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Tobey Maguire was once one of the most popular names in Hollywood, riding high from the three Spider-Man films made in the 2000s. He played Marvel’s most beloved superhero in a trilogy that made him one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. However, when the third film wrapped in 2007, his career seemingly took a turn for the worse.
Instead of capitalizing on the fame, he pulled back hard and between 2008 and 2013, he showed up in only a handful of lead roles, including a quick blink and you’ll miss it cameo in Tropic Thunder. For someone with his box office power, the slowdown was undoubtedly hard to ignore.
Maguire shifted his focus by 2014. He got behind the camera and produced Pawn Sacrifice, a film he also acted in. It showed Bobby Fischer’s legendary chess rivalry against Boris Spassky during the Cold War. It was a passion project for him, and he spent years trying to bring it to fruition, per Far Out Magazine. But serious, adult-driven dramas were not exactly setting the sparks away at studio meetings, and despite his commitment, it was unsuccessful.
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After that, he fully disappeared and there were no live-action appearances for seven years, just a voice role in The Boss Baby in 2017. He was still producing, helping to get six more movies made, but when it came to on-screen, he was gone. His absence didn’t come with a big announcement, but it was quiet and gradual.
Tobey Maguire for Pawn’s Sacrifice (2004) pic.twitter.com/4J3GKIggqd
— Karen ᥫ᭡ 🇲🇽 (@niallerhbw) January 31, 2023
When Maguire finally returned in 2021, it was with a strange double feature. At first came a twisted supporting role in Babylon, where he played a ghostly figure floating through the grime of old Hollywood. Then came Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he suited up once again as the character that made him a star. However, even then, he didn’t act like a man with a comeback plan. He admitted he didn’t know what would come next as scripts didn’t move him the way they once did. If a role didn’t hit him with the energy of a favorite song, he wouldn’t do it and thanks to the money from Spider-Man, he didn’t really need to.
“When they called initially… I was like, ‘Finally'” 🙏
“Working with Andrew [Garfield] and Tom [Holland] was so dear to me, it really was special … It kind of reinvigorated my interest in performing. It felt like a real brotherhood”
— Tobey Maguire on #SpiderManNoWayHome 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/KFLs2dR7QV
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 2, 2023
Apparently, Maguire’s retreat might not have been driven by boredom alone. In 2011, Maguire’s name surfaced in an underground Hollywood gambling ring. He was dragged into a lawsuit and accused of taking over $300,000 from a convicted fraudster during illegal poker games. He settled the case quietly for $80,000 but his name was already stained by then.
Molly Bloom, who ran the games and later wrote a book about them, didn’t speak kindly of him. Stories came out about his behavior and truth be told, some of them are petty and unpleasant. There was even one incident which involved him allegedly demanding a woman bark like a seal just for mere humiliation.
POV: Imagine getting your life ruined by Tobey Maguire in a Molly Bloom poker game. pic.twitter.com/KEy2zoJDgo
— Nathan Flynn (@nathanflynn) September 16, 2021
Now, honestly, that kind of reputation doesn’t fade quickly in an industry built on image. This, combined with the fact that Maguire has limited desire to act, checks enough of the boxes for him to live in a sort of self-imposed exile. Whether he stays here or fades back into nothing again, Maguire seems to be at peace with being the guy that only shows up for the things that are going to matter to him.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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