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When celebs are in the spotlight for a long time, it\u2019s only natural that they\u2019re going to change during the process. And sometimes, they may want to completely switch up their careers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n But\u2026it doesn\u2019t always go so well. Here are 10 times stars tried \u2014 and completely failed \u2014 to reinvent themselves, and 13 times stars nailed a career shift.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 1.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: Garth Brooks is one of the strangest examples. In 1999, Brooks, then a successful country artist, decided to launch an alter ego \u2014 Chris Gaines \u2014 in preparation for a planned movie about the murder of Gaines to be called The Lamb.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n The fictional Gaines was a rock artist, and Garth, as Gaines, appeared as a musical guest on SNL<\/i> and in a mockumentary for Behind the Music.<\/i> Garth also released an album as Gaines ahead of The Lamb<\/i> film titled, Garth Brooks in\u2026the Life of Chris Gaines.<\/i> People were pretty confused about the whole thing, and when the album didn\u2019t sell as well as expected, The Lamb<\/i> was dropped entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 2.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: In contrast, Taylor Swift is a great example of a musician who has done not one, but two successful genre jumps. Her first four albums were country, but she pivoted genres to synth-pop with 1989<\/i>, her fifth album.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n Her next two albums were also pop (albeit with influences from other genres like R&B and rock)\u2026but then she pivoted genres yet again with partner albums Folklore<\/i> and Evermore,<\/i> which were both indie-folk albums (still with pop and rock influences).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 3.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: However, Swift\u2019s forays into acting have not gone as well. Her first role was a brief spot on CSI,<\/i> and she went on to appear in Valentine\u2019s Day, The Lorax,<\/i> and Cats,<\/i> none of which were well received.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 4.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: Paris Hilton became a media fixture in the 2000s, mostly for being a wealthy socialite, though she also did some modeling and then became a reality star with The Simple Life.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n She launched a number of successful business ventures, most notably her perfume line, but in 2006 decided to try something new: singing. She released her first album, Paris,<\/i> in August of that year. Her single \u201cLove Is Blind\u201d actually was very successful, and hit 18 on the Billboard Top 100.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n However, reception to the album was overall mixed, and it was the only one Paris ever released (though she did release a few more singles). More recently, she\u2019s tried her hand on DJing, even DJing at Tomorrowland and Summerfest. While she\u2019s found plenty of success and earns $1million per set, she\u2019s also found a lot of critics.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 5.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: In addition, Hilton also tried her hand at an acting career, booking guest spots on a number of shows like The O.C.<\/i> and Supernatural,<\/i> and most notably starring in House of Wax.<\/i> She won a Razzie for her performance, and has not appeared in another acting role (though she has appeared in documentaries and as a TV hosts and reality star) since 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 6.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: Kim Kardashian, then a successful socialite and reality star, also tried out a singing career in 2011, releasing \u201cJam (Turn It Up).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n Kardashian later said she regretted recording the song. \u201cBut if there\u2019s one thing in life that I wish I didn\u2019t do \u2026 I don\u2019t like it when people kind of dabble into things they shouldn\u2019t be. And that I don\u2019t think I should have. Like, what gave me the right to think I could be a singer? Like, I don\u2019t have a good voice,\u201d she said in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 7.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Back in the late \u201990s, Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson was known primarily for being a pro wrestler. But starting in 1999, he began appearing in small roles in addition to wrestling (which he retired from in 2004, though he did later return).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n His first major project was The Mummy Returns<\/i> in 2001, and from there he continued to pick up roles in a number of high-profile projects, working his way onto the A-list with involvement in the Fast & Furious<\/i>, Jumanji,<\/i> and DCEU franchises, as well as Disney film Moana<\/i>. He was the highest-paid actor, according to Forbes, in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 8.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: John Cena has followed essentially the same path, albeit in a less family-friendly way. He came onto the movie scene with 2006\u2019s The Marine<\/i>, but it wasn\u2019t until his role in Trainwreck<\/i> that people really started to see him as an actor.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n After that, he became involved in more high-profile projects, like The Suicide Squad<\/i> and a spinoff series on HBO based on his character Peacemaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 9.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: A third wrestler who was not quite as successful in his career switch was Hulk Hogan. He attempted to start a movie career in the \u201980s with a bit role in Rocky III,<\/i> and appeared in a few other TV movies and sequels, like a cameo Gremlins 2,<\/i> as well as TV shows like Thunder in Paradise,<\/i> which only ran for a season. None of Hogan\u2019s lead movie roles were well reviewed.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n FAILED REINVENTION: In 1995, while he was the World Heavyweight Champion, Hogan also released an album, Hulk Rules,<\/i> as a part of the band Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band. The album was panned, and the band did not release another album. However, the album has become a bit of a cult hit due to its \u201cso bad it\u2019s good\u201d status.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 10.<\/span><\/p>\n FAILED REINVENTION: Another athlete-turned-actor is Shaq. He\u2019s primarily known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but he\u2019s also made forays into a number of other ventures.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n Starting in the \u201990s, he began starring in films, namely Kazaam<\/i> and Steel.<\/i> Both were critically panned, and he has been nominated for three Razzie awards. Despite this, he continues to appear in the occasional film or TV role, usually as himself or in a cameo capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 11.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: However, Shaq did find success as a rap artist. He rapped on one of Michael Jackson\u2019s albums, and he released four albums himself, one of which featured Jay-Z and the Notorious B.I.G. He hasn\u2019t released an album in over two decades, but has begun DJing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 12.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Mark Wahlberg started out his career in the early \u201990s with hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which had a number of hit songs and found fame.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n He then made his film debut in 1994\u2019s Renaissance Man<\/i>, and became an acclaimed actor in 1997 with Boogie Nights. <\/i>He\u2019s even been nominated for a couple Oscars for his roles in The Departed<\/i> (alongside massively acclaimed legacy actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Martin Sheen) and The Fighter<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 13.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: Lady Gaga made a similar switch. After spending years as a successful pop artist, she decided to try her hand at acting in the mid-2010s.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n She started with American Horror Story<\/i>, which won her a Golden Globe, and then made her feature film debut in A Star Is Born<\/i>, for which she transformed into a down-on-her-luck aspiring singer. She was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal, and did win an Oscar for her work on \u201cShallow\u201d for the film.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n She went on to star in House of Gucci<\/i>, and has numerous other roles in the works.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n 14.<\/span><\/p>\n SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION: One star who made the opposite switch \u2014 from movie star to music star \u2014 is Taylor Momsen. Momsen\u2019s first large role was as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas,<\/i> and she went on to appear in other family films like Spy Kids 2.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n And in 2007, she began starring as Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl.<\/i> She was a main character for three seasons, but only appeared for a few episodes of the fourth season. She ended up leaving the show after Season 4.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n This was largely because of her foray into music. She formed her band the Pretty Reckless in 2009, and they released their first album in 2010. They\u2019ve since released four albums and toured with the Veronicas, Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, and Marilyn Manson, as well as had their music appear in films and television.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n\n
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