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Actors are in constant evolution , adapting to an ever - changing surroundings and using their personal increase to reinvent their professional persona . For this reason , even when an actor seems to have melt from the scene or subside for less important purpose , they often end up taking the public by surprisal , making a triumphant return . at times , they only need the right amount of time to get back on runway .
There are many reasons why an actor might take a fracture from their professional life story — Hollywood is not recognized as an easy environment . Whether because of personal struggles exacerbate by the demanding manufacture or perhaps due to unexpected commercial flop , anyone in the field could find themselves at a hamlet . However , what really matter is their power to rise back to the top despite the odds . The greatest Hollywood comebacks of all sentence were the most unexpected , carry an aroused weight for both the role player and audiences .
10Renée Zellweger
With Bridget Jones' Baby (2016)
One ofRenée Zellweger ’s unspoilt moviesisBridget Jones ' Baby , which marked a exultant return to the glare after a six - class hiatus from her acting professing . The most singular aspect of Zellweger ’s comeback was the fact that it was defined not by a new part but by her reprisal of the fabled and darling character Bridget Jones . The actress bring the endearing , witty , and magnetic Bridget back to life , much to the joy of fan .
9Drew Barrymore
With Scream (1996)
A nipper star topology coming from a dynasty of actors , Drew Barrymore rose to fame very former thanks to plastic film like Steven Spielberg’sE.T. the Extra - tellurian . However , the pressures of fame life story and personal struggles as a stripling virtually derailed her playing career . Despite never truly step away from acting , the nineties were not an easy journey for her , with many speculating her calling would soon get along to a halt due to her highly publicize conflict .
Nevertheless , in 1996 , Barrymore made an unforgettable rejoinder inScream , the critically acclaimed slasher horror that would later become a horror classic . put down a small yet significant role , Barrymore cede a brat - filled public presentation that shew the tone for the remainder of the picture , reminding her dormant fans of her talent . Her grownup career proceed to prosper with movies likeThe Wedding SingerandCharlie ’s Angels .
8Katharine Hepburn
With The Philadelphia Story (1940)
It is hard to believe the calling of four - time Oscar success Katharine Hepburn also get word a few battle . However , even the most acclaimed actress of all time had her lows , but she turn out above them . By the late 1930s , her career was negatively influenced by her recording label of " box office poisonous substance " due to a series of critically acclaimed commercial failures . Hepburn was moot a job as a vastly gifted , high up - paid actress who nevertheless had starred in many movies that were not received well by audiences . Many believe her strong - willed personality in a still misogynist geological era hindered her popularity .
With impressive resiliency and news , Hepburn take dominance of the narrative . The actress secure the rights to Philip Barry ’s playThe Philadelphia Storyand strategically used it as her comeback fomite . She leveraged the use to prompt the industry of her incredible gift , charm , and wag , find fame as an outside ikon . Hepburn ’s Hollywood counter in the wide hail movieis a testament to the outstanding commitment that made her one of the respectable actress in the history of cinema .
7Keanu Reeves
With John Wick (2014)
After rising to celebrity in the 1990s with moving picture likeSpeedandThe Matrix , Reeves experienced a falloff in his vocation during the 2000s due to a series of box billet dud . Despite being always adored by the devotee , many take his action mechanism - hero day were behind him . However , they could n’t be more false , as everything commute when he assume the lead role in one of the best legal action film of all time .
Reeves returned in 2014 as the novel iconic character John Wick , a pull away hitman who seeks vengeance for the execution of his dog . The film ’s assumption , which centers on the main character ’s motive for initiate his path to retaliation , is wide relatable to the viewer . The moving picture received mainly positive reviews , and the role perfectly matched Reeves . The original piece of work expanded and give life to sequel , prequels , and spinoffs , establishing John Wick as a legendary fictional character ; the actor ’s iconic comeback help make a darling franchise .
6Demi Moore
With The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore ’s brilliant cinematic proceeds is a testament to her resilience and ability to reinvent herself from a professional perspective . The actress was considered a powerhouse in the 1980s and nineties , as a lead member of the Brat Pack . Among her most significant work , the consultation for sure remembers her role as a grieving lady friend inGhosts . However , despite her talent and popularity , her career slowed down after the critical and commercial bust of movies likeThe Scarlet LetterandG.I. Jane .
Then in the first place this year , the actress took the public by surprise with her shocking operation in the absurd yet critically acclaimed body - horrorThe Substance , where she plays a washed - up Hollywood fame who buys a suspicious drug on the black market to create a immature interpretation of herself . The movie ’s ambitious and clever premise was perfectly complemented by the intense public presentation of Moore , making her comeback in such a significant role another one of the expectant in Hollywood .
5John Travolta
With Pulp Fiction (1994)
John Travolta come up to international fame in the 1970s with films likeGreaseandSaturday Night Fever , with which he raise his polyhedric talent to the world . His magnetic functioning contributed to making him an image . Nevertheless , his career hit a rough bandage after the critically acclaimed yet commercially less appreciated filmBlow Out . During the 1980s , theactor starred in a serial of underwhelming movies that negatively interfered with his popularity .
While movie legends may have originated iconic picture show roles , other actor have managed to retake the conjuration of the character successfully .
The film that relaunched his vocation was Quentin Tarantino ’s magnum opusPulp Fiction . Aworldwide success and considered one of the slap-up films ever made , Pulp Fictionearned Travolta an Academy Award nomination . His carrying into action as the felonious Vincent Vega resulted in one of the most iconic figures in celluloid history , also delivering some fabled pop - acculturation consequence , such as his dance with Mia ( play by Uma Thurman ) . Unsurprisingly , Travolta acknowledged this iconic comeback redeem his career .
4Brendan Fraser
With The Whale (2022)
Between the 1990s and early 2000s , Brendan Fraser earned recognition and fame due to his thrilling acting , enamor sense of humour , and charisma . His role as Rick O’Connell inThe Mummybrought him international stardom , cementing him as an adventure - action movie submarine . However , his career slowed down from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s because of a serial of personal reasons and professional reverse .
The tragic and fell circumstances that coerce him to almost empty the scene made his awaited Hollywood return incredibly aroused . Although he had already take part in Steven Spielberg’sNo Sudden Movein 2021 , theactor ’s greatest ( and heartbreaking ) comeback occurred withThe Whale , in which he plays the main use of an English teacher who fight with serious corpulency . The deeply excited performance earn him an Academy Award . After years of forcible wellness problems , Fraser ’s return to the big CRT screen was not only a professional winner but also the payback he deserved .
3Ke Huy Quan
With Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Ke Huy Quan ’s Hollywood return is a heartwarming story of perseverance and passionateness . The actor in the beginning rose to fame as a child actor with the role of Short Round inIndiana Jones and the Temple of DoomandData inThe Goonies . Although his gift was already apparent at such an geezerhood , Hollywood give out to greet his potentiality for a farsighted time as he produce up , with few Hollywood roles being useable to Asian thespian . Ke Huy Quan abandon his acting calling , dedicate himself to form behind the screenland .
However , after the success ofCrazy Rich Asians , Quan was inhale to re - attempt his playacting career and , in 2020 , he was purge in the movieEverything Everywhere All at Once . Ironically , the person who helped him gain ground the character of Waymond Wang andcement his Hollywood comeback was hisGooniesco - star , Jeff Cohen . The moving picture garner critical acclaim and , after around 10 years forth from the scene , Quan obtain an Academy Award . The emotional exercising weight of the thespian ’s reappearance and subsequent Oscar triumph was further underscore by his iconic embracing with his onceIndiana Jonesco - star , Harrison Ford .
2Michael Keaton
With Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)
Michael Keaton is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood . From his iconic performance as Batman to his role in Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice , to even his belittled purpose like in the movieMuch Ado About Nothing , there is plenty of cogent evidence of his extortionate endowment and theatrical intensity . Nevertheless , his career slowed down in the early 2000s until 2014 , when he obtained the role of a wash away - up Hollywood actor attempting to gather prestige through his Broadway debut in Alejandro González Iñárritu ’s Best Picture success .
The 2014 coloured funniness shows Keaton at his best , where he balances his striking artistry and sympathetic saving with entrancing humor . Ironically , the actor ’s cinematic retort character mirrored his real life . Keaton take in an Academy nomination for his function and , although he did not win , his work was critically acclaim and helped him rebuild his life history . In 2015 , he bring part in another Academy - nominated flick , Spotlight .
1Robert Downey Jr.
With Iron Man (2008)
It is now hard to imagine a time when Robert Downey Jr. was not a legend . His role inIron Mannot only defined his life history forever but also impart to demonstrate the Marvel Cinematic Universe , build and expatiate a loyal fan floor worldwide . Downey devote Tony Stark an inner depth and appealingness that made the comic book ’s controversial role a fan favorite . However , before that , Downey had a rough journey .
Although at the beginning of his career , he had been praise by the critic and was even put forward for an Academy Award for his role inChaplin , his drug addiction interfere with his individual and professional life-time , leading to arrests and legal problems . However , since 2003 , Downey has maintained his somberness . Although he had already returned to act beforeIron Man , the 2008 film unfeignedly relaunched his career and status as a movie star , while theactor ’s counter afford life to the greatest Marvel hero .
