I’m not going to lie to you, even if you have the great ambition to become famous, immediately forget the idea of getting there by becoming an actor or actress. When you see the actors who have been traumatized by a role, the actors who have put themselves in danger for a role and those who have completely abandoned their career following a role, it is not dreaming. And we don’t want to pick you up with a teaspoon. Here are ten examples that should discourage you. You’re welcome.
1. Shelley Duval (Wendy Torrance in The Shining)
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Shelley Duval’s incredible performance in shining is in particular due to the fact that the actress did not have much to play. Indeed, to have the most natural reactions, Stanley Kubrick, the director, had fun terrorizing her, isolating her and forcing her to take hundreds of takes until the actress ended up in tears. Good management, yes, yes. Following this terrible experience, Shelley Duval completely moved away from the cinema, playing only small secondary roles, preferring TV. She finally retired completely in 2002.
2. Jack Lloyd (Child Anakin in Star Wars)
Impossible to talk about this subject without mentioning the story of Jack Lloyd. As a child when he started playing in Star Wars, the actor especially shit after the filming of the film, since he was harassed by his little comrades who made fun of him. But Jack Lloyd also took it to the head by fans of the saga who did not like his acting. We therefore understand why the poor kid did not want to try the cinema experience again.
3. Hayden Christensen (Anakin in Star Wars)
A bit like little Jack Lloyd, Hayden Christensen suffered the wrath of fans who did not appreciate the way he played. After all his criticism and his great exposure, the actor lost his self-confidence and therefore no longer played major roles in the cinema following this traumatic experience. If we can see him again in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series since 2022, the role of Anakin has still had a good impact on the career of Hayden Christensen.
4. Sean Connery (Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)
Know that even if you play James Bond 7 times, chances are that your career will end after just one bad role. This is what happened for Sean Connery who had the misfortune to play in the League of Extraordinary Gentleman. The film having been a big flop and having been well criticized, the actor decided to end his career shortly after its release. And until he retired in 2005, he never played big roles again. What a loss.
5. Greta Garbo (Karin Borg Blake in The Woman with Two Faces)
While she had succeeded in her transition from silent film to talkies and her first role in a comedy had been a success, Greta Garbo suffered the disaster of the film The woman with two faces. While she herself was not convinced by this role and complained that he was going to “dig his grave”, the critics confirmed his predictions by giving him a very bad reception. Following this flop, Greta Garbo completely withdrew from Hollywood and never played in any film again.
6. Omar Sharif (Melchisidek in The 13th Warrior)
After breaking into Dr Zhivago and lawrence of arabiaOmar Sharif suffered from the poor reception of the film The 13th Warrior, a viking epic. The flop was such that the film was rated one of the worst flop of all time, prompting Omar Sharif to quit acting, turning down roles because he had “lost his self-esteem”. If he came out of retirement a few times to act in films, Omar Sharif preferred to stop before his grandchildren still made fun of him like when he left the 13th warrior.
7. Teri McMinn (Pam in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Tiny budget, incomplete script, shooting for several days in a van, lack of comfort and ten hours spent being transported like a potato sack… This is what Teri McMinn suffered on the set of Chainsaw Massacre. A really not incredible experience that convinced the actress to abandon the theater to turn to the theater. And frankly, we get it.
8. Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Whoever played the very first Charlie in the adaptation of Charlie and the chocolate factory of 1971 had only one role before stopping net his career. Tired of the film industry, which he had entered as a child, he turned down a three-movie deal and left everything to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Know that with his winnings, he bought himself a horse. It leaves you dreaming.
9. Jeff Cohen (Chunk in The Goonies)
Poor Jeff Cohen suffered his role as an adorable, chubby little boy more than anything else. After his role in The Goonies and the arrival of his puberty, he only found small roles on TV or in dubbing, and therefore decided to leave the cinema. He eventually founded an entertainment law firm to provide legal protection for child actors. And we congratulate him.
10. Freddie Prinze JR (Cole Ortiz in 24 Hours)
While the role of Freddie Prinze Jr in 24 should have taken off his career, which was already not very fabulous at the time, it was not really the case. The actor hated working with Kiefer Sutherland so much that he decided to step away from the cameras to work at an entertainment event organization company. A nice little conversion.