In our hearts they were always A-listers. But honestly? Some of them really did claw their way back.

I'm an Editorial Director at BuzzFeed who covers the internet’s funniest photos and jokes, weird human history, movie facts, and more.

Maybe the most classic example? John Travolta. He went from massive, Best Actor-nominated stardom in the '70s to doing talking baby movies in the '80s, and then back to massive, Best Actor-nominated stardom in the '90s.

Sadly, around this time Fraser was dealing with tougher things than an unflattering meme. He lost his mother, went through a divorce, and, Fraser alleged, was sexually assaulted by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Philip Berk. He also underwent a number of surgeries to correct problems caused by the physical demands of doing stunts and starring in action films. All of this contributed to Fraser experiencing depression.

For the next decade, Fraser didn't star in a single film that came close to grossing even $10 million worldwide. Some of his films — like 2013's Breakout — were even released direct-to-DVD. Ouch. Fraser's appearance changed too — no biggie, we all look different as we get older, right? — but it became a topic of conversation online.

Now? Fraser is set to return as Rick O'Connell in a new Mummy movie alongside Rachel Weisz. Is Fraser back on the A-list? Oh yeah. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Downey Jr. was given the option of going to jail or rehab, and decided to change his life for the better. He later reflected to Oprah, "I said, 'You know what? I don't think I can continue doing this.' And I reached out for help, and I ran with it." Roles dried up for a couple of years, but once sober he began to be cast again — but mainly as a supporting character or in independent films.

Cage kept rolling in the aughts even if he might have had a few more box-office misses than usual. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his dual role in Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation, and headlined two blockbuster franchises in National Treasure and Ghost Rider. 

Now Cage is doing something even more fascinating: leading the live-action superhero-noir series Spider-Noir, playing a 1930s private-investigator version of a Spider-Man-adjacent hero. The series is a major Prime Video/MGM+ project, and Cage has called his performance part Bogart, part Bugs Bunny, which is possibly the most Nicolas Cage sentence ever written.

Things eventually improved, but not entirely. For the next 15 years, Dern's biggest impact on the big screen came in smaller supporting roles (she was great in the acclaimed The Master, for example, but not onscreen long). She also carved out a niche in television movies and series, notably Recount and Enlightened. Still, her career was ebbing below where it once was. But that would change fast.