These Blacklisted Celebrities Don’t Work in Hollywood Anymore

Seen as an asterisk on the careers and public opinions of celebrities over the last 100 years, a Hollywood blacklisting, no matter how long, puts a damper on these actor’s historic and memorable lives. For others, blacklisted celebrities incur oddly unique journeys that make some of them even more popular. No matter, as choices can bring pleasure as much as they can bring pain, the life choices made by these celebrities have put them in a unique position. From supposed Communist-party ties to downright awful and controversial behavior, these blacklisted celebrities know both sides of the forgiving, as well as ruthless, entertainment industry.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser was once a leading “Hollywood Hunk,” lead actor of the early 2000s The Mummy franchise. But, after accusing the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Phillip Berk, of unbecoming behavior, Fraser saw his number of acting opportunities disappear. “The phone does stop ringing in your career, and you start asking yourself why. There are many reasons, but was this one of them? I think it was.”

Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan, an alleged victim of Harvey Weinstein around the time in which the horror-film Scream was released, noticed the industry closing off to her as she began to speak out against the once-respected producer. 

Randy Quaid

Cory Feldman

The blacklisting of Corey Feldman is all-around sad affair. As a child, Feldman became a star in Lost Boys and The Goonies. However, he was an alleged victim of a Hollywood pedophilia ring that was never taken seriously (at least, at the time). From this emotional turmoil, Feldman began abusing drugs to rid himself of the pain. These drug habits, in turn, effectively removed him any acting roles. And thus, his blacklisting – for a number of unfortunate reasons – took place.

Dalton Trumbo

Deemed as a member of the “Hollywood Ten” – members of the entertainment industry that refused to deny their involvement with the Communist Party, writer Dalton Trumbo was blacklisted… at least, initially. He would go on to work on Roman Holiday and The Brave One (both Oscar winners) under a pseudonym. His name then reappeared in Kirk Douglas’ Spartacus and Exodus. Eventually, word got out about his continued involvement, despite the blacklist, leaving the Writers’ Guild of America to credit his name in all back-produced films.

Mo’nique

Mo’nique may have won an Oscar for her role in Precious, but she ultimately lost the war in Hollywood. As the actress did not care to continue with press engagements, as she was not being paid to appear, the director of the film, Lee Daniels, would eventually confirm the actress had been blacklisted due to her lack of commitment to the film. “Her demands through Precious were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community.”

Sondra Locke

Known by her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, former actress Sandra Locke once had a 14-year relationship with Clint Eastwood. Sadly, the pair ended on poor terms, leaving Locke to believe she was being blacklisted by industry veterans. In a court case settled out of court, Eastwood created a film development deal on Locke’s behalf with Warner Bros Studios. However, the settlement was found to be bogus as the studio never approved one of over 30 pitches pitched by Locke. 

Charlie Sheen

Years ago, Charlie Sheen was a huge Hollywood and TV acting heavyweight, leading the cast in the popular Two and a Half Men series. In early 2011, Sheen – who had been checked into rehab (for alcohol and drug abuse) and was dealing with several domestic abuse claims – publicly decried show co-creator, Chuck Lorre. Further, Sheen had the tenacity to ask for a 50% raise on his current $1.8 million per-episode salary after hurling these insults. It was at this point that Sheen became a blacklisted actor.