In Hollywood, success can disappear overnight. One wrong role, one failed film—and a career can change forever. For some actors, the damage went far beyond bad reviews, affecting their reputation, confidence, and mental health. Here are 17 actors whose careers were reshaped by a single movie—and how they tried to recover.
1. Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls (1995)
Showgirls was supposed to be Elizabeth Berkley’s ticket to movie stardom. However, after its release, the film became notorious for its campiness, sexual content, and shocking performances. While in recent years the film has developed a cult following, the damage to Berkley’s career was immediate and devastating.
She recalls being “bullied” and left “out in the cold,” with no one defending her performance. The movie’s reputation as one of the worst ever made has kept Berkley from finding mainstream success. But she’s found a path to healing, as she’s taken on a variety of projects since, reclaiming her power in a different way.
2. Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest (1981)
Faye Dunaway’s portrayal of Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest became the very definition of over-the-top. What was intended to be a biopic about the famous actress quickly spiraled into a cultural phenomenon for all the wrong reasons. The movie, which painted Crawford as an abusive, tyrannical figure, featured a performance by Dunaway that critics could not ignore.
Her infamous “No more wire hangers!” scene has gone down in history, but unfortunately, so did Dunaway’s career as a leading lady. The backlash was so fierce, she even admitted in a 2016 interview that it “turned her career in a direction where people would irretrievably have the wrong impression of me.” Though she continues to act, Mommie Dearest has remained a shadow over her work.
3. Rupert Everett in The Next Best Thing (2000)
Rupert Everett’s star was rising after his breakout role in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), but everything came crashing down after The Next Best Thing. The film, co-starring Madonna, was a rom-com disaster that effectively ended Everett’s Hollywood career.
Everett himself described the experience as “career death,” acknowledging how quickly the film turned him into a Hollywood outcast. Still, Everett made peace with the setback, understanding that sometimes a career setback can lead to growth, and later turned to theater and television to continue his craft.
4. David Caruso in Jade (1995)
David Caruso’s career was on the rise after his departure from NYPD Blue in 1994, where he left the show amid tension over his salary. But his high hopes for his film career were crushed by Kiss of Death and especially Jade, a film that was both a critical and financial failure.
Despite being paid a hefty $2 million for the role, Caruso saw the box office crash with just $4 million earned worldwide. He became a pariah in Hollywood, and he returned to TV, where he would later find success with CSI: Miami. But his brief taste of movie stardom never recovered.
5. Shannen Doherty in Mallrats (1995)
After leaving the beloved TV series Beverly Hills 90210, Shannen Doherty was eager to launch a movie career. Unfortunately, her role in Mallrats, a film by Kevin Smith, did not go as planned. Despite an ensemble cast that would go on to huge success, Mallrats was a commercial flop.
Doherty was blamed as the film’s star and saw her movie career come to a screeching halt. She explained that this failure left her with no career in Hollywood, which led to a difficult period in her personal life.
6. Lea Thompson in Howard the Duck (1986)
Lea Thompson was on top of the world after Back to the Future in 1985, but her next film, Howard the Duck, was a disaster that has gone down as one of the worst films ever made. The sci-fi flop, where Thompson’s character ends up romantically involved with an anthropomorphic duck, completely derailed her film career.
While Thompson has since made a name for herself in TV, Howard the Duck remains a stain on her career, something she discussed with a sense of both regret and humor in a 2022 interview.
7. Kelly Clarkson in From Justin to Kelly (2003)
After winning the first season of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson was thrust into the spotlight with the release of her debut film, From Justin to Kelly. A musical rom-com alongside her fellow Idol contestant Justin Guarini, the film was universally panned, and Clarkson’s involvement felt forced.
She has since admitted that the experience was one of the most “miserable” times in her life, but it also led to her breakout music career. Clarkson’s music took off with “Miss Independent,” and she’s since become a global superstar, with acting taking a backseat to her true passion—music.
8. Matthew Modine in Cutthroat Island (1995)
Matthew Modine seemed poised for stardom, but the catastrophic flop of Cutthroat Island crushed his momentum. The film, a pirate adventure starring Geena Davis, became one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time. Modine’s reputation as a leading man was tarnished, and he admits that the critical beating took a toll on him. Though Modine continued to work in film, Cutthroat Island was the turning point that kept him from becoming a major star.
9. John Gilbert in His Glorious Night (1929)
Silent film star John Gilbert had a golden career in the silent era, but the advent of sound films was a fatal blow for him. In his first “talkie,” His Glorious Night, audiences were shocked by his “squeaky voice,” which didn’t match his suave image from the silent films.
Gilbert’s fall from grace was swift, and though his family claimed his career was sabotaged by studio head Louis B. Mayer, his time in Hollywood was effectively over. His decline was steep, and he died at just 38 years old, leaving behind a once-promising career that had fizzled out with the sound era.
10. Maxwell Caulfield in Grease 2 (1982)
Grease 2 was meant to be Maxwell Caulfield’s big break, but the film became a huge box-office flop. While co-star Michelle Pfeiffer recovered from the setback, Caulfield’s career stalled. He later reflected that he was “stone cold dead in Hollywood” after the film’s failure. Though he found some TV success, his leading-man movie career never materialized.
11. Jennifer Grey in Wind (1992)
After the success of Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey seemed primed for superstardom, but Wind was a turning point. A problematic nose job following the film’s production caused Grey’s identity and career to shift in a dramatic way. She spent years reflecting on the impact of her decision and the backlash she faced from both fans and the industry.
In Hollywood, one role can make or break a career. For some of these actors, a single film forever altered their path.
Some, like Sofia Coppola and Kelly Clarkson, found ways to reinvent themselves, while others, like Faye Dunaway and Elizabeth Berkley, spent years recovering from the damage. The stories of these actors serve as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of fame and how quickly it can vanish.