Fame is an uncertain bird — you have it now it’s gone next, here, celebrities who are no longer famous.
Brenden Frazer successfully held The Mummy franchise while Tom Cruise failed it. Lindsay Lohan was the life of every party in the 2000s but isn’t invited anymore. Nicholas Cage was the Ghost Rider and Val Kilmer The Batman but major superhero franchise doesn’t even utter their name lest offering them a role in their Multiverse… Do you know why these stars faded?
Hollywood is a cruel place, to be honest. On-one-hand, it will make you dizzy with success, and on the other, it will drown you to the depths of failure. There have been enough incidents when some of the actors have become instant fan favourites and ‘has-been’ very soon. But today, nobody knows or remembers them. But, we thought of going down memory lane and pick actors who are no longer famous.
Some actors rule through the generations, and some achieve a peak and slump into being a has-been. We picked a list of the Top 10 washed-out or no longer famous Hollywood actors.
1/10
Pamela Anderson: Baywatch To No Watch
The name, Pamela Anderson, would ring like a gong in the mind of every guy grown up in the 90s. Almost every millennial would be familiar with a sultry Pamela Anderson running in a bright red bikini on the beach in Baywatch! If not there, you would remember her Bigg Boss stint.
Pamela Anderson, during the late 90s, was the most bankable name. But, come the 2000s, and slowly she got withered away from the limelight. The 53-year-old seductress has been out of attention for years now. She is a perfect definition of out of sight, out of mind.
Watch: Pamela Anderson Compilation | Baywatch Remastered
Where Is Pamela Anderson now-a-days?
After retiring from the show biz Anderson now lives in Vancover Island, Canada. She has her own venture called Pamela Anderson Foundation. She was last dating her body guard of two years. He net worth in 2020 stands at $13 million dollars.
2/10
Val Kilmer: Once Upon A Time Batman
He was Batman! Yes, when you talk about live-action Bat-men, the mind goes to names like Adam West, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and even the infamous George Clooney. But, there was one more Batman, who was quite good, to be honest. We are talking about Val Kilmer.
In the 90s, Kilmer starred in movies like Tombstone, Batman Forever, and the classic Top Gun. Since the new Millenium, Kilmer has been absent from the big screen. Kilmer is confirmed to reprise his role of LT Tom “Iceman” Kazanski in the upcoming Top Gun sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Watch: The Tragic Real Life Story Of Val Kilmer
What Happened To Val Kilmer?
The downfall of Val Kilmer can be attributed to his sickness. The actor rose to fame in mid 1980s with a string of comedic performances. However, in 2015 the actor was dignosed with throat cancer. He came out with it in 2017 after denying his illness. After going through a tracheotomy in 2015 the actor voice was reduced to a rasp and he was rendered short of breath.
3/10
Jean-Claude Van Damme: From Action Star To Starring In Animation
If you are an action movie fan, there is no way you wouldn’t have seen the badass Jean-Claude Van Damme. The Belgian actor has taken the badassery of an action hero to whole different levels throughout the late 80s and 90s. Van Damme is known for his iconic roles in Street Fighter, Kickboxer, Bloodsport, and even Expendables 2.
Watch: Volvo Trucks – The Epic Split feat. Van Damme (Live Test)
Recently though, the actor caught World’s attention through the viral Volvo trucks ad where he performed a full split between two moving trucks. But sadly, apart from the television ad, Van Damme has not been able to grab attention in the La-La Land.
What Happened To Van Damme?
While most stars on this list are a complete no show in movie business Van Damme is still making one or two movies a year. He now stars in animation movies mostly with his voice-over work. He is set to appear in 2021 Minions: The Rise of Gru and has done movies like Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2 in the past. Majority of his work now goes straight to VOD or in select theatres.
4/10
Renee Zellweger: The Reseurrection Of Talent
There comes a time where even the greatest go through a slump. You could have played one of the most popular characters at one point in time and still face a scarcity of opportunities. Renee Zellweger seems to be the personification of this. Having played Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’ Diary and its subsequent sequels, Zellweger was once the talk of the town in Hollywood. The Oscar-winning actress also gained immense popularity in the romance classic Jerry Maguire in 1996.
Though Renee stayed out of the limelight for most of the 2010s, she scored her second Academy award in 2020 for Judy. But, the question is, will she regain the audience’s attention? Remains to be seen if she can do away with ‘no longer a famous actor’ tag in 2020.
Watch: The Tragic Life Story Of Renee Zellweger
What is Renee Zellweger Doing Now?
Zellweger made her acting debut on Netflix after a 6-year gap in acclaimed biopic Judy. She buzzed the award circled with her acclaimed performance as Judy Garland. She also stars in Netflix’s thriller mini-series What/If. The actor attributed her long-acting break to mental health issues and told New York Magazine, “I had a good five-year period when I was joyful and in a new chapter that no one was even aware of.”
5/10
David Hasselhoff: The Huff Goes Puff
Well, if guys remember the bikini-clad Pamela Anderson from Baywatch in the 90s, then the women can’t forget the husky David Hasselhoff. David was a household name in the 90s, thanks to his one-man-show in Baywatch. With the knife-edged jawline along with a handsome face and a drool-worthy body, Hasselhoff was the reason for hypertension in a lot of women. But since Baywatch ended in 2001, Hasselhoff has been a washed-out Hollywood celebrity. He played some odd roles here and there, but nothing too substantial up until Baywatch (2017). Still, it is safe to say that the time of Hasselhoff is over as a heartthrob.
Watch: David Hasselhoff is still a huge star in Germany, 30 years after the Berlin Wall fell
Where Is David Hasselhoff Now?
Hasselhoff once the holder of Guinness World Record of the most-watched man on TV is far away from showbiz now. Once upon a time he alone earned $100 million from Baywatch today his net worth stands at $10 million.
6/10
Charlie Sheen: Intoxicated By Fame
Are we talking of heartthrobs and washed-out Hollywood celebrities? Charlie Sheen has to be there. From being the chiselled face in Wall Street to becoming the deranged drug addict, Charlie Sheen hasn’t aged like wine.
The Hot Shots actor guest appeared in FRIENDS and played the enviable douchebag, Charlie Harper, in Two and a Half Men. Post 8th season of the Sitcom Two and a Half Men, Sheen had a fall-out with the producers of the show, and since the actor is facing a slump. He even tried doing a comedy series: Anger Management but couldn’t get the fans behind it. Hence, the actor is now almost out of the scene in the Entertainment world.
Watch: What Happened to Charlie Sheen?
What are Charlie Sheen’s upcoming projects?
After his downfall due to drug addiction once the highest-paid actor on TV is currently jobless in Hollywood. In an attempt to revive his career, Sheen starred in Anger Management that failed to hit a note with the audience.
7/10
Lindsay Lohan: The Disappointment Of The Millennia
A singer, dancer, songwriter, entrepreneur, actor, and a child prodigy, Lindsay Lohan was all of this and much more. In 1998, Lindsay Lohan made the news with her debut in The Parent Trap. Young Lohan was the perfect mix of cuteness and talent. She even won Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film in 1999 for her debut. Later on, the bubby actress went on to star in movies like Mean Girls, Herbie: Fully Loaded, The Holiday, and more.
As with other stars on this list, Lindsay was a very bankable face at a point in time. But post the first decade of the 2000s, Lindsay Lohan has been foundering. The 34-year-old actress acted in the 2019 supernatural horror thriller: Among The Shadows. But only did it fail miserably, it is also one of the lowest-rated movies on IMDB. So Lindsay Lohan is no longer a famous actor in 2020.
Watch: This Is Why Hollywood Wants Nothing To Do With Lindsay Lohan
What’s up with Lindsay Lohan in 2020?
After the long hiatus in her career, Lohan has announced that 2020 is going to be an eventful year. She has promised to come up with a new single and has plans to return to acting.
8/10
Macaulay Culkin: Remember Home Alone?
As we move ahead in this list, there has to be a mention of the internet’s favourite failure: Macaulay Culkin. Another Child prodigy on this list, Macaulay Culkin, is one of the best-known faces on this list, even today. Well, his face from the 90s is better known than what he looks like today.
Culkin was the child star with his two Home Alone movies, which are classics even today. Culkin has stayed more or less out of the limelight since his early 90s. His acquaintance with drugs has made him the poster boy for washed-out celebrities. Culkin’s pics kept on surfacing over the internet, and the digital World kept on tripping at the condition of their favourite child actor.
Watch: Macaulay Culkin: The Rise And Fall Of A Child Star
What is Macaulay Culkin’s Net Worth?
The Home Alone star was worth way more when he was young last making $ 8 million for Getting Even With Dad. However movies don’t pay royalty hence, in 2020 his net worth is estimated to be around 15 million USD.
9/10
Brendan Fraser: Just Another #MeToo Victim
Okay, so this one of those you wouldn’t want to believe. Yes, a star who was once one of the most handsome men in Hollywood turns into an unrecognizable person. Brendan Fraser is no longer a famous actor. This tragic transformation is what has happened with The Mummy actor. Between the mid-90s and early 2000s, Fraser was at the peak of his acting career. Working in the immensely successful The Mummy Trilogy and movies like George of the Jungle, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and more.
Brenden was ruling the rooster. Then he completely vanished from the movie scene until recently where he made his comeback in 2019 with Line of Descent. But the change in the actor’s looks has hurt his fans and his chances of making it big again in Hollywood.
Watch: What Happened to Brendan Fraser?
What really broke Fraser’s Career?
During 2018’s #MeToo movement Fraser came up with sexual harassments allegations against Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) president, Philip Berk. Coupled with his drug addiction, the allegation completely broke his career.
10/10
Nicolas Cage: The Slip Of The Ghost Rider
The Ghost Rider, National Treasure, Gone in 60 seconds, and many eternal classics have Nicolas Cage in common. Not only successful but one of the highest-paid actors for a very long time, Nicolas Cage is a curious case of high to low. It is almost a mystery which only Cage himself can solve, much like in his characters, that what exactly happened with the actor.
Nicolas Cage was said to have a Midas touch during the late 90s and early 2000s. Every movie that featured Nicolas Cage was almost sure to be a success. Then after the failure of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Nicolas Cage went on a sort of sabbatical from movies. Even though Cage made, sort -of, a comeback in 2018 with Mandy, which was a critical success, he is aloof from the big screen.
Watch: Nicolas Cage Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters
What are Nicolas Cage’s upcoming movies?
Cage is set to appear in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in 2021 alongside Pedro Pascal, and Neil Patrick Harris. Cage stars as himself.
Before You Go — The Big Question
Why do actors fail?
It is sad to see some of our favourite characters to suddenly vanish from the screens. These actors are no longer famous. But this is how Hollywood works. One day you are at the helm and on the next, you would be exuded. And if you are looking for a concrete reason here are a few
Actors fail because they can’t keep up with the demanding nature of the job. Hollywood is ever changing and being an actor comes with a responsibility of shouldering the movie. some actors break due to the pressure in first few months while some take longer Renee Zellweger is the perfect example of this kind.
Another reason actor fail as they forget to manage the ‘business side’ of the job. Not only the craft goodwill also take actors places. Actor Charlie Sheen who was once highest paid actor on TV messed up his relationship with production studio that resulted in the downfall he never recovered from.
Luck! Honestly, luck is also one of the most important reasons why actors fail or succeed. Actor, director Marlon Brando whose career spanned a good 60 years in Hollywood once said, ‘anybody who doesn’t use a word “luck” when discussing their careers is a liar,’ and this couldn’t be more true.
