14 Formerly Popular Actors and Actresses Whose Careers Took a Dip but Are on the Rise Again Now

Over time, even popular actors and actresses appear on-screen less often, and they start taking on supporting roles. This might be for different reasons: some actors and actresses devote their time to their families, others get stuck in the same roles, and some may adopt bad habits.

We at Bright Side are sincerely happy when our favorite actors get themselves together and start working hard on their careers again. And in today’s compilation, we’ve collected a list of actors that we hope won’t take another time-out.

Josh Hartnett

The handsome Josh Hartnett became famous thanks to his role as a pilot in Pearl Harbor. After the huge success of the film, the American actor became really popular among directors and he appeared in films like Wicker Park, Sin City, and Lucky Number Slevin.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Hartnett was an idol for many people, but after 2010, his popularity died down and he appeared in low-budget films and TV series in supporting roles.

In 2021, the actor made a comeback and portrayed a security guard in Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man.

Hilary Swank

In 2004, Clint Eastwood offered Hilary Swank the leading role in Million Dollar Baby that later earned an Oscar for Best Film. Swank also won an Oscar for Best Actress.

In the following years, Swank had some roles but not as many. She took several breaks, some of them due to her father’s illness. But we still got to see her in films such as P.S. I Love You, Conviction, I Am Mother and others.

In 2020, the actress started appearing on the big screen in leading roles again. You might have seen her in The Hunt, Fatale, and the TV series, Away.

Ben Whishaw

The most popular movies Ben Whishaw was in were Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Cloud Atlas, and Mary Poppins Returns. The actor also did voiceover work in Paddington.

Additionally, Whishaw was in 2 James Bond movies, where he portrayed Q. And in 2021, he appeared in the third Bond film, No Time to Die.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore has been an actress since a very young age. A lot of people remember her in Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. But her role in Charlie’s Angels made her extremely popular.

Later, Barrymore appeared in famous comedy flicks, like Duplex, 50 First Dates, He’s Just Not That Into You, and Blended. Later, there was a period in her career when she only worked on TV shows. And in 2020, a film called The Stand In was released, where she portrayed the main character.

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe has a big list of great movies he was in. In 2020, you might have seen him in the unusual role of a maniac in Unhinged.

And in 2022, you will see him in the role of Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder.

John Travolta

The role of a gangster in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction made Travolta one of the most popular actors of that time. He was in dozens of popular movies and got lots of awards. But over time, he started appearing in hit movies less and less often.

In 2020, the show Die Hart was released where Travolta portrayed one of the main characters. He looks quite good at the age of 67.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

A lot of people remember Jennifer for her roles in I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Heartbreakers, and Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber.

The last popular role Hewitt had was in Ghost Whisperer. It was on the air from 2005 to 2010. After that, she continued to do TV shows but wasn’t as popular anymore.

Since 2018, she has been on 9-1-1 in one of the key roles.

Jim Carrey

There’s probably nobody that doesn’t know who Jim Carrey is. In the ’90s and the beginning of the 2000s, he never left the big screen, and everyone loved him.

But after 2010, the last popular movie he was in was Mr. Popper’s Penguins. After this film, all other movies with him weren’t very successful.

In 2020, the talented actor got lucky again: Sonic the Hedgehog was released with him in the main role. His character is a crazy scientist that hunts Sonic.

Ian Somerhalder

Unfortunately, the 42-year old actor got stuck in the same role. The character he portrayed in a popular series, The Vampire Diaries, somewhat defined the direction of his entire career.

After the series, he appeared in several low-budget films, and in 2019, he appeared in the show, V Wars, in the main role.

John Krasinski

The actor is most famous for the role of Jim Halpert in The Office that was on the air from 2005 to 2013. Needles to say, it won a lot of awards.

After the series, he didn’t land any super popular roles even though he still appeared on the screen in The Holiday, Away We Go, Big Miracle, Promised Land.

In 2018, a sci-fi thriller called A Quiet Place, starring Krasinski and Emily Blunt was released. Interestingly, Krasinski was an actor, director, and writer in this film.

James Marsden

This actor got popular thanks to movies like Interstate 60, The Notebook, X-Men, Superman Returns, and others.

In 2016, Marsden got a part in a sci-fi series, Westworld. And in 2020, Sonic the Hedgehog was released, where he portrayed one of the key characters.

Sean Penn

The winner of 2 Oscars, 1 Golden Globe, and many other awards is famous for his explosive nature. Maybe this is why he hasn’t gotten any big roles in blockbusters in the past 10 years.

In 2019, you may have seen him in The Professor and the Madman, where he portrayed a psychiatric hospital patient. Penn showed his talent — movie critics and viewers liked it.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin

You probably know this young actor thanks to the role of the 11-year-old Tom Riddle, the future Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

After that, he landed a few episodes in not-so-popular films, and only in 2019 did he get back on the radar. The film, After, was released where he portrayed the main character and won the Choice Drama Movie Actor Award. In 2020 and 2021, sequels for the story were filmed.

Marlon Wayans

Marlon Wayans got famous for his roles in comedies like Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Scary Movie, and A Haunted House.

But he didn’t only portray funny characters. He was also in Requiem for a Dream in 2000. And in 2021, after a long break, he portrayed one of the main characters in Respect.

Whose comeback are you really happy about?