20 Actors Who Nearly Quit Hollywood Because of One Role
Some roles make careers. Others break spirits. For a few actors, stepping into a character came with a tidal wave of backlash, trauma, or unexpected emotional toll. In some cases, they walked away entirely. Here are 20 actors whose most memorable roles nearly pushed them out of Hollywood for good.
Jack Gleeson – Joffrey Baratheon, Game of Thrones
Credit: IMDb
Gleeson’s performance as Joffrey was chilling—and disturbingly convincing. But the hate for the character bled into real life. Fans harassed him, mistaking actor for role. The experience soured him on fame entirely. He retired from mainstream acting while still in his twenties, choosing academia and small theater work instead.
Jake Lloyd – Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
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What should’ve been a dream role for a 10-year-old turned into a nightmare. Jake Lloyd was ruthlessly mocked for his performance as young Anakin, both by critics and schoolmates. The backlash soured him on acting permanently. He quit the industry young and later struggled publicly with mental health, a casualty of fandom gone too far.
Hayden Christensen – Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars prequels
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Years later, Christensen faced similar venom. Accused of ruining Darth Vader’s legacy, he became a pop culture punching bag. After Revenge of the Sith, he left the spotlight for nearly a decade. It wasn’t until his warm return in Obi-Wan Kenobi that fans truly embraced what he’d brought to the role all along.
Ahmed Best – Jar Jar Binks, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Credit: Wikipedia
Best didn’t just get hate—he got death threats. His motion-capture work as Jar Jar was groundbreaking, but the backlash was vicious and deeply racialized. The experience left him suicidal. Only years later, after honest interviews and fan apologies, did he return to the franchise and receive some overdue appreciation.
Kelly Marie Tran – Rose Tico, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Credit: IMDb
Tran’s debut should’ve been a triumph. Instead, she was harassed off social media by racist and misogynistic fans. The attacks weren’t about her performance—they were about her existence. Disney sidelined her character in the next film, a move that sparked even more backlash. Tran has since reemerged with more agency and intention.
Shelley Duvall – Wendy Torrance, The Shining
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Stanley Kubrick pushed Duvall to the edge—deliberately. He isolated her on set, made her repeat takes over a hundred times, and emotionally wore her down to “get the shot.” The toll was visible on screen and devastating in real life. She stepped away from Hollywood for decades, her performance only recently reappraised as genius.
Brandon Routh – Superman, Superman Returns
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Routh had the looks, the charm, and the cape. But following Christopher Reeve’s shadow proved impossible. The film underperformed and Hollywood moved on—fast. For years, Routh barely worked. He only found his footing again when he returned as Superman in the Arrowverse, finally getting the love he deserved the first time.
Mischa Barton – Marissa Cooper, The O.C.
Credit: IMDb
At 17, Barton was thrust into fame she never wanted. The O.C. turned her into a tabloid fixture overnight. The pressure, paired with toxic scrutiny over her appearance and personal life, became unbearable. She left the show at its peak and stepped away from acting altogether to regain control of her life.
Robert Pattinson – Edward Cullen, Twilight Saga
Credit: IMDb
The role made him a superstar—and nearly broke him. Pattinson loathed the Twilight circus, hated the scripts, and felt boxed in by the franchise’s rabid fanbase. He almost quit acting entirely, only to reinvent himself in indie films before reclaiming blockbuster status with The Batman. The glow-up was real.
Anna Chlumsky – Vada Sultenfuss, My Girl
Credit: IMDb
A beloved child star in the ’90s, Chlumsky became frozen in time as Vada. Hollywood didn’t know what to do with her once she grew up. She quit, studied at the University of Chicago, worked in publishing, and didn’t return until Veep reminded the world she was never just a kid actor.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse – McLovin, Superbad
Credit: IMDb
He delivered one of the most iconic comedy roles of the 2000s—and paid for it by being typecast for years. Everyone wanted McLovin. No one wanted him. The instant fame was disorienting, and he retreated from major roles, later finding creative freedom in music and voice work away from the spotlight.
Taylor Lautner – Jacob Black, Twilight Saga
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After Twilight, Lautner became a teen heartthrob overnight—but struggled to find meaningful roles after the franchise ended. His sudden fame was disorienting, and harsh critical reviews didn’t help. Eventually, he stepped back from acting altogether, later returning in small doses on his own terms.
Tippi Hedren – Melanie Daniels, The Birds
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Alfred Hitchcock’s obsession with Hedren made her life a nightmare. During The Birds, she was subjected to real physical danger, including live birds thrown at her on set. After she rejected Hitchcock’s advances, he reportedly sabotaged her career. Her promising rise was cut short before it had the chance to flourish.
Megan Fox – Mikaela Banes, Transformers
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The Transformers franchise made her a global sex symbol, but it also boxed her into hypersexualized roles. Her candid criticism of director Michael Bay led to her being fired, and the media turned on her overnight. The backlash pushed her into semi-retirement until recent years saw her re-enter on her own terms.
Jeremy Renner – Clint Barton, Avengers Franchise
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Renner’s frustration with being sidelined in the Avengers films is well-documented. Playing Hawkeye left him feeling underused and creatively stifled. Though he stayed in the role, he’s hinted that he considered leaving the franchise due to the lack of development and direction for his character.
Michael B. Jordan – Erik Killmonger, Black Panther
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Jordan has said that embodying Killmonger took a deep emotional toll. The intensity of the character and isolation he used to stay in the role left him in a dark place mentally. He needed therapy after filming just to process the weight of the performance.
Brittany Murphy – Tai, Clueless
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Though Clueless made her a breakout star, Murphy faced cruel body shaming and industry pressure afterward. She was typecast in ditzy or unstable roles, leading to a career of near-misses and critical indifference. The pressure and personal turmoil contributed to her tragic, premature death in 2009.
Bobby Driscoll – Voice of Peter Pan, Peter Pan (1953)
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Driscoll was Disney’s golden boy—until he wasn’t. After voicing Peter Pan and starring in several live-action films, he was dropped by the studio as he aged out of roles. His career dried up, and he later died penniless and alone. Fame came early, and abandonment came even faster.
Jennifer Grey – Baby, Dirty Dancing
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Grey became a cultural icon overnight—but after a botched nose job drastically changed her appearance, the offers stopped coming. She’s spoken openly about feeling invisible in Hollywood afterward. Despite her talent, she was pushed aside by an industry that couldn’t see past her face.
Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley, Harry Potter Series
Credit: IMDb
Grint loved Harry Potter, but the role also trapped him. He’s admitted to struggling with the pressure of fame and feeling creatively stifled. After the franchise, he nearly quit acting altogether, taking a long break and considering other careers. He’s only recently returned to screen with cautious steps.