19 Actors who failed to handle fame and destroyed their career

Life in the world of celebrity is not always easy, and for some actors, the pressure of being a star is too much to bear. Since public meltdowns, legal woes, and substance abuse entered the lexicon of celebrity culture, it seems that many could not hold onto the spotlight for long. These 19 stars, once adored by fans, faced the destruction of their careers because of their inability to cope with the fame they struggled hard to earn. The article traces their stories and is a reminder of the more troubling facets of life as a celebrity.

1) Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was once considered a promising young star, whose career took off the rails of a series of highly publicized legal issues, coupled with fights against substance addiction. Her tragic fall began somewhere in the late 2000s, having been arrested many times for her DUI and shoplifting. Stints in rehab and erratic media behavior overshadowed her once bright career. Though she briefly tried to reassert her hold on acting, including a reality TV show, this was insufficient to resuscitate her former fame.

2) Macaulay Culkin

The breakout star of Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin seemed poised to have a very long Hollywood career. However, after achieving that level of celebrity at such an early age, he retreated to the shadows to face rumors about substance abuse and family turmoil. Culkin battled addiction and subsequently stepped away from acting for so long that much of the world grew concerned with his low profile. After a rather tumultuous past, Culkin has been redeemed, embracing a more eccentric public persona, including a role in the hit series American Horror Story and even launching a successful podcast, showing his more laid-back approach to fame.

3) Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen gained fame overnight when he acted in Platoon, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, during the 1980s and '90s. This fantastic rise turned spectacularly bad: He was one of the highest-paid TV actors playing a role in Two and a Half Men. His infamous public meltdowns, partying, and personal issues—specifically addiction and mental health struggles—led to his loss of his job in 2011. Sheen's erratic behavior, including bizarre interviews and claims of "tiger blood," made him a Hollywood cautionary tale.

4) Corey Feldman

Corey Feldman is one of the most beloved Hollywood child stars known for his acting in The Goonies and Stand by Me. However, his fame soon turned dark because of his addictions, accusations of abuse, and a pretty turbulent personal life. The actor's outspokenness about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Hollywood, failure in his music career, and public controversies were the reasons behind his fast-falling career. He even made a 2020 documentary called My Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, that brought his experiences to light.

5) Edward Furlong

Edward Furlong's career was high in 1991 playing the role of John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. However, Furlong quickly fell victim to the challenges of fame; he battled drugs and personal crises. His careers were further set back by other legal issues including several arrests. The actor faded from Hollywood mainstream and failed to make some comebacks within the 2000s by appearing in other low-budget productions, which, however, eclipsed his perpetual personal struggles.

6) Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser once was a well-known A-list actor in Hollywood, moving between The Mummy and George of the Jungle. His career stalled all of a sudden due to some personal setbacks. He has suffered from several physical injuries that somehow hampered his working potential, besides emotional struggle after allegations of sexual harassment by a former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president. After years out of the limelight, the actor scored a triumphant return with the critically acclaimed success of The Whale (2022). Still, his absence has made his coming back to Hollywood more difficult.

7) Tatum O’Neal

Tatum O'Neal became the youngest-ever Oscar winner when she won for her role in Paper Moon at 10 years of age. Unfortunately, early fame was quickly derailed by drug addiction and tumultuous relationships. Her problems with addiction formed a major hindrance to her career, resulting in a rapid decline in her roles. Her personal life, including her complicated relationship with her father, actor Ryan O'Neal, only worsened the chance of career rejuvenation.

8) Mischa Barton

Mischa Barton, the O.C. former teen idol, was known after her troubled private life that derailed her career after her rise in fame. While rising to the top, legal issues started manifesting themselves to the public like a DUI arrest, and finally, her long-time mental problems became public news. Her strange behavior became even more erratic for tabloid opportunities rather than getting career opportunities. She was seen in a few indie projects and reality TV, but her time in the limelight was marred by controversy, which made it difficult for her to regain her once-promising career in Hollywood.

9) Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy, who had impressive stints in the movies Clueless and 8 Mile was a rising star. Her life and career were short and tumultuous before her tragic death in 2009 at 32. At one point, Murphy's erratic behavior which had appeared as an eccentric quirk at times finally indicated health problems. Her death from pneumonia, anemia, and multiple drug intoxication shocked the Hollywood community. Murphy's name continues to appear in headlines for conspiracy theories regarding her sudden death, which added to her tragic legacy.

10) Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer was once one of the most talented and promising actors of his generation, having played immortal roles in films like Top Gun and The Doors. But it started to supersede his career by being difficult on set and having tumultuous relationships with directors and co-stars. The actor's reputation for being a difficult actor led to decreasing roles in Tinsel Town for Kilmer. Recently, his health problems, the last including a diagnosis of throat cancer-caused a reprise in withdrawal.

11) Randy Quaid

Randy Quaid, who famously played memorable parts in Independence Day and National Lampoon's Vacation, was one of the brightest stars in the Hollywood comedy genre. However, his career plunged sharply downward through bizarre public antics and legal wrangling. In the mid-2000s, Quaid and his wife fled to Canada, citing being killed by "star whackers," part of his increasingly offbeat conspiracy theories. The actor's involvement in several legal matters, including charges of defrauding hotel owners, further distanced him from Hollywood.

12) Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett's acting career went up in flames in 2019 after he was involved in a staged hate crime saga. The actor of the popular television series Empire had faked being attacked by two men, citing racial and homophobic sentiments as the reasons for being attacked in Chicago. An investigation showed that it was Smollett who had orchestrated the whole incident. The actor was arrested and found guilty of filing false police reports concerning the matter.

13) Ezra Miller

Multiple legal issues and disturbing behavior have tarnished Ezra Miller's career. Famous for playing The Flash and Fantastic Beasts, Miller was arrested for assault and accused of abuse in 2022, causing controversy. Their erratic behavior at public events called for the actor's removal from future films. Although The Flash (2023) features Miller, it could not avoid the actor's personal issues and the film's success. The future in Hollywood remains uncertain, and many asking if they can recover from such a fall from grace at the highest echelons.

14) Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer was once a new star, with starring roles in movies such as The Social Network and Call Me by Your Name. However, in 2021, Hammer's career went up in smoke when disturbing claims about his personal life came out. He has received allegations of sexual abuse and cannibalistic fantasies by more than one woman, and the backlash was swift. The actor was suddenly removed from numerous projects, and his public image was damaged beyond repair. Since then, he has maintained a low profile, and his attempts at coming back have been hampered by the ongoing controversies surrounding his personal life and behavior.

15) Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan's career turned sharply from being a rising star to a controversy-spewing activist following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. From being praised for her work in Charmed and Scream, McGowan has become a loud voice for the #MeToo movement, speaking out against Weinstein for his sexual assault claims. However, her activism was compounded by public outcry over some of her very provocative statements on social media. McGowan’s career in Hollywood stalled as she became more known for her activism and confrontations rather than her acting work.

16) Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson's career went off the rails due to racist, anti-Semitic outbursts and allegations of domestic violence. After an arrest for driving under the influence in 2006, the actor made racist remarks about Jews, which led to near-universal censure. Recorded tapes of offending remarks sealed his fate, though he refused to become blacklisted in Hollywood. Rather, he reapplied himself in Hacksaw Ridge in 2016. Despite his success as a director, his past still overshadows his career, and many are still questioning whether he can fully regain his former A-list status.

17) Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens, who gained much fame as Pee-wee Herman, was a great figure in children's entertainment. However, Reubens was arrested in 1991 for indecent exposure in a Florida adult theater. The scandal created such an outcry that the character of Pee-wee Herman was publicly retired. Even though the actor managed to restart his career, as was proved with projects such as Pee-wee's Playhouse and when he went back to films during the 2010s, scandal continues to blemish the actor's otherwise storied career.

18) Amanda Bynes

Always that Nickelodeon star that everyone loved- Amanda Bynes. The actress is best regarded for her acting in the Amanda show and What I Like About You. After the completion of her teenage career, Bynes continued her career as a young adult and, unfortunately, faced a very challenging mental state. Most of her public antics became quite strange with drunken driving incidents and tweets that only made it worse. Bynes eventually went to rehab and started rebuilding her life and career again, even declaring plans to act again.

19) Dustin Diamond

Dustin Diamond, as better known for playing Screech, was seen going down a hill after Saved by the Bell ended. Post-Screech life was more full of legal battles, from stabbing someone in a bar and going to prison to trying to stay in the spotlight with a series of tell-all books and reality TV and alienating his fans with his steamy off-screen life and behavior. The actor's reputation as a child star gone astray was solidified when he passed away from cancer in 2021.