8 Hollywood stars whose career-defining roles became career killers
One ambitious project was all it took to reshape public perception and alter the trajectory of these Hollywood stars
Hollywood giveth, and Hollywood taketh away — sometimes in the span of a single opening weekend. Here are eight roles that turned ‘next big thing’ into “wait, whatever happened to them?”
1. Elizabeth Berkley — Showgirls (1995)
Elizabeth Berkley’s bold turn in Showgirls became one of Hollywood’s most infamous career gambles
She traded her Saved by the Bell good-girl image for an NC-17 Vegas stripper drama, and Hollywood never let her live it down. Directors ghosted her, her agent reportedly bailed, and the film’s Razzie sweep became the stuff of legend. Cult classic now? Sure. Career resurrection? Not so much.
2. Halle Berry — Catwoman (2004)
Fresh off her Oscar win, Halle Berry’s Catwoman remains one of the most talked-about superhero misfires
Two years removed from an Oscar win, Halle showed up to accept her Razzie in person — a savage bit of self-aware comedy that couldn’t quite undo the reputational damage. The film’s whip-crack one-liners live in infamy forever.
3. Taylor Lautner — Abduction (2011)
Taylor Lautner hoped Abduction would launch his action-hero era after Twilight, but it failed to take offIMDb
Riding Twilight heat and commanding a reported $7.5 million per picture, Taylor tried to become the next action star. Critics eviscerated the movie, the offers dried up almost overnight, and unlike his werewolf-saga costars, he never quite found his second act.
4. Jaden Smith — After Earth (2013)
Jaden Smith’s starring role in After Earth drew harsh reviews and became a major setback early in his career
A father-son passion project that turned into a full-blown family embarrassment. Will Smith later called it the most painful failure of his career. Jaden swept the Razzies for Worst Actor, and the fallout was so intense he reportedly considered legal emancipation at 15.
5. Alicia Silverstone — Batman & Robin (1997)
Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl in Batman & Robin became overshadowed by the film’s poor reception and tabloid scrutiny
Fresh off Clueless superstardom, Silverstone suited up as Batgirl — rubber nipples and all — only to be cruelly nicknamed ‘Fatgirl’ by tabloids despite looking exactly the same as before. She’s said it drained her love of acting for years.
6. Brandon Routh — Superman Returns (2006)
Brandon Routh earned praise as Superman, but Superman Returns failed to kickstart the franchise as hoped
Individually praised, commercially underwhelming — and that was enough to kill Warner Bros.’ sequel plans and any hope of instant superstardom. Routh spent years in bit parts before finding redemption on The CW as The Atom.
7. Taylor Kitsch — John Carter (2012)
Taylor Kitsch headlined Disney’s ambitious John Carter, a box office flop that dented his leading-man momentum
Disney bet $250 million on turning the Friday Night Lights breakout into a franchise lead. It bombed so hard it reportedly cost a studio chairman his job. Kitsch bounced back via True Detective — but John Carter became Hollywood shorthand for catastrophic flop for a decade.
8. Rita Ora — Fifty Shades Trilogy (2015–2018)
Rita Ora’s heavily promoted appearance in the Fifty Shades films ended up lasting only a few brief scenes
Technically still a pop star, not a ruined actress, but the running joke was too good to leave off this list: Ora promoted the first film like a lead, only to end up with roughly a second and a half of screen time. She even joked it was a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ role.
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