Sometimes an actor is towards the top of the pack, then Hollywood seemingly lets them go. It's a shame, too, because these actors have shown formidable talent and more than enough ability to lead a major project.
Now that television has become the new film, former A-listers have an even greater chance of hitting a comeback. Talented performers now have any number of avenues to go down in search of the noteworthy project that fits their abilities. Hopefully, the forgotten actors of Hollywood will soon find their renewed time in the sun.
Josh Lucas
Josh Lucas had major roles in some of the early 2000s biggest movies, such as A Beautiful Mind, Sweet Home Alabama, Hulk, and Secondhand Lions. Then, movies like Stealth and Poseidon didn't meet the same critical or commercial response.
However, Lucas recently starred as the young version of Kevin Costner's character on Yellowstone and had a memorable role in Oscar winner Ford v Ferrari, so the next big lead role could be right around the corner.
Regina Hall
Regina Hall has been in some great movies, and she's typically the highlight within them, but she still needs the perfect role to showcase her range. She's shown that she can do drama time and time again but she also has superb comedic talent, as seen in movies like Scary Movie.
Hall recently had the lead role in Prime Video's Master, and she has a role in the upcoming Me Time, alongside other big names like Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart.
Ali Larter
Ali Larter recently appeared in TV series like The Rookie and Creepshow, but her biggest roles were in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
She co-led Final Destination in 2000 before leading Final Destination 2 in 2003. Larter also had House on Haunted Hill and Varsity Blues in 1999 and portrayed Claire Redfield in three installments of the Resident Evil franchise, along with a major role in 2001's Legally Blonde. Hopefully, she'll find the right project to lead sooner rather than later.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry has never exactly left Hollywood, but her star has dwindled. She was once a go-to A-lister to lead a studio project, but for a while, she was relegated to very, very small movies.
Berry has seen her career on the uptick recently, with supporting roles in franchise films like John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Furthermore, she led Roland Emmerich's Moonfall and looks to have more big-budget projects in the near future.
Michael Biehn
Michael Biehn is tailor-made for cool roles, and he never disappoints. He'll always be primarily known for his roles in James Cameron's The Terminator and Aliens, but the actor has been steadily working each year since the 1980s. However, it's been a while since he led a project.
Regardless, Biehn still appears in major franchise pieces like The Walking Dead and The Mandalorian, so it's not as if he's been so forgotten by Hollywood that he can't lead a film.
Mike Myers
Mike Myers has made some massive movies, particularly those in the Shrek, Austin Powers, and Wayne's World franchises. He also led films such as So I Married an Axe Murderer and 54. Then, The Cat in the Hat and The Love Guru stopped the big roles from coming in, at least for a while.
It seems the SNL alum has been prepping a resurgence, having recently reprised his role of Dr. Evil in GM's Super Bowl commercial. More exciting, though, is Myers's interest in making a fourth superspy spoof movie.
Breckin Meyer
Breckin Meyer made a name for himself in mid-'90s and early aughts comedy movies. Clueless and Freddy's Dead were both major films, but his roles were of a supporting nature. Then, he led both Road Trip and Garfield: The Movie, the latter of which received a sequel. Even Rat Race, an ensemble comedy featuring Meyer in a major role, has gone on to develop somewhat of a cult following.
It would make sense that the actor's next big role will be in a comedic project, but perhaps it can be something that skews the genre line like his humorous legal procedural TV series, Franklin & Bash.
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan is one of the greatest rom-com in the world, but she's also one of the biggest stars to basically fade off the map overnight. She had a "good girl" image, which underwent a change with the box office flops Proof of Life and In the Cut.
For Ryan, a romantic comedy would be a return to form but it would be interesting to see what the performer could do with Emmy or Oscar-worthy material in the 2020s. Perhaps years later, Hollywood will embrace her for showing range instead of shutting her out.
Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser was another '90s actor who led a major film series, then saw their career lose some steam. With that being said, it looks like the list of Brendan Fraser's best movies may soon be expanded with the DCEU's Batgirl.
Fraser's career has been on an uptick, especially given his well-received performance in Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move, and it's about time he reaches the career heights he saw while dodging scarabs in The Mummy trilogy.
Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett was one of Hollywood's go-to leading men in the late '90s/early aughts. Films like H20, Pearl Harbor, and 40 Days and 40 Nights put the young actor in a pigeonholed position.
However, Hartnett has shown formidable prowess and can delve into deep characters. He's been proving this with low-key work in minor indies and shows like Penny Dreadful, and it's far past time for him to become a Hollywood A-lister again. And, now that Christopher Nolan has cast Hartnett in his next film, there's a chance that prospect becomes a reality sooner than later.