Bollywood makes hundreds of films a year—all with different premises and genres. And being such a big and fascinating world, it's no surprise that actors from the west are also attracted to the Hindi Film Industry and Bollywood has always welcomed them with wide open arms. Even though some of them managed to make an impact with their screen presence but we wonder why they didn’t continue working here?
Have a look at some of these stars who shone with their on-screen avatars but then disappeared without leaving a trace, making us wonder what happened to them!
Rachel Shelley
Rachel Shelley shot to fame with her portrayal of Elizabeth, Captain Russell’s sister in the 2001 blockbuster Lagaan. She falls in love with Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) and teaches him and his team how to play cricket. The audiences fell in love with Rachel at once and fans wanted her to see more of her but she decided not to do any more Bollywood films and went back to her hometown. She later went on to do some TV series and went on to gather accolades for the portrayal of Helena Peabody in the Showtime series The L Word.
Paul Blackthorne
![publive-image publive-image](https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/filters:format(webp)/bollyy/media/media_files/uploads/2017/06/foregin-actors-6-300x154.jpg)
“Shart yeh hai ki tum humko iss khel mein haraao aur hum tumhara lagaan maaf kar dega" was one of the famous dialogues of Lagaan which formed the entire crux of the film. Paul Blackthorne's portrayal of captain Andrew Russell cemented him as one of the most promising western faces in Bollywood. However, Paul went on to act only in one film and then disappeared only to be seen in American TV series' later.
Clive Standen
Namastey London's 'Charlie Brown' made the girls swoon over him with his charming looks and personality. Girls wanted more of him but he also took the decision of not working in a Bollywood flick again and stuck to British Television only. Clive is now a famous face in British Television and has worked in many renowned shows like Vikings, Atlantis, Taken, Robinhood amongst others.
Alice Patten
Alice Patten melted our hearts with her character of Sue McKinley in Rang De Basanti. She became the eye-candy of the nation and almost laid the foundation of actors from the west working in Bollywood films. However, the actress also fizzled out, breaking a million hearts and was never seen in a Hindi film again.
Mish Boyko
Queen was a film which boasted of a bevy of foreign actors but Mish Boyko's portrayal of Alexander clearly shone out and stole the show. The British actor looked like he was straight out of a dream and won our hearts with his irresistible smile and extraordinary performance. We're sure producers would've lined up with offers for Mish but the actor chose to head back home to work in films and TV shows like Wrist and Waterloo Road. Calm down ladies, we know how badly you want him back on the big screen!
Rebecca Breeds
Rebecca Breeds got her big Bollywood breakthrough with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag opposite Farhan Akhtar at the tender age of 25. Breeds played the role of an Australian girl with whom Milkha Singh has a fling during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Though both the film as well as her performance was lauded by the critics and audience alike, Breeds did just one Bollywood film and went back to her hometown in Australia.
Sarah Thompson Kane
![publive-image publive-image](https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/filters:format(webp)/bollyy/media/media_files/uploads/2017/06/foregin-actors-2-300x150.jpg)
Last but not the least, Sarah Thompson Kate gained overnight success with her portrayal of Ranbir Kapoor’s girlfriend in Raajneeti. Though Sarah's role wasn't an elaborate one but it was definitely a crucial one and the actress managed to leave an impact! However, she also decided to leave Hindi films and went on to do a bunch of popular films and TV series which includes Angel, 7th Heaven, Boston Public and The Ice Stone.
Well, this list could go on and on! Tell us which foreign actor would you want to see on the big screen again in the comments section below!