25 Celebrities Who Were Blacklisted From Hollywood, Hurting Their Careers

The fallout from Will Smith giving Chris Rock both a verbal and literal smackdown for a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, on Oscars night became a global controversy in 2022. Smith won the Best Actor award for “King Richard” shortly after the altercation, then resigned from the Academy as part of his long-winded apology tour.

But this is far from the first time that someone in Tinseltown has gotten themselves on Hollywood’s blacklist, in which the whole industry essentially cuts them out of work. Who could forget the notorious Hollywood Ten scandal of 1947, which saw more than a few screenwriters of communist sympathies kicked out of the industry (more on them later)?

Time will tell if Smith is eventually welcomed back into the industry’s good graces, but these 25 Hollywood exiles have had a far, far more difficult road to returning to the entertainment industry again.

25. Kevin Spacey

Birthdate: July 26, 1959

Years active in Hollywood: 1986-2017

Year blacklisted: 2017

Why Kevin Spacey Was Blacklisted

Two Oscars, untold millions, the respect of his colleagues, plus worldwide fans weren’t enough to stop the scandal train that came crashing into the “House of Cards” star in 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey had sexually assaulted him decades earlier when Rapp was underage.

Spacey was swiftly fired from “Cards,” and the final season went on without him — to disappointing notices from critics and fans, but that’s another story. Other actors came forward with similar claims, and Spacey’s attempt at damage control by finally coming out as gay — as if that were a viable defense — outraged the LGBTQ community. 

24. Bill Cosby

Birthdate: July 12, 1937

Years active in Hollywood: 1965-2014

Year blacklisted: 2014

Why Bill Cosby Was Blacklisted

There might not have been a harder, swifter fall from grace than what became of “America’s Dad.” Ever since comedian Hannibal Buress used his standup routine in 2014 to call attention to allegations of Cosby’s misbehavior, many women have come forward claiming Cosby drugged and/or sexually assaulted them over the decades.

Even when “The Cosby Show” was a monster hit among both Black and White audiences, its star continued his predatory streak. Cosby was jailed in 2018 in his native Pennsylvania, although the state supreme court ordered him freed last year. Though no longer behind bars, it’s all but certain he’ll never work again.

23. Roman Polanski

Birthdate: Aug. 18, 1933

Years active in Hollywood: 1968-1977

Year blacklisted: 1977

Why Roman Polanski Was Blacklisted

The Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski made quite a splash in Hollywood, with “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Chinatown” securing his reputation as one of the great immigrant filmmakers of the post-studio era. However, shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles, Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson family, leading to some great work but some awful personal choices.

In 1977, Polanski was convicted of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl, but he fled the United States before being jailed. Although he’s continued to make films in Europe since then — including the Oscar-winning Holocaust memoir “The Pianist” — he’ll be arrested if he ever returns to America.

22. Roseanne Barr

Birthdate: Nov. 3, 1952

Years active in Hollywood: 1988-2018

Year blacklisted: 2018

Why Roseanne Barr Was Blacklisted

Long have there been complaints that Hollywood ignores women of a certain age — particularly if they don’t fit within a particular image — and thus it was pretty cool when Roseanne Barr, then 65, was hired to revive her popular sitcom “Roseanne” in 2018. The fictional Roseanne was an ardent Trump supporter, which got her into many arguments with her liberal sister Jackie Harris (Oscar-nominee Laurie Metcalf).

Sadly, life imitated art when Barr tweeted a racial slur against Barack Obama’s adviser Valerie Jarrett. Barr was fired and the program was re-envisioned as “The Conners,” with the fictional Roseanne written out as deceased. Barr hasn’t acted since.

21. James Woods

Birthdate: April 18, 1947

Years active in Hollywood: 1971-2017

Year blacklisted: 2017

Why James Woods Was Blacklisted

James Woods enjoyed a rather lengthy and varied career, playing everything from tough cops to creepy bad guys — picking up two Oscar nods along the way. Then came Twitter. Woods, who isn’t at all shy about voicing his conservative beliefs in liberal Hollywood, took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with Hillary Clinton and various other darlings of the left. He was even temporarily banned from tweeting a time or two.

Acting work for the thespian has mostly dried up, which has made him pop off on Twitter even more.

20. Harvey Weinstein

Birthdate: March 19, 1952

Years active in Hollywood: 1981-2017

Year blacklisted: 2017

Why Harvey Weinstein Was Blacklisted

Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob produced everything from “Pulp Fiction” to “Shakespeare in Love.” It was said that Harvey was untouchable — though he seemingly had no problem touching others (and much worse) against their will.

The superproducer was one of the earliest, most high-profile targets of the #MeToo era, so in addition to his shelf full of awards, he can now add convicted sex offender to his resume after being sentenced to 23 years by a New York judge in 2020. 

19. Mo’Nique

Birthdate: Dec. 11, 1967

Years active in Hollywood: 2000-2009; 2014-2016

Year blacklisted: 2010

Why Mo’Nique Was Blacklisted

Mo’Nique surprised the entertainment world when she took home the best-supporting actress Oscar in 2010 for her searing portrayal as the mother of the titular character in “Precious” portrayed by Gabourey Sidibe. Typically, Oscar winners get not only a bump in pay but plenty of acting offers, though Mo’Nique claims the opposite proved true for her.

Legend has it that because she didn’t schmooze enough during Oscar season, she was shunned. She’s only had seven acting jobs since her win, two of them still unreleased.

18. Mel Gibson

Birthdate: Jan. 3, 1956

Years active in Hollywood: 1987-2004; 2010-present

Year blacklisted: 2006

Why Mel Gibson Was Blacklisted

Mel Gibson put up $30 million of his own money to make 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which was controversial even before coming out due to allegations the film was both antisemitic and extremely violent (the latter was definitely true). Devout audiences helped the film earn $600 million worldwide, and for a while, Gibson was off the hot seat.

That is, until 2006, when he was picked up by Malibu police for driving in a very intoxicated state — and ranting about how the Jews were responsible for all the world’s wars. Gibson did sober up and got back to movies, but for a while there, he earned the epithet “Mad Mel.”

17. Gina Carano

Birthdate: April 16, 1982

Years active in Hollywood: 2008-present

Year blacklisted: 2021

Why Gina Carano Was Blacklisted

Former MMA fighter Gina Carano can clearly handle herself in a fight, which is likely part of the reason she was cast as the warrior Cara Dune in the Star Wars universe series “The Mandalorian.” Fans loved the character, who aided Mando and Grogu in their planet-hopping adventures.

Then, Carano took to social media to make the awkwardly inappropriate statement that being Republican in Hollywood today is like being Jewish in Nazi Germany. Lucasfilm fired her from the show, and the character was never mentioned again. Carano still does some acting, but her image hasn’t recovered.

16. Dalton Trumbo

Birthdate: Dec. 9, 1905

Years active in Hollywood: 1936-1947; 1961-1973

Year blacklisted: 1947

Why Dalton Trumbo Was Blacklisted

The Hollywood Ten of 1947 was not a class you wanted to be a part of. That was the name given to a group of screenwriters named before Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) as having communist sympathies at the height of the so-called Red Scare.

Despite this, the Hollywood Ten, including Dalton Trumbo, devised an ingenious method of writing under dummy names. During his blacklisting, Trumbo — via aliases and co-writers — won two Oscars for “Roman Holiday” and “The Brave One.” It wasn’t until years later, with the Red Scare astern, that the Academy finally gave Trumbo his due credit.

15. Vanessa Marquez

Birthdate: Dec. 21, 1968

Years active in Hollywood: 1988-2006

Year blacklisted: 1997

Why Vanessa Marquez Was Blacklisted

The “Stand and Deliver” actress had a recurring role on “ER” for three seasons until being dismissed from the medical drama. Marquez later claimed that several key actors, including one George Clooney, sexually harassed her on the “ER” set and said she was fired upon complaining.

Years later, Clooney, though seemingly sympathetic, dismissed accusations he had Marquez removed from the show and blacklisted in the industry. Sadly, Marquez, who stuck to her story, was plagued by mental illness throughout her life and died in a confrontation with police in 2018.

14. Elizabeth Berkley

Birthdate: July 28, 1972

Years active in Hollywood: 1986-present

Year blacklisted: 1995

Why Elizabeth Berkley Was Blacklisted

One word: “Showgirls.” Yep, as in the infamous flesh-fest that hit theaters with a giant thud in the fall of 1995. Elizabeth Berkley, who up until then was known for her work on “Saved by the Bell,” went all-in — and all-off — for the role of Nomi, an aspiring Vegas dancer who spends a generous portion of the runtime wearing rather little.

The film became a punchline, and Berkley said its failure undermined her ability to get major roles thereafter. However, a “Bell” reunion a few years ago proves the public has a short memory. 

13. Tara Subkoff

Birthdate: Dec. 10, 1972

Years active in Hollywood: 1994-2021

Year blacklisted: Approximately 2001

Why Tara Subkoff Was Blacklisted

Tara Subkoff might have been Hollywood’s next it-girl, what with promising roles in “The Last Days of Disco” and “As Good as It Gets.” But then, according to Subkoff, she was approached by Harvey Weinstein, who pressured her with sexual overtones.

She rejected the advances and claimed that Weinstein, wielding his incredible influence, had her blackballed all over town. Subkoff even left the entertainment industry for a while to pursue other interests. 

12. Stacey Dash

Birthdate: Jan. 20, 1967

Years active in Hollywood: 1982-present

Year blacklisted: 2016

Why Stacey Dash Was Blacklisted

Stacey Dash had a supporting role in the teen rom-com “Clueless” in 1995, and things appeared to look promising. Then came her notorious moment at the Oscars, where she and Chris Rock (can he catch a break?) had a strange verbal back and forth, with Dash taking umbrage that she might not be “Black enough.”

Dash doesn’t owe anyone an apology for either her skin tone or her conservative beliefs, but when she spoke publicly in 2016 against having Black History Month, the entertainment industry turned its back on her. 

11. Charlie Sheen

Birthdate: Sept. 3, 1965

Years active in Hollywood: 1984-present

Year blacklisted: 2011

Why Charlie Sheen Was Blacklisted

Charlie Sheen sure had a good time running with his bad-boy image, dating and marrying such high-profile stars as Denise Richards, and being no stranger to drugs, rehab and run-ins with the police. But then came his little rant at “Two and a Half Men” costar Jon Cryer, which got Sheen axed from the successful sitcom.

Asked not long after the outburst if he was bipolar, Sheen claimed he was “bi-winning,” which didn’t exactly make casting directors anxious to call. Perhaps trying to get past the unpleasantness, Sheen even acted under his birth name, Carlos Estevez, in 2013’s “Machete Kills.” 

10. Ashley Judd

Birthdate: April 19, 1968

Years active in Hollywood: 1991-present

Year blacklisted: Approximately 1999

Why Ashley Judd Was Blacklisted

Ashley Judd was on a serious late-’90s roll of many roles, with such hits as “Kiss the Girls,” “Double Jeopardy” and “A Time to Kill” to her credit. Then, she ran into Harvey Weinstein, who suggested the actress and he get to know one another in a most intimate way.

Judd rebuffed the creep, and Weinstein’s revenge was to insist that Peter Jackson positively not cast her in his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Fortunately, Judd wound up on the right side of that ugly saga and has enjoyed more acting jobs in the years following heavy Harvey’s blacklisting.

9. Rose McGowan

Birthdate: Sept. 5, 1973

Years active in Hollywood: 1990-present

Year blacklisted: Approximately 1999

Why Rose McGowan Was Blacklisted

Rose McGowan’s star was on the rise thanks to “Scream” and her co-starring appearance on the WB show “Charmed,” alongside Alyssa Milano. Right about then, McGowan says that Harvey Weinstein not only raped her but made it hard for her to continue acting thereafter.

“Desperado” filmmaker Robert Rodriguez cast her anyway in his half of the double feature “Grindhouse,” which was produced by none other than Weinstein. Furious at Rodriguez, the Weinstein machine gave “Grindhouse” almost zero backing, and the film tanked at the box office.  

8. Brendan Fraser

Birthdate: Dec. 3, 1968

Years active in Hollywood: 1991-present

Year blacklisted: 2018

Why Brendan Fraser Was Blacklisted

Sexual assault is a problem for women as well as men in Hollywood. Just ask “Encino Man” star Brendan Fraser, who claimed in 2018 that at a public event he went to shake the hand of Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) President Phillip Berk — but instead Berk grabbed Fraser’s behind.

Fraser at first slunk away from the spotlight, but then bravely and publicly excoriated Berk for the indecency. However, not long after that, Fraser claims the work phone stopped ringing. We'll see if his recent role in "The Whale" really does resurrect his career or not.

7. Sondra Locke

Birthdate: May 28, 1944

Years active in Hollywood: 1968-1986; 2000, 2017

Year blacklisted: Circa 1987-1989

Why Sondra Locke Was Blacklisted

Sometimes, even the best-meaning celebrity relationships can be tempestuous. Actress Sonda Locke shacked up with Dirty Harry himself, Clint Eastwood, for some 15 years, during which the unmarried pair had several children together. The story goes that by the late-’80s, fed up with Eastwood’s constant philandering, Locke abandoned the relationship — and the acting roles promptly abandoned her.

An ugly court battle ensued between the former lovers, and although Locke eventually got more acting work, her career never fully recovered. 

6. Mira Sorvino

Birthdate: Sept. 28, 1967

Years active in Hollywood: 1992-present

Year blacklisted: Circa 1997-1999

Why Mira Sorvino Was Blacklisted

Here's yet another amazingly talented actress sidelined by Harvey Weinstein and his vendettas. Along with Ashley Judd — who, incidentally, co-starred with Sorvino in the 1996 flick “Norma Jean and Marilyn” — the Oscar-winning Sorvino recalled to the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow that she rejected Weinstein’s frequent sexual overtures.

And, just like Judd, Weinstein then successfully dissuaded Peter Jackson from casting her in his three-part Middle-earth epic. The stain of Weinstein seems to have worn off, with Sorvino due to appear in four projects this year alone.

5. Tippi Hedren

Birthdate: Jan. 19, 1930

Years active in Hollywood: 1963-1976; 1981-2018

Year blacklisted: Approximately 1964

Why Tippi Hedren Was Blacklisted

Tippi Hedren had never starred in a movie when the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, tapped her for the lead role in his 1963 scarefest “The Birds” and 1964’s “Marnie.” In Hedren’s telling, Hitchcock wanted his leading lady to do more than just act, but she said no to such suggestions.

Hedren was under contract to the studio, but Hitchcock, supposedly angry at her refusal to sleep with him, made sure she didn’t get any leading roles for a while — basically paying her not to work. Hedren said this essentially ruined her career as a leading lady.

4. Isaiah Washington

Birthdate: Aug. 3, 1963

Years active in Hollywood: 1991-present

Year blacklisted: 2007

Why Isaiah Washington Was Blacklisted

Apparently, Isaiah Washington, who was enjoying a rather decent long-term role on “Grey’s Anatomy,” went to the same school of not keeping yer trap shut as Roseanne Barr. During the 2007 Golden Globe Awards, Washington was heard to utter some rather choice homophobic words, which put a do-not-resuscitate on his contract for the medical drama.

Washington has had many roles since then, but in his own words, “They killed the actor (in me) on June 7, 2007.”

3. Thora Birch

Birthdate: March 11, 1982

Years active in Hollywood: 1988-present

Year blacklisted: 2010

Why Thora Birch Was Blacklisted

Let’s get out of the way that the adjective “difficult” is often applied to Hollywood actresses as a “polite” alternative to another word that begins with a “B.” It’s also unfair that women in Hollywood are more often labeled this way, but sexism knows no bounds.

Alas, “American Beauty” actress Thora Birch was hit with the “difficult” label in 2010 when she was summarily fired from a Broadway run of "Dracula" — allegedly after her father/manager threatened another actor in the play. Whoever’s fault it was, Birch has had intermittent acting work since. 

2. Jim Caviezel

Birthdate: Sept. 26, 1968

Years active in Hollywood: 1991-present

Year blacklisted: 2004

Why Jim Caviezel Was Blacklisted

Earlier we mentioned Mel Gibson, the director of the massive hit “The Passion of the Christ,” which starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus. Even though the movie was a worldwide success, things didn’t work out so well for its star.

Not long after the film came out, Caviezel claimed no one would take his calls, and he didn’t work in Hollywood for several years thereafter. But fear not, as Caviezel is due to reprise his saintly role in Gibson’s long-delayed “The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.” 

1. Katherine Heigl

Birthdate: Nov. 24, 1978

Years active in Hollywood: 1992-present

Year blacklisted: Approximately 2008

Why Katherine Heigl Was Blacklisted

They say that Hollywood is a very big small town, meaning word travels fast as to whom you don’t want to work with. Katherine Heigl claims this happened to her in 2008 when rumors swirled that her role on “Grey’s Anatomy” was drastically reduced due to her being “difficult” on the set (there’s that word again).

Whatever the cause, the fracas took a toll on Heigl’s mental health once creative folks around Hollywood refused to work with her. She appears to have bounced back, however, with her latest Netflix series, "Firefly Lane."