It is shocking how some faces used to be impossible to shake. They appeared on every poster of every movie, every music video countdown, and every cover of every teen magazine. Fast forward to the present, and some of those very same celebrities have vanished into oblivion without anyone appearing to care, leaving fans to wonder, “Wait where did they go?”
The early 2000s were the prime of pop culture teen romance comedies ruled the box office, pop-punk trashed every car stereo, and television dramas made their leads overnight stars overnight. But all fame burns out eventually, and for a few of these then-forgotten now-famous stars, the lights in the spotlight were turned out as suddenly as they flared on. Perhaps they pursued a new career, fought industry exhaustion, or simply opted for a less frantic life, but in either case, their tales are half wonder and half wistfulness. Below is a glimpse of nine stars who arrived to command the 2000s, departed sometimes irretrievably, sometimes long enough to leave us crying out for their return.
1. Chris Klein’s Quiet Charm
Chris Klein was the all-American boy-next-door poster boy for teen movies of the late-’90s and early-2000s due to his stint in American Pie . His Abercrombie & Fitch hair and actually mussed locks turned him into a poster on dorm room walls. Though still working most recently as a guest on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias he is no longer the omnipresent face of raunchy humor. Rather, Klein has opted for a less prominent career trajectory, appearing in a single film instead of seeking constant advancement.
2. Rachael Leigh Cook’s Quietest Return
From *She’s All That to Josie and the Pussycats, Rachael Leigh Cook was the visage of teen films from the late ’90s and early 2000s. She disappeared after decades, but returned in 2021 for a nostalgia-fueled cameo in Netflix’s He’s All That . It was an act of recognition to the audience who watched her grow up on screen, an insistence that she still possesses that contained on-screen personality just without the ubiquitously present sheen.
3. Christopher Mintz-Plasse Voiceover Shift
McLovin was a cultural phenomenon the day Superbad hit theaters, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s offbeat role wouldn’t be forgotten anytime soon. Though he has appeared in other movies, voiceovers are where he has carved out a niche, bringing his talents to animated series such as Trolls Band Together and How to Train Your Dragon. Now, his audience is more likely to hear him than see him, a trend that’s kept him busy without the horror shows of on-camera fame.
4. Carmen Electra and the death of Spoof Cinema
Carmen Electra was a fixture of parodistic movies such as Scary Movie and Disaster Movie, but when the parody comedies went out of style, so did her starring roles that made her a ubiquitous presence at the box office. Despite still being active in show business, her projects have departed from the big-budget fare of the early 2000s, a decade closing out for campy, campy comedy enthusiasts.
5. Sisqó’s One-Song Legacy
Sisqó’s platinum afro and high-energy stage show turned the “Thong Song” into a cultural phenomenon. But as music trends changed, he was out of the mainstream. Aside from a charming cameo where he sings his signature hit on Legends of Tomorrow, he’s otherwise managed to stay out of the spotlight, leaving behind only one iconic song as his lasting legacy.
6. Eliza Dushku’s Vanishing Act
With her dark women on Bring It On, Dollhouse, and Tru Calling, Eliza Dushku was ubiquitous for a brief moment. She only stepped away from acting to hang with her family and spend time on volunteer work. Her hiatus has had fans of her television shows waiting for the dark, scene-stealing ladies she played to return.
7. Patrick Fugit’s Indie Fade
Patrick Fugit became an overnight sensation as the male star of *Almost Famous*, solidifying his status as an indie darling with roles in Saved! and Wristcutters: A Love Story. His co-stars, like Paul Dano, have remained in the limelight, but Fugit’s track record has been less flashy, with fewer moment-of-a-lifetime highlights, so early work is even more precious to the fans.
8. Julia Stiles’ Waiting Game
With 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance , Julia Stiles dominated teen movieland. She even appeared for a season of Dexter. Her turns have, however, been rare in the intervening years, fueling hopes of an official Stiles renaissance. Meanwhile, she’s a favorite whose best performances continue to reign supreme on retro cinema nights.
9. Jon Heder’s Cult Classic Curse
Jon Heder’s performance as Napoleon Dynamite was lightning in a bottle an offbeat indie phenom turned pop culture reference point. Although he reprised the character occasionally for spin-off purposes, his own career has failed to match that franchise momentum. The film’s ubiquity keeps him in public mind even as his on-screen work is sporadic and scattershot.
The early 2000s gave us a generation of unstoppable icons, each of whom occupies a singular niche in the pop culture history books. Some have taken less glamorous routes and others simply drifted away from the mainstream, but they all leave their mark behind in the films, the records, and the moments that encapsulated an era. And who knows? In a time of reboots and nostalgia-fueled re-re-emergences, one of them will reappear when we least expect it.
