Is 2014 The Year Of The Hollywood Comeback?

As 1990s heartthrob Josh Hot-nett (sorry) is confirmed for a second series of Penny Dreadful, all hail the revival of these other cult LaLa land stars…

Lindsay Lohan

Child star, pop princess, Mean Girl, car crash… oh and that ill-fated ‘turn’ as Elizabeth Taylor. La Lohan’s no stranger to a career comeback, but her next one – in David Mamet’s West End production of Speed-the-Plow, in a role previously played by Madonna – is the most intriguing yet. Will she get a standing ovation? Or even a sitting one? Will she turn up to rehearsals? Find out at London’s Playhouse Theatre from 2 October.

Liv Tyler

Whether you girl crushed on her in the 1990s (er, hello, Stealing Beauty), were a wannabe rock chick (the Aerosmith connection was pretty cool… wasn’t it?) or just had one massive Lord of The Rings moment (don’t be shy, now), we’ve all loved a bit of Liv Tyler at one point. Then she kind of went off the radar. Now, she’s back and totally 2014-ing her career AKA heading up a cool new TV series, obvs. The Leftovers (going out on Sky Atlantic in September) also stars the delectable Justin Theroux. We can’t wait.

Ben Affleck

If there was one male lead role in Hollywood more coveted than ol Christian Grey, it’s got to be Gone Girl’s charismatic-but-slightly-creepy Nick Dunne in David Fincher’s long, long, long-awaited film adaptation. So bravo to Ben Affleck for not only bagging the role of his career, but totally owning it (he’s exactly how we pictured him). He’s weathered the Bennifer storm, garnered (no pun intended re: his wife Jennifer) much deserved director accolades (for Argo et al) – now come October 4, Hollywood’s golden boy will be back, where we want him, on our big screens.

Christina Applegate

The best thing about Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues last December was not Will Ferrell’s one-liners (or flares) or even Brick’s affair with Kristen Wiig, but the return of the massively underrated Christina Applegate. Yep, her of Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, The Sweetest Thing, and Married With Children fame, and who can forget The One Where She Played Rachel’s Sister in Friends? In October she’ll star alongside Zoe Saldana and Channing Tatum in The Book Of Life. The red carpet beckons.

Shia LaBeouf

Okay, not entirely a comeback, more a comeback-and-face-the-music? Yep, after the ‘artistic integrity’ attacks, the ‘retirement’ from fame, and that brown paper bag, all eyes will be on Mr LaBeouf when his next release, gripping war drama Fury finally comes later this year. Welcome back. If they’re the right words? Probably not in this case.