In the 90’s, Ashley Judd was one of the most promising actresses in Hollywood. She has been nominated for two Golden Globes, played a young Marilyn Monroe and for a while she practically owned the thriller genre. But later in her career, Judd transitioned from suspense movies to chick flicks and political activism. Since then, Judd’s movie career has shifted into low gear. These days, Judd is better known for her political aspirations than her latest movies.

What the hell happened?

Judd is the daughter of Naomi Judd and the sister of Wynonna Judd. Naomi and Wynonna formed a mother-daughter country music duo known as The Judds. Between 1983 and 1991, The Judds charted 23 hit singles and won five Grammies. There’s more, but since this article isn’t about them let’s just say they were very successful. Eventually, Wynonna went on to success as a solo act. Point being, there was a time when Ashley Judd was known better for being related to the famous country music singers.

I am going to attempt to remain unbiased in this article. But that may be a little harder for me than usual. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should state up front that Judd and I both attended the University of Kentucky at the same time. Now, I’m not going to say that Judd and I dated, but I’m not going to say we didn’t either.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Okay, no. I never dated Ashley Judd. But I totally could have.

I mean, I did see her on campus once.

And I had this poster she made for the UK hockey team.

According to campus legend, someone on the hockey team had a connection with Judd and sent her the team jersey with a request that she take a picture in it for the poster. Judd posed in ONLY the jersey which made the poster extremely popular. They were handed out at hockey games to increase attendance.

So now that I have aired my personal history with Judd, I think we can begin examining her acting career. Let’s just all try to be mature and move on.

Ashley Judd – Star Trek: The Next Generation – 1991

In 1991, Judd made her acting debut on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Judd played an ensign on the Enterprise who gave nerds everywhere hope when she hooked up with Wesley Crusher, King of the Nerds. These days, Wil Wheaton, who played Wesley on the show, is a beloved writer and poster boy for nerds everywhere. But even he will tell you, Wesley was lame. Early episodes of the show all revolved around Wesley the Boy Wonder somehow saving the ship. I’m not ashamed to say, I wanted to smack Wesley around. But even I gave the kid props when he started dating way out of his league.

Ashley Judd – Star Trek: The Next Generation – 1991

Judd appeared on two episodes. In the second episode titled “The Game”, she and Wesley played some weirdly addictive and vaguely sexual video game in which primitive CGI tubes consume blobby discs. It’s like Star Trek pong.

Soon, the whole crew was addicted like a bunch of kids playing Angry Birds.

Judd talked about being cast on Star Trek with Anderson Cooper and whether or not the crew of the Enterprise wears undergarments.

I’d hate to be the guy who does Worf’s laundry!

Judd auditioned for the role of the Tool Time girl on Tim Allen’s 1990’s sitcom, Home Improvement. Series creator Matt Williams was so impressed with Judd’s audition that he refused to cast her in such a small role. Instead, Pamela Anderson was cast as the jiggly Tool Time girl. Williams went back to Judd’s agent and offered to create a bigger role specifically for her. If she had accepted, Judd would have played Allen’s sister. According to Williams:

We didn’t hear anything for about two days after the offer, and then her agent called and said, ‘You know, Ashley’s thought about it, and she’s not ready to go into television right now. She thinks she has a feature career.’

Sisters

From 1991-1994, Judd had a recurring role on the TV show Sisters.

Sisters starred Swoosie Kurtz, Sela Ward, Patricia Kalember and Bruce Spingsteen’s ex-wife as four (you guessed it) sisters. Judd played Kurtz’s daughter from the show’s second season through the fourth. The role was originated by Kathy Wagner in the show’s first season. The character was absent from the fifth season. And in the show’s final season (I’m as surprised as you are to hear Sisters lasted 6 years!) a third actress played the part. She’s like one of the Griswold kids.

Judd’s part was smaller than the one she passed up on Home Improvement. But it gave her a chance to do something more dramatic which she hoped would lead to more movie roles. Turns out, she was right.

Ashley Judd – Kuffs – 1992

In 1992, Judd made her big screen debut in the Christian Slater movie, Kuffs.

Judd played “Wife of Paint Store Owner”. Her role was so small, she didn’t even get a name. She was just the wife of some other nameless schmoe who owns a paint store.

Her part was so small that I couldn’t find a picture of her character on any of her fan sites. I found this one on a site about guns in the movies. It actually lists every gun used in Kuffs which as it turns out is a movie with a lot of guns. This is a Remington 870 sawed off, if you’re curious.

Kuffs received negative reviews and did so-so box office. But I’m guessing that Judd was just happy to be on the big screen. Heck, after her experience on Star Trek she was probably happy to be allowed to wear underwear.

Ashley Judd – Ruby in Paradise – 1993

In 1993, Judd starred in the independent drama, Ruby in Paradise.

This time, Judd’s character not only had a name, but she had the title role. Judd played Ruby, a young girl who moves to a Florida resort town during the off-season looking for a new start. Ruby takes a job as a sales clerk in a souvenir shop and starts a relationship with the shop owner’s arrogant son.

Reviews were great. As you can tell from the trailer, Judd was singled out for praise. She won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Actress and the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress. Not bad for her first movie role with a name.

With the success of Ruby, Judd dropped out of her recurring role on Sisters. She was going to be a movie star.

Ashley Judd – Natural Born Killers (deleted scene) – 1994

Ashley Judd – Natural Born Killers (deleted scene) – 1994

Judd filmed scenes which were ultimately cut from Oliver Stone’s violent media satire, Natural Born Killers.

Stone rewrote much of Quentin Tarantino’s original screenplay, much to the dismay of Tarantino who has been critical of Stone’s changes. The original screenplay told the story in Tarantino’s non-sequential style with several flashbacks in the form of TV segments about the serial killers played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis.

In one of these flashbacks, Judd played the sole survivor of a slumber party where Harrelson’s character killed all of her friends. Judd’s character testifies against Harrelson in court. Harrelson’s character is serving as his own defense and cross-examines Judd’s witness. As he does so, he takes the opportunity to kill her with a pencil.

Ashley Judd – The Passion of Darkly Noon – 1995

The road to movie stardom sometimes takes some strange detours. But few detours are stranger than the German-based art house horror film, The Passion of Darkly Noon. In 1995, Judd starred opposite Brendan Fraser and Viggo Mortensen.

Fraser played a member of an ultraconservative Christian cult. After the death of his parents, he wanders into the Appalachian forests where he meets Judd’s character. Naturally, Fraser decides that the free-spirited Judd is too sexy to live. He decides to kill her and her boyfriend played by Mortensen at the prompting of Mortensen’s crazy mother.

Fortunately for all involved, The Passion of Darkly Noon was not released in the US. Fortunately for the rest of us, even obscure German art house horror films in which George of the Jungle wraps himself in barbed wire and goes on a killing spree are preserved on the internet for all to see. I just love technology.

Ashley Judd – Smoke – 1995

Later that year, Judd appeared in the independent film, Smoke.

Smoke starred Harvey Keitel as the manager of a Brooklyn tobacco shop. The film follows the lives of some of the characters who pass through his shop. The ensemble included William Hurt, Forest Whitaker and Stockard Channing. Judd played Keitel’s daughter who meets him for the first time.

Reviews were positive and the box office performance was decent for a small art-house movie. A sequel, Blue in the Face, was released without Judd’s character in 1995.

Val Kilmer and Ashley Judd – Heat – 1995

Judd ended the year by appearing in Michael Mann’s crime drama classic, Heat.

Heat pitted Al Pacino as a cop against Robert De Niro as a robber. De Niro’s partner in crime was played by Val Kilmer. Judd played Kilmer’s wife who has something going on the side with Hank Azaria. She is pressured to turn over her husband, but how can she betray Iceman? I mean other than by sleeping with the voice of Apu.

Heat got great reviews and was a hit at the box office. Judd’s role was small, but it helped get her some attention in Hollywood.

Reportedly, Judd and De Niro were dating at the time they were filming Heat. Apparently he was Judd’s rebound guy when things didn’t work out between us. How else to explain Judd dating De Niro?

Ashley Judd – Norma Jean & Marilyn – 1996

In 1996, Judd starred opposite Mira Sorvino in the HBO movie, Norma Jean & Marilyn.

Judd played Norma Jean Dougherty, better known to the world as Marilyn Monroe. Sorvino played Monroe after her Hollywood transformation. The two actresses shared screen time as Judd’s Norma Jean appeared to Sorvino’s Monroe in hallucinations.

Reviews for the movie were mixed. But both Judd and Sorvino were nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy for their respective roles.

Ashley Judd – A Time to Kill – 1996

Later that year, Judd appeared opposite Matthew McConaughey in Joel Schumacher’s adaptation of John Grisham’s best-seller, A Time to Kill.

McConaughey played a southern lawyer who – given the fact that he is played by Matthew McConaughey and the film is directed by Joel “Batman must have nipples” Schumacher – wears a shirt a surprising amount of the time. This fully clothed lawyer represents a father played by Samuel L. Jackson who is on trial for killing the men who raped his daughter. And also possibly for being a Bad Mother Fucker. That part of the case was never really fleshed out.

Judd played McConaughey’s wife because those are the kind of roles she was getting at the time. Wife roles.

The star-studded cast included Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Oliver Platt and Kiefer Sutherland. Double Sutherland Bonus!

Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a hit at the box office. As with Heat, Judd’s role was small. But her involvement increased her profile in Hollywood.

Judd was also rumored to have dated McConaughey at this time. She really has a type, doesn’t she?

Ashley Judd – Normal Life – 1996

Judd ended 1996 by starring opposite Luke Perry in the crime drama, Normal Life.

Perry played a cop who falls for Judd’s sexy psychopath. The couple gets married and she positively destroys his life. He loses his job and decides to rob banks to support his crazy, sexy wife.

Despite mostly positive reviews, Normal Life did not receive a wide release.

Ashley Judd – The Locusts -1997

In 1997, Judd appeared opposite Vince Vaughn (who was hot off of Swingers) in the bizarre drama, The Locusts.

Vaughn played a drifter who wanders into town, beats up a drunk and steals his girlfriend. He’s hired on by a local rancher with a taste for younger men played by Kate (Mrs. Stephen Spielberg) Capshaw. Vaughn’s character has to deal with a romantic triangle while trying to help Capshaw’s troubled son. The son, played by Jeremy Davies, has spent time in a mental hospital and will only speak to his pet bull.

I should warn you that the movie features “a full graphic bull castration” which sent test audiences running from the theater with their hands over their mouths. Larry Gleeson, president of MGM’s worldwide distribution at the time, commented “You can do anything to a human being, but just don’t hurt an animal.”

Apparently the studio was surprised by audiences having a negative reaction to “a full graphic bull castration”. Audiences can be unpredictable like that. As a rule of thumb, I would suggest to Larry that any depiction of a graphic castration – bull or otherwise – is likely to alienate roughly one half of your audience.

Ashley Judd – Kiss the Girls – 1997

Later that year, Judd starred opposite Morgan Freeman in the thriller Kiss the Girls.

Freeman played Dr. Alex Cross, the forensic psychologist of James Patterson’s novels. In Kiss the Girls, Cross’ niece is missing and suspected kidnapped by a serial killer called Casanova. Judd played one of the killers’ victims who escapes and helps lead Cross to her captor.

Critics weren’t fond of Kiss the Girls. They called it Silence of the Lambs Lite. But it was a hit at the box office. Judd was nominated for two Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for her performance. Not exactly Oscars, but a sign of the movie’s popularity with the masses. Freeman returned for a sequel, Along Came a Spider, but Judd’s character did not return. The franchise was rebooted by Tyler Perry with 2012’s Cross.

Ashley Judd – Simon Birch – 1998

In 1998, Judd appeared opposite Oliver Platt and the kid from Jurassic Park in Simon Birch.

Simon Birch was a loose adaptation of John Irving’s novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Irving had his doubts that his novel could possibly be adapted into a movie. So when he sold the rights, he did so with certain strings attached. First of all, the movie could not share the name of Irving’s novel. Secondly, they couldn’t use Irving’s name either.

Irving made the decision to distance himself from the project before anyone was even attached to it. So you know he must have felt pretty good about that decision when director Mark Steven Johnson signed on to direct. MSJ was the auteur behind both Grumpy Old Men movies. Later he would go on to direct Jack Frost in which Michael Keaton plays a dad who gets reincarnated as a snow man. Then he went on a streak of crappy Marvel super hero movies; Daredevil, Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider 2!

What I’m saying is, Mark Steven Johnson is a hack who had absolutely no chance of adapting Irving’s novel into a decent movie.

Jim Carrey narrates the film and plays the Jurassic Park kid all grown up. He reflects back on his difficult childhood raised by a single mom played ever so saintly by Judd who practically wears a halo. His best friend is Simon Birch who is afflicted with a condition that stunts his growth. The fact that Simon survived his own birth is a medical miracle which convinces the small child that he has a greater purpose in life.

The goal is to tell a whimsical, life-affirming fable filled with laughter and tears. So many tears that the audience’s weeping would flood the theater. Johnson strains so hard to jerk tears from the viewer that he instead elicits laughter.

The following clip contains spoilers. But damn, if it isn’t the funniest thing I have seen all week.

I mean “wow”! I watch a lot of bad movies for these articles. But this is really a movie in which a kid with Morquio syndrome killed his best friend’s mom with a foul ball. I mean, that really happened. Someone wrote that down in the script, other people acted it out and Mark Steven Johnson didn’t play it for laughs.

Reviews were mostly negative and Simon Birch flopped at the box office.

Before we move on, because I could talk about Simon Birch all day, the movie marks a turning point in Judd’s career. Up until now, she had typically played the sexy siren. She was so sexy that she drove Encino Man to kill. So sexy she pushed a cop into a life of crime. So sexy that bulls required graphic castration. When she wasn’t driving people mad with her extreme sexiness, she was the sexy wife of lawyers and/or criminals.

But with Simon Birch, Judd toned down the sex appeal. Oh sure, the kid still lusted after her. But Judd was now a saintly single mom doomed to die of sports-related injuries.

Ashley Judd – Double Jeopardy – 1999

In 1999, Judd starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones in the thriller, Double Jeopardy.

Judd played a wife whose husband (played by Bruce Greenwood) frames her for his murder. While she is serving her jail sentence, Judd’s character realizes that her scumbag husband is still alive. After serving six years in prison, Judd’s character decides to hunt down her husband and kill him for real this time. Based on the legal advice of a fellow inmate, Judd’s character believes that she can not be convicted of killing him a second time. (We’ll get to the wisdom of taking legal advice from people serving jail sentences in a minute.)

Actresses who turned down Double Jeopardy.

After Meg Ryan, Brook Shields and Michelle Pfeiffer all passed on Double Jeopardy, Jodie Foster signed on to star. Director Bruce Beresford recalls meeting with Foster about the role:

“She said to me once, when we were having . . .not an argument, we had different points of view over something, and she said, ‘We’ll have to do it my way, I’m afraid.’ And I said, ‘Why, Jodie?’ And she said, ‘Because I’m so intelligent. I’m such an intelligent person that there is no point in disagreeing with me because I’m always right.’ I thought she was joking, but she wasn’t! She had this extraordinary opinion of her own IQ.”

Fortunately for Beresford, Foster became pregnant and had to drop out. She was replaced by Judd who was not so outspoken about her intelligence.

Reviews were mixed to negative, but Double Jeopardy was a hit at the box office. OJ Simpson defender, Alan Dershowitz, took the movie to task for its interpretation of the Fifth Amendment:

“There are two separate incidents. She was falsely accused the first time. And maybe she can sue for that or get some credit. But then she committed an entirely separate or at least planned to commit an entirely separate crime the second time. And there’s just no defense of double jeopardy for doing it the second time.”

Lesson learned. Do not take legal advice from Ashley Judd thrillers.

Ashley Judd – Eye of the Beholder – 1999

Later that year, Judd starred opposite Ewan McGregor in the thriller, Eye of the Beholder.

McGregor played an investigator known as “The Eye”. He is tasked with tracking down the son of a wealthy man. The trail leads to a serial killer played by Judd. But rather than turn her in, The Eye follows her around the world as she goes on a killing spree. He observes her crimes while trying to save her.

Reviews were terrible and the movie bombed.

Ashley Judd – Where the Heart Is – 2000

In 2000, Judd appeared opposite Natalie Portman in the big screen adaptation of the best-selling novel. Where the Heart Is.

Portman plays a pregnant girl whose boyfriend abandons her at a Wal-Mart. Portman’s character does what any sensible mom-to-be would do and starts living out of the Wal-Mart. When her baby is born – a daughter who she names Americus – she befriends a nurse played by Judd. The nurse reveals that she too is a single mom. And while she does not live in a Wal-Mart, she does have four children by three different baby-daddy.

This movie is a mess. It veers from one absurd plot twist to the next. The entire movie is populated by the kind of people Hollywood thinks live in the fly-over states but really don’t exist.

Reviews were mostly negative and the box office was so-so.

Ashley Judd – Someone Like You – 2001

In 2001, Judd starred opposite Greg Kinnear and Hugh Jackman in the romantic comedy, Someone Like You.

Judd played a daytime talk-show producer who gets dumped by her boyfriend played by Kinnear. She comes up with this entire theory about how men are like animals. This idea is so novel, it turns her into a media sensation. She does unscientific research with her roommate who bears a striking resemblance to Wolverine.

Someone like you is the kind of movie where Marisa Tomei plays the best friend who exists solely to support the lead actress, Greg Kinnear plays the sleazy handsome guy he plays in almost every movie and Hugh Jackman doesn’t have adamantium claws. In other words, it’s a by the book rom com with a generic title to match.

Reviews were mostly negative and the movie flopped at the box office.

Ashley Judd – High Crimes – 2002

Judd had a busy year in 2002. First, she reunited with Morgan Freeman for another thriller, High Crimes.

Judd played an attorney who discovers that her husband has deceived her about his identity. She really should be more careful about the men she married. This husband is played by Jim Caviezel. He is arrested and tried for the murder of Latin American villagers from his time in the Marines. Judd turns to a former military attorney played by Freeman for help.

Reviews were mostly negative and High Crimes disappointed at the box office.

Ashley Judd – Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – 2002

Later that year, Judd appeared as part of a large ensemble in the multi-generational chick flick, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Sandra Bullock starred as playwright who upsets her mother when she talks about her “unhappy childhood” in an interview in Time magazine. The comments spark a war between Bullock and her mother played by Ellen Burstyn. Burstyn’s childhood friends, the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, intervenes to end the mother-daughter conflict. They tell Bullock’s character about the trials and tribulations her mother faced when she was young. Judd played Bullock’s mother in flashbacks.

Despite mostly negative reviews, Ya-Ya was a success at the box office.

Ashley Judd – Frida – 2002

Judd ended the year by playing Tina Modotti in the biopic, Frida.

Salma Hayek starred as painter Frida Kahlo. Alfred Molina played her husband, muralist Diego Rivera. The couple had an open relationship. As Kahlo was bi-sexual, they sometimes romanced the same woman.

Reviews were mostly positive and Frida was an art house hit.

Ashley Judd – Twisted – 2004

In 2004, Judd starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia in Philip Kaufman’s thriller, Twisted.

Judd played a San Francisco cop who gets a promotion after solving a big case. Jackson played her mentor who was also her father’s partner. Her father was a cop who went insane and killed Judd’s mother. So when several of Judd’s lovers start turning up dead, Judd’s character worries that she might be losing her mind. Garcia played Judd’s partner who is also a suspect. Because it’s the kind of movie where everyone is a suspect.

Reviews were uniformly negative. Roger Ebert summed it up thusly, “Walks like a thriller and talks like a thriller, but it squawks like a turkey.” Twisted tanked at the box office.

Ashley Judd – De-Lovely – 2004

Later that year, Judd starred opposite Kevin Kline in Irwin Winkler’s Cole Porter bio-pic, De-Lovely.

Kline played the legendary songwriter. And Judd played his wife who is willing to turn a blind eye to his extramarital affairs at first. Eventually their relationship falls apart over blackmail photos of Porter with another man.

Judd sought out the role of Linda Porter. Winkler assumed she was too expensive. But Judd wanted the part badly enough to take a pay cut. In real life, Linda Porter was several years older than her husband. But Judd was 21 years younger than Kline.

Reviews were mixed and the movie flopped. But Judd was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Ashley Judd – Come Early Morning – 2006

In 2006, Judd starred in Joey Lauren Adams’ directorial debut, Come Early Morning.

Judd played a woman who makes a habit of getting drunk and having one-night stands on the weekend. Come early morning, she takes off.

Adams originally wrote the screenplay with the intent to star in the movie herself. But eventually she decided she could not play the lead role and direct. Casting Judd helped Adams the film’s $6 million dollar budget.

Despite mostly positive reviews, the film failed to recoup its modest budget.

Ashley Judd – Bug – 2007

In 2007, Bug was released. It had been shown at Cannes in 2006.

Judd played a waitress who engages in self-destructive behavior. Her friend introduces her to a drifter, played by Michael Shannon. The drifter convinces Judd that she must hand over Kal-el or suffer the consequences. No, that’s not right. He has delusions about a government conspiracy that involves bug infestations.

The movie was adapted from a stage play of the same name. Shannon reprised his role from the play.

When Judd first met director William Friedkin at a social event, she complimented him for a scene she really liked from The French Connection II. Unfortunately, Friedkin did not direct the sequel. Judd said Friedkin was very “gracious” about it.

Reviews were mixed to positive. Bug turned a small profit on its modest budget.

Ashley Judd – Crossing Over – 2009

In 2009, Judd appeared opposite Harrison Ford and Ray Liotta in the immigration drama, Crossing Over.

Crossing Over is one of those over-lapping story movies. It’s like Traffic except instead of being about drugs, it’s about immigration. Liotta plays an immigration officer who has a car accident with an illegal immigrant played by Alice Eve. He makes a deal with her whereby he will get her a green card in exchange for sexual favors. Judd played the lovely man’s wife.

Ford was originally attached to Traffic. He was unhappy with the screenplay and insisted on a lot of changes. After the changes were made, Ford dropped out of the picture anyway. Michael Douglas who had previously turned down the role liked the improvements and agreed to star. He thanked Ford repeatedly for fixing the script for him. I suspect Ford signed on to this movie because he was afraid Douglas would come along and steal it from him.

Ford needn’t have worried. Crossing Over was a stinker. It was filmed in 2007 and sat on a shelf for two years. Director Wayne Kramer had final cut. His cut of the film ran 140 minutes. But Harvey Weinstein refused to release the film to theaters unless he trimmed it to two hours. Kramer finally caved and Crossing Over was released to bad reviews. It flopped at the box office.

Ashley Judd – Tooth Fairy – 2010

In 2010, Judd appeared opposite Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson in the family comedy, Tooth Fairy.

Tooth Fairy is one of those movies where the only joke is that a big action star is put in a less-than-macho situation. Ever since Kindergarten Cop, just about every muscled-up action star has done one. In Tooth Fairy, The Rock plays a hockey player who becomes a tooth fairy. Judd played his girlfriend and the mother of a little girl whose lost tooth sets the plot in motion.

Regular readers know my rule. I refuse to watch family comedies in which someone gets hit in the crotch in the trailer. So sadly, I missed this one. No surprise it was originally written for Arnold Schwarzenegger back in 1992.

In spite of bad reviews, Tooth Fairy was a modest hit. Judd hadn’t had so much as a modest hit since the Ya-Ya Sisterhood 8 years prior!

Ashley Judd – Dolphin Tale – 2011

In 2011, Judd appeared opposite Harry Connick, Jr (who had a supporting role in Bug) and Morgan Freeman (with whom she starred in Kiss the Girls and High Crimes) in the family drama, Dolphin Tale.

The movie is based on a true story about a boy and his dolphin. Judd plays the boys single mom because Judd is Hollywood’s favorite single mom. This particular dolphin has lost its tail in a crab trap. Fortunately, Lucius Fox is available to build the dolphin a Bat-tail with which to fight crime and perform tricks. Well, not exactly. But that would have been awesome.

Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a surprise hit at the box office. It opened at number 3 behind the Lion King re-release and Moneyball which isn’t terribly impressive. But in its second weekend, it dropped a mere 27.4% which is amazing these days. That allowed it to take the #1 spot in its second week.

A sequel is in the works.

Ashley Judd – Missing – 2012

In 2012, Judd appeared in the ABC TV series, Missing.

Missing was basically Taken with Judd in the Liam Neeson role. The show was not a hit and was cancelled after 10 episodes aired.

When Judd was doing publicity for the show, she was criticized for having a puffy face. Many in the media claimed she had plastic surgery. Judd blasted these reports claiming to have gained weight from a “lazy six months of not exercising” in addition to steroids she was taking for an illness.

Ashley Judd – Olympus Has Fallen – 2013

In 2013, Judd appeared opposite Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman (in their fourth film together) in Antoine Fuqua’s presidential action flick, Olympus Has Fallen.

Judd played the first lady to Eckhart’s president. Butler played a secret service agent who must save the president from Korean terrorists, repel a Persian invasion and romance Kathrine Heigl.

The production was racing against another movie with basically the same plot, Whitehouse Down. Olympus hit theaters first and reaped the rewards. Despite mixed reviews and the presence of Gerard Butler, the movie was a hit at the box office.

Ashley Judd and Mitch McConnell

As Judd’s film career has cooled, she has become very active in politics and humanitarian work. I won’t bother listing all the charities Judd has donated her time to. It’s a lot. In 2013, Judd teased her Twitter followers that she might launch a campaign to unseat Kentucky Senator, Angry Old White Guy McConnell. Unfortunately, Judd decided not to run. I don’t care what your politics are, that would have been fun to watch.

Ashley Judd – Divergent – 2014

In 2014, Judd appeared in the adaptation of the young adult novel, Divergent.

Shailene Woodley starred as a reluctant heroine in a dystopian future who is NOT Katniss Everdeen. In this future, society is divided into five factions which represent the virtues of being selfless, peaceful, honest, brave and intelligent. So apparently all the smart people are selfish, violent, lying cowards? Woodley’s character discovers that she is a “divergent” which means that like every single person I have ever met, she doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Tony Goldwyn and Judd played Woodley’s parents.

Despite mixed reviews, Divergent opened in first place at the box office. It didn’t do Twilight or Hunger Games numbers, but it was a solid hit.

Ashley Judd – The Identical – 2014

Later that year, Judd appeared in the indie drama, The Identical.

Real-life Elvis impersonator Blake Rayne starred in dual roles as identical twin brothers. One goes on to become an Elvis-like rock legend named Drexel Hemsley. The other is adopted by a preacher and his wife played by Ray Liotta and Judd. They try to raise their adopted son as a preacher, but he wants to follow his own path.

The Identical was panned by critics.

Randy Cordova, from The Arizona Republic, wrote:

Elvis Presley made some bad movies, but let’s give the King his due: He never made anything as outright awful as The Identical.

Quad-City Times film critic Linda Cook wrote:

Fans of bad movies, please note: This is a must-see. This is so bad it must be seen to be believed — Showgirls bad, a vision that slowly goes wrong, then terribly wrong, then hits disaster levels. In a sense, it’s an Ed Wood-ian exercise in wrong.

In its opening weekend, The Identical finished in an embarrassing 12th place.

Ashley Judd – Dolphin Tale 2 – 2014

Next, Judd reunited with Morgan Freeman for the fifth time in the aquatic sequel, Dolphin Tale 2.

In the sequel, the team that saved the life of a dolphin in the first movie has to come together again to find another dolphin that can share a pool with Winter, the dolphin they saved in the first movie. Harry Connick, Jr. and Kris Kristofferson co-starred.

Reviews for the sequel were mixed with many critics noting that it was essentially the a remake of the first movie. It opened in second place at the box office and grossed around $40 million in the US. There was talk of making a third Dolphin Tale, but that seems unlikely based on the sequel’s box office performance.

Ashley Judd – Big Stone Gap – 2014

Judd co-starred opposite Patrick Wilson in the Appalachian rom-com, Big Stone Gap.

Judd played a self-described spinster in the the small town of Big Stone Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Her life is turned upside down one day in 1978 when she discovers she is not who she thought she was. Suddenly, she is fielding all kinds of marriage proposals.

Big Stone Gap opened the 2014 Virginia Film Festival.

In 2015, Judd appeared in the Divergent sequel, Insurgent.

Just before the opening of Insurgent, Judd made headlines by taking on Twitter trolls.

Judd was attending the SEC championship game and tweeted her opinion that Arkansas was “playing dirty & can kiss my team’s free throw making ass.” She later deleted the tweet, but not before being pounced on by rude sports fans. Judd tweeted a response:

When when I express a stout opinion during #MarchMadness I am called a whore, c—, threatened with sexual violence. Not okay.

Judd retweeted some of the more offensive responses she received and told NBC News that she would be filing charges. According to Judd:

I routinely cope with tweets that sexualize, objectify, insult, degrade and even physically threaten me. But this particular tsunami of gender-based violence and misogyny flooding my Twitter feed was overwhelming. Tweets rolled in, calling me a cunt, a whore or a bitch, or telling me to suck a two-inch dick. Some even threatened rape, or “anal anal anal”.

Soon after, Judd posted an essay in which she described her history with abuse:

I am a survivor of sexual assault, rape and incest. I am greatly blessed that in 2006, other thriving survivors introduced me to recovery. The summer of 1984 was tough for me. I experienced two rapes by an adult and systematic molestation from another adult, who also had another man in the room watching (I now understand this was to ensure he had a witness, in order to undermine me in the event I tried to report the incident). The nature of recovering from trauma is that it can be ongoing, with deeper levels of healing and freedom coming with indefatigable persistence to keep chipping away at it.

Judd ended with a call to arms for people to fight against cyber-bullying. Look, I have had some fun at the expense of celebrities here at What the Hell Happened. Heck, I’ve had some fun at Judd’s expense in this article. But there’s a line. Know where it is.

With our public service message out of the way, let’s get back to talking about movies.

So, what the hell happened?

Judd started her career with sexy roles in independent films. She found success in moderately budgeted Hollywood thrillers and rose to the A-list. But she couldn’t repeat the success of Kiss the Girls and Double Jeopardy. Judd transitioned into single-mom roles in dramas aimed at female audiences. But her track record was spotty. She hasn’t had a $100 million dollar box office hit since Kiss the Girls in 1999. In between her more modest hits, Judd had long stretches of small movies and flops.

There’s no doubt that Judd’s charitable work and political activism must play a role in the decline of her film career. As busy as she has been with her charities and campaigning, she couldn’t give acting her full attention. But this is always one of those chicken-and-the-egg arguments. Did Judd’s career cool because she was spending time doing other things? Or did she devote more time to other things because her career was cooling?

There have also been rumors of Judd being difficult to deal with. There are stories of her handing out “quietness stones” to people she doesn’t want to talk to. Once you receive a stone from Judd, you aren’t allowed to address her until she takes it back. Or so the rumor goes. If true, that kind of alienating behavior can definitely catch up with an actress once her career starts to cool down.

Note: You’re probably noticing something missing from this article. It was originally written in 2013 long before the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement. In the hopefully near future I will find the time to update this article to include this information as it was clearly a big factor in Judd’s career.

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