20 FAILED Celebs Who NEVER Recovered

20 FAILED Celebs Who NEVER Recovered

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at once-prominent actors and musicians who were disgraced beyond a comeback by commercial, critical and public flops.

Rachael Leigh Cook

A unique girl-next-door charm in the 1999 rom-com “She’s All That” turned Rachael Leigh Cook into a teen idol overnight. Granted, she turned 20 that year. Cook resisted blockbuster projects like “X-Men” in favor of independent fare, which ultimately didn’t fare much better with critics than it did at the box office. She thus returned to studio comedies with an adaptation of “Josie and the Pussycats,” but its failure ultimately just eliminated prospects of mainstream stardom. Cook has since received wide attention for supporting roles and philanthropy. Otherwise, she’s found steady work with straight-to-video and TV films of various genres. That’s not exactly more credible than “X-Men,” though, is it?

Liz Phair

Music industry downfalls don’t get much more ironic than Liz Phair’s. She was a pop star as a ‘90s indie darling, whose modestly produced albums propelled Matador Records. Phair herself scored two Grammy nominations for her second album “Whip-Smart.” But as she maintained a mostly niche fanbase, she entered the new millennium with what might have been a whip-smart move. She left Matador to collaborate with Capitol Records pop albums that aimed for a wider audience. They instead alienated said fanbase, while seeing diminishing commercial returns amid scathing reviews. Phair thus stepped away from the spotlight until her quiet return to indie in the 2020s. While even the critics have warmed up to her pop era, selling out doesn’t always sell.

Uday Chopra

Filmmaker Yash Chopra has sired some of the biggest names in Bollywood. His son Uday was expected to achieve that status only after he stole the show as a supporter in the “Dhoom” trilogy. The stage was set for him to blow up as a leading man and filmmaker with “Neal ‘n’ Nikki” and “Pyaar Impossible!” Unfortunately, they bombed so much worse than Chopra’s attempt at superstardom in the early 2000s that he simply disappeared. In 2023’s “The Romantics,” a Netflix docuseries about the Chopra film dynasty, Uday freely admits to being the artistic black sheep. Of course, audiences have long recognized him as evidence that nepotism and vision aren’t always enough in showbiz.

Taylor Lautner

The role of Jacob Black in “The Twilight Saga” matured prolific child actor Taylor Lautner into a matinee idol. His high-profile romance with Taylor Swift further boosted media coverage. Well, that didn’t exactly turn up for his 2011 lead vehicle “Abduction,” which was so poorly received that Lautner received a Razzie nomination. After a few more personal bombs and lambasted collaborations with Happy Madison Productions, he’s essentially fallen off of the public’s radar. Lautner has become content with select projects like the popular mental health podcast “The Squeeze,” which he hosts with his wife also named Taylor. He seems content as one of the 2010s’ cautionary tales for the perils of pressure in Hollywood.

Mischa Barton

Despite her renown as a child stage and film actress, Mischa Barton’s work on TV wasn't very grown up. She won particular acclaim and several Teen Choice Awards as Marissa Cooper on Fox’s “The O.C.” She then spent her 20s pigeonholed in teen roles, culminating in the 2009 CW drama “The Beautiful Life.” The show was so poorly received that it was canceled after just two episodes. All of this intensified a level of celebrity pressure that the star claimed resulted in PTSD. With scandals and a thin adult brand by the time she entered her 30s, Barton now does largely low-profile parts. At least she enjoys greater control of her entrepreneurial brand and activism against exploitation of young celebrities.

Stuart Townsend

Renown as a leading man in Ireland was enough to set actor Stuart Townsend on the Hollywood fast-track. After being replaced by Viggo Mortensen for “The Lord of the Rings” at the last minute, he replaced Tom Cruise for the 2002 sequel to “Interview with a Vampire.” But “Queen of the Damned” commercially underperformed and earned harsh reviews, including for the lead actor’s performance. As this trend continued with the likes of “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” Townsend’s hype ended as quickly as it began. His most prominent work since then has been guest stints on TV and leading the short-lived “XIII: The Series.” So much for Hollywood turning him into an immoral rock star.

Dane Cook

Launching his career on MySpace and edgy observations, Dane Cook was one of the defining stand-up comics of the 2000s. He was also one of the most polarizing based on his bombastic style and critically panned movies. Allegations of stealing jokes further riled up the haters. Cook was still a hot commodity until the end of the decade, when he lost both of his parents and discovered that his manager half-brother embezzled roughly $12 million. These tragedies prompted him to go on hiatus from touring while he focused more on lower-profile dramatic roles. The respectable pivot ultimately just left Cook in the dust, a representative of Y2K fads as much as the decade itself.

Kevin Federline

Hardly anyone had heard of dancer Kevin Federline before he started dating pop star Britney Spears in 2004. Just three months later, they became one of the most talked-about married couples in Hollywood. “K-Fed” then rode his newfound status in the tabloids and reality TV to launch his own career in hip-hop. The 2006 album “Playing with Fire” was far from a chart-topper, but received attention mostly for abysmal word-of-mouth. This didn't help harsh accusations that Federline was exploiting his marriage to Spears, nor did his sudden drop in profile following the 2007 divorce. He remains a tabloid hot topic, but will never escape questions of whether he could have claimed fame on his own merits.

Elizabeth Berkley

Families fell in love with girl-next-door Jessie Spano across four seasons of “Saved by the Bell.” After the show, actress Elizabeth Berkley was eager to break that wholesome image with an NC-17 Paul Verhoeven film about exotic dancers. “Showgirls” was ultimately not just a box office bomb, but was dubbed one of the worst films ever made. Berkley herself claimed the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. And that wholesome demographic sure wasn’t going to take her back. Thus, Berkley has favored edgier projects with little attention and a generally solid reception. Even “Showgirls” has been embraced as a cult classic. It's just that Berkley gambling on keeping her rebrand to the mainstage didn't pay off.

Imran Khan

This American Bollywood actor was once dubbed “The King of Urban Romance.” Imran Khan’s magnetism as a versatile romantic lead won a massive fanbase, as well as a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. His career was just starting to heat up when all three of his movies in 2013 bombed at the box office. So too did his 2015 passion project “Katti Batti.” Overwhelmed by an industry that no longer considered him a bankable star, Khan went on a hiatus that lasted a decade. His initial success was still great enough for him to be considered an influential figure in modern Bollywood branding. Whether that will be enough to secure Khan a comeback remains to be seen.

Ja Rule

Many forget about the period between Ja Rule’s breakout in the 2000s and downfall in the 2010s. After his first three albums saw stellar sales and Grammy nominations, the rapper experienced backlash for pivoting toward a more mainstream sound with mixed profits. His acting career had also been reduced to a few straight-to-video duds. In an attempt to revitalize his brand following legal issues, Ja Rule teamed up with entrepreneur Billy McFarlane to organize a high-end music festival in the Bahamas. The 2017 Fyre Festival turned out to be an elaborate scam that fell well short of its promises of luxury. McFarland may have masterminded this hustle, but the scandal and legal drama have permanently stained Ja Rule’s legacy.

Judge Reinhold

After Detective Rosewood in “Beverly Hills Cop,” the recognizable character actor Judge Reinhold was groomed to become a superstar. His deep voice, imposing figure and lovable comic style won over critics in 1986 with “Off Beat” and “Ruthless People.” But even they abandoned him as some of his more ambitious vehicles crashed. Hollywood could no longer justify employing the massive ego that Reinhold now admits to developing. He told the LA Times that after the failure of “Vice Versa,” “the phone stopped ringing.” That’s a bit of an exaggeration, as he has been staying busy with small projects. The fact that he didn’t have a hit until 2024’s “Beverly Hills: Axel F” is still nothing to laugh about.

Pauly Shore

Playing the long game seemed to pay off fast for stand-up comedian Pauly Shore. His reputation on the stage and as an MTV presenter landed him the 1992 hit “Encino Man.” The future cult classic didn’t exactly serve his reputation with film critics, though. He continued to head lowbrow farces until bad word-of-mouth led to financial ruin for the likes of “Jury Duty” and “Bio-Dome.” His 15 minutes of fame effectively shifted to infamy with the cancellation of the Fox sitcom “Pauly” after five episodes. Shore became such a pariah that some of his more notable recent work has involved self-deprecation. Nostalgia alone still isn’t enough to truly endear his old fans at this point.

Billy Squier

Classic rock enthusiasts may be reluctant to say that Billy Squier faded into obscurity. But how many songs can they name after the 1982 album “Emotions in Motion?” Perhaps the first one that comes to mind is “Rock Me Tonite,” mostly for how its music video destroyed one of the era’s hottest hard rockers. The image of Squier exaggeratedly dancing around a bedroom reduced him to just more ‘80s pop cheesiness. The single itself was a commercial success, as was the album “Signs of Life.” Still, the mixed reviews and media backlash basically left Squier’s reputation dead on arrival. He released five more underrated and under-heard albums before resting on the glory of his earlier work.

Taylor Kitsch

NBC’s acclaimed teen drama “Friday Night Lights” turned Taylor Kitsch into a household name. He thus ended the show on the Hollywood fast track, until it went off the rails. 2012 was poised to be the actor’s big break with leading roles in Disney’s “John Carter,” Universal’s “Battleship” and Oliver Stone’s “Savages.” All three films wound up being commercial and critical disasters. Kitsch suddenly found himself at the center of public discussions about Hollywood’s methods for manufacturing movie stars. He continues to win praise for taking risks as a supporting actor in film and leading man on television. Nonetheless, it may take a long time before major studios will take another risk with Kitsch.

Terence Trent D'Arby

It was hard to argue against this multi-instrumentalist’s ego after his 1987 debut. “Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby” cracked top 10 charts around the world and won a Grammy. There were even whispers of “the next Prince.” But Terence Trent D'Arby himself didn't whisper it. His boastful public image inevitably inspired backlash from critics, who said that it bled into “Neither Fish Nor Flesh.” This experimental album bombed so hard that Columbia Records wouldn't renew D’Arby’s contract after two more albums. He has since legally changed his name to Sananda Maitreya, and earned a cult following with independently-produced albums. But he'll be the first to tell you that the titan that was Terence Trent D'Arby is dead.

Vanilla Ice

It seems like one of the first big names in hip-hop would have permanent cred. Unfortunately, Vanilla Ice faced immediate backlash from serious genre fans. The music industry promoting this White suburbanite and a fabricated gritty backstory undermined hip-hop’s roots in working-class Black culture. Moreover, a lawsuit confirmed that his breakout hit “Ice Ice Baby” sampled Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” without authorization. After his sophomore album “Mind Blowin'” flopped with critics and audiences in 1994, Ice was on thin ice. His stardom finally fell through amid a series of scandals ranging from substance use to domestic violence. Ice has since regained some respect on nostalgia and for cleaning up his personal act, but his musical act has long melted down.

Michael Cimino

It feels strange now to call a filmmaker a celebrity, especially for a bleak war epic. But at the height of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, “The Deer Hunter” turned Michael Cimino into a major name. He took full advantage of that to push every boundary in the making of a would-be epic Western masterpiece. After so many production setbacks and behind-the-scenes controversies, “Heaven’s Gate” was released in 1980 to abysmal reviews and receipts. This was directly linked to the downfall of the production studio United Artists, as well as New Hollywood. “Heaven’s Gate” has since been reappraised by many as a triumph. Sadly, that assessment came decades after Cimino was driven into exile as a reckless visionary.

MC Hammer

It really did seem as though MC Hammer was untouchable by the early 1990s. The dancer-turned-rapper had become one of the first superstars of the genre. And as an astute businessman, he helped promote it by working with many important acts. Hammer also went way overkill on a luxurious lifestyle as the monotony of and backlash against his later albums resulted in a downturn in sales. In 1996, he famously filed for bankruptcy. His reputation in every field suddenly plummeted, as nostalgia became the once-respected icon’s greatest asset. Hammer’s setback may not have hurt his early work’s pop culture relevancy, but everything after is a warning about getting too big for your parachute pants.

John Gilbert

The advent of sound in film was not kind to Hollywood’s early idols. Not even Mary Pickford’s iconic status held up with the new format long-term. (xref) The ugliest downfall still has to be John Gilbert, a seminal heartthrob whose voice was seemingly less masculine than fans expected. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer allegedly forced him out of his contract by giving him doomed projects and tampering with their audio. The disgrace drove Gilbert into depression and alcohol abuse, leading to a fatal heart attack in 1936. This tragedy would be the inspiration for the film “A Star Is Born” the following year. The fickle beast of the entertainment industry was finally exposed, but sadly hasn’t changed much since a botched rebrand cost Gilbert more than just popularity.

Who are some other would-be stars who bring you bittersweet memories? Revive their brand in the comments.