11 Actors Whose Careers Were Never the Same After Just One Role

How can just one role change everything? Some actors become superstars thanks to it, while for others, it significantly slows down their entry into the world of big cinema. We put together stories of actors whose careers were divided into “before” and “after” a single film. Ready to find out who became a hostage to their character and who paid for their choice with oblivion?

Shannen Doherty

After one of the biggest hit series of the 90s, Beverly Hills 90210, Shannen Doherty decided to start a career in movies. She did manage to star in a number of good movies, including Heathers. However, she made a mistake by deciding to play one of the main roles in Kevin Smith’s comedy Mallrats. Her partners were then-unknown actors Ben Affleck and Jason Lee.

When the movie failed at the box office, she, being the most prominent name in the cast, took the blame and left the big screen. In one interview, she said, “It died and so did my film career. There was no film career after that, which was a little brutal.” Shannen switched to TV productions after that unsuccessful film role, and success came to her thanks to the series Charmed.

Jennifer Grey

After Dirty Dancing Jennifer Grey was at the peak of her popularity. But then an incident during the filming of the yachting drama Wind in 1992 made her undergo rhinoplasty, and her career was never the same. In her memoirs, she recalled that comments from the film’s operator about the “bump” on her nose were the last straw that made her decide on the surgery. The result of the rhinoplasty was not what she expected. Colleagues no longer recognized her, and reshooting some scenes for Wind was difficult because every shot was set up so that her new nose wouldn’t be visible. After the surgery, Grey didn’t film for 8 years.

Mariah Carey

In 2001, Mariah Carey attempted a bold career shift by taking on a leading role in the movie Glitter. The film was a box office flop, earning only $5.2 million against a budget of $22 million. As a result of the film’s failure, the label terminated its contract with Mariah. However, Carey revived her music career and was able to return to acting, even receiving critical acclaim for her role in the film Precious (2009).

Sofia Coppola

The final film in the Godfather trilogy was not as stellar as the first 2 parts. Sofia Coppola was invited to play in the movie at the last minute by her father Francis because there were no available actresses fitting for the role of Michael Corleone’s teenage daughter during the shooting. After the release, Sofia faced serious criticism of her performance and even received the “Golden Raspberry” award for her debut.

She only acted twice more: in the independent film Inside Monkey Zetterland and in the major project Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. Despite her acting career not taking off, she became a renowned director. Among her works are major movies like Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson’s acting career ended before it even started. She is now known to everyone as a popular singer, but in 2003 she appeared in one of the movies often mentioned on lists of “the worst films of all time” — From Justin to Kelly. The movie was nominated for as many as 10 Golden Raspberry Awards, including “Worst Actress” (Kelly), and won 2. Her performance was harshly criticized.

In all fairness, it should be noted that she didn’t plan to act in this movie; she was forced to do so under the contract she signed after winning the famous TV project “American Idol.” Kelly has never appeared on the big screen again except as herself or as a voice actor.

Brandon Routh

After the release of the 2006 movie Superman Returns, actor Brandon Routh, chosen from thousands of candidates for the role of the Man of Steel, was unable to build a career in film. Despite the fact that the film grossed nearly $400 million worldwide, this proved insufficient, and talks about a possible sequel gradually faded into silence. Later, he mostly worked in television. In 2020, he admitted that it was difficult for him after the role that was supposed to make him a star.

Noah Ringer

One of the child actors who, upon growing up, did not pursue a career on the big screen was Noah Ringer. After his role in the movie The Last Airbender, he not only found himself in the spotlight but also became the subject of ridicule due to numerous jokes after the movie’s release. The picture faced harsh criticism, especially for distorting the images of certain characters. Afterward, Ringer starred in Cowboys & Aliens, which also ended up being a failure. As a result, he completely shifted his focus to martial arts, where he built a career and achieved success.

Alicia Silverstone

The film Batman & Robin was so poorly received by critics that the director even apologized for the movie, and George Clooney, who played the lead role, called the film terrible. However, it was Alicia Silverstone, who played Batgirl, who suffered the most from this unfortunate work. At that time, she was very popular due to her role in the movie Clueless (the picture above is from that movie), and the Razzie Award she received did not go unnoticed, becoming one of the reasons for a sharp change in her role type. In one of the interviews, Alicia said, “That definitely wasn’t my favorite film-making experience.” She continues to act to this day, but her career has never reached its former heights.

Jamie Kennedy

Jamie Kennedy was known to audiences for his role as Randy Meeks in the cult franchise Scream. But then, in 2005, Jamie Kennedy decided to star in the movie Son of the Mask — a controversial remake of Jim Carrey’s 1994 hit The Mask. The movie turned out to be so bad that it “won” the Golden Raspberry Award for “Worst Film of the Year,” and critics harshly criticized Jamie’s performance. He received fewer roles in major projects after that, but the flop inspired him to make a documentary about the destructive power of movie blogs.

Mary-Kate Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen is best known for the twin movies in which she starred alongside her sister: New York Minute, Switching Goals, Passport to Paris, It Takes Two, and many others. In 2004, they appeared together on screen for the last time. After that, Mary-Kate played small roles in several TV series, and in 2011, after a supporting role in the film Beastly, she left her acting career altogether to focus on fashion.

Frankie Muniz

Frankie Muniz, known for his role in the series Malcolm in the Middle, is remembered by many as the child spy in the film Agent Cody Banks. It seems he became confined to this role, and despite the universal love and fame, the young actor couldn’t receive significant roles afterward. Additionally, serious health issues also played a part. Today, he is focused on his career as a racecar driver.

These stories are a vivid reminder that each role is not just a line in a resume, but a turning point capable of dramatically changing one’s entire life. And here you can read about big-name actors who got hired to play a role that surprisingly paid them little to no money.