10 of the Most Incredible Acting Comebacks Of All-Time

Hollywood is an extremely competitive town. Although there are countless talented people all over the world, only a very select view get the chance to become stars. With that being said, becoming famous and staying famous have proven to be two totally different things. Although some people make it to live out their dreams, they don’t seem to stick in the industry, and once a celebrity loses footing, getting back in the business can be even more difficult than it was the first time around. However, despite the ups and downs, some stars have not only managed to come back better, but have returned than ever to carve out their legacies once and for all. Here are 10 of the most incredible acting comebacks of all-time.

Mayim Bialik

If you grew up during the 90s, you probably remember Bialik from the popular TV show, Blossom. However, after the show’s end in 1995, Bialik’s career seemed to take a turn.  Aside from a few voice acting roles and some minor appearances, she was nowhere to be found until landing a starring role in 2010.  Since then, Bialik has been a fixture on the comedy series, The Big Bang Theory, and she’s been reintroduced to a new generation of fans.

 (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Variety)

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck may be one of the most popular stars in Hollywood today, but during the early 2000s he definitely hit a bit of a dry spell and all of his movie roles were a little sub par to say the least. The 2003 film, Gigli, in which he starred with his then girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, was so bad that most people thought it was going to kill his career. However, Affleck managed to bounce back from the slew of bad roles to becoming one of Hollywood’s A-Listers.

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

John Travolta

During the mid 70s, John Travolta rose to fame after a series of successful film and television roles. Most notably,his role as Vinnie Barbarino in the popular sitcom, Welcome Back Kotter, and his role as Danny Zuko in the now classic film, Grease. However, by the end of the 70s it seemed like Travolta was destined to play the role of the cool kid with the slicked back hair, and when those roles weren’t in high demand he struggled. For a while, it seemed like Travolta was going to be stuck playing parodies of himself, but things changed when he starred in the 1994 film, Pulp Fiction. Since then, Travolta has been back in the spotlight and is one of the most well-known names in Hollywood.

(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin comes from a pretty famous family, and has been in the acting industry for more than 30 years. However, despite finding success early in his career, Baldwin had pretty much fallen into obscurity before landing a starring role on the hilarious sitcom, 30 Rock. Since then, Baldwin has found his way back to the spotlight and has been a part of some pretty big productions including the fifth and latest installment in the Mission Impossible franchise.

 (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Drew Barrymore

It’s hard for anyone who finds success at a young age to maintain it into adulthood. During the 90s, Barrymore hit a very turbulent point in her childhood and went through an extremely rebellious stage. In turn her career began to suffer and many though Barrymore would become yet another child stat ti fall victim to a life of substance abuse. However, Barrymore eventually managed to turn things around and as an adult she has starred in some very successful films.

(Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

Neil Patrick Harris 

Neil Patrick Harris originally rose to fame during the late 80s when he became the title character on the popular TV show, Doogie Howser, M.D. After the show ended in 1993, Harris was only able to land a few small guest roles.  However, by the mid 2000s, Harris earned another starring role in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother and since then he has found continued success on the small screen, the big screen, and the stage.

(Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. has been fortunate enough to have several comebacks over the course of his career. Despite finding success during the 90s, Downey dealt with substance abuse issues that threatened to derail his career forever. However, in the early 2000s, he began climbing his way back to the top and eventually earned a spot in box office hits like Iron Man.  

(Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)

David Duchovny

Sometimes, when an actor becomes well-known for a specific role, they have a hard time finding other roles.  That seems to have been the case with David Duchovny who became popular for his role as Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files. When the show ended in 2002, Duchovny seemed to have problem landing other big roles. However, in 2007 found himself with a leading role in the series Californication, and since then he’s been back on top of the world. Next year, he’s even slated to star in The X-Files’ return to the air.

(Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images)

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando is widely considered one of the greatest actors to ever touch the silver screen. However, his success didn’t come without many bumps in the road. Despite ruling the screen during the 50s, Brando’s career was relatively silent during the 60s and many thought his peak had come and gone.  However, in 1972, his role in The Godfather, cemented his place in Hollywood history.

(Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)

Betty White

Betty White’s comeback is hands down the most incredible of them all.  Although White’s career has lasted longer than many of her fans have been alive, when Golden Girls ended its run in 1992, White pretty much disappeared from the spotlight with the exception of a view guest roles here and there.  However, thanks to the Internet, interest in White was re-ignited a few years ago and she rose to the occasion the way only she can. Over the last several years, Betty White has been everywhere, and she’s become the country’s most famous and well-liked grandma.

 (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Lead (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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