14 Roles That Ruined Actors’ Careers
1. Elizabeth Berkley became a teenage heartthrob as “girl next door” Jessie in Saved by the Bell, but her first major movie role after the series, Showgirls, singlehandedly sank her career. The film received a Rotten Tomatoes Score of 23 percent and Berkley’s performance was panned, causing her career to flounder.
2. Sofia Coppola’s acting career ended before it even began. When Winona Ryder dropped out of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part III, he cast his daughter instead. Unfortunately, Sofia’s performance garnered more negative attention than anything else in the film, leading to the end of her acting career. However, she found success as a director.
3. Jaden Smith’s career took a hit after starring in the critically panned film After Earth alongside his father Will Smith. The film was a flop and Jaden took an extended break from acting, focusing on music instead.
4. Mike Myers, known for his successful roles in SNL and the Austin Powers series, saw his career decline after starring in The Cat In The Hat and The Love Guru. Both films received low ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Myers took a long break from Hollywood.
5. Dana Carvey, Myers’ SNL and Wayne’s World costar, also experienced a career downturn after starring in Master of Disguise, which received a 1% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s failure may have contributed to Carvey stepping away from Hollywood.
6. Alicia Silverstone’s career suffered after playing Batgirl in Batman & Robin, which was poorly received. Silverstone won a Razzie for her performance and decided to leave Hollywood as a result.
7. Taylor Lautner, known for his role in the Twilight series, faced criticism for his performance in Abduction. The film received negative reviews and Lautner was compared to an “advanced robot simulating human speech without registering emotion or even comprehension.”
8. Rachael Leigh Cook’s career took a hit after the flop of Josie and the Pussycats. She felt like she was put in “movie jail” and her options began to dry up.
9. Taylor Kitsch, best known for Friday Night Lights, had high hopes for his role in John Carter, but the film became one of the biggest box office failures of all time. Kitsch’s chances as a blockbuster star were diminished.
10. Paris Hilton’s attempt at an acting career largely ended after her appearance in The House of Wax, which received negative reviews. Hilton’s next starring role in The Hottie and the Nottie was also critically panned.
11. Shaq’s film career faltered after the box office bomb Steel, which is often considered the worst superhero movie of all time. The film received poor reviews and marked the end of Shaq’s acting career.
These roles had a detrimental impact on the actors’ careers, causing their popularity and success to decline.
