In 2006, Taylor Kitsch played Tim Riggins in the NBC sports drama T.V. series Friday Night Lights. Kitsch appeared in the show for five seasons, garnering international recognition from critics and nearly eight million viewers. He was also chosen to portray the iconic character Gambit in the X-Men franchise spinoff, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
If you look at Kitsch’s track record, it’s obvious that there’s someone in Hollywood who was determined to make the actor a star. He was the main highlight in John Carter, Battleship, True Detective, and Savages. Sadly though, all those prestigious films failed to make him the next Johnny Depp.
Carrie-Anne Moss
Carrie-Anne Moss became a Hollywood star when she played Trinity in the Sci-Fi action thriller The Matrix (1999). The film went on to make a whopping $460 million gross earnings worldwide and was widely celebrated by critics. Before her successful stint in The Matrix and its sequels, Moss said her acting career was pretty much non-existent.
The movie propelled the actress into worldwide recognition, but Carrie-Anne’s portrayal of Trinity in The Matrix Trilogy proved to be the defining moment in her career. And perhaps the only one that she will be remembered for as an actress. Today, she usually bounces from one Netflix Marvel show to the next, the latest being her character in Jessica Jones.
Mischa Barton
The famous Fox T.V. series, The O.C., became an instant hit and made Mischa Barton even more famous for her performance of the character Marissa Cooper. The British-American actress received a number of Teen Choice Awards. Mischa eventually left the show after its third season finale in May 2006.
Mischa Barton was also crowned by Glamour magazine as the "Next Big Thing" and hailed by Entertainment Weekly as the “It Girl” of 2003. Ever since she departed The O.C. during its pinnacle of recognition after the third season, she has made public gossip for her legal issues and impulsive actions.
Megan Fox
Megan Fox became a staple in the TV sitcom Hope & Faith. In 2004, she achieved her first film appearance in the teen comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and a breakout performance in 2007 in the hit action film Transformers. She was also in the Transformers sequel, Revenge of the Fallen.
But Fox was cut from the rest of the sequels after the second movie. Apparently, she likened Michael Bay, the director of the Transformers movies, to Hitler in an interview, and that became the end of her role. Outside her supporting role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Megan’s future appears bleak.
Alex Pettyfer
Alex Pettyfer had a breakthrough role in 2006 in 'Stormbreaker.' For his performance in the film, Alex received a Young Artist Award nomination and an Empire award. The British-American celebrity was also featured as a model in a number of Burberry advertising campaigns.
After co-starring in the movies Magic Mike' and 'I Am Number Four,' Alex Pettyfer was poised to be the next Hollywood heartthrob. But everything quickly crumbled after he made a few interviews where he appeared arrogant and ungrateful. Today, the once promising actor is now practically an afterthought.