15 Actors Hollywood refuses to cast anymore

Having a career in Hollywood comes with many sacrifices in one's life. Hence, a successful career is quite uncertain for many actors and actresses. The reasons for the refusal to cast some actors could range from bad behavior on set to legal or criminal charges or just aging, in the case of many women in the industry. Surviving here is an extraordinarily grueling task; sometimes, even a single wrong move makes a difference in an actor's career, no matter how talented they are.

Here is a list of actors and actresses who once had a promising career but now struggle to find jobs in Hollywood.

15) Mel Gibson

During the '80s and '90s, Mel Gibson used to be one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. His early days are filled with public freak-out incidents. But the incident that got him banned happened in 2006 when he was arrested for DUI. He went on an anti-semitic rant, which became a global news, resulting in his ban. Even a comeback with an Oscar-nominated film, Hacksaw Ridge, couldn't help with his career.

14) Kirk Cameron

Kirk Cameron came to Hollywood as a child actor and appeared on various TV shows and films. But the most notable character he played was in the show Growing Pains as Mike Seaver. He has also appeared in films such as Like Father Like Son and Listen To Me. However, his career started going downhill when he started speaking publicly about radical Christian views. Currently, Cameron is not even remembered as an actor anymore. He is more on the news because of his controversial views on religion, homosexuality, and the like.

13) Terrence Howard

Almost everyone will know Terrence Howard from great films like Crash and Hustle and Flow. But as his life got embroiled in domestic abuse allegations and personal struggles, his career started declining. The studios were not ready to risk their reputation and put money on the actors. And thus, his Hollywood career could not reach its height.

12) Freddie Prinze Jr.

This is one of those artists whose life as an actor has not come to a premature end because of one scandal or the other that brought reputations shattering with criminal cases attached to them. His memories mostly consist of movies during the 90s, such as the I Know What You Did Last Summer series, and he became an American heartthrob when referred to his role in the teen romcom She's All That. However, after stringing several box-office flops together, he was subsequently dropped from studios for not being bankable enough. He has since returned, but his main focus remains voice acting and writing.

11) Meg Ryan

The leading lady of classic rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail, Meg Ryan was Hollywood's girl next door. However, her career started declining in 2000 after her highly publicized divorce with Dennis Quaid. Later, her relationship with Russel Crowe affected her public image negatively. Another reason for her diminishing career could be the decline of romantic comedies being produced in Hollywood. To try to revive her career, she directed and acted in a movie called Ithaca in 2015, which eventually failed.

10) Taylor Lautner

The Twilight movies gave us many young and promising actors, one of them being Taylor Lautner. He played the character of Jacob Black. He struggled to continue the success he earned with Twilight after the franchise ended. Since then, he has appeared in projects like Tracers, Home Team, and Cuckoo, which failed to grab viewers' attention.

9) Isaiah Washington

Isaiah Washington is a Hollywood veteran and has various TV shows and movie credits in his belt. But the one role by which fans remember him would be Preston Burke from Grey's Anatomy. But due to using a homophobic slur against a castmate, he was banned from the show. That was not all, as when the show won a Golden Globe award, he used the same slur. Although his career is not entirely over, as he has appeared in a recurring role in The 100, it is far from what it could have been.

7) Brandon Fraser

Brendan Fraser has not become an Academy Award winner for free, though. The Mummy actor was one of the shining stars in the 90s. However, in the 2000s, he saw his very promising career dwindle as he all but disappeared from the big screen. Fraser blamed the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk, for this. The actor claimed that his brave attempt to speak openly about being a sexual assault victim might have affected his career negatively. He also admits that there may have been other reasons at play but thinks this might be the deciding factor.

8) Mischa Barton

Mischa Barton has faced a series of challenges while working in Hollywood. The British-American actress was arrested in 2007 for driving under the influence. In another incident in 2007, she was hospitalized after a very public breakdown. This incident made Hollywood hesitant to hire her as mental health is still considered taboo in the industry. Barton stated she had trouble dealing with fame, especially in her early twenties. The sounds of cameras also lead to a panic attack.

6) Lindsay Lohan

Child actors like Lindsay Lohan, who grew up in the industry, do not have it easy. Lohan was one of the top actors, even when she was just a child. But her life is full of incidents like substance abuse, unprofessional behavior on set, etc., that made Hollywood ban her. The last few years have seen Lohan moving away from the limelight, first to London and then Dubai. The actress said that she no longer stays in the limelight because of the intense media and paparazzi attention. However, she returned to her acting career with a cameo in the 2023 remake of Mean Girls: The Musical and a two-movie deal with Netflix.

5) Katherine Heigl

The actress who was immensely adored by audiences was none other than Katherine Heigl for portraying Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey's Anatomy. Heigl's fight with Grey's Anatomy showrunner Shonda Rhimes was a conflict that eventually broke out behind the scenes. As per reports, she is considered tough to work with, so rarely is she ever seen on screen anymore. Apart from that, a string of box-office flops might also have added to the growing discontentment towards Heigl.

4) Amanda Bynes

Another actor who had a troubled life but a promising career was Amanda Bynes. Her run-ins with the law started off in 2012 when she got arrested for drunk driving, only to pile up charges that seemed never-ending: from having accidents and leaving the scene to driving with a suspended license, she had them all. Later on, Amanda was diagnosed as a patient with bipolar disorder-and that proved to be the real reason she had all that peculiar behavior going on with her.

3) Shia LaBeouf

With a breakthrough role in Disney's Even Stevens, Shia LaBeouf's growth in Hollywood was swift. He has starred in big films like Transformers and Indiana Jones. It is rather unfortunate for LaBeouf that he has faced the brunt of several major media controversies. From public tirades to arrest, feuding, and even accusations of assault, LaBeouf has changed his status in society from a sweet Disney darling to a recluse in Hollywood.

2) Megan Fox

Megan Fox became famous rather quickly overnight with her first appearance in the movie Transformers; however, her outspoken attitude, along with some of her notable, controversial comments, outspoken attitude made the industry uncomfortable. Before the #MeToo movement even started, Fox had spoken out against the misogyny and sexism raging in Hollywood. She also criticized workplaces for poor behavior. Fox had said she was ridiculed for talking about this issue years ago.

1) Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen once held the title of America's highest-paid television actor for his stint in Two and a Half Men. Sheen went through a public meltdown and engaged in a bitter feud with the show's creator, Chuck Lorre, which got him fired. In the year 2021, Sheen told Yahoo! Entertainment that his behavior back in the year 2011 was desperately juvenile. He also almost claimed that he would have been better off accepting the advice of the then-CEO of CBS, Les Moonves, who told him to go to rehab. Though Sheen tried for a comeback with Anger Management, the reality show wasn't good enough for him. Nevertheless, his reputation and personal problems made it hard for him to keep up with the fast-paced demands of studio environments.