The Second Act: How the Quiet Quitters of Hollywood Became the 2020s Comeback Queens

Once upon a time, they were everywhere. Their faces were splashed across magazine covers, they were headlining blockbuster after blockbuster, and their style and charisma defined entire eras of pop culture. They were the undisputed It Girls—the actresses who possessed the perfect blend of talent, mystique, and star power that made the world hang on their every move.

And then, just as suddenly, they were gone.

For some, the disappearance was a conscious choice—a deliberate step away from the exhausting pressures of fame. For others, it was the fickle nature of Hollywood, personal challenges, or the industry’s harsh ageism that pushed them out of the spotlight. But if the 2020s have proven anything, it’s that a hiatus doesn’t mean a career is over. It often means the stage is simply being set for a more powerful, authentic, and triumphant second act.

We love a celebrity comeback because it’s a story of resilience—a reminder that a fall, or even a deliberate step back, is not the end of the narrative. This decade has seen an incredible return of iconic women who reminded us exactly why we fell for them in the first place, only this time, they’re playing by their own rules.

The Return of the Iconoclasts

The biggest, most talked-about comebacks often belong to the women who dominated the ’90s and early 2000s, only to be dismissed by an industry that often punishes maturity.

Demi Moore was the epitome of ’90s Hollywood power. From the gritty vulnerability in Ghost to the sheer dedication in G.I. Jane, she was one of the highest-paid actresses of her generation. But after a few critical misfires and intense, often invasive tabloid scrutiny, she quietly receded. While she never fully retired, her roles became less central and less impactful.

Her 2024 film The Substance changed everything. Critics didn’t just like it; they hailed Moore’s raw, unflinching, and painfully relevant performance as a career best. She returned to the highest echelon of Hollywood by embracing the very vulnerability and complexity that the industry once shied away from. She came back on her terms, not theirs.

Similarly, Winona Ryder was the indie queen of the ’90s. She was cool, edgy, and a genuinely talented force in films like Heathers and Edward Scissorhands. Her highly publicized 2001 shoplifting arrest led to a media takedown that was disproportionately harsh, pushing her out of the spotlight for nearly a decade. She took on sporadic, forgettable roles until Stranger Things catapulted her back into the global consciousness. As Joyce Byers, the desperately loving and intense mother searching for her son, Ryder brought her inimitable intensity and gravitas to a beloved Netflix franchise. Her return wasn’t just a comeback; it felt like justice for an artist who was unfairly sidelined.

The Unexpected & Self-Directed Comebacks

Some stars chose their exit and, years later, chose their own specific, personal way back in.

In the early 2000s, Cameron Diaz was the reigning box office queen, exuding sun-soaked, chaotic joy in everything from Charlie’s Angels to There’s Something About Mary. By 2014, she had quietly stepped away. She later articulated her retirement as a necessity—a desire to reclaim her time, health, and identity away from the constant judgment of public life. She focused on launching a successful organic wine brand, Avaline, and embracing motherhood. Her return in 2022 was a total surprise: a Netflix action-comedy co-starring Jamie Foxx, fittingly titled Back to Action. For Diaz, the comeback wasn’t about seeking fame again; it was about choosing a project that genuinely excited her, on a schedule that respected her new priorities.

Then there is Drew Barrymore, who never fully vanished but certainly stepped back from acting after a long run of rom-coms and a shift in focus to her family and her beauty brand, Flower. Her 2020 return was a masterful, self-engineered move: The Drew Barrymore Show. It’s a daytime talk show that perfectly encapsulates her earnest, slightly chaotic, and deeply empathetic energy. By making the show less about the typical celebrity interview and more about candid conversations on mental health, parenting, and life’s messiness, Drew created a format that feels less like a brand relaunch and more like a personal evolution, turning her vulnerability into her greatest strength.

Finding New Ground and Proving Old Talent

For others, the return was about proving their talent had only deepened with time.

Renée Zellweger retreated from the spotlight in 2010, citing burnout and a desire for a quieter life away from constant scrutiny. While her 2016 return in Bridget Jones’s Baby was tentative, her commitment in 2019 to the role of Judy Garland in Judy was absolute. She delivered a haunting, Oscar-winning performance that reminded the world that her talent was not only intact but had matured into something truly profound. Her subsequent choice to star in the wildly unglamorous limited series The Thing About Pam shows a fearless desire to pursue interesting work, regardless of traditional Hollywood glamour.

And who could forget Lindsay Lohan? Her career’s dramatic descent into tabloid chaos made her more famous for nightclub exits than acting. After years of underwhelming projects, her 2022 Netflix holiday rom-com, Falling for Christmas, was a genuine, delightful surprise. She was charming, funny, and entirely at ease, proving her undeniable charisma was still her superpower. With a two-picture deal with Netflix and a new sense of grounding, her comeback is the classic story of a former queen bee finding her footing and her love for the craft again.

Even the quieter comebacks, like Neve Campbell reprising her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream (2022) after choosing a decade of semi-retirement, or Meg Ryan writing, directing, and starring in the mature rom-dramedy What Happens Later (2023), prove the same point. These women stepped away, not because they were defeated, but because they needed to recharge, reprioritize, and find a new way to engage with their art.

Whether they vanished for a few years or over a decade, each of these women has shown that a Hollywood hiatus doesn’t signal a career’s end. Instead, it was simply the intermission before their most compelling act yet. They didn’t just come back; they returned with power, autonomy, and the undeniable assurance that they are, and always will be, the It Girls.