HOT GALLERY: A Star is Reborn! Check Out How These Stars’ Careers Went from “What Happened to Them?” to “I Love Them!”
We all know the familiar story of the has-been—too many canceled shows, a sex scandal gone awry, a drug addiction they couldn’t kick, or the rut of being typecast. See how this humble bunch triumphed over career adversity and got a second chance at stardom. By Kacey ArnoldWhile most of us were merely entering puberty at age 12, Jason was making his TV debut on Little House of the Prairie. His career grew with him into his teens, including regular roles on ’80s hits like Silver Spoons (his cuteness starts at 1:30) and Valerie’s Family, which later morphed into The Hogan Family (where he became the DGA’s youngest director ever, directing three episodes when he was just 18). His feature debut in Teen Wolf Too sparked his film career. (Fun fact: Sister Justine Bateman was also an ’80s TV phenom as Mallory on Family Ties—another 6 degrees of Michael J. Fox, who played Alex P. Keaton on the show, the first, of course, being the original Teen Wolf.) Though Jason worked continuously in film and television after Hogan ended, nothing stuck and he remained predominantly under the radar between 1991 and 2003, even debating leaving Hollywood until Arrested Development (which won him a Best Actor Golden Globe in 2005). Not only did his role as Michael Bluth showcase his natural-born comedic genius, it heightened his career success to the likes of which it had never been, getting him roles in A-list films like Juno, Hancock, The Switch, The Change-Up, and Horrible Bosses, to name a few—all while maintaining his humility. Next up, more Arrested Development!