When celebs are within the highlight for a very long time, it is solely pure that they will change throughout the course of. And typically, they could wish to fully swap up their careers.
However…it does not all the time go so nicely. Listed here are 10 occasions stars tried — and fully failed — to reinvent themselves, and 13 occasions stars nailed a profession shift.
1.
FAILED REINVENTION: Garth Brooks is without doubt one of the strangest examples. In 1999, Brooks, then a profitable nation artist, determined to launch an alter ego — Chris Gaines — in preparation for a deliberate film in regards to the homicide of Gaines to be referred to as The Lamb.
The fictional Gaines was a rock artist, and Garth, as Gaines, appeared as a musical visitor on SNL and in a mockumentary for Behind the Music. Garth additionally launched an album as Gaines forward of The Lamb movie titled, Garth Brooks in…the Lifetime of Chris Gaines. Individuals had been fairly confused about the entire thing, and when the album did not promote in addition to anticipated, The Lamb was dropped fully.
2.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: In distinction, Taylor Swift is a good instance of a musician who has accomplished not one, however two profitable style jumps. Her first 4 albums had been nation, however she pivoted genres to synth-pop with 1989, her fifth album.
Her subsequent two albums had been additionally pop (albeit with influences from different genres like R&B and rock)…however then she pivoted genres but once more with companion albums Folklore and Evermore, which had been each indie-folk albums (nonetheless with pop and rock influences).
3.
FAILED REINVENTION: Nonetheless, Swift’s forays into performing haven’t gone as nicely. Her first function was a quick spot on CSI, and she or he went on to seem in Valentine’s Day, The Lorax, and Cats, none of which had been nicely acquired.
4.
FAILED REINVENTION: Paris Hilton turned a media fixture within the 2000s, principally for being a rich socialite, although she additionally did some modeling after which turned a actuality star with The Easy Life.
She launched a lot of profitable enterprise ventures, most notably her fragrance line, however in 2006 determined to strive one thing new: singing. She launched her first album, Paris, in August of that 12 months. Her single “Love Is Blind” really was very profitable, and hit 18 on the Billboard High 100.
Nonetheless, reception to the album was total blended, and it was the one one Paris ever launched (although she did launch a number of extra singles). Extra lately, she’s tried her hand on DJing, even DJing at Tomorrowland and Summerfest. Whereas she’s discovered loads of success and earns $1million per set, she’s additionally discovered a variety of critics.
5.
FAILED REINVENTION: As well as, Hilton additionally tried her hand at an performing profession, reserving visitor spots on a lot of exhibits like The O.C. and Supernatural, and most notably starring in Home of Wax. She received a Razzie for her efficiency, and has not appeared in one other performing function (although she has appeared in documentaries and as a TV hosts and actuality star) since 2010.
6.
FAILED REINVENTION: Kim Kardashian, then a profitable socialite and actuality star, additionally tried out a singing profession in 2011, releasing “Jam (Flip It Up).”
Kardashian later mentioned she regretted recording the track. “But when there’s one factor in life that I want I didn’t do … I don’t prefer it when folks type of dabble into issues they shouldn’t be. And that I don’t assume I ought to have. Like, what gave me the proper to assume I could possibly be a singer? Like, I don’t have a superb voice,” she mentioned in 2014.
7.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Again within the late ’90s, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was identified primarily for being a professional wrestler. However beginning in 1999, he started showing in small roles along with wrestling (which he retired from in 2004, although he did later return).
His first main mission was The Mummy Returns in 2001, and from there he continued to choose up roles in a lot of high-profile initiatives, working his method onto the A-list with involvement within the Quick & Livid, Jumanji, and DCEU franchises, in addition to Disney movie Moana. He was the highest-paid actor, based on Forbes, in 2022.
8.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: John Cena has adopted basically the identical path, albeit in a much less family-friendly method. He got here onto the film scene with 2006’s The Marine, but it surely wasn’t till his function in Trainwreck that individuals actually began to see him as an actor.
After that, he turned concerned in additional high-profile initiatives, like The Suicide Squad and a by-product sequence on HBO primarily based on his character Peacemaker.
9.
FAILED REINVENTION: A 3rd wrestler who was not fairly as profitable in his profession swap was Hulk Hogan. He tried to begin a film profession within the ’80s with a bit function in Rocky III, and appeared in a number of different TV films and sequels, like a cameo Gremlins 2, in addition to TV exhibits like Thunder in Paradise, which solely ran for a season. None of Hogan’s lead film roles had been nicely reviewed.
FAILED REINVENTION: In 1995, whereas he was the World Heavyweight Champion, Hogan additionally launched an album, Hulk Guidelines, as part of the band Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band. The album was panned, and the band didn’t launch one other album. Nonetheless, the album has turn into a little bit of a cult hit resulting from its “so unhealthy it is good” standing.
10.
FAILED REINVENTION: One other athlete-turned-actor is Shaq. He is primarily often called one of many best basketball gamers of all time, however he is additionally made forays into a lot of different ventures.
Beginning within the ’90s, he started starring in movies, particularly Kazaam and Metal. Each had been critically panned, and he has been nominated for 3 Razzie awards. Regardless of this, he continues to seem within the occasional movie or TV function, often as himself or in a cameo capability.
11.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Nonetheless, Shaq did discover success as a rap artist. He rapped on one in all Michael Jackson’s albums, and he launched 4 albums himself, one in all which featured Jay-Z and the Infamous B.I.G. He hasn’t launched an album in over twenty years, however has begun DJing.
12.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Mark Wahlberg began out his profession within the early ’90s with hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which had a lot of hit songs and located fame.
He then made his movie debut in 1994’s Renaissance Man, and have become an acclaimed actor in 1997 with Boogie Nights. He is even been nominated for a pair Oscars for his roles in The Departed (alongside massively acclaimed legacy actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Martin Sheen) and The Fighter.
13.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Woman Gaga made an analogous swap. After spending years as a profitable pop artist, she determined to strive her hand at performing within the mid-2010s.
She began with American Horror Story, which received her a Golden Globe, after which made her function movie debut in A Star Is Born, for which she remodeled right into a down-on-her-luck aspiring singer. She was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal, and did win an Oscar for her work on “Shallow” for the movie.
She went on to star in Home of Gucci, and has quite a few different roles within the works.
14.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: One star who made the other swap — from film star to music star — is Taylor Momsen. Momsen’s first giant function was as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and she or he went on to seem in different household movies like Spy Youngsters 2.
And in 2007, she started starring as Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Woman. She was a primary character for 3 seasons, however solely appeared for a number of episodes of the fourth season. She ended up leaving the present after Season 4.
This was largely due to her foray into music. She fashioned her band the Fairly Reckless in 2009, and so they launched their first album in 2010. They’ve since launched 4 albums and toured with the Veronicas, Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, and Marilyn Manson, in addition to had their music seem in movies and tv.
15.
FAILED REINVENTION: One other actor who tried to interrupt into singing from the performing trade was Robert Downey Jr. Downey Jr. was a profitable actor when in 2004, he determined to launch his debut album, Futurist.
The album wasn’t a full flop, but it surely had a blended important reception and would find yourself being Downey Jr.’s solely take a look at drive into music. He was already in the beginning of a film profession resurgence, and would famously go on to painting Tony Stark within the MCU.
16.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: If we’re speaking about actors-turned singers, we actually cannot ignore Drake. He starred for years on the teenager sequence Degrassi: The Subsequent Era, and was often called Aubrey Graham.
In 2006, whereas he was nonetheless on Degrassi, he launched his first mixtapes. He made two extra within the late 2000s earlier than dropping his first full album in 2010, skyrocketing him into a lot bigger fame than earlier than. He is since received 4 Grammy Awards, and has been nominated dozens of occasions.
17.
FAILED REINVENTION: Cindy Crawford skyrocketed into world fame within the Nineteen Eighties, rapidly turning into one in all a handful of supermodels dominating the style world within the ’90s. Nonetheless, within the mid-’90s, she determined to strive one thing new.
Crawford starred in her first movie in 1995, a thriller referred to as Truthful Sport co-starring William Baldwin. The movie was panned, with reviewers commenting particularly on Crawford’s efficiency — one wrote, “One may scavenge the thesaurus to seek out synonyms for ‘awkward’ to explain Crawford’s efficiency,” and one other wrote, “Crawford can be suggested to maintain her day job.”
She appeared in a number of one-off TV roles up till the early 2000s, however her film profession was just about over. Apart from musi movies, a 2009 look on Wizards of Waverly Place, and a pair appearances as herself, she has not acted since.
18.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Mannequin Diane Kruger, in distinction, made a much more profitable swap from modeling to performing. Within the Nineteen Nineties, she booked advertisements and runway exhibits for a lot of high-end designers like Armani, Dior, and Burberry, and likewise appeared on the duvet of magazines like Vogue Paris.
Nonetheless, within the early 2000s, she transitioned to a movie profession, nabbing giant roles in Troy and Nationwide Treasure. Nonetheless, in all probability her most well-known function so far is in Inglourious Basterds, for which she acquired important acclaim.
19.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Jane Fonda began her profession as an actor again in 1960 within the play There Was a Little Woman, for which she was nominated for a Tony. She continued performing for over twenty years, successful two Oscars and an Emmy.
Nonetheless, in 1982, she made the surprising profession pivot towards train movies, discovering huge success along with her 22 exercise VHS tapes.
She even efficiently pivoted again into performing within the mid-2000s, and simply completed starring on Grace and Frankie (for which she was nominated for an Emmy).
20.
FAILED REINVENTION: Influencer Addison Rae lately tried her hand at a singing profession. Identified primarily for her TikTok dances, Rae determined to launch a single, “Obsessed,” in 2021. She went on to carry out it on The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The track — and efficiency on Fallon — had been panned, and Rae has been maintaining fairly mum on the upcoming album she beforehand teased.
She additionally made her movie debut with 2021 rom-com He is All That. Whereas the movie was panned, Addison has since signed a cope with Netflix, so it is unlikely her budding performing profession goes away anytime quickly. That being mentioned, we’ll maintain out our “failed vs. profitable” reinvention judgment for now.
21.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Bo Burnham stared out his profession making comedic YouTube movies as a youngster within the mid- to late 2000s. By 2010, he was doing standup comedy and had filmed his first comedy particular.
Burnham continued to seek out high-profile success as a comic with extra taped specials — but in addition determined to strive one thing fully new when he wrote and directed the critically acclaimed indie Eighth Grade, which got here out in 2018.
He additionally started a film profession along with his first dramatic function within the Oscar-nominated movie Promising Younger Lady in 2020.
22.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Olivia Wilde has been a profitable actor for the reason that 2000s, however within the early 2010s, she tried her hand at a special artwork type: directing. Beginning out, she solely directed a number of music movies and shorts.
After which in 2019, Wilde made a reputation for herself as a director with Booksmart, which was a important and business success. She’s additionally directed the upcoming movie Do not Fear Darling, which is very anticipated, although it has been mired in controversy.
23.
SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: And at last, Jordan Peele is without doubt one of the strongest examples of a profitable profession pivot. He started a powerful profession in sketch comedy within the 2000s, starring on Mad TV after which co-creating and starring in Key & Peele within the 2010s.
Like Burnham, Peele determined to strive his hand at directing within the mid-2010s — however in a special style fully. His directorial debut, Get Out, was critically acclaimed and have become some of the well-known fashionable horror movies. It jump-started Peele’s horror directing profession, and he is gone on to direct two extra movies and produce a number of movies as nicely.
What different stars have made huge profession pivots — profitable or in any other case? Tell us within the feedback!
