9 Forgotten Movie Actresses From The 90s
Published on June 3, 2014. Updated April 4, 2017Many popular actresses from the ‘90s seemed like they were headed for mainstream success. They had the beauty, talent and tenacity to get to the top, yet they somehow slipped from the spotlight. Some of the actresses on our list are still around; however, they’ve never been able to reach the same level of fame they had in the 90s. We decided to find out what some of these actresses have been up in recent years – here is a list of 9 forgotten movie actresses!
9. Leelee Sobieski
Leelee Sobieski seemed to be headed for mainstream success when she landed one of the lead roles in “Deep Impact;” however, after her role on the TV movie “Joan of Arc” – for which she received an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination – she has more or less disappeared. While Sobieski continues to act, she appears only in independent films. She was in the news recently because she is currently expecting her second child with fashion designer Adam Kimmel.
Miro Vrlik Photography / Shutterstock.com8. Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles gained prominence when she starred in “10 Things I Hate About You,” a modern film adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” She seemed to be headed for mainstream success when she starred in “Save the Last Dance” and “Mona Lisa Smile.” While she continues to act in films, her biggest role in recent history was in “Silver Linings Playbook” but she didn’t land the lead spot. Julia also secured a role on the television show “Dexter,” for which she earned a Primeime Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for her performance but didn’t manage to score a win.
DFree / Shutterstock.com7. Bridget Fonda
Bridget Fonda was born into show business. Her grandfather was Henry Fonda; her father was Peter Fonda; and her aunt is Jane Fonda. During the ‘90s, she starred in a number of high profile films, including “The Godfather Part III,” “Single White Female” and “Point of No Return.” After 2002, however, she hasn’t appeared in any films. Bridget reportedly walked away from her film career to start a family with movie soundtrack composer, Danny Elfman.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com6. Anna Chlumsky
Anna Chlumsky entered the world of show business when she was pretty young. She rose to fame before she was a teenager with her role in “My Girl.” In the ‘90s, it seemed like she was headed for big things; however, in 1999, she left the acting world to go to study at the University of Chicago. After college, she worked as a fact-checker for the Zagat Survey and as an editorial assistant for HarperCollins. Chlumsky has since re-joined the world of show biz. She currently has a starring role alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus on “Veep.”
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com5. Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook made a name for herself when she starred in “She’s All That,” a romantic comedy adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion.” While she has continued to work steadily over the years, she has stayed away from mainstream films, focusing on independent ones instead. Cook recently made the news when she and her husband Daniel Gillies had their first child, daughter Charlotte Easton Gillies.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com4. Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder was one of the biggest up and coming actresses in the ‘90s. She had roles in a number of critically acclaimed films, including “The Age of Innocence,” “Little Women,” “Reality Bites” and “Girl Interrupted;” however, after being charged with shoplifting, she more or less disappeared. While she has started to make a comeback with roles in “Black Swan,” “The Dilemma” and “The Iceman,” she doesn’t get the amount of work she once did and will never be considered one of the best actresses of her time.
Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com3. Rebecca Gayheart
In the ‘90s, Rebecca Gayheart was an up and coming actresses. She had roles in a number of films, including “Scream 2,” “Urban Legend” and “Jawbreaker.” Even though she seemed to be in demand, her career never ended up taking off. The last time Gayheart made headlines was back in 2009 when a video featuring her, her husband Eric Dane and former Miss Teen USA contestant Kari Ann Peniche hanging out naked was leaked.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com2. Alicia Silverstone
When Alicia Silverstone starred in the sleeper hit “Clueless” – a film loosely based on Jane Austen’s novel “Emma” – she was a big deal. She earned a multi-million dollar deal with Columbia – valued between $8 to $10 million – which gave her a three-year first look deal for her own production company, First Kiss Productions; however, her film career never really took off. Silverstone recently wrote a controversial book aimed at mothers to be called “The Kind Mama.”
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com1. Thora Birch
Thora Birch landed one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood back in 1999 in the Academy Award-winning film “American Beauty.” While her performance was well received by both critics and audiences, her career – which was expected to take off – never did. After “Ghost World,” she all but disappeared. Birch has continued to act in independent films over the years; however, things haven’t always been rosy. She was set to make her stage debut in the off Broadway revival of “Dracula,” but was fired when her father/manager physically threatened one of the show’s cast members.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com