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  • 6 months ago
Sometimes, all it takes is one scene to change everything.
Welcome to WatchMojo.WORLD where we’re counting down the Top 10 actors who saved their careers with a single scene, showcasing moments that reignited their fame, earned critical praise, or completely changed how audiences saw them.

Which career-saving moment do you think was the most powerful? Let us know in the comments!
Transcript
00:00Can you get some for me?
00:03I got cash.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable scenes
00:09that single-handedly revived an actor's waning career.
00:20Number 10.
00:21Drew Barrymore.
00:22The opening phone call.
00:23Scream.
00:24You never told me your name.
00:26Why do you want to know my name?
00:27Because I want to know who I'm looking at.
00:29Believe it or not, Drew Barrymore was considered to have lost her touch by 1996.
00:33She was all grown up, her rebellious nature was getting her in trouble, and her movies,
00:38well, they were no E.T.
00:40Let's just say that.
00:41But her life and career did a complete 180 in just 10 minutes,
00:44thanks to the iconic opening scene of Scream.
00:46We're out in the middle of nowhere.
00:48What do you want?
00:50To see what your insides look like.
00:54Barrymore wowed viewers with her acting chops,
00:56and her terrified performance helped place the sequence among the pantheon of all-time horror greats.
01:01Barrymore's career blossomed almost immediately,
01:04landing starring roles in popular rom-coms and kicking butt in Charlie's Angels.
01:08The star was reborn, ironic considering what happens to her in the movie.
01:11And that's kicking your ass.
01:19Number 9.
01:20Robert Pattinson.
01:21I am better than you.
01:22Good Time.
01:23You're incredible, do you understand?
01:25Yeah.
01:26I'm serious.
01:27You can't get a darn out without you standing next to me being strong.
01:30Tries he might to break the stigma, Robert Pattinson was still synonymous with Twilight's Edward Cullen.
01:35Luckily, Pattinson got the break he was looking for in 2017, starring as Connie Nikas in Good Time.
01:41He is excellent throughout the entire film, but the better than you speech is what really solidified Pattinson's performance.
01:47It looks like you're incapable of taking care of themselves.
01:49You're either leeching off mommy or leeching off welfare or living off the government in jail.
01:53That's you!
01:54Many critics took note of his performance and deemed it a career best, and he used the movie as a launch pad back into the spotlight.
02:01Number 8.
02:02Neil Patrick Harris.
02:03High Hitchhiker.
02:04Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.
02:06Excuse me, are you Neil Patrick Harris?
02:09Yup.
02:10Harris was a child star in the early 90s, playing the titular doctor in Doogie Howser, MD.
02:15Okay, we're getting some circulation.
02:17Is he still breathing?
02:18Yeah.
02:19Seems to know what he's doing.
02:20Good.
02:21Now go get me something I can use for a leg brace.
02:22And while he later found work on Broadway, he was no longer the household name he once was.
02:27Fast forward to 2004, when Harris climbed into Harold's car and displayed his comedy chops while peering high as a kite.
02:33The Doogie line always works on strippers.
02:35Lap dance.
02:38This scene shifted the public's perception of Harris, changing him from a former child star to a future comedian.
02:44Indeed, he would star in How I Met Your Mother the very next year.
02:48Ted, I'm gonna teach you how to live.
02:51With Barney, we met at the urinal.
02:54Number 7.
02:55Ryan Reynolds.
02:56Maximum effort.
02:57Deadpool.
02:58It seemed like Ryan Reynolds could not catch a break.
03:01While he was obviously successful before Deadpool, his career never really shifted into high gear.
03:05He also faced a number of significant flops throughout the 2010s, including R.I.P.D. and the infamous Green Lantern.
03:17Well, that's good advice.
03:19Thanks, gorgeous.
03:20Just when things were looking dour, he turned to the camera as Deadpool, introducing himself in a hilarious fashion and finally shifted into that elusive high gear.
03:29You may be wondering why the red suit.
03:31Well, that's so bad guys can't see me bleed.
03:34This guy's got the right idea.
03:36He wore the brown pants.
03:37The bridge sequence was a brilliant introduction to a brilliant character, and fans knew immediately that Reynolds was a pitch-perfect casting choice.
03:44He was suddenly a worldwide box office bonanza, and eventually, a shining beacon in the fading MCU.
03:50I'm touching myself tonight.
03:54Number 6.
03:56Keanu Reeves.
03:57The Bus Jump.
03:58Speed.
03:59What do you think?
04:02You're the expert, I just work here.
04:04The Bill and Ted actor transitioned into a bonafide action star in 1994, and just in time, too, because his career was on shaky ground.
04:12Reeves tried doing some serious work in the early 90s, starring in Bram Stoker's Dracula and Much Ado About Nothing.
04:18And while both movies were praised, Reeves' performances were not, resulting in a Razzie nom for Worst Supporting Actor.
04:25I am not of many words, but I thank you.
04:30But the famous bus jump in Speed showed that Reeves had a talent, and that was playing strong, level-headed, and daring action heroes.
04:38He takes complete command of the deadly situation, and we buy every second of it.
04:42And with that, Reeves was a bonafide action man, a role he would later explore to greater depths in The Matrix.
04:48You move like they do.
04:50I've never seen anyone move that fast.
04:52I wasn't fast enough.
04:55Number 5.
04:56Matthew McConaughey.
04:58HIV-AIDS Diagnosis.
05:00Dallas Buyers Club.
05:01What, hook me up to a little morphine drip?
05:03Let me fade on out?
05:05No, sorry lady, but I prefer to die with my boots on.
05:08The McConaissance officially began with Dallas Buyers Club, and is still going strong to this day.
05:13Prior to 2013, Matthew McConaughey was mostly known as a leading man in romantic comedies.
05:18For sure the paychecks were nice, but many people, including McConaughey himself, knew that he had a lot more to give.
05:24Look at the handsome man sitting across the table from you, paying for your dinner.
05:32Huh?
05:33Well, he let that talent shine in 2013, playing AIDS activist Ron Woodruff.
05:38In one devastating sequence, Ron learns that he has the syndrome, and McConaughey unleashes his acting prowess.
05:4430 day.
05:47I'm sorry.
05:49The scene, and the role at large, won him wide acclaim, not to mention the Oscar for Best Actor.
05:54Number 4.
05:55John Travolta.
05:56Dancing at Jackrabbit Slims.
05:58Pulp Fiction.
05:59Oh!
06:00Final!
06:01The Batman!
06:02Of all the incredible acting that John Travolta has done throughout the decades, he's best known for dancing.
06:07He made his career on the disco floor in Saturday Night Fever, and he brought it back on the Jackrabbit Slims floor in Pulp Fiction.
06:13When Vince twist, I wanted him to be kinda rich.
06:21The 80s were a rough time for Travolta, but that rocky decade was wiped away in one quick minute, thanks to some groovy moves and one wickedly cool sense of style.
06:30Travolta's dance was one of those instantly iconic scenes that audiences knew would be remembered forever.
06:36Okay!
06:37The church!
06:39Ha ha ha!
06:44Number 3.
06:45Marlon Brando.
06:46The Don.
06:47The Godfather.
06:48This performer has one of those careers that every budding actor dreams of.
06:52In a filmography full of classics, The Godfather undoubtedly stands out as one of Brando's best.
06:57Why didn't you go to the police?
06:59Why didn't you come to me?
07:00And what scene is more iconic than that opening meeting with Vito granting wishes on the day of his daughter's wedding?
07:06It's a staple of pop culture, and has remained as such since 1972.
07:10And yes, it single-handedly revived Brando's career.
07:13We've known each other many years, but this is the first time you ever came to me for counsel for help.
07:19He had been struggling for over a decade, with his last Oscar nom and box office hit coming in 1958.
07:25Paramount executives didn't even want Brando in the movie, owing to his long string of bombs.
07:29But Coppola insisted, and, well, we know who history has vindicated.
07:34Someday, when that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me.
07:40Number 2.
07:41Robert Downey Jr.
07:42I Am Iron Man.
07:44Iron Man.
07:45I am Iron Man.
07:46With those four words, Robert Downey Jr. managed to both save his career, and launch the biggest movie event of our time.
07:55You certainly couldn't have predicted that in 2000, when he was facing nearly five years in prison for drug-related offenses.
08:01Downey's personal issues are Hollywood legend at this point, and his career was truly in the pits.
08:06Luckily, he eventually sought help, got sober, and made a miraculous comeback that culminated in Iron Man.
08:12Yeah, I can fly.
08:18He was wonderful throughout the movie, but he really made an impression with that mesmerizing ending.
08:23The words speak for his character, as well as himself.
08:26He is Iron Man, and there will never be another.
08:29Iron Man, that's kinda catchy, it's got a nice ring to it.
08:31I mean, it's not technically accurate, this suits a gold titanium alloy, but it's kinda bevocative.
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08:50Number one, Brendan Fraser, I Need to Know, The Whale.
08:56I need to make certain that she's gonna be okay.
09:00We can't give up on her.
09:02You already gave up on her!
09:04Brendan Fraser, Oscar winner.
09:06It has a nice ring to it, and it's one of those beautiful stories that might make a good movie one day.
09:11Despite dominating the 90s and early 2000s, Fraser left the spotlight for years.
09:16I thought you wanted to get to know me.
09:17I do, but I don't want to force you to be here.
09:22It's up to you.
09:23This career slump is largely attributed to his depression, as Fraser suffered a number of personal setbacks.
09:28But he came back in full force with The Whale, with his I Need to Know speech proving particularly famous.
09:34It was widely shared on social media, and led to the actor's first Academy Award.
09:38I need to know that I have done one thing right with my life!
09:45Welcome back, Brendan.
09:46We missed you.
09:47Can you think of any other examples?
09:49Let us know in the comments below.
09:51Is this for real, or are you shooting a film?
09:56A film!
09:57Did you enjoy this video?
09:59Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
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10:08See?
10:10I'll see you 그러면!
10:11Bye!
10:13Cheers!
10:15como va music
10:17Going on!
10:24Jason?
10:25Ch energia!
10:27I grabbed a there?
10:29I moved along...
10:30Lionel
10:32J氏,
10:33momencie
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