9 Actors Whose Big Break Movies Almost Ruined Their Careers

3. Emile Hirsch - Speed Racer

By the time Emile Hirsch came to star in Speed Racer, he was already a fairly recognisable face thanks to the likes of Alpha Dog and Into The Wild, but nothing he'd released was on the same sort of prestigious level as the Wachowskis' imaginative epic sci-fi.

Sadly, the film was more like the Matrix sequels than The Matrix and was critically mauled, taking just $90m from a $120m budget. It should have been one of 2008's biggest blockbusters, but it sunk badly and took the reputations of the directors and stars with it.

Did He Survive It?

Though he had fairly big projects in Milk, Taking Woodstock and Killer Joe, Hirsch's work was on a downturn from Speed Racer onwards and he's made very little of note since 2012. At least he's still getting work though.