Hollywood’s Beloved and Their Controversial
Hollywood has always thrived on larger-than-life personalities — stars who captured hearts with their talent, charisma, and unforgettable roles. But just as quickly as some were lifted up, others fell from grace, undone by scandal, missteps, or changing times. This collection looks back at 70 iconic figures: 44 beloved performers whose work continues to inspire, and 26 whose legacies are complicated, tarnished, or overshadowed. Together, they tell the story of fame at its brightest and most fragile, reminding us how the spotlight can both celebrate and consume. Please note that there is a newer version of this on Fetch with even more stars.
Our Beloved Stars List
Hollywood has always been a place of dreams, where stars shine bright, sometimes forever, sometimes just for a fleeting moment. These are the performers who captured hearts with their talent, charisma, and unforgettable presence — the 44 stars Hollywood truly loved.
1. Jimmy Stewart
Jimmy Stewart was the kind of actor who made decency feel heroic. His gentle drawl and humble nature carried through in unforgettable roles like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Off-screen, he proved his courage by flying combat missions in World War II, making his reputation even more admirable.
2. Katherine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn refused to be boxed in. With her quick wit, sharp voice, and strong sense of independence, she became one of the most respected actresses of her time. She famously wore trousers when women were expected not to and carried herself with fearlessness. From “The Philadelphia Story” to “On Golden Pond,” her brilliance shone through every role.
3. Cary Grant
Cary Grant made charm look effortless. Whether he was cracking jokes in “Bringing Up Baby” or outsmarting danger in “North by Northwest,” he carried himself with sophistication and wit that made him magnetic. He became the model for suaveness, the man everyone admired and wanted to be. Off-screen, he was known for generosity and grace, rarely showing ego despite his fame.
4. Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn embodied grace in every sense. Her roles in “Roman Holiday” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” made her a global star, but it was her humanitarian work that made her unforgettable. She spent years traveling with UNICEF, helping children around the world with the same passion she once gave to acting. Her kindness and poise became her true legacy, shining even brighter than her beauty. She carried elegance like second nature, both on-screen and off.
5. Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier opened doors that had been closed for too long. As the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, he became a symbol of progress and pride. Films like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “In the Heat of the Night” confronted stereotypes with strength and dignity. He carried himself with the same grace off-screen, admired for his integrity and leadership.
6. Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire made dance look like floating. His light movements, perfect timing, and charm created some of the most joyful moments in film history. His partnership with Ginger Rogers gave audiences a magic that still feels timeless. He was called the greatest dancer in film, yet he always stayed modest about his skill. What made him so adored was not just his technique but the happiness he brought through movement.
7. Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor dazzled audiences with her beauty and extraordinary talent. From “Cleopatra” to “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” she proved herself as more than just a glamorous star. Beyond the screen, she became one of the first celebrities to champion AIDS awareness, bringing attention to a cause many ignored. She carried herself with strength through personal struggles and used her fame for something greater. Her mix of glamour, resilience, and compassion made her unforgettable.
8. Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck was the embodiment of honor. In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” his role as Atticus Finch became a symbol of justice and decency that still resonates today. His calm strength and moral gravitas seemed to follow him off-screen too, where he actively supported humanitarian causes. Colleagues admired him as a true gentleman, someone who practiced the values he portrayed. His career was built not just on talent but on integrity.
9. Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe carried a mix of beauty and vulnerability that captured the world. Known for “Some Like It Hot” and “The Seven Year Itch,” she proved herself a gifted comedian while often underestimated as just another pin-up. What set her apart was her humanity, the way she showed insecurity beneath the glamour. Fans connected with her fragility as much as her smile. Despite her struggles, she remains a cultural icon. Hollywood loved her because she was more than a starlet; she was someone who made imperfection relatable and unforgettable.
10. Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart carried a rugged charm that made him an icon of classic Hollywood. His gravelly voice and tough persona came alive in “Casablanca”, “The Maltese Falcon,” and others, where he played heroes who were hard but never heartless. His romance with Lauren Bacall off-screen became as legendary as his films, adding warmth to his image. He represented grit with depth, a balance that few actors could manage. Hollywood loved him because he showed that strength and vulnerability could coexist, leaving behind a legacy that blended coolness with humanity. His presence defined a golden era of film.
11. Paul Newman
Paul Newman brought both charisma and compassion into Hollywood. With unforgettable roles in “Cool Hand Luke” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” he became a star whose piercing blue eyes captured attention instantly. Yet his philanthropy through Newman’s Own, which donated millions to charity, showed his true legacy. He lived with humility, saying he simply wanted to be remembered as someone who tried. His talent, generosity, and authenticity kept audiences loyal. Hollywood loved him because he proved being a movie star could also mean being a remarkable human being who cared deeply.
12. Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews had a voice that felt like sunshine. Her roles in “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music” brought warmth and joy to generations. Her crystalline singing and cheerful presence seemed untouchable until surgery took away her ability to perform vocally. Instead of retreating, she reinvented herself as a children’s author and voice actress, showing resilience in the face of loss. Her grace and positivity kept her beloved by fans.
13. Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly brought athleticism and energy to dance in film. Unlike the elegance of Astaire, Kelly’s style was bold, vibrant, and filled with power. His unforgettable performance in “Singin’ in the Rain” made him a household name, inspiring countless audiences to fall in love with musicals. Off-screen, his creativity and warmth made him a favorite among peers. He turned dance into something approachable and fun, proving it could be both masculine and joyful. Hollywood loved him because he changed the way audiences experienced music and movement, leaving behind a legacy full of rhythm and spirit.
14. Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno blazed trails as one of the first Latina actresses to win major Hollywood recognition. Her performance in “West Side Story” earned her an Academy Award, and she went on to achieve the rare EGOT status, showing her unmatched versatility. She faced discrimination but pushed forward with resilience and charisma that made her unforgettable. Audiences admired her passion, and younger performers saw her as proof that barriers could be broken.
15. Robin Williams
Robin Williams carried an energy that could make people laugh uncontrollably one moment and cry the next. His roles in “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “Dead Poets Society” showed a range that few could match. Off-screen, he was known for kindness, often helping others quietly without the cameras. His humor felt like medicine, healing hearts while lifting spirits. Though his loss was deeply painful, his legacy remains one of joy and compassion.
16. Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball changed comedy forever with I Love Lucy, bringing physical humor and impeccable timing into homes across America. She wasn’t only a brilliant performer; she was a visionary, becoming the first woman to run a major television studio. Her Desilu Productions created classics like Star Trek and Mission: Impossible, proving her influence reached far beyond her own show. Hollywood loved her because she was fearless, witty, and groundbreaking.
17. James Dean
James Dean lived fast but left a mark too powerful to fade. With only three films, including Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, he became a voice for restless youth. His brooding intensity and vulnerability struck chords with audiences who saw themselves in his performances. His life was tragically short, but his influence only grew after his passing. Hollywood loved him because he embodied passion, mystery, and rebellion in a way that felt authentic. Dean became a lasting cultural symbol of heartbreak and defiance, remembered as the star who burned brightly and left behind a permanent legend.
18. Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman carried natural beauty and quiet strength that made her unforgettable in films like Casablanca and Gaslight. When scandal once threatened her career, she faced it with dignity and returned stronger, showing her resilience to the world. Hollywood loved her for her luminous acting, but audiences admired her for her honesty and grace. She reminded people that imperfections and second chances could coexist with artistry. Bergman was cherished not only as an actress but as a woman who endured, rebuilt, and thrived. Her story made her more human and her legacy even more lasting in film history.
19. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks has become America’s everyman, with roles in Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and Toy Story that touched hearts across generations. He carried sincerity and warmth in every performance, making audiences believe in his characters. Off-screen, his humility and kindness made him just as admired. Hollywood loved him because he showed consistency and integrity, rare qualities in modern fame. Fans cherished him as someone who always seemed genuine, no matter how big the stage. Tom Hanks remains proof that decency and talent can carry a career, making him one of the most beloved actors of his time.
20. Betty White
Betty White gave the world laughter for nearly a century, becoming a cultural treasure through The Golden Girls and countless appearances. Her sharp wit and vibrant personality made her adored at every age. White’s love of animals and her resilience in entertainment made her even more special. Hollywood celebrated her longevity, but fans loved her because she always felt approachable, funny, and full of life. She showed that humor has no expiration date, and her presence was always uplifting. Betty White remains a shining example of joy, admired as much for her spirit as for her remarkable career. She is missed.
21. Clark Gable
Clark Gable, often called the King of Hollywood, brought rugged charm to the screen that few could rival. His unforgettable role as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind made him a romantic icon for generations. Audiences loved his charisma, and his commanding presence always left a lasting impression. Behind the fame, he faced personal struggles, but those never erased his impact on film. Gable embodied the golden era’s definition of a leading man, someone who combined masculinity with magnetism. Hollywood loved him for carrying that title with style, grace, and an enduring appeal that still feels timeless.
22. Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly shined with elegance that seemed effortless, enchanting audiences in Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. Her beauty and poise set her apart in Hollywood, but she left at the height of her career to become Princess of Monaco. That choice only elevated her legend, blending screen stardom with real-life royalty. Fans loved her grace both on and off the screen, and her legacy became one of class and charm.
15 Stars Hollywood Sometimes Tried to Forget
But Hollywood’s spotlight isn’t always kind. For every star it embraced, there were others it left behind. Some were trapped in typecasting, others undone by scandal, bad luck, or personal demons. Here are some of the ones that are just not so beloved in Hollywood.
1. Mamie Van Doren
Mamie Van Doren had the curves, charisma, and studio backing to rival Hollywood’s brightest names, yet her career never reached full potential. Marketed as a Marilyn Monroe alternative, she was cast almost exclusively in shallow, sex-kitten roles that gave little chance to show range. Audiences admired her look, but critics rarely took her seriously. Mamie herself admitted she never felt like a real person in those parts. When Hollywood moved away from bombshell branding, her opportunities faded. She tried to reinvent herself, but the typecasting was permanent. Hollywood gave her a box to fit in and discarded her quickly.
2. George Lazenby
George Lazenby’s story is one of Hollywood’s most famous near-misses. Cast as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, he delivered a performance some later praised but that critics initially viewed with mixed feelings. Behind the scenes, his behavior strained relationships. He shocked producers by walking away from a lucrative multi-film contract, convinced Bond’s appeal would end with the 1960s. Years later, he admitted the choice was foolish. That decision closed doors forever. Hollywood offered no redemption, and Lazenby became more myth than enduring star.
3. Marie Wilson
Marie Wilson built her reputation on a comic “dumb blonde” persona, playing wide-eyed, ditzy characters on both radio and film. For a time, it worked. Audiences laughed, and her bubbly style brought recognition. Yet as the industry evolved toward more complex roles for women, her schtick felt dated. Hollywood no longer valued the type she embodied. Biographers noted she was capable of more than the one-note performances she was given. Hollywood enjoyed the laugh but ignored the voice behind it, leaving her career to fade into obscurity.
4. Sondra Locke
Sondra Locke possessed talent and ambition, but Hollywood tied her identity too closely to Clint Eastwood. Starring alongside him in multiple films and entering a personal relationship, she seemed poised for a strong career. After their split in the late 1980s, however, opportunities evaporated. Locke claimed she was blacklisted, alleging studios retaliated against her. Lawsuits followed, but the damage to her career proved irreversible. Hollywood recognized her potential yet quietly turned away once she stopped being linked to Eastwood. In the end, her body of work was overshadowed by the relationship that both launched and destroyed her chance at longevity.
5. Troy Donahue
Troy Donahue captured hearts in the 1950s and early 1960s with his tall frame, golden hair, and square-jawed appeal. Films like A Summer Place cemented him as a teen idol. Yet critics dismissed his acting as wooden, branding him more face than talent. As Hollywood shifted toward grittier, more naturalistic performances, Donahue seemed out of step. His popularity declined, compounded by struggles with addiction and money. Though he made occasional appearances in nostalgic projects, he never regained stature. His fame proved fleeting, built largely on image. Donahue’s career illustrates how Hollywood can embrace beauty but abandon it when fashions change.
6. Pia Zadora
Pia Zadora burst into Hollywood with enormous publicity fueled by her wealthy husband’s influence. When she won a Golden Globe for Butterfly in 1982, outrage followed. Many critics accused her camp of buying the award. Roger Ebert and other reviewers savaged the film, cementing her as a punchline. Although she found later success in music and live performance, her reputation as an actress never recovered. Industry figures dismissed her as manufactured fame, not earned talent. Roles dried up quickly. Zadora became a cautionary tale of how money can buy attention but not respect, and Hollywood rarely forgives that perception.
7. Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter embodied classic Hollywood charm, with matinee-idol looks and a carefully crafted image. Marketed heavily during the studio era, he became a teenage heartthrob. Yet behind the scenes, he lived a closeted life in a time when being openly gay would have destroyed his career. “I was being molded into someone I wasn’t,” he later admitted. When the studio system collapsed, so did the machinery keeping him in the spotlight. Roles dwindled, and Hollywood largely moved on. Decades later, his memoir gave him overdue respect.
8. Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Dracula remains one of cinema’s defining performances, yet it became a lifelong curse. His heavy accent and striking presence trapped him in typecasting. While contemporaries like Boris Karloff diversified into numerous roles, Lugosi found himself stuck in low-budget horror films, his talent undervalued. His later years were marked by addiction and poverty. Though adored by horror fans, Hollywood dismissed him as a relic, unwilling to see beyond the cape. Lugosi became the tragic symbol of a performer defined by one unforgettable role that eclipsed all other chances for reinvention.
9. Linda Darnell
Linda Darnell lit up the screen with undeniable beauty and soft intensity, starring in films such as Forever Amber. Hollywood, however, typecast her in glamorous roles that prioritized her looks over her depth as an actress. By her thirties, leading parts had disappeared. Off-screen struggles and career disappointments added weight. Her life ended tragically in a house fire at just 41. Few in Hollywood spoke her name afterward, as if the industry had already forgotten her completely.
10. Maria Montez
Maria Montez became known as the “Queen of Technicolor,” dazzling audiences in 1940s fantasies such as Arabian Nights. Draped in jewels and exotic costumes, she provided escapism during wartime. Yet the roles were shallow, designed more for spectacle than substance. Montez yearned for serious opportunities, but Hollywood never gave her the chance. Critics dismissed her, and when she died unexpectedly at 39, her legacy was barely acknowledged. She had brought color & magic to audiences, yet the industry remembered her only for costumes and fantasy. Hollywood’s refusal to let her grow beyond stereotype kept her ambitions forever unfulfilled.
11. Jean Seberg
Jean Seberg’s luminous turn in Breathless made her an international icon. In America, however, her career was overshadowed not just by Hollywood indifference but by political persecution. Her support for civil rights and the Black Panthers placed her under FBI surveillance. A smear campaign planted lies in the press, damaging her reputation and career. She admitted that the media inflicted wounds deeper than government agents. Hollywood did not protect her; it turned away. Her career opportunities vanished, leaving her isolated. Seberg’s life ended tragically, and her story remains a haunting reminder of how politics can silence promising voices in a very tough industry.
12. Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis rose to fame as one of Hollywood’s brightest matinee idols, with charm and charisma that carried him into blockbusters like Some Like It Hot and Spartacus. Yet as he aged, his career declined. Hollywood seemed uncertain where to place him once his youthful looks faded. Critics doubted his versatility, and personal troubles including multiple divorces and substance struggles tarnished his image. Though he worked steadily, the quality of roles diminished. His greatest successes were remembered while much of his skill was overlooked. Hollywood reduced Curtis to a handful of classics, leaving the full scope of his talent forgotten.
13. Tippi Hedren
Tippi Hedren burst into stardom under Alfred Hitchcock with The Birds, her elegance and poise making her unforgettable. Behind the glamour, however, Hitchcock’s obsessive control shaped and damaged her career. After rejecting his unwanted advances, she claimed he deliberately blocked future opportunities. Hedren later said he ruined her career but not her life. She continued to act in smaller films and became an animal rights activist, but Hollywood never offered roles as grand again. Her experience reflected an industry unwilling to challenge those powerful men.
14. Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke electrified audiences in the 1980s with raw, magnetic performances in films like The Pope of Greenwich Village and 9½ Weeks. Many believed he was destined to join the pantheon of greats. Yet his volatile behavior, clashes with directors, and ill-fated boxing career derailed his momentum. He later admitted he sabotaged himself through recklessness. Though his comeback in The Wrestler earned acclaim, Hollywood’s trust never fully returned. Projects grew fewer, and he became a symbol of squandered promise. Rourke had talent that could rival legends, but his self-destruction left him remembered more for what might have been.
15. Barbara Payton
Barbara Payton’s career began with extraordinary promise, starring opposite leading men like James Cagney and Gary Cooper. Her beauty and charisma seemed destined for longevity. But her personal life unraveled in scandals, substance issues, and a series of destructive relationships. Hollywood distanced itself quickly, and her name shifted from studio billing to tabloid headlines. She descended into poverty, chronicling her own downfall in a brutally candid memoir. By the time of her death at 39, the industry had abandoned her. Once celebrated, she became forgotten. Payton’s story shows how quickly fame can turn cruel when mistakes overshadow ability.
16. Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey once stood at the pinnacle of acting, acclaimed for his skill in films like American Beauty and for his command on stage and television. His fall was swift. In 2017, allegations of sexual misconduct emerged, leading to industry backlash. Netflix cut ties, films were shelved, and his career collapsed. Once praised for his intensity, he became a cautionary tale of acclaim undone by personal conduct. Hollywood moved decisively to erase him, distancing itself in ways rarely seen.
We admired his talent deeply — from his mesmerizing turn as Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects, to his Oscar-winning role in American Beauty, to his work in L.A. Confidential, and of course as President Frank Underwood in House of Cards. Whatever one thinks of the man, losing an actor of that caliber is undeniably a loss to film and television.
This story was first published on Daily FETCH
