10 actors who ruled the 2000s but disappeared in the 2010s

A superstar who disappeared from the spotlight.

Brendan Fraser makes somewhat of a well-publicized comeback with a career-best performance in Darren Aronofsky's drama "The Whale" . The actor's career peaked in the early 2000s before slowing down in the second half of the decade. The 2010s were unfair to him, but Fraser is back with a vengeance and poised to earn his first Oscar nomination.

Like Fraser, these actors dominated the 2000s, starring in big-budget films and winning critical acclaim for their performances. However, the 2010s slowed and ruined their once promising careers. Unlike Fraser, and very unfortunately, many have not yet achieved their well-deserved renaissance.

Brendan Fraser

Following his breakthrough with the 1992 film Encino Man, Brendan Fraser became a major star in the late '90s with films such as Jungle George and The Mummy. Entering the new millennium, Fraser emerged as a leading action film in family entertainment, with hits such as Journey to the Center of the Earth, while starring in award-winning projects such as The Quiet American and Crash.

Fraser's career slowed down in the late 20th century due to some personal problems. However, he bounced back in the late 2010s with a role in DC's Doom Patrol. fraser's performance in the film Whale has earned his fair share of accolades, including his first Golden Globe nomination.

Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman rose to prominence in the early '90s, receiving an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's '90s cult classic Pulp Fiction. She entered the 2000s as a leading lady, starring in Tarantino's "Kill Bill" duo and branching out into romantic comedies like Prime, musicals like The Producers, and My Super Ex-Girlfriend action comedy.

However, Thurman's career declined by the end of the decade. Throughout the 2010s, she played supporting roles in several films and even earned an Emmy Award nomination for her guest performance in the musical "Smash." Still, it's unfortunate that her career hasn't returned to its peak in the mid-2000s.

Clive Owen

Few actors have been so flattered in 2000s movies as Clive Owen. The actor started his career in the 90s before gaining international attention with Robert Altman's Gosford Park. He landed a supporting role in Mike Nichols' Closer before becoming the lead actor in high-profile projects such as Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's Sin City and Alfonso Cuarón's Sons of Men Got an Oscar nomination.

Irving's career was even more uneven in the 2010s. he starred in several blockbuster films In high-profile disasters such as Valerian and Valeriant: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, the unheralded supporting twist. He had better luck on television, appearing in the miniseries "Hemingway & Gellhorn" and the historical drama "The Knicks."

Maria Bello

Maria Bello was never a movie star per se, but she was one of the hardest working and most talented actors of the 2000s. Following his success with the 2000 musical comedy "The Ugly Coyote," Bello starred as the acclaimed character in Wayne Kramer's "Cooler" and David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence." Role. Bello then tried his luck in the blockbuster genre with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon King.

In the 2010s, Bello's film career declined and the actor turned to television. She plays supporting roles in mostly mediocre films, and her name lends some legitimacy to otherwise forgettable projects. Bello is one of the writers on the 2022 Viola Davis film The Woman King, so maybe she'll snag some Oscars this coming awards season.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana became one of Hollywood's hottest leading men after his star performance in the Australian independent film Chopper. His scene-stealing supporting role in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down made him to a starring role in Ang Lee's divisive adaptation of The Hulk. He then went head-to-head with Brad Pitt in the 2004 epic "Troy," before starring in Steven Spielberg's "Munich," one of the best historical films of all time. .

After playing the villain Nero in the 2009 Star Trek reboot, Barna's career slowed down. His next major role came towards the end of 2018, in the lead role in the 2018 true crime miniseries Dirty John. Bana had supporting roles in several films, none of which were critically successful.

Renée Zellweger

In the early 2000s, few actors were as big as Renee Zellweger. Following her star role in Jerry Maguire in 1996, Zellweger rose to lead actress status with her Golden Globe win for the 2000 comedy Nurse Betty . She followed that up with three consecutive Oscar nominations for her performances in the romantic comedy "Bridget Jones' Diary," the musical "Chicago" and the epic "Cold Mountain," for which she won a statue.

Zellweger continued to be successful in the late 2000s, but her career came to a near-delay in the 2010s. After a six-year hiatus, Zellweger reprises her role as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones' Baby, for which she won another Oscar. Her performance in the 2019 music biopic "Judy." However, she appears to be back on hiatus.

Orlando Bloom

To say Orlando Bloom is one of the hottest young stars of the new millennium would be an understatement. Bloom went on to star in two of the highest-grossing franchises in film history, playing Legolas in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and then Will Turner in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. At the same time, he had starring roles in several films, including Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown and Ridley Scott's Heaven.

Like many other stars of the 2000s, Bloom's career took a hit after the Pirates trilogy. Bloom has starred in a few films and had a lead role on the fantasy series Carnival of the Dead, but his career was nowhere near the level he reached in the 1980s.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones was one of the world's most famous movie stars in the 2000s. After her star role in 1998's "The Mask of Zorro," Zeta-Jones became a true heroine. She won an Academy Award in 2003 for her supporting role in Chicago, before starring in leading roles in films by Steven Soderbergh, Steven Spielberg, and the Coen Brothers. she ends the decade winning a tony Her role in Serenade.

Like her Chicago co-star Zellweger, Zeta-Jones' career took a downward turn toward the end of the decade. Worked in film and television on and off in the 2010s, mostly in supporting roles; however, her star took a hit due to prolonged inactivity. She most recently starred in Netflix's hit series "Wednesday," playing the iconic character Morticia Addams.

Aaron Eckhart

Aaron Eckhart's career took off after a memorable supporting role opposite Julia Roberts in Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in the 2005 dark comedy Thank You for Smoking, before playing Harvey Dent/Two-Face in Christopher Nolan's cross-genre superhero flick The Dark Knight. Eckhart ended a decade of co-starring with Nicole Kidman on the TV series The Rabbit Hole.

Eckhart never failed to live up to his leading actor status, especially after negative reviews for films such as I, Frankenstein. His projects in the 2010s saw him in supporting roles in successful B-movies such as the Has Fallen series.

Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank ushers in the new millennium by winning an Oscar for her performance in Boys Don't Cry. Her career then exploded, earning her second Oscar for her performance in Clint Eastwood Sporting Events TV series Million Dollar Baby. Swank then explored different genres, including supernatural horror and romantic comedy, with mixed results.

Swank worked sporadically throughout the 2010s, though none of her films were particularly successful. In 2022, she became the star of ABC's "Alaska Daily," which earned her her first Golden Globe nomination in 17 years.