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With time running at the pace of a hadron collider, it’s easy to get lost in the timeline of things. From the events to people who were a quintessential part of our past lives, things look very different from today’s perspective.
A good example of that is the celebrities we used to admire back in the day. My fellow millennials will remember The OC craze back in the ’00s and Gotye, a guy who released the decade-defining song “Somebody That I Used to Know” back in 2011. And then disappeared from the radar…
In fact, there are so many famous people who inspired us all in the past that we don’t hear much of, or at all, these days. “What celebrity disappeared out of nowhere?” somebody asked on the Ask Reddit subreddit, and it soon turned into a nostalgic thread that requires some detective work.
Scroll down for the best responses below, and share what forgotten celebs you remember in the comment section!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Rick Moranis. After his wife died, he dropped everything so that he could focus on raising his children. I respect that.
RELATED:
#2
Enya - she literally made amazing music, made a fortune then swerved the limelight to live peacefully in her castle. Iconic.
b_j_buttons89 3 years ago
To live in her castle with her cats. Do not forget about the kitties.
#3
Brendan Fraser for a while, but now he’s back
CatWoman312 3 years ago
I believe he came forward about another man in Hollywood molesting him and he got temporarily blacklisted. I’m glad to see him come back though.
If you ask experts how famous people stay relevant, you’re likely to hear a surprising answer: “they simply don’t.” Because the truth is, celebrities are people just like me and you, and just like us, they undergo defining transformations throughout their lives. Moreover, the audience changes too. People who were relevant back in my millennial teenage years (Ricky Martin and Mischa Barton, anyone?) are now replaced by new opinion makers, actors and actresses, leaders, influencers, singers, and performers. The question remains whether Harry Styles or Gigi Hadid would have been relevant back in the 2000s.
#5
Cameron Diaz. Just up and retired for the quiet life.
Deborah Harris2 3 years ago
I don't blame her, she obviously has more than enough money to live on, is naturally beautiful, and is living the life most of us will only ever dream off having :)
#6
Leelee sobeski she was popular in the 90's and early 2000's.
Chrissie Anit 3 years ago
I read somewhere that she wanted nothing to do with the film industry anymore, and rather wants to focus on raising her kids. I think there was als something about sexual harrasment and abuse and Weinstein going on.
Although the lives of celebrities may look picture-perfect, the truth is, fame comes with a price. For many celebrities, it is simply hard to walk out of the house without having to deal with fans that often don't respect the concept of "personal space."
Now add the era of social media that puts every actor, singer, model and athlete in the spotlight 24/7, where fans expect them to engage with them, deliver content, share the details of their lives, and explain if something questionable happened. No wonder more and more celebrities are coming forward to reveal their well-hidden mental health stories like Selena Gomez did just recently.
It’s impossible to draw conclusions on how celebrities keep up with their time and audience, and their secrets of staying relevant. You look at J.Lo and wonder how she has managed to keep up, not just maintaining but further building up her name and its brand still today.
#7
Judge Reinhold. Dude was in pretty much everything once upon a time,now you never see him in anything.
Jrog 3 years ago (edited)
Him getting older didn't go along with the typecasted role of a 'wacky young guy' he came to be stuck in. This, linked to a string of projects that were deleted, forever delayed or -in case they reached production- abysmal failures, put him on the sidelines. He tried to move to sit-com and theater, but with little result and making himself a name as a moody and unreliable actor, hard to work with. The arrest after an airport altercation was the nail on his coffin.
#9
Dewey from Malcom In The Middle (Erik Per Sullivan)
Shell Shelly 3 years ago
What you mean "nobody knows"...? His name is Erik Per Sullivan, google him ;)
It’s interesting to think of the performers who were already always in the shadow of their famous counterparts, known as the stunt doubles. This mysterious profession has long been talked about, as the viewers never give a chance for the stunt doubles to stand on an equal or even similar level of fame to the main actors. While exceptions exist, like Tanoai Reed, the right-hand man of Dwayne Johnson, a vast majority of stunt actors challenge the very concept of a celebrity and basically demolish it.
So to find out more about stunt doubles and their role in Hollywood, we spoke with Christina Kleppinger, a casting specialist with Backstage who, along with the UK casting specialist Hannah Williams, shared some incredible insights into the world of stunt doubles.
#10
Shelly Miscavige disappeared without a public trace, that entire cult is crazy.
#11
JTT - Jonathon Taylor Thomas... Where he at?
#12
that one girl that played Matilda (Mara Wilson)
Kleppinger explained that actors don't always need their stunt doubles when shooting a movie. “Anything that might be dangerous, or require a specific physical skill that the actor may not have. For example, fight scenes, falls, gymnastics, horseback riding, as well as vehicle work (cars, helicopters, etc.).”
The incredible skill sets of stunt actors are not the only thing needed in this job. Depending on the specific actor their stunt double is portraying in the film, a “very specific look may be needed.” If that’s the case, then a “casting director can also get involved to help find a stunt performer that matches the actor that they're doubling.”
#13
Eliza Dushku. Apparently she reported harassment and was dropped from the show soon after and hasn’t worked since.
Kate Jones 3 years ago
There was a really interesting interview with her about the harassment issue with Michael Weatherly. She was under a gag order for a long time but finally spoke out about it a few years back. I highly recommend watching it. I generally hate when women take a payout but after hearing her speak- and she was very genuine- I understand why she did it. I'm also so sad because I loved Michael Weatherly so much until I heard about this. She wasn't the only person to come forward but she was the first and took the brunt of the backlash. The media did a number on her and it wasn't even the first time she wasn't protected on a set. She was assaulted when she was filming True Lies at like 13 years old.
#15
Jason Lee (My name is earl)
While actors are acting specialists, stunt doubles are movement specialists, Kleppinger explained. “They need to be proficient at the skill to make performing the stunt (sometimes repeatedly) safe, while still making the movement look realistic. They need to be able to embody the character so that the movement in the stunt stays consistent with the actor's portrayal. They also need to have enough on-set experience to understand the process and how to work best with the production team,” she said.
#17
Josh Hutcherson. Maybe he didn't completely disappear because of his role as Pita in The Hunger Games. But, he was such a sweetheart/heart-throb. Wish his face appeared more frequently in the industry...
#18
Group ‘Lmfao’
Jrog 3 years ago
They split in 2012 after Skyblu had a back injury while on tour, and Redfoo kept going while cutting his nephew out of the income from the tour. This, combined with Redfoo hustling since the beginning to get full control of the project, cut a rift in the family and they decided to part ways in a not-really-amicable way. Skyblu changed name to "8ky" and realeased a bunch of low-profile songs and projects. Redfoo went on to publish one more album in the LMFAO style, featuring Stevie Wonders and other, but that burned and crashed in an expensive and spectacular way. The split apparently was further exacerbated by Redfoo trying to cut out his nephew and claim the royalties of the LMFAO songs for himself.
Shane G 3 years ago
Yeah, it's a shame. I used to really like redfoo until I learned the truth about him. What a lousy way to treat your own family.
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Jonn Thundergun 3 years ago
They hated each other and did solo acts. Both flopped hard. Something tells me these guys would've lost relevance by now either way.
Chewie Baron 3 years ago
The one on the left had a massive custody battle with former World Number 1 tennis player, Victoria Azarenka over their son. He tried to take him away from her meaning she had to sacrifice her aging career for a while he’s playing against thanks to him, she’s nowhere near her best.
CatWoman312 3 years ago
Saw this recently on the clock app…they’re an uncle/nephew duo. The uncle I believe got hurt and was hospitalized. Other one went on tour without him and kept the money. They argued over it and split
Ivy la Sangrienta 3 years ago
The other way around but yes. Nephew got hurt.
Load More Replies...We also asked if stunt double actors ever get as famous as the star actors, and Kleppinger confirmed that it may be the case! “Jackie Chan began his career as a stunt double and a stunt choreographer, and Chuck Norris began his acting career as a stunt performer. More recently, Zoe Bell, who began her career as a stunt double for Lucy Lawless on Xena, took on a lead role in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof as well as several other acting roles,” she said. “And Jessie Graff, who has a long career as a stunt performer, has also taken on acting roles in recent years.”
#19
Josh Hartnett. He was really big after Pearl Harbor.
#20
What ever happened to Seann William Scott?!
#21
Renee Zellweger totally fell off the face of the Earth until she returned with a different face.
#23
Mena Suvari. The girl from the American Pie and American Beauty movies…and Teenage Dirtbag video.
#24
Will always be Thora Birch for me
Jrog 3 years ago
She is still active, moved to independent film circuit and now is making her debut in production and direction. As happens to many kid actors, it's hard to keep the momentum going once they grow up; it is double hard for women who cater mostly on their looks and age after their prime. She was smart enough to follow the natural evolution of her acting career, let's see how it pays out.
#26
Chris Tucker
HardieBoysMama 3 years ago (edited)
He lives not far from me. He's doing awesome things in our community. This is from our local county paper, there are many articles nationwide about it though. He donated money for one of the High School's Choir to be able to sing at Carnegie Hall. https://www.henrycountytimes.com/2022/04/23/ola-high-school-choir-heading-to-carnegie-hall/ Another news story about it https://www.walb.com/2022/04/13/chris-tucker-donates-high-school-choirs-carnegie-hall-performance/
#27
Melissa Joan Heart, hope she's good.
N Burnette 3 years ago
When the pandemic was at it's worst, I read an interview with her. She complained about how hard it was to fly between all her homes with all her kids. Ugh. Maybe it came across a lot worse than she meant it.
#29
Richard Simmons
#31
Orlando Bloom
#32
Billy Zane.
He was in everything.... Then he just.... Went.
#35
Jack Nicholson. He seemed to abruptly disappear from the public with retirement
#38
Taylor Lautner
What do you think ?
Purple light 3 years ago
So many women (and a few men) in this list left the industry after being harassed or worse...Such a toxic environment.
Hugo Farr 3 years ago
The title doesn’t make sense. They actually disappeared out of somewhere.
Jeannette Campbell 3 years ago
Yes. They just didn’t make a press release about it unless tabloids or #metoo were part of the reason(s) they left. It isn’t the ‘20s where stars and studios do press releases when actors/esses retire or are taking time off for injuries or spending time with family or moving to other projects.
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Moosy Girl 3 years ago
I hope these question responders never try for a private detective career or something, they would really suck at it. >.< Some of these display no concept of actor permanence, an inability to grasp that actors continue acting even when *you*’re not watching the things they’re in. :p
zububonsai 3 years ago
GARY LARSON, the funniest cartoonist of all times, retired at the ripe age of 45. 🥹. I'd loooove to see some new cartoons of him.
Nikki Angulo 3 years ago
He published three new books in 2020 according to Wikipedia
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Philly Bob Squires 3 years ago
In 1980, Airplane came out and the girl who played Randy the stewardess (Lorna Patterson) also did the short lived TV series Private Benjamin. Was all over the place. On many talk shows, Johnnie Carson, On TV Guide's cover etc. Then... nothing. Always wondered why she got out of the acting biz.
John Barber 3 years ago
You can't disappear out of nowhere. You can appear out of nowhere, or you can disappear, but not disappear out of nowhere.
Mariele Scherzinger 3 years ago (edited)
Many of them were typecast and did not succeed in more varied roles. So perhaps they just got tired of slammed for their "failures" again and again? I suppose they made a cushy amount of money, so why not start over as a private person? Also, some of them were never particularly talented actors to begin with.
enigmatic crab 3 years ago
im glad jack black isnt done yet.hes such a fun guy! you could be abducted by aliens,and see him with bugle chips and pretend that they were claws,and not even question it
Purple light 3 years ago
So many women (and a few men) in this list left the industry after being harassed or worse...Such a toxic environment.
Hugo Farr 3 years ago
The title doesn’t make sense. They actually disappeared out of somewhere.
Jeannette Campbell 3 years ago
Yes. They just didn’t make a press release about it unless tabloids or #metoo were part of the reason(s) they left. It isn’t the ‘20s where stars and studios do press releases when actors/esses retire or are taking time off for injuries or spending time with family or moving to other projects.
Load More Replies... Moosy Girl 3 years ago
I hope these question responders never try for a private detective career or something, they would really suck at it. >.< Some of these display no concept of actor permanence, an inability to grasp that actors continue acting even when *you*’re not watching the things they’re in. :p
zububonsai 3 years ago
GARY LARSON, the funniest cartoonist of all times, retired at the ripe age of 45. 🥹. I'd loooove to see some new cartoons of him.
Nikki Angulo 3 years ago
He published three new books in 2020 according to Wikipedia
Load More Replies... Philly Bob Squires 3 years ago
In 1980, Airplane came out and the girl who played Randy the stewardess (Lorna Patterson) also did the short lived TV series Private Benjamin. Was all over the place. On many talk shows, Johnnie Carson, On TV Guide's cover etc. Then... nothing. Always wondered why she got out of the acting biz.
John Barber 3 years ago
You can't disappear out of nowhere. You can appear out of nowhere, or you can disappear, but not disappear out of nowhere.
Mariele Scherzinger 3 years ago (edited)
Many of them were typecast and did not succeed in more varied roles. So perhaps they just got tired of slammed for their "failures" again and again? I suppose they made a cushy amount of money, so why not start over as a private person? Also, some of them were never particularly talented actors to begin with.
enigmatic crab 3 years ago
im glad jack black isnt done yet.hes such a fun guy! you could be abducted by aliens,and see him with bugle chips and pretend that they were claws,and not even question it
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