10 Breakout Stars Whose Careers Surprisingly Fizzled Out

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were looking at stars whose careers started out strong, but werent able to maintain their initial momentum.

Garrett Hedlund

Sometimes, all it takes is one flop to derail a promising future. Garrett Hedlund initially made waves for his appearances in action movies like Troy, even holding his own against established performers. His role in Tron: Legacy propelled him even higher, putting him in a position to potentially become one of the biggest stars of his generation. Unfortunately, a series of misjudged calls including turning down franchises like The Hunger Games for the widely criticized Pan led to his fame slipping away. While hes still booking projects, they pale in comparison to his previous ones. Though Tron: Ares had a promised 2025 release, Hedlunds name was conspicuously absent, so it seems, hes stuck in career limbo.

Chloë Grace Moretz

Cyber bullying can affect anyone even famous actors. Beginning at a young age, Chloë Grace Moretz proved to be a talented performer. From action to horror, she was able to build a versatile catalog before hitting adulthood. It seemed like she could go nowhere but up. However, even the most successful people arent completely infallible. In 2016, an edited photo of Moretzs body went viral, and subsequently became a meme. Though seemingly innocent, it ended up having a disastrous effect on her mental health and self-image. She pulled away from the spotlight entirely, and primarily refocused her talents on voice acting. While she does have a couple of live action movies in the pipeline, it seems her days of headlining major projects have passed.

Matthew Lawrence

Throughout the late 20th century, he seemed to be on the precipice of prolonged Hollywood fame. Between roles in beloved films like Mrs. Doubtfire and long-lasting sitcoms like Boy Meets World, Matthew Lawrence was able to impress audiences of all ages. As an adult, however, hes struggled to reach similar levels of success. His work has been greatly reduced to single-episode guest spots and mid-tier movies a far cry from the projects he used to participate in at the turn of the century. Its an unfortunate reminder that an acting career is hard to get and even harder to maintain even for a former 90s heartthrob.

Alicia Silverstone

Even the biggest It girls can experience career slumps. At her peak, Alicia Silverstone was the very definition of a teen idol. Her appearances in various music videos and iconic role as Cher Horowitz in Clueless cemented her position as a pop culture phenomenon. She remained a constant presence throughout the 90s but everything changed with the new millennium. She largely tapered off from film, instead choosing to focus on smaller stage productions and television shows. By the 2010s, the quality of the projects she took on sharply declined, and her public presence even more so. While shes still getting work sporadically in the 2020s, her icon status has unfortunately passed.

Sam Worthington

It isnt often that one stars in the highest-grossing film of all time. Appearing in something as critically and commercially successful as Avatar couldve been a pathway to permanent mainstream success. Sam Worthington initially reaped the benefits of his role as Jake Sully, with the next few years bringing about lead parts in high-profile blockbuster movies. In the early 2010s, he was predicted to become one of the biggest new actors of Hollywood. Unfortunately, that failed to come true. Besides a few small peaks, his career saw a continued downward slump throughout the decade. While the Avatar franchise will guarantee him a headlining role into the 2030s, its unclear what the rest of his future will entail.

Hayden Christensen

Youd think appearing in a beloved franchise would kickstart ones Hollywood career not lead to its downfall. Hayden Christensen proved himself to be a competent actor with his initial roles, and it seemed that appearing as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels would flesh out his résumé even more. His performances were met with criticism, leading to him taking on work in a series of middling projects. He pulled back from the craft for several years in the 2010s, with the few movies he did take on quickly proving to be critical and commercial flops. As of the 2020s, his only parts have occurred in various Star Wars television shows causing his work to come full circle.

Liam Hemsworth

Though his brother was able to become a household name, he didnt have the same luck. Liam Hemsworth had a promising start in Hollywood, including a central role as Gale in The Hunger Games. He was even able to parlay that into a lead in the 2016 sequel to Independence Day. Directly following that film, he vanished from Hollywood for a few years which was the nail in the coffin for his mainstream career. He made his return to the art form in the 2020s, albeit on a much smaller scale than his initial work. He has a chance to regain his mainstream status after snagging the part of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher but only time will tell.

Megan Fox

For years, she was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood which proved to be a blessing and a curse. Megan Fox appealed to a wide variety of audiences with her work in huge franchises and cult classics. Unfortunately, the high level of attention she received led to her becoming overexposed in the eyes of viewers. That, coupled with her accusing Michael Bay of inappropriate behavior, led to her being harshly criticized by the media and the general populace alike. As of 2016, her onscreen appearances had vastly reduced, and her main coverage has come from her high profile, tumultuous relationship with Machine Gun Kelly. Its unclear if her career will ever reach the heights it once did or if she even wants it to.

Taylor Lautner

While his previous co-stars have been able to shed their past work and reach new peaks following their controversial breakout roles, he hasnt been able to do the same. Taylor Lautners time as Jacob quickly cemented him as a teen idol, and he was even reported to be one of the highest paid young actors in 2010. Following his work in the Twilight saga, he had a few chances to establish himself as a performer outside of the franchise but wasnt able to engage audiences the way he once had. Since 2016, his acting career has been all but stagnant, with only one completed movie in the 2020s so far.

Shailene Woodley

From compelling dramas to thrilling action movies, she quickly showed that she could successfully take on a variety of genres. The mid-2010s saw a career surge for Shailene Woodley. Her participation in multiple popular book adaptations helped her make the leap from cable television to blockbuster films but that level of success wouldnt last long. She opted to take a hiatus in 2015 following the sudden end of the Divergent series, and even considered quitting entirely. While she made a semi-triumphant return in 2017, it was on a much smaller scale than her previous work. Shes been praised by critics,but her cultural status has been greatly reduced and may not ever be fully regained.


Which star do you think had the hardest fall from their breakthrough fame? Let us know in the comments below!