Top 10 Promising Stars Who Fell Off the Map
#10: Jonathan Taylor Thomas
The Tragic Life of Jonathan Larson
He went from being a bowl-cut babe to a “Tiger Beat” king before he was old enough to drive! In the 1990s, ‘JTT’ was a walking and talking teen dream. He starred on one of the decade’s most popular TV shows “Home Improvement,” lent his voice to one of the most iconic animated movies of all time when he played Simba in “The Lion King,” and his photo was plastered on the walls of countless bedrooms. What more could someone want? The answer was to trade the spotlight for his studies. At the height of his fame, Thomas left “Home Improvement” to hit the books, openly expressing his desire to attend college. Today, the rarely photographed Thomas continues to live away from the spotlight, though he has continued to act periodically.
#9: Jamie Walters
He had boyish good looks, a bit of a mysterious streak, and Donna Martin’s eye. What more could Jamie Walters want? Lots of teen idols from the Nineties have strong name recognition and in some cases, a decades-long career, but the pinnacle of Jamie Walters’ success occurred during the decade of plaid. Walters achieved peak popularity between 1992 and 1994 after starring in two drama series “The Heights” and the smash hit “Beverly Hills 90210," and scoring a number one hit with the former's theme song, "How Do You Talk To An Angel." He wasn’t able to match his career success in the years that followed, however, so Walters left the entertainment business and traded fame for fanning out flames as a firefighter!
#8: Staci Keanan
If you were channel surfing during the ‘80s or ‘90s, there was a very good chance you would’ve come across Staci Keanan, who was then a teen queen (or soon-to-be one) of the small screen! She starred in two back-to-back television success stories, “My Two Dads” and “Step By Step,” and a few guest appearances on TV shows and a handful of films, but the actress gradually disappeared from the entertainment circuit by the 2010s. Not only did Keanan completely fall off the map, she decided to embark on an entirely different career trajectory! She now spends her time away from the spotlight, channeling her passion for education into teaching, while also exploring the world of law through working as a district attorney.
#7: Angus T. Jones
Compared to the whirlwind lifestyle of his “Two and a Half Men” co-star Charlie Sheen, Angus T. Jones’ life after finding career-defining success followed a completely opposite path! Known for playing the “half” portion of the show’s titular “men,” Jones underwent a “profound religious experience,” as co-star Jon Cryer later described. He also began to publicly analyze the show’s conflicts with his newfound religion, later describing its contents as “filth.” Jones fueled his distaste for the series further by calling himself “a paid hypocrite” for staying on despite his hesitation. While he apologized for his comments and even appeared in the series finale, Jones rarely makes public appearances these days, and he appeared in only a handful of productions in the late 2010s after his departure from the show.
#6: Mara Wilson
Life certainly turned out to imitate art for Mara Wilson! The young actress, who was a silver screen staple in the early ’90s, landed her breakout role in the 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,” capturing audience’s hearts with her big eyes and an even bigger sense of self-awareness! Following “Matilda’s” massive success, Wilson was acutely aware of the way she related to her newfound fame, telling CBC’s “Q” in 2016, [“It was hard because it felt like everybody liked her more than they liked me.”] The bookish beauty later learned she would rather live a life away from the spotlight, later describing its effects as ["A lifestyle I couldn't really deal with."] Today, Mara pursues her true passion as a full-time writer, though she’s done some brief acting and some voice-work in the 2010s.
#5: Orlando Brown
By 2005, Orlando Brown had appeared in multiple successful Disney Channel shows from a guest spot on “Lizzie McGuire” to starring roles in “The Proud Family” and “That’s So Raven.” However, even Raven Baxter’s psychic powers couldn’t possibly predict Brown’s downfall a decade later. The actor gradually fell off the map, appearing in very few notable projects between 2005 and 2012 and had his first drug-related arrest in 2016. After two more arrests, the stark reality of Orlando’s downfall was shown to the public when he appeared on an episode of “Dr. Phil” in 2018. The actor incorrectly answered Dr. Phil's questions, while also refusing his invitation for further medical intervention.
#4: Lalaine
She was a fierce fashionista and always game for a trip to the mall; could there be a cooler best friend than Miranda Sanchez? The character of Miranda from the quintessential Disney Channel show “Lizzie McGuire” put Lalaine on the map and made people everywhere strive for a friendship like Lizzie and Miranda’s! Like many Disney divas of the ‘00s, Lalaine’s “cool girl next door” demeanor drew massive attention to the then-teenager, making fame difficult for Lalaine to deal with. Opening up to fellow Disney diva Christy Carlson Romano, she explained her younger self wasn’t mentally prepared for the reality of being a role model. Today Lalaine, who struggled with drugs in 2007, lives life mostly away from the spotlight, though the musician connects with fans on social media.
#3: Frankie Muniz
Whatever Happened to Frankie Muniz?
Aspiring actors typically do whatever they can to reach superstardom, but this stereotypical plan wasn't Frankie Muniz's course of action! The "Malcolm In The Middle" star added a few film roles to his name during the seven years he played Malcolm, but his behind-the-scenes passions were what captured his attention. Instead of 'falling off the map' for any of the cliche reasons teen actors do, things slowed down on the acting front following the sitcom’s end. While he had some big screen and small screen roles, he also suffered from two mini-strokes in less than a year and began struggling with memory loss in the 2010s. However, Muniz doesn't view his experience as a struggle. With his now-wife Paige's guidance as she records memories for him to look back on through journaling, Muniz is able to fully concentrate and thrive with passion projects!
#2: Taylor Lautner
Top 10 Reasons You Should Know Who Taylor Tomlinson Is
Between playing a werewolf by day and dating outrageously popular superstars by night, the late 2000s and early 2010s were the peak period for breakout star Taylor Lautner! Lautner became a teen idol practically overnight by playing beloved werewolf Jacob Black in the blockbuster "Twilight" franchise and was consistently featured as a 'cover boy' on countless teen magazines between 2008 and 2012. Lautner's career had big 'leading man' potential after the series' final film was released in 2012, but the subsequent roles the actor chose were much less popular with audiences compared to the cultural phenomenon that was "Twilight." Lautner's pivot to roles that shared few similarities to his werewolf gig was intentional, as he once explained to "GMA."
#1: Amanda Bynes
It didn't matter if you 'asked Ashley' or your friend down the street, Amanda Bynes was the new kid on the comedy block everyone wanted to watch back in the mid-nineties and beyond. This funny gal made audiences giggle with her precocious comedic timing as a cast member on Nickelodeon's "All That," and later as the host of her own variety show. Bynes' continued success during the aughts made her one of the era's most promising teen queens, but unfortunately, a string of worrisome incidents led to her professional downfall and pushed her off the map. These personal issues were shocking due to her reputation of appearing more 'put together' than some of her Hollywood peers, causing lots of intense media scrutiny that she has never really recovered from - though.
