What happened to Vince Vaughn?

Vince Vaughn was a comedy megastar in the 2000s. He was the star of such classics as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Break-Up (2006), and Couples Retreat (2009), to name a handful. And when he wasn’t starring, he stole scenes in cult favorites like Old School (2003) or Starsky and Hutch (2004). It really seemed like the actor was unstoppable, especially when you factor in some of the dramatic supporting roles he took in the 1990s. Vaughn had range and was someone who was going to stick around.

At least, we thought he was. Vaughn has mostly disappeared from the public eye in the last decade, and it’s happened so gradually that some fans haven’t even noticed. The last culturally relevant release he was part of was the second season of True Detective in 2015, and most people agree that Vaughn was miscast in the role of a hardened gangster. Let’s delve into some of his recent output and determine what happened.

What makes Vince Vaughn such a notable name?

It’s safe to say that comedy is Vaughn’s specialty. He’s proven that he can get laughs with the best of them, and there seems to be a direct correlation between his waning popularity and the popularity of mainstream comedy. Delivery Man (2013) and Unfinished Business (2015) were attempts to recapture the magic of Vaughn’s earlier hits, but neither managed to connect with audiences.

Vaughn, in an attempt to stick with his comedy chops also teamed up once more with Owen Wilson in 2013’s buddy-comedy, The Internship. Not long after that, he contributed as an executive producer and voice actor for the animated comedy, F is for Family, which ran from 2015 to 2021. He also made a handful of appearances in the ever-popular comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, from 2020 to 2021.

Queenpins (2021) was the last full-fledged Vaughn comedy, and it bombed, grossing only $1.2 million on a $20 million budget.

When did Vaughn change up his acting repertoire?

In an effort to evolve, Vaughn has turned to drama. It’s worked from an artistry standpoint, as the actor has given some of his best-ever performances in films like Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017), and Dragged Across Concrete (2018). The problem is these films draw very little attention from casual fans. They are cult releases, destined to connect with particular niches of fans and critics, but doomed with a minuscule box office performance.

Vaughn’s eclecticism has continued into the 2020s. He gave an intriguing performance in the neo-noir Arkansas (2020) and was surprisingly effective in the coming-of-age drama North Hollywood (2021).

Vince Vaughn’s activities away from acting might’ve played a role

In 2019, Vaughn was convicted of reckless driving stemming from a 2018 arrest on suspicion of drunken driving in California. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to undergo a three-month alcohol abuse program, as a result of a no-contest plea deal.

Something else to consider is Vaughn’s political beliefs. The actor is a self-described libertarian, having previously shown support for notable politicians such as Ron Paul and Rand Paul. And he received criticism in 2020 when he was seen casually talking to, and even glad-handing then-President Donald Trump.

Many fans took to social media to condemn the actor, which he addressed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

“I think people are more charged than ever about these things, I was raised with the idea that you could have different likes and beliefs and you should respect and defend that in other people, not shout it down. The people you disagree with the most, you should stand up for their right to do that.”

Whether or not it’s Vaughn’s political lean or his decision to go the indie route, or even a slight run-in with the law is why he’s seemingly, “slipped away” in recent years, remains to be seen. But if you miss the actor and still want to see him dominate the screen, you can always do so. You just have to dig a little further than you’re used to.