10 stars who seemingly have no future, but their special role has brought them back into the spotlight

The life paths of the stars are really unpredictable: today you are at the top, and tomorrow no one remembers your name. Most of the time, this happens after scandals, bad roles, or when viewers just get tired of your face on the screen. Some actors and actresses can't deal with these situations and disappear from the spotlight, but others find enough strength to carry on and prove that they still deserve our attention. Sometimes all it takes is just one role that can get you back to the top of your game.

We decided to recall the films that gave a second life to our favorite actors and actresses.

10 PHOTOS

1. Renee Zellweger, Judy.

Most people know Renee Zellweger for her role in the comedy film Bridget Jones's Diary. But then the actress appeared in the musical Chicago, and everyone found out that Rene was also a great singer. She then received an Oscar for her role in Cold Mountain. And then something went wrong: Zellweger underwent a ton of plastic surgery and it became almost impossible to recognize her. It seemed that she herself ended her career. In 2019, Renee returned as a drama actress when she played the role of the legendary Judy Garland in the biopic, Judy. Looks like she did a great job in this role. Critics have already called this project a star renaissance and a great triumph.

2. Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club.

What did we know about Matthew McConaughey before the 2010s? Only that he had a great body and a beautiful smile. So he got similar roles: he usually played attractive men in romantic comedies. At some point, the producers and directors decided that this was the best thing he could do, so McConaughey did not offer any serious roles for a long time. The only exception was Lincoln for a lawyer, but he did not have much success. Matthew co-starred in the Dallas Buyers Club, which earned him an Oscar. After this triumph, everyone realized that he was again in the spotlight. After that, he appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street, Interstellar, and, of course, True Detective.

3. Tom Hardy, Bronson.

It's hard to believe now, but in the early 2000s, Tom Hardy was not a star. He has mostly appeared in B-movies or supporting roles. That all changed in 2008 when he starred in Bronson. In the film, Tom demonstrated his talent: he transformed and did an excellent job of acting. He talked for a long time with the dangerous criminal Bronson, whom he was going to play.

4. Winona Ryder, Black Swan.

Winona Ryder's career has been going up since the late 80s. She has played roles in a wide variety of films. In 2000, she appeared in the drama "Autumn in New York" with Richard Gere, and it was a huge success for her. But a year later, the actress was arrested and charged with shoplifting in Beverly Hills. The court sentenced her to pay a huge fine, community service, and occupation. Of course, nothing helped her career. Director Darren Aronofsky offered her a small role in his Oscar-winning drama Black Swan. Even though she only appeared for 20 minutes, this film made the producers pay attention to the actress. Winona is now the star of Stranger Things.

5. Daniel Radcliffe, Swiss Knife Man.

When we think of Daniel Radcliffe, we immediately think of Harry Potter. This is not surprising, because the young actor got the role of a wizard when he was just 11 years old. And since then, Radcliffe has been trapped in this movie. Neither fans nor producers could see in him anyone other than Harry Potter. At some point, due to all the fame and attention, Radcliffe was stressed and started drinking. Many even thought that nothing good would be in his career - after 8 Harry Potter films, Daniel starred in very average roles. Fortunately, in 2016 the actor got a role in a very unusual film - The Swiss Knife Man. This project unleashed his dramatic acting potential.

6. Mandy Moore, This is us.

Mandy Moore started her career as a singer and she landed her first film role in 2001. It was the teenage comedy The Princess Diaries. Then she had the main roles. Despite the fact that she did an excellent job in these roles, her career has not progressed much. Over the years, Mandy has only appeared in small roles in films and TV shows. 2016 was a breakthrough year for the actress. NBC launched a new series called This Is Us, and Mandy landed the lead role. She featured both her acting and her singing skills in the series. She received her first Golden Globe nomination and received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

7. Robert Pattinson, The Lost City of Z.

The actor spent several years trying to get rid of the image of the ideal man. The adventure film "The Lost City of Z" really helped him in this. In the film, Pattinson played a completely new role for him, which critics really loved, and after that, he was offered many different roles.

8. Steve Carell, Fox Hunter.

Steve Carell is a great comedian. Throughout his career, he has played fairly typical comedic roles. Some films received poor reviews, some were quite good (Steve even won a Golden Globe), but the producers still didn't believe he was good enough to play in more serious films. But everything changed in 2014 when Carell was offered to change direction and take part in the drama, Fox Hunter. Everyone was so amazed when the actor did an excellent job and played the millionaire John du Pont. For this, he was even nominated for an Oscar.

9. Drew Barrymore, Charlie's Angels.

Drew Barrymore became popular as a child: she played the main role in Alien. Unfortunately, popularity at such a young age did not make her very happy - Drew went through rehab twice when she was 15 years old. Not surprisingly, this story ruined the actress's reputation, and the producers were not very eager to give her a job. But she was not going to give up and decided to show everyone that she can still be famous and successful. She became really successful after the release of the action movie "Charlie's Angels". Since then, Barrymore has always been in the spotlight. She is now the star of the Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix.

10. Gillian Anderson, Hannibal.

Gillian Anderson, best known for her role as Scully in The X-Files, didn't really like the role. According to her, it took her a lot of time and effort. Yes, it was Scully who made her incredibly popular, but it was this role that almost ruined her career. She even had to eventually leave the US and travel to the UK to play theater and enjoy more serious projects. It was her role in the TV series Hannibal that brought her back to the screen. She played the role of a psychotherapist. She was different and more elegant, making her the perfect choice for the role. By season 3, her character was one of the leading characters in the series. Now Anderson is actively involved in films and TV shows.