Being born to parents well-nestled in the entertainment industry in Bollywood, one would have thought Harman Baweja had all the necessary elements needed to make it big in life. He had no problems starting his career with a lead role in “Love Story 2050”, directed by his father, produced by his mother; a family affair, the stars aligned in his favor. But it turned out to be a rough start for him.
The movie didn’t do well at the box office, nor did his second movie, “Victory”. In fact, Baweja has never fared well, failing in all four of his movies so far. Could it be that his starting advantages actually held him back, somehow?
Brad Pitt in War Machine
The name Brad Pitt has, for years, been associated with a manly, rugged, confident, and deeply appealing image. But Pitt wanted to show that he is more than just a handsome face. He wanted to show us his skills and versatility. He took the role of a general in the movie "War Machine", which got rated a measly 54% by Rotten Tomatoes.
A big part of it may come down to the fact that Brad Pitt’s voice sounded too contrived and annoying. Asked to comment on the film, Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian didn’t mince words, saying, “Not funny enough to be satire, not realistic enough to count as political commentary, not exciting enough to work as a war movie, David Michôd’s supposedly Helleresque romp, released on Netflix, is an imperfect non-storm of unsuccess.”
Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Career Following Boat Trip
There’s good reason for artists to be picky with their roles. It may seem like they are snobbish at times, but this is absolutely necessary to protect one’s career. Cuba Gooding has been in the industry for many years, and at some point, it seems actors like him fall under the illusion that they are impervious to failure.
This is probably why he took a chance on such an awful role, as the one he played in "Boat Trip", a movie that was routinely hated, by critics and audiences alike. A comeback was hard for Gooding, but he ultimately made it back after 2002’s horror, by appearing in a season of the wildly popular "American Horror Story" in 2016.
Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3
There’s something about Tobey Maguire’s personality that just worked for many people in the role of Spider-man. The first part was a success, which warranted two more. The momentum gained from this run, however, was halted with the entry of Venom’s character, played by Topher Grace.
Grace is a familiar face to the general viewership, having come from "That 70’s Show". Playing Spidey’s villain was supposedly good for his career, but it ended up earning him heavy flak. It took some time before Topher Grace snatched another leading role in a movie.
Neve Campbell in Wild Things
When Neve Campbell went to the US to find an agent, she ended up auditioning for "Party Of Five". The next thing she knew, she was packing up her things to move from Canada to start an acting career in the States. She also became known for the Scream franchise.
Not wanting to be typecast, she tried to change her style, taking on a racy role in "Wild Things". The reviews weren’t particularly bad, and her acting wasn’t really sub-par, but she’s never made the best out of her career since. She had a bit of a rebirth in "House of Cards", in 2016. However, that series was destined to come to an abrupt close, thanks to a whole different controversy.