La Fontaine once said: “There is no road of flowers leading to glory.” and it’s true for every career, especially celebrities in Hollywood. On the one hand, Hollywood is a glorious place where you have an opportunity to earn a million dollars a month, live in a villa or meet famous people. But on the other hand, being in the public eye also means that you have to live and act properly. Even a small mistake can put an end to your career. For example, a conservative view, being difficult to work with, or being racist are just some of the many reasons why people can be blacklisted. Here are 15 actors and actresses who have been blacklisted by most of Hollywood and why.
#1. Josephine Baker
Source: britannica
Josephine Baker was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress. She was a pioneer as the first black woman to star in a motion picture. However, in 1951, her US Work Visa was canceled and she must leave America because she was accused of being a communist sympathizer. Only after ten years could she return to the United States.
#2. Natalie Maines
Source: taseofcountry
In 2003, Natalie Maines’ band, the Dixie Chicks, was blacklisted by many radio stations because she criticized the US president at that time, George W. Bush on his invasion of Iraq in 2003.
#3. Lena Horne
Source: vanityfair
In the 90s the political issue in the US was quite serious. Lena Home was once blacklisted because she advocated Communíst Party. Nevertheless, she didn’t support communism to return to the stage.
#4. Martin Lawrence
Source: variety
Martin Lawrence is a stand-up comedian and actor who achieved critical acclaim during the 1990s. However, in 1994, he was banned from Saturday Night Live, one of the most lucrative late-night shows. After days of rehearsals, he decided to go off-script and altered his monologue. He also talked about many sensitive topics such as female hygiene,
female anatomy, etc. #5. Dorothy Parker
Source: britannica
Dorothy Parker was a famous American poet, writer, and critic. Some of her famous novels are A Star is Born, Trade Winds, and Saboteur. However, as I said above, in the 90s the political issue in the US was quite serious. Dorothy was accused of being a communist and she was blacklisted.
#6. Justin Bieber
Source: imdb
We can’t deny that Justin Bieber is a talented singer and songwriter. His success is many singers’ dream. However, his personal life is quite disreputable. He was against the law when he had several high-speed run-ins and he also resisted arrest. His image in the public eye is quite bad.
#7. Katherine Heigl
Source: mamamia
Katherine Heigl used to be one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood. However, she was quite arrogant and hard to work with. She is also demanding when she wants to have outrageous wardrobe substitutions. That’s why she wasn’t admired by many fans and co-workers.
#8. Stacey Dash
Source: mercurynews
Stacey Dash is an American actress and former talk show host. However, she was notorious for her conservative views such as some comments about the transgender community or political issues. That’s why she was blacklisted.
#9. Vince Vaughn
Source: tim.blog
Vince Vaughn was a former comic-in-film powerhouse. Regrettably, Vaughn was never able to excel past his goofy self in more serious roles. He also noted that he believes guns in schools would be able to stop mass shootings, a view that many people don’t like.
#10. Jim Caviezel
Source: wikimedia
Jim Caviezel was one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. He took part in some famous films such as The Thin Red Line, Frequency, The Count of Monte Cristo, etc. However, accepting the titular role in The Passion of the Christ put an end to his Hollywood career because he wanted to act as Jesus Christ.
#11. Thora Birch
Source: wikipedia
Thora Birch was a child star in the 1990s. However, her father affected her career when he threatened a co-star and as a result, her path to Hollywood was closed.
#12. Vince Vaughn
Source: thepersonage
Cee-Lo Green is known for his work in hip hop and R&B. However, he didn’t consider his words and made some unsympathetic posts about homosexuality and rape, and that’s why Hollywood excluded him.
#13. Mel Gibson
Source: wikimedie
Mel Gibson is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles. Nonetheless, some scandals have affected his careers, such as a car crash and some anti-Semitic rhetoric.
#14. Isaiah Washington
Source: thewrap
Isaiah Washington is an American actor and media personality. Basically, he isn’t blacklisted from Hollywood but his career saw a slowdown. The reason behind this is that he called his cast mates on Grey’s Anatomy a homophobic slur. Of course, he was kicked out of the program. Moreover, he also said some bad words about the program when it won the Golden Globe.
#15. Tippi Hedren
Source: wikipedia
Tippi Hedren is an American actress, animal right activist and former fashion model. She became an actress after she was discovered by director Alfred Hitchcock while appearing in a TV commercial in 1961. However, she accused Hitchcok of several sexual assaults throughout filming and he also affected her career that she couldn’t continue her work for two years.