Once upon a time, these women were everywhere—splashed across magazine covers, headlining blockbuster after blockbuster, and defining entire eras of pop culture. They were the undisputed It Girls, the actresses who had it—the look, the talent, the mystique.

And then… they were suddenly gone. Some stepped away by choice. Others faded from view due to Hollywood’s fickle nature, personal challenges, or just plain burnout. But the 2020s have been a decade of comebacks, and if there’s one thing we love more than an It Girl, it’s an It Girl with a second act.

Here’s a look at eight iconic women who disappeared for years, only to make a triumphant return to the spotlight—and remind us exactly why we fell for them in the first place.

Demi Moore

Back in the ’90s, Demi Moore was at the top of her game in Hollywood. From Ghost to G.I. Jane, she dominated the screen with a blend of toughness, glamour, and vulnerability that made her one of the highest-paid actresses of her time. But after a few box office misfires and years of intense tabloid focus on her personal life (and, let’s be honest, ageist Hollywood nonsense), Demi quietly stepped out of the limelight.

She never fully retired, there were occasional roles and appearances, but nothing quite stuck. Until The Substance.

Not only did the film earn rave reviews, but critics specifically singled out Moore’s performance as a career best—raw and painfully relevant. Suddenly, the same industry that once discarded her was applauding her for the very things it once punished her for. Demi made a triumphant return. And this time, she’s not playing by anyone else’s rules.

Lindsay Lohan

Few celebrity falls were as dramatic as Lindsay Lohan’s. She had the world at her feet with hits like Mean Girls and Freaky Friday. But the late 2000s brought a chaotic mix of tabloid scandals, arrests, and rehab stints. She became more famous for nightclub exits than acting gigs.

After a string of underwhelming projects and a failed reality show or two, Lohan all but vanished from Hollywood. But then, to everyone’s surprise, Netflix cast her in a 2022 holiday rom-com, Falling for Christmas. And honestly, Lindsay did a great job, she was charming, funny, and totally at ease, as if she never left the silver screen. 

The film wasn’t trying to reinvent the genre, but it reminded us what Lindsay Lohan brings to the screen: undeniable charisma and a little chaos (in a good way). She’s since launched a podcast, signed a two-picture Netflix deal, and seems genuinely grounded for the first time in forever. A comeback fit for a former queen bee.

Drew Barrymore

Drew never fully disappeared, unlike some of the other celebrities on this list. But after a long run of rom-coms and the occasional indie flick, she slowed down dramatically in the 2010s. Marriage, kids, and a beauty brand (Flower) became her focus. Her priorities seemed to shift away from acting.

Then in 2020, she returned in a very Drew way—with The Drew Barrymore Show, a daytime talk show that somehow feels like a cozy hangout and a group therapy session in one.

It’s definitely not your usual talk show, it’s a little weird, but it’s warm and touching and it’s so her. Drew’s earnest, slightly chaotic energy turned what could’ve been a cookie-cutter format into something genuinely refreshing. Add in her candid conversations about mental health, divorce, and parenting, and you’ve got a comeback that feels less like a brand relaunch and more like a personal evolution.

Neve Campbell

Scream queen Neve Campbell owned the late ‘90s with Party of Five and, of course, the Scream franchise. But unlike some of her peers, she chose to step away. In interviews, she cited the lack of good roles for women—especially once they hit their 30s—and the exhausting pressures of fame. She worked sporadically through the 2010s, focusing more on stage work and raising her family. 

Then she reprised her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream (2022), and while it was a nostalgia-fueled return, it also reminded us just how good she is—nuanced, grounded, and still capable of carrying a horror film without breaking a sweat.

Even though she chose not to return for Scream VI due to a pay dispute (get your coin, Neve!), she’s back on casting radars, and there are rumblings of future roles that don’t involve ghost-faced killers.

Winona Ryder

Of all the comebacks on this list, Winona Ryder’s might be the most dramatic. In the ’90s, she was indie royalty—Reality Bites, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands. Then came the infamous 2001 shoplifting arrest, a string of forgettable roles, and a media takedown that felt wildly disproportionate.

For nearly a decade, Winona flitted in and out of supporting parts, mostly avoiding the spotlight. But then Stranger Things happened, and honestly the rest is history. 

As Joyce Byers, Winona reminded the world why she’s a star. She brought gravity, warmth, and that inimitable Ryder intensity to a role that could’ve been flat. The show catapulted her back into the pop culture conversation, and now she’s part of one of Netflix’s most successful franchises. We like to call it justice.

Cameron Diaz

In the early 2000s, Cameron Diaz was everywhere. From There’s Something About Mary to Charlie’s Angels, she ruled the box office. But by 2014, she had quietly stepped away. Her last film was Annie, and then… nothing.

She later explained her decision to retire was about reclaiming her time, her health, and her identity. “I just decided that I wanted different things out of my life,” she told Gwyneth Paltrow in a now-viral interview. She focused on wellness, motherhood, and launching an organic wine brand, Avaline.

Then, in 2022, she announced her return to acting in a Netflix action-comedy with Jamie Foxx in a movie fittingly called Back to Action.

Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger has had a complicated relationship with fame. After dominating the early 2000s (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Chicago, Cold Mountain), she retreated from the spotlight in 2010.

Part of it was burnout. Part of it was personal—she wanted to live a quieter life, away from the scrutiny of red carpets and tabloids. When she returned in 2016 with Bridget Jones’s Baby, it felt tentative. However, in 2019, she fully committed to her role as Judy Garland, delivering a haunting, Oscar-winning performance that left every critic speechless.

Since then, she’s taken another untraditional route—starring in the limited series The Thing About Pam (2022), which saw her in heavy prosthetics and a wildly unglamorous role. It was definitely unusual, brave, and totally Renée.

Meg Ryan

Ah, Meg, the queen of the rom-com. For a while, it felt like there was no one more beloved — When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail. But the mid-2000s weren’t kind.

A very public divorce, relentless media attention, and the rom-com genre going out of fashion meant Meg slowly receded from view. For over a decade, she largely stayed out of the public eye, directing a small indie in 2015 and then going quiet. But in 2023, she returned with What Happens Later, a romantic dramedy she wrote, directed, and starred in, opposite David Duchovny. It’s a mature, reflective take on love, timing, and missed chances—basically everything that made us love her in the first place, but with a little more gravity. Her return wasn’t flashy. The return was thoughtful, a little meta, and deeply reflective of Meg’s style.

Whether they vanished for a few years or over a decade, each of these women has proven that a Hollywood hiatus doesn’t mean a career is over. Sometimes, it just means the best act is still ahead.