These Celebs Became Famous For Making A Really Dumb Mistake

You won't find a roadmap or a GPS device highlighting the ultimate path to Hollywood stardom. Stars hitting the road with such high hopes are likely to find dead ends marked by failed auditions, unscrupulous agents, and studio hucksters that can crash any dream. But assuming folks hit a straightaway to the big time, they need to watch out for intersections where one road might lead to a critical box office bomb, an off-ramp headed for career-ending bad behavior, or a turnpike where bad decisions will run them straight out of Los Angeles. The showbiz highway is littered with celebs that have crashed and burned, although some ꟷ like Robert Downey Jr. and Rob Lowe ꟷ managed to repair the damage and move on. Others ꟷ like Roseanne Barr and Charlie Sheen ꟷ wound up pulled by tow trucks lumbering on a gravel road towards obscurity. 

Lesser-known personalities don't have the advantage of garnering credibility from smaller bodies of work to mitigate the effects of such slip-ups, but a few of them, like Elizabeth Berkeley and Kier Dullea, managed to weather their storms after several years. Unfortunately, mistakes made by several of their peers have morphed into pivotal career-enders, sometimes with saddening and even tragic consequences. You don't have to look hard to retrieve all those gaffes littering the proverbial ditches, given that a scandal-hungry media has made that task much easier. Still, this list of heavily publicized screw-ups barely scratches the salacious surface of what they've done to the careers of upstart celebs.

Hey, it worked for Sharon Stone, so why not Elizabeth Berkley? Perhaps that's why Berkley, previously known for a minor role in the school-based sitcom "Saved By the Bell," hooked up with director Paul Verhoeven to film a bawdy 1995 flick called "Showgirls." After all, Verhoeven, who made blockbusters like "Total Recall" and "Robocop," turned Stone into a star three years earlier via "Basic Instinct," a controversial suspense thriller packed with nudity and sex. For Berkley, whose IMDb page shows she seldom worked after "Saved By the Bell" ended, hooking up with Verhoeven as a lead in a motion picture was a no-brainer.

"Showgirls" was every bit as raunchy as "Basic Instinct," although critics severely panned the outing, which flopped at the box office. Berkley found herself the primary target of the thrashing, which also torpedoed her career, consigning her to bit parts in shows like "NYPD Blue." "It was a bit of a difficult time for me personally, because a lot of doors were shut at that time," said Berkley to Variety. "I think that because it was so criticized, it was humiliating — doing anything that was connected to the film was not fun." Years later, Berkley got the last laugh as "Showgirls" wound up as a cult classic that raked in millions in video sales, became the topic of two documentaries, and landed her recurring roles in "The L Word," CSI: Miami," and a recent remount of "Saved By the Bell."

In 2014, actor Jason Biggs found himself in a cushy ascent up the celebrity ranks, since his big break in the 1999 comedy "American Pie," leading to voiceover work on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and grabbing prominent roles in shows like "The Good Wife," "Mad Love," and "Orange Is the New Black." That is, until an insensitive tweet about a Malaysian airline shot down over Ukrainian airspace sent his career into a tailspin. When news broke about a surface-to-air missile hitting the passenger jet and killing 298 occupants, Biggs posted what he thought was a humorous tweet (per TMZ) that said, "Anyone wanna buy my Malaysian Airlines frequent flier miles?" The backlash was fast and furious over the entry, prompting Biggs to double down and rail against the respondents in a series of tweets that have since been deleted.

Biggs later admitted those actions weren't exactly his brightest moment. "I certainly meant no harm; there was no malice, but I was stupid," he said later on "The View" (per The Hollywood Reporter). "It was poorly timed. I've always tried to find the humor in situations ... it's a knee-jerk reaction for me, it's how I cope." Evidently, not everyone forgave him for his actions, as the actor found himself out of work for at least two years. By 2017, he managed to get back his recurring role in "Orange Is the New Black" and starred in several projects, including the short-lived sitcom "Outmatched."

As a mixed martial arts bantamweight fighter, Gina Carano was used to delivering jabs, kicks, and takedowns against her opponents, winning all but one fight in her professional career. However, in the war of words, she tapped out. On social media, Carano compared the culture wars in the U.S. to Nazi Germany, demonstrated transphobic disdain towards specific pronouns, and insulted mask wearers during the pandemic. The backlash against her comments was not only vicious, it caught the attention of Disney and Lucasfilm, who punted Carano from her role as Cara Dune on the Disney Plus-streamed "Star Wars" offshoot "The Mandalorian." The firing ꟷ and being dropped by her agent ꟷ came at an awkward moment when executives at Disney and Lucasfilm were planning to launch another show based on her Dune character. 

To the former fighter who started in acting by grabbing parts in "Deadpool," "Haywire," and "Fast and Furious 6," the dismissal must have felt like a body slam. But as a guest on "The Ben Shapiro Show," Carano claimed the support from a growing legion of followers had lit a fire in her. "The fans and people have rallied behind me and spoken with their voice and made their voice heard," she said. That said, whether she felt having those folks in her corner had vindicated her wasn't exactly clear.  "Don't try to ruin my life with lies when your life can be ruined with the truth," she added.

In the 1960s, Kier Dullea was known for playing oddball characters in movies like "David and Lisa," which earned him a Golden Globe. That was, until his portrayal of doomed astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 Stanley Kubrick epic science-fiction flick "2001: A Space Odyssey" propelled his profile over the moon. Five years later, however, a second stab at sci-fi almost destroyed his career. Tapped to play the lead in a Canadian sci-fi series called "The Starlost" (per Television Heaven), chronicling the lives of the inhabitants of a giant space ark, Dullea bought into the concept, as well as a production technique called Magicam, which boasted abilities predating CGI. "We believe that it is a fresh and startling exercise of the imagination," said Dullea on a series pitch video.

But like Dullea's "2001" character, the show was cursed from the start. Television Heaven explains that Magicam suffered from resolution problems, which, combined with cheap sets and hack writing, turned "The Starlost" into a disaster that lasted only 16 episodes. Pundits have since labeled "The Starlost" as the worst sci-fi series ever made, while an old one-liner by playwright Noel Coward, "Kier Dullea, gone tomorrow," became a showbiz buzzphrase. Fortunately, Dullea turned out to be in-demand in live theater, his first love. In a 2007 New York Times interview, Dullea claimed he was past those days of fame and glory, adding, "I'm more relaxed in my work than I've ever been."

Unlike most lower-berth celebrities, Kathy Griffin carved a niche about not being famous, with her Bravo reality series "My Life on the D-List" as a major testimony to those efforts. Additionally, her standup comedy routines gleefully skewered stars with bigger bank accounts and even larger egos, fostering a following that also didn't take a shine to self-important celebs. While she may have drawn scorn from targets like Ashton Kutcher, Demi Lovato, and Taylor Swift, Griffin overstepped her bounds in 2017 via a social media post of the comedienne clutching a bloody, decapitated replica of Trump's head. The image sparked an uproar that saw the powers that be truncate Griffin from showbiz opportunities, including an annual New Year's Eve gig on CNN.

Facing unemployment, what followed was a harrowing fall from grace, leading to Griffin suffering from depression, drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, and a battle with lung cancer.  "I was laughing to stay alive," said Griffin to ABC. "And what I found is I felt like if I can't make others laugh, then there's no purpose for me to live." Slowly, Griffin emerged from her slump thanks to appearances on HBO Max's "Search Party," and surgery, which removed half a lung. Eventually, the gigs came back, and while Griffin is enjoying a new lease on life, she's still believes she was singled out over others who took shots at Trump. "I wasn't canceled," she said to The New York Times, "I was erased."

Before the original "Star Trek" series changed the direction of how sci-fi would be portrayed on television, it was a show stuck in sick bay, after NBC passed on its pilot episode that featured actor Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christopher Pike. Marketing execs were disturbed over elements of the show, which include a female second-in-command and a pointy-eared alien. But they liked Hunter, who had publicity potential via his previous work in movies like "The Searchers" with John Wayne and "King of Kings," in which he played Jesus Christ. When show creator and executive producer Gene Roddenberry got the chance to do a second pilot, he approached Hunter to do it. Instead, it was Hunter's wife who responded with, "This is not the kind of show Jeff wants to do. Jeff Hunter is a movie star" (via Salon). He was replaced by actor William Shatner, who played the now-legendary Capt. James Kirk.

Sadly, Hunter then faced limited acting prospects in the U.S., though he landed film gigs in Spain, including one movie where an erratic stunt resulted in a concussion that sent him back home in 1969. While recovering, he died after cracking his skull falling down a flight of stairs. Ironically, the Pike character he abandoned has since found new life courtesy of two J.J. Abrams film treatments of "Star Trek," as well as actor Anson Mount reprising the role in "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

Back when the "Twilight Saga" drew more than $1.3 billion in domestic box office blood to become the most successful movie franchise of the 2000s, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart ruled the teen choice podium. Of the three, Lautner, who was 17 at the time, received significant attention, especially when he was to receive $7.5 million for his subsequent picture "Northern Lights" (which he ended up dumping in favor of "Stretch Armstrong"). That price tag made him the highest paid young actor in Hollywood in 2010, with Lautner earning considerably more than what fellow young actors like Shia LaBeouf and Zac Efron were making. 

Although Lautner previously worked in "Valentine's Day" and The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl" before hitting the big-time with "Twilight," studio heads seemed to be more obsessed with his abs and biceps than his thespian skills. That fascination turned into dismay when Lautner's 2011 flick "Abduction" was mercilessly destroyed at the box office as well as by critics who blamed Lautner's acting for its failure. That feedback prompted execs to shelve "Stretch Armstrong" and withdraw other offers. Four years later, his film "The Ridiculous 6" also bombed. For someone who demanded so much cash during his "Twilight" zenith, Lautner was rather humble. "I could be sitting in a cardboard box and that's where I'm happiest," he once said (per the Sun). Given his failure to deliver, that box just might be his next residence.

James Bond fans will forever argue about which actor best portrayed the British intelligence operative. But they'd have no trouble naming the worst person to play 007, namely George Lazenby, who only starred in one Bond outing. That was the 1969 release of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," which was not only the biggest picture he ever starred in, it was also his first major movie ever. Before being chosen for the role, Lazenby's only time in front of the cameras was for a candy commercial in his native Australia. Lazenby's time on the set apparently was a nightmare, according to producer Cubby Broccolli, who admitted that hiring the actor was "my biggest mistake in 16 years" (per Express). For his part, Lazenby admitted he partied more often than he should have.

But before the movie's release, Lazenby turned down a six-picture Bond deal, which resulted in him being blacklisted by the industry. "My manager was telling me that James Bond was over, you know, make peace, not war ... and 'Easy Rider' was the number one movie," he said to Entertainment Tonight. "So I was listening to him and thinking he was right." In retrospect, it was pretty bad advice, given that reviewers from Reader's Digest to Roger Ebert claim "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as among the best Bond flicks ever made. Lazenby continues to work these days, but never got the same profile that he enjoyed with his sole 007 portrayal.

It's hard to debate the merits of actor Matthew Modine, who starred in such major motion pictures as "The Hotel New Hampshire," and "The Dark Knight Rises," and recently played Martin Brenner in the Netflix streamer "Stranger Things." But he's better known for blowing an opportunity to become an even bigger actor, when he turned down the role of Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, the key character in the blockbuster jet-fighter drama "Top Gun." That role went to Tom Cruise, who, after playing teens in outings like "Risky Business" and "All the Right Moves," became a Hollywood superstar as a result. Back then, Modine couldn't be blamed for his choice, as he instead accepted an offer to portray Pvt. Joker in the Vietnam War outing "Full Metal Jacket," directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick. By comparison, "Top Gun" was helmed by a relatively untested Tony Scott, brother of better-known director Ridley Scott.

"I thought it was a much more important story to me than telling the story about pointing the finger at the Russians and saying that they were the bad guy," said Modine to Fox News about his decision, adding that he learned a lot about filmmaking by working with Kubrick. "I just can't compare that experience with any other film I've worked on." Modine also turned down other money-makers like "Back To the Future," which eventually starred Michael J. Fox, and "Wall Street," rejecting a role that went to Charlie Sheen.

In 1980, "Saturday Night Live" was in total rebuild mode when producer Lorne Michaels, most of the writing team, and the original cast that included John Belushi and Gilda Radner opted against returning for a sixth season. Scrambling for replacements, NBC brought in six new cast members, including Charles Rocket, who took over the Weekend Update desk and had a roving segment called The Rocket Report. Rocket had no acting experience, but was a bona fide TV reporter and a favorite of SNL's replacement producer Jean Doumanian, who saw a demo reel he submitted to Michaels. But Rocket, who described his personality as "a cross between Chevy Chase and Bill Murray," didn't connect with an audience that missed the original players and were unimpressed with the pedestrian humor, a far cry from the edgy irreverence of previous SNL shows. 

But that tepid response shifted into outrage near the end of the season during one sketch when Rocket uttered a four-letter word. The swear unleashed a rash of audience complaints, prompting producers to later fire the actor and other cast members, including Gilbert Gottfried. But unlike Gottfried, who made a career at courting controversy, Rocket couldn't land anything steady, save for a 12-episode story arc in the series "Touched By an Angel" and bit parts in movies like "Dumb and Dumber" and "Dances With Wolves." At 2005, at the age of 56, Rocket died in what was ruled a suicide. 

In 2009, after the U.S. endured a financial meltdown and still found itself engaged in two Middle East wars, families found a melodic respite in the Fox show "Glee," which grafted the elements of "High School Musical" with the temptation for at-home viewers to engage in some living-room karaoke. This slice of American pie also showcased some talent whom pundits believed had even greater potential, from Lea Michele to Finneas O'Connell, as well as Mark Salling, who played the show's bad boy Puck. One of the more high-profile members of the cast, Salling was also an accomplished musician, who even put out a solo album in 2010. But after "Glee" left the air in 2015, Salling's life took an extremely dark turn. That December, police raided the star's home and discovered at least 50,000 images of child pornography. After he pleaded guilty to the charges, it was expected that Salling would serve at least four years in prison. But he committed suicide in 2018 before he was to be sentenced.

Salling's conviction and death remain as black marks on the squeaky-clean image of teens that "Glee" tried to promote. Yet for a show that melded high school drama with free-spirited musical passages, "Glee" carries around some rather tragic baggage. In 2013, Cory Monteith, who played engaging quarterback Finn Hudson, died from a drug and alcohol overdose. Seven years later, Naya Rivera, who portrayed groundbreaking gay student Santana Lopez, was killed in a boating accident.

In 2015, Fox had a prime-time hit with "Empire," a serialized drama centering on a Black-run record company, and one of its players, a gay singer and actor named Jussie Smollett, was touted as a megastar in the making. At a time when younger demographics were clamoring for entertainment from more diverse groups, Smollett hit the right notes, thanks to his flamboyance and boldness. But in 2019, news broke that the show's bright, young star was the victim of an attack at the hands of two white racist homophobes in Chicago. A wave of public support ensued for the star, and outrage against the perpetrators. 

But when police investigated the crime, the evidence told a different story. ABC reports that surveillance video revealed two men were in the area at the time, both of Nigerian descent. Once police tracked them down, both claimed Smollett paid them to stage the hate crime. In February, Smollett was arrested for disorderly conduct. By December 2020, a court jury found him guilty on five of six counts. Today, the actor still maintains his innocence. "If I had done something like this, it would mean that I stuck my fist in the pain of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years," he said on Sirius XM's "Sway in the Morning" (per Fox News). "It would mean that I stuck my fist in the fears of the LGBTQ community all over the world."

Back when MySpace was the mecca for social media, former Playboy model and occasional musician Tila Tequila ruled the influencer roost, largely due to her revealing images and a provocative stories that left nothing to the imagination. MTV found her alluring and edgy enough to give her a bisexual reality dating series called "A Shot At Love," which attracted viewers and detractors, the latter primarily from the Christian community. Upset over the bashing from the religious and anti-gay contingent, she wrote in her blog "The church should understand that they have a higher responsibility to teach the youth about unconditional love, and how we can spread the love, not why being gay is a bad thing" (per The Christian Post).

Unfortunately, that's not all she was writing. Long after her MTV show ended and while branching out into ventures to bolster her brand, word got out that she wrote several passages online praising Hitler, comments that had her thrown off a UK version of "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2015. Sadly for the star, things went south after the incident. She went through failed relationships, including one with former NFL player Shawne Merriman, her disturbing social media posts had her banned from Twitter and other sites, and her excessive lifestyle suggested Tequila had a mental illness. By 2018, the former online icon had disappeared, although according to Legit, she's now married with two children living in an undisclosed location.