It’s hard for an actor to build a good reputation, but incredibly easy to destroy it.
No matter how iconic or legendary an actor is, they can see all of their goodwill disappear in the blink of an eye. These are the films that forever changed their reputations.
The Island of Doctor Moreau
The adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel ruined not one but two actor reputations: Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer.
Kilmer, despite a growing reputation for being difficult to work with, replaced Bruce Willis in the film’s cast and did nothing to dispel those rumors. As for Brando, the documentary Lost Souls pinpoints his overbearing creative influence as being a huge detriment to the project.
Jade
Yes, David Caruso was able to eventually discover post-NYPD Blue success by starring in CSI: Miami, but there’s a reason why it took so long for him to get a Hollywood comeback.
Caruso starred in the 1995 thriller Jade, which was dubbed a low point for ’90s cinema. Any chance Caruso had at becoming a bankable movie star was over before it began.
John Carter
In a similar manner, the same can be said for Taylor Kitsch following the box office flop John Carter.
To be fair, the movie is fantastic and was simply marketed poorly. However, Kitsch would never duplicate his success from Friday Night Lights. It didn’t help that he also starred in another box office dud: Battleship.
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Showgirls
Yet there’s no better example of ending a movie career before it began than Showgirls.
Despite gaining recognition for playing Jessie Spano on Saved by the Bell, the controversial Paul Verhoeven film exposed Elizabeth Berkley’s flaws as a lead actress.
The Love Guru
Mike Meyers, what happened? At one point, you were at the top of the comedy world, bursting onto the scene with Wayne’s World and Austin Powers.
While Meyers would still see plenty of success in bit supporting parts, as well as voicing Shrek over the years, The Love Guru destroyed his live-action comedy career.
Master of Disguise
Meyers isn’t the only SNL alum to ruin his comedy reputation.
Dana Carvey, ironically, his Wayne’s World co-star, rose to popularity thanks to his countless iconic impressions. Sadly, that talent wasn’t on display in Master of Disguise.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith
After playing Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, Hayden Christisan was unfairly labeled as a bad actor.
Thankfully, people are starting to come around, and he’s even portrayed the character for several shows on Disney+. It turns out the real problem was George Lucas’ writing all along.
Howard the Duck
If you’re wondering why Lea Thompson’s career never took off following the success of Back to the Future, I have three words for you: Howard the Duck.
MCU fans may only know him as the random character that appeared after the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, but real ones know him as the irrelevant Marvel character that inexplicably got his own movie in 1986. Yeah, it’s as bad as you remember it.
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker
You’d figure that being the lead character in a new Star Wars trilogy would set yourself up for success, right? Well, about that.
After the disaster that was Rise of Skywalker, Daisy Ridley has struggled to land leading roles following the box office bomb. “There weren’t that many offers coming in,” she said a few years ago at SXSW. It’s not that there wasn’t any… I remember finishing and thinking, ‘Oh, it’s quiet and strange.’”
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Are the newer Star Wars movies cursed? I’m not saying they are, but it’s possible.
Alden Ehrenreich was lucky enough to land the role of Han Solo in the 2018 prequel, but his career arguably halted before it ever took off. He’s since taken several minor roles over the years, but nothing close to as major as this one.
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Eddie Murphy was one of, if not the, biggest comedic stars in the 1990s. He was featured in several box office hits, but there’s an obvious turning point in his career.
2002’s infamous box office bomb, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, stopped Murphy’s career in its tracks. While he still found work in the immediate aftermath, his career was never the same again.
Batman & Robin
It seemed like Alicia Silverstone was set to enjoy a successful career after starring in 1995’s Clueless.
Any and all momentum, however, was cut off at the knees after starring in the trainwreck that was Batman & Robin. I don’t know how George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger came out of that thing unscathed. Chris O’Donnell never recovered, either.
Batman v Superman
Speaking of Batman films, Jesse Eisenberg, who played Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman, has stated the film’s negative reception affected his ability to land roles.
In the wake of the film failing to resonate with audiences, Eisenberg has spoken publicly about how his perforamnce as Lex Luthor hurt his career. Recently, he’s focused mor eon smaller films or work behind the camera, notably directing and wrtiting 2025’s award winning film A Real Pain.
After Earth
There were so many attempts to make Jaden Smith a household name, especially as he got older.
The flop After Earth, where Jaden co-stars with his father Will Smith, thankfully put an end to that.
Vice Versa
If you ever wondered why Judge Reinhold’s career, despite promise, is filled with supporting roles, look no further than 1988’s Vice Versa.
Don’t believe me? Hear it from the man himself! That was really the end of my highfalutin Hollywood career,” Reinhold would say. “That’s when the phone stopped ringing. I was very demanding, had an overblown image of who I was and got a reputation for being difficult. And rightfully so.”
American Pie
No, it’s not Shannon Elizabeth, but actually Sean William Scott! The poor guy could never shake the label of being Stiffler.
It’s ironic, too, as American Pie arguably helped launch the careers of both Jennifer Coolidge and Eugene Levy into the mainstream.
Cutthroat
Looking through Geena Davis’ filmography is awkward because it has you wondering why all she did for a decade after The Long Kiss Goodnight was Stuart Little.
The answer is Cutthroat Island, a movie that the Guinness World Records labeled as the biggest box-office bomb of all time.
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