Show business is a great place for creative people from different backgrounds to showcase different perspectives. Or, is it? We think that the creative professions will attract the most open-minded people on earth who are open to diversity of thought and different viewpoints. But, this isn’t always the case and there are many cases of celebrities who can’t find work after speaking their mind!
We have to remember that show business is a business like any other. It has a group of people who wish to control a narrative and fight against those who think and speak differently.
This is what has happened to many celebrities including established stars who once seemed untouchable…
Join FactsVerse to learn about the celebrities who can’t find work after speaking their mind…
KIRK CAMERON
Kirk Cameron began his career during his childhood and appeared in many television movies. But he was best known for his role as Mike Seaver in the show Growing Pains. His role was a hit and he continued to appear mostly in television with the occasional film role.
His career has continued during his adulthood but not to the same extent as it did when he was a child. His latest credit is a role in the 2022 feature film Lifemark. This film is a Christian drama film and it ties into the reason why we don’t see as much of Kirk Cameron.
As a Christian, Kirk Cameron isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He was an atheist for many years but became a Born-Again Christian in his late teens. After his conversion, he wanted to remove adult content from future episodes of Growing Pains.
He founded an Evangelic Ministry and even went around college campuses distributing altered versions of On The Origin of Species – in an effort to push Creationism. He’s also stated that he finds homosexuality unnatural and harmful to civilization. He also criticized some of the measures taken in the past two years regarding the global pandemic.
This has caused him to be ostracized and we don’t see him getting regular roles in film and television. He’s had to focus mainly on independent work and much of it is focused on his faith. But he also is actively involved in promoting his faith so he’s kept busy…
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ROSEANNE BARR
Without a doubt, Roseanne Barr has been one of the undisputed queens of television and she has opened up many opportunities for women in show business. She began her career as a stand-up comedian and later became an actress. She is best known for her self-titled sitcom which became a huge hit and had a revival in 2018. She even was a talk show host and film actress. In fact, she was even once a presidential candidate!
During the 2016 presidential election, Roseanne Barr made it clear that she supported Donald Trump and felt he was the best choice to become President. This didn’t sit well with the mostly-liberal entertainment industry who had spent a lot of time trying to discredit Donald Trump.
The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, came 2 years later when Roseanne wrote a tweet criticizing Valarie Jarret, who was President Obama’s former advisor. The tweet stated that Ms. Jarret looked like a monkey and this was interpreted as racist. Her new show was cancelled and we haven’t seen much of Roseanne since.
This is a reminder that your opinions, if considered wrong can sway public opinion against you. And one tweet that’s considered offensive can halt your career. The 2018 revival of Roseanne’s show has been her last credit since.
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TIPPI HEDREN
Tippi Hedren is perhaps one of the most underrated actresses of her generation and arguably her best work was with director Alfred Hitchcock. She gave performances in 2 of his best films, Marnie and The Birds. To this day, these are considered classics and one can look back and wonder why she didn’t act in even more of his films.
Nothing has been confirmed so we don’t wish to speculate, but Tippi Hedren alleges that Hitchcock made certain advances to her that made her uncomfortable. The two never worked together again.
Her career, luckily didn’t end – per se. But after speaking her mind she didn’t receive the same quality of work and this is perhaps why she wasn’t regarded as highly as her contemporaries.
This is something that affects actors and actresses today but also both sides must be considered. Many stars have alleged that they don’t receive work because they were harassed and they’ve spoken out against it. But without concrete proof, their speaking out can also hurt someone else’s career.
This makes us wonder how many celebrities didn’t initially speak out against Harvey Weinstein because they feared losing their careers. It also makes us wonder what else we may never hear about because of such fears. This is a tricky situation which we haven’t yet figured out…
Tippi Hedren’s final role was in the feature film The Ghost and the Whale which was released in 2017 when she was 87 years old. She’s in her 90s now and lives a quieter life but also is involved in charitable works and even had a role in helping create Vietnamese-American nail salons! She somehow managed to persist.
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JAMES WOODS
James Woods is one of the most talented actors that America has produced and he has given us one great performance after another. Whether it was his role in the miniseries Holocaust or his work with Oliver Stone in films such as Salvador, Nixon, and Any Given Sunday, his work with Martin Scorsese in Casino, his voice acting as Hades in Hercules – you get the picture. His filmography is one of the most impressive in the industry and it’s a pleasure to watch him on screen.
And yet, we hardly see him today except for a few small roles in TV shows here and there and the occasional cameo. His last major role was in the 2014 feature film Jamesy Boy.
So what happened?
James Woods, like some of the other stars on this list, has held political views that have upset many of his colleagues. He’s supported many conservative politicians and has spoken out against political correctness. He once stated that he wanted to make a film about the hysteria surrounding the Tawanna Brawley case which would expose lies and discuss race relations in America – no doubt a story that many would rather not be seen.
He also has criticized George Soros and has also criticized Democratic politicians after leaving the party many years earlier. He’s stated that the backlash against conservatives in Hollywood is a serious issue and he is seen as one of its biggest victims.
The case of James Woods is perhaps the most discussed example on this list. He is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation so to not see him anymore is a big shock to many film lovers. But while he doesn’t receive as much work it seems he does maintain some good relations within the industry – so time will tell whether we’ll see him make his much-awaited comeback.
ANTONIO SABATO JR.
Of course, if you speak your mind it can destroy a career that was showing a lot of promise. It’s likely that you may not remember the name Antonio Sabato Jr. Many of us were only reminded of him a couple years ago when commentator Larry Elder brought up how conservatives weren’t welcome in show business – and that Mr. Sabato was one of its victims.
Antonio Sabato Jr. emigrated to the United States from Italy and truly fell in love with the country, feeling that it was the land of opportunity where he would be able to achieve his dreams. He dreamt of becoming an actor and began his career mostly in soap operas such as General Hospital. His great acting and his charming good looks made him a big TV star and his career was going from strength to strength.
But in 2016, like a handful of other celebrities he spoke his mind and stated that he supported Donald Trump. But this was just one of the things that caused issues. He also stated that he didn’t believe that President Obama was a Christian and believed that he was a Muslim.
He stated that making these statements made it harder to find work and looking at his filmography, he certainly wasn’t as prolific since he made those comments. He apparently had to focus on other business ventures in addition to acting.
However, all was not lost. He made a few appearances in independent films since 2019 and has also decided to try his hand behind the camera. In 2022, he wrote and directed a feature film called Trail Blazers. He also had a small role in the film. He also has a few upcoming projects.
But not everyone is as lucky and many other aspiring actors and established stars can’t find work after speaking their mind. It seems that for most stars, it’s better to keep quiet or to tow the party line if they wish to keep their careers.
Are you a fan of any of these great actors? They are some of the most talented of their generation and it’s truly sad that we can’t see them more often due to what they said.
Now, here’s what we’d like to hear from you:
Do you think that Hollywood is increasingly become hostile to different views?
Or do you think that there should be two film industries, each expressing different perspectives and catering to their echo chambers?
