Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates immediately went into acting after she decided to move on from modeling and made her debut as an actress in May 1981 in the film Paradise. The movie had the same plot as The Blue Lagoon, and the former model, now turned actress, portrayed a number of nude scenes in it, even though she was still a minor (17 years old). Phoebe also had a talent for singing and was the voice behind the main theme song of Paradise.
Eventually, in 1982, Phoebe Cates was cast in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which Rolling Stone magazine called “the most memorable bikini-drop in cinema history.” That one scene alone was more than enough to turn an entire generation of young male moviegoers into actual fans. The actress also made an appearance in a couple of Gremlins films. Sadly, Cates became somewhat of a movie wallflower and eventually decided to retire from acting.
Chad Michael Murray
In 2003, Chad Michael Murray landed the lead role of Lucas Scott in the hit WB TV series, 'One Tree Hill.' The series was the network’s most popular and highest-rated series in its broadcasting history. For his role in One Tree Hill, Chad Michael Murray managed to collect plenty of accolades and even created a book series.
The American actor also secured a number of notable deals, like an endorsement contract for MasterCard, KMart, Cingular Wireless, and the Chevy Cobalt. However, Murray failed to take full advantage of his popularity to elevate his celebrity status. As happens with all teen idols, Chad Michael Murray and his fan base aged, the young fans lost interest, and CMM faded from the spotlight.
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning became an established Hollywood star when she was seven years old, after playing the role of Lucy Dawson in 'I am Sam'. For her performance, the young actress was awarded a SAG award nomination at just 8 years old, making her the youngest nominee in history. She also starred in numerous other films, like 'Uptown Girls', 'Man on Fire', and 'War of the Worlds'.
Dakota Fanning is a true prodigy who shone at an age when most of us were still sitting in school learning how to read and write. However, transitioning your career towards more mature roles can be quite challenging, as made apparent in her subpar performance as Cherie Currie in The Runaways. The verdict is still out on whether the general audience will continue to portray more mature roles, but her acting in The Alienist wasn’t all that promising.
Emile Hirsch
Emile Hirsch's first film appearance was in 2002, in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, which he followed up with The Emperor’s Club in the same year. Two years later, he appeared in hits like The Girl Next Door, Imaginary Heroes, Lords of Dogtown, and Alpha Dog. In 2007, Emile Hirsch made a breakout performance in Into the Wild. The role garnered him a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Actor.
With Into the Wild, Hirsch became an instant hit and somewhat of a hipster icon in Hollywood. Following his success in Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch landed the main role in Lilly and Lana Wachowski's Speed Racer, which premiered in movie theaters on May 9, 2008. His performance in the movie, though, failed to catapult his career to the next stage and after that, the American actor settled for minor roles in lower-profile projects.
Eric Bana
Before Hollywood, Ozzie-born Eric Bana starred in the Australian sketch comedy series Full Frontal. He started attracting Hollywood interest after his part in the war film Black Hawk Down in 2001 and the lead title in Hulk in 2003. Since then, he landed prominent roles in various movies like Troy in 2004, blockbusters like Munich, in 2005, Star Trek in 2009, and Deliver Us from Evil in 2013.
Following heavy disappointments with Hulk and Troy, critics were in doubt about Eric Bana’s bankability in high-profile films. The Hulk character concept, for one, was rebooted a number of times, although Eric’s performance was not at fault. Since the two big movie busts, Bana has made memorable supporting appearances in Star Trek and Hanna, although he deserves to be a prominent leading actor.