(Almost) Career-Ending Movies

Hollywood is a place of highs and lows, where one good role can make an actor’s career—and one bad movie can leave it hanging by a thread. Some movies don’t just flop; they leave a crater so big it feels like a professional obituary for everyone involved. Below, we explore films that didn’t quite kill their stars’ careers but certainly sent them into a tailspin, some barely recovering while others never quite made it back to the top.

Norbit
Eddie Murphy’s trajectory from comedy legend to Oscar-nominated actor (Dreamgirls) took a sharp nosedive with Norbit. Painfully unfunny and loaded with offensive stereotypes, this film wasn’t just a critical failure—it was a branding disaster. Released just before the Oscars, it may have even derailed his chances of winning for Dreamgirls. Murphy’s voice work as Donkey in Shrek kept him in the limelight, but his face was noticeably absent from major roles for the better part of a decade.

Batman & Robin
Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin is infamous for its campy tone and cringe-worthy dialogue. Many of the stars saw their careers falter in the years following the film, relying on revival projects—Uma Thurman’s Kill Bill or Chris O’Donnell’s NCIS, for example—to regain their footing. However, one star who never quite managed a comeback was Alicia Silverstone. Riding high after her success in Clueless, Silverstone was everywhere, from music videos to major ad campaigns, showcasing her undeniable charm. Unfortunately, her turn as Batgirl was mercilessly mocked, and the once-promising trajectory of her career never regained momentum.

John Carter
Taylor Kitsch seemed destined for stardom after Friday Night Lights. Then came John Carter—an over-budgeted, underwhelming sci-fi epic that bombed so hard it sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Combined with the equally disastrous Battleship that same year, Kitsch’s ascent screeched to a halt. Despite a respectable turn in True Detective Season 2, the revival he hoped for never quite materialized as he was overshadowed by the other leads.

‍Catwoman
From Oscar winner to Razzie recipient. Halle Berry’s performance in Monster’s Ball had cemented her as a dramatic powerhouse, a true force in Hollywood. But then came Catwoman. Her portrayal of the feline anti-heroine was met with a tidal wave of criticism and earned her the dreaded Razzie award. Fortunately, Berry had already established herself as Storm in the X-Men franchise—something she must count as a career-saving grace. Post-Catwoman, however, her filmography largely featured middling projects that failed to make the most of her undeniable talent.

Star Wars Prequels
The Star Wars prequels remain divisive, but there’s no denying their impact on Hayden Christensen. Cast as Anakin Skywalker, he became a lightning rod for criticism, with many blaming his wooden acting for the films' shortcomings. Afterward, Christensen retreated to low-profile, D-grade projects, never quite shaking the stigma of his time in a galaxy far, far away.

Cutthroat Island
Cutthroat Island didn’t just sink at the box office—it took down careers and even its production company in the aftermath of its catastrophic financial loss. Riddled with problems, including multiple rewrites, the film was a disaster waiting to happen. Geena Davis, who had reservations about taking on the lead, reportedly warned that a female-led pirate movie could be career suicide. Bound by contracts, Davis went forward with the project, and her instincts sadly proved correct. Despite a strong follow-up performance in The Long Kiss Goodnight, the damage was done. Davis’s once-thriving career slowed considerably, with serious roles becoming increasingly rare over the next two decades.

Master of Disguise
‍Dana Carvey, known and loved for his work on SNL and the Wayne’s World films, suffered a career freefall with Master of Disguise. A painfully juvenile comedy, the film lacked the wit and charm that had made Carvey a comedy legend. Though his talent remains undeniable, this misstep derailed his trajectory. Luckily, fans can still revisit Wayne’s World 1 & 2 to bask in the comedic brilliance that defined his prime.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Sean Connery had turned down Gandalf (Lord of the Rings) and a role in The Matrix because he didn’t understand the scripts. Ironically, he said yes to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a critical disaster that became his swan song. The on-set feuds between Connery and director Stephen Norrington were legendary, culminating in Connery’s decision to retire from acting altogether—a sad farewell for a cinematic icon.

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‍Closing Thoughts
While Hollywood is a land of second chances, not everyone gets a redemption arc. These films are cautionary tales for actors and filmmakers alike, reminding us all that one misstep can echo through an entire career. Still, some of these stars found ways to claw back—or at least remain in our hearts. Because in Hollywood, as in life, the curtain rarely falls forever.