There’s no doubt about it, Hollywood loves a comeback role. Whether it be from a once critically acclaimed actor who has fell off the radar, or a seasoned thespian coming out a retirement, a career resurgence generates a lot of buzz. In the entertainment industry, popularity is a fickle beast, meaning stars weave in and out of high status.
Of course, some talents manage to remain at the top of the A-list tier for decades. However, others have to fight to stay relevant, picking their roles carefully. So, here are 5 Hollywood stars we think are due, and need, a comeback role.
5. Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme may not be regarded as a prestigious acting talent. However, there’s no denying that he was once one of the masters of his realm: action movies. The “Muscles from Brussels” was at the top of his game in the late 80s and early 90s, rivalling the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger with movies like Kickboxer, Universal Soldier, and Timecop. Although his box office numbers couldn’t keep up with that of his juggernaut peers, Van Damme became much more of an underground action star, with many of his films becoming cult action classics.
Somewhere along the way, the real-life martial artist turned actor slipped out of the mainstream consciousness and entered the straight-to-DVD ethos. Then, in 2012, he was offered the villainous role in Stallone’s The Expendables 2, kicking off a resurgence. From here, Van Damme led the Prime Video series Jean-Claude Van Johnson, an action spoof of sorts that saw him play a fictional version of himself. He then ventured over to Netflix with the action comedy The Last Mercenary, easily his biggest project in decades. Yet, somehow, he has slipped off the radar yet again, returning to VOD movies and having no presence in movie theaters. However, this could all change when his dream project comes to fruition.
Van Damme is reportedly set to play himself one more time with the action movie, What’s My Name? The unique concept will see Van Damme inflate his personality as he wakes up from a coma and must fight off every villain he has ever squared off against in his movies. As of writing, the film in still in pre-production, but it feels like just the project Van Damme needs to show his face on cinema screens once again.
4. John Travolta
Quentin Tarantino has long been known to pick his cast not by star power but by overall suitability and capability. In his iconic crime drama Pulp Fiction, Tarantino gave John Travolta the comeback role cinema didn’t realize it needed. Shifting from song and dance to gritty crime noir, Travolta found himself nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of the brutal yet charming gangster, Vincent Vega. As Tarantino’s sophomore feature film, Pulp Fiction put him on the map and shifted the dynamic of crime movies going forward. Furthermore, the cast was propelled to heightened fame, particularly Travolta, who went on to star in acclaimed movies like Get Shorty, Face/Off, and The Thin Red Line.
Unfortunately, Travolta’s comeback was capsized by the disastrous movie Battlefield Earth, released in 2000. Often labeled as one of the worst movies ever made, Battlefield Earth won seven Razzie Awards in 2001, including Worst Picture and Worst Actor for Travolta. Since then, he has been nominated another 13 times for roles in movies like The Fanatic, and Burning Ruber. However, in between these critically slammed movies, Travolta has still reeled out impressive performances from time-to-time, most notably his Primetime Emmy-nominated rendition as Robert Shapiro in American Crime Story. More recently, he has reverted back to low budget, VOD action movies. So, if we are hoping to see a another comeback role for Travolta, perhaps the best bet is for Quentin Tarantino to cast him in his tenth and final movie. We’re pulling for you John.
3. Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes was once considered to be the next big leading lady of Hollywood, sharing the screen with the likes of Denzel Washington in Training Day, Will Smith in Hitch, and leading the cast of the quirky comedy drama, Girl in Progress. She began acting in the late 90s and subsequently starred in a plethora of roles in pretty much every genre you can think of. However, over the years, her roles got smaller and less frequent, eventually taking a 10-year hiatus after the 2014 movie Lost River. In 2024, she is back – but only via her voice, lending her unique tones to the children’s TV series Bluey Book Reads.
In 2022, Mendes sat down with Variety to discuss her potential future in Hollywood. The actress is in a relationship with Hollywood megastar Ryan Gosling, and while he is balancing his ascending career with family life, Mendes is solely dedicating her time to her children. When quizzed about a return to acting, she stated how she will not do “violence” or “sexuality”. With romantic movies booming in 2024, perhaps Mendes could blow off the dust with a heartfelt drama or romantic comedy.
2. Cameron Diaz
After breaking out in the 1994 summer blockbuster smash hit The Mask, Cameron Diaz remained near the top of the A-List pile for well over a decade. The BAFTA-nominated actress has a wealth of iconic roles to her name, including the raunchy comedy classic There’s Something About Mary, and the dark and mysterious drama, Vanilla Sky. However, after a busy year in 2014 – starring in Sex Tape, Annie, and The Other Woman – Diaz has gone completely off the map, instead taking time to focus on her family.
In 2025, she will return to the silver screen alongside Jamie Foxx and Kyle Chandler in Seth Gordon‘s action comedy, Back in Action. She is also set to return to the iconic Shrek franchise, reprising her role as the voice of Princess Fiona. But if she is to make an epic comeback, she may have to delve into more dramatic territory once she has settled back into the profession.
1. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is a comedic actor who has defied being typecast, despite his most iconic roles being wacky and absurd. The Canadian megastar broke into Hollywood in the 90s when he starred in hit after hit. He then proved himself in the dramatic realm with movies like Man on the Moon, The Truman Show, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. However, none of these movies garnered him the Oscar glory many expected they would.
Over the last decade, Carrey hasn’t completely vanished, reprising his role as the beyond stupid Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To, and venturing into TV with Kidding, but he has expressed his disdain for the industry. To that, he seems to have slowed down and begun picking his roles extremely carefully. If he is to return with a comeback role, it would worthwhile to lean into his public image of intensity, ditch his slapstick antics and see if the tough-to-please voters at the Academy will give him a second thought. He is next set to star in David Robert Mitchell‘s (It Follows) mystery drama, Evergreen Pines and the Fading Summer. Want to read more about the enigmatic Jim Carrey? Here’s a detailed ranking of his 8 best movies.
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