Hollywood stars live their lives in the spotlight, and while they have the fame and fortune, the pressures are great and for many it can be all too much. What’s more, Hollywood isn’t exactly a place that likes to hand out second chances, with many stars cast off into the wilderness.
However, there are a number of actors who have managed to turn it around, going from their lowest ebb back to the peak of their powers.
There are some excellent examples of this, and it does highlight that if you put your mind to things, you can overcome hurdles in life.
But who are the best examples of this?
Robert Downey Jr
Robert Downey Jr is a prime example of this and an example of just because you need to go to drug or alcohol rehab, it doesn’t mean that your life is over. There’s a way to get clean and a way to go on to have an even better life than you could ever imagine.
Downey Jr had an incredible start to his career, playing some big parts before addiction took over his life. He had battles with drugs and drink and was even arrested. He was thrown off movie sets and written out of TV shows.
The actor got clean though and was given a lifeline by Mel Gibson who helped relaunch his career. Today, he’s one of the biggest stars on the planet and one of the highest paid too, earning hundreds of millions of dollars for movies such as Iron Man.
Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke has had his fair share of problems off the screen and while he’s career started brilliantly, with some excellent roles, his arrogance quickly got the better of him and he developed a real reputation as someone who was difficult to work with. The acting roles dried up and he even took a break to try his hand at boxing.
Cast into the wilderness, he eventually got the opportunity to play the lead role in The Wrestler, which completely transformed his career and set him back on a pathway to getting some meaty roles, as well as mellowing as a person off screen.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore is another excellent example of how rehab turned her life around and she’s regularly spoken out about her battles as a young girl with substance abuse. She recalls much of it in her 1990 book, Little Girl Lost, with the fame of ET leading her down a dark pathway.
Of course, she bounced back in style with some great acting roles, as well as going on to directing, producing and even hosting her own daytime chat show today, living a healthy and happy life many of us aspire to.