A decade later, out of sight Brendan Fraser became Hollywood’s next comeback hero with his starring role in WHALE, which just premiered at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews. This list will focus on ten more actors who struggled to land roles before finding success.

Whether it was their first big break, a mid-career change of trajectory, or a late-career resurgence, each of these actors has dramatically changed their fortunes with one iconic role.

Robert Downey Jr - Iron Man (2008)

Now it may seem incomprehensible, but Robert Downey Jr. once struggled to find roles. Downey is very candid about his struggle with addiction, which began when he was just 8 years old. These battles reached a boiling point in 1999, when he was sentenced to three years in prison. Four years later, RDJ fell in love with a Hollywood producer Susan Levinwho gave him an ultimatum to give up drugs. Luckily it worked. Downey remained sober and they married in 2005.

However, when he announced that he was ready to work again, the former Oscar-nominated actor was mostly avoided by the producers. Although he did manage to get a few smaller roles and eventually land (2005) and Zodiac (2007), most studios were still wary of casting him. Actually the director John Favreau had to fight for RDJ to get a casting iron Man, as Marvel Studios considered it too much of a risk. Luckily, Favreau wore them down and the rest is history. RDJ has been the face of the franchise for ten years and has had no trouble finding work since.

John Travolta - “Pulp Fiction” (1994)

With hits like Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Lubricant (1978) John Travolta was Hollywood’s biggest star in the late 1970s. But Travolta’s ’80s films mostly flopped critically and at the box office. Entering the 90s, he struggled to break his romantic/musical teenage heartthrob image, presenting a dilemma as he began to age.

His fame has evaporated until Quentin Tarantino gave him a call to act as a mafioso in Crime novel in 1994. Travolta resurrected his career with an outstanding performance in a classic film, bringing it back to the top of the list, and then starred in Get Shorty (1995) Face/Off (1997) and Primary colors (1998).

Sigourney Weaver - Alien (1979)

After graduating from Yale University in 1974. Sigourney Weaver struggled to find a foothold in Hollywood. It took three years to film her first film, a non-speaking role in Annie Halland she only appeared in one other film until 1979. That all changed when the then 30-year-old played lead character Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scottsci-fi/horror classic Alien. Although the studio wanted a star, Scott insisted on casting an unknown actress.

His acting paid off as Weaver delivered a BAFTA-nominated performance and gained immediate fame. The film spawned many sequels, in three of which Weaver starred, for which the actor was even nominated for an Oscar. aliens (1986). She also starred in Ghostbusters (1984) working girl (1988) and Gorillas in the fog (1988), her last two films also earned her an Oscar nomination. Most recently, she starred in galaxy quest (1999) holes (2003) Avatar (2009) and its upcoming sequel Avatar: Path of Water (2022).

Harrison Ford - Star Wars (1977)

During the first ten years of work in the industry Harrison Ford was limited to small parts and worked part-time as a carpenter to pay the bills. His fortune changed when he made friends George Lucas on the set american graffiti (1973), as he was later hired to star in Lucas’ next film, a small film called star Wars (1977). Ford’s courtesy and charisma made Han Solo a fan favorite and helped the film achieve unprecedented success.

This incredible popularity brought Ford to the list of the best, which earned him the role of Indiana Jones and leading roles in films. Blade Runner (1982) Witness (1985) Patriot Games (1992) Fugitive (1993) and Board number one (1997).

Amy Adams - Junebug (2005)

Amy Adams made her film debut in 1999, playing a supporting role in Fabulous. She also had a role in Catch Me If You Can in 2002, but otherwise limited to small parts. That was until her breakthrough role in the 2005 film Indie Favorite. june beetle convinced her to stay in Hollywood.

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Although the film made less than $4 million at the box office, Adams was praised for her amazing performance and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This gave her the role of Jim’s girlfriend in the series’ second season.Officeand the ball kept rolling from there. Fast forward to today: Adams is a two-time Golden Globe winner, a six-time Oscar nominee, and is considered one of the best in the industry.

Robert Pattinson - Good Time (2017)

Robert Pattison rose to fame as Edward in the hugely popular Twilight franchise. However, these films were panned by critics and were not taken seriously by Pattinson in the industry. He wanted to move on to serious roles, but he had a hard time avoiding types. He was ignored by the major studios, but he regained their favor with critically acclaimed independent films. Now he’s just starred in two of the biggest blockbusters of the 2020s: Christopher Nolan. Dogma (2020) and Matt Reeves Batman (2022).

The film that started its revival was good time (2017), in which Pattinson plays a bank robber in a downward spiral. The role was very different from Pattinson’s previous work and showed him to have some serious talent and range. The film received overwhelming praise and Pattinson received numerous nominations. This dramatically changed the trajectory of his career, which he supported with roles in Lighthouse (2019) King (2019) Savor (2019) and Devil all the time (2020).

Michael Keaton - “Birdman” (2014)

Michael Keaton became a star in the 1980s after Mr Mom (1983) and beetle juice (1984), but his fame peaked when he took on the role Batman in 1989 and 1992. However, Keaton decided to hang up the cape before the third film due to creative differences with the director. Joel Schumacher, after which he seemingly disappeared from the mainstream. His post-Batman roles were so memorable that Barack Obama greeted him in 2012 by asking, “Why don’t you make more films?”

His career began to decline until a massive resurgence began in 2014 when he won the Golden Globe in Alejandro Inarrituwinner in the category “Best Film”, Birdman. The role of a hackneyed actor who used to play a superhero was tailor-made for Keaton, and he did his best. He hasn’t looked back since, starring in the 2015 Best Picture winner. spotlight, and after that with Founder (2016) Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) Chicago Trial 7 (2020) and an Emmy-winning performance in drowsiness (2021).

Kathy Bates - Misery (1990)

In 1971 Kathy Bates starred in her first feature film, a supporting role in Takeoff. Her next came seven years later, with a supporting role in Straight Time. After that, she continued to fight, later claiming in an interview with The newspaper “New York Times that several casting agents told her that she was not attractive enough to be a successful actress.

She proved them wrong with an amazing performance in the 1990 horror film. adversity. It was a huge success and her performance became a talking point, winning both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actress. This role cemented her in the list of the best, securing her roles in Fried green tomatoes (1991) Dolores Claiborne (1995) and Titanic (1997).

Sylvester Stallone - Rocky (1976)

Nobody belongs to this list more than Sylvester Stallone. In 1975, he was homeless with only $106 in the bank and even had to sell his dog for $40 to afford food. Currently, Stallone is considered one of the most successful actors of all time. It’s all thanks rocky (1976).

Stallone’s script about a small boxer who fights the heavyweight champion of the world made an immediate impression on the producers. However, they wanted a big star in the role, and United Artists even offered Stallone $340,000 to sell the script without being in it. But Stallone didn’t budge, and they eventually gave in. Rocky was filmed for less than $1 million but became a huge hit, grossing $225 million. The film won Best Picture and Stallone was nominated for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. He played the character seven more times and also helmed Rambo as well as Expendable materials franchises.