Quick Links

Sometimes it seems a celebrity just surfaces out of nowhere and suddenly rises to fame. In other instances, fans get a chance to grow up with their favorite stars, and be part of their career growth. Either way, fans get really hooked on the famous faces that entertain them, and expect that they will have some long lasting longevity in their industry. Most often, that is the case, but sometimes for no apparent reason at all, celebrities rise to the top of their fame, or come very close to it, and then suddenly, slip off the radar. It seems shocking that they would not stick around to continue reaping the benefits of the luxurious lifestyles they are accustomed to. However, as Insider reports, not everyone wants to, or can sustain their fame, and some of the biggest names in Hollywood end up simply fading away.

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Freddie Prinze Jr. rose to fame in the 90s and was in every major film that appealed to the teenage market. He was one of the leading and most sought after actors at the time, with many fans eyeing him as the leading heart throb that had endless potential.

For reasons unknown he went from being in high demand, to suddenly disappearing from the spotlight, finding himself in off-camera roles including as one of the writers for World Wrestling Entertainment. He married Sarah Michelle Gellar and the two have raised their children away from the spotlight of Hollywood. His career remains stale and unattended to.

RELATED: Kris Jenner Reveals What She Believes Is Her Most 'Priceless' Investment

Macaulay Culkin

It would be a challenge to find anyone that isn't familiar with who Macaulay Culkin is, yet his fame is hinged on one thing only - the Home Alone series. There's very little else that he has ever done, and shortly after rising to fame, he fell to the misfortune of an unhealthy lifestyle and was never really able to resume his career.

He made a fortune as a child star, but unfortunately wasn't able to parlay that into a successful long-term career simply due to his inability to stay the course and resist the temptations that come along with fame.

Karyn Parsons

If the name Karyn Parsons isn't immediately familiar to you, that merely demonstrates her inability to capture her fame and ride the waves of success when she had the opportunity. Karyn played a leading role in The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, playing Hilary Banks. Starring opposite Will Smith, it's easy to see how she could have monopolized her fame and fortune and created more career opportunities for herself, but that doesn't seem to have been the case.  When the show came to a close in 1996, she disappeared, too.

Flavor Flav

Flavor Flav built an entire career off his eccentric persona. He rose to fame in the 80s as a rapper with Public Enemy, and seemed to be able to mastermind a new wave of success for himself by starring in his own reality TV show called Flavor Of Love.

He was able to pull this off for about 3 seasons, but the show wasn't able to extend beyond that, and as it fizzled out, he did too. He's tried his hand at non-television related business ventures, but nothing seems to stick, and he is no longer relevant with fans.

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes seemed to have it made for a while. She started acting at the age of 7 and quickly became a television star that earned a whole lot of money. She was in major productions such as the film She's the Man, and she was in high demand for upcoming roles.

Most would assume a star could see their path of success and find a way to stay on it, but Brightside reports that Bynes succumbed to the temptations of fame and seemed to face a series of addiction and mental health issues.

Taylor Lautner

Twilight was a massive series and that meant a lot of attention was on Taylor Lautner. He had already been a part of The Adventures of Sharkboy, among other films, but when Twilight came along, Taylor's star rose right to the top. The type of success that came along with this series usually results in increased potential for more successful roles, but for some reason, that wasn't the case for Taylor. Rumored to have asked for too much money on a few projects, he was quickly dismissed and he faded out of the spotlight as quickly as he had shot to fame.

Eva Mendes

Many celebrities are in it for the long haul and focus their entire lives on continuing to grow their careers. Others, make their money and disappear to live quietly and enjoy the fruits of their labor. This is precisely what Eva Mendes seems to have done. She started in huge films including Hitch, and Ghost Rider, then decided to leave the industry shortly after marrying Ryan Gosling. She is happily married and raising their 2 daughters, without the need to continue a grueling work schedule.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin's songs are as catchy as they are popular, and 1999 was definitely his year. His career truly peaked and he was in such high demand across the globe. He was entertaining sold out audiences night after night and headlining the major awards shows with his vividly entertaining shows. Livin la Vida Loca launched him to the top of the charts, where he stayed for quite some time. In 2010, he proudly came out to the world, and then he declared he was taking a break to focus on his family. This seemed like a much deserved move and an understandable time to take pause... but he never came back.

READ NEXT: Pamela Anderson: The Rise & Fall Of Her Career And Fortune

Sources: Insider, Brightside, Celebrity Toob,