The Transformation Of Megan Fox From Childhood To Till Death
Megan Fox's career has had quite the rollercoaster ride over the course of the last 15 years. From getting her start in teen soap operas and direct-to-video films to starring in major blockbusters like the first two "Transformers" films and the live-action "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" movies and appearing in cult films such as "Jennifer's Bod," Fox has built up quite the resume. After taking some time off and stepping away from the spotlight, Fox is in the midst of making a comeback in Hollywood.
As Fox recently stated in an interview, "I had this incredible breakthrough, and I realized that I had been living in a self-imposed prison for so long because I let other people tell me who I was or what I wasn't. I hid because I was hurt." With a mix of blockbusters and indie films on the horizon, Fox looks to be taking her career to new heights. Let's dive into Megan Fox's past history as well as what we can look forward to from her in the future.
Getting her start with Michael Bay, Lindsey Lohan, and the Olsen Twins
Fox had already began acting in films and television at 15 years old with the Mary Kate and Ashley direct-to-video film "Holiday in the Sun." Shortly after "Holiday In The Sun," Fox caught the attention of director Michael Bay and he cast her in a cameo role in his big-budgeted sequel "Bad Boys II." Fox also was a regular on several television series, including the soap opera "Ocean Ave," and the sitcom "Hope & Faith." Additionally, she scored a lead role opposite Lindsay Lohan in the Disney teen comedy "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," where she played the popular rival to Lohan's character.
It wasn't until she was 21 years old when she took the world by storm playing Mikaela Barnes, the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky in Bay's "Transformers." Soon, Fox found herself becoming a sex symbol as the internet became infatuated with her. She went on to star in the second "Transformers" film, "Revenge Of The Fallen," before ultimately having a public falling out with Bay.
Megan Fox's meteoric rise continues
After the "Transformers" films, Fox found herself being cast in plenty of high profile films. Most notably, Fox nabbed the leading role of Karyn Kusama and Oscar-winner Diablo Cody's satirical horror film "Jennifer's Body," in which she played a high school cheerleader who becomes possessed by a demonic entity and soon goes around murdering her male classmates. While the film initially received mixed to negative reviews with a 45% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film would later go on to become a feminist cult classic (via Vox). Fox also starred as the female lead in the DC Comics film "Jonah Hex," but the film was a massive disappointment and was largely panned by critics.
Fox then decided to give comedy a shot. She co-starred in the indie ensemble comedy "Friends with Kids" in 2011 along with Adam Scott, Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, and Maya Rudolph, and the film would go on to become one of Fox's highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes. Fox also worked with titans of the comedy genre, including having a cameo in Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator" and a supporting role in Judd Apatow's "This Is 40."
Ninja Turtles and New Girl
Despite her falling out with Michael Bay, he still ended up casting her in the coveted role of April O'Neil in the live-action "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" film that he was producing. While the 2014 film wasn't well-received by critics, it did end up surpassing expectations at the box office (via The Hollywood Reporter). Paramount and Bay's production company Platinum Dunes were quick to greenlight a sequel, which would have Fox back in the role as April. By the time the sequel titled "Out Of The Shadows" finally hit theaters in 2016, it ended up being a box office bomb (via Forbes) despite critics labeling it as an improvement over the first film.
The same year as "Out Of The Shadows," Fox went on to have a guest spot for multiple episodes on the Fox series "New Girl" and even filled in for star Zooey Deschanel. Fox ended up receiving some of the best reviews of her career for her role as Regan (via AV Club).
A fresh start
After briefly putting her career on pause, Fox has been focusing on making smaller films, most notably the low budget horror thriller "Till Death" which is the directorial debut of S.K. Dale. The film follows a woman, who after traveling to a remote lakehouse in the dead of the winter for her 10th wedding anniversary, finds herself handcuffed to her dead husband, and to make the situation even worse, she now must fight off two killers. "Till Death" has landed Fox with the strongest reviews of her career, clocking in with an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Meagan Navarro from Bloody Disugsting wrote that "Fox makes for a capable action lead."
Next up for Fox is a supporting role in the vampire flick "Night Teeth" over at Netflix which she'll star in opposite Jorge Lendeborg Jr and Sydney Sweeney. Fox will also be returning to the world of blockbusters with the recently announced fourth installment in "The Expendables" franchise alongside Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. It definitely seems like Fox is back for good.