Brendan Fraseris making a highly-publicized comeback of sorts thanks to his career-best performance inDarren Aronofsky’s dramaThe Whale. The actor’s career peaked during the early 2000s before slowing down during the decade’s second half. The 2010s were unfair toward him, but Fraser is back with a vengeance, on route to his first Oscar nomination.
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Like Fraser, these actors ruled the 2000s, starring in big-budget movies and attracting significant praise for their performances. However, the 2010s slowed down and derailed their once-promising careers. Unlike Fraser, and quite unfortunately, many haven’t reached their much-deserved renaissance era.
Brendan Fraser
Following his breakthrough in the 1992 filmEncino Man,Brendan Fraser became a major starin the late 90s thanks to films likeGeorge of the JungleandThe Mummy. Fraser entered the new millennium as the leading action man in family entertainment, scoring major hits likeJourney to the Center of the Earthwhile starring in awards-friendly projects likeThe Quiet AmericanandCrash.
Fraser’s career slowed down at the end of the noughties due to several personal issues. However, he bounced back near the end of the 2010s with a role in DC’sDoom Patrol. Fraser’s performance inThe Whalehas earned considerable praise, including his first Golden Globe nomination.
Uma Thurman
Uma Thurmanrose to prominence in the early 90s, earning an Oscar nomination for her supporting role inQuentin Tarantino’s90s-defining cult classicPulp Fiction. She entered the 2000s as a leading lady, starring in Tarantino’sKill Billduology and branching out with rom-coms likePrime, musicals likeThe Producers, and action comedies likeMy Super Ex-Girlfriend.
However, Thurman’s career declined near the decade’s end. She played supporting roles in several films throughout the 2010s and even earned an Emmy nomination for her guest stint in the musical showSmash. Still, and rather unfortunately, her career hasn’t gone back to its mid-2000s peak.
Clive Owen
Few actors had such a chokehold on 2000s cinema asClive Owen. The actor began his career in the 90s before achieving international attention withRobert Altman’sGosford Park. He earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting performance inMike Nichols’Closerbefore becoming a leading man in high-profile projects likeFrank MillerandRobert Rodriguez’sSin CityandAlfonso Cuarón’sChildren of Men.
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Owen’s career in the 2010s was much more uneven. He played leading roles in several films that flew under the radar and supporting turns in high-profile disasters likeValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. He had more luck on television, with roles in the miniseriesHemingway & Gellhornand the historical dramaThe Knick.
Maria Bello
Maria Bellowas never a movie star per se, but she was one of the hardest and most talented working actors of the 2000s. Following her big break in the 2000 musical comedyCoyote Ugly, Bello played critically-acclaimed roles inWayne Kramer’sThe CoolerandDavid Cronenberg’sA History of Violence. Bello then tried her luck in the blockbuster genre withThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
The 2010s saw Bello’s film career decline, and the actor turned to television. She played supporting roles in mostly mediocre films, with her name adding some sense of legitimacy to the otherwise forgettable projects. Bello was one of the screenwriters forthe 2022Viola DavisvehicleThe Woman King, so perhaps she will receive some Oscar love in the upcoming awards season.
Following his star-making performance in the Australian indieChopper,Eric Banabecame one of Hollywood’s hottest leading men. His scene-stealing supporting turn inRidley Scott’sBlack Hawk Downled him to the starring role inAng Lee’s divisive adaptation ofHulk. He then went toe-to-toe withBrad Pittin the 2004 epicTroybefore playing the lead inSteven Spielberg’sMunich, one ofthe all-time best historical movies.
After playing the villain Nero in the 2009Star Trekreboot, Bana’s career slowed down. His next major role came near the decade’s end, playing the lead in the 2018 true crime miniseriesDirty John. Bana played supporting roles in several films, but none was a significant success.
Renée Zellweger
Few actors were as big during the early 2000s asRenée Zellweger. Following her star-making role in 1996’sJerry Maguire, Zellweger became a leading lady with her Golden Globe-winning turn in the 2000 comedyNurse Betty. She then received three consecutive Oscar nominations for her performances inthe defining romantic comedyBridget Jones’s Diary, the musicalChicagoand the epicCold Mountain, claiming the statue for the latter.
Zellweger continued her string of success well into the late 2000s, but her career came to a near stop in the 2010s. Following a six-year hiatus, Zellweger reprised her role as Bridget Jones inBridget Jones’s Babyand won a second Oscar for her performance in the 2019 musical biopicJudy. However, she seems to have gone back to a hiatus.
Orlando Bloom
To say thatOrlando Bloomwas one of the hottest young stars of the new millennium would be an understatement. Bloom starred back-to-back in two of the highest-grossing franchises in film history, playing Legolas inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy before portraying Will Turner in thePirates of the Caribbeanseries. Meanwhile, he played lead roles in several films, includingCameron Crowe’sElizabethtownandRidley Scott’sKingdom of Heaven.
Like many other stars from the 2000s, Bloom’s career took a downturn after thePiratestrilogy. Bloom has starred in some films and plays a leading role in the fantasy seriesCarnival Row, but his career is nowhere near the level he achieved during the noughties.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Joneswas one of the world’s biggest movie stars during the 2000s. Following her star-making role in 1998’sThe Mask of Zorro, Zeta-Jones became a bonafide leading lady. She won the 2003 Oscar for her supporting turn inChicagobefore playing major roles in films bySteven Soderberg, Steven Spielberg and theCoen brothers. She ended the decade winning a Tony for her role inA Little Night Music.
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As with herChicagoco-star Zellweger, Zeta-Jones saw her career decline near the decade’s end. She worked intermittently throughout the 2010s in film and television, mainly playing supporting roles; however, her star took a hit following long periods of inactivity. She recently starred in the Netflix hitWednesday, playing the iconic character of Morticia Addams.
Aaron Eckhart
Following a memorable supporting role oppositeJulia Robertsin Steven Soderberg’sErin Brockovich,Aaron Eckhart’s career took off. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the 2005 black comedyThank You For Smokingbefore playing Harvey Dent/Two-Face inChristopher Nolan’sgenre-bending superhero movieThe Dark Knight. Eckhart finished the decade co-starring oppositeNicole Kidmanin the dramaRabbit Hole.
Eckhart never lived up to his leading man status, especially after the negative reception to films likeI,Frankenstein. His projects in the 2010s saw him take on supporting roles in successful B-movies like theHas Fallenseries.
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swankbegan the new millennium by winning an Oscar for her work inBoys Don’t Cry. Her career then exploded, leading to a second Oscar win for her performance in theClint Eastwoodsports dramaMillion Dollar Baby. Swank then explored different genres, including supernatural horror and romantic comedy, with mixed-to-positive results.
Swank worked sporadically throughout the 2010s, although none of her films was particularly successful. In 2022, she became the star of the ABC dramaAlaska Daily, which earned her her first Golden Globe nomination in seventeen years.
