Actors who have returned to the spotlight

There's no denying that Hollywood is a fickle business. Over the years, we've seen stars come and go – and some who have stood the test of time in the industry.

Here, 9honey Celebrity takes a look at some of the stars who recently made a return to the spotlight and a comeback, after taking a career break – and what they're up to now.

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Nicolas Cage, pictured with an ex, was a leading man in the '80s, '90s and early 2000s.

Acting and film are in his genes, with Cage coming from the prestigious Coppola family.

The Academy Award winner is known for roles in Moonstruck, City of Angels and Gone in 60 Seconds.

Cage recently admitted to taking on "crummy" roles to pay back some debt after losing money in real estate.

In 2022, he made a comeback and won over fans with the film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, in which where he plays a fictionalised version of himself.

This year, he appeared in Longlegs, a horror film that was dubbed one of the "scariest movies of the year so far".

Tara Reid definitely achieved 'It-girl' status during her career.

Reid rose to international fame after appearing in American Pie as Vicky back in 1999.

Since then, she has appeared in films including Sharknado and Josie and the Pussycats.

The star recently vowed to make a comeback in Hollywood after overcoming a battle with depression and some time in rehab.

She told The Sun that she wants to follow in former co-star Jennifer Coolidge's steps and have a career revival.

"People are ready to see me again and this is going to be an exciting year for me," Reid told the publication.

Reid said her career suffered after September 11, when she went through a highly-publicised breakup and changed agents.

She said the public saw her as a ''sex symbol" more than a serious actress.

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Meg Ryan won fans the world over with leading roles in some of the best rom-coms of all time, including Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail.

But she soon decided to turn away from the spotlight, despite her fame and huge success. 

She explained last year why she took a ''giant break'' from her career and at the peak of her fame.

Speaking to People ahead of the release of her new film What Happens Later, which she directs and stars in, Ryan said she always thought of her acting career as "a job, not a lifestyle".

"I took a giant break because I felt like there's just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop," she told the publication.

"It's nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me."

One of the things she focused on during her break was motherhood.

Lindsay Lohan was a former child star who became a teen icon with roles from The Parent Trap, to Mean Girls (pictured) and Freaky Friday.

But soon after, her personal life started making headlines and Lohan retreated from the spotlight. 

After a break, and moving to Dubai in 2014, she is now back and better than ever.

She recently made a cameo in the new Mean Girls musical reboot, was the lead actress in the film Irish Wish and is filming Freaky Friday 2.

She now has a family with husband and financier Bader Shammas.

About her move to Dubai, Lohan said: "Moving here was a fresh start," she told Emirates Woman.

About the absence of paparazzi there, she said: "I really found that I had a private life... I really learned to appreciate what it is to go, do my work, and then leave and live a normal life."

But she made a comeback and had a career renaissance thanks to her role in the TV series, The White Lotus, as Tanya McQuoid.

Her comeback was solidified thanks to her winning a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards for the role.

"People that I could never get in the door – all of a sudden they're asking me to be part of their things," she told Variety about how the role has helped her career of late.

Mischa Barton was an ''It girl" of the early 2000s thanks to her role in The O.C.

The 38-year-old London-born star portrayed Marissa Cooper on the hit series from 2003 to 2006. 

But before landing the iconic role, Barton was a child star and appeared in the likes of the hit film, Notting Hill. 

After a few years away from the spotlight –and after her personal life made headlines – Barton made a return to the screen with The Hills reboot and a number of TV shows.

Last year, she made the surprising move of joining the long-running Aussie soap, Neighbours. 

"I'm excited to be part of this iconic show's next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia, a place I know and love!" she said.

She previously told Variety she was "developing a rom-com".

Brendan Fraser was one of the biggest stars in the '90s and early 2000s thanks to his roles in films including George of the Jungle and The Mummy.

But soon after, the actor disappeared from the spotlight. 

Pamela Anderson is another big star of the '90s who recently made a comeback.

The former Playboy model is best known for her role as lifeguard C. J. Parker on Baywatch and for her rocky romance over the years with her rocker ex, Tommy Lee.

Anderson, now 57, recently returned to the spotlight with a Netflix documentary called Pamela: A Love Story, that told her story in her own words and with archival footage.

It also explored the time of her sex tape scandal.

In a post announcing the news, she said she's "not a victim, but a survivor... and alive to tell the real story".

Last year, Anderson released her memoir Love, Pamela, and recently has been hitting the red carpet going makeup free - an empowering move for women.

"I'm not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room. I feel like it's just freedom. It's a release," she wrote in her newsletter about the move.

Winona Ryder, seen with her ex Johnny Depp, was a leading star in the '90s.

She had roles including in Boys, Lost Souls, and Edward Scissorhands.

Ryder recently had a career revival with the show Stranger Things helping to introduce her to younger fans.

The star, who has been open about her battle with anxiety and depression, took a break from acting in the early 2000s.

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Cameron Diaz ruled the big screen back in the day, starring in films including The Mask, Charlie's Angels, and There's Something About Mary.

But she recently took an almost decade-long break from acting. Her last film was 2014's Annie.