The blacklist isn't just an Old Hollywood thing. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable 21st century actors whose roles began to dry up after falling out of favor in the entertainment industry.
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00:00 I just bought a Lamborghini.
00:02 And I was, "Ugh, I'm gonna have to give all this stuff back."
00:05 - Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:07 And today we're counting down our picks
00:09 for the top 10 modern actors who were blacklisted.
00:12 - Oh, I loved your movies.
00:14 I loved you in "Georgia Jungle."
00:16 I was four years old.
00:18 - For this list, we're looking at the most notable
00:20 21st century actors whose roles began to dry up
00:23 after falling out of favor in the entertainment industry.
00:26 Which of these stars would you like to see make a comeback?
00:29 Let us know in the comments below.
00:30 Number 10, Mira Sorvino.
00:34 For most working actors in Hollywood,
00:36 winning an Oscar is a lifelong dream
00:38 that many aren't fortunate to ever achieve.
00:41 Mira Sorvino, however, accomplished that
00:43 just a decade into her career
00:44 with 1995's "Mighty Aphrodite."
00:47 - I remember thinking to myself, "I like acting."
00:50 - While working on the film,
00:51 Sorvino crossed paths with disgraced producer
00:54 Harvey Weinstein, who allegedly harassed her.
00:57 The actress claims that after rejecting
00:59 the producer's advances,
01:00 he launched a smear campaign against her,
01:02 effectively blacklisting her in Hollywood.
01:04 These claims were seemingly confirmed in 2017
01:07 by "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson.
01:10 At the height of the Me Too movement,
01:12 Jackson revealed that Weinstein's company
01:14 had told him not to cast Sorvino and Ashley Judd,
01:17 who apparently also rebuffed the producer.
01:20 - It feels like a really good first step.
01:25 It's him finally facing real, real criminal consequences
01:30 for his criminal behavior.
01:31 - Number nine, Jim Caviezel.
01:33 The 2004 biblical epic "The Passion of the Christ"
01:36 was a huge success at the box office,
01:38 grossing over $600 million worldwide.
01:42 Despite this, it seemed to have done more harm
01:44 than good to the lead actor.
01:46 Jim Caviezel, who portrayed the titular religious figure,
01:49 claims that his acting career was nailed to a cross
01:51 after the movie was released.
01:53 (speaking in foreign language)
01:57 But apparently, that didn't come as much of a surprise to him.
02:02 Caviezel has stated that director Mel Gibson
02:04 warned him beforehand that the role
02:05 could potentially ruin his career prospects,
02:08 but he went along with it anyway.
02:10 - You smoking a cigarette?
02:11 And he goes, "Do you still wanna play this Jesus guy?
02:13 If you do, you may never work in this town again."
02:16 - Regardless of whatever repercussions he may have faced,
02:19 Caviezel still deems the experience
02:21 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
02:23 - Look, man, we're all called to carry our cross.
02:26 If you don't pick up and carry your cross,
02:28 you will be crushed by the weight of it.
02:30 - Number eight, Katherine Heigl.
02:32 Katherine Heigl gained international recognition
02:34 in the mid-2000s for her performance
02:36 as Izzy Stevens on "Grey's Anatomy."
02:38 - Take a deep breath.
02:39 If you could just take a deep breath.
02:41 - You're not a doctor.
02:42 - I'm Dr. Stevens, but you can call me Izzy.
02:44 - She also found success on the big screen
02:46 with rom-com flicks like "Knocked Up."
02:48 However, in an infamous 2007 "Vanity Fair" interview,
02:52 Heigl decried the portrayal of women in the film,
02:54 calling it, quote, "a little sexist."
02:57 - Do you think they're gonna be mad?
02:58 I'm like really chickening out about this.
03:01 - It's okay, we can hide this.
03:02 - The following year, she withdrew her name
03:05 from Emmy consideration for "Grey's Anatomy,"
03:07 which was received negatively by the show's producers.
03:10 Heigl's reputation was damaged by these events,
03:12 and her career took a hit.
03:14 She is, however, slowly making her comeback
03:17 with major roles in shows like "Suits" and "Firefly Lane."
03:20 - What am I gonna do without you?
03:23 - You've got your name on the ball,
03:24 you don't need me anymore.
03:25 - Number seven, Charlie Sheen.
03:28 - Just like old times, huh?
03:29 I'm talking and you're in a bottle ignoring me.
03:32 (audience laughing)
03:35 - There are very few working performers
03:37 who can brag about being the highest paid actor
03:40 on television.
03:41 In 2010, Charlie Sheen held that title
03:44 for his work on the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men."
03:46 - Do you think I've been a good role model?
03:48 - Are you kidding?
03:49 You drink, you gamble.
03:50 You have different women here practically every night.
03:53 You're the best role model a guy could want.
03:54 (audience laughing)
03:56 - You think so?
03:57 - But Sheen's personal life was plagued
03:59 by questionable actions that would ultimately lead
04:01 to his downfall.
04:02 In 2011, after production on the show was halted
04:05 to allow the actor to undergo rehab,
04:07 he publicly insulted "Two and a Half Men" creator,
04:10 Chuck Lorre, and demanded a 50% salary raise.
04:13 - "Two and a Half Men" creator, Chuck Lorre,
04:15 was embroiled in what appeared to be an explosive
04:18 public feud with the show's falling star.
04:20 This led to him being fired from the series
04:22 and replaced by Ashton Kutcher.
04:24 Although he has picked up a few roles since,
04:27 Sheen seems to be persona non grata
04:29 for many networks and production companies.
04:31 - I felt like he was my friend.
04:33 I really loved the guy.
04:35 - Number six, Roseanne Barr.
04:37 For nine years, Roseanne Barr enjoyed great success
04:40 as the star of her eponymous sitcom on ABC.
04:43 - Dan, I told you we shouldn't let DJ
04:44 have that chemistry set.
04:45 (audience laughing)
04:47 - After two decades off the air,
04:49 Roseanne was renewed for a 10th season
04:51 that became a ratings hit upon its premiere.
04:54 The series received an immediate renewal by the network,
04:56 only to be canceled just two months later.
04:59 This was due to a controversial tweet made by Barr
05:02 in which she described an African-American senior advisor
05:05 in the Obama administration
05:06 using apparently derogatory terms.
05:09 Barr was fired by ABC,
05:10 and the show was retooled into a spinoff
05:13 titled "The Conners," which went on without her.
05:15 The scandal has barred the actress
05:17 from getting any substantial work since.
05:19 - It's never too late.
05:20 - That's what they say, but it is.
05:23 (audience laughing)
05:24 - Number five, Stacey Dash.
05:26 In the 1990s, Stacey Dash was on track
05:29 to becoming a Hollywood teen star.
05:31 The New York-born actress rose to prominence
05:33 with her role in the 1995 film "Clueless,"
05:36 as well as its spinoff series.
05:38 - First thing I do is I put on my blinker.
05:40 Oh, wait.
05:41 - Dash's acting career has since stalled, however,
05:43 apparently as a result of her conservative views.
05:46 - Either we wanna have segregation or integration,
05:49 and if we don't want segregation,
05:50 then we need to get rid of channels like BET.
05:53 - The actress drew sharp criticism
05:55 after voicing her opposition to Black History Month
05:58 and making remarks that were deemed transphobic.
06:00 According to Dash, these opinions drew the ire
06:03 of Hollywood executives who, quote,
06:05 "basically blacklisted her."
06:07 In 2021, the actress apologized for her, quote,
06:10 "angry political tone in the past,"
06:12 but the plea appears to have had a limited effect
06:15 on her career downturn.
06:16 - That anger is unsustainable, and it will destroy you.
06:21 What people don't know is that I made a lot of mistakes
06:24 because of that anger.
06:25 - Number four, Thora Birch.
06:27 You may remember her for her starring roles
06:29 in the critically acclaimed films
06:30 "American Beauty" and "Ghost World."
06:32 Yes, once upon a time, Thora Birch received
06:35 overwhelming praise from critics
06:37 and seemed to have a very promising career ahead of her.
06:39 - My name's Ricky.
06:40 I just moved next door to you.
06:42 - I know.
06:44 - I kind of remember this really creepy incident
06:46 where you were filming me last night.
06:48 - But as the years progressed,
06:50 Birch didn't seem to be meeting those expectations,
06:52 and it wasn't for a lack of trying.
06:54 - The beginning of the '90s with "Hocus Pocus,"
06:57 to the end of the '90s, shooting "American Beauty,"
06:59 it was almost like being in a different decade.
07:01 - In 2010, Birch was cast
07:03 in an off-Broadway revival of "Dracula,"
07:06 but was summarily fired during rehearsals.
07:08 Allegedly, this was because her father and then-manager
07:12 had physically threatened one of the other cast members.
07:14 The incident left a stain on Birch's career
07:16 that she has been unable to shake off since.
07:19 - Well, I can't relate to humanity either,
07:21 but I don't think it's completely hopeless.
07:23 - Well, it's not completely hopeless for you.
07:26 - Number three, Brendan Fraser.
07:28 - Think about that as you write and revise.
07:31 Think about the truth of your argument.
07:33 - In 2022, Brendan Fraser starred as Charlie
07:37 in Darren Aronofsky's psychological drama "The Whale."
07:40 He garnered critical acclaim for his performance in the film
07:42 and ultimately won the Oscar for Best Actor.
07:45 "The Whale" was hailed as Fraser's comeback to the big screen
07:48 after a lengthy career lull.
07:50 Indeed, back in the late '90s and early 2000s,
07:53 Fraser was one of Hollywood's leading men,
07:55 taking on starring roles in films
07:57 like "George of the Jungle" and "The Mummy Trilogy."
08:00 - Then what happened?
08:01 (Fraser squawks)
08:04 Tell George point.
08:05 - However, Fraser came forward with allegations
08:08 that he had been assaulted by the former president
08:10 of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
08:12 It's believed that this incident had something to do
08:15 with the actor getting blacklisted by the industry.
08:17 - People are having a transformational,
08:19 emotional experience to see this film.
08:22 - For sure.
08:22 - And I think it's doing a lot of good.
08:24 - I agree, I agree.
08:25 - Number two, Mel Gibson.
08:27 - I will invade England
08:29 and defeat the English on their own ground.
08:31 - Hollywood actor, director, and producer Mel Gibson
08:33 has had his fair share of controversies over the years,
08:36 but the one that seemed to cause the largest dent
08:39 in his career was his infamous 2006 arrest.
08:42 On July 28th, Gibson was pulled over in Los Angeles
08:45 for driving under the influence.
08:47 After being detained, the actor launched into a tirade
08:50 of anti-Semitic and misogynistic remarks.
08:52 The arrest report was later obtained by tabloid site TMZ
08:56 and leaked to the public.
08:57 This, combined with his numerous other scandals,
09:00 led to Gibson essentially being shunned by Hollywood.
09:03 - ABC America today canceled a Holocaust miniseries
09:07 it had planned to make with Gibson's production company.
09:09 - His status in the industry would remain this way
09:12 for nearly a decade, until he seemingly made a comeback
09:15 with his 2016 Oscar-winning film, "Hacksaw Ridge."
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09:33 Number one, Monique.
09:37 Prior to 2009, Monique was mostly known
09:40 as a standup comedian and comedy actress.
09:42 - Just gotta be careful how you do things.
09:45 - But that all changed when she starred
09:47 in the Lee Daniels film, "Precious."
09:49 Her turn as the profane mother of the titular character
09:52 earned rave reviews and won her the Oscar
09:54 for best supporting actress.
09:56 - I think right now you feeling
09:57 like you becoming a grown woman.
09:59 - Despite the film's significant success,
10:01 it appeared to shut the door
10:02 on any further achievements for her in the industry.
10:05 According to Monique, her refusal to do additional promotion
10:09 for the film caused tension with producers,
10:11 which led to her being labeled as difficult to work with.
10:14 Since then, the actress claims that her opportunities
10:17 in the industry have declined.
10:19 These claims, however, have been refuted by Daniels,
10:22 the film's director.
10:23 - And when people said,
10:24 "Monique, do you think calling a boycott was extreme?
10:27 You damn right, but isn't inequality extreme?"
10:31 - Do you agree with our picks?
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