Top 20 Celebs Who Saved Their Careers by Changing Genre

Top 20 Celebs Who Saved Their Careers by Changing Genres

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at acting and music stars who were synonymous with one genre, only to revitalize their status with another.

#20: Bring Me the Horizon

Britain’s metalcore scene was pretty niche when Bring Me the Horizon formed in 2004. Even more niche was the deathcore scene. The band’s first EP and album got mixed reviews for Oli Sykes’s guttural vocals over grinding, occasionally melodic compositions. With poor commercial prospects, producer Fredrik Nordström convinced them to tone things down. The sound would still be intense, but the gradual incorporation of alt-rock and pop elements set BMTH apart from traditional metalcore. By the time they left the genre altogether in the 2010s, sales were soaring along with critical acclaim. The 2019 album “Amo” even topped the UK charts. Still, BMTH will sneak out material to appease their metal loyalists as much as a wider audience.

#19: Robin Wright

Robin Wright built a prominent and diverse resumé throughout the ‘90s. But she spent much of the 2000s stuck in independent dramas that failed to captivate audiences and critics. It was ultimately the small screen that brought her back to power, in every sense. Netflix’s flagship series “House of Cards” ran for six seasons on Wright’s quietly intense rise from a corrupt politician’s wife to the presidency. She then rode multiple Emmy nominations into a streak of high-profile thrillers, including “Blade Runner 2049” and the DC Extended Universe. She even returned to Netflix to direct a couple episodes of “Ozark”. While Wright still favors understated dramas, with more praise than ever, she’s a real powerhouse in the thriller genre.

#18: Michael Bolton

While there’s no doubting the power of Michael Bolton’s voice, many forget that it was once put to more orthodox use. He was a bona fide hard rocker at the peak of the genre’s commercial market in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The frilliest he got was as the frontman for the short-lived hair metal band Blackjack. But after co-writing the Laura Branigan hit “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, Bolton reinvented himself as a pop star. His ferocious soul style certainly stood out among romantic ballads. Such range also cemented Bolton’s reputation as a true vocal virtuoso. Never mind the commercial success and legacy that came from him creating his own distinct sound.

#17: Darius Rucker

Hootie & the Blowfish hooked the ‘90s with Americana-infused pop rock. Unfortunately, their output and profile steadily fizzled out until they disbanded in 2008. Frontman Darius Rucker was preoccupied with a solo career, initially in R&B. But he didn’t fully blow up until he followed his passion for country. Rucker’s flair for old-fashioned and modern pop in this genre made him a sensation, with many accolades and number-one hits. He was the first Black artist since Charley Pride to top the country charts, helping to promote diversity in the industry. This also led to Hootie & the Blowfish reuniting with new, country rock material. Rucker may have led their pop stardom back in the day, but he’s now a singular country icon.

#16: Reese Witherspoon

Once dubbed “America’s Sweetheart”, Reese Witherspoon was one of the top rom-com headliners of the 2000s. Projects like her Oscar-winning performance in “Walk the Line” still showed that there was great grit behind this wholesome image. As it began to lose momentum going into the 2010s, Witherspoon co-founded the women-centric production company Pacific Standard. Let’s just say that the rebrand of Hello Sunshine is very ironic. The company’s many daring features include 2014’s “Wild”, which landed Witherspoon another Academy Award nomination. And with series like “Big Little Lies” and “The Morning Show”, she became a TV drama darling. Witherspoon took full control of her reinvention, and has come out more popular than ever with critics and fans.

#15: Beastie Boys

It's been said that the “Beastie” in Beastie Boys stands for “Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence”. It doesn't get much more punk than that. Sure enough, this always subversive outfit formed in the New York hardcore scene of the early ‘80s. They opened for the likes of Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys, and recorded a killer EP. The Boys might have stayed underground legends had they not met an up-and-coming producer named Rick Rubin. Their embrace of early hip-hop helped propel it into the mainstream, and pioneer the hybrid genre rap rock. Beastie Boys are now multi-platinum titans of a style they didn't even anticipate. At least the lifelong punks never sold out their edge and innovation.

#14: John Travolta

John Travolta danced his way to superstardom with “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease”. From there, the hearthrob drifted from musicals to popular dramas and comedies that lacked legs. He gradually lost his critical and commercial appeal, but passionate cinephile Quentin Tarantino still believed in him. Travolta won huge acclaim as charming hitman Vincent Vega in the 1994 masterpiece “Pulp Fiction”. He then became synonymous with antihero and villain roles in crime dramas, as well as a variety of edgier genre pictures. Unfortunately, this rebrand also devolved over time. Travolta now mostly does low-profile or straight-to-video crime thrillers. Still, no matter how bad their reviews, the proven range of this once-scorned pretty boy still has everyone rooting for him.

#13: Brendan Fraser

From endearing comedies and dramas to big blockbusters, Brendan Fraser exemplified the range of an everyman actor. But all this fluff didn't have much longevity with critics and audiences. Sadly, Fraser’s status was further strained by struggles with his health and personal hardships. After some memorable supporting performances in TV dramas, he returned to the spotlight with Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale”. Fraser’s committed, devastating performance was hailed as one of the greatest Hollywood comebacks in years. From his Academy Award win came prestigious projects like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and the upcoming Dwight D. Eisenhower biopic “Pressure”. Fraser may have always been lovable in lighter fare, but he's now beloved as a bold dramatic presence.

#12: Katy Perry

The artist formerly known as Katy Hudson is the daughter of Pentecostal pastors. She was only 17 years old when she started her music career on the righteous path with a self-titled Christian rock album. Its alternative pop elements polarized critics, and didn’t seem to lift audiences’ spirits either. The album bombed just as the label Red Hill Records went bankrupt. Luckily, Hudson found salvation in secular music and a new name. Katy Perry became one of the biggest pop stars of the post-2000s, celebrated for her empowering and often steamy dance anthems. It’s not like her Christian music was very orthodox to begin with. But in bringing such passion to the mainstream, Perry has won legions of followers.

#11: Adam Sandler

At least for a time, Adam Sandler was one of moviegoers’ favorite funnymen. Few fully respected his dramatic chops in films like “Punch-Drunk Love” and “Funny People”. And after a series of critical disasters and Netflix originals, many lost respect for his comedy. Then came the Safdie brothers’ off-the-wall crime thriller “Uncut Gems”. Sandler’s humorless, highly accoladed portrayal of a jeweler with a life-threatening gambling debt was named the best performance of his career. He’s since returned to comedy, but with greater fanfare and detours to acclaimed dramatic roles. Sure, we may have been quietly rooting for Sandler all along. With his more serious turn, though, everyone is now eager to see what he’ll do next.

#10: Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen was a prolific character actor across all genres of film and television. Between the 1950s and ‘70s, his few starring roles included the sci-fi caper “Forbidden Planet” and the disaster epic “The Poseidon Adventure”. Surely, the latter helped him secure the less serious disaster classic “Airplane!”. With this and the “Naked Gun” series, Nielsen found his leading man brand in comedies. He specifically became one of the preeminent figures in the parody genre. Roger Ebert even dubbed him “the Olivier of spoofs,” whose hilarious deadpan style drew on a natural dramatic presence. The critical hits were few and far between, but Nielsen spent the rest of an initially wayward career as a comedy icon.

#9: Pantera

The story of Pantera is the story of mainstream metal between the 1980s and ‘90s. The Texas outfit was quintessential glam metal throughout the first decade, with Phil Anselmo’s raspy voice distinguishing the melodic frills. Then they came literally screaming into the next decade with “Cowboys from Hell”. The album was all thrash with uniquely ferocious vocals and groove, punctuated by Dimebag Darrell’s blistering guitar solos. The band only got more intense from there. Their signature style was dubbed “groove metal”, and helped set up an era that pushed the boundaries of both heavy music and its commercial appeal. While Pantera enjoyed moderate success in the pop trends of ‘80s metal, they achieved greatness as unlikely innovators.

#8: Robert Pattinson

Whether he liked it or not, Robert Pattinson broke out as a brooding heartthrob. And he was pretty open about not liking it. He won over mainstream audiences as Edward Cullen in “The Twilight Saga”, while joining in popular disdain for this brand. “Remember Me” and “Water for Elephants” didn't bring many around to the romantic lead. But after a couple of David Cronenberg films, he receded into a series of subversive thrillers. A24’s “Good Time” and “The Lighthouse” formally returned him to the spotlight with a glowing reception. This patiently darkened transformation has completely changed the band wagon’s tone about Pattinson's edge. In bringing it to a neo-noir revision of Batman, he made a triumphant comeback as a big-budget headliner.

#7: Daft Punk

In 1992, three French teens tried to make it in indie and punk rock. Unfortunately, their few tracks were so poorly received that Darlin’ disbanded within a year. Melody Maker magazine went so far as to call them “a daft punky thrash.” Guitarist and keyboardist Laurent Brancowitz did make it in indie with the hugely successful Phoenix. But the aforementioned review really stuck with Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They switched to electronic dance and donned robot costumes under the name Daft Punk. By the time they broke up in 2021, they were hailed as one of the most popular and innovative figures in their genre’s history. Of course, their often hard-to-describe sound is further evidence of Daft Punk’s versatility with genres.

#6: Jane Fonda

Coming from a lineage of acting greats, Jane Fonda was one of Hollywood’s most versatile stars for three decades. She was particularly renowned for dramatic work like the Oscar-winning “Klute” and “Coming Home”. Then she shockingly retired after marrying media tycoon Ted Turner in 1991. Four years after the divorce, she made an equally surprising comeback to the screen. Fonda began working primarily in lighthearted comedies, but still favors female and senior roles with unique substance for the genre. Her return as a leading lady was ultimately confirmed by the hit Netflix sitcom “Grace and Frankie”. Fonda still makes the occasional acclaimed return to drama. Mostly, though, the Hollywood legend continues to shine as a hilarious comedy icon.

#5: Bee Gees

The brothers Gibb explored pop and psychedelic rock through the ‘60s, and dabbled in folk in the early ‘70s. Unfortunately, the Bee Gees’ lucrative gift for pop trends lost momentum after a brief breakup going into a new decade. And then came disco! The group’s juxtaposition of soulful harmonies and deep funk stood out in this hot movement. The Bee Gees ultimately became leaders of it after contributing to “Saturday Night Fever”, whose soundtrack remains one of the best-selling of all time. Consequently, their stardom took a hit with the genre’s notoriously quick collapse. The Bee Gees nonetheless continued to successfully adapt to the times, and are still recognized as one of the defining pop acts of their era.

#4: Matthew McConaughey

“Dazed and Confused” debuted Matthew McConaughey as a comedy superstar from the line, "alright, alright, alright." But after some promising forays into drama, he got stuck in cheesy rom-coms and capers. McConaughey took a lot of heat in the 2000s, before winning even greater praise throughout the 2010s. He actively broke his typecast with a string of acclaimed dramas, winning the Oscar for Best Actor with “Dallas Buyers Club”. HBO’s “True Detective” and Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” then launched his prestige to new heights. The media dubbed this phenomenal shift the “McConaissance”. The truth is that McConaughey had his toe in drama even as a laid-back comedian. In taking the plunge, however, he’s become a name that everyone is excited to see.

#3: Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette found an ironic route to permanent pop stardom. And yes, that's the correct use of the word “ironic”. Actually, Morissette’s debut album “Alanis” was an instant hit for its infectious and emotive dance-pop style. “Now Is the Time” was much less successful. Only after being dropped by MCA Records Canada did Morissette truly captivate the youth of the ‘90s. “Jagged Little Pill” found the pop singer embracing alternative rock and post-grunge with her distinct mezzo-soprano voice. The album was a global phenomenon, winning five Grammys and becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Morissette’s transformation asserted her as a key figure in ‘90s music. Of course, she continues to thrive as an alternative and indie idol.

#2: Bryan Cranston

It’s hard to believe that Bryan Cranston’s commanding voice and appearance weren’t exclusively suited to drama. But after many small roles in that genre, he broke out as eccentric dentist Tim Whatley on “Seinfeld”. His stint as the patriarch on “Malcolm in the Middle” cemented him as a sitcom mainstay. With a decline after the show, however, his career was renewed by a very different family man. Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White on “Breaking Bad” is considered one of the greatest performances in television history. As a representative of Peak TV, he continues to earn praise for intense roles on big screens and small. Obviously, Cranston still has prime comedic chops. His dramatic turn merely confirmed the lovable actor as a master of his art.

#1: Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. has had several incredible comebacks, always in different genres. But it initially didn't seem like the renowned drama star would need one. Personal drama, including a serious substance use disorder, derailed his career by the 2000s. The 2005 noir comedy “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” marked Downey’s triumphant recovery. Three years later, his perfect casting as Tony Stark revitalized the superhero film industry. His 11-year tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe made him one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors. And with his return to blockbuster drama in “Oppenheimer”, he earned an Academy Award. Downey’s salary and esteem allow him to take his time with projects. Thus, he's one of the few celebs whose genre shifts are consistently an event.

What are your favorite celebrity rebrands? Feel free to promote them in the comments.