Kevin Spacey has two Oscars and no major studios clamoring for his services.
Armie Hammer's rising-star status collapsed when the word "cannibalism" got attached to his dating predilictions.
Louis CK became a comedy pariah for acting out something he referenced in his art.
Three major stars. Three very different roads to possible redemption. All three are on the comeback trail at the moment.
Spacey's path may be the most treacherous. He's been accused by multiple people of inappropriate sexual behavior, and while he survived the legal threats some parties have followed up with civil claims against the star.
The actor spent several years unemployed until 2024's indie thriller "Peter Five Eight" got him back in front of a camera. He's since appeared in other small features, including "The Contract" (no release date available, no streaming options), and the upcoming "1780" (June 23).
He's still nowhere near an acceptable option for most studios, large or small. For now.
The director of "Peter Five Eight" described the star as a positive, uplifting presence on the set.
Hammer's comeback got underway late last year with the indie western "Frontier Crucible." That came after sordid allegations against the star in 2021, including charges by former lovers that he was abusive and spoke about cannibalistic fantasies. The lurid details were enough to kick him out of Hollywood, Inc.
He confessed to crying when he learned he had landed the lead role in "Citizen Vigilante," the latest film from a director loathed by most critics - Uwe Boll. The explosive thriller cast Hammer as an American who has had enough of migrant crime in Europe, not to mention the lax penalties provided by soft-on-crime judges.
Variety dubbed the film "morally bankrupt," but a gig's a gig. And he has two more lined up, including "Night Driver" and "Mascotland." His career recovery will take time, no doubt, and he'll have to be a perfect gentleman moving forward for it to stick.
And then there's C.K., whose blazing career got extinguished by his own sexual appetites. In 2017, at the dawn of the #MeToo era, he admitted to sexually exposing himself to multiple women. He lost his FX series, "Louie," watched his anticipated dramedy "I Love You, Daddy" get shelved (permanently?), and became a pariah on the stand-up circuit.
So he went away for a spell, coming back armed with only his wit and a large email list of hardcore fans. That was more than enough, apparently. He started selling out venues again, including the iconic Madison Square Garden, in 2023.
Now, he's back, officially. Netflix will debut his new comedy special on June 30th.
Cancel Culture tried to retire these stars permanently. So did Legacy Media outlets. Every time C.K. appears, you'll read news reports hinting that he shouldn't be allowed back in the industry's good graces.
After years of self-financing his career outside the studio system, Louis C.K. has returned to the mainstream with Netflix’s blessing—suggesting that in Hollywood, “cancellation” only lasts until the audience, and money, comes back.
Both "woke" and Cancel Culture are in retreat, giving artists the chance to reconnect with audiences. It's up to the public to decide their fate, not a gaggle of social justice warriors armed with social media accounts and a lust for power.
Americans love a good comeback story, assuming the stars in question have the talent to back it up.
