Living under constant public scanner can be tumultuous, with their highs and lows getting extra attention. Some actors disappear after public incidents, careers of some get hit after their legal woes and and some just fade away after getting involved in a scandal. And when that happens, getting back into the spotlight is tough. But some actors are trying to find a way back, and revive their career. Here’s a lowdown:
Kevin Spacey
The Oscar-winning actor is reportedly ready for a big Hollywood comeback after being acquitted of sex assault charges in London earlier this year. The two-time Oscar winner’s friend, author Geoffrey Mark, told Daily Mail that Spacey, 64, wants to “rebuild” his career. “He’s going to have to rebuild, and in doing so, my opinion is he’s going to go in a direction we hadn’t considered before,” the author explained, adding, “We’re going to see a whole new creative side of him come out”. At the moment, he is not attached to any upcoming projects.
Johnny Depp
After being cancelled due to his legal feud with his wife and actor Amber Heard, actor Johnny Depp is focusing on his career, from acting to music to brand endorsements. He even talked about his comeback at the Cannes Film Festival. During a press conference for his film, Jeanne Du Barry, he said, “When you’re asked to resign from the film you’re doing because of something that is merely a bunch of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yeah, you feel a bit boycotted. Do I feel boycotted now? No, not at all. But I don’t feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don’t think about it. I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t have much further need for Hollywood myself”.
Armie Hammer
Actor Armie Hammer’s career took a hit when he was accused of rape, and labelled a “cannibal”, following which he lost several jobs including comedy Shotgun Wedding, series The Offer and play The Minutes. Now, several reports suggest he is working on making a comeback, which further gained steam when he was spotted with actor Alicia Vikander recently.
Amber Heard
Actor Amber Heard is all set to make her comeback to acting after her highly publicised defamation trial with her former husband and actor Johnny Depp. And the journey started when she made her first public appearance in June in Sicily for the Taormina Film Festival to promote her film, In the Fire. In fact, in a new article, the film’s director Conor Allyn mentioned that Heard is ready to make one ‘hell of a comeback’ with the film.
James Franco
Actor James Franco, who disappeared from the world of acting after a string of serious sexual misconduct allegations against him, will soon be back with a period drama. In 2018, he was accused of sexual misconduct by five women, four of whom were his students, which led to a storm of allegations, an ensuing legal battle, and a settlement costing Franco $2,235,000. He will be back in the acting world with period drama, Me, You soon. Last year on The Jess Cagle Podcast, Franco opened up about the allegations, saying, “I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself”.
Ezra Miller
Actor Ezra Miller had been evading the spotlight ever since the reports of his troubling behaviour started emerging in August 2022. He also released a statement to apologise for his action, “I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment”. He made a surprising appearance at the premiere of his film The Flash in June this year. However, his future after the film is not known yet as he has not signed another project since then.
Shia LaBeouf
There was a time when actor Shia LaBeouf shunned the spotlight after being accused of sexual assault by singer ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs in 2021. He got on the road to Hollywood redemption after over a year, and charted his comeback by signing Frances Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, which wrapped up filming in March this year. In May 2023, LaBeouf landed a role in thriller film Assassination. While he has projects in his kitty, industry insiders want to see how his comeback projects fare in business.
Jeremy Piven
The actor was accused of sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct by eight women in 2017 and 2018, following which the Entourage actor took a step back from the spotlight. In April this year, after over five years, he made his comeback by starring in his first noteworthy film since his sexual-assault allegations emerged, He starred in Sweetwater, which was a biographical project about basketball player Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton. “It’s about taking ownership of your life, and when you know your truth, you can get up on a stage anywhere when you have nothing to hide,” he said in an interview at that time.
