7 movies that saved the dying career of an actor

Movies have the power to make or break an actor’s career in Hollywood. Even the most famous and well-known actors can suffer a career slump if they don’t get the right roles. Therefore, it is profound when movies save the dying career of an actor and give him or her the opportunity to prove their worth once again. Over the years, there have been many movies that have been credited with saving the career of a certain actor. Here are 7 such movies that revived an actor’s fortunes.

The Whale, John Wick, and other movies that revived an actor's career

1. Pulp Fiction – John Travolta

Still from the movie (Image via Miramax)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, and Samuel L. Jackson, this seminal independent movie from the early 90s massively revived the career of Travolta. The crime movie is told in a non-linear fashion and focuses on a group of people and their intertwining stories in the city of Los Angeles. Critically acclaimed and adored by viewers, the movie brought Tarantino to fame as well, and many of its scenes and dialogues are a part of pop culture even today. The movie mixes humor and violence and is self-referential. Eclectic, quirky, and unique, the movie even won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Travolta plays the role of Vincent Vega, who is Jules’ (Jackson) partner-in-crime and works for Marsellus Wallace. The chemistry between Travolta and Thurman was a favorite with the audiences, and Travolta even received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role. Interestingly, Tarantino had Michael Madsen in mind for the role while Harvey Weinstein, the producer, had Daniel Day-Lewis in mind. Finally, Travolta agreed to do the part at a reduced rate. It is one of those movies that revived Travolta’s career. Before the movie, Travolta was known for comedic, dramatic, and musical roles. But after the movie’s release, he worked in more serious movies.

2. Iron Man – Robert Downey Jr.

Still from the movie (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

Based on the Marvel comics character of the same name, this superhero movie is directed by Jon Favreau and is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Starring Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role of Iron Man, along with Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and others, the movie was a massive critical and commercial success and revived the career of Downey Jr. and established MCU as a profitable and influential filmmaking venture. The movie focuses on the famous industrialist and engineer, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who is kidnapped by a terrorist group. After his escape, Stark decides to create a mechanized suit of armor and becomes the superhero, Iron Man. Before the movie, Robert Downey Jr. had been known for starring in movies like Weird Science, Stakeout, and other movies of the 1980s. The actor also had a difficult time with addiction, which has hampered his career as an actor. However, the character’s arc in the movie also resembled the actor’s life and gave him redemption. Robert Downey Jr. is now synonymous with Iron Man. The acting performance of Robert Downey Jr was noted by viewers and critics, who appreciated his energetic and ambitious performance as the superhero in the first of the Marvel movies.

3. The Whale – Brendan Fraser

Directed by Darren Aronofsky and based on the play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter, this psychological drama movie stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, and others. The movie is about a morbidly obese, housebound teacher, played by Fraser, who tries to heal his relationship with his daughter, whom he had abandoned a few years ago. The movie is heartfelt and poignant, and Fraser gives a captivating and tear-jerking performance as someone with physical and emotional struggles. The actor showcases his passion towards the art of acting by putting on heavy prosthetics and completely changing himself physically for the role. The movie was a critical and commercial success, and Fraser’s performance was heavily lauded by his fans and critics. The movie was an emotional return for the actor, who had seen career heights in the late 90s and had unfortunately seen a dip afterwards because he spoke about the Hollywood abuse he suffered. Known for classic movies like The Mummy and George of the Jungle, the movie, was welcomed by the actor’s fans in huge numbers, who always appreciated his talent and screen presence. It is one of those movies that revived Fraser’s career.

4. Halloween (2018) – Jamie Lee Curtis

Still from the movie (Image via Universal Pictures)

A direct sequel to the first movie from 1978, this slasher film is a legacy sequel that is directed by David Gordon Green and stars the veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis gained immediate fame for starring in the original movie and reigned throughout the 70s and 80s as the “scream queen”. However, the actress faced a slump in the latter years and briefly retired from acting in the Noughties. However, it was only fitting that the actress revived her career from the movie that created her career in the first place. The 2018 sequel brought the actress back into the limelight, who reprised her role of Laurie Strode once again. The movie is about Laurie, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and comes face-to-face with an escaped Michael Myers once again. Set on a Halloween night, forty years after the first movie, the film is about the epic showdown between Myers and Strode. The movie also features Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney, and others. The film was a critical and commercial success and spawned two sequels. On the other hand, Curtis found herself back in mainstream Hollywood, and she has since appeared in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which garnered her an Academy Award. She has also made a critically acclaimed cameo in the hit show, The Bear.

5. Million Dollar Baby – Clint Eastwood

Starring, co-produced, and directed by Clint Eastwood, this sports drama movie is based on stories from F.X. Toole. The movie also stars Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman and was a critical and commercial success. The film was nominated for multiple awards at the Oscars and won in the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor categories. Regularly cited as one of the best movies made to date, the film revived the veteran actor and director, Clint Eastwood’s career in a major way. The film is about Margaret or Maggie Fitzgerald, played by Swank, who is an underdog and amateur boxer. She comes across the underappreciated boxing trainer, Frankie Dunn, played by Eastwood, who is stern but well-meaning. Frankie sees the potential in Maggie and decides to train her for matches. The movie is all about redemption and finding one’s goal and identity in life. While Eastwood has starred in many famous Westerns and action movies in his career, his career took a dip in the 90s, and he was cast in mediocre roles. With this movie, Eastwood carved a new kind of role for himself and decided to act and direct the movie. The movie gave Eastwood the impetus to continue working and taking serious roles even at his age, and also bolstered his directing career in movies.

6. John Wick – Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves is one of the most loved actors in today’s time. The actor is known for his looks, his acting capabilities, and his good nature. However, even the fan-favorite actor faced a dip in his career, which was revived by the ferocious action franchise, John Wick. Directed by Chad Stahelski, this action thriller movie features Reeves in the role of John Wick, who is a famous hitman. However, he is forced to come out of retirement after a few men kill his dog, a gift from his recently deceased wife. Even though Reeves’ career was declining, the actor liked the script and decided to play the role. In the 90s and early 2000s, Reeves had become a household name after starring in movies like Speed and The Matrix. But he struggled to find roles in movies afterwards. After a few years outside of the limelight, the actor revved up his career once again after starring in this indie action movie that quickly turned into a box-office hit and spawned a profitable franchise. The movie turned Reeves into a leading action man and viewers and critics loved the movie that had both action and a heartfelt center.

7. Wild – Reese Witherspoon

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, this biographical adventure drama is based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed. The movie was co-produced by Witherspoon, who also plays the titular role of Strayed in the movie. A film about searching, identity, and exploration, Witherspoon gives her career-best performance. She documents the story of a woman whose life turns upside down because of personal problems and who decides to embark on a solo hiking trip along the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. The movie was acclaimed by critics and was a success at the box office. The movie brought back Witherspoon into the limelight, who had seen success in her early years and then saw a slump. While the actress was always a famous name, thanks to her roles in Legally Blonde and Walk the Line, she suffered from mediocre movies and a career slump afterwards. However, the biographical return-to-nature movie turned around the actress’s fate and garnered Witherspoon an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Critics and viewers applauded Witherspoon’s raw and gritty acting in the film, and the actress proved that she can take on serious roles as well and is not just an actor known for comedy and chick flicks. In recent years, Witherspoon has diversified her career and now owns a media empire, a book club, and believes in creating movies that empower women.