Top 10 British Actors Hollywood Won't Cast Anymore

When she wore THAT Dress at the premiere of then-boyfriend Hugh Grant’s “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, nobody could stop talking about Liz Hurley, or the safety pins holding her iconic outfit together. Ultimately, her show-stealing style catapulted Liz to stardom, helping to land her roles in the hit comedy “Austin Powers” and a part as the Devil in “Bedazzled”. Unfortunately, her stint on the silver screen was relatively short lived, and nowadays her career is focussed more on modelling and television.

Michael Sheen seemed a regular in Hollywood in the late-noughties, with a brilliant lead performance in “Frost/Nixon”, plus a series of roles in less grounded flicks like “Underworld” and “Twilight”. Of course, he achieved all of that while also landing excellent parts back home. Nowadays however, when it comes to Hollywood, he’s often relegated to minor fare, even though his TV career in the UK has well and truly taken off: first with "Masters of Sex" and then with his casting in the 2019 serial "Good Omens", based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

This English actor first gained a reputation for his hard man performances in British classics such as “Scum”, but his wide-ranging ability has allowed him to easily play a multitude of different characters. From crime to period dramas, and starring in projects as diverse as the Nick Cave-penned Australian western “The Proposition” and even the Scorsese gangster flick “The Departed”, Winstone has proven time and again to be one of the finest character actors of his generation. So, it’s a shame that Hollywood seems to have gone quiet on him, but such is the nature of the business. Tinsel Town is a fickle beast.

Zeta-Jones' acting talent seems as clear in critically acclaimed films like “Traffic” as much as in all-action efforts like the “Zorro” movies. She can sing and dance too, and her star power used to be second to none. So, the glamourous Welsh actress’ almost complete disappearance from the big screen appears a strange and unexpected turn of events. According to reports, she has previously taken time out to focus on her family, but the grand return shows few signs of starting up. She did appear in the British movie remake of “Dad’s Army”, but the less said about that the better.

To another intense actor, but one who’s never quite managed to convince the Hollywood execs. Perhaps Clive Owen isn’t especially associated with big budget productions, though he has been in his fair share… But not so much, anymore. However, while Owen may be getting overlooked for blockbuster roles, we suspect it might be a purposeful ploy on his part too – judging by the amount of independent and arthouse films he stars in. Either way, not since “Children of Men” or “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” has he truly tried his hand at the box office big time.

There was a once time when Hugh Grant served as the epitome of mainstream British charm on the big screen. After the huge success of “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, he became the go-to lead for rom-coms in need of a bumbling bachelor type, scoring one hit after another. Until something happened, a few films he was in flopped, and Hollywood decided it just wasn't interested anymore. His charm certainly hasn’t waned since his stint as an international star in the ‘90s and 2000s, but these days, the biggest films he appears in are the “Paddington” movies.

The Scotsman made famous by his turn as Leonidas in "300" was initially pegged to be one of Hollywood's next leading men, but it all went gradually wrong along the way. A series of five-star flops and sub-par action movies might have had something to do with it. Although some are still tipping Butler to rise again, acknowledging that he has all the charm, ability and physique to resurrect his career. Maybe if he tried something other than have-a-go-hero in a disappointing thriller? Come on Gerard, we believe in you!

Kate Beckinsale was hot stuff in the 2000s, appearing in many a rom-com, action movie and big Hollywood production - the “Underworld” movies, of course, remaining her best-remembered work. The versatile and talented Londoner even made an appearance in Scorsese’s “The Aviator”, playing Ava Gardner opposite Leonardo Dicaprio’s Howard Hughes. But, has her run in Hollywood already ended? Because, besides a brief return to “Underworld” in 2016, Kate doesn't seem to boast the same star pull she once had, sticking to TV and smaller productions mostly.

Two out of the trio of “Harry Potter” protagonists, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, have gone on to form formidably successful careers in Hollywood and at home, walking various red carpets with regularity. So why not Rupert Grint? Sure, he has been doing some quality theatre and TV work, but his boyish, roguish character is sorely missed on the big screen. Again though, his absence might be self-imposed. Could it be that after Ron Weasley, much like Robert Pattinson after the sparkly vampire Edward, Grint’s already grown tired of the blockbuster machine?

Sure, he's still in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, but... what else? Without the Disney favourite “Pirates” franchise, Orlando Bloom is a forgotten man for modern moviegoers. Of course, lots of us remember him as the sharp-shooting elf Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings”, but leading Hollywood roles since then have been very few and far between. And the time when he carried “Kingdom of Heaven” all on his own, seems an age ago. Bloom’s early 2000s heyday promised so much. The intervening years show just how ruthlessly the Hollywood hype can evaporate.