Hollywood has seen several actor comebacks, where a star returns from obscurity to prove why they never should have left. Actors are in constant evolution, using their personal growth to reinvent their professional persona. Even when an actor disappears from the scene, they often end up taking the public by surprise, making a triumphant comeback.
There are many reasons why an actor might take a break from their professional life — Hollywood is not recognized as an easy environment. Whether due to personal struggles, as seen with Robert Downey Jr., or perhaps unexpected commercial flops, like Eddie Murphy dealt with, anyone in the field could find themselves at a crossroads.
However, what truly matters is their ability to rise back to the top despite the odds. The greatest Hollywood comebacks of all time were the most unexpected, carrying an emotional weight for both the actors and audiences.
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Lindsay Lohan – Freakier Friday (2025)
Freakier Friday was a huge comeback movie, making its way to cinemas over 20 years after its predecessor. While one of the two main stars has continued making great movies, with Jamie Lee Curtis recently winning an Oscar, this was a mᴀssive comeback for her co-star Lindsay Lohan.
At one time, Lohan was one of Hollywood’s H๏τtest young stars. With movies like Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, it seemed her future was bright. However, when she started taking on more adult roles, her career hit a roadblock. It also didn’t help that her legal issues took a toll on her, with arrests and rehab stints stalling her career.
Lohan took the slow journey back to Hollywood, likely to protect her well-being, moving to television and taking more minor movie roles. After a few Netflix movies, Freakier Friday was her big comeback to the big screen, and its positive reviews have ensured that Lohan’s career might be getting back on track again.
11
Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Eddie Murphy was, at one time, a mᴀssive comedy name. As one of the best Saturday Night Live cast members to hit Hollywood, he had a bright future. His early movies, including Beverly Hills Cop, were incredible success stories. That movie, in particular, was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time for years.
However, the foul-mouthed comedian began to change into something different in the 1990s, and his career fizzled out. Films like The Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle made him a presence in the family-friendly comedy scene, but he couldn’t hold onto that success. Movies like Norbit pushed Murphy into a self-imposed semi-retirement.
In 2006, Murphy proved he was still a great actor with Dreamgirls, but it took 13 years before he was back on top again, thanks to the Netflix comedy Dolemite Is My Name. The movie was a mᴀssive comeback for Murphy and brought him out of exile, where he has been delivering solid performances ever since.
10
Renée Zellweger – Bridget Jones’ Baby (2016)
One of Renée Zellweger’s best movies is Bridget Jones’ Baby, which marked a triumphant return to the spotlight after a six-year hiatus from her acting profession. The most remarkable aspect of Zellweger’s comeback was the fact that it was defined not by a new role but by her reprisal of the legendary and beloved character Bridget Jones.
The actress brought the endearing, witty, and charismatic Bridget back to life, much to the delight of fans. Her return to the character was met with enthusiasm, and Zellweger’s portrayal reminded the audience and critics why they had all fallen in love with her back in 2001.
After a personal pause from the cinema industry, the actress had one of the greatest comebacks by reviving the hilarious British icon. Following the success of the 2016 film, another sequel was greenlit, proving that the Academy Award winner is far from done with her career.
9
Drew Barrymore – Scream (1996)
A child star coming from a dynasty of actors, Drew Barrymore rose to fame very early thanks to films like Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. However, the pressures of celebrity life and personal struggles as a teenager nearly derailed her acting career.
Despite never truly stepping away from acting, the 1990s were not an easy journey for her, with many speculating her career would soon come to a halt due to her highly publicized battles. Nevertheless, in 1996, Barrymore made an unforgettable comeback in Scream, the critically acclaimed slasher horror that would later become a horror classic.
Landing a small yet significant role, Barrymore delivered a terror-filled performance that established the tone for the rest of the film, reminding her dormant fans of her talent. Her adult career continued to prosper with movies like The Wedding Singer and Charlie’s Angels.
8
Katharine Hepburn – The Philadelphia Story (1940)
It is hard to believe the career of four-time Oscar winner Katharine Hepburn also saw a few struggles. However, even the most acclaimed actress of all time had her lows, but she rose above them. By the late 1930s, her career was negatively influenced by her label of “box office poison” due to a series of critically acclaimed commercial failures.
Hepburn was considered a problem as a vastly talented, high-paid actress who nevertheless had starred in many movies that were not received well by audiences. Many believed her strong-willed personality in a still misogynistic era hindered her popularity. With impressive resilience and intelligence, Hepburn took control of the narrative.
The actress secured the rights to Philip Barry’s play The Philadelphia Story and strategically used it as her comeback vehicle. She leveraged the role to remind the industry of her incredible talent. Hepburn’s Hollywood comeback in the widely acclaimed movie is a testament to the outstanding commitment that made her one of the best actresses in cinema.
7
Keanu Reeves – John Wick (2014)
After rising to fame in the 1990s with films like Speed and The Matrix, Reeves experienced a slump in his career during the 2000s due to a series of box office flops. Despite always being adored by the fans, many ᴀssumed his action-hero days were behind him.
However, they couldn’t be more mistaken, as everything changed when he ᴀssumed the lead role in one of the best action movies of all time. Reeves returned in 2014 as the new iconic character John Wick, a retired hitman who seeks vengeance for the murder of his dog.
The film’s premise, which centers on the main character’s motive for initiating his path to revenge, is widely relatable. The movie received mainly positive reviews, and the role perfectly matched Reeves.
The original work expanded and gave life to sequels, prequels, and spinoffs, establishing John Wick as a legendary fictional character; the actor’s iconic comeback helped build a beloved franchise.
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Demi Moore – The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore’s brilliant cinematic return is a testament to her resilience and ability to reinvent herself from a professional perspective. The actress was considered a powerhouse in the 1980s and 1990s, as a leading member of the Brat Pack. Among her most significant works, the audience certainly remembers her role as a grieving girlfriend in Ghosts.
However, despite her talent and popularity, her career slowed down after the critical and commercial flops of movies like The Scarlet Letter and G.I. Jane. In 2024, Moore returned with the critically acclaimed body-horror The Substance.
In the comeback movie, Moore plays a former Hollywood celebrity who buys a drug to create a younger version of herself. The intense performance of Moore perfectly complemented the movie’s ambitious premise, earning award recognition for her comeback.
5
John Travolta – Pulp Fiction (1994)
John Travolta rose to international fame in the 1970s with films like Grease and Saturday Night Fever, with which he proved his talent to the world. His charismatic performances contributed to making him an icon. Nevertheless, his career hit a rough patch after the critically acclaimed yet commercially less appreciated film Blow Out.
During the 1980s, the actor starred in a series of underwhelming movies that negatively interfered with his popularity. The film that relaunched his career was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus, Pulp Fiction. A worldwide success and considered one of the greatest films ever made, Pulp Fiction earned Travolta an Academy Award nomination.
His performance as the criminal Vincent Vega resulted in one of the most iconic figures in cinema history, also delivering some legendary pop-culture moments, such as his dance with Mia (played by Uma Thurman). Unsurprisingly, Travolta acknowledged this iconic comeback saved his career.
4
Brendan Fraser – The Whale (2022)
By the early 2000s, Brendan Fraser had earned recognition and fame due to his thrilling acting, captivating humor, and charisma. His role as Rick O’Connell in The Mummy brought him international stardom as an adventure-action movie hero. However, his career slowed down from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s because of a series of professional setbacks.
The tragic and cruel circumstances that forced him to almost abandon the scene made his awaited Hollywood return incredibly emotional.
Although he had already taken part in Steven Spielberg’s No Sudden Move in 2021, the actor’s greatest (and heartbreaking) comeback occurred with The Whale, in which he plays the main role of an English teacher who struggles with severe obesity.
The profoundly emotional performance earned him an Academy Award. After years of physical health problems, Fraser’s return to the big screen was not only a professional success but also the payback he deserved.
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Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood return is a heartwarming story of persistence and pᴀssion. The actor originally rose to fame as a child actor with the role of Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies. Although his talent was unmistakable at such an age, Hollywood failed to recognize his potential.
With few Hollywood roles being available to Asian actors. Ke Huy Quan abandoned his acting career. After the success of Crazy Rich Asians, Quan was inspired, and in 2020, he was cast in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. The person who helped him win the role and cement his Hollywood comeback was his Goonies co-star, Jeff Cohen.
The film earned critical acclaim and, after around 10 years away from the scene, Quan obtained an Academy Award. The emotional weight of the actor’s return and subsequent Oscar victory was further emphasized by his iconic embrace with his once Indiana Jones co-star, Harrison Ford.
