14 Movies or TV Shows That Got Actors Back on Their Feet

Life can be a wheel of fortune and full of wonderful surprises, even for our favorite stars. These may come as finally taking a break or putting their families first. However, some proved that their love for acting was worth another shot, and they eventually bounced back to fame in no time.

1. Keanu Reeves in John Wick

As one of the most sought-out actors in the ’90s, it wasn’t hard for Keanu to bag another iconic role as Neo in The Matrix franchise. However, his star faded in the late 2000s with little to no blockbusters under his belt.

It was in 2014 when Keanu finally had his next big break as the titular John Wick. His action-packed character portrayal wowed many old and new fans, eventually leading to his Keannaissance.

2. Robin Wright in House of Cards

Robin was blessed with iconic characters like Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride and Jenny from Forrest Gump in the late ’80s and early ’90s. However, the actress didn’t fare well over the years. But the 2013 hit TV show House of Cards paved the way for her to deliver Emmy-winning performances until 2018.

3. Sean Astin in Stranger Things

The former child star had successful run-ins with fame, including starring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as the hobbit Samwise. Sadly, his stellar career trickled down to smaller roles in lesser-known films.

However, the second season of Stranger Things gave him another chance by handing him the role of the lovable Bob Newby, opposite Winona Ryder. Fans were delighted with the nostalgia he brought with his performance, and his character made him an instant hit.

4. Mandy Moore in This Is Us

Mandy was a promising leading lady and pop star in the early 2000s with teen movies like A Walk to Remember and The Princess Diaries. However, things went south when she had a few problems with her music career, which affected her appearance in more flicks.

She almost quit Hollywood until she was cast as Rebecca Pearson, the lead of This Is Us. Her time as Rebecca was well-received by fans of the show. This revived her interest in acting and eventually her return to singing.

5. Matthew McConaughey in True Detective

Matthew can be seen anywhere near a blockbuster film nowadays, but it wasn’t always that way for the actor. Matthew’s acting A-game waned along with his A-list status from a series of rom-coms. But his portrayal of detective Rustin Cohle in True Detective earned him another welcome under the spotlight as what people call his McConaissance.

6. Rob Lowe in Parks and Recreation

As a teen-heartthrob-turned-leading-man, Rob had a stellar career from the ’80s until the early 2000s with hits like The Outsiders and The West Wing. However, he has fallen under the radar with smaller roles and projects before springing back on television in 2010 as Chris Traeger in the comedy Parks and Recreation. Now, he leads the show, 9-1-1: Lone Star, directed by his son John Owen.

7. Joaquin Phoenix in Her

Joaquin dominated the ’90s with his brother River and their charismatic energies onscreen. They were staples of coming-of-age films, and his charm and versatility even extended until the early 2000s with Gladiator and Walk the Line.

Joaquin’s stardom rested for a while until his breakout performance as lonesome Theodore in the 2013 film Her, alongside his wife, Rooney Mara. This earned him a new seat in Hollywood, and he continued to star in bigger productions, which later earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

8. Lucy Liu in Elementary

The 2000s Charlie’s Angels wouldn’t be complete without femme fatale Alex Munday who Lucy played. She followed her success with roles in Chicago and Shanghai Noon, but later found her love behind the scenes by voicing characters in Kung Fu Panda and Tinker Bell.

Lucy’s return to the screen was marked in 2012 during Elementary’s pilot episode, where she played Dr. Joan Watson, sidekick to Jonny Lee Miller’s Sherlock Holmes. The show ran for 7 years and paved the way for a series of new shows afterward.

9. Patrick Dempsey in Disenchanted

Fans of Grey’s Anatomy will always call Patrick “McDreamy” for his time in the show as Dr. Meredith Grey’s love interest, Derek Shepherd. His performance led him to play rom-com roles in Maid of Honor and Enchanted. The latter was well-received by a lot of moviegoers. However, Patrick focused more on his racing career over the years and left showbiz for a while.

It was until 2020 that a sequel to Enchanted, Disenchanted, was announced. Fans were delighted to see Patrick with Amy Adams, playing Robert and Giselle once again.

10. Sarah Michelle Gellar in Do Revenge

Gellar was a teen queen in the late ’90s and early 2000s with fan favorites like Buffy, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Scooby-Doo, which became instant gems for nostalgia. Although she had a promising string of opportunities, Gellar chose to focus more on her family and put a hold on acting.

Years later, she reprised her teen drama status but now as an adult in the 2022 flick Do Revenge, where she played the headmaster for the fictional Rosehill Country Day High School.

11. Alexis Bledel in The Handmaid’s Tale

Rory Gilmore was every teen’s role model by being a straight-A student, and Alexis’ acting made the character more iconic in Gilmore Girls. Her streak continued in the early 2000s with films like The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants and its sequel. Since then, she hasn’t made any noise with big movies.

Luckily, her reunion with her costar, Lauren Graham, for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life brought her back on track, and a year later, she was cast as Emily Malek or Ofglen, one of the key characters in the dystopian TV series The Handmaid’s Tale.

12. Jason Bateman in Juno

Who would’ve thought that the Emmy-winning actor and comedian experienced a brief hiccup in his career? Jason was just a teenage actor when he starred in the sitcom Valerie and Teen Wolf Too. However, his appearances were fewer in the ’90s, and his stardom grew dim.

It wasn’t until his onscreen return as the musician Mark Loring in the Academy-nominated film Juno and his time in the comedy Arrested Development as Michael Bluth that he was back for more. Now, he directs and produces the thriller TV series Ozark, which has garnered numerous awards.

13. Mayim Bialik in The Big Bang Theory

Neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory is actually a real neuroscientist in real life. Mayim studied neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles, just after her hiatus from playing Blossom in the ’90s TV series of the same name.

After graduating and starting her own family, Mayim’s roles weren’t getting any light until her debut in The Big Bang Theory in 2010, which had her in a recurring role as Dr. Amy Fowler until its final episode. Now, she co-hosts Jeopardy! and has a TV show, Call Me Kat, under her belt.

14. Winona Ryder in Stranger Things

Winona reclaimed her title of Halloween Queen when she appeared in the first season of Stranger Things as Joyce Byers, one of the key characters. Fans of her work in the late ’80s and early ’90s immediately binged on the show and praised her comeback after her long break from acting. She is reprising her role for the final season of Stranger Things, which has become a hit since it first aired.

What was your favorite comeback story from our list? Who else do you want to return to the spotlight?