The 20 best actor comebacks

Brendan Fraser was the defining leading man of the late '90s and early 2000s, starring in action blockbuster The Mummy and comedies such as George of the Jungle and Blast from the Past. After a hiatus during most of the 2010s, Fraser made the ultimate comeback with his dramatic performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. The physically and emotionally grueling role ignited the "Brenaissance," earning the actor unanimous praise and an Academy Award.

Ke Huy Quan was previously known as a child actor who starred in two of the biggest films of the '80s, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. Despite his early success, Quan struggled to secure work afterward and quit acting. He eventually returned with his acclaimed performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, which saw him back at the forefront of Hollywood and secured his 2023 Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. 

Jennifer Coolidge first garnered attention for her comedic turn as Stifler’s Mom in American Pie and has given many other iconic performances since. However, Coolidge wasn’t being offered major roles that allowed her to showcase her range for a while — until The White Lotus. Starring in two seasons of HBO’s hit show, Coolidge’s multifaceted and hilariously entertaining performance won her both a Golden Globe and an Emmy, finally garnered her the recognition she deserves.

Like something out of a superhero movie, Robert Downey Jr. has had one of the most inspiring comeback stories of any actor. Despite already having found success in Hollywood during the '90s, Downey Jr.’s drug addiction got in the way and almost ruined his career. After achieving sobriety, he was cast as Tony Stark in Iron Man, where he would become the leading face of The Avengers in multiple films and the world's biggest movie star. 

Michael Keaton was one of the biggest mainstream movie stars of the '80s, leading comedies like Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice and playing Batman himself. For the next 20 years, however, Keaton ditched his leading man title. That all changed when he starred in 2015’s Best Picture winner Birdman, ironically following a former superhero actor trying to resurrect his career. Since then, Keaton has steadily appeared in both leading and supporting roles in major films.

Eddie Murphy is one of the most influential comic actors of all time, bringing us characters from Axel Foley to Donkey over a decades-spanning career. Until the late 2000s, Murphy appeared in hit after hit but was practically absent during the 2010s (excluding a couple of duds). The legend triumphantly returned to screens in 2019 with Dolemite Is My Name, a raunchy and hilarious Netflix romp, where Murphy reminds audiences he’s still got it.

John Travolta was a huge deal during the '70s, thanks to Grease and Saturday Night Fever , but his popularity had severely declined by the '90s. Enter Quentin Tarantino, director of the classic Pulp Fiction, which starred Travolta as hitman Vincent Vega. The meaty and gritty role was a world away from Danny Zuko (though Travolta got to show off his dance moves once more) and practically saved his career. It also earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Winona Ryder was the "it" girl of the late '80s and '90s, with memorable roles in Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and many more. Due to public scandals and personal struggles, Ryder took a break from acting during the 2000s. She returned in the pivotal role of Joyce Byers in Netflix’s cultural phenomenon Stranger Things, which is also a homage to the retro flicks she starred in years before. She’s the "it" girl once again, only older and wiser.

Thanks to roles in The Matrix trilogy and Speed, Keanu Reeves was one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars during the '90s and early 2000s. After the final Matrix film, the actor struggled to replicate his success, starring in a number of critically and commercially panned films. In 2014, Reeves returned to his action roots with John Wick, a film and character that has made him an action star once again and launched an entire franchise.

As Bridget Jones herself, there was a time when Renée Zellweger was rom-com royalty, as well as an accomplished actor in her own right, with an Oscar win and two other nominations. During the 2010s, the actress took a six-year break from acting, completely stepping away from the public. In 2019, she reemerged in spectacular fashion, playing Judy Garland in the biopic Judy and winning her second Oscar, this time for Best Leading Actress. 

Mickey Rourke’s career started incredibly strong, with acclaimed turns in the '80s in films such as Diner and Barfly. However, poor on-set behavior led to Rourke leaving acting and pursuing a career in boxing. He eventually returned to Hollywood and starred in some major films, with his comeback reaching full circle thanks to The Wrestler. Following a former wrestling star with parallels to Rourke’s own life, it earned him an Oscar nomination.

Marlon Brando is one of the greatest actors of all time, cemented by performances in films like A Streetcar Named Desire. Despite this, Brando had a difficult time during the '60s due to box office failures, which brought down his reputation as a profitable star. Then came the role of Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Argued by many to be the greatest movie ever made, Brando crafted an instantly iconic screen character, recognizable and quotable to this day. 

For most of the 2000s, Matthew McConaughey was a one-trick pony as the leading man in every mainstream rom-com. These lackluster roles limited the actor’s ability to showcase his range, and it wasn’t until he moved toward drama that he truly became a truly prestigious actor. With his transformative and confronting performance as an AIDS victim in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey won an Oscar and re-established his standing in Hollywood.

Christina Applegate rose to prominence during the '90s as Kelly Bundy in the sitcom Married… with Children but could only be seen in supporting roles in comedies for the next twenty-odd years. 2019’s Dead to Me saw Applegate in a complex, dramatic, and hilarious lead role as a grieving wife and mother. She played the part to perfection over three seasons, including after her real-life MS diagnosis, and reminded audiences of her incredible strength and talent.

Neil Patrick Harris started his career as a child actor, portraying child genius Doogie Howser M.D. in the series of the same name. Afterward, Harris disappeared from our screens for a long time until he made a cameo appearance as himself in one of the Harold & Kumar films. His role as Barney Stinson in the beloved sitcom How I Met Your Mother followed as a result, which cemented his status as a television and comedy icon.

Nicolas Cage was one of the most famous movie stars of the '90s. He never stopped working but later starred in straight-to-video duds for an extended period. Recently, Cage has been getting back in the game, and his performance as himself in the meta-comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was the perfect vehicle to do so. By poking fun at himself and reflecting on his career, he proves why he's such an icon.

Mandy Moore started as a popular teen singer and actress, appearing in The Princess Diaries and A Walk to Remember. Despite having acted for many years, the role that had her re-emerge as an acclaimed adult actress was in the drama series This Is Us. Playing the role of Rebecca Pearson through ages 16-80 over the show’s six-season run, Moore’s moving performance broke hearts and saw her deservingly nominated for a plethora of awards.

When Hayden Christensen played the lead role of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, fans didn’t initially take to his performance but have grown a soft spot for him over the years. After the trilogy wrapped, Christensen went into relative obscurity but returned as Anakin in the 2022 mini-series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Fans were thrilled to see the actor back as the character in his Darth Vader phase, igniting nostalgia and thrills.

Sylvester Stallone began as a struggling actor but took the world by storm with the creation of the iconic Rocky franchise, penning the original script himself. He starred in a number of hits but hit a wall during the 2000s, despite revisiting Rocky Balboa and Rambo in sequels during that time. His real comeback came with his portrayal of Balboa in 2015’s Creed, which revitalized both the character and franchise and secured him an Oscar nomination. 

Mayim Bialik was a notable child star during the '90s, starring as the titular character in the sitcom Blossom. As an adult, Bialik took a 12-year break from acting and focused on her education, earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Her big return to TV screens was ironically playing a neuroscientist in The Big Bang Theory, one of the most successful comedies of all time. Bialik appeared on the show as Amy Farrah Fowler for almost 10 years.