The Hollywood Blacklist may be a myth, but for some reason, an actor or actress can be cheated by directors and producers, almost ruining their career. Some celebrities give up and push forward, while others keep banging their heads against the wall until they make progress.
Let’s follow some of the most controversial cases, including Gina Carano, Roseanne Barr and other celebrities, and see how life has treated them after their annulment.
Megan Fox
Although the actress has starred in several big budget Hollywood films, her harsh comments about directors, other actors and the media led to her being blacklisted. Before filming the third Transformers, Megan Fox compared director Michael Bay to Hitler. Whether this is the reason he didn’t appear in the film is still unknown, but it’s safe to say he didn’t like it. Thanks to the rise of the #metoo movement, Fox got off the blacklist, but she hasn’t had any significant roles since.
Gina Carano
Gina is best known for her roles in The Mandalorian and Deadpool, but it’s a shame we have to watch it. Long story short, Carano voiced some very polarizing and downright stupid comments on Twitter, and you already know how those people want to cancel things. When his tweets weren’t perfect, did they really warrant such a wild reaction? Lucasfilm didn’t want to take a chance and quickly removed the actress from future seasons of The Mandalorian. After being shafted, he tried to recover in the series White Knuckle, but Covid spread, and the project was shelved.
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson was once the epitome of the action hero, starring in films like Mad Max, Braveheart and Lethal Weapon. His directing work was equally impressive, if not better. But despite his talent, Hollywood turned its back on Mel Gibson in 2006 after the actor was pulled over for a DUI and began spewing anti-Semitic, homophobic and racist slurs. After nearly ten years, people began to forget and forgive. In 2016, the actor/director received worldwide acclaim for Hacksaw Ridge and has been climbing the Hollywood ladder ever since.
Robert Downey Jr
Fame can really hurt you when you don’t take care of yourself. Robert Downey Jr. learned that life lesson the hard way. After the success of 1993’s Chaplin, the actor became addicted to drugs and alcohol, resulting in several arrests. Suddenly, his career went up in flames when he was fired from the Ally McBeal show. The future Marvel star spent years dealing with those issues, and he’s clearly doing well, judging by his post-rehab projects. Not only did he land a Sherlock role, but he became the most popular character in the MCU – Tony Stark, Iron Man.
Look at Roseanne
Roseanne has always been outspoken about her political stance. His views on society can irritate many, but he has never shied away from stirring up controversy. Barr is one of those ’90s celebs who couldn’t keep their mouths shut and lost everything. If you call a school shooting survivor a Nazi, people will come after you. The network canceled the Roseanne series reboot 24 hours later. The reaction is so strong that the girl has been in hiding ever since.
Brendan Fraser
Until recently, Fraser was one of the most sought-after actors. He played lead roles in high-grossing films such as George from the Jungle, Blast from the Past and the Mummy trilogy. Then he suddenly disappeared from Hollywood. There have been various rumors about what happened to Fraser, from alcoholism to being lazy and complacent, but Brendan says the real cause is entirely different. In 2003, the actor was having dinner with Philip Burke, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, when suddenly, Burke reached under the table and started touching Fraser in all the wrong places. Brendan was in his career and quickly left the restaurant without making a sound. And despite sending a letter to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, he was completely cut off from Hollywood, resulting in a severe depression. Fortunately, Fraser returned in 2019 with the fantastic series Doom Patrol, before being greeted with applause for 2022’s drama The Whale.
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen was once one of Hollywood’s top TV actors, but he’s been on a long hiatus since starring in the 2014 sitcom Anchor Management. He once announced that he was blacklisted in Hollywood after filing for reduced alimony for his ex-wives, Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller. Sheen said in court documents that he couldn’t find steady work and was blacklisted from many aspects of the entertainment industry. Although he hasn’t elaborated on it, it could be related to the erratic behavior he displayed when he was fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011.
Kevin Spacey
In 2017, Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual harassment by actor Anthony Rapp, who claimed that in 1986 Kevin tried to force him to have sex. In response, Spacey came out as gay and apologized to Anthony, though he noted that he did not remember this. Around the same time, 15 other people, from men to women who worked with Kevin Spacey, came forward with similar allegations. Due to the scandal, Netflix announced that the actor would no longer star in the hit series House of Cards, and his other projects were quickly cancelled. Since then, Spacey has appeared in several smaller projects, including The Man Who True God, Let Me Be Frank, and the upcoming Peter Five Eight.
