Everyone loves a good comeback story. From a course correction to a total revival, sometimes a single performance is all it takes to change an actor’s life forever.
But some actors have been known to distance themselves from the industry on their own prematurely. And regardless of critical or commercial success, some of the industry’s best need some time away. Thankfully for movie-going audiences, some of these actors announced the end of their film hiatus with an outstanding return to form, proving to any whose faith was wavering that (despite a significant break) they still have what it takes to blow us away.
Ke Huy Quan in 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' (2022)
You might recognize this former child star from classic films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Indeed, Ke Huy Quan is best known for his appearances as Short Round, Indiana Jones’ loyal sidekick, and the child inventor Data from Richard Donner’s adventure classic The Goonies. After a long break from acting, Quan made a stunning return to the screen in the multiversal action-comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once, directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
Quan attributes his film hiatus to the scarcity of roles available to Asian performers. Only after witnessing the financial and critical success of 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians Quan was encouraged to pursue acting roles again. He had been working behind the scenes on films like X-Men but now holds the spotlight in A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once alongside Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Stephanie Hsu (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner), and Jamie Lee Curtis (Knives Out).
Tobey Maguire in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)
Tobey Maguire is best known for his iconic portrayal of Peter Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, but his career, in the years before and after his interlude as the Marvel superhero, is impressive on its own.
Maguire remained highly active in movies like The Great Gatsby and The Boss Baby but took a short break from acting to set up his own production company, Material Pictures. In 2021, Maguire returned to acting with Spider-Man: No Way Home. Acting alongside fellow web slingers Tom Holland (Uncharted) and Andrew Garfield (tick, tick...BOOM!), Maguire triumphantly reprised his role as an older version of Peter Parker. Maguire and company shine in a film that pays its dues to Spider-Man nostalgia, including Maguire’s portrayal of the friendly neighborhood hero.
Daniel Day-Lewis in 'Phantom Thread' (2017)
Daniel Day-Lewis seems to live on film hiatuses. The award-winning actor has taken a break between each one of his recent projects, leaving audiences, critics, and filmmakers desperate to see him return. In 2017, Day-Lewis astonished all with his portrayal of high society fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock in Phantom Thread, which saw wins and nominations at the 90th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Costume Design, to name a few.
Day-Lewis was nominated for Best Actor for his work, but Phantom Thread marked the actor’s first on-screen appearance since his portrayal of the United States’ sixteenth president in Lincoln in 2012.
Emma Watson in 'Little Women' (2019)
Former child actor Emma Watson became an instant star when she played Hermione Granger in the film adaptations of the beloved Harry Potter books. She received further acclaim for many of her performances in the years following the series’ conclusion, including parts in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring.
Watson took a break from acting to focus on her university studies and her role as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, promoting gender equality by starting the campaign known as HeForShe. Though she returned to acting by playing Belle in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the fantasy musical classic Beauty and the Beast, Watson’s standout return performance lies in her portrayal of Meg March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. As one of the endearing March sisters, the loving adaptation of the children’s classic coming-of-age novel of the same name has Watson to thank for bringing one of its central characters to life.
Joe Pesci in 'The Irishman' (2019)
The Irishman is a critically-acclaimed crime drama directed and produced by Martin Scorsese. Even without its fantastic de-aging effects, the performances of its cast and outstanding cinematography make the movie a sight to behold.
But The Irishman was also notable in how it pulled Joe Pesci out of a long hiatus from acting. The film marked Pesci’s first on-screen appearance since 2010, and, unfortunately for fans of the actor, it doesn’t look like he’s returning to acting anytime soon. In The Irishman, Pesci plays Pennsylvania mob boss Russell Bufalino, acting opposite veteran actors Robert De Niro (Joker) and Al Pacino (House of Gucci) in one of the best Netflix films of 2019.
Robert Downey Jr. in 'Iron Man' (2008)
Now a household name, Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t always the biggest star in the entertainment industry. Despite finding early success as an actor, Downey struggled with substance abuse for a time, leading to legal troubles and major setbacks for his career. He returned to the big screen in 2003 with the musical comedy film The Singing Detective, but you can’t talk about cinematic comebacks without mentioning the success of Downey’s portrayal of Tony Stark in Jon Favreau’s Iron Man.
Technically, Stark wasn’t the first role Downey scored after his initial film hiatus, but it still deserves mention, given how monumental of a comeback the actor made. Having essentially kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey went on to reprise the role in multiple sequels and sequel tie-ins, including Spider-Man: Homecoming and the box-office-shattering Avengers: Endgame.
Eddie Murphy in 'Dolemite Is My Name' (2019)
Best known for voicing Donkey in Shrek, and Mushu in Disney’s 1998 rendition of Mulan, Eddie Murphy took a break from acting after ongoing critical and commercial backlash to many of the projects he was involved in throughout the 1990s. According to Murphy, the multiple Razzie awards he received played a part in commencing his hiatus.
But Murphy’s return to the big screen stunned detractors and fans. In the 2019 biographical comedy Dolemite Is My Name, Murphy shines as Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling artist who later becomes the real-life cult comedian and actor we all know and love.
Joaquin Phoenix in 'I’m Still Here' (2010)
Known for chilling performances in films like Gladiator and Joker, Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most highly respected actors working today. But, publicly grappling with fame and disillusioned with his career, it looked like Phoenix was taking a break from acting in 2008. This break, however, was an elaborate ploy, as Phoenix was busy giving the most elaborate performance of his life, culminating in the 2010 release of I’m Still Here.
The mockumentary, conceived in collaboration with Casey Affleck, depicts Phoenix’s announcement of his retirement from acting and his attempted transition into a hip-hop artist. The film incorporates many of the public appearances Phoenix made in the wake of his supposed announcement, throughout which he remained in character. A rare case of a film hiatus being integral to a role, his appearance remains one of the more underappreciated performances of Phoenix’s career.