10 Actors Who Had Incredible Career Revivals

She may not be as prominent as she once was, but Drew Barrymore’s 90s career revival is one for the ages.

Child actors often have far from the easiest time in the spotlight, and in no case is that truer than Barrymore’s. Skyrocketed to fame through her role in E.T. at the age of six, she worked constantly in the industry as she grew up. Her teenage persona became that of rebellion and sex appeal, and was constantly in the tabloids for underage partying and drug and alcohol abuse.

While continuing to act through her hardships, her films were mostly duds, with poor performances at the critically and at the box office. It seemed like the child stardom curse had its hold on Barrymore.

However, she cleaned up her act, and with a successful small role in Scream in 1996, she was wanting to shed her previous image and be seen in a new light. Largely thanks to her collaborations with Adam Sandler in the early 2000s and her starring role in Charlie’s Angels, Barrymore managed to work her way out of a nearly fatal lifestyle and reinvent herself for the better.