Top 10 Actors Hollywood Wont Cast Anymore

From the mid-90s to the early 2000s, it seemed as though Cameron Diaz was in every successful movie. From hits like The Mask to There’s Something About Mary to Shrek, Diaz was on the verge of becoming an all-time great. And then she made several poor choices, appearing in R-rated flops like Bad Teacher and Sex Tape, which may’ve hurt her marketability. As of 2017, she hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2014 with the only film on the horizon- a Shrek sequel- not due until 2020. Diaz is still extremely popular among fans, but her time as a Hollywood starlet may be over.

Call it the Twilight effect. Lautner seemed poised for big things following his appearance as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga. The teen idol and sex symbol was even given a leading role in 2011’s “Abduction.” Unfortunately, it was panned, with critics singling out Lautner’s poor acting. Since then, he’s mostly been relegated to bit parts in Adam Sandler comedies like ‘Grown Ups 2’ and ‘The Ridiculous 6.’ While Lautner’s still young and could have more opportunities in the future – with some roles on the small screen in the mid-2010s - his career’s in danger of being over before it even really starts.

We bet that if Mike Myers had one wish, he’d unmake “The Love Guru.” His film career started strong, with “Wayne’s World” and the “Austin Powers” films. He then proved he was a more than capable voice actor when he was cast as Shrek. But then came “The Love Guru.” With a 14% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned Myers three Razzies and an abundance of criticism. Several critics saw it as potentially career-killing film, and nearly a decade later it seems true. Although Myers made a well-regarded cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” he’s yet to have a starring role since “The Love Guru.”

The problem with being typecast as the immature high schooler obsessed with sex and parties is that it’s difficult to portray that character once you fully enter adulthood and stare down middle age. That may be the issue for Seann William Scott. Best known for portraying Stifler in the “American Pie” series, Scott was cast in several similar roles in the early 2000s, in movies like “Dude, Where’s My Car?” and “Old School.” As the years rolled on, however, these roles have dried up. Nearly 20 years after the role that made him famous, Scott seems limited to the occasional indie film as well as voiceover work in the “Ice Age” series.

Swank may have won Oscars for her performances in “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby,” but her film choices haven’t always been up to the Academy’s standards. In the mid-2000s, she appeared in movies like “Black Dahlia” and “P.S. I Love You” which both received negative reviews – especially for Swank’s acting. She attempted to regain the Oscar buzz in 2009 with “Amelia,” a biographical film about Amelia Earhart, but it was critically panned with Swank’s acting again underwhelming the critics. There’s no doubt that Swank is a talented actress, so let’s hope we see a resurgence from her down the road.

A bankable powerhouse in the 1980s, with films like “48 Hrs.,” “Trading Places,” and “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Eddie Murphy” was once a synonym for “comedic gold.” Taking on “The Nutty Professor”- where he portrayed several different characters- as well as voiceover sidekick roles in “Mulan” and “Shrek,” Murphy proved he had great comedic range. But with the 2000s came things like “Meet Dave” and “Norbit.” In the latter, Murphy attempted to recapture the magic by once again portraying multiple characters, but the result was not a success. For his troubles, he “won” three of the six Razzies he was nominated for and walked away with a career in tatters.

In the mid-2000s, it seemed like nothing could stop Katherine Heigl. She was the star of an extremely popular television series and had a big screen hit with 2007’s “Knocked Up.” However, a string of bland romantic comedies followed, and with it came a growing reputation that she was difficult to deal with on-set. She then criticized her star making role in “Knocked Up” for being sexist, and made a less than amicable split from “Grey’s Anatomy.” While Heigl is still finding roles in generic romantic comedies, her film career is certainly not as bright- or enjoyable to watch- as it once was.

Best remembered for portraying Peter Parker in the original “Spider-Man” film franchise, Maguire has had several other successful roles, including in “Pleasantville,” “Seabiscuit,” and “Brothers.” He’s never quite shaken the Peter Parker persona, however, and as a result his filmography hasn’t really expanded much. In fact, between 2009-17, he only appeared in six films. Some critics point to “Spider-Man 3” as the turning point for the actor, as the film was wasn’t very well reviewed and ultimately ended Sam Raimi’s web-slinging franchise. Did it also permanently derail Maguire’s once glowing career? We shall see.

Fairly or unfairly, Hayden Christensen will likely never be able to fully crawl out from the sand-hating shadow of the Star Wars prequels. The films helped him gain international fame for his role as Anakin Skywalker- but did so for almost all the wrong reasons, as many pointed to his line delivery as one of the trilogy’s greatest weaknesses. Although Christensen has done his part to recover, films like “Awake,” “Jumper,” and “90 Minutes in Heaven” have been a mix of critical and financial misses. Post-Vader, Christensen’s output has been sparse at best, with three films between 2010-17 and not a hit among them.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Freddie Prinze Jr.
- Jessica Biel

From the mid-1990s on, Brendan Fraser was one of the top leading men in Hollywood. The star of “The Mummy” movie franchise, and appearing in critically successful films like “Gods and Monsters” and “The Quiet American,” Fraser seemed set to keep that momentum going. Even after a few quiet years, things still looked to be going Fraser’s way. The actor was set to lead another action franchise, taking a starring role in “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” only to be replaced in the sequel by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Fraser’s work since has ranged from unremarkable to largely unwatched, with little sign of a course correction.