“I can’t imagine that is taking place to me. That is the American dream.”

Comeback tales aren’t only for the flicks.

In actual fact, many celebrities have skilled their very personal private comebacks, reviving their careers after a big trip of the highlight. A single position can utterly change their lives and take them from off the radar to an Oscar nominee.

The 2022-2023 awards season noticed loads of victories for the underdog, with actors who beforehand absent from Hollywood making a serious Profession resurgence. And with their newfound fame, it’s only the start of a second likelihood for these stars.

Learn how these stars made their massive comeback…

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Ke Huy Quan Recalls Reuniting with Steven Spielberg & Harrison Ford at the Oscars

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1. Ke Huy Quan

Ke Huy Quan started his profession as a baby actor, touchdown elements in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” in addition to “The Goonies.” However for years after, he struggled to search out roles for Asian American actors and ultimately determined to go to Movie college. He labored behind the digicam for many years however in his late 40s, he determined to offer appearing one other attempt. He was solid in “All the pieces In all places All at As soon as” — and the movie ended up turning into an enormous success, incomes him the Oscar for Greatest Actor in a Supporting Position.

“My journey began on a ship. I spent a yr in a refugee camp and someway I ended up right here on Hollywood’s greatest stage,” he mentioned throughout his acceptance speech. “They are saying tales like this solely occur within the films. I can’t imagine that is taking place to me. That is the American dream.”

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Brendan Fraser Wins Best Actor Oscar for The Whale

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2. Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser rose to fame within the ’90s, discovering huge success in movies like “Encino Man,” “The Mummy” and “George of the Jungle.” However someday within the early 2000s, Brendan took a step again from the highlight and was notably absent from main Hollywood films. He later revealed that he went by way of a decade of turmoil, affected by stunt-related accidents, surgical procedures, divorce and different private struggles. He additionally questioned whether or not his lack of labor in Hollywood was associated to his determination to accuse Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood International Press Affiliation, of sexual assault.

However when he was solid in 2022’s “The Whale,” his profession took a serious flip. The movie earned him a six-minute standing ovation on the Venice Movie Pageant and ultimately quite a few award nominations. He in the end took house Greatest Actor on the 2023 Oscars.

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3. Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder acquired her first Oscar nomination for her position in “The Age of Innocence” when she was simply 23-years-old. By then, she’d already appeared in movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “Heathers” — and would go on to seem in “Actuality Bites” and “Lady, Interrupted.” Sadly, she went by way of a troublesome time within the early 2000s and was arrested on expenses of shoplifting and being in possession of unlawful pharmaceuticals. She in the end took a step again from the highlight.

“I took some years off, and I did not notice that was very harmful by way of my profession,” she informed Time. “I used to be always being informed, ‘You need to maintain working so that you keep related.’ After I was prepared to come back again, I used to be like, ‘Oh, the place did everybody go?’ Quite a lot of actors have ups and downs. I feel mine have been — folks may see them as terrible — however I discovered, and I appreciated the time away.”

When she returned to the highlight, she had a tough time discovering work, admitting that her “thirties have been just a little bit robust.” It was her position in “Black Swan” that helped change issues for Winona. By 2017, she had been solid in “Stranger Issues,” which grew to become a serious hit and remodeled her profession. That yr she was even nominated for a Golden Globe for Greatest Actress.

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4. Jennifer Coolidge

Jennifer Coolidge has all the time been a beloved fixture in Hollywood in movies like “American Pie” and “Legally Blonde.” However over the course of the previous decade, Jennifer admits she discovered herself going by way of a “lifeless zone” of her profession. She says issues all modified after Ariana Grande impersonated the actress on “The Tonight Present.”

“It’s best to know that it was type of the start of loads of cool issues that occurred for me,” Jennifer defined. “I used to be going by way of a lifeless zone. Not a lot was happening. After which Ariana did this imitation on [the] present and also you inspired her after which this ball bought rolling.”

Ariana recruited Jennifer to seem in her “Thank U, Subsequent” music video and from there, she discovered herself on the heart of popular culture once more. In 2021, she was solid in “The White Lotus,” a task that has now earned her quite a few award nominations, together with an Emmy win.

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5. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. started his profession within the ’70s but it surely was his position in 1992’s “Chaplin” that shot him to stardom, with quite a few award nominations. He went on to have a number of different profitable roles however 1996 marked the start of a bump within the highway for Robert. After being arrested on expenses of driving below the affect and for having medication in his automobile, he spent time in jail and rehab and was written out of his position on “Ally McBeal.” When he later violated his parole after which missed a court-ordered drug check, he wound up in jail for a whole yr.

By 2003, he was sober and trying to get a recent begin in Hollywood. Though some studios have been hesitant to work with him, he started to land roles and by 2008 he had joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Iron Man.” The movie and its sequels skyrocketed him to fame — and he’s been a extremely wanted actor ever since.

6. Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey made a reputation for himself starring in rom-coms within the early 2000s however he ultimately determined that it wasn’t the path he needed to take his profession. He made a acutely aware determination to show down any rom-coms that got here his approach — and even notably turned down a $14.5 million payday. As soon as studios realized he was severe about taking totally different sorts of roles, the gives dried up.

“No gives got here in for nearly a yr and a half. I used to be now shaking fingers with the truth that I could by no means work in Hollywood once more. It pinched me just a little, however I used to be OK with it. It was time for a brand new chapter in my life,” Matthew informed AARP.

Fortunately, studios lastly started to just accept that Matthew was on a brand new path and he went on to land main roles in dramas like “Dallas Patrons Membership” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.” His Hollywood resurgence was even dubbed the “McConaissance.”

7. Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle was a well known comedian with a vastly profitable present on Comedy Central when he determined to stroll away from all of it in 2005. On the peak of his profession, Dave turned down the $50 million he was being provided for a 3rd season of “Chappelle’s Present.” As an alternative, he moved to South Africa and remained out of the highlight for nearly a decade.

“I used to be talkin’ to a man…he principally mentioned to me that comedy is a reconciliation of paradox,” Dave mentioned on “CBS This Morning.” “And I feel that that was an irreconcilable second for me. That I used to be on this very profitable place, however the emotional content material of it did not really feel something like what I imagined success ought to really feel like. It simply did not really feel proper.”

When Dave determined to return to Hollywood in 2015, it marked a serious comeback and a brand new section of his profession. He launched a film and in 2017, he launched 4 comedy specials. He launched two extra in 2019 and 2022 — the ultimate turning into certainly one of his most profitable so far.

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8. Mandy Moore

Within the late ’90s, Mandy Moore was a teen pop star with a blossoming appearing profession. However after touchdown elements in movies like “The Princess Diaries” and “A Stroll to Bear in mind,” her profession appeared to stall. Whereas Mandy did proceed to work in Hollywood, issues have been sluggish with only a few guest-starring roles, some failed pilots and smaller movies. It wasn’t till 2016 when she was solid in “This Is Us” that her profession took a complete 180. By the top of the present’s first season, she had earned her first Golden Globe nomination — and has since received many others.

“Our lives and careers have an ebb and move and I’ve undoubtedly had my dips,” she shared. “However now, popping out of a slower level in my life and profession…I’ve to say there was an odd sense of contentment. Being 33 and being on the level in my life that I’m and seeing how fortunate I’ve been within the final yr with work and my profession…I’m attempting to be current and recognize the second. That is so once-in-a-lifetime, this loopy expertise that each one of us on the present are experiencing proper now.”

9. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres had a profitable profession because the star of her personal self-titled sitcom however when she got here out as homosexual, every part modified. Scores dipped on her present and she or he immediately had a troublesome time discovering work. When she premiered one other sitcom, “The Ellen Present,” it ended up being canceled earlier than the season even completed airing.

“After I got here out, folks warned me that it was going to destroy my profession, and so they have been proper for some time,” Ellen later shared. “Really, for precisely three years, I misplaced my profession.”

However in 2003, Ellen launched her personal discuss present — and it ended up turning into an enormous hit. It was nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season alone and racked up over 25 wins over the course of its time on the air. Ellen has even gone on to host the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmys.

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10. Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe rose to fame within the ’80s as a teen heartthrob, starring in movies like “The Outsiders” and “St. Elmo’s Fireplace.” However in 1988, a intercourse tape that includes the actor and two younger girls surfaced. He says he ultimately hit all-time low and checked into rehab. He went a number of years with out a main profession breakthrough however he continued to push onwards.

“I’ve been lucky that I’ve all the time, all the time, all the time labored. Even after the intercourse tape was made public, it was like: You’re nonetheless an expert baseball participant, however you’re taking part in for Double or Triple A. I misplaced the position in ‘Titanic’ that Billy Zane bought. However I used to be by no means banned from the sport,” Rob informed GQ.

In 1999, Rob lastly made his comeback when he was solid in “The West Wing,” which he starred on till 2006. Rob has since appeared in quite a few hit collection like “Brothers & Sisters” and “Parks and Recreation.”

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Ben Affleck Reveals Why Justice League Left ‘Most Monstrous Taste In My Mouth’

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11. Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck made a reputation for himself within the ’90s and early 2000s, starring in films like “Good Will Searching” and “Pearl Harbor.” However when tabloids started to take a vested curiosity in his private life and a few of his movies like “Gigli” and “Jersey Lady” flopped, his profession began to flounder. After all of the adverse opinions, Ben determined to take a step again from the highlight and pursue issues behind the scenes.

“If the response to Gigli hadn’t occurred, I most likely would not have in the end determined, ‘I don’t actually have every other avenue however to direct films,’ which has turned out to be the true love of my skilled life,” he informed EW.

Ben went on to direct and star in movies like “Gone Child Gone” and “Argo,” paving the way in which for a brand new period of his profession. In 2013, he even took house Greatest Image on the Oscars for “Argo,” proving that he had moved previous his flop movies.