Can these Hollywood careers be saved?
From Hartnett to Hudson, we offer advice to 22 floundering Tinseltown talents
Halle Berry
Career high point: The triple play of "Monster's Ball," "Die Another Day" and "X2" in succession
Career low point: "Dark Tide"
How to fix it: Berry was a superstar of the early '00s, but it all started to fall apart after Catwoman" in 2004. After two failed Oscar bait roles in "Things We Lost in the Fire" and "Frankie & Alice" Berry took three years off to deal with personal family issues. Her comeback in "New Year's Eve" wasn't (see Hilary Swank) and now her next film, "Dark Tide," is going straight to VOD this spring. Berry is trying to get back in the groove with the experimental (for lack of a better word) "Cloud Atlas," but that could be a Sci-Fi "Babel" (not necessarily a positive) Our suggestion? A solid action flick or thriller wouldn't be a bad idea. Just look what "Safe House" did for Ryan Reynolds.
- Gregory Ellwood
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Next 128 CommentsStéphano
February 25, 2012 at 4:56PM EST Reply to CommentCuba Gooding Jr. anyone?
mc what about julia roberts? put her out to pasture already...or maybe that's why she's not on the list, too late to save.
March 2, 2012 at 5:44PM ESTFred Glasser
February 25, 2012 at 5:43PM EST Reply to CommentEggersten missed another career high point, in what may have been one of her first films, "The Ringer." Long before she was a household word, she was great in this movie.
Patric B Seriously....now I am forced to peruse through the photos. Eggersten is a 'household word'? Never heard of her. Guess we're in different houses. Seriously, who is she?
March 3, 2012 at 7:00AM ESTJoely
February 25, 2012 at 11:43PM EST Reply to CommentGotta disagree on Keanu Reeve's low point being "The Day the Earth Stood Still." I thought his still, creepy characterization was spot on.
winon
February 26, 2012 at 4:24AM EST Reply to Commentdemi moore, winona ryder and meg ryan are missing from the missing from the list, they were stars in the end of nineties and not seen now as well as a half of people on the list, or are they hopeless for the lister?
Dug
February 26, 2012 at 4:34PM EST Reply to CommentMel Gibson is a remarkable director and a vibrant actor. It is a pity that his personal
life has (inevitably) put him in bad light. But his work output is really quite wonderful. Tarantino praised 'Apocalypto' and Roger Ebert gave 'The Passion of the Christ' four stars out of four. Mr. Gibson's worst enemy is Mr Gibson. Please put your act together and dazzle us once more, Mr Gibson.
Dug
February 26, 2012 at 4:35PM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Mel Gibson is a remarkable director and a vibrant actor. It is a pity that his personal life has (inevitably) put him in bad light. But his work output is really quite wonderful. Tarantino praised 'Apocalypto' and Roger Ebert gave 'The Passion of the Christ' four stars out of four. Mr. Gibson's worst enemy is Mr. Gibson. Please put your act together and dazzle us once more, Mr. Gibson.
Cogs
February 27, 2012 at 4:42AM EST Reply to CommentLet's not forget the forgetable Adrien Brody.
Patric B He's making razor adverts now. Displayed some WONDERFUL acting in't.
March 3, 2012 at 7:02AM ESTweb design online
February 27, 2012 at 12:57PM EST Reply to Commentright on - right on about Katherine Heigl. I thought that about her for years. I went to see "one for the money", mainly for O'Mara who I think is really dreamy - it wasn't that bad but there was absolutely no chemistry between her and O'Mara. In fact there is never any chemistry between her and her leading men. Maybe she needs to take a chemistry lesson!
bernard
February 28, 2012 at 2:14AM EST Reply to CommentLindsay Lohan, my God! You are still in the 20s, but you look a lot worse than my mom! given the fact that she is running 50s & still looking really healthy.
Hadley66
March 1, 2012 at 12:17PM EST Reply to CommentEddie Murphy "needs to do more of that, and he should look closely at how Alan Alda, his 'Tower Heist' co-star, reinvented himself after 'M*A*S*H*' as a world-class prick, something that's served him well for decades now."
What?? Alda made a name for himself by consistently playing a guy who, for the most part, was never a prick! Cocky, perhaps, but almost always deserving of respect. I don't watch The Big C, so can't vouch for his character there, but from Hawkeye through his role as Sen. Vinick on The West Wing, he was generally portrayed as a reasonable human being. That was accentuated by his gig hosting Scientific American Frontiers.
Murphy made the mistake (for everything but his bank account, presumably) by taking on roles aimed at kids. Not friendly roles, but juvenile ones, filled with fart jokes and fat jokes. He should absolutely move back toward comedy for adults, but noting Alda as a someone who had to turn around his career in a similar way is absurd!
Arran
March 2, 2012 at 2:35PM EST Reply to CommentThe prequels made billions of dollars (and are still making money with the 3D versions) and Sith was a critical and commerical success. Lucas's career doesn't need saving, and turning the franchise over to any Michael Bay-wannabe who want to make a Star Wars movie would not help anything. Pathetic.
mc
March 2, 2012 at 5:36PM EST Reply to Commentwhat about julia roberts? put her out to pasture already...
mc
March 2, 2012 at 5:37PM EST Reply to Commentwhat about julia roberts? put her out to pasture already...or maybe that's why she's not on the list, too late to save.
mc
March 2, 2012 at 5:40PM EST Reply to Commentwhat about julia roberts? put her out to pasture already...or maybe that's why she's not on the list, too late to save.
mc
March 2, 2012 at 5:40PM EST Reply to Commentwhat about julia roberts? put her out to pasture already...or maybe that's why she's not on the list, too late to save...
mc
March 2, 2012 at 5:40PM EST Reply to Commentwhat about julia roberts? put her out to pasture already...or maybe that's why she's not on the list, too late to save.
Robert
March 4, 2012 at 11:21AM EST Reply to CommentPerhaps these actors and actresses wouldn't be on this list if Hollywood would quit making remakes and produce something new and original.
Anon
March 4, 2012 at 8:38PM EST Reply to CommentLindsay Lohan does NOT look 25 in that picture. At first I thought I was looking at Goldie Hawn or something...
Anonymous
March 4, 2012 at 8:41PM EST Reply to Comment"Failure to Launch" and the "Sex and the City" movie were career HIGH points? Fuck Sarah Jessica Parker. She looks like a horse.
derp Sarah Jessica Parker walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Hey, why the long face?"
March 11, 2012 at 7:17AM ESTMr. Wood
March 5, 2012 at 12:18AM EST Reply to CommentCloud Atlas is certainly ambitious, as a novel, and as a movie. It may be unfilmable. But there was a time where Ms. Berry could move us(Monster's Ball)-- which incidentally was around the time 'Cloud Atlas' co-director's the Wachowski Brother's made another ambitious sci-fi movie, with immense commercial success(The Matrix). The last decade hasn't been kind to either parties. The film has been looking for funding for years, and ended up with international investors. Ms. Berry's fate aside, I commend anyone who tries to give ambitious literature a visual narrative.
Mr. Wood
March 5, 2012 at 12:19AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Cloud Atlas is certainly ambitious, as a novel, and as a movie. It may be unfilmable. But there was a time where Ms. Berry could move us(Monster's Ball)-- which incidentally was around the time 'Cloud Atlas' co-director's the Wachowski Brother's made another ambitious sci-fi movie, with immense commercial success(The Matrix). The last decade hasn't been kind to either parties. The film has been looking for funding for years, and ended up with international investors. Ms. Berry's fate aside, I commend anyone who tries to give ambitious literature a visual narrative.
Mr. Wood
March 5, 2012 at 12:24AM EST Reply to CommentCloud Atlas is certainly ambitious, as a novel, and as a movie. Many have called it unfilmable. But there was a time where Ms. Berry could move us(Monster's Ball)-- which incidentally was around the time 'Cloud Atlas' co-director's the Wachowski Brother's made another ambitious sci-fi movie, with immense commercial/critical success(The Matrix). The last decade hasn't been kind to either parties. The film has been looking for funding for years, and ended up with international investors. Ms. Berry's fate aside, I commend anyone who tries to give ambitious literature a visual narrative.
Mr. Wood
March 5, 2012 at 12:24AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Cloud Atlas is certainly ambitious, as a novel, and as a movie. Many have called it unfilmable. But there was a time where Ms. Berry could move us(Monster's Ball)-- which incidentally was around the time 'Cloud Atlas' co-director's the Wachowski Brother's made another ambitious sci-fi movie, with immense commercial/critical success(The Matrix). The last decade hasn't been kind to either parties. The film has been looking for funding for years, and ended up with international investors. Ms. Berry's fate aside, I commend anyone who tries to give ambitious literature a visual narrative.
Someone
March 5, 2012 at 2:28PM EST Reply to CommentWith Red Tails and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, George Lucas showed he's better off ruining the Star Wars franchise. More special editions with more CGI and that's all the money he needs.
Han
March 7, 2012 at 4:21PM EST Reply to CommentIdea: Mix and match each Farrelly with a different Wachowski. Make two crazy action/sci-fi/comedies.
davelewis That is one awesomely hilarious idea!
March 7, 2012 at 8:39PM ESTJay
March 8, 2012 at 9:52AM EST Reply to CommentMegan Fox needs to drop dead right now. Calling Michael Bay "Hitler" is bogus. The man had a career for a decade and a half. She's a cum-guzzling gutter slut who'll hopefully contract an STD or get brain cancer after getting jacked up with all that botox.
KXB
March 8, 2012 at 2:49PM EST Reply to CommentSpike Lee (high point- "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X", low point- "Bamboozled" and "Miracle at St. Anna") should be on this list; he sucks as bad as Neck Fat Lucas and M. Night at this point, if not MORE so!
lass
March 9, 2012 at 7:13PM EST Reply to CommentSome of these people have reached their natural sell-by date. They've done fine in the past, but why do they have to claw their way to the top again? What's the difference, they can keep making any old movies and will rake in millions for themselves whether the movies are good or bad, are hits or flops. They're still getting paid. SHOULD their careers be 'saved'? Again - Why? I personally would never see anything with Lindsay Lohan or Mel Gibson ever again, they both need to disappear and live the rest of their lives in obscurity.
lass
March 9, 2012 at 7:18PM EST Reply to CommentWhy is it SO important some of these people's careers be 'saved'? Most of them have reached their natural sell-by date, have gotten lucky with one big hit, and should just go home and count their millions. And whether their movies are big smashing hits or total dogsh*t, they are still getting PAID more than most of us will make in a lifetime - so why is it important their movies be better? They don't care. They're still getting paid. Myself, I'm indifferent except for Keanu, I will always love Keanu. Mel and Blohan can drop down a crevasse, I will never see anything they're in ever again. They are repellent, have had their chance, and should just go spend their millions and get high.
triguous
March 9, 2012 at 9:13PM EST Reply to CommentStephen Sommers' high point is "The Adventures Of Huck Finn," starring Elijah Wood... 18 years ago.
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