It's hard to bounce back from movies this bad. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today weβre looking at box office bombs that blew up acting careers in the blast. While some of these actors have since rebounded, the impact of these bombs can still be felt.
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00:00Pain is the touchstone of growth.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at box office bombs that blew up acting careers
00:07in the blast.
00:08While some of these actors have since rebounded, the impact of these bombs can still be felt.
00:12Two million dollars!
00:14That's a lot of cheese.
00:18Number 30, Halle Berry, Catwoman.
00:21Catwoman.
00:22You heard of her?
00:24Oh yeah, ha.
00:25Despite her historic Oscar win, Halle Berry noted in 2024 that her options are sometimes
00:30limited, citing a shortage of good roles for black women.
00:33Her career and the entertainment landscape might look different had Catwoman been a better
00:38film.
00:39Following Eartha Kitt's pawprints, Berry was the first black actress to portray Catwoman
00:43in a multi-million dollar film.
00:51A trailblazing opportunity was squandered with an awful script that was more sexist
00:55than empowering.
00:56Berry handled the critical and financial failure in stride, accepting her Razzie for Worst
01:00Actress.
01:01Nearly 20 years later though, Berry can still taste this hairball.
01:05Her most high-profile work since then has primarily been as part of an ensemble, while
01:09her lead roles have fallen short of her potential.
01:20Number 29, Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct 2.
01:32Catwoman didn't do Sharon Stone any favors either, but the long-delayed sequel took an
01:37ice pick to her career.
01:38The original 1992 hit propelled Stone to the summit of the Hollywood hierarchy.
01:43Basic Instinct 2 brought things full circle, and not in a good way.
01:52By 2006, nobody was asking for Catherine Tramiel's return, so why does this film exist?
01:58Well, the director was desperate for work, Stone had a pay-or-play contract, and the
02:02studio figured it made more sense to make a movie than to just give away money.
02:05Not when this is the result, however.
02:07While Stone still finds work in TV and smaller films, Basic Instinct 2 officially revoked
02:12her A-list status.
02:13She could use a studio like A24 to revive it.
02:19Number 28, Maxwell Caulfield, Grease 2.
02:29According to Dede Cohn, one of the few stars to appear in both Grease films, Paramount
02:34initially rejected the idea of a sequel.
02:36After the musical became a box-office sensation, the studio had a change of tune.
02:40By that point, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John were no longer available.
02:44Instead, we got Maxwell Caulfield playing Michael Carrington, the Australian Sandy's
02:49British cousin.
02:58Although Caulfield thought the role would make him the next John Travolta, the disastrous
03:02box-office returns would stall his career for years.
03:05Co-star Michelle Pfeiffer might have met the same fate, had it not been for next year's
03:09While Caulfield has come to embrace the sequel's cult following, the reception upon release
03:14hit him like a bucket of cold water.
03:22Number 27, Faye Dunaway, Supergirl.
03:30Faye Dunaway was among the definitive faces during the New Hollywood movement.
03:34Dunaway's fame took a dive as that movement came to a close in the 80s.
03:38Some might point to Mommy Dearest as her career killer, but at least that notorious film made
03:41a profit.
03:42The same can't be said about Supergirl, which cast Dunaway as the villainous Selina.
03:54Although she didn't play the titular lead, Dunaway is still the name most people associate
03:58with a super-sized turkey.
04:00Dunaway wasn't the happiest camper on set, wanting to bring more comedy to her performance.
04:05Actor Jeannot Jouarc shot Dunaway down, insisting she play the straight person.
04:09In an ironic turn, audiences would laugh at Dunaway's performance, but not in the way
04:13she might have hoped for.
04:18Number 26, Eddie Murphy, A Thousand Words.
04:30For every flop, Eddie Murphy usually had several hits around the corner.
04:33His ability to pack theaters dwindled as the 21st century raged on.
04:37A Thousand Words, which was delayed multiple times, proved to be the last straw.
04:49You'd be hard-pressed to find a single critic with something positive to say about the film.
04:53While Murphy has often divided critics, audiences didn't show up either, with the comedy barely
04:58making back half its budget.
05:00The film was dumped straight to video in the UK, foreshadowing Murphy's career turn.
05:04Almost all of his movies since then have been streaming exclusives.
05:08Although some of those films have performed well, A Thousand Words officially killed Murphy's
05:12reign as a box office king, aside from maybe animated projects.
05:20Number 25, Jaden Smith, After Earth.
05:29Jaden Smith was a charming child actor, but After Earth would test his bankability as
05:33a teenage lead.
05:34His father, Will, would come along for the ride, albeit in a supporting role with his
05:38usual charisma dialed down.
05:40Even at Will's most subdued, Jaden's performance here came off whiny and disinterested.
05:51Jaden doesn't deserve all the blame, getting saddled with such awkward dialogue.
05:54As the only actor on screen for much of the runtime, After Earth might have asked too
05:58much of somebody so young.
06:00Being the star though, Jaden endured most of the backlash attached to the film's poor
06:04reception.
06:05Only appearing in a handful of movies since, Jaden is better known for his music, social
06:09media presence, and, well, being Will and Jada's kid.
06:21Number 24, Ezra Miller, The Flash.
06:29Given their off-screen shenanigans, one could argue that Ezra Miller's career had already
06:33stopped dead in its tracks.
06:35The bottom line is what matters most in Hollywood, however.
06:38Had The Flash been a commercial success, the industry might have granted Miller a free
06:41pass, or several.
06:43Even with the negative buzz surrounding Miller, The Flash bombed harder than anyone could
06:47have imagined.
06:50Although superhero fatigue was a factor, there's no denying that Miller's behavior also alienated
06:55audiences while giving Warner Bros' PR department a splitting headache.
06:59Miller is still young and could turn their life around in the future.
07:01You can't outrun the past though, and it's safe to assume that this will be the last
07:05time Miller headlines a roughly $200 million production.
07:12Number 23, Steven Seagal, Half Past Dead.
07:21By the early 2000s, this fading action star had begun the transition from mainstream theatrical
07:26releases to the dreaded direct-to-video bargain bin.
07:30After 2001's Exit Wounds performed modestly at the box office, some thought there might
07:34still be life in Steven Seagal's career.
07:36Only one year later, the industry found that Seagal's time in the spotlight was Half Past
07:41Dead.
07:42Hey, the title said it all!
07:49While any film opening against Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was going to face
07:52an uphill battle, Half Past Dead barely cracked the top five on its first weekend and quickly
07:57disappeared from theaters.
07:58So did Seagal, who's been churning out almost nothing but home video productions for over
08:02two decades.
08:07Number 22, Greta Garbo, Two-Faced Woman.
08:18Beginning her career in Sweden, Greta Garbo quickly found fame in Hollywood.
08:22She made another successful transition from silent films to talkies, becoming a staple
08:26of Hollywood's golden age.
08:27Following the box office disaster that was 1937's Conquest, an article would deem Garbo
08:32and several others, box office poison.
08:35Garbo's Oscar-nominated turn in Ninichka suggested otherwise two years later.
08:401941's Two-Faced Woman ended Garbo's career though, becoming another commercial and critical
08:45failure.
08:46Her contract with MGM concluded shortly after.
08:55While Garbo received other offers and expressed interest in returning to the screen, this
08:58would ultimately be her final film.
09:01Garbo went on to live a private life.
09:02Even when the Academy granted her an honorary Oscar years later, she decided against accepting
09:07it in person.
09:15Number 21, Clinton Spillsbury, The Legend of the Lone Ranger.
09:27The Lone Ranger seems to be a cursed role, in movies at least.
09:30The abuse allegations were the final nail in the coffin for Armie Hammer, although his
09:34turn as the masked hero previously derailed his chances of being a superstar.
09:38Meanwhile, Clinton Spillsbury's career ended before it even started.
09:42Spillsbury found himself caught in the middle of a legal dispute between the studio and
09:46the original Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore.
09:48Regardless, Spillsbury already viewed himself as a star and wanted everyone to know it.
09:53Spillsbury didn't have the talent to back up his ego, delivering a performance so uneven
09:57that the filmmakers redubbed his lines.
09:59If the film's horrendous box office didn't kill Spillsbury's career, the reputation
10:03he garnered on set would have.
10:13Number 20, Dennis Rodman, Simon Says.
10:20Dennis Rodman's NBA talent was undeniable, but his work in film was relatively short-lived.
10:26After making Double Team with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rodman tried leading the action
10:30movie Simon Says.
10:31In this film, the audience is supposed to buy that the athlete is an Interpol agent,
10:36but neither Rodman's job title or his acting is remotely believable.
10:50The actor's low-energy performance doesn't really vibe with the high-octane action sequences.
10:55Additionally, he has zero chemistry with cast members like Dane Cook.
10:59When Rodman's lack of skills were combined with the baffling plot, the movie became an
11:02airball at the box office.
11:04Although he appeared in a couple of films later on, Rodman's career as a leading man
11:08was over after this bomb.
11:16Number 19, Gene Kelly, Xanadu.
11:26After spending decades becoming known as one of the most talented Hollywood triple threats,
11:30Gene Kelly skated into a role in Xanadu.
11:33The movie tried to cram disco themes, Greek mythology, and a nightclub into one flashy
11:38package.
11:39It's not surprising to see why this plot didn't exactly resonate with most audiences.
11:43Admittedly, Kelly's joyful presence is a welcome addition to the movie, but he couldn't
11:54save the overall film.
11:56Whether it was the bold aesthetics or the otherworldly story, the musical failed to
12:00garner much love.
12:01The awfully-reviewed title even helped inspire the infamous Razzie Awards that shamed bad
12:06movies.
12:07Unfortunately, the legendary star wasn't able to step out of the shadow of this misfire
12:11musical before he retired from Hollywood.
12:18Number 18, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, From Justin to Kelly.
12:31After Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini became the first winner and runner-up respectively
12:36of American Idol, executives wanted to see if the singers could be movie stars too.
12:42Although the two were more than ready to do concerts, they didn't quite have the acting
12:45chops for movies yet.
12:46It didn't help that they were stuck in an extremely cliched story about a will-they-won't-they
12:51romance that starts during spring break.
13:05In the end, the movie lost big at the box office.
13:08The company didn't even bother releasing a studio album of the soundtrack.
13:12Both members of the duo thankfully pivoted to successful careers afterwards.
13:16Although they each get the occasional acting role, we don't expect a Justin to Kelly sequel
13:20anytime soon.
13:29Number 17, Julia Sweeney, It's Pat.
13:39During the early 1990s, Julia Sweeney was a prominent cast member on Saturday Night
13:43Live.
13:44One of her most notable roles saw her play the androgynous character Pat.
13:48For some reason, execs thought the character needed their own feature-length film.
13:52The bulk of the plot revolves around people trying to figure out Pat's gender identity.
14:05If that doesn't sound like a comedy to you, then you should know that critics and audiences
14:09agreed.
14:10It grossed less than $100,000 on an $8 million budget.
14:14While Sweeney was able to pick up small roles in film and TV after the flop, it took nearly
14:18a decade for her to become a series regular on a show again.
14:28Number 16, Lori Petty, Tank Girl.
14:39Lori Petty might look familiar to fans of the sports classic A League of Their Own.
14:43After starring as supporting character Kit Keller, she got to play the lead in Tank Girl.
14:47Unfortunately for the actress, this comic book adaptation didn't end up being the ideal
14:52star vehicle.
14:53This is definitely a case where Petty gave a solid and fun performance.
14:57However, the terrible plot and baffling production decisions made Tank Girl a tonally strange
15:02sci-fi epic.
15:09The bizarre narrative kept viewers away and ensured the movie couldn't earn back its
15:13budget.
15:14This setback discouraged Hollywood from casting Petty in big-ticket films.
15:18Fortunately, she eventually found success on TV on shows like Orange is the New Black.
15:23Number 15, Shaquille O'Neal, Steel.
15:30Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most charismatic celebrities around.
15:33However, his good nature doesn't often translate into excellent acting performances.
15:38In one of O'Neal's worst attempts, he starred as the superhero Steel.
15:42While the script's dialogue and characters admittedly didn't do him many favors, his
15:46performance seriously weighed the project down.
15:49Most of O'Neal's lines are delivered with the exact same tone and emotion.
16:01Although the shots he takes at himself can be funny, the flashes of humor aren't enough
16:05to keep Steel going.
16:06The poor box office returns and bad reviews deflated O'Neal's chances as a leading
16:11man.
16:12In addition, he's often only brought off the acting bench to make cameos.
16:19Number 14, Chris Klein, Rollerball.
16:31In the 1990s, Chris Klein achieved mainstream acting success in successful comedies such
16:37as American Pie.
16:38His good-natured demeanor shaped his early filmography, but he attempted to open up his
16:42career to different roles with a role in Rollerball.
16:45Serving as a remake of the 1970s sci-fi classic, the 2002 version attempts to update the tale
16:51of extreme sports with mixed results.
16:54It was dismissed for diluting the more intricate satire of the original and leaving stars like
16:58Klein with barely anything to work with.
17:08The film wasn't able to make half of its budget back either.
17:11While Klein's star faded a bit after wiping out with Rollerball, he was able to race back
17:15into consistent TV and movie roles a few years later.
17:25Number 13, Geena Davis, Cutthroat Island.
17:38Winning an Academy Award and starring in commercial films in the 80s and early 90s, Geena Davis
17:43was a sure-fire choice to star in Cutthroat Island in 1995.
17:46The swashbuckling adventure story partnered Davis up with Matthew Medine in a big-budget
17:51production.
17:52Sequences in the middle of the decade were not compelled by the material and it became
17:56a historic box office bomb.
18:03Despite the talent and money on display, this pirate movie proved to be a substantial setback
18:07in the actor's career.
18:09The next few years saw less roles for her as an above-the-title star, positioning her
18:13as a supporting actor instead.
18:15Next to a few parts in television, she started working in the 2000s to promote female representation
18:19in media.
18:27Number 12, Lindsay Lohan, I Know Who Killed Me.
18:38Lindsay Lohan got her start as a child actor with successful performances like The Parent
18:43Trap.
18:44After transitioning into successful roles in her teenage years with movies like Mean
18:47Girls, it looked like she was set to take off.
18:50But one of the movies that stalled her career trajectory was I Know Who Killed Me.
18:55Years after playing identical twins in a family film, Lohan was set to portray siblings in
18:59a much darker thriller mystery.
19:01But the indecipherable plot and her uneven performances earned the movie terrible reviews.
19:12Lohan struggled to re-establish her reputation as a great actress in comparatively smaller
19:16roles.
19:17Her last role in 2022's Falling for Christmas was a sign to many that she might finally
19:22regain her former glory.
19:27Number 11, Cuba Gooding Jr., Boat Trip.
19:37Throughout the 1990s, Cuba Gooding Jr. established himself as a multi-talented artist with Oscar-winning
19:43performances and blockbuster roles.
19:46But he veered into choppy acting waters in the early 2000s by starring in vehicles like
19:50Boat Trip.
19:52This vacation comedy had potential and a stacked cast.
19:55However, the plot is built upon lazy jokes, an extremely problematic romantic subplot,
20:00and a ton of cheap stereotypes about the LGBTQ plus community.
20:10The failure of this movie was followed by a series of bad film choices throughout the
20:13decade.
20:14After making it through a rocky portion of his career, Gooding Jr. was set to make a
20:18comeback after his notable turn as O.J. Simpson.
20:28But his legal troubles make a full return to form unlikely.
20:32Number 10, Dana Carvey, The Master of Disguise.
20:36Nearly a decade after leaving SNL, Dana Carvey got a chance to be the star of his own feature.
20:46The film showed off his talent for impressions, but it received negative reactions for its
20:50childish jokes and a less than convincing storyline.
20:53Carvey's abilities were stretched out into a movie that sometimes ranks among the worst
20:57comedies of its kind.
21:04Even with its limited financial success, The Master of Disguise was the comedian's last
21:08role before a lengthy film hiatus.
21:10He instead shifted his attention to his family and stand-up in the meantime.
21:14Other than the occasional appearance on late-night television or podcasts, the performer rarely
21:18acts in movies outside of voice work.
21:28Number 9, Madonna, Swept Away.
21:31The Italian film Swept Away by Lina Wirtmuller received a 21st century update courtesy of
21:36director Guy Ritchie.
21:47The movie focuses on the story of two complete opposites surviving on a deserted island together.
21:52Playing the part of a snobby rich woman, Madonna was heavily criticized for her appearance
21:56in the love story.
22:02Given that the singer and Ritchie were married at the time, there was even more spotlight
22:06on the two artists during that period.
22:08Some people noted that the film was inferior to the original, along with the performer's
22:11character being a divisive anti-hero.
22:21The remake ended up being one of her last live-action roles, turning her attention back
22:24to music and touring in the years since.
22:27Number 8, Tom Green, Freddy Got Fingered.
22:31It's hard to believe that a movie called Freddy Got Fingered was released to the general
22:35public.
22:42Directed by, written by, and starring Tom Green, the film was a provocative comedy with
22:46some truly controversial jokes.
22:49Green had momentary attention from this film and other projects, such as his MTV show,
22:54but the reaction to the former halted any major career progress.
23:05While much of his comedy from that period has developed a cult following, he's mainly
23:08steered towards his own stand-up and more talk shows in the intervening years.
23:13Green has yet to return to the level of stardom he achieved in the early 2000s.
23:24Number 7, Alicia Silverstone, Batman & Robin.
23:28Batman & Robin wasn't kind to any of its main stars, including Alicia Silverstone.
23:43She had built up a reputation for her charismatic turn in Clueless, and was touted to be another
23:47huge star.
23:49After the release of the most panned Batman film ever, Silverstone started to disappear
23:53from larger Hollywood productions.
23:55Her appearance as Batgirl didn't inspire confidence in filmmakers at the time, earning
23:59her a Razzie Award and a mixed reception for the role.
24:12Films like Blast from the Past and Scooby-Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed offered her supporting
24:16parts through the end of the 90s and 2000s.
24:19Participating in theatre, the actor also spent the next few decades exploring different artistic
24:24avenues.
24:37Number 6, Carrot Top, Chairman of the Board.
24:40Believe it or not, Carrot Top is widely known as a premier prop comic.
24:55His rise to fame in the 90s spawned several TV appearances and this film.
24:59Chairman of the Board captures the performer's wackiness in a movie that didn't go over
25:03well with audiences.
25:04With bizarre casting choices including Raquel Welch, the strange plot about an inventor
25:09taking over a corporation failed to connect on a comedic level.
25:20The movie didn't even crack a million dollars at the box office, unable to transplant Carrot
25:24Top's success into the film world.
25:26Instead of taking a starring role in another project, he focused on his live comedy and
25:31developed a show in Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel.
25:40Number 5, Warren Beatty, Town & Country.
25:51Although Warren Beatty's status as an A-list star is indisputable, his stellar career isn't
25:56without a few duds.
25:57The rom-com Town & Country stands as his biggest flop yet.
26:01This film had an incredible cast that included the likes of Charlton Heston and Goldie Hawn.
26:06Unfortunately, not a single one of the acting heavyweights in the movie could make it compelling
26:10to watch.
26:16Neither the physical comedy or wordplay could inspire as much as a giggle either.
26:21Beatty was absent from movie theaters for a decade and a half following this release.
26:25After that long gap in filmography, he was able to return to the big screen with a passion
26:29project called Rules Don't Apply.
26:36Number 4, Taylor Kitsch, John Carter.
26:39John Carter was set to be a huge Disney live-action epic.
26:52Instead of breaking records in a good way, the movie was among the biggest failures of
26:55its kind.
26:56The film's star, Taylor Kitsch, could have likely gone on to greater success, but this
27:00disastrous release stalled his trajectory as a future box office star.
27:13He reappeared in films like Lone Survivor, but it seemed like the fallout from the sci-fi
27:17adventure had dashed any chances of him attaining leading man status.
27:21Many plans for a sequel were also ditched, despite original plans to the contrary.
27:25Kitsch has found more success in television since John Carter, whereas his future in cinema
27:29remains unclear.
27:34Number 3, Jamie Kennedy, Son of the Mask.
27:44Jamie Kennedy was never a massive star, but he received several chances to reach a bigger
27:48audience.
27:58After his role in Scream and his own prank show, this part in Son of the Mask was a big
28:02break for him as a potential comedy star.
28:04Instead of capturing the spirit of the original, the film was a jumbled mix of endless gags
28:08without the edge of Jim Carrey's presence.
28:11Audiences largely steered away from the spinoff and its lack of genuine star power.
28:15Kennedy took on a significant amount of criticism, and after the film, his opportunities in Hollywood
28:20seemed to largely fade away.
28:21He's managed to pave his own path in lesser-known movies, but this critical failure was a negative
28:26flashpoint for his career.
28:34Number 2, Mike Myers, The Love Guru.
28:43In the 90s, Mike Myers was synonymous with hilarious comedy in both television and film.
28:51The actor finished out his spy trilogy, Austin Powers, in the early 2000s, later focusing
28:56on an original idea called The Love Guru.
28:58The result was one of Myers' biggest critical and commercial misfires.
29:03Parodying Bollywood cinema, the movie doesn't have the same fresh energy as Myers' previous
29:07work.
29:08Ineffective and unflattering for the star, the project didn't impress audiences.
29:12The resulting effect dulled the actor's hold on Hollywood and compelled him to take
29:15a step back from leading roles.
29:17He's slowly climbing out of this less-successful period, having developed his own Netflix series
29:21called The Pentaverate.
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29:45Number 1 β Elizabeth Berkley β Showgirls
29:59Saved by the Bell introduced Elizabeth Berkley to the world in the late 80s.
30:08By the time the show ended in the mid-90s, it was fair to say that the actor wanted to
30:12take a dramatic leap forward into films.
30:15Her opportunity came with the making of Paul Verhoeven's panned film, Showgirls.
30:19Instead of being a gritty look into the life of a dancer, the project comes off like a
30:23parody of itself.
30:26Berkley's performance was widely derided along with the rest of the production.
30:36While it wasn't entirely her fault, the film left a stain on her future as a leading woman.
30:42Some supporting parts allowed the performer to continue her career,
30:44but this was the last recognizable role for her.
30:54Are there any actors you'd like to see make a comeback? Let us know in the comments.
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