75 Forgotten Actors Who Faded Away Over The Past Few Decades

In the 1990s, Heather Graham was one of the most eye-catching actresses. Well-known films like Boogie Nights, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Lost in Space, and Bowfinger, gave Graham a chance to prove her talent. She has continued to work in film and television since then but hasn't reached the same peak of fame.

Sinbad might have been forgotten, but he lives on through memes and reputation in some people's minds. He appeared in several well-known Hollywood comedies, including Jingle All the Way, hosted the late-night discussion show on Vibe, and even had his own sitcom, The Sinbad Show.

Clancy Brown, a tall, wavy-haired American actor with a rich, deep voice, has distinguished himself as a multifaceted performer by making outstanding contributions to theater, feature films, television shows, and even animation. Today, he is more known for The Shawshank Redemption and the voice he gave to Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants.

During the middle of the 1990s, Larisa Oleynik became well-known for her role as Alex Mack in the children's television series The Secret World of Alex Mack. She later starred as Bianca Stratford in the film 10 Things I Hate About You, and she also had recurring roles in 3rd Rock from the Sun, but she has had a very quiet profile ever since.

Sometimes, a celebrity might fade away from the acting world but resurge in other categories, like writing and directing. Sarah Polley was one of the more known actresses in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Since then, she has become more known for her other accomplishments, like winning an Oscar in 2023 for her screenplay.

While his older brother, Alec Baldwin, might be more famous, Billy Baldwin put up a decent fight for popularity in the ’90s and 2000s. Except for Backdraft, most of the big-budget films Billy was in bombed at the box office. He is also famous for dating Chynna Phillips, an American singer.

Mr. Robot himself, Christian Slater, was everywhere in the ’90s. Starring in Tony Scott’s True Romance, acting alongside Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and John Travolta in Broken Arrow — Slater had a good start to his career. Sadly, due to alcohol abuse and domestic violence, Slater was unable to follow his ‘90s success.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a great sensation in the 1990s. He played a prominent role in Home Improvement, but after working there for a while, he quit to concentrate on his studies. Thomas appeared as a guest star on Last Man Standing, although he is more interested in giving acting the back burner and focusing on writing and directing.

Fred Savage rose to fame as Kevin Arnold in The Wonder Years — a role that made him a household name. He now primarily performs background work. Boy Meets World, That's So Raven, Hannah Montana, and Wizards of Waverly Place are just a few of the TV shows he has directed episodes for.

Ethan Embry acted in at least two movies a year throughout the 1990s. He appeared in some of the most popular motion pictures of the decade, such as Can't Hardly Wait, Empire Records, White Squall, and Vegas Vacation. However, Embry faded away after 1999 from major roles and in Hollywood overall.

Tommy Rettig was a popular young actor in 1954 when he was chosen from 500 candidates to portray Jeff Miller in the CBS television series Lassie, which debuted on September 12, 1954. He was the first boy to chase after Lassie throughout the 20 years the legendary collie was on the network. He worked on the program for four years.

She appeared in the John Carpenter-related films Someone's Watching Me!, The Fog and Escape from New York early in her career. She occasionally worked with George A. Romero on films like Two Evil Eyes and the Stephen King anthology Creepshow. Swamp Thing is one of the horror films she is most remembered for.

Joe Turkel is known for playing Dr. Eldon Tyrell in Blade Runner and for appearing in Stanley Kubrick's The Killing, Paths of Glory, and The Shining. Additionally, he played in three of Bert I. Gordon's movies. Before going up the acting ladder, Turkel enlisted in the American Army and saw action in the European Theater of Operations throughout World War II.

Devon Sawa made his big screen debut in Casper. He went on to star in Wild America, Idle Hands, SLC Punk!, and Final Destination, among others. He appeared in the music video for "Stan" by Eminem, where he played the lead role of an obsessed fan, and after that, Sawa became practically invisible in Hollywood.

In the 1990s, Matthew Lillard appeared in some of the best and most popular decade-defining movies, such as Hackers, Scream, and She's All That. Even though he still acts, his career has significantly slowed down. Lillard did have a role in the Oscar-nominated movie The Descendants.

Richard Grieco was one of the original members of 21 Jump Street, even before Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum popularized it to the world. Grieco started as Detective Dennis Booker on 21 Jump Street and the spinoff Booker in 1988. After that, he had lesser roles and even appeared in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Lara Flynn Boyle was one of Twin Peaks breakout stars in the '90s when the world watched David Lynch's deliciously bizarre cultural phenomenon. She later made appearances in other notable movies, including Wayne's World and Baby's Day Out, as well as in Andrew Fleming's Threesome and Tom Holland's The Temp.

After Pretty Woman premiered, Campbell Scott was the next person to be the love interest of Julia Robert. Scott also played the starring role in Cameron Crowe's grunge-inspired ensemble comedy Singles. Today, he is more known for his portrayal of Richard Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man movies.

Stacy Keach is one of the foremost American Shakespearean actors. He has performed on both the classic and modern stages with tremendous success. In 1984, Keach served six months in prison due to possession of some illegal substances. Today, he is more known for his role in American History X and Prison Break.

Barbara Hershey has been working in Hollywood, in movies and series, for more than 50 years already. Peaking in the ‘90s with her roles in The Portrait of a Lady and A Killing in a Small Town, she continued to star in smaller roles in the coming decades but couldn't reach the same level of fame as before.

Due to her father's job, Perrine and her family had to move around a lot as he took up various positions. For her performance as comedian Lenny Bruce's wife, stripper Honey Bruce, Perrine got nominated for the 1975 Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress, and the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award.

He might have started his entertainment career with stand-up comedy but soon ended up with a colorful list of movies and series. Since 1969, he has had the chance to star alongside brilliant actors like Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise. He won a couple of awards, including an Emmy in 1992.

Before appearing in War Hunt, Tom Skerritt debuted in a UCLA production of The Rainmaker. He did, however, spend most of the following ten years on television, making frequent appearances in Combat!, The Virginian, Gunsmoke, and 12 O'Clock High. Robert Altman's scathing satire M*A*S*H served as Skerritt's second major break.

Born to an actor and an actress, Brian Keith was destined to walk on theater stages and appear in movies. He first appeared on the screen when he was three years old in Pied Piper Malon alongside his father. Keith had quite a career, even starring in The Wind and the Lion, where he had to portray the legendary President Theodore Roosevelt.

Known more for his antagonist roles, Brion James has left a mark in the world of cinema by acting in several legendary movies. From Ridley Scott's Blade Runner to starring in lesser roles in the series Miami Vice — James' fame disappeared as soon as it peaked in his early career days.

Pam Grier's career began in 1971 when Roger Corman of New World Pictures introduced her to the films The Big Bird Cage and The Big Doll House, both of which were about women's prisons. She was once described as being the first true female action movie star by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

Jobeth Williams' stardom break would come in the shape of the tenacious mother of three who struggles to protect her family from home-invading demons in Steven Spielberg's massive box office and critical smash Poltergeist, which also catapulted Craig T. Nelson to stardom. She would go on to win an Oscar for directing a short movie.

In the 1990s, Eddie Furlong seemed destined for greatness. He played the protagonist in the highly acclaimed films American History X, Brainscan, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. However, his career and popularity drastically fell by the end of the 1990s, and his later movies were only available on DVD.

Thora Birch was one of those 1990s stars that could have had everything. Before landing a part in the critically acclaimed movie American Beauty, which won her the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, she had roles in Patriot Games, Hocus Pocus, and Now and Then. She was so talented that she got nominated for a Golden Globe.

Leelee Sobieski received praise for her performances in the television movies Joan of Arc and Deep Impact. Since then, Sobieski has worked on plenty of films, including some independent ones like Lying and Walk All Over Me. Unfortunately, Sobieski's movies haven't made as much money as Deep Impact, except for Eyes Wide Shut.