10 Famous Actors Who Destroyed Their Own Legacy

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It takes a lifetime to build a legacy… and just one mistake to destroy it. Welcome to WatchMojo! In this video, we’re counting down 10 actors who tarnished their reputations and careers, whether through personal controversy, bad choices, or shocking public behavior.  Our list includes big names like Steven Seagal, Roseanne Barr, Mel Gibson, and more—stars who were once celebrated but saw their legacies collapse in the public eye.  🎭 Which actor do you think ruined their legacy the most? Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments—and be sure to follow for more Hollywood deep dives, celebrity controversies, and pop culture countdowns.

Transcript

00:00I was just like blackballed and, you know, just totally cancelled.

00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 10 Actors Who Ruin Their Legacy.

00:11For this list, we're focusing on actors who had, at one time, built an extremely long, successful, and beloved career

00:17before irredeemably marring all of that with controversy.

00:20They aren't always completely out of work today, but their reputations are damaged to the point of being lost.

00:25As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show,

00:30and then there was an investigation.

00:34Steven Seagal

00:34The no-nonsense action movie genre found something of a blockbuster home in the 1990s,

00:39and back then, Steven Seagal was establishing himself as one of its leading faces.

00:44I'm thrilled to death to hear that, yeah.

00:46But it leaves a lot of open territory.

00:48But, while he might have gone down his cinema history as one of the greats,

00:51he instead has a long and disturbing list of sexual assault and harassment lawsuits to his name,

00:56spanning from the early 90s to the present day.

00:59This time, the accusation's coming against actor Steven Seagal.

01:02Women have come forward with their stories of his alleged sexual misconduct over the past few months,

01:09but one woman, our guest, says Seagal went much further than just harassment.

01:14He also regularly makes the news for his long-term friendship with,

01:17and admiration for, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

01:20In 2016, he obtained Russian citizenship,

01:23and in 2018, he was made special envoy to the U.S. by Putin.

01:28All of which means that Seagal is now a far cry from his film career,

01:32and any legacy he might have had has long since disappeared.

01:35And I wonder how you deal with all that.

01:40Hello, Steven Seagal.

01:41Take the microphone off you.

01:42Yeah.

01:44Steven Seagal there, and of course, although he didn't respond there,

01:47he has said previously he denies any allegations that have been made against him.

01:51Charlie Sheen.

01:52In the 80s and 90s, Charlie Sheen was prime lead actor material.

01:57The son of Martin Sheen, he scored key roles in a string of successful pictures,

02:01including Platoon and Wall Street.

02:03I just want to let you know, Mr. Gecko, that I've read all about you at NYU Business,

02:06and I think you're an incredible genius.

02:09I've always dreamed of one thing, and that's to do business with a man like you.

02:13In the 21st century, he was known for two and a half men,

02:16but then came a series of high-profile scandals,

02:18including allegations of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

02:22Sheen publicly disclosed that he was HIV positive in 2015,

02:25but controversy erupted following multiple reports

02:28that he hadn't revealed his condition to previous partners.

02:30I'm here to admit that I am, in fact, HIV positive,

02:34and I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks.

02:45Perhaps Sheen's most infamous episode came in 2011, however,

02:48with his headline grabbing tiger blood and winning interview.

02:51Because I'm me, I'm different.

02:52I just have a different constitution.

02:54I have a different brain.

02:54I have a different heart.

02:55I have a different, you know, I get tiger blood, man.

02:57In the years since, the actor has made attempts at a comeback,

03:00but he's now inescapably been tarred as a kind of cautionary tale of fame and excess.

03:05John Travolta.

03:07Not everyone can claim to have once been the epitome of cool,

03:10but this guy definitely can.

03:12From his breakout role as the T-bird Danny Zuko in Grease

03:15to a definitive outing as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction,

03:18Travolta probably should be an unrivaled legend by now.

03:20Pretty smart.

03:22Yeah, I got my moments.

03:23In between those two movies, however, the 80s were a rough time for his career.

03:28And for the most part, ever since Pulp Fiction, it's also been dicey.

03:33Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go home and have a heart test.

03:36Travolta's unwavering dedication to Scientology has always been controversial

03:40and has potentially alienated him from fans.

03:43Again, though, it's an on-screen regression that's probably done the most damage.

03:47Battlefield Earth is regularly described as one of the worst movies of all time,

03:50and Travolta headed the bill.

03:53I'll be damned.

03:54It's a film that's heavily tied to Scientology as well,

03:57given that it's an adaptation of a novel written by the movement's founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

04:02Roseanne Barr.

04:03As the title star of a hugely successful sitcom running from the late 80s to the late 90s,

04:08Roseanne Barr was seen by many as the voice of a generation.

04:11You better take a long, hard look at yourself, Roseanne.

04:15Because if you are this obsessed with my life, there is obviously something missing from yours.

04:22Just figure that out.

04:25Her character was one that the whole family could get behind.

04:28And when Roseanne was rebooted in 2018, she looked set to capture a whole new audience.

04:33However, with one tweet, she lost it all.

04:35With that single inflammatory tweet, Roseanne's rising star imploded today.

04:41A hugely controversial post led to her freshly returned show being axed within hours.

04:46And despite attempts to apologize, Barr couldn't regain her following or reputation.

04:50So much so that today, despite a decades-long career, she's most famous for those words on social media.

04:56I never got to have my say or to explain what happened or even to apologize for the mistake I made to set it straight.

05:06Robert Blake.

05:07In terms of longevity before scandal, few can rival Robert Blake.

05:11He came to fame as a prolific child actor, most notably as one of MGM's Little Rascals in the early 1940s.

05:17I've got to hurry, Mom.

05:19Thank you for the special meeting at the gang's clubhouse.

05:23And I don't want to be late.

05:24As an adult, he became known for intense performances in films like In Cold Blood and in the TV series Beretta.

05:35However, his personal life took an incredibly dark turn in 2001, when his wife was found murdered,

05:41fatally shot while sitting in Blake's car, just outside of a restaurant at which they had dined.

05:45And that's when the Robert Blake murder case happens.

05:48The wife of actor Robert Blake was killed Friday as she sat in the couple's car.

05:54Blake was the prime suspect in the case, which developed into a multi-layered conspiracy as his trial captivated the nation.

06:00Although he was acquitted of criminal charges, the cloud of suspicion never fully lifted.

06:04A civil case followed, and in 2005, Blake was found liable for his wife's wrongful death in order to pay $30 million.

06:11That's what Hollywood is about.

06:13That's what high-end stuff is about.

06:17That's why millionaires never get arrested for anything.

06:21Millionaires don't commit crimes.

06:24Things happen.

06:25Ellen DeGeneres.

06:26While DeGeneres is best known as an, at one time, major draw for daytime television,

06:31she made her name as a pioneering sitcom actor.

06:33Ellen, are you coming out or not?

06:38Yeah, Ellen, quit jerking us around and come out already!

06:41What?

06:43What is the big deal? I've got a whole hour.

06:47Over the years, she became an LGBTQ plus icon.

06:51She's long been a campaigner for animal rights, and in general,

06:54she had a reputation for being one of the nicest people around.

06:57But the higher they are, the further they fall.

06:59And when allegations emerged that she had created a supremely toxic work environment on her show,

07:04well, it shattered her carefully crafted image.

07:07The biggest common thread that everyone told me is that what goes on behind the scenes

07:12is a far cry from what the show represents in their be-kind messaging.

07:19Former employees came forward with accounts of bullying, intimidation,

07:23and claims that all Ellen was really responsible for was a culture of fear.

07:27It drastically contradicted DeGeneres' on-screen persona,

07:30leaving many fans feeling betrayed, and her brand totally in tatters.

07:34Let me give you some advice out there.

07:35If anybody's thinking of changing their title or giving yourself a nickname,

07:38do not go with the be-kind lady.

07:41Don't do it.

07:42Mel Gibson

07:43Mel Gibson was once a Hollywood heavyweight,

07:46a charismatic leading man, and an acclaimed director.

07:55For studios at one stage, he was about as bankable as it was possible to be.

08:00But that all feels a very long time ago.

08:02In more recent years and decades,

08:04a string of public outbursts has exposed a darker side to the actor.

08:07Are those anti-Semitic words?

08:09Oh, yeah.

08:10Yeah.

08:11Absolutely.

08:12Sounds horrible.

08:13And I'm ashamed of that.

08:15That came out of my mouth.

08:16And I'm not that.

08:17That's not who I am, you know.

08:18Anti-Semitic remarks made during an arrest for a DUI,

08:22racist tirades,

08:23and domestic abuse allegations have turned Gibson, instead,

08:26into one of Hollywood's most divisive and controversial figures.

08:29He has mustered something of a comeback,

08:31most notably getting critical recognition as a director

08:33of the 2016 war film Hacksaw Ridge.

08:36But there's no doubt

08:37that his off-screen actions have overshadowed his achievements.

08:40So I think it's a story worth telling you.

08:41If you're going to spend 18 months on something,

08:43it better be worthwhile.

08:45Kevin Spacey.

08:46As a double Oscar winner,

08:47Kevin Spacey was hailed as a chameleon-like performer

08:50and an undoubted member of A-list acting royalty.

08:56With his name on the bill,

08:57a movie stood an extremely good chance of doing well,

09:00and his skill in playing deeply unsettling characters in particular

09:03was highly revered.

09:05Spacey's career came crashing down, though,

09:07when multiple allegations of sexual assault

09:09and misconduct surfaced in 2017.

09:11One of Hollywood's best-known actors, Kevin Spacey,

09:14the latest high-profile star, caught up in allegations.

09:17The accusations spanned decades,

09:19with many involving young actors and colleagues,

09:21all of which painted a disturbing picture of abuse of power.

09:24Many of the cases against Spacey are ongoing,

09:26but his name is now synonymous

09:27with the film industry's dark underbelly.

09:29He's been found not guilty of all of these offenses.

09:33Kevin Spacey will see this as an opportunity to revive his career,

09:38but what played out in court was truly riveting.

09:41Woody Allen.

09:42As a writer, director, and actor,

09:44Woody Allen's is one of the longest and most decorated careers of all.

09:48Countless actors, comedians, and filmmakers

09:50also list him as one of their influences.

09:52Out of this has grown lawyers and psychologists

09:57and district attorneys and private investigators.

10:01And, I mean, I'm saying it's a multi-million dollar industry

10:04that has sprouted up over a total non-event.

10:09However, Allen's legacy became irrevocably intertwined

10:12with the sexual abuse allegations made against him

10:14in relation to his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.

10:17While never criminally charged,

10:19the claims and the ensuing custody battle with Mia Farrow

10:22cast a long shadow over his work.

10:24Some of Allen's former collaborators

10:26have distanced themselves from him over the course of time.

10:28I was just reading about this this afternoon.

10:32That's a French movie.

10:35And, yeah, it was sort of a whole piece on

10:39can you love the art if you don't respect the artist?

10:42Some of his films have been met with protests

10:44and boycotts in the past.

10:46And at best, complicated relationship with his wife,

10:49Sunyi Previn, who he met when she was a child,

10:51as she is also an adopted daughter of Mia Farrow,

10:53is another reason why Allen's legacy is tarnished.

10:56It was the relationship that quickly became tabloid fodder.

11:00Sunyi Previn, the then 21-year-old adopted daughter

11:04of actress Mia Farrow,

11:06was caught in an affair with Farrow's longtime boyfriend,

11:09Woody Allen.

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11:25Bill Cosby.

11:27He was known as America's dad in the 1980s,

11:30thanks to his beloved and acclaimed portrayal

11:32of the warm and relatable Cliff Huxtable

11:34in The Cosby Show.

11:35And it's under control.

11:37So, no problem.

11:40Right.

11:41How do you expect to get into college

11:43with grades like this?

11:44No problem.

11:45Huh?

11:45See, I'm not going to college.

11:48Damn right.

11:49But Bill Cosby's image today

11:50is at complete odds with what he once was,

11:53as it became clear, starting in 2014,

11:55that underneath his wholesome persona,

11:57there lurts a dark secret.

11:58And I felt a lot of shame.

11:59I felt a lot of guilt.

12:01I felt a lot of shoulds.

12:02I should have known

12:04there was something wrong with this man.

12:06I should have felt something was off with him.

12:10Multiple allegations of sexual assault

12:12were made against Cosby,

12:13including that he drugged his victims,

12:15with the many claims spanning

12:16almost the entirety of his career up until that point.

12:19Cosby was ultimately convicted

12:20and sent to prison for three to 10 years in 2018.

12:23That conviction was overturned in 2021,

12:25and he was released.

12:26But America's dad will never again

12:28be thought of in the same way.

12:29The Philadelphia Supreme Court

12:31threw out the conviction,

12:32saying Cosby's due process rights were violated.

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