ''Film/CallMeByYourName''.
* Creator/RyanReynolds had the fortune/misfortune of coming along when Hollywood had a dearth of young leading males. After getting his big break in the ABC series ''Series/TwoGuysAGirlAndAPizzaPlace'', Reynolds starred in a number of well-regarded comedic roles. However, most of his films from the late '00s and early '10s (with the exception of ''Film/{{Buried}}'') received mixed reviews at best. His intended dramatic breakout performance in 2011's ''Film/GreenLantern'' was also a critical and commercial underperformer, and then ''Film/TheChangeUp'' didn't do well either; thus he was not the bankable star Hollywood perceived him to be. It's hard to say how well his career will turn out at this point, though the success of 2012's ''Film/SafeHouse'' (though Creator/DenzelWashington was obviously the big draw, and there's a lot of debate about how much Reynolds' presence really contributed) could help him regain momentum. The bombing of ''Film/{{RIPD}}'' and the under-performance of ''WesternAnimation/{{Turbo}}'', on the same weekend no less, seems to suggest his momentum is trending downward once more. But with the critical and commercial success of ''{{Film/Deadpool|2016}}'' film, with much praise for his performance as the lead character, this might change most especially when he earned nominations from the Golden Globe Awards, of all things. While it received mixed reviews from critics, Reynolds had another hit with ''Film/TheHitmansBodyguard''. He continues his successful streak with ''Film/DetectivePikachu''. Even better is that in light of the Disney-Fox merger, Reynold will still be able to play Deadpool while all of the other X-Men actors are recasted, meaning that he'll still have plenty of opportunities to reprise his signature role.
* Australian actor Julian [=McMahon=] came to national attention for his MrFanservice roles on ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}'' and ''Series/NipTuck'', and got something of a push - even being considered as a potential James Bond. His turn in the blockbuster ''Film/FantasticFour2005'' was critically panned, but the movie was a success. His attempt at headlining a project alongside Sandra Bullock in ''{{Film/Premonition}}'' was a critical disappointment, and he didn't make another film after the ''Fantastic Four'' sequel bombed. He has stuck mainly to TV and smaller roles since ''Nip/Tuck'' ended its run. However, he managed to get a role as the BigBad in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse webseries, ''Series/Runaways2017''
* Creator/CThomasHowell was one of the 80's top rising stars, appearing in hits like ''Film/TheOutsiders'' and ''Film/RedDawn1984'' and becoming a TeenIdol. However, he blew it all with 1986's ''Film/SoulMan'', which (while a box office success) garnered controversy as Howell spent most of the movie in blackface, which, in the 1980's and beyond, is [[ValuesDissonance extremely taboo]] [[UnfortunateImplications for obvious reasons]]. Since then, Howell has been appearing in a bunch of B-movies and TV shows.
* Creator/TimAllen. With his pre-teenage life marred by the loss of his father, and his adult years disfigured by drug use, Allen managed to make a name of himself in the stand-up circuit, both on television and record, so that his life can go on the right track. He never conceived himself to be an actor, having stated at one point that he could only act based on "personal experience," but he eventually found his big break when he became star of the ABC sitcom ''Series/HomeImprovement'', which became one of the highest-rated sitcoms of the 1990's. A chart-topping book from him soon followed, his first major film role, ''Film/TheSantaClause'', became the 4th highest-grossing domestic release of 1994, and then he voiced Buzz Lightyear in a little animated project known as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', which became a pop-culture behemoth overnight. Hollywood soon began courting him for more film roles, but he turned down most of them due to his limited acting experience. Consequently, the only studio he received film roles from was Creator/{{Disney}}, who produced both ''The Santa Clause'' and ''Home Improvement'' and whom Allen had a close relationship with. During that time, he starred in the Disney films ''Film/Jungle2Jungle'' and ''Film/ForRicherOrPoorer'', whose theatrical runs were overshadowed by Allen's highly-publicized DUI arrest in Michigan, with his troubled past having caught up with him. After ''Home Improvement'' was cancelled in 1999, he seemed to be heading back on the road to stardom, starring in ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' (his ''only'' non-Disney project during his hey day) and reprising his role as Buzz in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'', but quickly fell back into recession after starring in a few more forgettable film roles after that. While he hasn't disappeared from the spotlight completely, thanks to another ABC sitcom, ''Series/LastManStanding'', running for an impressive six seasons before cancellation, and the continued success of the ''Toy Story'' franchise, his career heights from the 1990's have long passed.
* Creator/MichaelCera came out with a ''vengeance'' after ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' [[ScrewedByTheNetwork went off the air]], appearing in several films that got mainstream recognition ''and'' artistic credibility (particularly ''Film/{{Juno}}''), and things were looking up. Then ''Film/YearOne'' put him in a bumpy road before his push fell apart in 2010, as both of his films that year (''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' and ''Film/YouthInRevolt''), [[CriticalDissonance despite positive critical reception]], flopped badly. His problem? Cera [[TypeCasting played the exact same nerdy-shy-guy character in every film he's been in so far]], right down to specific mannerisms and vocal style. This eventually stuck to him in a big way, and his career took a tumble. He hasn't had a major hit or appearance in years, and now Creator/JesseEisenberg (who has a similar appearance and acting style) has gone on to become a bigger star.
* Creator/TomSelleck was supposed to be one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood thanks to his starring role in ''Series/MagnumPI'', one of the most successful action shows of the 80's. However, he preferred to [[PlayingAgainstType play against type]] when it came to movies. His first breakthrough film role was ''Film/ThreeMenAndABaby'', which got decent reviews and was the biggest box office hit of 1987. After ''Magnum P.I.'' was cancelled, Selleck decided to take his action personality to film with ''Film/AnInnocentMan'' and ''Film/QuigleyDownUnder''. Although neither were box office hits, they went on to become cult classics, and Selleck would continue to build up his film career throughout the 90's while still being a television favorite. And then came 1999's ''The Love Letter'', which despite Selleck being in a supporting role got poor reviews and failed to turn a profit. Not helping matters was when Selleck decided to show up on Rosie O'Donnell's talk show to promote the movie only to be confronted by O'Donnell over his appearance on a recent National Rifle Association advertisement, a move that O'Donnell received heavy criticism for and forced her to apologize. Even though the moment didn't harm Selleck as much, the failure of ''The Love Letter'' did, and his film career entered a steady decline thereafter. His TV career was also flagging simultaneously, eventually culminating in the romantic comedy ''Film/{{Killers}}'', which bombed and killed Selleck's film prospects for good. Although Selleck's TV career is still kicking, with ''Series/BlueBloods'' being a network favorite and a reboot of ''Magnum P.I.'' in the works, it's safe to say that his glory days during mid 80's and early 90's are dead in the water.
* Following ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' and ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'', Creator/SamWorthington has got a big push as Hollywood's next big ActionHero. The ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans|2010}}'' remake followed, as well as a number of smaller action movies. Like several others on this list, however, Worthington has taken criticism for playing more or less the same character in most of his roles. For a while there was even a debate if he is going to be the next Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger or the next Creator/StevenSeagal... and them he simply stopped getting roles at all, aside random episodes as OneSceneWonder. The critical and commercial savaging of ''Film/WrathOfTheTitans'', which served as the sequel to the remake of ''Clash'', was the last straw for Worthington. With news that Creator/JamesCameron's ''{{Film/Avatar}}'' sequels entered production, it might change things in his favour.
* After a slew of minor film roles in the 90's, Creator/JackBlack exploded onto the scene starring opposite Creator/JohnCusack in ''Film/HighFidelity'', which became a huge critical hit despite moderate box office intake. He would follow the success of that role throughout the decade with roles in ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'', ''Film/SchoolOfRock'', the ''Film/{{King Kong|2005}}'' remake (in a [[PlayingAgainstType major turn against comedy]]), ''Film/NachoLibre'', ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' and ''Film/TropicThunder'', all of which scored critical and commercial success and cemented Black as one of Hollywood's biggest comedy stars. He further gained popularity as one-half of the comedy rock act Music/TenaciousD. Unfortunately, audiences soon began to notice that, like Michael Cera, [[TypeCasting Black was playing the same screwball, hammy character in most of the films he had appeared in]]. This problem became apparent with the release of ''Film/YearOne'', which incidentally paired Black with Cera and exposed just how stale their humor had become. Its critical and commercial thrashing sent both men's careers in a downward spiral, with Black's decline culminating with the massive flop that was ''Film/{{Gullivers Travels|2010}}'', an InNameOnly adaptation of the classic [[Literature/GulliversTravels book]] that bombed with both critics and audiences, becoming one of 2010's biggest box office failures. His brand recognition faded almost immediately, as more box office bombs stymied an attempted comeback the following year with ''Film/{{Bernie}}'', which wasn't picked up for a wide release despite rave reviews. While Black still has the good fortunes of continuing his role as Po in the ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' films, along with his association with Tenacious D and positive signs with ''Film/{{Goosebumps}}'' and ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'', it will take a long time for Black to experience a true resurgence of popularity.
* In the early 2000s Eli Marienthal was getting a push as a child star following his OneSceneWonder role in ''Film/AmericanPie'' (as Stiffler's younger brother). He was the voice of Hogarth in ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' and given a prominent role in ''Film/TheCountryBears''. Both films flopped at the box office (though the former became a CultClassic on home video). He was tested out as the star of his own sitcom ''{{Series/Tucker}}'' which only lasted one season. His role as the love interest in the Lindsay Lohan vehicle ''Film/ConfessionsOfATeenageDramaQueen'' was commercially successful but trashed by critics, and he retired from acting shortly afterwards.
* Creator/StevenSeagal is a classic story of an actor who worked his way up the ladder, had a brief time as a big star, overreached himself, and sunk into obscurity, becoming a punchline to countless jokes about washed-up celebrities. He started work in movies as a stunt coordinator and martial arts instructor (including on ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'', where he infamously broke Creator/SeanConnery's wrist during a spar), but made the transition to actor when one of his aikido students, superstar talent agent Michael Ovitz, arranged for him to demonstrate his martial arts skills on the Creator/WarnerBros lot. Warner Bros. decided to take a chance on him, and in 1988, he wrote and starred in ''Film/AboveTheLaw'', which was a commercial success despite mixed reviews. His next two movies, ''Film/HardToKill'' and ''Film/MarkedForDeath'', both opened at #1 at the box office, and while the former was a critical flop, the latter received good reviews. 1991 saw the release of ''Film/OutForJustice'', his third straight number one box office opening. To promote the movie, he hosted an episode of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''... and is still widely considered to be the worst host in the show's history, which many consider in retrospect to be a portent of things to come. While he was a niche actor up to this point, his appearance in the critically acclaimed blockbuster ''Film/UnderSiege'' allowed him to break out to general audiences and compete with A-list action heroes. Seagal used his newfound clout to make an [[GreenAesop environmentally conscious]] movie called ''Film/OnDeadlyGround'', which was his directorial debut. The movie was a critical and commercial flop, and the following year's ''Under Siege 2: Dark Territory'' was a box office disappointment and received poor reviews. While 1996's ''Film/ExecutiveDecision'' was a success, it didn't do much for his career. Still, he would continue to appear in high-budget action movies, but after ''Film/TheGlimmerMan'' and ''Film/FireDownBelow'' both flopped and his original multi-picture contract with Warner Bros. ended, his next major role was in a 1998 direct-to-video movie titled ''The Patriot'' (not to be confused with [[Film/ThePatriot the Revolutionary War movie of the same name]]). In 2001, he seemed slated for a comeback after ''Film/ExitWounds'', but the disappointing performance of ''Film/HalfPastDead'' would push him off the big screen for good. Aside from ''Film/{{Machete}}'', he's been stuck in direct-to-DVD movies and Reality TV. It doesn't help that he's since been OvershadowedByControversy, due to allegations of sexual misconduct and his apologia for authoritarian leaders like UsefulNotes/FidelCastro and UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin.
* Creator/DudleyMoore was already a comedy star in his native United Kingdom as part of a wildly popular double act with Creator/PeterCook in TheSixties, but as that partnership dissolved in TheSeventies he struck out on his own -- and to Hollywood. A movie-stealing turn in ''Film/FoulPlay'' led to a lead in ''Film/{{Ten}}'', and while Bo Derek (see Actresses below on ''her'') was the focus of the marketing campaign, his career promptly skyrocketed as well. While ''Film/WhollyMoses'' was a disappointment (despite a strong opening weekend), the straight-up star vehicle ''Film/{{Arthur}}'' was THE comedy of 1981 and even saw him nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. He was promptly being offered projects left and right.\\
\\
Alas, an attempt to branch out into drama led to the FollowUpFailure ''Six Weeks'' and was followed by a run of five star vehicles, mostly romantic comedies -- one was even '''titled''' ''Romantic Comedy'' -- trying to recapture his ''Arthur'' heat, over 1983-84 that were modest successes at best and {{Box Office Bomb}}s at worst. Trying to branch out with ''Film/SantaClausTheMovie'' and ''Like Father, Like Son'' did him no favors; the latter film ''was'' a minor hit, but that was more due to Creator/KirkCameron's presence than his. ''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' put the coffin in the ground, with only one leading man vehicle afterward (''Crazy People''). In TheNineties he found more success in his other career as a jazz and classical pianist than as an actor, but a disastrous marriage to Brogan Lane (who was abusive) and health issues (above all progressive supranuclear palsy, diagnosed in 1999) permanently derailed him professionally, and he died in 2002.

!!Actresses:
* Silent film actress Creator/ClaraBow was [[TropeMakers the original]] "It Girl" (because she starred in [[TropeNamers a movie called]] ''Film/{{It|1927}}''). Natural charisma and an earthy sexuality uncommon for that era made her a huge star in the latter 1920s. She was able to overcome a thick Brooklyn accent and transition to talkies, but an exceedingly fragile psyche combined with an adversarial relationship with Paramount Pictures led to a nervous breakdown in 1931. Creator/{{Paramount}} fired her, and after an abortive comeback attempt she retired from movies at the age of 28.
* Back in the 1940s, a former Rockette called Lucille Bremer impressed officials at Creator/{{MGM}} with her screen test and they began to test her as a potential star. She made a successful debut playing Rose in ''Film/MeetMeInStLouis'', with director Creator/VincenteMinnelli saying more than once that he felt she came close to stealing the film from Creator/JudyGarland. However her first starring role ''Yolanda And The Thief'' flopped at the Box Office (despite good reviews) because [[FantasyGhetto of its fantasy theme]]. She took the blame for this and, despite a few more starring roles, MGM soon lost interest in promoting her. She opted to retire from films before the decade was over.
* Creator/KateHudson had a huge star-making role as a drugged-out groupie in ''Film/AlmostFamous''. Immediately, she was given major role after major role in {{romantic comed|y}}ies, all of which did middling business and resulted in critics (including Creator/RogerEbert) hemming and hawing over how far she had fallen. Years of magazine covers, bikini shots, and other big movie roles haven't done much for her career, though that certainly hasn't stopped her from trying. ''Almost Famous'' is the only film of hers still fondly remembered today. Now she is more known for her successful "Fabletics" athletic wear brand.
* Creator/AliciaSilverstone exploded into Hollywood in 1995 thanks to ''Film/{{Clueless}}'', gaining so much fame that she even had a 3-picture deal with Columbia that even gave her a production company, First Kiss Productions, to call her own. The summer of 1997 completely derailed her career before it could continue, thanks to the one two-punch of serial career killer ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' and her company's first (and only) project, ''Excess Baggage,'' becoming a major flop. Silverstone nowadays is remembered as a quintessential OneHitWonder in the acting world, and is now more well-known for her political/social activism and promoting her [[GranolaGirl vegan lifestyle]].
* Gretchen Mol was touted as another "It Girl" when she debuted in ''Film/{{Rounders}}''. It didn't pan out, with ''Rounders'' doing middling business, and even she (with newfound indie-cred from playing the lead role in ''Film/TheNotoriousBettiePage'') admits that it was a particularly bad example building up an unprepared starlet. She is doing quite well with films and a recurring role on critical favorite ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire''.
* Creator/LindsayLohan. This one wasn't related to any lack of talent -- Creator/MerylStreep, of all people, vouched for her acting ability, as did her ''Film/MeanGirls'' co-star Creator/TinaFey. Instead, her decline came from a combination of a disastrous relationship with [[StageMom her parents]], chronic [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl partying]] and drug/alcohol abuse (which did quite the number on [[http://www.buzzfond.com/16-gorgeous-stars-who-have-aged-badly/9/ her looks]] and eventually led to legal troubles), and a reputation for being [[SmallNameBigEgo a diva]] who often showed up to the set late and hungover (if not completely missing filming days altogether). Attempts to revitalize her career -- such as the {{Lifetime|MovieOfTheWeek}} biopic ''Film/LizAndDick'' -- have mostly flopped, with the qualified success of her 2014 West End theatre debut in ''Speed-the-Plow'' the one exception. Nowadays, she's far better known for her appearances in the tabloids, and is considered a cautionary tale for the FormerChildStar. It's also been joked that Creator/EmmaStone has the career she would have had.
* Creator/ParisHilton. Unlike the other people on this list, this heiress and socialite did not earn her fame through "legitimate" routes (film, TV, music), but through a HomePornMovie that was "leaked" online in advance of the debut of her RealityShow ''The Simple Life''. Not only did [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity the video turn her into a mega-star virtually overnight]], it also established the home sex tape as a viable route for would-be celebrities and fading stars to boost their careers. She went on to channel her fame into careers in music and (non-pornographic) film, both of which have been non-starters, and the latter notable only for producing her performance in ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera''. Despite these failures to branch out she remained a tabloid mainstay until about 2008, when she was replaced as America's favorite reality TV starlet by Creator/KimKardashian (who rose to fame under similar circumstances as Hilton). Because of this, by and large the media stopped paying attention to her. She attempted a comeback in 2011 with a new reality show ''The World According To Paris'', but the series was cancelled after only one season. Since then she's kept a pretty low profile, [[PopCultureIsolation with only an occasional mention in the local Hollywood papers]]. She has since found moderate success as a DJ and continues to be popular on social media.
* Marion Davies is a famous historical example, since it was William Randolph Hearst who financed her bid for movie stardom. While her looks were as good as people expected from a former Ziegfeld girl, and she was far more talented and off-screen amiable than her RomanAClef opera singer counterpart in ''Film/CitizenKane'', Hearst kept pushing for her to be cast in heavy-duty "respectable" dramatic roles when [[ComedyGhetto she was much better at comedy]].
* ABC in the early 2000's attempted to push Kiele Sanchez in anything they could, first in the three-episode flop ''That Was Then'', and later in the sitcom ''Married to the Kellys'' without stirring up much in ratings or interest in the actress. Her role as the female half of the infamous [[TheScrappy Nikki and Paulo]] couple on ''{{Series/Lost}}'' though finally ended any interest in building her up after Nikki and Paulo were hastily dropped, and after a run in ''Series/SamanthaWho'' to finish up her ABC deal, eventually found steady work in the A&E series ''Series/TheGlades'' and [=DirecTV=]'s ''Kingdom''.
* Creator/JessicaBiel has faltered badly, much to her fans' chagrin. Despite a lot of hype early on from ''Series/SeventhHeaven'', an amazing fitness-girl body that still frequently shows up in magazines, having a high-profile marriage to Music/JustinTimberlake, and several potential break-out roles, she has had a string of critically trashed box-office bombs like ''Film/BladeTrinity'' and ''Film/{{Stealth}}'' (a massive dud that also sank Creator/JamieFoxx's post-''Film/{{Ray}}'' hype and, along with ''Film/{{Poseidon}}'', halted Josh Lucas's career in its tracks). When she finally got naked in a "serious" movie (hoping for the extra career boost that it usually provides hot, young, fading actresses), it was a straight-to-video stripper role (''Powder Blue'') that earned her zero legit cred -- and sadly for all concerned, is more likely to be remembered as Creator/PatrickSwayze's final film. The bombing of the ''Film/TotalRecall2012'' remake, which reportedly cost Creator/{{Sony}} over $200 million in losses, seems to cement her even further into this, especially as her "generation" of actresses include megastars like Creator/AnneHathaway and Creator/ScarlettJohansson. To date, despite being on tons of magazine covers, she's still just a minor star, and at this point is basically "Justin Timberlake's Wife". However, she in 2017, she returned to the small screen with her critically acclaimed role in ''Series/TheSinner'', receiving Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.
* Creator/DeniseRichards started out with mostly mediocre movies, until he got the role of military pilot Carmen Ibáñez in ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' and an all-star nude role in ''Film/WildThings'', making her a household name ([[MsFanservice amongst men]]) overnight. A bit of the Hype Machine got underway, but most of her subsequent films were trashed by critics and weren't too successful at the box-office (with the exception of ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', and that was hardly down to her, it being a ''Film/JamesBond'' film; in fact, one of the most mocked/derided aspects of said film was that Richards wasn't convincing in her role of a nuclear scientist), she stopped doing nudity and basically vanished from Hollywood within the year. A failed marriage to Creator/CharlieSheen later, and she's now more tabloid-bait than an actual star. She now appears on ''Series/TheRealHousewives'' of Beverly Hills.
* Creator/KateBosworth had bit parts and a cancelled-after-one-season TV show on Creator/TheWB called ''Young Americans'' before her starring role in ''Blue Crush''. Once that hit, she was catapulted to the position of It Girl, hyped as the greatest and most beautiful actress of her generation (sometimes this phrase was used verbatim), and she became a regular tabloid and fashion mag staple because she was dating the premiere heartthrob of the time. Fast forwarding to 2010, and just about every film since ''Blue Crush,'' with the exception of ''Film/SupermanReturns'', has been a critical and/or commercial failure, though not for lack of trying for that great comeback.
* Creator/RachelBilson was something of a TV It Girl during her days on ''Series/TheOC'' Once that ended, Bilson did a few underperforming films like ''Film/{{Jumper}}'' and forgettable TV appearances and, like ''Bosworth'', is now mostly known for attending various Hollywood functions and getting paparazzi photos of herself performing mundane daily tasks. However, she did score a TV series with ''Series/HartOfDixie''.
* Creator/RachaelLeighCook first came to fame thanks to her role in a famous anti-heroin PublicServiceAnnouncement [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMwxWHaZUro in which she demolishes a kitchen]], and became a star proper when ''Film/ShesAllThat'' came out. The flop of 2001's ''Film/JosieAndThePussycats'' and, to a lesser extent, ''Film/{{Antitrust}}'' and ''Texas Rangers'' (she had supporting roles in those films, and unluckily for her, they came out the same year as ''Josie'') derailed her career, and she spent the following decade playing bit parts on television and various forgettable straight to DVD flicks. In recent years, however, she has had some success as a voiceover artist and plum guest roles in the likes of ''Series/{{Psych}}'' and ''Series/GhostWhisperer'', so a comeback isn't an entirely unrealistic prospect. She stars in ''Series/{{Perception}}'', alongside Eric [=McCormack=].
* The success that was ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' turned Creator/SarahMichelleGellar into a star and she was suddenly everywhere in the late 90s. Despite the Box Office success of ''Film/CruelIntentions'', ''Film/IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'', ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' and ''Film/TheGrudge'' and attempts to resist typecasting, audiences couldn't see her as anyone other than Buffy Summers. The failures of ''The Return'' and ''Film/TheAirIBreathe'' saw her turning to voice-over work and direct-to-video films, gradually fading from the mainstream. She also took some time off to raise her children.
* Creator/PiaZadora is a notorious example from TheEighties. After years of bit parts (including a small role in ''Film/SantaClausConquersTheMartians'' as a child), her bid for fame started when she married billionaire Meshulam Riklis in 1977. Her career peaked in 1981, when she won the Golden Globe for Best New Star of the Year for the film ''Butterfly'', which was largely financed by Riklis. However, it has long been rumored that Riklis had [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney "bought"]] Pia her Golden Globe by financing lavish trips to UsefulNotes/LasVegas for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, allegations not helped by the fact that her performance also won her two Razzies for Worst Actress and Worst New Star. She won the Worst Actress Razzie ''again'' the following year for her performance in ''Film/TheLonelyLady''[[note]]She would go on to be named "Worst New Star of the Decade" in 1990 and being nominated for "Worst Actress of the ''Century''" in 2000.[[/note]], a film that essentially killed her acting career and left her doing small parts and cameos. She wound up having far more success as a singer, even earning a Grammy nomination in 1984.
* Elizabeth Berkley was supposed to be the Next Big Thing with ''Film/{{Showgirls}}''. Too bad that trainwreck of a film completely derailed whatever film career she may have had. The fallout was so bad that when she requested $2,500 to be interviewed for the V.I.P. DVD edition of the film, she was ''turned down''. Ouch.
* The [[VirtualCelebrity CGI actress]] Aki Ross from ''Anime/FinalFantasyTheSpiritsWithin'' was supposed to have a long "career". The intention was for the computer model created for the movie to be used in projects unrelated to ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' and spanning multiple media formats (movies, games, etc.). "She" even got [[PublicExposure a photo spread]] in ''Maxim'', including a plot on their "Hottest Women" list, and was promoted as the very first in what would be a long line of virtual actors. The failure of the movie to even recoup its astronomical production costs, and the subsequent [[CreatorKiller collapse of the studio that financed it]], resulted in a somewhat shorter career than numerous magazines had been predicting. It also ensured that the trend of "virtual actors" was stillborn, no doubt leading many [[UsefulNotes/UnionsInHollywood SAG]] members to breathe sighs of relief (and ensuring that the Hype Machine would remain necessary for the foreseeable future).
* Creator/DemiMoore has had various ups and downs, but has been hyped a lot. She was the most successful member of the '80s Creator/BratPack, and went on to some major success in TheEighties, but a string of ''huge'' box office bombs in TheNineties completely derailed her star. ''Film/TheScarletLetter'' was universally loathed by critics, and ''Film/{{Striptease}}'', a wannabe star-defining role for which she earned the then-highest paycheque of any female in Hollywood history, was another mega-bomb. She vanished for literally a decade, only resurfacing as Creator/AshtonKutcher's [[MrsRobinson new wife]], and a storm of hype from her hot body (despite her age) in ''Film/CharliesAngelsFullThrottle'' failed to amount to anything. Now, since her breakup with Kutcher and subsequent dating of an even younger man, she's best known as "that older chick who's into younger guys."
* Julia Ormond was an unknown in the US when she landed lead roles three big mid-nineties films (''Film/LegendsOfTheFall'', ''Film/FirstKnight'', and the remake of ''Film/{{Sabrina|1995}}''), starring opposite such actors as Creator/BradPitt, Creator/AnthonyHopkins, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/RichardGere, and Creator/HarrisonFord, but all were box-office and critical disappointments. She's still working, but she never became the "star" Hollywood expected.
* Creator/JenniferGarner was promoted as the next big ActionGirl after coming to public attention with the TV series ''Series/{{Alias}}''. But she turned out to be remarkably unsuccessful in headlining movies. Her big action film debut in ''Film/{{Elektra}}'' flopped, whereupon she turned to romantic comedies and did only marginally better (''Film/ThirteenGoingOnThirty'' being a minor hit). These days, she seems stuck in small supporting roles, such as in ''Film/{{Juno}}'', ''Film/ValentinesDay'' (with Creator/JessicaBiel, mentioned above), the ''Film/{{Arthur}}'' remake and ''Film/AlexanderAndTheTerribleHorribleNoGoodVeryBadDay''. After a career spanning almost fifteen years, Sydney Bristow is still far and away her most iconic role.
* Shannyn Sossamon was another teen actor who was a media darling, having catapulted herself to the A-List in 2001-2002 with starring roles in ''Film/AKnightsTale'', ''Film/FortyDaysAndFortyNights'', and ''Literature/TheRulesOfAttraction''. Afterwards, she spent the 2000's starring in a long string of DTV and indie films, as well as some TV work (most notably on the short-lived Creator/{{CBS}} vampire series ''Moonlight''), but it failed to drum up any major following.
* Nia Vardalos came out of nowhere to star in and write ''Film/MyBigFatGreekWedding'', which became the biggest indie film and romantic comedy of all-time. After getting an Academy Award nomination for her script, big things were expected from her. However, her star fell as soon as it rose with a series of flops (the TV spinoff ''My Big Fat Greek Life'', ''Connie and Carla'') and she faded back into obscurity. A couple attempts at a comeback (starring in 2009's ''My Life in Ruins'' and writing 2011's ''Larry Crowne'') have resulted in critical drubbing and box office failure (the latter was also a rare misstep for Creator/TomHanks).
* Canadian actress Estella Warren got a ''huge'' push in 2001 when she starred as the love interest and femme fatale in two major Hollywood films -- ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes2001'' and the Creator/SylvesterStallone racing film ''Film/{{Driven}}''. That, along with dating her ''Driven'' co-star Kip Purdue and landing a spot on Maxim's Hot 100 Babe List before she had a single film out, did a lot to jumpstart her fledgling career in spite of both films' middling box office and scathing reviews. However, ''Film/KangarooJack'' killed any momentum she had. What followed were a string of unsuccessful direct-to-video flops and indie films, along with an unsuccessful marketing push in 2005 (features in ''FHM'' and a supporting role in ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'', which was cut prior to the film's release). These days, she's more well-known for her tabloid antics (including trying to break out of a police station after being arrested) than her film career.
* Creator/ElisabethShue had a solid career as a child/teen actress, with prominent roles in ''Film/{{The Karate Kid|1984}}'', ''Film/AdventuresInBabysitting'', ''Film/{{Cocktail}}'' and ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'' and ''[[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII III]]'', but really hit the big time with a critically acclaimed performance alongside Creator/NicolasCage in ''Film/LeavingLasVegas'', going against her previously established, girl-next-door image. Big things were expected, but a few high-profile critical and commercial flops (such as ''Film/TheSaint1997'' with Creator/ValKilmer and ''Film/HollowMan'' with Creator/KevinBacon) didn't really hit the heights that were anticipated, and she had a more-or-less solid but unremarkable career since then. She parodied this with a starring role in ''Film/{{Hamlet 2}}'', where she played a [[AsHimself fictionalized version of herself]] who quits acting in disillusionment to become a nurse. She may be on the verge of... something... replacing Marg Helgenberger on ''Series/{{CSI}}'' in 2012.
* Creator/SophieMarceau was expected by many to have a successful crossover in American films, having found success in her native France and having played major roles in ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'' and the Film/JamesBond film ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough''. However, a number of flops and a bizarre, rambling speech she made at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999 fast derailed her in the US. She still makes films, but many of them barely get released outside of France (you would think ''Film/NeTeRetournePas'', a film where she teams up with Creator/MonicaBellucci and which [[GirlOnGirlIsHot they embraced topless]] on the cover of ''Paris Match'' to promote, would have gotten a decent international push).
* Susan Ward was hyped as a potential "next big thing" after marrying one of the heads of Morgan Creek and having a movie built around her (''The In Crowd''). Then, the movie bombed and her hype fell as fast as it rose. Nowadays, she's known for her numerous plastic surgeries (which began before making the movie) rather than the numerous straight-to-DVD movies she appears in (or her regular role on the first two seasons of ''Series/MakeItOrBreakIt'').
* Nikki Blonsky is a rather sad example of this. After being heavily hyped for her role in the 2007 remake of ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', a lot was expected of her. Sadly, Hollywood didn't know what to do with her and she's been mostly stuck being typecast as the fat girl in little-seen TV movies and the short-lived ''Literature/{{Huge}}''. Her first post-''Hairspray'' film role wasn't until four years later (a small role in the critically panned ''Waiting For Forever'') and it's since been discovered that she's been working in a salon to pay the bills.
* The younger actors in ''Film/AmericanBeauty'', Creator/ThoraBirch, Creator/WesBentley, and Creator/MenaSuvari. The three got huge pushes from the movie but none of them ever really amounted to anything.
** Suvari was probably the most successful, as she also got major hype from ''Film/AmericanPie'' (detailed above), but all in all is not that big of a star.
** Birch had already established herself before the film, but had a StarDerailingRole in the form of ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons''. She later won acclaim for ''Comicbook/GhostWorld'', but threw any momentum away when she refused to part ways with her father, whose [[StageMom Stage Dad]] tendencies cost her several major roles.
** Bentley got some notable roles like the main antagonist in ''Film/GhostRider'', but an out-of-control drug habit seemed to have destroyed his career. However, he had no less than six films scheduled for released in 2012, including Seneca Crane in the successful film version of ''Film/TheHungerGames'', so only time will tell if he can [[CareerResurrection make it work]] or disappear into oblivion.
* Creator/MeganFox came out of ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' as the new ''It Girl'' sex symbol, and promptly rode it to tons of covers, press coverage, etc. So far, however, it doesn't look good. ''Film/JennifersBody'' and ''Film/JonahHex'' were spectacular failures that seem to be sticking to her, her attempt to go indie with ''Film/PassionPlay'' failed (though her performance itself was praised), and she either left or got booted from the third ''Transformers'' film. Though she did get supporting roles in ''Film/FriendsWithKids'' and ''Film/ThisIs40'' and she re-united with Creator/MichaelBay for the ''TMNT'' reboot, so while she's not quite the hot commodity people were expecting, she's still getting work nonetheless, and motherhood and marriage have mellowed her considerably.
* After a long string of appearances in failed pilots and short-lived series, Creator/AdriannePalicki finally broke through the mainstream when she took the role of Tyra Collette in ''Series/FridayNightLights'', which received significant critical and commercial acclaim. However, her roles after the series ended have been weak at best - she starred in the FOX flop ''Lone Star'' (cancelled after two episodes) and had the title role in the ''Series/WonderWoman2011Pilot'', which wasn't picked up and was trashed by critics and fans. The ''Film/RedDawn2012'' remake was similarly torn apart by critics and bombed in theatres (32.5 million box office against a 65 million dollar budget), with Palicki's presence in the film barely getting a mention from most critics and viewers. However, ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'' did well enough at the box office ($122.5 million domestically and over twice that overseas) to justify a third film; while waiting to see if she returns, she's transferred from the Joes to [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD S.H.I.E.L.D.]] (And now to ''Series/TheOrville''.)
* Creator/OctaviaSpencer got major acclaim and won an Oscar for her role in ''Film/TheHelp''. However, like her co-star, Creator/ViolaDavis, 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. She got her own series, ''Red Band Society'' on Fox and got a prominent role as Johanna in the ''{{Literature/Divergent}}'' movies at least. Spencer has since gone back to being a character actress, with another Oscar nomination for 2016's ''Film/HiddenFigures''.
* Creator/AmandaBynes is a rather sad example. Debuting on ''Series/AllThat'' as a preteen before segueing into her own spinoff ''Series/TheAmandaShow,'' her knack for physical comedy drew multiple comparisons to Creator/LucilleBall. She was able to successfully graduate off the chidren's networks to the WB's ''Series/WhatILikeAboutYou'' and did moderately well in her ventures to lead roles in films (and even better in supporting roles such as ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'' and ''Film/EasyA.'') However, in the new tens, it started to unravel. Several brushes with the law and bizarre behavior in real life and on Twitter made people worry for her mental health. As of 2015, she hasn't worked in several years, has repeatedly "retired" from acting for short periods of time, and has been put under several psychiatric holds.
* Nancy Valen could be regarded as a starlet who unfortunately never got any traction in her career. After a couple of bit parts in movies (such as ''Film/{{Porkys}} Revenge'' and ''Loverboy'' as Creator/PatrickDempsey's love interest) and TV (such as ''Series/MiamiVice'' and ''Series/CharlesInCharge''), she got the cover of ''Magazine/TVGuide'' as one of the stars of an ill-fated attempt at a TV musical drama series on Creator/{{NBC}} called ''Hull High''. Like Creator/StevenBochco's similar show ''Cop Rock'' on Creator/{{ABC}}, it failed after only a few episodes. After that, she went back to occasional guest-starring roles on TV (like ''Series/MurderSheWrote'', ''Series/FullHouse'', ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', ''Series/{{Friends}}'', ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' and perhaps most notably, in the second season of ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' as the [[HospitalHottie sexy new school nurse]] in a role that was originally meant for swimsuit model Creator/KathyIreland) and appearing in small {{B Movie}} roles. Oddly enough, at least twice she seemed poised to get a long-term role which suddenly evaporated. The first occurred on the late-night Creator/USANetwork series ''Silk Stalkings''. After appearing as an IRS auditor in Season 3, she returned in Season 4 to play the role of Dr. Jillian Michaels, who became the love interest of Detective Chris Lorenzo (Rob Estes), one of the show's two main characters. But the storyline was never continued. Two years later, she got her gig on ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' as the new lieutenant, Samantha 'Sam' Thomas (which is pretty much, her best known acting role), who was brought in to replace the long-running character Lt. Stephanie Holden, played by Alexandra Paul. That particular season ended with Sam in bed with none other than David Hasslehoff himself with the two of them discussing how to break the news of their relationship to Hasslehoff's on-screen son, Hobie. So everything seemed set for her to return the next year with an expanded role as Mitch Buchanan's girlfriend and partner in command. Alas, that didn't happen. ''Baywatch'' instead returned with even more former ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'' Playmates, including Carmen Electra and Angelica Bridges as the newer lieutenant, and Nancy Valen's character Samantha had disappeared with no explanation. After guest appearing during the final season of ''Series/SpinCity'', Valen seemed to go into semi-retirement from acting. She only had two more roles (last appearing in the 2007 Christian drama film ''The Wager'') only to resurface as an {{infomercial}} host.
* Creator/AmandaSeyfried, after well-received early appearances in ''Series/VeronicaMars'' and ''Film/MeanGirls'', was seemingly on a streak of success in becoming a top box-office draw (with hits such as the aforementioned ''Mean Girls'' and ''Theatre/MammaMia''). But in an eleven-month period from 2011 to 2012, she had three major flops in a row (''Film/RedRidingHood'', ''Film/InTime'', and ''Film/{{Gone}}'') with some reviews for the third one questioning if she even had appeal or talent in the first place (though others reviewers contended she was better than the material). ''Film/LesMiserables2012'', in which she played Cosette, was successful critically and commercially, but most of the acclaim was directed at Creator/AnneHathaway and Creator/HughJackman. Her role as the title character in ''Film/{{Lovelace}}'' has gotten her a lot of praise, but the movie made only half a million at the box office. Hollywood has long-since given up on an A-List role for her, but she can probably maintain a solid career as long as she doesn't overreach. Her attempt at becoming part of a franchise to boost her success crashed and burned with the critical and commercial failure that was 2015's ''Film/{{Pan}}''. She reprised her role in ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain'' in 2018, which was a moderate success.
* Big things were expected of Creator/BoDerek. After a minor role in ''Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale'', she got her big break in ''Film/{{Ten}}'', which propelled both her and Creator/DudleyMoore to stardom. She was even unironically compared to Creator/MarilynMonroe. However, her follow-up movie, 1980's ''A Change in Seasons'', got unfavorable reviews and disappointed at the box office. The 1981 movie ''[[Film/TarzanTheApeMan1981 Tarzan, the Ape Man]]'', while doing better financially, was mutilated by critics and earned her a Worst Actress Razzie (shared with Creator/FayeDunaway for ''Film/MommieDearest''). She didn't get another film offer until 1984's ''Film/{{Bolero}}'', which bombed at the box office, and earned her another Razzie. She took a five-year hiatus, and her intended comeback film, ''Film/GhostsCantDoIt'', only put her career even further in the ground. She spend the next few years making TV films, not returning to the big screen until ''Woman of Desire'' came out to very little fanfare. After that, her most prominent role was in the 2006 telenovela ''Fashion House''. By this point, it's safe to say that her career is toast, with some even going so far as to ask how she even got so big in the first place.
* Creator/ShannenDoherty became a star in the late '80s and early '90s with hits such as ''Film/{{Heathers}}'' and three respectable TV shows - ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'', ''Series/OurHouse'' and ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''. The late 90s were kind to her as well, when she headlined the supernatural drama ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''. But cracks started to appear as early 1994 when she was fired from ''90210'' for getting into fights with her co-stars. Stories surfaced about her difficulty on the ''Charmed'' set too - with actor TW King leaving after the first season being rumoured to be because she didn't like him. Tension between her and co-star Creator/AlyssaMilano caused her to be fired again. After being fired from two hit network shows, she was given a few reality TV projects to headline - all of which did middling business. After that she stuck to doing TV movies and her star power quickly faded. Her recent battles with cancer have also put her career on hold.
* Creator/KeishaCastleHughes is regarded as the next big thing back in 2004 after many critics and viewers praised her role in ''Film/WhaleRider'' where she's nominated for Best Lead Actress at the Oscars, making her the youngest Best Lead Actress nominee at the age of 13 (until 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis beat the record in 2013). Then, she appeared in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' and had another lead role in ''Film/TheNativityStory''. But after that, she didn't seemed to get much impressive roles as she got pregnant too early. She did get a guest role in ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' and eventually got in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' Season 5 as Obara Sand, the oldest Sand Snake daughter of fan favorite Oberyn Martell. Unfortunately, viewers and critics hated [[TheScrappy the Sand Snakes]] due to the {{Narm}}y lines, flimsy characterization and horrible acting. Though this didn't seemed to put a dent on Keisha's career as she still got more TV roles, it's a long way for her to get back on the A-list. Unlike that of nearly every other actor involved in the show, her role on ''Game of Thrones'' has not been able to supplant that of ''Whale Rider'' as her best known, and she is widely considered a OneHitWonder for it.
* With the initial success of ''Series/GossipGirl'', Creator/LeightonMeester was praised as a potential breakout star. Five major films featuring her were released from 2010-2011 - including ''Film/CountryStrong'', clearly intended as OscarBait. All of them flopped with audiences and critics, though Leighton herself was praised as being better than the material. After ''Gossip Girl'' ended, she turned to indie films and had some minor success with a music career - but nothing with the high profile she once enjoyed. She did land a role on the FX comedy ''Making History'', so time will tell. Ironically the opposite happened with her co-star Creator/BlakeLively; widely predicted that she would only remain famous for fashion and her marriage to Ryan Reynolds, she surprised everyone with very [[BeautyInversion against-type]] turns in ''{{Film/Hick}}'' and ''Film/TheTown''. She later won critical acclaim for ''Film/TheAgeOfAdaline'' and ''Film/TheShallows'', which were modest Box Office hits - showing that she wasn't above taking risks in acting.
* Julianne Hough is touted as "The Next Big Thing" by The Machine, and America will be subjected to the ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'' performer's films left and right for the next several years until she either hits it big or they give up. The remake of ''Film/{{Footloose}}'' was a good first step, the box-office and commercial flop ''Film/RockOfAges'' (which also included Creator/TomCruise and Creator/CatherineZetaJones elsewhere on this page)... not so much. However, ''Literature/SafeHaven'' became commercially successful despite not getting good notices from critics. As of 2017, she has not been in any big film roles since, but has returned to ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a judge.
* During the 1980s and early '90s, Creator/KimBasinger was not only one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood but also one of its biggest [[MsFanservice sex symbols]] (serving as Hollywood's epitome of "[[EveryoneLovesBlondes the blonde bombshell]]"). Basinger with personality traits like [[ShynessTropes shyness]] and sensitivity along with incredible physical beauty and sensuality, was arguably the closest '80s equivalent to Creator/MarilynMonroe. After working as a fashion model and gradually paying her dues in films like the unofficial Film/JamesBond film ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'', ''Film/TheNatural'', ''Film/FoolForLove'', ''Film/NineAndAHalfWeeks'', ''Film/NoMercy'', ''Film/BlindDate'', ''Film/{{Nadine}}'', and ''Film/MyStepmotherIsAnAlien'', Basigner officially reached the A-list when she was cast as [[Characters/BatmanFilmSeries Vicki Vale]] in Creator/TimBurton's 1989 blockbuster ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''. Shortly after ''Batman'' however, a series of [[BoxOfficeBomb commercial duds]] and her [[SmallNameBigEgo ego problems]] badly damaged her career. Around the same time that ''Batman'' was out, Basinger spent $20 million to create a film studio and festival in Braselton, Georgia which, was a commercial failure. In the 1990s, Basinger starred in ''Film/TheMarryingMan'' alongside Creator/AlecBaldwin, ''Film/FinalAnalysis'' alongside her ''No Mercy'' co-star Creator/RichardGere, Creator/RalphBakshi's ''Film/CoolWorld'', and ''Film/TheRealMcCoy'' alongside Creator/ValKilmer. All of them were commercial and critical failures that were more than often tainted by Basinger's [[WagTheDirector clashes with the production teams]]. While working on ''[[TroubledProduction The Marrying Man]]'' in particular, Basinger demanded that the director of photography be replaced and stalled production with having her makeup completely removed and re-applied between takes. Her collaboration on ''Cool World'' was particularly disastrous as she [[{{Bowdlerise}} censored the movie]] to show for sick hospital children (which was ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids not]]'' what Bakshi intended), which in turn drove Bakshi [[CreatorKiller away from filmmaking]].\\
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However, the biggest story of 1993 for Kim Basinger was ''Film/BoxingHelena'', a movie that she backed out of at the last minute. To make a long story short, just before filming began, Basinger got cold feet about playing a woman who is held hostage by a surgeon who amputates her limbs. Not surprisingly, the makers of ''Boxing Helena'' [[ContractualObligationProject sued]][[note]]The makers of the film ''Boxing Helena'' said that Kim Basinger agreed to star in the film, had been fitted for wardrobe and then she suddenly dropped out without making any effort to help them find a replacement. Basinger did not come off as honest or credible on the witness stand.[[/note]] and [[ScrewedByTheLawyers Basinger was forced to pay a settlement]] of $3.8 million dollars[[note]]She was initially ordered to pay the filmmakers about $8.1 million in damages, but it was cut down on appeal.[[/note]]. But the damage was done; combined with her costly legal battles and failed Braselton buyout, Basinger filed for bankruptcy. It still might have been worthwhile, though, as the film ended up as a notorious disaster that outright annihilated the career of its eventual female lead, Creator/SherilynFenn. In 1994, Basinger co-starred with her then-husband Alec Baldwin in the remake of the 1972 crime drama film ''Film/TheGetaway''. Despite some buzz if not controversy over some [[CoitusEnsues steamy sex scenes]], it was [[CoupleBomb not enough]] to make ''The Getaway'' a hit. Ultimately, the aforementioned lawsuits, bankruptcy and box office flops, caused Basinger to [[CelebrityIsOverrated retreat from Hollywood]] for a few years.\\
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Three years later, Basinger was primed for a [[CareerResurrection comeback]] in the form of Creator/CurtisHanson’s 1997 film noir, ''Film/LAConfidential''. Basinger's performance as a glamorous, sexy [[FemmeFatale femme fatale]] earned her an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] for Best Supporting Actress, putting her back on Hollywood's A-list. Despite the overwhelming success of ''LA Confidential'', Basinger didn’t jump right back into starring roles until ''Film/IDreamedOfAfrica''[[note]]A [[VanityProject passion project]] of Basinger's.[[/note]] and ''Film/BlessTheChild'' in 2000. Both received bad reviews and underwhelmed at the box office, [[StarDerailingRole killing the momentum]] of her Oscar win. Shortly after that one-two punch, Basinger and Alec Baldwin entered a tumultuous divorce proceeding and custody battle over their daughter, further [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowing her professional work]]. Since then, her career has been on a slow decline with Basinger only starring in [[DirectToVideo low-budget]] movies (or participating in small, borderline "[[MoneyDearBoy money for hire]]" parts in films like ''The Sentinel'', ''Film/CharlieStCloud'', ''Film/TheNiceGuys'', and ''[[Film/FiftyShadesOfGrey Fifty Shades Darker]]''[[note]]Which earned Basinger a UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward for Worst Supporting Actress in 2017.[[/note]]) and becoming a [[ReclusiveArtist recluse]]. Her most high-profile role since was in ''Film/EightMile'' with Music/{{Eminem}}, where she played his character's mother. Once she won her Oscar, it seemed as if Hollywood stopped paying her much attention even when she appears in high profile movies. To put things in proper perspective, Basinger appeared alongside Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/SylvesterStallone, Creator/AlanArkin, and Creator/KevinHart in 2013's ''Film/GrudgeMatch'' yet was [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg nowhere to be found]] in the movie's marketing. Nowadays, Basinger is more known for her failed marriage to Alec Baldwin, uncooperative ego, animal rights activism, and lack of financial success than her actual acting abilities. Even most of Kim Basinger's filmography, aside from films like ''Batman'', ''LA Confidential'', and ''8 Mile'', are only remembered largely as vehicles in launching the [[RetroactiveRecognition careers]] of such stars as Creator/BruceWillis (''Film/BlindDate''), Creator/BradPitt (''Film/CoolWorld''), Creator/JenniferLawrence (''Film/TheBurningPlain''), and Creator/ChrisEvans (''Film/{{Cellular}}'').
* Claire Forlani got to share the screen with a number of high profile stars in the '90s - notably in ''{{Film/Mallrats}}'', ''Film/TheRock'', and ''Film/MeetJoeBlack''. Despite well-received performances, most of the films were commercial disappointments and she starred in three bombs in a row. She quickly faded from leading roles and turned to television instead.
* Creator/MollyRingwald is a serious case of this, to the point she could rival the above-pictured Shyamalan for the Trope Illustrator title. She seemed set for great things after a [[Film/SixteenCandles trio]] [[Film/TheBreakfastClub of]] [[Film/PrettyInPink hits]] with writer/director Creator/JohnHughes, even making the cover of Time Magazine at the age of eighteen. However, a vicious split from Hughes and failed attempts to broaden her appeal to audiences utterly destroyed her future as a leading girl. After the failure of ''Film/BetsysWedding'' in 1990, Ringwald has rarely seen the silver screen since. Nowadays, Ringwald is both PersonaNonGrata in Hollywood and virtually uninsurable. She currently makes a living guest starring on TV and taking character roles in B-movies [[MoneyDearBoy for a quick paycheck]], a ''very'' far cry from her ultra-popularity in the '80s. Though ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'' received some critical buzz, and despite being slated to appear alongside Creator/KeanuReeves in the upcoming thriller ''Siberia'', it will take an act of divine intervention for her to regain even a modicum of her former stature.
* Creator/KatherineHeigl. After several years of TV appearances in stuff like ''Series/{{Roswell}}'' and ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', she gained a lot of fans for her starring role in ''Film/KnockedUp''... only to throw them all away within weeks. She was on her way to becoming a household name before leaving ''Grey's Anatomy'' presumably to pursue more film work, and went on to star in flops like ''Film/{{Killers}}'', ''Film/NewYearsEve'', ''Film/OneForTheMoney'', and ''Film/TheBigWedding'', and developed a reputation of being difficult to work with, in part thanks to her [[StageMom mother/manager]]. Not long after ''Knocked Up'' came out, however, she did a very vocal interview where she attacked basically everyone involved in the film, calling director Creator/JuddApatow a sexist and lead actor Creator/SethRogen a slob, among other things. Despite the backlash, her next two works, ''Film/TwentySevenDresses'' and ''Film/TheUglyTruth'', did very well at the box office despite not-so-great reviews. However, her reputation took another hit when she criticized the writing of ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' publicly on multiple occasions and was eventually PutOnABus (so bad was the backlash to her behavior that she did an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'' to apologize for her antics). Since 2009, her films have opened under $16m and have grossed less than $60m total domestically, and her latest try at television, in 2014-15 with ''Series/StateOfAffairs'', was derided by critics and canned after one season despite airing behind ''Series/TheVoice''. In 2017, she made another television attempt with ''Doubt'', which got cancelled after two episodes, and made another movie called ''Film/{{Unforgettable|2017}}'', which flopped critically and commercially. Her career and reputation are basically in tatters at this point.
* Back in the '80s Creator/HelenSlater found herself getting a big push. It started with ''{{Film/Supergirl}}'', which was unfortunately a flop. Her next project was ''Film/TheLegendOfBillieJean'', which she hoped would be her breakout role, but it was a Box Office disappointment (it did later get a cult following from TV airings however). She did have notable successes in ''Film/RuthlessPeople'', ''Film/TheSecretOfMySuccess'' and ''Film/CitySlickers'' but work seemed to dry up in the 90s. While she's still working away, she's best known as Supergirl, and her high profile work is usually something that acknowledges this (such as ''{{Series/Smallville}}'' or ''{{Series/Supergirl 2015}}'' ).
* Creator/KristySwanson got a minor push in the late 80s and early 90s, first with OneSceneWonder roles in ''Film/PrettyInPink'' and ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''. Lead roles came in the form of ''Film/FlowersInTheAttic'' and ''Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' - but the sequel to the former was cancelled and the latter got retooled into the more famous [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer TV series]] with Creator/SarahMichelleGellar as the lead. The failure of ''Film/{{The Phantom|1996}}'' caused high profile roles to dry up for her, and she drifted towards guest spots on TV and {{Made For TV Movie}}s.
* Creator/KristenBell has been pushed heavily by Hollywood in the past few years, but it was her ''Film/ForgettingSarahMarshall'' co-stars, Creator/MilaKunis and Creator/RussellBrand (himself in danger of this trope), who became bigger stars out of the deal. So far, she's decently well-known, but is nowhere near what Hollywood was hoping. While she had a lead role in Disney's box office juggernaut ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', voice-over success tends to not translate back into live-action (ask ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'s'' Music/MandyMoore) and the majority of the hype that did come out of ''Frozen'' seems to have gone to Creator/IdinaMenzel (or even Josh Gad). She's only been in a few live-action films that grossed more than $40 million (''Film/ForgettingSarahMarshall'', ''Film/CouplesRetreat'', ''Film/TheBoss''', ''Film/BadMoms'' and the latter's sequel) and she was part of an ensemble with all of them; with the ''Film/VeronicaMars'' film having a simultaneous launch on video-on-demand, her cold live-action streak on the big screen will live on; as far as she's concerned, television is indeed ''Series/TheGoodPlace''.
* Creator/DanielleHarris. She got her start as a child actress with lead and supporting roles in films like ''Film/Halloween4TheReturnOfMichaelMyers'', ''Film/DontTellMomTheBabysittersDead'', and ''Film/FreeWilly''. By the mid-90s, she was building a steady career as a teen actress with a high-profile supporting role in ''Series/{{Roseanne}}''. She later co-starred with Katherine Heigl in the Disney Channel film ''Wish Upon a Star'', and with Creator/SylvesterStallone in ''Film/{{Daylight}}''. The June 1998 issue of ''Teen People'' featured her on the cover alongside Creator/ScarlettJohansson, Creator/KirstenDunst, and Creator/JessicaBiel. Sadly, it was not to last. Aside from voicing Debbie Thornberry in Nickelodeon's ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys'', her career never really took off as once expected, something Danielle herself acknowledges, saying she never really truly got a breakout lead in a mainstream film. She confessed that she was even working at a hair salon in the early 2000s to make ends meet. Danielle did undergo a minor CareerResurrection in 2007 by returning to the ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'' franchise in Rob Zombie's [[Film/{{Halloween2007}} reboot]] of the franchise, getting her typecast as a scream queen in the years that followed. She also dabbed in directing with 2012's ''Among Friends.'' These days, she's largely put acting on hold to focus on her family.
* Lauren Holly first gained notice on the critically-acclaimed series ''Series/PicketFences'' and gained even more notice as Linda Lee in ''Film/DragonTheBruceLeeStory'' and as Mary in ''Film/DumbAndDumber'', [[RomanceOnTheSet where she met, and later married,]] Creator/JimCarrey. It was assumed that Holly would successfully make the transition to movies, but she unfortunately wound up in a string of high-profile flops, including ''Film/DownPeriscope'', ''Film/{{Turbulence}}'', and ''A Smile Like Yours''. Ultimately, Holly was destined to become only known for being Jim Carrey's wife, but their marriage was short-lived. Nowadays, she's been stuck doing B-movies and supporting roles on TV, including a recent turn on the third (and last) season of ''Series/DesignatedSurvivor''.
* Creator/GeenaDavis started in television comedy in TheEighties but found a StarMakingRole with ''Film/TheFly1986'', which showed her to be beautiful, funny, ''and'' capable of handling drama all at once. She immediately had a major push; come 1988 she had both a box-office smash in ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' and an Oscar-winning supporting turn in ''Film/TheAccidentalTourist''. Seeking the most interesting roles she could find rather than conventional leading lady fare, her next big success was 1991's ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise'' (which saw her and Susan Sarandon nominated for Best Actress Oscars), with ''Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn'' coming right on its heels in '92. However, her next few leading turns -- ''Hero'', ''Angie'', and ''Speechless'' -- did little business. And then there was ''Film/CutthroatIsland'', a pirate movie directed by her husband at the time, Creator/RennyHarlin, that suffered a massively TroubledProduction and became a ContractualObligationProject. Its catastrophic failure and that of their follow-up flop ''Film/TheLongKissGoodnight'' dissolved their marriage and permanently harmed their film careers. She has noted that her turning 40 in 1996, the year of the latter film, didn't help her career prospects any; she wouldn't act again until ''Film/StuartLittle'' in 1999. At the TurnOfTheMillennium she returned to TV, but both an eponymous sitcom and ''Series/CommanderInChief'' were short-lived (the latter yet another TroubledProduction to boot -- she won a Golden Globe for it, though).\\
\\
Nonetheless she found life after the A-list: Out of frustration with the lack of good roles for women in Hollywood (especially in shows aimed at children), in 2004 she founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to research and advocate for change in the industry. She does still appear on TV and in independent films, specifically ones that are female-centric -- in 2019 she appeared in the Netflix shows ''Series/GLOW2017'' and ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' in guest roles. That was also the year she won an ''honorary'' Oscar for her advocacy work.
* Creator/MaraWilson was a self-inflicted example. A child star in the 90s, she received lots of fame for her memorable turn in ''Film/MrsDoubtfire'', and was enough to convince John Hughes to cast her in the planned [[GenderFlip male role]] in the remake of ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet''. The film was a massive success, and her next was probably her most iconic - the title character in ''{{Film/Matilda}}''. During ''Matilda'''s production, her mother passed away and led to several years of her struggling with the grief for that while also trying to keep working (even though she was only eight) - as well as struggling with body image as she entered puberty. Her father's refusal to let her do family unfriendly movies led to her passing on scripts such as ''{{Film/Thirteen}}'' and ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''. Her final film was ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'', after which she decided to quit acting to focus on schoolwork. She never went back, and instead found more success in voice-over and as a writer - to the extent that some people know her more for her writing than ''Matilda''.

!!Ensembles and Other Group Examples
* Most of the "New Brat Pack" (a pun on the Creator/BratPack of TheEighties) that emerged from the ''Film/AmericanPie'' movies ended up like this. Many of them got star pushes of different levels, but in the end, only Creator/AlysonHannigan went on to [[Series/HowIMetYourMother bigger fame]] -- and this most likely had more to do with her pre-''Pie'' exposure on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' than anything else. Examples:
** Creator/ShannonElizabeth became [[MsFanservice a sex sensation]] after ''Pie'' came out. She showed up in countless [[PublicExposure men's magazines]] (including an all-nude shoot in ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'') and got a half-dozen roles in films like ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'', ''Film/Thir13enGhosts'', and ''Tomcats''. Just a couple of years later, she was a bit player and was essentially gone from any mainstream Hollywood attention. This may or may not have to do with her decision to no longer do nudity in film, even though that was [[BestKnownForTheFanservice what made her a star]] in the first place. She's since become more famous as a professional poker player, environmentalist, and ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'' contestant. While she does still act, most of her films now go DirectToVideo and it's unlikely she'll do anything noteworthy anytime soon.
** Mena Suvari, between ''Pie'' and ''Film/AmericanBeauty'', got a decent push, but slowly vanished from the spotlight and is now best known for indie films. She even inspired a blogger to start a series on the Hype Machine's victims [[http://lebeauleblog.com/2010/06/03/what-the-hell-happened-to-mena-suvari/ once he was shocked to see her in]] ''Film/DayOfTheDead2008''.
** Creator/JasonBiggs tried playing the [[{{Expy}} same down-on-his-luck regular guy character]] (especially in ''The Loser'') a bit too much, and he now mostly plays supporting roles in films like ''My Best Friend's Girl'' and ''Over Her Dead Body''. His luck seems to be improving as of late following a stint as the voice of Leonardo on the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series]] and a role on ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''. However, he ruined this opportunity by turning his Twitter feed into a place where he boasted about questionable sexual practices with his wife, terribly sexist jokes about the wives of Republican candidates, and racist jokes about the Malaysian Airlines missing plane. This, along with tantrums over ''TMNT'' fans and parents who criticize him for his off-screen vulgarity made him seem like poison to anyone hoping to promote their products. The only reason his character existed in ''OITNB'' is because of the source material, and fan response to Larry has been of him as TheScrappy of the show. He was written out of season 3 of the latter with a nearly-closed invitation to return only when needed, and season 3 of the former saw him be permanently replaced by Creator/SethGreen, which may mean he's again on a downward slope.
** Similar to Biggs, Seann William Scott did mostly the same kind of "big dumb happy guy" roles and mostly vanished from the limelight after the HotterAndSexier ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'' film came out. He now mostly plays supporting roles in films like ''Film/CopOut'', however his roles in the ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' franchise has made him the most ''financially'' successful of his former cast mates. He had something of a resurgence when he replaced Creator/ClayneCrawford on ''Series/LethalWeapon''.
** Creator/TaraReid had one of the better shots, but problems with drugs and alcohol, botched plastic surgery, and a penchant for carrying the IdiotBall (though she claimed that [[AuthorsSavingThrow she was only]] [[ObfuscatingStupidity "acting" dumb]], most people aren't sure of whether that's true or not) derailed her into a mess, though that still hasn't stopped her from doing DTV films. Although, she has since found success with the {{Creator/Syfy}} cult films, the ''{{Film/Sharknado}}'' franchise.
** Chris Klein was an ill-fated attempt to establish an attractive leading man that went nowhere after his hoped-for star turn, the remake of ''Film/{{Rollerball}}'', turned into a StarDerailingRole instead.
** Eddie Kaye Thomas (Finch) went from ''Pie'' to a series of "dorky, lovable loser" roles in films like the infamous flops ''Film/FreddyGotFingered'' and ''Film/DirtyLove'', as well as a string of DTV films rebranded under the "National Lampoon" banner. However, he has at least attempted to restore his cred in recent years with appearances in the ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' film series, as well as a starring voice on ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', the HBO series ''How To Make It In America'' and his current gig on ''Series/{{Scorpion}}''. Only time will tell whether he can bring his star back.
** Ironically, Creator/JohnCho, who plays a minor character in the film, is the one whose movie career is most on the rise, between ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'', ''Film/StarTrek2009'', and the ''Film/TotalRecall2012'' remake.
** Natasha Lyonne is an especially unhappy case. She got even more cred with ''Film/ButImACheerleader'', but a serious problem with drugs and alcohol, as well as health problems and extreme mental illness, all but destroyed her career. There was even a period where she was living homeless on the streets of New York after being evicted from her apartment for her behavior. Eventually she came back with a cameo ''American Reunion''), and is finally coming back to prominence for her praised role in the {{Creator/Netflix}} series ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''. Unlike Biggs, Lyonne completely escaped the shadow of ''Pie'' after landing the show.
* The cast of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' all enjoyed a big push, particularly Creator/KristenStewart, Creator/RobertPattinson, and Creator/AnnaKendrick. Stewart's first big post-''Twilight'' role was Music/JoanJett in the {{biopic}} ''Film/TheRunaways'', and while her stone-faced performance of Bella became a running pop culture gag, at least seems to get regular work and even some critical acclaim (albeit often in a "wow, she actually ''can'' act" sense) in fairly low-budget indie movies; Pattinson had the romantic dramas ''Remember Me'' (which seems to be more famous for [[TooSoon/SeptemberEleventh its controversial ending]] than anything else) and ''Literature/WaterForElephants'' and the complicated Creator/DavidCronenberg dramas ''Film/{{Cosmopolis}}'' and ''Film/MapsToTheStars''; and Kendrick went for indie and Oscar cred with her performance in ''Film/UpInTheAir'', not to mention mainstream success in ''Film/PitchPerfect''. She even got a top ten chart hit in "Cups", a track from the aforementioned film's soundtrack. If anything, Kendrick (who has a sarcastic and self-depreciating demeanor in real life) has maintained stardom following the end of the franchise, and appears to be the most ready of the three to hit the next level. Other cast members don't seem to have the same luck as them, however:
** Creator/TaylorLautner parlayed his good looks and fame from playing Jacob into the action movie ''Abduction'', but it was panned by critics and flopped at the box office. He's largely-disappeared into Creator/AdamSandler movies.
** Kellan Lutz seems to be on even shakier ground, since his biggest claim to fame is [[WalkingShirtlessScene being shirtless at every available opportunity.]] He recently dragged out the "I want to be taken seriously" line, but since he has yet to put his shirt back on, some people didn't really believe him. His first big post-''Twilight'' work, ''Film/TheLegendOfHercules'', was a flop.
** Stewart and Pattinson have had a much better push in recent years with Stewart pulling off three critically acclaimed films in 2014 and becoming something of a critical darling (Even nabbing a Cesar award, making her one of only two American actors ever to do so). Pattinson has followed a similar path and ''Film/GoodTime'' seems to have finally given him the push he needs to break out from under the shadow of ''Twilight''. The two, particularly Pattinson, have also done themselves favors by making it clear [[CreatorBacklash aren't very fond of the films either]]. Eventually, Pattinson got cast in Creator/ChristopherNolan's upcoming 2020 film, ''Tenet'' and becomes the new Franchise/{{Batman}} for the upcoming solo movie of the Cape Crusader himself directed by Matt Reeves.
* The cast of the Creator/{{MTV}} reality show ''Series/LagunaBeach'' fell under this. When it premiered, ''Laguna'' was the first teen-oriented reality series on the network, and rode a wave of commercial acclaim, teen mag appearances and ratings domination. The teenage cast members all attempted to parlay their exposure into different avenues (to various levels of success), with most falling into obscurity after high-profile appearances in series or films. Lauren Conrad made the jump to her own successful spinoff, ''Series/TheHills'', but left the program after several seasons to unsuccessfully try her hand at a fashion line. Kristin Cavallari took up Lauren's spot as the main character of ''The Hills'', but she mostly does DTV films now. Jason Wahler is more well-known for his guest stint on ''Celebrity Rehab'' than any of his prior work. Audrina Patridge's self-titled spinoff didn't last long. Only Stephen Colletti from the first season (who parlayed his fame into a long-running role on ''Series/OneTreeHill'') has had a relative degree of success.
* Thanks to UsefulNotes/ProfessionalWrestling becoming quite mainstream in the 90s, and [[Creator/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] managing to parlay his wrestling success into a respectable acting career, others have followed suit.
** {{Wrestling/Sable}} was an example that came before The Rock's breakout role in ''Film/TheMummyReturns''. Her beauty and popularity with fans led to her gracing the cover of ''{{Magazine/Playboy}}'' (and she later got a second less than a year later), and she soon left wrestling hoping to break into the mainstream. It mostly translated to small parts on TV shows, a failed comic book series and B-movies. She returned to WWE in 2003, stayed there for one year and kept a low profile after leaving a second time.
** {{Wrestling/Chyna}}'s mainstream popularity was almost as big as The Rock's in 2000, and she got a ''Playboy'' cover too. There were rumors of her playing Franchise/WonderWoman and [[Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines the T-X]], and she got a second ''Playboy'' cover. But numerous personal problems behind the scenes led to her abruptly leaving WWF, and her drug problems led to her being persona non grata. After a few years of appearing in small parts on TV shows and a failed music career, she moved to Japan to become a teacher, and passed away tragically at the age of 46.
** Wrestling/JohnCena rose quickly through the ranks and had become WWE Champion within three years of his debut. He released a successful rap album, and made his feature film debut in ''Film/TheMarine''. He has appeared in various action films over the years that mostly catered to his physique, and he flirted with [[TomHanksSyndrome dramatic credentials]] in the 2010 flop that was ''Legendary''. Unlike many others, he has made it clear that wrestling is his main passion, hence why he hasn't gone into films full time. Things do appear to be changing in the late 2010s - as John is now in his 40s, he has taken more breaks from his WWE schedule and enjoyed more success in voice-over with ''{{WesternAnimation/Ferdinand}}'' and a proposed ''{{Film/Transformers}}'' spin-off.
** Wrestling/TheMiz is unique in that he was first famous for reality TV - ''Series/TheRealWorld'' to be specific - but didn't start to make it big in wrestling until 2010. He's had several attempts at acting roles, but most of them are in films made by WWE Studios (and therefore go DirectToVideo). He has yet to star in a film outside WWE. But he parodied this in 2014, adopting the gimmick of a SmallNameBigEgo who thought he was a Hollywood star.
** The cast of ''Series/TotalDivas'' got lots of hype after the show proved to be a ratings hit on the E!Network. Wrestling/EvaMarie left wrestling altogether in 2016 to launch onto film work - and her debut ''Inconceivable'' was trashed by critics, despite its AllStarCast. The Wrestling/BellaTwins appear to be doing the best, with their reality show ''Total Bellas'' proving to be a successful spin-off and launching a successful fitness and clothing brand. {{Wrestling/Cameron}} announced an intent to produce music and go into acting, but has yet to make anything happen. The rest have focused almost entirely on wrestling.
** Wrestling/StacyKeibler attempted to go mainstream in the mid-2000s, appearing on ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'' and managing to get guest spots on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', ''{{Series/Psych}}'' and ''{{Series/Chuck}}'' and small parts in a few movies. She enjoyed a higher profile when she dated Creator/GeorgeClooney but after they split up, she quit Hollywood - fed up with the politics of the industry.
* The entire ''[[ComicBook/TheInhumans Inhumans]]'' franchise went through this. After years of being a minor group in the Marvel universe, usually in supporting roles, they had a number of well-received series. Then came the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which could not use mutants, which are tied to the ''X-Men'' film rights (which were owned by 20th Century Fox, locking them out of being able to appear in the Disney-owned Marvel Films), but did still use some characters that are normally mutants. While this hasn't been confirmed, the majority of readers see the 2010s ''Inhuman'' push to be an attempt to popularise them so that they can be used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute to mutants (the ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy were similarly pushed before their film was announced, but nowhere to the degree the Inhumans were), all but confirmed by insiders who note that Ike Perlmutter, the guy in charge of Marvel, would literally tear down posters featuring characters whose film rights didn't belong to Marvel. This also extended to video games, with developers stating that they were explicitly told to not use ''X-Men'' characters. An ''Inhumans'' movie was announced for Phase 3 of the MCU, and their origin setup in ''Series/AgentsOfShield''. After months of being hyped up as Marvel's next big thing, the main ''Inhuman'' comic book series was delayed, leaving a bunch of tie-ins to a story which nobody knew anything about. Then, months behind schedule, the series finally released and... needless to say, the response was not what Marvel wanted, with a heavy 'meh' heard across the comic world, and the general consensus being that it was ''not'' worth the wait. The first issue of the series wasn't even able to break the top 10 of the month, and the second issue dropped all the way to barely making the top 50. Then came their relaunch as ''Uncanny Inhumans'', which attempted to push the brand with multiple ongoings, while also re-working the Inhumans to have more of a grounded presence in the Marvel Universe akin to mutants. This didn't take either, not helped by Marvel starting a plot about how the Terrigen clouds that give Inhumans' their powers were ''killing mutants'', in what many saw as an unsubtle metaphor for the franchise war. The Inhumans comics still didn't sell well. This culminated in the despised ''ComicBook/InhumansVsXMen'' event, which only made longtime Marvel readers despise the Inhumans more for the attempt to shill them and failing spectacularly. Finally, with Resurr[=/=]Xion, the Inhumans comics were consolidated down to ''Royals'' and ''Black Bolt'', with the latter in particular receiving critical praise, although neither were strong sellers (''Royals'' was outsold by reprints of decades old single issues). During this time, the ''Series/{{Inhumans}}'' TV show premiered -- by this point, Marvel Studios was restructured to report directly to Disney and not Marvel, and Kevin Feige apparently had no interest in the Inhumans -- and bombed both critically and commercially. Then Marvel/Disney made an offer to acquire Fox that had to wait for government approval, and while that was happening, Marvel quietly turned down the Inhumans hype with one last miniseries, ''Death of the Inhumans'', before shunting the franchise away, just a few months before the Disney/Fox merger was approved and the film rights to the X-Men were regained.

[[folder: Examples that ''did'' hold up]]
* Creator/MerylStreep burst onto the scene very quickly in the 1970s with a OneSceneWonder role in ''Julia'' that led to Creator/RobertDeNiro recommending her for ''Film/TheDeerHunter'' - which got her an Oscar nomination. Her second - for ''Film/KramerVsKramer'' - she won. Another Oscar came for ''Film/SophiesChoice'' but HypeBacklash set in during the 90s. Meryl herself grew tired of OscarBait roles and longed to go against type and do more comedies - which had varying degrees of success. But she came back to prominence with ''Film/TheBridgesOfMadisonCounty'', confirming that she was here to stay. Fans and critics alike view ''Film/MammaMia'' as a real turning point for her as well; when it grossed over $600 million worldwide, they remarked that "the greatest American actress has now become a movie star". Throughout the years she has alternated between critic-pleasing dramas and various other genres, continuing to prove her versatility. These days she's essentially the standard against which all young actresses are measured.
* Creator/AngelinaJolie. Years of indie-cred roles in ''Film/{{Gia}}'', ''Film/{{Hackers}}'', and other films paid off with a big push from ''Film/GirlInterrupted'' in 1999, which won her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar and resulted in a near-endless push that got her big roles in such films as ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider'' and ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005''. When the latter got her together with Creator/BradPitt, the "Brangelina" media juggernaut was born. Clearly a major success story for everyone involved, as her films do generally well (though she stopped making them so quickly and focused on her home life and activist work), and the magazines get to make money off of her image (proof that being tabloid-bait isn't ''always'' a bad thing -- only if that's ''all'' you're known for). Ironically, Jolie has stated on several occasions that she wants to give up acting for her growing family.
* Creator/TomCruise got a big push in TheEighties, and tons of film roles. Virtually every one proved to be a success. Obviously, he kept on being famous and having huge box office smashes until he royally screwed up and [[CreatorBreakdown went crazy]] in the mid-2000s, with the infamous couch-jumping incident on ''Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow'' being the telltale sign of his downfall. Twenty years? A pretty good run. Currently, he and the Hype Machine are going into overdrive to re-make him as a successful A-Lister, as he [[AdamWesting pokes fun at himself]] with humorous roles, and tries to fit back into the "romantic Action Hero" archetype once again, with ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol'' coming out to rave reviews and ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'', ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'' and ''Film/JackReacher'' also being modest hits. With the continued success of ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'' solidifying both the franchise's continued bankability and Cruise's return to stardom, the future is looking bright, with Mission 6 already confirmed, ''Jack Reacher 2'' filming, and a biopic, ''Mena'', forthcoming.
* Creator/NicoleKidman received a big push after earning critical praise for her role in ''Film/ToDieFor'', and her career has held up pretty well since then. Though her career didn't really take off until Tom Cruise dumped her and she won an Oscar for her role in ''Film/TheHours''.
* Wrestling/HulkHogan: Began this way in late 1980/early 1981 as an extension of his arrogant heel character in the WWF, when he bragged endlessly on TV about being the "next big thing" in movies and wrestling. In an era before ''Series/EntertainmentTonight'' and the Internet ([=TMZ.com=] wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye, for instance), it was possible for on-screen announcers to roll their eyes and be skeptical about Hogan's "supposed" connections with Creator/SylvesterStallone and that he had been cast as a professional wrestler named "Thunderlips" in ''Film/RockyIII'', and successfully pull off their skepticism that he was actually going to be in the movie and be the next big thing because of it. Of course, that all did come to pass, ''Rocky III'' was a huge box-office success (in part because of Hogan) ... and although Hogan's acting career wasn't exactly a major success, his wrestling career would become legendary.
* Creator/HeathLedger started out as this in a big way, to the point where they even made a joke about it in ''Film/JosieAndThePussycats''. However, the reclusive Ledger went back to having a low profile until ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' established him as an actor to truly be taken seriously. Sadly, he then experienced the greatest career surge of all -- [[DeadArtistsAreBetter a premature death]]. ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' helped establish his legacy, and at the very least, he will be more remembered for his latest work than for being a TeenIdol.
* Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio did some very well-received work in indie films (notably the retarded brother in ''Film/WhatsEatingGilbertGrape'' alongside Creator/JohnnyDepp) before being cast as the romantic, {{bishonen}} male lead in ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}''. Starring in the highest-grossing film (before inflation) of the 20th century will turn anyone into a star. Even when ''Titanic'' wound up getting hit hard with HypeBacklash, [=DiCaprio=]'s career and reputation managed to come out completely intact, thanks to his work with Creator/MartinScorsese, winning an Oscar for Best Actor in ''Film/TheRevenant'', and ability to take on different roles.
* Creator/KateWinslet got her big break in ''Titanic'' too and thus attracted the hype machine. Luckily she already had some cred before ''Titanic'' - with an Oscar nomination for ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility''. She chose her projects well over the years, making her a critical darling and netting Oscar nominations for ''Film/LittleChildren'', ''Iris'', ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'', ''Film/SteveJobs'' and ''Film/TheReader'' (which she won for). She opted to stay away from big budget studio releases save for ''{{Film/Contagion}}'' and the ''{{Literature/Divergent}}'' franchise, and these days is considered one of the best actresses of her generation.
* Creator/SandraBullock got her big push from ''Film/{{Speed}}'' much like Creator/KeanuReeves did. However, she has had much better luck channeling that into a long-lasting career. There was initial worry as the "ChickFlick" movement slowed down in the late '90s and she vanished for a while, but with a long string of more recent hit movies running through the TurnOfTheMillennium, including the two [[Film/TheProposal biggest]] [[Literature/TheBlindSide hits]] of her career (one of which won her an Oscar) in 2009, there's no doubt about her place on the A-List.
* Creator/JuliaRoberts got her huge push with ''Film/PrettyWoman'' in 1990, and Hollywood got behind her as they rarely ever do for a female star not known for nudity. Twenty years later, she's still a bankable A-List star, though with less "legit" cred as she sticks to more mainstream, pedestrian "{{chick flick}}s" than serious films. Still, movies like ''Film/ErinBrockovich'' gave her ''some'' critical acclaim (and in ''Erin'''s case, a Best Actress Oscar).
* Creator/CameronDiaz got tons of publicity after ''Film/TheMask'' became a Top 10 box-office hit and for several years after she was in many critically and/or commercially successful films such as ''Film/MyBestFriendsWedding'', ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'', ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'', and ''Film/BeingJohnMalkovich''. She is the second actress to earn $20 million for a film, after Creator/JuliaRoberts. Also branched out into voice work and struck gold with the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' film series. In 2017, years after her last in ''Film/Annie2014'', Diaz formally announced her retirement from acting.
* Creator/GwynethPaltrow got a huge amount of hype right from around ''Film/{{Se7en}}'' and several high-profile romances with major Hollywood hunks (including Creator/BradPitt and Creator/BenAffleck). Unlike most flash-in-the-pan hotties with famous boyfriends, she proved her acting chops and won an Oscar for ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'', had several hits (enough to offset the occasional bombs -- and she was in her fair share, enough to derail almost ''any'' career), and has managed to become a legitimate star in her own right. Her movies are rarely blockbusters (''Film/IronMan'' notwithstanding), but she has artistic cred and enough of a name to get almost any role (it's unlikely anyone regrets her being on ''Series/{{Glee}}'', especially after she won an Emmy). Although it should be noted that she is now more famous for her infamous "lifestyle brand" website "Goop" than she is for her acting roles.
* Creator/ReeseWitherspoon certainly worked out well. After being a fairly run-of-the-mill actress in the early [[TheNineties '90s]], she all of a sudden got this massive push, first with the critically acclaimed ''Film/{{Election}}'' and then commercial success with the ''Film/LegallyBlonde'' series and various {{Chick Flick}}s. She effectively became the next Creator/JuliaRoberts, and even got an Oscar for her trouble (for ''Film/WalkTheLine'').
* Music/{{Madonna}}. Coinciding with a huge breakout in the early to mid 1980's music scene, she soon sought to capitalize in film as well, and it seemed to work at first, with her first starring role in ''Film/DesperatelySeekingSusan'' proving very well with critics and audiences. Although her acting career quickly fell flat with ''Shanghai Surprise'' (which would cost her her marriage with future mega-star Creator/SeanPenn), her music career got even stronger, and she would become the biggest-selling female music artist of all time.
* Creator/RobertDowneyJr has been a {{Zig Zag|gingTrope}} with the Hype Machine. Starting off as a member of the Creator/BratPack in the 80's, Downey got his big break in the late '80s - early '90s which culminated with him getting an Oscar Nomination for his role as Creator/CharlieChaplin in the biopic ''Film/{{Chaplin}}.'' Unfortunately he had a real life downward spiral that led to drug abuses and arrests. After gaining sobriety in the mid 2000s, Downey returned to acting in the indie scene. He ended up making his CareerResurrection in 2008 with his starring role in ''Film/IronMan'' and has since then taken off and hasn't looked back since.
* Creator/BenAffleck, like Thurman, is an example of both failure and success in the Hype Machine. After ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' and ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'', there was a period from 1998 through 2003 in which he was the biggest star in Hollywood. Then came ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'', ''Film/{{Gigli}}'', and the entire Bennifer saga, which derailed his career so badly that he wouldn't do any movies at all in 2005. He became a Hollywood punchline in the [[TurnOfTheMillennium mid-'00s]]. However, he was able to quickly bounce back with "legit cred" in 2006 and after, not only as an actor in films like ''Film/{{Hollywoodland}}'', ''Film/StateOfPlay'', and ''Film/CompanyMen'', but also as a director with the critically acclaimed crime dramas ''Literature/GoneBabyGone'' and ''Film/TheTown''. He was comfortably married with kids to Creator/JenniferGarner, and he mostly stays out of the tabloid limelight. In 2012 he topped himself by directing and starring in ''Film/{{Argo}}'', which went over big with critics and audiences and won three Academy Awards - although he wasn't nominated either for acting or directing, he still received one for Best Picture (this Oscar is awarded to a film's producers, which in this case included Affleck himself). In recent years, his acting career has also improved with turns in his own work, being cast in Creator/DavidFincher's ''Film/GoneGirl'' and, most notably, being cast as Batman in the hotly anticipated ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''.
* In recent years, Creator/MelissaMcCarthy has become a seemingly unstoppable draw for audiences in television ''and'' movies alike. For a while, she was usually known for various supporting roles (such as her character Sookie on ''Series/GilmoreGirls''), but after garnering an Academy Award nomination for her much-lauded role in ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'', she continued her streak of box-office successes with ''Film/IdentityThief'' and ''Film/TheHeat''. Her proverbial Midas touch hasn't been lost in her television work, either. She won an Emmy for her role on ''Series/MikeAndMolly'', and she's been Emmy-nominated for guest-hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' not once, but ''twice.'' With a DistaffCounterpart film of the James Bond series planned with frequent collaborate Paul Feig, it's safe to say that she'll be around to stay for quite some time.
* In Creator/MatthewMcConaughey's case when ''Film/ATimeToKill'' and ''Film/LoneStar'' came out in 1996, he was called the "next Creator/BradPitt" and given a ''ton'' of new major roles. ''People'' covers soon followed, and he was expected to become the next A-list star. What ended up happening was a major string of box-office disappointments and minor roles over the course of the '00s, and he became instead known for appearing shirtless in "Celebrity Beach Body" specials, showing up in DirectToVideo indie films, and being the romantic male lead in {{Chick Flick}}s. Not quite what was expected. It was only in the early '10s when he had a CareerResurrection as a "mature" leading man, with his acclaimed performances in ''Literature/TheLincolnLawyer'', ''Film/KillerJoe'', ''Film/MagicMike'', ''Film/{{Mud}}'' and ''Film/DallasBuyersClub''. And with winning an Oscar for Best Actor for the latter film and starring in Creator/ChristopherNolan's film, ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'', there's a good chance that he's going back in the limelight.
* Creator/WillSmith had a huge one. Starting out as a comedic rap star, of all things, he had a pretty funny sitcom for years with ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', and had a decently-sized box office hit with the [[BuddyCopShow buddy-cop]] action movie ''Film/BadBoys''. Then, starting with ''Film/IndependenceDay'' and never stopping, he was showing up in one guaranteed A-List movie every other year. His comedies and action/explosion movies all make huge money (even [[Film/WildWildWest his bombs]] make $100 million), and he has earned legit cred from his more artistic or serious movies. His career has slowed in recent years, with no movies at all from 2009 to 2011 (presumably his own choice), but he did have a hit with ''Film/MenInBlack3'' in 2012 and only really stumbled with ''Film/AfterEarth'', but he's nevertheless still high in demand and could easily come back. His role as Comicbook/{{Deadshot}} for 2016 Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse film, ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'', still have some bumps (most of the good things about the film is Creator/MargotRobbie's performance as Harley Quinn) but earned more money despite the negative reviews.
* Creator/JenniferLawrence is considered one of the better actresses of the new generation, and is currently one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She first came to notice with ''Film/WintersBone'' which earned her an Oscar nomination but it seems to be ''Film/TheHungerGames'' that is getting her the most press. That franchise as well as her role as Mystique in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and her roles in films like ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'' (which won her a best Actress Oscar) and ''Film/AmericanHustle'' (which got her another Oscar nomination) are likely to keep her around for a while.
* Creator/TomHanks has had a blockbuster career right from the start, spending much the 80's starring in well-received comedy hits such as ''Film/{{Splash}}'' and ''Film/{{Big}}'', as well as cult classics ''Film/BachelorParty'', ''Film/NothingInCommon'' and ''Film/TheBurbs''. Although he initially preferred to stick to comedy fare during those years, [[TomHanksSyndrome he got into more serious subject matter just a decade later]], which ended up pushing his career to heights he would had never imagined in the 80's. He ended up scoring '''two''' Academy Awards for Best Actor in a row for his performances in ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}'' and ''Film/ForrestGump'', as well as a nomination for his performance in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. Since then, he's mostly stuck to dramatic fare and away from comedic roles, and most of his performances during those years have been accused of being OscarBait, but despite that and a few slip-ups [[Film/TheDavinciCode here]] and [[Film/LarryCrowne there]], his career or reputation hasn't faded one bit.
* Creator/BenedictCumberbatch was not well-known outside of the UK until he played the titular character in BBC's ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' which earned him a lot of praise and fans (most of them are girls) and few years later, he won an Emmy. Because of this, he appeared in several critically acclaimed films such as ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'', ''Film/TwelveYearsASlave'' and ''Film/TheImitationGame'' (which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) and three franchises (''Film/TheHobbit'', ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse where he took the title role of ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}''). And since he's listed in ''Time'' magazine's "Most Influential People in the World" in 2014, he will be around for a long time.
* Creator/WillFerrell. After a stint with The Groundlings for several years, he first got his big break as a cast member of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' in 1995. There, he performed many of the most memorable impressions of the show's history, namely that of Robert Goulet, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush and Creator/AlexTrebek, and became one of ''Saturday Night Live''[='=]s most beloved cast members. During Ferrell's final season at ''SNL'' in 2001, he performed as the antagonist in the CultClassic ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'', and two years later had his first starring film role post-''SNL'' in the moderately-received ''Film/OldSchool''. But his career soon got a ''huge'' push later that year, when he was cast as Buddy in the Christmas comedy film ''Film/{{Elf}}'', which was highly successful critically and commercially and solidified Ferrell's status as an A-list comedy superstar. He followed the film up a year later with ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy'', which became a pop culture touchstone throughout the mid-2000's. Despite a slip-up in 2005 with ''[[Film/TheProducers The Producers '05]]'', ''Kicking & Screaming'' and ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'', he soon bounced back with ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'' and ''Film/BladesOfGlory''. Since then, his films continue to draw critical praise and large crowds (with the critically-panned BoxOfficeBomb ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'' being a rare exception), and even though he's also balanced his major work with less-known indie fare, he's likely going to be a big name in Hollywood for a long, long time.
* Creator/CateBlanchett. In a ''big'' way. After her StarMakingRole in ''{{Film/Elizabeth}}'' earned her widespread critical praise, numerous high profile magazine covers (such as ''Vogue'', ''Vanity Fair'', etc) and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, she was tipped for very big things. Immediately following that she was cast as Galadriel in Creator/PeterJackson's ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' trilogy which went on to become the most financially successful movie trilogy of all time, as well as one of the most popular and critically acclaimed. Since then she's barely put a foot wrong in the eyes of, well, [[HundredPercentAdorationRating near enough everyone]]. She won her first Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) in 2005 for her role as Creator/KatharineHepburn in Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheAviator'' (making her the only actor in history to win an Oscar for playing another Oscar winning actor), and has since gone on to receive five more Oscar nominations for ''Film/NotesOnAScandal'', ''Film/ImNotThere'', ''[[{{Film/Elizabeth}} Elizabeth: The Golden Age]]'', ''Film/BlueJasmine'' and ''{{Film/Carol}}''. She won her second Oscar (this time for Best Actress) for ''Blue Jasmine'', and in fact achieved the largest awards sweep for a single movie performance of all time, earning an astonishing [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334873/awards 46 individual industry awards for her performance]]. These days, as one of Hollywood's most acclaimed and profitable actresses (not to mention, "the greatest actress of her generation", as the media is constantly calling her), she is in the very enviable position of being able to pick and choose her movie roles, fitting them around her work in the theatre (her first love) and her role as the mother of four children. Whereas, in her earlier career, she was often called 'the next Creator/MerylStreep', the young up and coming actresses of this generation sometimes have the honor of being called 'the next Cate Blanchett'.
* Creator/KeiraKnightley was predicted as a possible new star with highly praised roles in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''. A lot of the blockbusters she headlined were hit and miss, but she became a critical darling with an Oscar nomination for ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice2005''. She tried to resist typecasting in period films at first, but eventually embraced it and delivered very well received performances in ''{{Film/Atonement}}'', ''Film/AnnaKarenina'', ''Film/TheDuchess'', ''Film/SeekingAFriendForTheEndOfTheWorld'' and eventually a second Oscar nomination for ''Film/TheImitationGame''. She has also successfully made the transition to the stage, with praised appearances on the West End and Broadway.
* Creator/AmyAdams labored for years in small parts on TV shows, direct-to-video films and other projects. When she was cast in ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'', Steven Spielberg hoped it would be her breakout role and he was devastated when she didn't work for a full year afterwards. But a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the film ''{{Film/Junebug}}'' got the ball rolling, and she achieved worldwide fame with the blockbuster success of Disney's ''{{Film/Enchanted}}''. For a while there was worry that she'd been typecast as {{Genki Girl}}s and {{Manic Pixie Dream Girl}}s but she did stay in critics' good graces with projects like ''Film/SunshineCleaning'', ''Film/JulieAndJulia'' and the adaptation of ''{{Theatre/Doubt}}''. Working with David O Russell helped show her range, allowing her to go against type in ''Film/TheFighter'' and ''Film/AmericanHustle'' - as well as her drastically villainous turn in ''Film/TheMaster'' and playing ComicBook/LoisLane in the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse''. With five Oscar nominations to her name, Amy Adams is now considered one of the best actresses working in Hollywood.

[[folder: Examples on the fence]]
* A rather sad example is Creator/AnnaMayWong, who is recognised as the first Asian-American movie star in Hollywood. After a few years working as an extra, she made a bang with her first leading role in ''The Toll of the Sea'' - and the Hype Machine got behind her. The only problem? Hollywood had no idea what to do with her - reluctant to give leading roles to an actress with Chinese ancestry. For most of her Hollywood career, she was stuck playing DragonLady roles, while white actresses in {{Yellowface}} were given the meatier parts that she wanted. There was considerable hype when an adaptation of ''Literature/TheGoodEarth'' was produced - and the press cited her as a perfect choice for the lead O-Lan. But UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode prevented her from playing the love interest to a white actor (even if he was in Yellowface). She ended up going to Europe and Asia, where she was able to play non-stereotypical roles - and managed to do so in a few American B-movies too. So while she never became the Creator/BetteDavis or Creator/MaryPickford level leading lady that was predicted, she is at least recognised as a significant contributing factor to humanising Asian-Americans to American audiences.
* Creator/SharonTate was being hyped up as a potential new star throughout the 1960s. She was notably kept in small roles in film and television before her supporting part in ''Film/EyeOfTheDevil''. It was the successes of ''Film/TheFearlessVampireKillers'' and ''Literature/ValleyOfTheDolls'' that marked her official breakout. However more attention was given to her beauty and willingness to do nudity, paralleling her character in ''Valley of the Dolls''. She resented the beach film ''Film/DontMakeWaves'' marketing her as a MsFanservice (mockingly calling the ad campaign of her in a bikini as "sexy little me"), and expressed an interest to go into comedy. Her final film was ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' - before she was tragically and horrifically murdered by the Manson Family in 1969. Since her death, her films were re-evaluated, and people have pointed to potential she may have tapped into had she lived longer. She is sadly probably more associated with her tragic death than what she accomplished in life.
* The entire cast of ''Series/{{Friends}}'' were given countless movie roles the second that show became a sensation. The results have been mixed.
** Creator/CourteneyCox and Creator/MatthewPerry have gone back to TV. The former had a flop with ''Series/{{Dirt}}'', and while ''Series/CougarTown'' was initially a hit, declining ratings led to it being put on hiatus in the middle of S2, held for mid-season in S3, and pushed from ABC to TBS for S4. The latter was 0 for 3 with ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip'', ''Series/MrSunshine'' and ''Series/GoOn'', though critics like his recurring appearances on ''Series/TheGoodWife'' and he finally landed a series that didn't get cancelled after one season with ''Series/TheOddCouple''.
** Creator/MattLeBlanc made a series of hellacious bombs: he did ''Ed'', a movie with a baseball-playing chimp, and ''Film/LostInSpace''... and then there was ''Series/{{Joey}}''. He's currently starring in the low-rated but critically successful Creator/{{Showtime}} comedy series ''Series/{{Episodes}}'' (playing himself, no less). After ''Episodes'' finished production, he was immediately announced as one of the new hosts of ''Series/TopGear'' and simultaneously had a network TV hit with the three-camera ''Man with a Plan''.
** Creator/DavidSchwimmer started directing, where he seems happy. Although, as of late, he has been trying to do more dramatic television roles, such as playing Robert Kardashian in ''Series/AmericanCrimeStory: The People vs. O.J. Simpson''.
** Creator/LisaKudrow went for indie cred, partially to avoid being typecast.
** Creator/JenniferAniston has fared the best so far -- while she didn't headline a $100 million hit until 2011's ''Film/HorribleBosses'' (which arguably was helped out by the other heavyweights like Jason Bateman and Kevin Spacey in the film -- she's never had a starring role do that well until ''Film/WereTheMillers'' in 2013, and is mostly known for Romantic Comedies), she was fortunate enough not to have a major flop during the time in between, and at the very least she's ''treated'' like a major star by most of Hollywood.
* Creator/ChrisRock got his start as a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' cast member, then his career ''exploded'' in the mid 90's with the Creator/{{HBO}} stand-up special ''Bring the Pain'', which made him a network favorite for the rest of the decade. He soon got film roles for a number of comedy films including ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', ''Film/BeverlyHillsNinja'' and ''Film/DownToEarth''. Unfortunately, most of his films were mediocre at best, and didn't draw many audiences to the theaters. He eventually took a break from starring in films in the mid 2000's and went to voice work, notably voicing Marty in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' series, and eventually ventured into television production with the highly successful sitcom ''Series/EverybodyHatesChris'', which ran for four seasons. He's also hosted two Oscar ceremonies to wit, so he's still kicking for the time being.
* Creator/UmaThurman was victimized by this. After notable roles in the late '80s with films like ''Literature/DangerousLiaisons'' and ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'', she became an "It Girl" with ''Film/PulpFiction''. This push ultimately faltered within three years after subsequent films, particularly ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' and ''Film/TheAvengers1998'', did poorly, and she vanished from the limelight (rumour has it she took time off to concentrate on motherhood, which might have killed buzz even further) before ''Film/KillBill'' [[CareerResurrection reignited her career]] in 2003. Since then it's partially faltered again (her film ''Motherhood'' set a British record by only selling ''eleven tickets'' in its opening weekend), but most people like her acting no matter how the film itself does.
* Creator/LouisCK started out as a struggling hack comedian with a few unsuccessful projects under his belt like ''Film/PootieTang'', which he wrote and directed, and his HBO show ''Series/LuckyLouie'' which only lasted one season. Eventually he revised his comedy act using Creator/GeorgeCarlin's method of writing new material every year and scrapping his old material, since then he has become one of the most popular stand up comedians in the world. He parlayed his success with stand-up into other forms of entertainment, giving well received performances in films like ''Film/AmericanHustle'' and ''Film/BlueJasmine''. He also created and starred in ''Series/{{Louie}}'', a semi-autobiographical TV show that became popular with both audiences and critics. He also had a leading role in hugely successful animated film WesternAnimation/TheSecretLifeOfPets. \\
And then that wave of success came to a screeching halt in late 2017 when he was accused of sexually harassing various women, and unlike other men being accused of sexual misconduct around that time (most famously Harvey Weinstein), CK immediately admitted that the allegations were true and apologized. Netflix, FX, and various other companies that were in business with him immediately cut ties. There was a small chance that his honesty would save his career, only for that to fail when his attempts at a comeback ran into controversy with his bashing of LGBTQ people and the Parkland shooting victims.
* Creator/{{Disney}} has started creating an alarming number of {{Kid Com}}s in recent years, starting with the success of ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'' and Music/HilaryDuff. With Duff, they managed to create a crossover starlet (with movies, TV shows, albums, and clothing lines coming out) of high repute. They immediately created a formula with this, spawning ''Series/HannahMontana'' and others, with all their myriad starlets being built up the exact same way. Most of them (although [[Music/MileyCyrus there]] [[Music/SelenaGomez are]] [[Music/DemiLovato exceptions]]) have only received minor hype after their Disney shows' runs were finished, and have mostly failed to find real stardom outside of their original shows.
** Creator/AnneHathaway, for instance, became an acclaimed actress only after ''leaving'' the Disney machine and going for legit cred in ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' and ''Film/RachelGettingMarried''. She later won an Oscar for ''Film/LesMiserables2012''.
** Creator/ZacEfron has so far achieved the most success out of any of his ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' castmates. Despite that, [[Film/SeventeenAgain he's only had two]] [[Film/{{Neighbors2014}} bonafide hits.]] So time will tell whether he can successfully make the transition.
** Music/VanessaHudgens attempted to distance herself from her Disney roots with darker roles in ''Film/SuckerPunch'' and ''Film/SpringBreakers''. Her films did decently enough, but she has enjoyed more success as a singer and on Broadway.
* Creator/RyanGosling became a star with ''Film/TheNotebook'' and a critical darling with ''Half Nelson'', and Hollywood seems intent on selling the idea that he is sexier than sex. It's debatable whether there's widespread audience agreement. His movies have done fairly well financially, but a lot of that could be the result of high-profile co-stars like Creator/GeorgeClooney and Creator/SteveCarell. Critics still love him, but he has yet to headline a real blockbuster, and given that he tends to choose small-scale dramas over special-effects spectacles, he might never become another Creator/TomCruise or Creator/WillSmith. (It's possible or even probable that he ''prefers'' it that way, though.) It should be also noted that he's somewhat becoming typecast after ''Film/{{Drive}}'', with all his following roles being bend on giving him similar roles of tough guys in very violent (read: R-rated) actionesque flicks. However, he earned a lot of praise for being a funny guy in ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' and his musical performance in ''Film/LaLaLand'' won him a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
* In a tragic example of this trope, Music/{{Aaliyah}} was never able to prove whether or not she deserved all the hype she was given. After being the female lead in the surprise 2000 hit ''Film/RomeoMustDie'', it was widely predicted that she would be able to translate her highly successful R&B career into being a Hollywood leading lady, resulting in her getting the title role in ''Film/QueenOfTheDamned'', along with a major part in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' and ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions''. Unfortunately, right after finishing principal photography on ''Queen of the Damned'', she was killed in a plane crash, and the rock performance-heavy nature of the film meant it was extremely reliant on ADR dubbing, which she never had the chance to do before her death, meaning that nearly all her character's dialogue in the finished film was recorded by a sound-alike (her part in the ''Matrix'' sequels was subsequently recast with Nona Gaye). If nothing else however, the enduring success of her music well over a decade later shows that the hype around her R&B career was entirely justified.
* Much was expected of Creator/RachelMcAdams after her roles in ''Film/MeanGirls'' and ''Film/TheNotebook'', and she was immediately hailed as Hollywood's new it girl. With the successes of ''Film/WeddingCrashers'' and ''Film/RedEye'', the hype appeared to be justified. But then she took a break from 2006 to 2007, halting her career in its tracks, and admitted that she had never wanted to be a big movie star. She did eventually make a return, with high points including ''Film/TheTimeTravelersWife'', ''Film/MidnightInParis'', ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'', and the ''[[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 Sherlock Holmes]]'' franchise, but her films have been hit or miss outside of that. Her career appears to be thriving, but she could have been as A-list as anybody given the chance.
* Creator/JamesFranco had a slower climb to the top than most, with noted roles in the short-lived ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'' and the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. His push didn't come until ''Film/OneHundredAndTwentySevenHours'' and being named the Sexiest Man Living in 2009. For the next three or so years, he headlined a lot of big films - some did well and others less so. He took a step back from acting to focus on his education, and has leaned more towards becoming a producer and director in addition to acting. Things seemed to be going well for him when he won a Golden Globe for his role as Creator/TommyWiseau in ''Film/TheDisasterArtist'', but almost immediately afterwards, he started getting sexual assault allegations thrown at him, which probably contributed to him not getting Oscars for the film. Only time will tell if his career can recover from those allegations.
* Creator/AlyssaMilano got fame as a child star in the 80s with ''Series/WhosTheBoss'' and got a huge Japanese following - enough to sign her to a five album recording contract over there. As she entered her twenties, she suffered the age-old ContractualPurity that dogs many child stars. She finally succeeded in breaking out of her nice girl image with erotic films that became cult classics. Magazine covers and cosmetic endorsements followed, as did a MsFanservice push in ''Series/MelrosePlace'' and ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}''. The latter lasted a shocking eight seasons and it was predicted she would become a breakout star from it. Film offers came but she never had a notable hit. In TheNewTens, she settled comfortably into the host of ''Project Runway: All Stars''. It's not the career it could have been, but she doesn't seem stuck for work. However in the late 2010s, she became well-known for her progressive political activism during the Donald Trump presidency; in particular, her feminist activism in the wake of the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein by kickstarting the #[=MeToo=] movement and supporting the ''Time's Up'' movement.
* The cast of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' undoubtedly got this - the most prominent of which included Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston. Lewis's attempts in films didn't amount to much - with bombs like ''{{Film/Dreamcatcher}}'', ''{{Film/Stormbreaker}}'' and ''Film/YourHighness''. But on television, he fared much better with the worldwide success that was ''{{Series/Homeland}}''. After he left that, he successfully transitioned to another headlining role in ''{{Series/Billions}}''. Livingston already had fame from ''Film/OfficeSpace'' but remained in below-the-radar projects, the most high profile of which was ''Film/TheConjuring''. The men in the cast who became stars - Creator/MichaelFassbender, Creator/JamesMcAvoy, Creator/TomHardy and Creator/SimonPegg - had minor roles, with Fassbender the only one who appeared in more than two episodes. Donnie Wahlberg maintained a steady career of supporting roles, including the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series, before getting the lead in ''Series/BlueBloods''. Creator/NealMcDonough, Creator/RossMcCall, Creator/MichaelCudlitz, and Richard Speight Jr. became TV regulars, while Frank John Hughes transitioned to screen writing and Dexter Fletcher became a highly successful director. Scott Grimes's attempt at joining a franchise - Ridley Scott's ''Film/RobinHood2010'' - was unsuccessful, but he enjoyed more success in [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad voice acting]] and music. A lot of the rest were doomed to type casting or else retired from acting altogether.
* Creator/DianeKruger debuted with a memorable bang in ''{{Film/Troy}}'' as Helen and got lots of work in America as a result, most notably in the ''Film/NationalTreasure'' films. She also won lots of critical acclaim for ''Film/IngloriousBasterds''. But she rarely found herself getting work outside of roles that catered to her beauty, and her momentum seemed to dry up in TheNewTens. She's still modelling and working away though, so she's not completely gone.
* The actors who played Film/JamesBond had some hits and misses in their careers particularly after their tenure in playing the character:
** Creator/SeanConnery is the most memorable and possibly the most successful Bond actor. After his post-Bond stint, he starred in acclaimed and successful movies such ''Film/{{Marnie}}'', ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', ''Film/MurderOnTheOrientExpress1974'', ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' and ''Film/TheUntouchables'' where he is the first and only Bond actor to win an Oscar. But he did have a few flops such as ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' which is his last film before his retirement.
** Creator/GeorgeLazenby is the unluckiest of all Bond actors and many people have mixed feelings on his performance in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService''. After Bond, he starred in a bunch of TV movies, commercials, various recurring roles in TV series, several Bond movie spoofs and several Hong Kong action films, using his martial arts expertise which he learned from the legendary Creator/BruceLee. He became the wealthiest actor to play Bond, thanks to investing in real estate.
** Creator/RogerMoore was already a successful actor before his Bond career where he starred in several TV shows such as ''Series/{{Maverick}}'', ''Series/TheSaint'' and ''Series/ThePersuaders''. He became the longest-serving Bond actor, but after his Bond stint, he did a bunch of cameos. Regardless, he spent most of his post-Bond career doing charity works which earned him a knighthood and other honors and remained one of the most respected British actors.
** Creator/TimothyDalton had a good theater career prior to his Bond tenure. However, his portrayal as Bond is still regarded as a BrokenBase due the DarkerAndEdgier approach of the movies. After Bond, he continued his theater career and still got some movie and TV roles including his stint in ''Series/DoctorWho'', his voice work in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' and his leading role in ''Series/PennyDreadful''.
** Creator/PierceBrosnan had a good start in his acting career where he starred in ''Series/RemingtonSteele''. It was his tenure as Bond that resurrected the franchise in TheNineties but he considered his Bond movies post-''Film/GoldenEye'' as an OldShame. During and after his time as Bond, he got into a lot of successful movies such as ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1999'', ''Film/TheTailorOfPanama'', ''Film/AfterTheSunset'', ''Film/MammaMia'' and ''Film/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians''. However in TheNewTens, he doesn't have much success like he used to.
** Creator/DanielCraig got a lot of flak when he was chosen as Bond due to being blonde and shorter than the other Bonds. While he had showed his detractors wrong with the reboot, ''Film/{{Casino Royale|2006}}'', it didn't stop his Bond movies from falling victim to the StarTrekMovieCurse (with ''Casino Royale'' and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' garnering critical acclaim, while ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' earned mixed reception -- it's pending for ''Film/NoTimeToDie''). Prior and during his Bond tenure, he had been into a bunch of movies such as ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', ''Film/{{Munich}}'', ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'', ''Film/TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo'', ''Film/LoganLucky'' and ''Film/KnivesOut'' among others and, had a good career as a theatre actor.
* Creator/ScarlettJohansson. An indie darling in the [[TheNineties late '90s]], she was crowned the new "It Girl" in 2003 on the back of her two acclaimed performances in ''Film/LostInTranslation'' and ''Film/GirlWithAPearlEarring''. Her failure to secure an Oscar nomination for either film did a lot to stall her momentum, and her follow-ups were not nearly so well received. Luckily for her, Creator/WoodyAllen declared her his latest muse and they made three films together, including one of his most popular latter-day films, ''Film/MatchPoint''. This kept her career on life support until she made a stab at a mainstream comeback with ''Film/IronMan2'' and ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. She followed this up with acclaimed turns in ''Film/{{Her}}'' and with ''Film/{{Lucy}}'' being her biggest hit outside the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (and her first film as a solo lead to pass $100 million). However, ''Film/UnderTheSkin'', albeit a smashing success with critics, flopped at the box office. Ironic, as she was brought into that film because a star with a big draw was needed. Her next solo movie, ''Film/GhostInTheShell'', was also a BoxOfficeBomb after being hit with the controversial RaceLift casting, costing Paramount more than 60 million. ''Rough Night'' landed with a thud with both critics and audiences as well. Though she still had other movies, it remains uncertain if she can still have a leading role. And then she caused upset regarding her comments about whitewashing in Hollywood and that she supports and is still willing to work with Creator/WoodyAllen.
* Much like his ''Film/RedEye'' co-star Creator/RachelMcAdams, Creator/CillianMurphy is a case who deliberately didn't want to live up too much to the hype. His role as Jim in ''Film/TwentyEightDaysLater'' was the first major exposure he got to American audiences, and then he hit the big-time in 2005 with ''Film/BatmanBegins'', ''Film/RedEye'', and ''Film/BreakfastOnPluto'' (the last of which earned him a Golden Globe nomination), and several entertainment outlets touted him as the "next big star". However, between his discomfort with the Hollywood system and celebrity culture and annoyance with being TypeCast as a "villain actor" because of his performances in ''Batman'' and ''Red Eye'', he's deliberately gone out of his way to stay out of the spotlight. He's still steadily working and earning rave reviews for his performances, especially in ''Series/PeakyBlinders'', but he could have been as A-list as anybody if he'd wanted to be.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Would-be and one-time A-Listers]]

!! These examples fit for people who were once big names (often for years), and then faltered, or people who failed to hit the A-List, but nonetheless managed to have decent careers.

* Where do we even begin with Creator/AdamSandler?
** Sandler made his first hit as a cast member for ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' for five seasons, at a time when the show was about to head for another DorkAge since the infamous season six. After leaving ''SNL'', he made his feature film debuts in ''Film/BillyMadison'' and ''Film/HappyGilmore'', both of which were released a year from each other. Despite both film receiving mixed reviews, they both scored modest box office returns. His next film was ''Film/{{Bulletproof}}'', which was critically panned and nearly fizzled out his career, but then got a ''huge'' push when he became star of ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'', which became Sandler's first blockbuster hit. This paved the way for Sandler becoming a CriticProof star, with ''Film/TheWaterboy'' and ''Film/BigDaddy'' becoming big hits against a backdrop of otherwise mediocre reception. With the exceptions of ''Film/LittleNicky'', ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'' and ''Film/ReignOverMe'' (the latter of which was a rare [[TomHanksSyndrome departure from comedy to drama]]), Sandler's films managed to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars and turn big profits regardless of poor critical reception.\\\
However, by the early 2010's, audiences began to lose interest in Sandler's crass humor, and his films began to underperform. ''Film/JackAndJill'' went on to be regarded as one of the worst films ever produced, and ''Film/ThatsMyBoy'' became Sandler's first biggest flop since ''Eight Crazy Nights''. Additionally, studio executives began to grow irritated with how terrible his movies were becoming to the public eye, and his [[MeanCharacterNiceActor usual friendliness with everyone he works with]] ended up going downhill one day when Sandler [[IdiotBall marched into Sony's studio offices demanding that $200 million be set aside]] for a potential ''TabletopGame/CandyLand'' movie, a move that ended up sending the film into DevelopmentHell. He did one final attempt to save his floundering career with ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', but it instead became one of the most hated films of 2015 and bombed spectacularly, ensuring that audiences were no longer attracted to Sandler's comedy as they were a decade ago. Following this flop, Sandler began to divest himself heavily from Sony and has almost completely disappeared from the silver screen aside from voice parts in the ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania'' films, and has been relegated to doing films for Creator/{{Netflix}}.
** His career behind the camera hasn't worked out well, either. Aside from his own films, most of Sandler's off-screen production ventures, such as ''Film/TheMasterOfDisguise'' and ''Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star'', were universally panned and did poorly at the box office, and also helped [[StarDerailingRole derail the careers of those who starred in them]]. All of them were produced through his company, Happy Madison Productions, which has become synonymous with abysmal low-brow humor.
* Creator/EddieMurphy was the hottest comedian around back in TheEighties. He started out on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' during one of its toughest {{Dork Age}}s, perhaps being ''the'' reason SNL escaped cancellation. He would soon bring his wit to the big screen in films like ''Film/FortyEightHours'', ''Film/TradingPlaces'', ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' and ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopII'', and ''Film/ComingToAmerica'' (his only misstep was 1986's ''Film/TheGoldenChild''), as well as his standup specials ''Delirious'' and ''Raw'', and even [[SoBadItsGood a couple of hit songs]] such as "Party All the Time". But after the failure of his 1989 vanity project ''Film/HarlemNights'', in which he directed and starred with his comic idols Creator/RichardPryor and Redd Foxx, Murphy's career plummeted in TheNineties, with ''Film/Another48Hours'', ''Film/TheDistinguishedGentleman'', ''Film/Boomerang1992'', ''Film/BeverlyHillsCopIII'', and ''Film/VampireInBrooklyn'' all bombing (though ''Boomerang'' has been VindicatedByHistory). He had become a walking punchline, infamously mocked by Creator/DavidSpade on SNL in 1995 when he said "Look, kids! a falling star! Make a wish!", which ''really'' [[BerserkButton made him mad]]. He bounced back with his 1996 remake of ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'', and other films like ''Film/{{Metro}}'', ''Film/DrDolittle'', ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'', ''Film/{{Life|1999}}'', and ''Film/{{Bowfinger}}''. But in the 2000s, Murphy slipped again as he made more [[RatedGForGangsta family-friendly films]], which, with the exception of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' series, were poorly received. Films like ''Film/DaddyDayCare'', ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'', ''Film/MeetDave'', and ''Imagine That'', were panned by audiences and critics, and 2002's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPlutoNash'' was [[BoxOfficeBomb one of the biggest bombs in Hollywood history]]. He received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination as Best Supporting Actor for ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}'' in 2006, but the much-maligned 2007 film ''Film/{{Norbit}}'' probably torpedoed his hopes of winning. He was praised for starring in ''Film/TowerHeist'' in 2011, but 2012 brought ''Film/AThousandWords'' (filmed several years before its release), which was universally panned (and had the "privilege" of being his first film to go [[DirectToVideo Direct-to-DVD]] in Britain). Since then, he has only had an appearence at the SNL 40th anniversary special and one film called ''Film/MrChurch'', which, while a more dramatic role for Murphy, was still critical panned and was a box office failure.
* Similar to Eddie Murphy, Creator/JimCarrey was ''the'' big comedian of the 1990s. Carrey started off playing supporting or minor roles in movies in TheEighties, but after the back-to-back successes of ''Film/AceVentura'', ''Film/TheMask'', and ''Film/DumbAndDumber'' in 1994, his star shot up like a rocket. Unfortunately for him, while his comedic roles brought a major bank, it made him severely {{typecast|ing}} as an actor. [[TomHanksSyndrome Attempts at more dramatic fare]], such as ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', ''Film/ManOnTheMoon'', ''Film/TheMajestic'', and ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'', while earning him praise from critics, under-performed if not flopped at the box office[[note]]''Film/TheTrumanShow'' was the exception due to [[NeverTrustATrailer the trailer downplaying the drama]].[[/note]] compared to his broad comedies. Unlike most however, Carrey's status is more self-imposed, making a conscious decision to [[TomHanksSyndrome pursue more serious works]] rather than continue with the comedies that made him incredibly popular. After making ''Film/AceVenturaWhenNatureCalls'', he repeatedly refused to star in sequels to his comedic works (except for ''Film/DumbAndDumberTo''), which was likely a wise choice given the critical receptions those films wound up getting.
* Creator/JudeLaw spent years as a bit player as well as earning two Oscar nominations for both ''Film/TheTalentedMrRipley'' and ''Literature/ColdMountain'' before receiving a huge, notable Hollywood marketing push in 2004, starring in ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'', the remake of ''Film/{{Alfie}}'', and half a dozen other films. Creator/ChrisRock engaged in some LampshadeHanging at his expense at the Oscars ceremony, making fun of how this "Creator/TomCruise [[PoorMansSubstitute Lite]]" was receiving so much hype and so many pictures for what seemed to be no reason ("If you can't get Tom Cruise... just ''wait''!"). Of course, every film either bombed or was a disappointment, and then he got caught cheating on his then-fiance Sienna Miller with his children's nanny, shattering any hopes for him as an A-Lister. Even with his career damaged, however, Law has continued plugging away, with major roles in ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', ''Film/RepoMen'', and other recent Hollywood films. It's a serviceable career, although not nearly the highly bankable, Cruise-style A-lister that the studios were hoping he would be. This might changed after he was cast as the younger version of Albus Dumbledore in ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' and as Yon-Rogg in ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' which shows that he's still around.
* Creator/OrlandoBloom appeared in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' trilogies and was one of the biggest stars of the [[TurnOfTheMillennium early-mid '00s]]. Since then, his career has suffered several hits, including critical thrashing and HypeBacklash, but he works steadily in highly regarded (if small) productions, for which he is finally starting to receive positive attention from the critics. His career appears to be thriving, but it's doubtful it will reach its former stratospheric heights. By all accounts, this seems to be his intention (he reportedly turned down Jake Gyllenhaal's role in ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'').[[note]] It seems fairly obvious that the role was written with him in mind and that Gyllenhaal was basically told "act as much like Orlando Bloom as possible." So he isn't wholly out of the loop...[[/note]] He recently came back into prominence with ''Series/CarnivalRow''.
* Creator/FayeDunaway exploded onto the scene with ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'' and a subsequent Oscar nomination. She was hyped up throughout the 60s/70s with hits like ''Film/TheThomasCrownAffair1968'', ''Film/TheToweringInferno'', ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', ''{{Film/Chinatown}}'', and ''Film/{{Network}}'' (for which she won an Oscar). She got singled out by Creator/JoanCrawford, who said that she was the only actress of her generation who "has what it takes" to become a star. Prophetic words - as Faye was chosen to play Joan herself in the adaptation of her daughter's tell-all book ''Literature/MommieDearest''. What was anticipated as a hard-hitting and gritty biopic ended up a hammy [[{{Narm}} unintentional comedy]] with the portrayal of Joan turned into a deranged cartoon character. Her hopes of winning an Oscar vanished, and the film's reception as a SoBadItsGood camp classic destroyed the star's reputation - along with stories of her being a massive primadonna on set (rumour has it that the cast and crew found her so horrible they told her there wasn't a wrap party). She all but vanished from leading roles afterwards, with her most notable credits since being ''Film/{{Supergirl}}'' and ''Film/DunstonChecksIn''.
* Music/JenniferLopez practically became an A-list star overnight after her performance in ''Film/{{Selena}}'' was praised by critics, and she followed it up with several critically acclaimed films such as ''Film/OutOfSight'' and ''Film/TheCell''. She also became noteworthy for being one of the few thespians who was able to successfully juggle both a singing and acting career, in 2000 she became the first person to have both the number one album and star in the number one film in the same week. Though some critics were disappointed when she later switched over to starring in middling romantic comedies like ''The Wedding Planner'', ''Film/MonsterInLaw'', and ''Film/MaidInManhattan'', but her films were still successful box-office wise for the most part, and even the critically mauled ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' didn't seem to stall her career much. But then she took a four-year break from her film career, and her first film since her break, ''The Back-Up Plan'' received worse reviews then any other film she's starred in so far, so while Lopez is still getting work in films ([[Series/AmericanIdol and]] [[Series/ShadesOfBlue television]]), it's pretty likely she'll never return to her former A-list status.
* Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger started out as a low-budget actor with forgettable films like ''Hercules in New York'' in his name, but soon found luck when a little-known director named Creator/JamesCameron tapped him to play the title role in ''Film/TheTerminator''. Although the movie received initially mixed reviews, it soon became such a massive pop culture behemoth that its [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay sequel]] in 1991 grossed ''seven times'' its predecessor. He soon scored more action roles throughout the 1980's and 1990's, with major box-office hits like ''Film/{{Predator}}'', ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' and ''Film/TrueLies'' becoming quintessential action flicks of the era. Unfortunately, his stint as Mr. Freeze in ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' didn't fare as well, and it ended up [[{{Pun}} freezing]] his star power for the rest of the 90's. He made one final stint as T-800 in ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' before deciding to take a break from acting and serve as the Governor of California for eight straight years before returning to film. His recent films though haven't been particularly successful with even his return to the ''Terminator'' series, ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'', proving to be a commercial disappointment. He did recently host a celebrity season of ''Series/TheApprentice'' in 2017 but left after one season. Now, with Cameron back in the ''Terminator'' fold, Schwarzenegger will return as T-800 once again in a new ''Terminator'' film that will conclude the franchise for good. Time will tell if that helps Schwarzenegger get back on his feet.
* Creator/CatherineZetaJones made a ''major'' splash with her {{Fanservice}}-y role in ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro'', and instantly became a household name (internationally, anyway - she had already been fairly well-known for a while in the UK). Unfortunately, before she could get much work, she hooked up with Creator/MichaelDouglas and practically vanished for years, only making the occasional movie like ''Film/{{Chicago}}'' (for which she won an Oscar). She doesn't seem to mind her current obscurity, but she could have been as A-List as anybody given enough of a push. However, she recently went public about her struggles with bipolar disorder (as well her husband's cancer diagnosis a few years back) which could be a fair explanation for why she has not worked as much as she used to.
* Creator/JohnnyDepp was THE TurnOfTheMillennium leading man. Making his debut as [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984 Freddy Krueger's first victim]], he spent much of the 1990s starring in critically-acclaimed and/or financially successful films, such as ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' (his first film with Creator/TimBurton), ''Film/BennyAndJoon'' and ''Film/DonnieBrasco''. However, he wouldn't hit the A-list until the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' series, which turned his Jack Sparrow character into a pop culture icon, catapulted him to the top. Magazine covers of him soon followed, and nearly every film he starred in thereafter turned a major profit for the studios who released them.\\\
However, with the live-action ''Film/{{Alice in Wonderland|2010}}'' film being critically mauled while financially successful, HypeBacklash kicked in. Audiences grew tired of Depp's LargeHam tendencies in his roles, and the drug and alcohol abuse that plagued his career since the mid-to-late '80s became an issue again. In 2011, while ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'' and the fourth ''Pirates'' movie were hits, ''Film/TheRumDiary'' and ''Film/DarkShadows'', the latter film released the following year, tanked. Then came ''Film/TheLoneRanger2013'', in which he -- despite being Caucasian -- played the title role's sidekick Tonto to much controversy (especially as he played him as a Jack Sparrow-style buffoon). The film received poor reviews and became Disney's biggest BoxOfficeBomb, leading to a studio write-down of $190 million ''and'' the end of their long-time relationship with producer Creator/JerryBruckheimer. Depp's star power faded overnight, with ''Film/{{Transcendence}}'' and ''Film/{{Mortdecai}}'' total flops. Although he did receive critical praise for ''Film/BlackMass'', that was a brief respite. In 2016 came a high-profile domestic violence case against him from his former wife, Creator/AmberHeard, who published shocking pictures of bruises on her face, allegedly from him, to back up her claims. This, combined with audience disinterest in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass'', led to ''its'' box office failure. He's never recovered from this scandal; his days as a leading man came to a halt when ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'' became the lowest-grossing film of the franchise, resulting in Disney publicly distancing themselves from him ''and'' Warner Bros. downplaying his role in the marketing campaign for ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald''. With the #[=MeToo=] movement increasing scrutiny of him due to his domestic violence history, the struggles of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' films, and his reputation for being financially irresponsible and difficult to work with, his career may well end with that of the series.
* Following her [[StarMakingRole Star-Making Role]] in ''Film/WhenHarryMetSally'', Creator/MegRyan starred in a string of successful romantic comedies and dramas over the course of the 1990s (most notably her three films with Creator/TomHanks, with ''Film/SleeplessInSeattle'' and ''Film/YouveGotMail'' both grossing over $100 million at the domestic box office). She very quickly became "America's Sweetheart" as a result. However, Ryan's reported affair with her ''Proof of Life'' co-star Creator/RussellCrowe (while Ryan was still married to, albeit separated from Creator/DennisQuaid) did serious harm to Ryan's [[ContractualPurity "good girl"]] image. She gained even more negative publicity when she appear on the UK talk show ''Parkinson'' while promoting the erotic thriller (and very much a PlayingAgainstType role) ''Film/InTheCut''. The interview was awkward and uncomfortable, with host Michael Parkinson later calling her "terrible" while Ryan shot back saying she felt like he was a "disapproving father" towards her with his tone. Not helping were the ill-advised cosmetic procedures, which further diminished her [[GirlNextDoor "girl next door"]] appeal. Following the 2004 boxing drama ''Against the Ropes'' (which [[BoxOfficeBomb flopped at the box office]] and was panned by critics for being a stale ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' clone), Ryan wouldn't appear in another movie for three years. She would resurface in the independent movie ''In the Land of Women'' and [[DirectToVideo direct-to-DVD movies]] like ''The Deal'' and ''Mom's New Boyfriend.'' That was already a massive slide from where she'd been previously, but quite possibly the [[StarDerailingRole biggest nail in her coffin]] was her next major theatrically released film, 2008's ''The Women''. Response from critics was overwhelmingly negative, with the film garnering a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Ryan herself would also be nominated for a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Worst Actress Razzie]] (alongside co-stars Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Debra Messing).\\
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Ryan had been the queen of The '90s, but between problems in her personal life (which would irreparably damage [[OvershadowedByControversy the public's perception of her]]) and poor choices in roles, she's now [[CelebrityIsOverrated disappeared from the Hollywood landscape]] (literally too, as she's now living in New York). While some of her earlier films are still well liked for [[NostalgiaFilter nostalgic reasons]], it's also clear many of them haven't aged well. Ryan herself meanwhile isn't looking to make a [[CareerResurrection comeback]] anytime soon either, as she's stated in later interviews that she's felt liberated since losing her America's Sweetheart image and generally likes [[ReclusiveArtist keeping a low profile]] and living a normal life.
* Creator/MelGibson was an A-list superstar and a beloved heartthrob in the '80s and '90s, especially as he successfully branched out into directing. While he'd always been known to have fairly controversial views, he kept them under wraps well enough that audiences were able to ignore them and turn out for his movies in droves. His career peaked in 2004 with ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'', a retelling of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' crucifixion which, despite controversy (especially over its portrayal of Jews), was one of the most successful independent films of all time, financed largely through Gibson's own efforts. Not long after ''The Passion'', however, things changed virtually overnight thanks to the revelation of his racism, anti-Semitism, and {{Jerkass}} [[DomesticAbuse treatment]] of his girlfriend across a number of widely publicized incidents, which only made the controversy over ''The Passion'' that much more notable.\\
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For many, he's now a despised joke punchline and virtually persona non grata, [[OvershadowedByControversy to the point where even those who think he's a good actor will stop well short of defending his views and behavior]]. Even his older hits such as the ''Film/MadMax'' and ''Film/LethalWeapon'' series have fallen from the pop culture landscape even as other '80s franchises were rediscovered and put through the NostalgiaFilter. As [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160110034820/http://moviebob.blogspot.com/2015/05/whos-real-speed-bump-on-fury-road.html this article]] by Creator/BobChipman noted, the ads for ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' went out of their way to downplay any association with Gibson (who had played the title character in the original films), lest he serve as box-office poison merely through association with the series. As for Gibson himself, it's been noted that post-meltdown he's shown a willingness to take on villain roles, something he had never done before, perhaps implying he's [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity embraced the public perception of himself]]. He did have a [[CareerResurrection major comeback]] with ''Film/HacksawRidge'', which he directed but didn't star in, and ''[[Film/DaddysHome Daddy's Home 2]]'' was an onscreen success story, so he's not quite finished yet. At the same time, a good deal of ink has been spilled by critics wondering ''why'' creatives and audiences support someone who hasn't repented of/atoned for his past actions.
* Creator/GinniferGoodwin received something of a Kate Hudson-esque push, getting numerous romantic comedy roles and magazine covers. But she didn't do a film after ''Film/SomethingBorrowed'' until 2016's ''{{Disney/Zootopia}}'' (a five year gap). She was however chosen as the headliner of ABC's ''Series/OnceUponATime'' which has been a consistent hit with viewers. She appears to be slowing down after giving birth, and has had consistently less screen time in recent years, but remains part of the main cast at least.
* Creator/MilaKunis was well-known to audiences for her roles in ''Series/That70sShow'' and ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', but she got a big breakthrough with ''Film/ForgettingSarahMarshall'' - taking much of the spotlight away from Kristen Bell (mentioned above). She won lots of acclaim for her role as Lily in ''Film/BlackSwan'', and was named the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2013. Although her next big blockbuster ''Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful'' made plenty of money, her performance was widely panned. Not helping matters was her first headlining role - ''Film/JupiterAscending'' - being a BoxOfficeBomb. She has ''Family Guy'' to fall back on, and plenty of magazine covers, so time will tell.
* Creator/ChevyChase was '''the''' original breakout star of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' thanks to a winning combination of deadpan humour and slapstick. He was even dubbed "Funniest Man in America" and his status as the original host of the Weekend Update led to a rumour that he would replace Creator/JohnnyCarson as the host of ''Series/TheTonightShow''. After leaving ''SNL'', he was one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1980s, thanks to the likes of ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'', the ''Film/{{Vacation}}'' series, ''Film/{{Fletch}}'', ''Film/SpiesLikeUs'' and ''Film/ThreeAmigos''. He even appeared with Music/PaulSimon in the video for "You Can Call Me Al". In TheNineties, however, things went south -- his movies began consistently underperforming, and his attempt at a late night talk show was such a disaster that it was cancelled after just six weeks in 1993. As well, his reputation for being difficult to work with was catching up with him; he was even permanently banned from guest-hosting ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1997. After years of minor roles, he experienced a CareerResurrection in ''Series/{{Community}}'' -- but that was short-lived due to him feuding with Creator/DanHarmon and complaining about the quality of the show. He recently announced that he's clean and sober and willing to work, but nobody in Hollywood ''wants'' to work with him due to his notorious status. (The movie ''Film/{{Accepted}}'' joked about this with a class called "The Rise and Fall of Chevy Chase".)
* Creator/JeffGoldblum didn't ''quite'' made it to the A-list during his "prime" years of TheEighties and TheNineties. After a near-decade toiling away in minor, supporting, and ensemble roles, plus one unsuccessful (if cultishly-loved) TV vehicle in ''Tenspeed and Brown Shoe'', 1983's hit dramedy ''Film/TheBigChill'' gave him a major leg up. While ''Film/TheFly1986'' proved a bravura StarMakingRole, '80s Hollywood didn't have a surfeit of leading roles that suited his unconventional looks, unusual speaking cadence, and eccentric intensity on offer (aside from the flop ''Film/{{Vibes}}'', and only because Creator/DanAykroyd quit)[[note]]Geena Davis, his co-star in ''The Fly'' and two other films (and for a few years his wife), got a much bigger push from it -- see the folder for Examples That Didn't Hold Up above[[/note]] and he ended up working primarily in independent or European productions. Then came 1993 and a scene-stealing supporting turn in ''Film/JurassicPark''. Overnight he became '''the''' go-to performer for MotorMouth and/or TallDarkAndSnarky turns. But while there was a little hype put behind him, he remained a supporting player -- sometimes to actors getting or just past a full Hype Machine push (Creator/HughGrant in ''Film/NineMonths'', Creator/WillSmith in ''Film/IndependenceDay'', Creator/EddieMurphy in ''Holy Man''...) -- with but two exceptions, ''Literature/{{Hideaway}}'' and ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark''. He became an easy performer to spoof and mock, having come to define the GibberingGenius trope. At the TurnOfTheMillennium he was working consistently and frequently but rarely as a lead, the most high-profile exceptions two TV shows (''Series/{{Raines}}'', which was tossed away by the network, and the later seasons of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'', in which he was stuck in the shadow of original/alternate lead Creator/VincentDOnofrio).\\
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But all those roles, combined with talk show appearances that made him a favorite of Creator/ConanOBrien, Creator/StephenColbert, and others, endeared him to late Generation X-ers and millennials. In TheNewTens he became an affectionate subject of {{Memetic Mutation}}s, and he [[AdamWesting cheerfully played up and into his natural eccentricity]] to please fans. Combined with creatives who'd grown up with his films wanting to work with him (in particular Creator/TaikaWaititi, who cast him as the Grandmaster in ''Film/ThorRagnarok''), by the end of the decade he was enjoying fame that many who were chewed up and spat out by the Hype Machine would envy.
* Creator/KeanuReeves first made a splash with the ''Film/BillAndTed'' stoner comedy films. Soon after he got a big push with ''Film/PointBreak1991'' and ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', and 1994's ''Film/{{Speed}}'' cemented him as an A-List star. While he maintained steady work throughout the rest of the '90s, people were beginning to notice his [[DullSurprise limited acting range]] and his star power began to fade. Then came 1999 and the release of ''Film/TheMatrix'', and Reeves became a bigger star than ever before, only for that to fade as quickly as it came: the highly-anticipated ''Matrix'' sequels left a bad taste in both audience and critics' mouths, leaving the franchise functionally dead. Coupled with, again, criticism of Reeves' acting range (or lack thereof) the rest of his films in the '00s were flops or underperformers, reaching a low point with the TroubledProduction ''Film/FortySevenRonin'' in 2013. And ''then'' he made a huge comeback with the ''Film/JohnWick'' films, making him [[CareerResurrection a household name again]] in the age of social media (helped along by, as in Jeff Goldblum's case, longstanding affection for his best work). 2019 was humorously dubbed the year of the "Keanussance" between the third ''John Wick'' film and ''Film/AlwaysBeMyMaybe'', ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' and ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Too Early To Call]]
* 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/GerardButler. After roles in such films as ''Film/{{Dracula 2000}}'' and the ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider'' sequel, ''People'' magazine predicted he would become a megastar upon the release of the movie version of the musical ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera2004''. However, not only was that film a modest performer at the box-office, but Butler turned out to be a '''big''' reason for the fandom's BrokenBase. In early 2006, he finally attracted big-time attention via ''Film/ThreeHundred'', and since then has alternated between action films (''Film/{{Gamer}}'', ''Film/LawAbidingCitizen'') and ChickFlick[=/=]RomanticComedy fare (''Film/TheBountyHunter'', ''Film/TheUglyTruth''). He's getting plenty of work, but ''Website/TheOnion'' probably had a point when it joked that saying Butler is ''starring'' in a film is just false advertising.
* Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard got a lot of attention for ''Series/TrueBlood'' and for dating former starlets, but what his current fans perceive as famewhoring and paparazzi baiting seems to be turning them off. He's on the fence until future efforts succeed in replenishing the ranks. Solid and HoYay-riffic work on ''Series/GenerationKill'' seems to be doing the trick. He also won lots of acclaim for his turn in ''Series/BigLittleLies''.
* Creator/JakeGyllenhaal and Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal. Hollywood seems entranced by the both of them, despite their continued failure to gain traction with audiences. The movie Bloom turned down, ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', performed under expectations, and even Maggie's presence in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' hasn't been enough to bolster her career, with most of the praise she received only being in comparison to Creator/KatieHolmes, the woman she replaced. Her unconventional facial appearance (big jowls and looking much older than the current crop of young starlets) is part of it as well. But the suits seem undeterred, so who knows? Maybe someday, one of them will hit it big. ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', naturally, was not above pointing all of this out with a cutaway gag in which the two bickered over which one was "more offputting" and "more unappealing in a lead role."
* 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.
* Music/JustinBieber rode an immense wave of success in the early years of his career (despite releasing the same album three times [[note]]a two-part album released in halves four months apart, a compilation of the aforementioned two-parter, and an acoustic re-release with mostly identical content, but focused on vocals and instrumentals, rather than synthetic production[[/note]] and a Christmas album), with his third album (and second album of all original music) going platinum in several countries. He was a major sensation to pre-teen girls, but like most people with that target fanbase, their careers are prone to flaming out quickly. The biggest threat to Bieber's career as a mature performer was initially people getting completely sick of him, as he saturated every form of media out there, even appearing on shows and in magazines that have nothing to do with his target demographic of young children and teens. HypeBacklash was thus a major concern.
** 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 tables finally turned in 2015. After spending the first half of 2015 on an apology tour and doing his best to undo the damage of his 2014 scandals, along with the surprise hit with Music/{{Skrillex}} and Music/{{Diplo}} "Where Are Ü Now", his highly-promoted comeback single "What Do You Mean?" debuted at #1 on the Hot 100, something that Music/OneDirection never achieved; his subsequent album ''Purpose'' was released on the same day as 1D's, and went on to trounce it, debuting at number one (subsequently ending 1D's perfect #1 album streak at 4) and having two enormously successful followup singles ("Sorry" and "Love Yourself"), which were the two biggest hits of 2016. Two more tracks featuring Bieber, Major Lazer's "Cold Water" and DJ Snake's "Let Me Love You", were also smash hits in the summer of 2016. While he's still on shaky ground (and 1D arguably still has a bigger "hardcore" following), he gained a larger casual following than he or 1D ever had. It's certainly a positive turning point and the future looks bright.
* The boys of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}.'' Both Creator/JensenAckles and Creator/JaredPadalecki have gotten incredible praise for the show (including helping to raise it above the ScifiGhetto), and for being a couple of members of "Young Hot Hollywood" who can actually act instead of relying on their good looks. However, both of their attempts at film careers after starting ''Supernatural'' (Jensen in ''Film/MyBloodyValentine3D'' and Jared in the ''Film/FridayThe13th2009'' remake) went nowhere. The big test will be when they branch out of the sci-fi/horror genre, and when ''Supernatural'' ends they can be choosier about film roles (since right now they are limited to what they can do while ''Supernatural'' is still on the air).
* Creator/PatrickDempsey had a serviceable but unremarkable film career for a while. Once ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' became successful, Hollywood started trying to promote him as the next big thing. Of the leading-man roles he's had since then, only ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' was really a critical and/or commercial success, and that one was arguably helped by having the Disney name behind it as well. His other roles haven't really set the world on fire, though he readily admits that his acting on ''Grey's'' mainly helps finance his auto racing career and he wouldn't mind pursuing motorsports full-time.
* Creator/GemmaArterton began being hyped as the next big UK starlet after a OneSceneWonder role as Strawberry Fields in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' (managing to overshadow even lead female Creator/OlgaKurylenko). However, none of her post 007 roles (''Film/TheDisappearanceOfAliceCreed'', ''ComicBook/TamaraDrewe'', ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans|2010}}'', ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'') have managed to meet the hype. There's still a slight chance that she could pull it off but it's looking very unlikely.
* Music/JustinTimberlake has been a very successful singer since his days in Music/{{NSYNC}}, but his movie career has had a lot of ups and downs. His entrance into Hollywood was rough: ''Film/AlphaDog'' had mixed reviews, but his performance was mostly praised. Then ''Film/SouthlandTales'', ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'', and ''Film/TheLoveGuru'' ruined the careers of everyone involved, including him. Nobody cared for ''The Open Road'', but then ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'' gave him a massive career boost. From then on it was bumpy again: voicing [[Film/YogiBear another CGI character]], picking [[Film/InTime the wrong sci-fi thriller]] to star in, and being [[Film/FriendsWithBenefits hit]] or [[Film/BadTeacher miss]] with the rom-com genre. A supporting role in ''Inside Llewyln Davis'' may keep him afloat acting-wise in the short term; to work with both Creator/DavidFincher and Creator/TheCoenBrothers illustrate that some big-name directors still have a lot of faith in him.
* 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.
* Guy Henry, better known as [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mhd6/characters/henrik-hanssen Henrik Hanssen]] in ''Series/HolbyCity'' has become critically acclaimed, and has avoided things such as SmallNameBigEgo etc. Unlike Music/JustinBieber, he isn't criticised or the subject of jokes, and is considered attractive by a lot of women - as much as the aforementioned individual.
* Beth Behrs, from ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'' has also received critical acclaim as well, and time will tell if this lasts or not. However, her GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff status - in the United Kingdom - probably counts for this too.
* 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.
* 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/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/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/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.
* 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.
* 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.
* Australian star Jason Clarke, similar to Creator/JeremyRenner, is an older actor who is gaining huge success in his forties with roles in ''Film/ZeroDarkThirty'', ''Film/{{Lawless}}'' and ''Film/TheGreatGatsby2013'' as well as a leading role in the ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' and ''Film/TerminatorGenisys''. Time will tell if he can keep it up.
* 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.
* Creator/AaronTveit has kicked around Broadway for a few years with the occasional recurring part, but the Powers That Be have been [[http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/gracelands-aaron-tveit-talks-transitioning-broadway-tv-95846 actively looking]] for a vehicle to introduce him to the mainstream. It finally happened with a turn in the film adaptation of ''Film/LesMiserables2012'' and the new show ''Series/{{Graceland}}''. However, as seen under Amanda Seyfried's entry, much of the attention of ''Les Mis'' was directed toward Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, and while he's getting great praise for ''Graceland,'' its status as a darker show on the normally bright and optimistic USA Network has made its reception a little lukewarm.
* Creator/MichaelShannon had been kicking around for years in prominent supporting roles in films such as ''Film/EightMile'' and ''Film/BadBoysII'' but it was his scene-stealing role in ''Film/RevolutionaryRoad'' in which he just about stole the film from Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio, Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/KathyBates with ten minutes of screen time, that earned him huge praise and an Oscar nomination. Since then, he has gone from one success to another with acclaimed starring roles in films like ''Film/TheIceman'' and ''Film/TakeShelter'', rave reviews for supporting roles in ''Film/PremiumRush'' and ''The Runaways'' and most notably his role in HBO's ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'' and his role as Zod in blockbuster ''Film/ManOfSteel''. He later received another Oscar nomination for ''Film/NocturnalAnimals'' and was praised for his performance in ''Film/TheShapeOfWater''. While he may not exactly be anyone's idea of a leading man, it is likely he will stay around for a while.
* 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.
* Cranston's costar from ''Series/BreakingBad'' Creator/AaronPaul is less lucky. He won three Emmy Awards for his role as Jesse Pinkman. However, the films he starred after his breakthrough, ''Film/NeedForSpeed'' and ''Film/ALongWayDown'', were critical flops. He has had some success with his involvement in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'', though and is cast for the third season of ''Series/{{Westworld}}''.
* BoyBand Music/OneDirection took America practically overnight. While they had a slower rise in Europe, they were relatively unheard of in the United States--and then they started appearing ''everywhere''. Although initially pegged as rivals to fellow rising boy band The Wanted, One Direction [[CurbStompBattle made short work of them]], and The Wanted's career fizzled after one big hit. Then, the band's eyes were set on Justin Bieber. One Direction shocked the world when they defeated Justin Bieber at the 2012 Video Music Awards, which was a sign that Bieber's reign atop the teen world was coming to an end. One Direction proved that the victory was no fluke by continuing to ''dwarf'' his accomplishments and sales. Not only were the Brits' popularity skyrocketing past the Canadian's and closing in on his peak, but it was also obvious that Bieber's popularity was starting to fall (his own behavior would hurt it even worse). It's quite clear that One Direction are the biggest teen phenomenon since Music/{{NSYNC}}.
* Creator/TaylorKitsch has been having a rough time with this trope as of late. He first rose to prominence with his role in ''Friday Night Lights'' showing he could be a very good actor in addition to being fan service like in ''Film/TheCovenant''. His post career has been very rough with 2012 proving a disastrous year with ''three'' high-profile disasters in ''Film/{{Battleship}}'', ''Film/{{Savages}}'' and most notably ''Film/JohnCarter'', which was one of the biggest box-office disasters in recent memory. He does have an advantage in that he wasn't blamed for any of the failures, with ''John Carter'''s attributed to a very poor marketing campaign and an enormously bloated budget, and the fact that critics and audiences already know how well he can act. He's been confirmed for the second season of ''Series/TrueDetective'' but earned mixed reception for his performance which doesn't help that the second season was not as good as the first.
* Creator/ChanningTatum broke out into the mainstream with ''Film/StepUp'' and ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra''. This had the effect of typecasting him as either a bland meathead or a MrFanservice. Although he attracted a swarm of EstrogenBrigade, critics didn't think too highly of him, nicknaming him 'The Charming Potato' - though he had proved that he did have some acting prowess in his earlier roles in ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' and ''Film/StopLoss''. The year 2012 was very successful for him - with both ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' and ''Film/MagicMike'' proving to be Box Office smashes and critical successes. Both were followed up with successful sequels, and he won lots of acclaim for a dramatic turn in ''{{Film/Foxcatcher}}'' as well as a wildly against type role in ''Film/TheHatefulEight''. The Box Office failure of ''Film/JupiterAscending'' and the DevelopmentHell for his {{ComicBook/Gambit}} movie seems to be throwing a bit of a wrench into things however. Though his work with Steven Soderbergh has won him considerable acclaim and earned him a new life as a more respected actor.
* Creator/ChrisEvans has had his ups and downs with this trope. After his role in ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'', he got a number of prominent roles, most notably as the Human Torch in the ''[[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four]]'' franchise. While most of his films did fairly well, they were usually not well-received by critics, and he never broke out as a major star. While he did get some positive press for his roles in ''Film/{{Sunshine}}'' and ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', they didn't do very well at the box office. However, his career started to pick up in 2011, when he was cast as Captain America in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' and the subsequent Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse films. While his films outside it (''Film/TheIceman'' and ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'') have been only moderately successful, his Marvel roles should keep him around for a while. Especially with the success of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''. If anything kills Evans's career it may well be Evans himself; he's expressed ambivalence about his blockbusters and stated that he may well retire after his Marvel contract is up to focus on directing. He has seemed more enthusiastic during the lead-up to ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', though, and suggested he may be willing to extend his contract until ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' which is his last movie as Captain America.
* Since ''Film/{{Divergent}}'' is considered by several in terms of hype to be "The New ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Hunger Games]]''," being a film adaptation of a popular Young Adult book series (and every new such franchise launched between the two has bombed), there are already some press that are hyping up ''Divergent'' star Creator/ShaileneWoodley as "The New Creator/JenniferLawrence." Adding to this comparison is the fact that both got their first break on low-budget cable series (''The Bill Engvall Show'' for Lawrence, ''Series/TheSecretLifeOfTheAmericanTeenager'' for Woodley.) The box office success of ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars'' is certainly a step in the right direction but after ''Allegiant'' bombed so badly, she refused to return to the final movie which was regulated as a TV movie. Fortunately, her performance in ''{{Film/Snowden}}'' and ''Series/BigLittleLies'' was praised which means there's hope for her.
* 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...
* Music/FiveSecondsOfSummer are an Australian pop rock boy band who got their big break opening for One Direction, and the success they experienced was enormous, becoming the only boy-band able to stand toe-to-toe with them. Groups like The Wanted and Big Time Rush had their careers flushed down the toilet by their rivals, whereas upcoming groups like [=Emblem3=], Midnight Red, and Union J were unable to take off, so 5 Seconds of Summer was expected to suffer the same fate. But instead, the group debuted at number-one with their first album, outsold One Direction's opening, got 5 top 40 hits in only three months, and are apparently next in line for the teen idol throne.
* 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/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.
* Her ''Cinderella'' co-star Creator/RichardMadden has received similar hype, he too coming from a hit TV-show (''Series/GameOfThrones''). His first follow-up - the film ''Bastille Day'' didn't make much headway and got mixed reviews. Then, he got the lead role in BBC's ''[[Series/BodyguardUK2018 Bodyguard]]'' which earned him critical praise and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He stars in Elton John's biopic, ''Film/{{Rocketman 2019}}'', as his music manager and is cast in the upcoming Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film, ''The Eternals''.
* Creator/KevinHart is climbing up this ladder as we speak, in large part thanks to his highly respected stand up career. While the films he's starred in, like ''Film/RideAlong'' and ''Film/GrudgeMatch'', haven't been well-received by critics, audiences have enjoyed them more thanks to box office gross. Forbes even named him the top-paid comedian of 2016 with $87.5 million, surpassing long-time record holder Creator/JerrySeinfeld. More recently, he has had a couple of commercially and critical successful films that costarred Wrestling/DwayneJohnson: ''Film/CentralIntelligence'' and ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' as well as having a role in the highly successful animated film ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretLifeOfPets''. He was supposed to host for the Oscars 2019 but after two days since the announcement, he dropped out after a series of his old homophobic tweets resurfaced which he apologized on the next day.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1GbcK4HpYY Sarah Rogers, ITV news reporter]] has had critical acclaim and her Twitter feed is popular - although it's very much a dry type of Twitter, with no controversial tweets. She was believed to be in ''Series/StrictlyComeDancing'' [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but that never got anywhere]], amd she's covered [[DarkerAndEdgier many dark and edgy news topics]], sometimes news stories with AnAesop in them, and she is considered a good up-and-coming reporter who deserves national attention. Time will tell if she becomes as big a star as Scarlett from Gogglebox.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyuDELIhPkU Carolin Roth]] from CNBC is well-known to the fanbase who watch ''Street Signs'' on CNBC weekday mornings 9am-11am UK time, but recently, she's become very popular and has been well-received for her [[ThoseTwoGuys appearances with Louisa Bojesen on Street Signs]] and her ability to present, with an interesting mixture of TechnicianVsPerformer. Although it's too early to call, she is still getting a cult following from viewers, and people are expecting her to be on reality shows by 2017 (although the probability of that is anyone's guess).
* Irish actor Jack Reynor was given a lot of hype thanks to his breakout role in ''Film/WhatRichardDid''. HypeBacklash set in pretty quickly, especially after his turn in ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'', which had some viewers questioning whether the former was just a fluke. He did earn critical acclaim for his parts in smaller films like ''Film/ARoyalNightOut'', ''Sing Street'' and the 2015 adaptation of ''{{Theatre/Macbeth}}'' so time will tell.
* Creator/FelicityJones had a slow climb to the top, starting out as a child actress in ''Literature/TheWorstWitch''. She had a series of respectable roles in well-received films, before netting a lot of acclaim for ''Like Crazy''. Her attempt at joining a franchise - namely as Felicia Hardy in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' - didn't go so well when Sony sold the ''Spider Man'' rights back to Marvel. But an Oscar nomination for ''Film/TheTheoryOfEverything'' gave her a real boost and she headlined three films in 2016 - ''Film/DanBrownsInferno'', ''Film/AMonsterCalls'' and the Franchise/StarWars spin-off ''Film/RogueOne''. Time will tell if this translates into superstardom.
* 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/EmiliaClarke is slowly rising on the top ever since she was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' which got her an Emmy nomination. By then, she landed a role as Sarah Connor in ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'' which received negative critical reviews and most of these reviews panned her performance. Although she quickly recovered with her starring role in ''Film/MeBeforeYou'', her film career was hampered by the commercial failure of the film ''Film/{{Solo}}''. With ''Game of Thrones'''s disastrously-received finale in 2019 -- which her character was at the center of -- only time will tell if she will stay on top or be remembered as a one-hit wonder.
* Creator/TomHiddleston has been gradually climbing to the top ever since he first gained mainstream exposure as the villainous Loki in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' with subsequent reprisals as the villain in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' only adding to his stardom. In between starring as Loki, he has been finding consistent, critically-acclaimed work like ''Series/TheNightManager'', which netted him a Golden Globe award. His biggest hit that he headlined outside of the MCU was ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', which received good reviews and grossed over $550 million world wide though some felt that his otherwise solid performance was overshadowed by the AllStarCast. What helps Hiddleston stand out from the other MCU cast members is how takes an active role in smaller budget productions to garner goodwill from critics and avoid high-profile flops that could tarnish his record. For the time being, Hiddleston seems to be doing well and may be on his way to securing A-list stardom if he can continue his consistent track record.
* 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/JonHamm has had an odd relationship with this trope. After a few years of doing bit work and supporting roles, He burst onto the scene with ''Series/MadMen'' and won huge acclaim for his role and he has made a few forays into film such as ''Film/TheTown'' and ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'', the latter of which allowed him a chance to prove his comedy skills. But he hasn't fully made the leap to film success yet. This is partially due to his admitted aversion to franchises that require long contracts, ruling him out of superhero films even though many had been and still are pushing for him to play ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' in the ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'', something which Hamm has said he'd be up for if the script were good enough. Like some other actors on here, his older age gives him a degree of protection from being replaced and his acclaimed work on TV means he'll be around for a good while. He also had a huge hit with ''Film/BabyDriver'' so the possibility of him breaking out as a film star is definitely still there.
* 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.
* Barry Keoghan became a household name in his home country of Ireland with a starring role in ''Series/LoveHate''. He's been given the opportunity to star in high profile films such as ''{{Film/Dunkirk}}'', ''Film/TheKillingOfASacredDeer'' and ''Black 47'' - though not as a lead yet. Time will tell if he can live up to the hype.
* 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 leave 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. and Scarlett Johansson have become for the rival MCU.
* 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 the upcoming ''Film/WonderWoman1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''.
[[/folder]]

** Creator/DanielCraig got a lot of flak when he's chosen as Bond due to being blonde and shorter than the other Bonds. While he had showed his detractors wrong with the reboot, ''[[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 Casino Royale]]'', it didn't stop his Bond movies from falling victim to the StarTrekMovieCurse (with ''Casino Royale'' and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' garnering critical acclaim, while ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' earned mixed reception). Prior and during his Bond tenure, he had been into a bunch of movies such as ''Film/RoadToPerdition'', ''Film/{{Munich}}'', ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'', ''Film/TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo'' and ''Film/LoganLucky'' among others and had a good career as a theater actor which keeps him on top for a while.

* Her ''Cinderella'' co-star Creator/RichardMadden has received similar hype, he too coming from a hit TV-show (''Series/GameOfThrones''). His first follow-up - the film ''Bastille Day'' didn't make much headway and got mixed reviews. Then, he got the lead role in BBC's ''[[Series/BodyguardUK2018 Bodyguard]]'' which earned him critical praise and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He is also set to star in Elton John's biopic, ''Film/{{Rocketman 2019}}'', as his music manager and is cast in the upcoming Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse film, ''The Eternals''.

* 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 a supporting role in the upcoming ''Wonder Woman 1984'' and playing the titular character for Disney+'s ''Series/TheMandalorian''.