Trending badgeTrendingPosted 2 hours agoSubscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret Down21 Celebrity Rebrands That 1000% Worked"Lindsay Lohan, definitely. What a comeback."by Michele BirdBuzzFeed ContributorFacebookPinterestLink Sometimes you just need to reinvent yourself, and for these stars, it happened in the best way ever. Reddit user EnvironmentalSet4536 recently asked, "What's a celebrity rebrand that actually worked?" Here are the most memorable transformations in Hollywood: 1. "Lindsay Lohan, definitely. What a comeback." Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images -u/sndster08 2. "Robert Downey Jr." Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images -u/destro23 3. "George Foreman. He was known for being a tough-as-nails boxer for a long time. Now he's everyone's favorite grill guy." Paul Archuleta / Getty Images -u/PhreedomPhighter 4. "Daniel Radcliffe. He's my favorite actor, smashing out quality film after quality film, and I forget he was even in Harry Potter these days." Bruce Glikas / Getty Images -u/Footner 5. "Pamela Anderson broke out on Baywatch. I've loved her arc to Broadway and more dramatic movie roles in the last few years." Aeon / Getty Images -u/Ritzy_Ditzy_92 6. "Jordan Peele went from sketch comedian to horror director." NBC / Getty Images -u/pronouncedayayron 7. "Arnold Schwarzenegger has done at least two: bodybuilder to movie star, and movie star to politician." Kevin Winter / Getty Images -u/AtomicMonkeyTheFirst 8. "Dave Bautista. Pro wrestler to a great actor now." Craig Barritt / Getty Images -u/sickostrich244 9. "How is Bryan Cranston not on the list yet? From a beloved goofy-ass dad on Malcolm in the Middle to a drug kingpin in Breaking Bad? Helllloooo?" John Lamparski / Getty Images -u/nursecarmen 10. "Steve Carell. He was the goofy guy and now does serious roles quite well." Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images -u/calypsobulb 11. "Tom Hanks. He started as the goofy guy in Bosom Buddies and then in movies like Splash, Bachelor Party, The Man with One Red Shoe, and Volunteers. Then he transitioned to dramatic roles, won two Oscars in a row, became a director and producer, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom." Monica Schipper / Getty Images -u/TheBigC87 12. "Christopher Lee was a horror movie icon whose career was basically dead with just cameos in things like The Stupids, but then he became a fantasy movie legend, appearing in Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings the same year." Mike Marsland / Getty Images -u/Cunari 13. "Macaulay Culkin. Started as a big child star, and then his life went downhill until he dramatically turned himself around. He's been doing podcasts and appeared in an AVGN video." Robin Marchant / Getty Images -u/Kevin-W 14. "How is John Travolta not on here? Grease to Pulp Fiction is the literal definition of a celebrity rebrand." Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images -u/gogetit57 15. "Dolly Parton. She started as a caricature of a country singer. Then, she rebranded to be a ridiculously generous provider of education materials across the world, owns a water park, multiple entertainment establishments, and lots more. Jason Kempin / Getty Images -u/vengarlof 16. "Michael Keaton. No one thought Mr. Mom as Batman would work, and then it did." Dave Benett / Getty Images -u/ProfessorSucc 17. "Eddie Murphy. He went from being a super vulgar, aggressive comedian to doing family movies for Disney." Steve Granitz / Getty Images -u/alayeni-silvermist 18. "Matthew McConaughey's career reinvention is a masterclass in strategic pivoting. After being typecast in rom-coms, he deliberately chose challenging dramatic roles in films like Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective, transforming from a lightweight leading man into a serious, Oscar-winning actor." WWD / Getty Images -u/notevengonnatry 19. "Robert Pattinson. He went from that bland Twilight guy to someone I actually get excited about seeing in a movie." WWD / Getty Images -u/Snomann 20. "Keanu Reeves used to be known as a wooden actor who inexplicably kept getting high-profile work. Then, at some point in the early 2010s, his brand became Hollywood's 'wholesome nice guy.'" Kym Illman / Getty Images -u/teh_hasay 21. And finally, "The Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg collab sends me." Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images -u/Kellnes5 Which celebrity had the best rebrand? Share your thoughts in the comments! Or if you'd rather share anonymously, you can fill out the form below. Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
BuzzFeed Celebrity
21 Celebrity Rebrands That 1000% Worked
September 10, 2025
5 months ago
20 celebrities mentioned