Actors Who Saw Their Careers Plunge After a Single Misstep

One terrible film role can end your career in Hollywood forever. Or basically forever. That's what happened to these 12 actors whose careers nosedived after a bad role. Click through the slideshow to find out more.

Ezra Miller

Ezra Miller played the Flash in "Justice League" (2017) and "The Flash" (2023) but isn't expected to play the character again. A mix of the poor performance of "The Flash" and his drama and actions has limited his career. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie scored a 63% on the Tomatometer.

Shannen Doherty

It takes one bad film or show to ruin your career, which is what happened to Shannen Doherty. Although successful in "Beverly Hills, 90210," her film career was halted after starring in "Mallrats." This film received mixed reviews. Critics were especially harsh.

Noah Ringer

Who remembers "The Last Airbender," released in 2010? This terrible live-action version of the popular animated series was a huge flop. It basically ended Noah Ringer's acting career. His only other film role was in "Cowboys & Aliens."

Sofia Coppola

Some actors don't even want to be actors. This was the case for Sofia Coppola, whose film career was criticized after her role in "The Godfather: Part III." Now, she's a successful director who directed "Marie Antoinette" and "On the Rocks ."

Greta Garbo

Can one movie flop so bad it fully ruins your career? This is the case for Greta Garbo, who after filming "Two-Faced Woman," retired. She never filmed another movie again after the negative reviews kept coming.

Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley's career was on the rise after playing Jessie Spano in the "Saved by the Bell." Still, when she starred in the controversial film "Showgirls," her fame was never the same.

Mike Myers

Mike Myers is hilarious. No one is denying that. However, as funny as he is, the 2000s weren't the best for this actor, at least not outside of voice roles. Quite a few Mike Myers movies received negative reviews, including "Cat in the Hat" and "The Love Guru."

Meg Ryan

Success and fame are temporary. Meg Ryan starred in countless romantic comedies towards the start of her career, like "Sleepless in Seattle." However, when she shifted to a different genre, thriller, her reach wasn't the same. "In the Cut" did horrible, receiving a 34% on the Popcornmeter.

Jaden Smith

Will Smith, a legend in the acting industry, pushed his son, Jaden, to act early. But he wasn't ready. After starring in "The Karate Kid" in 2010, a just 'okay' film, he took a longish break. While continuing to act, the films are nowhere near as large as "The Karate Kid."

Maxwell Caulfield

Although a fun movie, "Grease 2" was nowhere near as loved as the first Grease film. It may have also crushed Maxwell Caulfield's film career, as he didn't land many major roles after. Instead, he was a TV star playing Miles Colby in "Dynasty" and "The Colbys."

Dana Carvey

Dana Carvey has a similar story to Mike Myers. This hilarious actor and stand-up comedian worked on Saturday Night Live for seven seasons, but his career came to an end with the terrible, "The Master of Disguise." It's one of the few films to manage to score a small 1% on the Tomatometer.

Taylor Kitsch

It's hard to stay relevant when you've been in the film and TV industry for years. Taylor Kitsch was a teen heartthrob, starring in shows like "Friday Night Lights." But what happened after? Well, he went on to star in "John Carter," a poorly received movie. While he continues to act, he hasn't reached the same fame as before.

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