Like it or not, actors have become just as much of a brand as Coca-Cola or McDonald's. And just like those companies, Hollywood thespians need to evolve in order to stay above their competition.



Whether it be out of necessity or a simple desire to do something different, every actor will, at some time or another, update their image and branch out into uncharted territories. Sometimes that means venturing into genres that audiences aren't used to seeing them in, other times it means completely overhauling their public persona because they've been involved in one too many scandals.

These so-called "rebirths" don't always work out. If they did, Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson would still be in-demand, and Macauley Culkin would be starring in the next Avengers movie. Still, odds are usually in the favor of those who try to, in marketing parlance, "diversify their brand."

Actors who really dedicate themselves to a revival tend to reap the rewards, benefitting from a second - or third, or fourth - act that allows their mugs to stay on movie posters for years to come.