From beloved stars who still inspire a sense of nostalgia to box office bombs who never stopped fighting the reviews, nobody really wants to admit that they aren’t relevant anymore. Some stars have the luxury of massive box office hits before they age out of the public eye, or long-beloved TV shows still tiding them over while they sail into their golden years. Others… never stood a chance. Here’s a variety of actors who have faded out of popularity, some who have graciously bowed out of the limelight, and some who really need to realise that they aren’t famous anymore.
Ray J
It can’t be easy being most-well-known as Brandy Norwood’s younger brother and a controversial connection to Kim Kardashian. With one of his latest roles literally being an unnamed “Entrepreneur” in Bomb Pizza (which bombed, no surprises), there’s nothing else that really needs to be said.
Steven Seagal
This action star found his claim to fame in the 1990s, seemingly starring in a never-ending string of action films. At 73, his last big movie was 2019’s Beyond the Law, but on-set assault allegations follow him to this day. At least he finally settled his beef with Jean-Claude Van Damme. It only took two or three decades.
Bow Wow
Discovered at the age of 6 by Snoop Dog back in 1993, Bow Wow made his acting debut in Like Mike (2002) and was last seen briefly reprising his role of Twinkie in Fast & Furious 9. Just like 50 Cent, it has been hard to break into the acting scene.
Stacey Dash
Only our first Clueless (1995) star on the list, Dash, has her latest starring role in Lifetime’s The Doctor with Two Faces (2025). Between her Clueless role that made her famous and her latest gig, she worked as an on-air contributor at Fox News until her news career went up in flames.
Tyrese Gibson
Not many can say they became famous after a Coca-Cola ad in 1994, but Gibson is one of the few who can. From starring alongside Snoop Dog in 2001’s Bad Boy to his extensive career in the Fast & Furious franchise, this American R&B singer can’t make it out of his type-casting. It’s no surprise he is hoping for a Morbius 2.
Ashley Greene
Best known for her role as Alice in the Twilight saga, many of Greene’s latest roles have been in the horror genre, which is notoriously difficult to escape. Her latest role was in 2025’s The Ritual as Sister Rose, but she was hard to notice standing next to Al Pacino.
Taylor Kitsch
Mostly trapped in TV roles throughout his career, we saw Taylor Kitsch in The Covenant (2006) as well as Snakes on a Plane (2006). Sadly, he’s never really managed to escape the flop that was John Carter (2012) and has since returned to his television roots. It’s a sad retreat, but hopefully Prime’s The Terminal List: Dark Wolf keeps him going.
Julia Stiles
Anyone around in the early 2000s knows the name Julia Stiles thanks to 10 Things I Hate About You. Since then, she’s stepped behind the camera to direct, but her recent romance film Wish You Were Here (2025) didn’t even make it past 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Clive Owen
Clive Owen made a name for himself as the protector of babies, starring in both the serious Children of Men in 2006 and the very unserious Shoot ‘Em Up in 2007. Known more for his rugged looks than his name, 2017’s Valerian might have marked the nose-dive in his career.
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom landed his first major role right after graduating from Guildhall, stepping onto the set of The Lord of the Rings. After that, and Pirates of the Caribbean, Bloom was mostly known simply for his connection to Katy Perry, but he appears to be clinging to his spot in Hollywood.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Prinze Jr’s first big break came with 1997’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was a badly reviewed hit on the horror circuit. A handful of roles in the early 2000s, later, the star was better known as a voice actor than for standing in front of the camera. He recently reprised his role in I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025), but the movie was rated even worse than the original.
Alicia Silverstone
Our other Clueless (1995) star, Silverstone was actually made famous for her role in the 1993 thriller The Crush. The 1990s were definitely her time, encompassing Clueless, Batman Robin, Blast from the Past, True Crime and even Hideaway. Only one of the titles mentioned was well received, and we all know it was Clueless.
Tara Reid
Known for being a hot model in the early 2000s, Reid made her claim to fame in titles like Urban Legend (1998) and Body Shots (1999), 16 years after first appearing on screens at the age of 6 in the kids’ game show Child’s Play. Just like her role in Attack of the Unknown (2020), Reid has unfortunately slipped off the radar.
Katherine Heigl
After her incredible career as Dr. Isobel Stevens in Grey’s Anatomy and the success of the rom/com 27 Dresses (2008), Heigl slipped into obscurity due to her reputation of being “hard to work with”. Her last role as a worried mom in Fear of Rain might have been the last that we’ll see in a while.
Pauly Shore
Possibly one of the first pod-casters in 2015, clearly ahead of his time, Shore was known for his weird roles like The Oracle in 1998’s Casper Meets Wendy and spoofs like The Bogus Witch Project (2000). Last starring as himself in the apocalypse-comedy How It Ends in 2021, Shore is a classic case of a comedian trying to have the last laugh. But what happened to Pauly Shore?
Shia LaBeouf
Some may say that Shia LaBeouf became famous due to his time in Disney’s Even Stevens (2000), but many fans say it was his supporting role in 2005’s Constantine. Also known for Transformers, some arrests, and rehab, many hadn’t noticed his return in Salvable (2025). The “JUST DO IT” meme seemed to mark the fall of his career.
Josh Hartnett
Hartnett first made his debut in 1998’s Halloween H20. He appeared in some great movies in the early 2000s, but Hartnett seemed to disappear around his role in Penny Dreadful in 2014. 2024 might have been his last hoorah, starring in both Trap and Fight or Flight.
