Gone too soon: the real and tragic stories behind actors that were previously unanimously loved, but have been left in the dust.
David Spade
David Spade dropped off of the scene in the early 2000s following his performance in “The Benchwarmers.” He has taken some voice acting roles and some appearances on SNL, but otherwise, his career has dried up.
Shannon Doherty
Doherty was hated on the cast of 90210. She was invited back for the reboot of the show, but lo and behold, she still stayed the worst on and off the screen. Since then, she has not performed.
David Schwimmer
After Friends ended, Schwimmer has been drowning in career obscurity. He was a voice actor for the Madagascar franchise, but other than that he hasn’t been up to anything.
Elizabeth Hurley
Hurley never had much actual time in the limelight. Hugh Grant, her super famous ex-boyfriend, pulled her up to the associate elite status. She then tried to gather media attention by wearing skimpy clothing to carpeted events.
Taylor Momsen
Momsen actually chose to leave Hollywood to pursue her career as a musician, fronting the band “The Pretty Reckless.”
Robert Blake
Blake hasn’t returned to acting because of the allegations against him, claiming that he murdered his wife. He’s kept his head in the sand since he was accused.
Emilio Estevez
Estevez dropped out of acting after his involvement in The Breakfast Club. Estevez has taken a step back from acting and took up directing as a secondary way to stay in the industry.
Martin Lawrence
Lawrence had a promising career in front of him, but unfortunately, he has been arrested several times for aggravated assaults and violent nature. It is unlikely that he will return to the big screen.
Jack Gleeson
Gleeson dropped off the map after his character, Joffrey, tragically di…(MAJOR SPOILER). Gleeson stopped acting for a while to focus on his young life and education. He now runs his own theater company.
Paz De a Huerta
Huerta’s role ended on Boardwalk Empire far too early. After that, she accused Weinstein of two accounts of sexual assault, and it is rumored that she is an alcoholic.
Carey Mulligan
A former Oscar nominee, Carey Mulligan cannot find work nowadays. She pigeonholed herself into a ditzy, pretty, flapper style character, and since The Great Gatsby, she hasn’t done anything worth noting.
Leelee Sobieski
Sobieski’s experience on the set of Joan of Arc completely soured her opinion of the Hollywood lifestyle. She was not interested in the portrayal of sexuality she was asked to do in films, so she quit in 2012.
Dylan and Cole Sprouse
The Sprouse twins had a prolific early life career, but they slowed down in their adult lives. Cole just recently picked up a spot on the show Riverdale, and now Dylan owns a meadery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Thomas was an integral character on ABC’s Home Improvement, as well as voicing Simba in the Lion King. He took time off of acting to attend Harvard University, and he hasn’t returned since.
Wesley Snipes
We all loved Blade and White Men Can’t Jump, so where is Wesley Snipes? He dropped out of acting when he was imprisoned for tax evasion at the end of 2015.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Prinze had a terrible experience on set with Kiefer Sutherland on the set of 24, evidently, it was so bad that Prinze vowed to drop acting altogether. He is happy now, enjoying his relationship with his cast member honey. Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Debra Winger
Winger shot a ton of popular films, like Terms of Endearment, and Shadowlands. She just lost her passion for acting while she was stuck within the grasp of the Hollywood culture.
Jonathan Bennett
Jonathan Bennett was probably your first crush when you saw Mean Girls as a kid. Bennett now works as a spin trainer in LA, and he hosts the Food Network show Halloween Wars.
Sean Connery
Connery is one of the greatest actors who ever lived. He was the first James Bond and acted as him in seven more Bond Films. He retired in 2006 and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from AFI.
Randy Quaid
Quaid was a really interesting character. He starred in some National Lampoon movies, he ended up getting in some legal trouble and landed himself in jail. He’s in jail for missing a court date, nothing crazy.
Lark Voorhies
Lisa Turtle, her character in Saved by the Bell, was phenomenal. After Saved By the Bell ended, Lark became a painter and dropped film altogether.
Andie MacDowell
Andie’s performance in “Right Place, Wrong Time” shook up the whole world. However, after they finished filming, MacDowell decided to drop acting and focus on taking care of her family.
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy hasn’t seen a camera in over ten years, and that’s because he just had his TENTH CHILD. No wonder he’s not on the screen, he’s got ten hands full.
Ashley Judd
Judd is, unfortunately, a blacklisted addition to Weinstein’s reign of terror over Hollywood. She refused his advances, and she never acted again.
Kel Mitchell
Welcome to the Good Burger, Home of the Good Burger, can I please get casted for a role? Kenan beat Kel out for a seat at SNL, Kel is focusing on activism at the moment.
Alex Pettyfer
The Magic Mike co-star hasn’t seen a camera since he got in a fight with the cast and crew. He essentially banned himself by acting like a jerk.
Patricia Arquette
Arquette was blacklisted after he became outspoken about the massive wage gap in Hollywood. Her blacklisting is tragic, but it has also illuminated the inequality in Hollywood.
Dave Chapelle
Dave took a break from being on TV to focus on bettering his personal life, and to build his former comedy career back up. He’s doing REALLY well nowadays.
Billy Zane
Zane has only really acted in the Titanic, and somehow that affirms his celebrity status. He made a brief cameo in Zoolander 2, but that’s all for him.
Gene Hackman
This handsome 87-year-old dropped out of Hollywood to focus on his writing career and spending time with his wife. He has released five books since his retirement in 2004.
Geena Davis
Geena wanted to get out while she could. She’s performed in numerous incredible roles, but at 60-years-old, Geena just wants to relax.
Ronda Rousey
When the toughest girl in the world eventually lost, after a 26 UFC match wins streak, she started working in movies. She got her taste, then she got out. Now, she’s focusing on training to fight once more.
Mia Sorvino
Sorvino is one of the most important people in Hollywood. She was blacklisted for refusing advances from Harvey Weinstein, but she led the #MeToo movement pretty much singlehandedly.
Ariana Richards
Do you love Jurassic Park as much as I do? Good! However, there will never be a full cast remake because Richards took off from Hollywood to paint.
Karyn Parsons
When The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended, Parsons devoted her life to advocating for charities that benefit black people who don’t have access to numerous necessities. She even started her own foundation.
Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson took off after Matilda. She quickly became an author and talked about her experience accidentally becoming a famous person.
Rick Moranis
Moranis’s wife tragically passed away from breast cancer in 1993. He had to drop out of acting to take care of his children.
Adrian Grenier
Best known as “Mr. Handsome,” Gernier was actually sick of playing the role of the hot guy heartthrob. Little known fact, He’s 42 years old.
Jesse Eisenberg
Eisenberg actually is about to make his first late-career screen appearance when Zombieland 2 comes out. We couldn’t be more excited.
Nikki Blonsky
Blonsky knocked everyone out with her fantastic depiction of Tracy in Hairspray the Musical. Unfortunately, this was during the time that Hollywood overlooked and stigmatized fat women. What a darn shame.
Macaulay Culkin
Nowadays, Macaulay’s brother Rory is actually getting more screen time than the former star of Home Alone. Check out “Lords of Darkness,” it’s his best performance.
Jonah Hill
Hill has taken a step back to start writing and directing. Check out Mid 90s, it’s a movie that he wrote and directed.
Kelly McGillis
McGillis crushed it in Top Gun, but she dropped the ball in Cat Chaser. She was very difficult to book after that.
Aaron Eckhart
Harvey Dent hasn’t been on screen since half his face got melted off in The Dark Knight. Good thing they pieced him back together after the incident.
Sally Field
Field has received too many accolades over the years. after her third Emmy, Field decided to drop to the back of the class and move on with her life outside of acting.
Amanda Bynes
Bynes had a serious breakdown a few years ago. She wasn’t getting screen time then, and she’s definitely getting screen time any time soon.
Renee Zellweger
Zellweger took a long hiatus from acting, but has recently come back to star in the Netflix original “Bridget Jones”.
Mischa Barton
Barton didn’t have much to do after she made a lifetime’s worth of money on “The OC.” Barton has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse in the past, she dropped out of acting to go to rehab.
Alyson Hannigan
Hanigan is a great actor, but she kind of burned herself out on How I Met Your Mother.
Lara Flynn Boyle
Boyle crushed it in Twin Peaks, but she dropped off the face of the Earth after the 1990s.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Hewitt killed it in the 1990s, but she dropped off until the 2004 live-action Garfield came out. This definitely killed her career.
Phoebe Cates
This 22-year-old starred in The Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and after that, she decided to retire from acting.
Mike Myers
Shrek happened to this poor man. If you’re ever asked to star in a Shrek film, run for the hills.
Kevin Jonas
After the rest of his brothers split up the band, Kevin decided to take a break from Hollywood altogether to spend time with his wife.
Cameron Diaz
Diaz had been looking for an escape from acting for a long time. She finished her final film in 2014 and announced her retirement in 2018.
Katherine Heigl
Heigl dug herself out of Hollywood when she trashed important actor’s feature films, especially ones that she acted in.
Meg Ryan
Ryan flopped in several films. Her performance dropped so quickly that she didn’t get cast ever again.
Mo’Nique
Mo’Nique lost her career from talking too much smack on her coworkers and other people who were involved in the films she acted in.
Tobey McGuire
Any of yall ever see Spiderman 3? Yeah, that’s why McGuire has been blacklisted.
Jack Nicholson
Nicholson acted in some of the most important roles of all time. It’s rumored that he hasn’t picked up a movie recently because he doesn’t believe in the script or the directors.