Maybe it is the curse of all who start out as a child star. Whatever the reason, it seems that Lindsay Lohan was destined to go on a bender in the wake of too much success. Starting out as a fashion model at the age of three before transitioning to film, Lohan was never very far from the spotlight, which is why all of her faux pas have been scrutinized and, consequently, augmented by the media.
The Parent Trap (1998)
Attention was first drawn to Lohan in a major capacity when, at age twelve, she was cast in the roles of Hallie Parker and Annie James. Directed and written by Hollywood heavyweight Nancy Meyers, the film went on to gross slightly over 92 million dollars. The reception of Lohan's performance landed her a three-picture contract with Disney (which would ultimately manifest in the form of Life-Size, Get A Clue, and Freaky Friday).
Other of Lohan's Disney collaborations would go on to include Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Herbie: Fully Loaded (of which there would be many puns in tabloids and gossip magazines as a result of her drunken behavior). It was at this period in her life that Lohan's Disney appeal had clearly waned.
Mean Girls (2004)
Tina Fey's adaptation of the novel Queen Bees and Wannabes into Mean Girls, the '00s equivalent of Heathers, is what cemented Lohan as the leader of the teen movie genre. Both a critical and commercial profit, Lohan carved out perhaps her most memorable role apart from April in Robert Rodriguez's Machete.
Soon after the theatrical release of Mean Girls, Lohan began promoting her upcoming album, Speak, which would come out in December of 2004.
Speak and Recording Deal With Casablanca Records
While some were skeptical about Lohan's abilities as a musician, she had already revealed her propensities as a singer on the soundtracks for both Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Freaky Friday. The record was to be the first in her five-album deal with Tommy Mottola's Casablanca Records.
The tone of Speak is angst-ridden and moody, the perfect complement to Lohan's blossoming persona at the time. Her first single from the album, "Rumors," addressed her irritation over the assumptions surrounding her personal life, a motif that would only persist as her career forged ahead.
The First Signs of a Fall
Lohan wasted no time in establishing film and music projects for 2005. Production for Herbie: Fully Loaded began seemingly without a hitch until Lohan was hospitalized for kidney infection, leading to rumors about her heavy partying lifestyle. Lohan also began dating Wilmer Valderrama after a guest appearance on That '70s Show. As a result, the paparazzi were increasingly emboldened to snap Lohan's photo at any cost.
In 2006, this would lead Lohan to get into a car accident after being tailed by a paparazzo. While there were accusations that Lohan's crash was intentional, there was no evidence to support this claim.
Just My Luck (2006) Signals Lohan's First Film Failure
In spite of Lohan's tantalizing personal life up until this point, she had still managed to spin box office gold with all of her film roles. That is, until the Donald Petrie (of Miss Congeniality fame)-directed movie, Just My Luck. As with many of Lohan's movies, Just My Luck takes place in New York (a city Lohan undoubtedly feels at home in considering it is her place of birth) and is vaguely reminiscent of Freaky Friday in that Ashley Albright (Lohan) switches luck with Jake Hardin (Chris Pine) after they kiss at a masquerade ball. Unfortunately, Just My Luck did not mirror Freaky Friday in terms of movie ticket sales.
With the lackluster reception of Just My Luck, Lohan went in a different direction altogether, taking on movies with less commercial potential, such as Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion and the Emilio Estevez-directed biopic, Bobby. Still, Lohan couldn't shake the negative press surrounding her offscreen behavior.
DUIs and Rehab
2007 would become the year that Lohan would be knocked off her pedestal by reports of all-night partying and drunken antics that led James G. Robinson, the head of Morgan Creek Productions, to seethe that she was "discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional."
On May 26, 2007, right before Lohan was slated to start production on another movie, she was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of cocaine. The producers of the film, entitled Poor Things, agreed to wait for Lohan to go through the 45-day program at Promises Treatment Center.
Once again, on July 24, 2007, right before production on Poor Things was set to reconvene, Lohan was slapped with felony and misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, cocaine possession, and driving with a suspended license.
In August, Lohan was admitted to the Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah. Lohan was additionally sentenced to three years of probation. Another film she had released at this time, I Know Who Killed Me, suffered from Lohan's negative publicity and lack of promotion.
Lohan Pursues TV and Fashion
After the controversy surrounding the events of 2007, Lohan remained low-key in selecting projects in 2008. Her first onscreen appearance since her arrest would be as a former high school bully to Betty (America Ferrera) on ABC's Ugly Betty. Later that year, Lohan also launched a fashion line called 6126 (in honor of Marilyn Monroe's birthday) that focused heavily on leggings. Lohan's affinity for Marilyn Monroe would also take shape in a photo shoot for New York Magazine emulating the last photographs ever taken of Monroe.
Dating Samantha Ronson
Although Lohan's relationships always garnered attention, including her time with Wilmer Valderrama, Jared Leto, and Ryan Adams, gossip blogs and magazines went into a frenzy after learning Lohan was dating well-known DJ Samantha Ronson. The pair parted ways in 2009, leaving many to question Lohan's sexuality, though Lohan herself has stated, "I don't want to classify myself."
2010 and Beyond
Lohan faced more legal troubles in 2010 after she failed to appear for a court-ordered hearing regarding her last DUI. In Cannes at the time, the hearing was rescheduled in May. At another hearing in June, the judge determined Lohan had violated the terms of her probation and sentenced her to 90 days in jail and three months spent at a rehabilitation facility thereafter. Lohan served 14 of those days in prison as a result of L.A. County's policy on diminishing overcrowding by releasing offenders who committed a nonviolent crime.
Lohan subsequently checked into rehab at UCLA where she was released after 23 days. In September, Robert Rodriguez's Machete was released to mixed reviews about Lohan's performance. Lohan was unable to appear at publicity events promoting the film.
As 2011 began, it seemed for a brief moment that Lohan was on the road to redemption, that is, until she was arrested for stealing a necklace on February 9. The crime resulted in house arrest and a total of 480 hours of community service.
At the moment, Lohan has no upcoming film projects announced, though she has continued to achieve success with her appearance in the January/February 2012 issue of Playboy, where, once again, she pays tribute to the aesthetic of Marilyn Monroe.
Lohan's name also got in the press after New Year's Eve when a 64-year-old man named Lonnie Short trespassed on her Venice, California property and refused to leave. The man was arrested and given a restraining order immediately thereafter.
Based on all of the unexpected plot points in the actress' life, it just goes to show that, no matter what Lohan's current standing in the entertainment industry may be, she always manages to land on her feet.
Sources:
- Marshall, Sarah. Lindsay Lohan: The Biography. London, England: John Blake Publishing Ltd., 2007.
- Associated Press. MSNBC: "Studio Exec: Lohan 'Acted Like A Spoiled Child,'" July 26, 2006.
Genna Rivieccio - Genna Rivieccio's brain was designed specifically to retain an amalgam of pop culture images, references, and sound bites.
