The early 2000s were a different time in many ways, including the types of movies we’d head to the theaters to enjoy. We can stream many of the classics today, but there are plenty of ’00s movie stars that you never see anymore outside of those nostalgic rewatches.
Movie Stars from the ’00s You Never See Anymore
If you grew up in the 2000s like I did, teen movies may well have formed a large part of your identity. While some of those beloved teen movie stars went on to have long careers in Hollywood, other actors from the ’00s have faded from the spotlight. Here are 13 movie stars we haven’t heard from as much in recent years, and a bit about what they’re up to.
13. Eric Von Detton
Princess Mia may have felt invisible before Josh asked her out in The Princess Diaries, but the actor who portrayed the hot jock is the one we haven’t seen since. Von Detton starred alongside Anne Hathaway and Mandy Moore in the big screen adaptation.
Given the trajectory of those two careers, it’s a bit of a surprise to know that Von Detton had few major film roles to follow. However, Von Detton largely shifted to voice acting afterward, most notably providing the sinister speech of Sid in Toy Story.
12. Renee Zellweger
Best known for her role in Bridget Jones’s Diary, Renee Zellweger was a prominent actress in the early aughts, appearing in films like Chicago and White Oleander. But honestly, Zellweger has become ubiquitous with Bridget Jones. Who can forget her showing up to the Christmas party in that bunny costume? Iconic.
While she never fully vanished, Zellweger has since been involved in smaller projects aside from a few notable exceptions like her return to the role of Bridget in Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016.
11. Seth Green
Perhaps best known to many for his work on comedic animated shows like Robot Chicken and Family Guy, there was a time when Seth Green’s actual face graced our screens pretty often.
Following starring roles in early 2000s films like Austin Powers and Without a Paddle, however, Green has mostly returned to voice work aside from a few guest appearances.
10. Rachel Lee Cook
Rachel Lee Cook is probably best known for her role as Laney in the 1999 classic She’s All That. In the early 2000s, Cook continued to act in films like Josie and the Pussycats and My First Wedding but soon faded from mainstream notice.
For many years, Cook mostly lent her voice to video games such as Final Fantasy. Those who love a good Hallmark Christmas movie will likely notice she’s recently returned to starring roles in made-for-TV delights like Valentine in the Vineyard and Frozen in Love.
9. Freddie Prinze Jr.
How could we neglect to mention Rachel Lee Cook’s costar, Freddie Prinze Jr? This man seemed to be in all the teen rom-coms for a while, topping it off with the role of Fred in Scooby Doo.
Freddie Prinze Jr. has continued to act here and there since his 2000s heyday, but there were a good many years where you’d only recognize him by his voice in video games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Following his co-star’s lead, he recently appeared in a holiday movie called Christmas with You.
8. Carmen Electra
With her prominent role in the Scary Movie franchise and spinoffs like Date Movie and Epic Movie, Carmen Electra was a common on-screen sight in the 2000s.
Around the same time this style of parody movie fell out of favor, Carmen Electra started to appear in major film roles less often as well. These days, you’re more likely to see her in a music video or one-off TV appearance than on the silver screen.
7. Orlando Bloom
Between The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, Orlando Bloom stole many hearts in the 2000s.
His film career outside these major franchises never quite took off in the same way, leading many to feel he mostly vanished until returning as Legolas for The Hobbit movies.
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6. Tobey Maguire
Ah, our original Spider-Man. For those who consider the 2000s Spider-man films required annual viewing, it’s odd how seldom we’ve seen him since.
Following some challenges in Hollywood, Maguire became a professional poker player. He still returns to acting occasionally, mostly for projects like The Great Gatsby and, of course, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
5. Julia Stiles
Stiles was a true queen of the early 2000s teen movie, with classics like 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, and The Prince and Me under her belt.
Since then, Stiles has largely transitioned to more sporadic appearances on TV and in smaller, TV movies. This makes her easy to miss unless you, like me, watched The Mindy Project religiously.
4. Topher Grace
Another actor I haven’t thought about since Spider-Man 3 is Topher Grace, who played the photographer Eddie alongside Maguire. Grace is best known for playing Eric on That 70’s Show, which ended in 2006.
Alas, aside from his role in Spider-Man 3, Topher Grace never really made the transition from TV to film. He continues to appear in smaller projects and on TV, but he certainly doesn’t have the prominence we might have expected during the 2000s.
3. Hillary Swank
With movies like Million Dollar Baby and P.S. I Love You, Hillary Swank’s wide grin was easy to find in the early 2000s. After starring in an Amelia Earhart biopic in 2009, Swank’s acting credits slowed down for a few years.
These days, you might catch her on TV in series like Away and Alaska Daily, but she has not often returned to the big screen.
2. Frankie Muniz
Another TV personality who looked poised for a big film career in the 2000s was Frankie Muniz. While starring in Malcom in the MIddle, Muniz also starred in several movies, including Agent Cody Banks. Most notable for my personal memories of the 90s was his appearance alongside Amanda Bynes in 2002’s Big Fat Liar and in the video game-inspired horror movie Stay Alive.
Despite these early credits, Muniz somewhat vanished from the big screen in the 2010s. Aside from a few surprise TV appearances to this day, it’s easy to ask yourself, “Whatever happened to Frankie Muniz?”
1. Amanda Bynes
No one defined the early 2000s quite like Amanda Bynes. From The Amanda Show to What a Girl Wants, She’s the Man, and somehow a second successful TV show in What I Like About You, Amanda Bynes made an entire generation laugh for well over a decade.
Sadly, her last acting credit is from back in 2010 when she played Marianne in Easy A. Since then, Bynes has struggled with her mental health and has largely vanished from the spotlight unless you follow her on social media.
And those are 13 ’00s movie stars you never see anymore.
Published: Oct 31, 2024 08:01 am