15 Actors who were incarcerated at some point in their life

Actors might look untouchable on the big screen, but off-screen, some have run into real trouble. It is easy to forget that celebrities can make bad choices too—just like anyone else. Over the years, plenty of famous faces have been arrested and even spent time in jail. Their crimes range from DUIs and drug charges to tax evasion and assault.

For some, the jail was part of a rough past they managed to move on from. For others, it came after they were already rich and famous, bringing public humiliation and damaged careers. A few turned things around and came back stronger, while others couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble.

1) Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was arrested several times in the late 1990s for drug offenses. In 1996, police pulled him over in Malibu. They found cocaine, heroin, and a gun in his car. He kept getting into trouble for violating probation. In 1999, he was sentenced to three years in prison. He served 15 months before being released in 2000. After finishing parole in 2002, he focused on getting sober. He also started rebuilding his acting career. Over time, he turned things around. He became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He is now known for major films like Iron Man.

2) Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes got into legal trouble for not paying his taxes. Between 1999 and 2001, he made over $37 million. He didn’t file any tax returns. In 2008, he was convicted on three misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to three years in prison. He started serving time in December 2010. He was released in April 2013. The conviction hurt his reputation and slowed his career. After getting out, he started acting again. He took roles in films like The Expendables 3. Snipes later spoke about how much the experience affected him. He said it forced him to reflect.

3) Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg was arrested in 1988 when he was 16. He attacked two Vietnamese-American men in Boston. He used racial slurs during the assault. He was originally charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to felony assault instead. He was sentenced to two years in jail. He only served 45 days. In 2014, he applied for a pardon but later dropped the request. Wahlberg has apologized for his actions. He said it was a mistake he made as a teenager. He later worked to fix his life. He became a successful actor and businessman. He is now a Hollywood star.

4) Tim Allen

Tim Allen was arrested in 1978 at a Michigan airport. He was caught with more than 650 grams of cocaine. He faced life in prison. He cut a deal with authorities and gave up information about other drug dealers. This reduced his sentence to three to seven years. He served two years and four months before being released in 1981. After getting out, he focused on comedy. He started building his acting career. He later became famous for Home Improvement. He also voiced Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Allen said going to prison forced him to change his life.

5) Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo spent years in and out of prison for robbery and drug charges. He served time in several prisons in California including San Quentin and Folsom. While locked up he became a boxing champion and started working toward sobriety. After a riot in 1968, he decided to turn his life around. Once he got out he worked as a drug counselor and eventually started acting. He became known for playing tough guys in movies like Machete.

6) Christian Slater

In August 1997, Christian Slater was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend, Michelle Jonas, and a police officer while high on cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Police were called after neighbors reported loud shouting. Slater reportedly shoved Jonas and bit the officer during the arrest. He was charged with battery, sentenced to 90 days in jail, and served 59 days before being released. Afterward, he attended rehab and anger management. Slater admitted he was spiraling out of control at the time. The arrest hurt his image, but he stayed sober, worked steadily, and later earned praise for roles in Mr. Robot and other projects.

7) Sean Penn

Sean Penn spent 33 days in jail in 1987 after attacking a photographer during filming for Colors. The incident violated his probation from a prior assault, so he was sentenced to 60 days but got out early for good behavior. Reports said Penn punched the photographer and spat on him after repeated attempts to get privacy. He had already been in trouble for hitting a fan and reckless driving. Penn later said his anger was out of control in his younger years. Despite his reputation for being hotheaded, Penn’s career stayed strong, and he went on to win two Academy Awards.

8) Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez has had her fair share of legal trouble, mostly for DUIs and not following probation rules. Back in 2003, she got busted for drunk driving and a hit-and-run. She was given probation and community service, but it didn’t take long before she messed that up. In 2006, she violated probation and got sentenced to 60 days in jail, but overcrowding let her out in a few hours. She slipped up again in 2007, earning a 180-day sentence, though she only served 18 days. Rodriguez admitted she wasn’t the most responsible early on but managed to keep her career going.

9) Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf has been arrested several times for drinking, fighting, and causing public disturbances. In 2017, he was arrested in Georgia after getting drunk and arguing with police officers. Bodycam footage showed him shouting and cursing. He was taken into custody. He pleaded guilty and received probation. He was also ordered to attend rehab and anger management classes. In 2014, he disrupted a Broadway play. He was arrested for disorderly behavior. He later admitted he had a drinking problem. He went to rehab and said he wanted to turn his life around. He acted in Honey Boy and worked on fixing his reputation.

10) Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan’s legal problems started in 2007 when she got arrested twice for DUIs just weeks apart. During the second arrest, police found cocaine in her pocket. She pleaded guilty, got rehab, community service, and one day in jail, but because the jail was overcrowded, she spent less than two hours there. Things didn’t get better after that. She kept violating probation and racking up more arrests. In 2010, she was sentenced to 90 days for skipping court-ordered programs but served only 14 days. Her run-ins with the law kept her in the news and made it harder to focus on acting.

11) Vince Vaughn

Vince Vaughn was arrested in 2001 after a bar fight in Wilmington, North Carolina. The incident started when Vaughn and actor Steve Buscemi got into an argument with another man. It escalated into a physical altercation, and Buscemi was stabbed while trying to break it up. Vaughn was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault but later had the charges dropped after agreeing to keep the peace. Vaughn faced legal trouble again in 2018 when he was arrested for DUI at a checkpoint in Los Angeles. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years of probation and DUI classes.

12) Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland was arrested for drunk driving in 2007 in Los Angeles. It was his second DUI. His first DUI happened in 2004. Police pulled him over during a traffic stop. They saw signs that he was drunk and took him in. Sutherland pleaded no contest. He was sentenced to 48 days in jail. He chose to serve his time during a break from filming 24. This way, he didn’t disrupt production. After jail, Sutherland went back to work. He continued acting in movies and TV. Later, he said the arrest made him think more carefully about his decisions.

13) Felicity Huffman

Felicity Huffman got caught in the 2019 college admissions scandal. She paid $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT answers fixed. She admitted it was wrong but said she just wanted to help her daughter. Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud. She was sentenced to 14 days in jail. She also got a $30,000 fine and 250 hours of community service. She served 11 days before being released early. After the scandal, Huffman apologized. She said she regretted what she did. She stayed out of the public eye for a while. Later, she returned to acting in smaller roles.

14) Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin was arrested in 2008 for a bar fight in Louisiana while filming W. Police responded to reports of a disturbance and took Brolin and several others into custody. He was charged with interfering with police and paid a fine to resolve the case. Brolin was also arrested in 2013 for public intoxication in Santa Monica. He later admitted that alcohol had become a problem and decided to stop drinking. After addressing his struggles, Brolin rebuilt his career and earned acclaim for roles in No Country for Old Men, Avengers: Infinity War, and Deadpool 2.

15) Jussie Smollett

In January 2019, actor Jussie Smollett reported being the victim of a hate crime in Chicago, alleging that two men attacked him, used racial and homophobic slurs, and placed a noose around his neck. Subsequent investigations by the Chicago Police Department suggested that Smollett had orchestrated the attack himself. In March 2019, he was indicted on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report, these charges were later dropped. However, in February 2020, Smollett was again indicted on six counts related to the incident. In December 2021, he was convicted on five of the six counts and, in March 2022, was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay restitution and fines. Smollett began serving his sentence but was released after six days pending an appeal.