F. Scott Fitzgerald may have opined that “there are no second acts in American lives,” but the comeback story remains beloved in popular culture, and people relate to them greatly, both on-screen and off. The lateBetty Whiteis a prime example– the adored actor was 88 when she rediscovered massive success, hostingSaturday Night Liveand starring in the seriesHot in Cleveland.
For many actors, success comes relatively early in their careers, but sometimes situations arise in which they either burn out or fade away. These are 10 celebrities who’ve made late comebacks that boosted their careers further than they’d ever been before. These performers have all experienced great success and acclaim, which they’re still enjoying to this day, after long periods without work or popularity. They are only a few notable comebacks from some of Hollywood’s most recognizable talent.
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Updated on July 22, 2025, byAmira Abdel-Fadil:This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
10Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaugheywas an in-demand romantic comedy lead who shared the screen with actresses such as Jennifer Lopez, Kate Hudson, and Jennifer Garner. However, McConaughey’s choice of roles earned lackluster critical and commercial success which worsened over time, prompting him to take a two-year hiatus from acting. When McConaughey returned to the screen, he began exploring dramatic roles that showcased his range and finally garnered him some positive attention
Memorable performances in films such asKiller Joe,The Lincoln Lawyer,Wolf of Wall Street,andMudproved McConaughey had true dramatic skills and established him as a genuine performer. McConaughey won several acting awards including the Academy Award for Best Actor in the well-received dramaDallas Buyer’s Club,thus ushering in ‘The McConaissance.’ McConaughey has enjoyed continued success and held critically acclaimed roles in films and series likeTrue DetectiveandInterstellar,along with recent box office hits such asThe Gentlemen.
9Mickey Rourke
For those who are familiar with films from the 1980s and 90s,Mickey Rourkewas one of the period’s most notable talents. He had roles in classics such asRumble Fish, Barfly, andDiner,and shared the screen with legendary actor Robert DeNiro in the controversial thrillerAngel Heart.He was notorious for his poor on-set behavior, which led Rourke to leave the world of acting behind to explore a professional boxing career.
However, in 2005, Rourke made a career comeback with a celebrated role in the live-action adaptation ofSin City. Eventually, Rourke’s profile skyrocketed with his role in Darren Aronofsky’s dramaThe Wrestler,which earned him critical acclaim and multiple awards nominations, securing Rourke as a bankable talent once more. Based on this success, Mickey Rourke went on to further high-profile roles in blockbusters such asIron Man 2,The Expendables, andImmortals.Thanks to his mid-career comeback, he has re-established himself as a Hollywood contender.
8Marlon Brando
Much has been said about the legacy and influence ofMarlon Brando’scareer, including the many iconic roles he’s starred in over the years. At the start of his career, Brando was one of Hollywood’s most prominent stars with bad-boy performances inOn The WaterfrontandA Streetcar Named Desirefundamentally changing the cultural expectation of what a movie star is. However, Brando’s career took a turn after some unsuccessful roles and reports of eccentric off-screen behavior.
Brando was considered unbankable until Francis Ford Coppola championed him for the role of Vito Corleone in the now-classic filmThe Godfather.While it took much convincing from Coppola and the producers to get Brando the role, he made a career comeback that resulted in arguably his most memorable character in a career filled with many. The success ofThe Godfatherled to equally celebrated roles in films like Coppola’s surreal Vietnam War epicApocalypse Now.His comeback was admittedly short-lived, but it still highlighted his world-class talent.
7Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraserhad his first debut role in the filmDogfightwhere he was a sailor on his way to Vietnam. He then went on to find major success with his roles in movies such asEncino Man, George of the Jungle,andthe Mummyfranchise. However, he slowly started disappearing from the spotlight in the mid-2000s. The actor opened up and expressed that it was a culmination of several saddening events in his life, including the death of his mother.
He also revealed that he had been sexually assaulted by Philip Berk, the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The beloved star was able to move past the two disheartening incidents and made his major comeback in 2013 with his leading role in the filmThe Whale.The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival and deeply moved the audience, where the movie got a six-minute standing ovation.
6Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diazhad a steady career for a good decade where she became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. However, even though she was continuously in one blockbuster after the other, she decided to semi-retire at age 40 to take care of her personal life because she had felt at peace with her accomplishments in the industry.
The actress took a much-needed 8-year break where she focused on her marriage and her daughter. Even though disappearing from the screen can prove to be risky for someone’s career, Diaz is expected to make a strong comeback in the upcoming filmBack in Actionalongside Jamie Foxx, which is expected to be released in early 2024.
Related:10 Actors Who Attempted a Comeback (And Nailed It)
5John Travolta
John Travoltawas one of many fresh-faced talents who were poised for stardom at the start of the 70s. Early roles in critical and commercial smash hits such asSaturday Night FeverandGreaseestablished a strong start for his career, but in the mid-80s Travolta’s performances were plagued by some unfortunate box office bombs and poor role choices which sadly failed to showcase his talent properly. However, the trajectory of his career changed when Quentin Tarantino eyed him for the role of Vincent Vega inthe cultural classicPulp Fiction.
While Travolta wasn’t the initial choice, Tarantino managed to convince the studios which resulted in Travolta’s most hilarious and perhaps stylish performance to date. Travolta re-established his star status, and the critical and commercial success ofPulp Fictionled to a career resurgence in the ’90s with films likeFace/Off,Get Shorty, andBroken Arrow. While his career comeback has taken some strange turns, he still appears regularly and earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Robert Shapiro in the acclaimed miniseriesThe People Vs. O.J. Simpson.
4Winona Ryder
Winona Ryderwas stealing the show back in the 80s and early 90s. However, after her role inLittle Women, she disappeared from the public eye. Back in 2002, she was caught shoplifting in a Beverly Hills Department store. She was then accused of vandalism and theft and her six-day trial got all the buzz. This was a major hit to Ryder’s career and led her to take a break. However, the actress’s disappearance from the big screen was speculated to be due to other reasons.
She was never interested in necessarily being the biggest movie star and by 2006, when she decided to end her hiatus, it is believed that she was at an unsuitable age to play many roles in the eyes of Hollywood, making it more difficult for her to be cast in blockbuster movies. Then in 2016, things completely shifted for the beautiful actress, making her once again the center of attention of many fans with her major comeback in the mega-successful showStranger Thingswhere she plays a single mother whose son disappeared mysteriously.
3Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphyhad a controversial career. The important comic had one of the most influential performances. Back when he started showing up onSNLin 1980, he was a complete breath of fresh air.Eddie Murphy starred in several enormous hits likeThe Nutty Professor, Trading Places, Shrek,andBeverly Hills Cop. However, he started appearing in movies that weren’t doing so well. From the 1990s to 2011, his career was declining and people weren’t relating to his humor as much.
After receiving several Razzie awards for worst actor, he decided to take a break. The plan was to take some time off and return with something to remind his audience of the high-quality productions he is capable of owning. Just like he promised, he made a major comeback with his role inDolemite is My Nameon Netflix in 2019 where he plays the role of the comedian Rudy Ray Moore. His performance was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor at the Golden Globes.
2Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone’s breakout role wasas Rocky Balboa, a tough boxer with unwavering determination in theRockyfranchise. He got his first Oscar nomination for this role and quickly became one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Unfortunately, his career started to suffer in the ’80s, with films likeOver the TopandRocky Vfailing to impress both fans and critics. He also got awarded the worst actor award from the Razzie Awards.
In 2006, he had a comeback with another Rocky film, then withThe Expendables.However, his most recent mega comeback was the spin-off film based on the Rocky franchise namedCreedwhere he got another Oscar nomination, a film that also did really well at the box office. One thing is for sure, Stallone is a master when it comes to the boxing genre with most of his movies on the subject being an absolute hit that strikes a chord with those who watch them.
1Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback story is legendary at this point, but well worth re-examining. In the mid-80s, Downey was a part of the infamous ‘brat pack,’ which included fellow actors Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall, among others. The actor had quirky, memorable roles in films such asLess Than ZeroandWeird Science, and had a lot of star power and potential greatness. Unfortunately, a slew of scandals undermined his career and sidelined him from the spotlight. Downey Jr. picked up a few self-destructive habits and spent years in jails and rehab facilities
Slowly, through recovery, people like Mel Gibson, Joel Silver, and Richard Linklater were able to pay his insurance and get him back into Hollywood. In 2008, Downey Jr. had a chance at redemption when he was cast as Playboy billionaire Tony Stark in Jon Favreau’sIron Man. While studios and audiences may have initially had their doubts, the film proved to be a box office smash. Robert Downey Jr. became a household name and one of the most bankable movie stars who recently appeared in Christopher Nolan’s groundbreakingOppenheimer.
