Everyone makes mistakes — and that includes
everyone who employs an army of agents, managers
and publicists just to avoid those mistakes.
But when you're an A-list actor, your slip-ups
are captured on film, projected six stories
high, and immortalized for criticism.
All it takes is one box office bomb to blow
up a star's reputation.
Here are some actors whose careers were ruined
by just one role...
Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen
The original James Bond, Sean Connery repositioned
himself in the '90s as a versatile action
hero with The Hunt For Red October and The
Rock, and he even grabbed the title of People's
"Sexiest Man of the Century" at age 69.
In 2003, he returned as executive producer
and star of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,
adapted from the popular graphic novel series.
"I'm waiting to be impressed."
The movie was a box office flop and a critical
bomb.
Both shaken and stirred, Connery hasn't appeared
in a movie since, officially announcing his
retirement in 2005.
Halle Berry in Catwoman
After her Oscar-winning performance in 2001's
Monster's Ball, Halle Berry could've had any
role she wanted.
Unfortunately, what she wanted was Catwoman.
The 2004 Batman kind-of spinoff nearly swept
the Razzies and Berry took most of the fallout,
with the Arizona Republic even suggesting
she return her Academy Award.
Instead, Berry returned to a diminishing role
as Storm in the X-Men film series and has
all but disappeared from leading roles.
Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Boat Trip
Cuba Gooding, Jr. rose to fame in 1991 as
the lead in Boyz n the Hood — a movie so
important that it's in the National Film Registry.
He went on to win an Oscar for his work in
Jerry Maguire and continued rolling with As
Good as It Gets, What Dreams May Come, and
Men of Honor.
In 2002, however, he unleashed his first two
starring vehicles: the family comedy Snow
Dogs and the offensively horrible comedy Boat
Trip.
"Sex, that's all you ever think about.
Sex, sex, sex, sex.
We'll take it."
Both were critical disasters, but at least
Snow Dogs made money.
With his credibility blown, Gooding only made
things worse with later Razzie-nominated roles
in Radio, Norbit, and Daddy Day Camp.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Of the 18 movies he released between 2008
and 2013, all but five went straight to DVD.
Neve Campbell in Wild Things
Neve Campbell was inescapable in the late
'90s, almost single-handedly sparking the
'90s horror revival with Scream and Scream
2, earning herself two consecutive Best Female
Performance wins at the MTV Movie Awards,
the cover of Rolling Stone, and an SNL hosting
gig.
But Campbell shed her good girl image — and
most of her clothes — for the embarrassing
erotic thriller Wild Things.
Her career never recovered.
Campbell clung to the Scream franchise for
two more sequels in 2000 and 2011, but otherwise
toiled on studio clunkers like Three to Tango
and second-rate indie flicks like When Will
I Be Loved.
She resurfaced in 2016 for a part on House
of Cards.
Maybe that will finally get her back on track.
Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3
From critically acclaimed performances in
Stephen Soderbergh's Traffic and P.S. to starring
roles in Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! and
In Good Company, former That 70's Show star
Topher Grace seemed poised for full-time movie
stardom.
Then he signed on to play Venom in Sam Raimi's
overwrought Spider-Man 3.
"Ohh, my spider sense is tingling.
If you know what I'm talking about."
Although the movie was still a blockbuster,
Grace's performance was loathed by fans.
He still found roles in Predators and Interstellar,
but Spider-Man 3 diminished Grace's viability
as a leading man.
Still, at least he wasn't the worst thing
about the movie!
Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls
From 1989 to 1993, Elizabeth Berkley was brainy
but semi-neurotic Jessie Spano in 75 episodes
of Saved By The Bell.
"I'm so excited.
I'm so excited.
I'm so...scared."
But when NBC canceled the series, Berkley,
then 23, sought mature roles and found one
in Showgirls — the only NC-17 movie ever
to see a wide release.
And...it was a disaster.
Berkley took home Razzies for "Worst Actress"
and "Worst New Star" to go with the film's
record 13 nominations and seven "wins," including
Worst Picture and, eventually, Worst Picture
of the Decade.
"Thrust it!
Thrust it!
Come on!
Thrust it!
Ah!
Okay.
That's enough.
Thank you ladies."
Although Berkley has sporadically popped up
in small parts on CSI: Miami, Law & Order:
Criminal Intent, and The L Word, her biggest
role since has arguably been finishing sixth
on Dancing with Stars in 2013.
Kevin Costner in Waterworld
At one point, Kevin Costner was one of the
biggest movie stars in the world.
He put together a string of huge successes
including Field of Dreams, The Untouchables,
Bull Durham, The Bodyguard, and Dances with
Wolves, which earned him two Oscars.
He could seemingly do no wrong.
But when Costner put his clout behind the
high-concept dystopian action flick Waterworld,
he ended up in over his head.
A notorious production nightmare that barely
made any money due to its engorged budget,
it also took a critical flogging.
"Happy now?"
Since then, it's been hit or miss at best
for Costner.
He still turns in strong performances in small
dramas like Thirteen Days and Open Range,
and occasionally appears in supporting roles
in blockbusters like Man of Steel.
But his own days as a top tier leading man
seem to have sunk to the bottom forever with
Waterworld.
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