film / tv / politics / social media / lists / web / celeb / pajiba love / misc / about / cbr
film / tv / politics / web / celeb

marky-mark.jpg

10 of Hollywood's Most Unpredictable Career Arcs

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | November 14, 2012 |

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | November 14, 2012 |


10. Wil Wheaton

1986 — Break-out star of Rob Reiner’s Stephen King adaptation, Stand By Me

Stand-By-Me-stand-by-me-5092673-852-480.jpg

2012 — Internet personality, former “Star Trek” cast member. King of the Geeks.

Wil-Wheaton.jpg

9. Leonardo DiCaprio

1991 — Cousin Oliver to “Growing Pains.”

leo-dicaprio-growing-pains_l.jpg

2012 — Three-time Oscar nominee, star of the biggest box-office hit of all time, and soon to be racist villain in a Tarantino pic.

042612-django-unchained-leonardo-dicaprio.jpg

8. Cary Elwes

1987 — The actor behind one of the most beloved characters of all time, Princess Bride’s Westley, owner of 100 million hearts.

princess_bride.jpg

2012 — Bobbly Wobbly in the biggest box-office bomb of all time, The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure.

oogieloves-big-balloon-adv06.jpg

7. Eddie Murphy

1983 — Influential, profanity-fueled stand-up comedian, Saturday Night Live cast member, the most popular comedy star in America.

delirious-splsh2.jpg

2012 — A once popular family-film star reduced, after a series of huge box-office bombs, to overseeing a television show based on one of his 30-year-old movie franchises.

vlcsnap-2011-05-09-15h10m39s244.png

6. Ryan Gosling

1997 — Former Mickey Mouse Clubber, star of Canadian teen television series, “Breaker High.”

tumblr_mba4e2ohKP1qzuicio1_500.jpg

2012 — Oscar-nominated actor, stomper of faces (Drive), considered one of the sexiest men on the planet.

tumblr_mba4e2ohKP1qzuicio2_1280.jpg

5. Tom Hanks

1980 — Star of a popular cross-dressing sitcom.

bosom-buddies-tom-hanks.jpg

2012 — One of the most popular, well-respected, and liked actors in Hollywood. Five-time Oscar nominee, two-time winner. Producer of “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” obsessive chronicler of The Greatest Generation.

tomHanks2012_large.jpg

4. Bryan Cranston

2000 — Regular sitcom actor and mild-mannered star of family sitcom, “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Malcolm-In-the-Middle-bryan-cranston-ifc-breaking-bad.jpg

2012 — Dramatic actor, Emmy winner, plays the most bad-ass character on television.

Breaking-Bad-Madrigal-Season-5-Episode-2-2-550x387.jpg

3. Bill Murray

1981 — “Saturday Night Live” cast member, Carl Spackler in Caddyshack, star of Stripes.

Bill Murray-10.jpg

2012 — Oscar nominated actor, Wes Anderson regular, Shunner of Hollywood, and party crasher.

bill murray party crasher.jpg

2. Ice Cube

1987 — Gangster rapper, member of N.W.A., performer of “Straight Outta Compton” and “F*ck the Police.”

nwapic.jpg

2012 — Actor of family movies like Are We There Yet?, which was spun off into a TBS television show. Has his own clothing line.

ICe-Cube-fishing-pole.jpg


1. Mark Wahlberg

1993 — Boy band castoff, hip-hop singer of terrible pop songs. Underwear model.

mark2.jpg

2012 — Twice Oscar-nominated actor with a Lifetime box-office gross of $1.7 billion, plus television producer behind shows like “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire.”

mark-wahlberg-the-fighter.jpg




Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba.