4 Awesome Hollywood Comebacks We Never Saw Coming

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 marked a historic occasion in the United States. No, there's no SCOTUS ruling coming down the pike, but like it or not, Lindsay Lohan will be back amongst the living after her 7th trip to rehab (hide yo kids, hide yo wife, etc). While it seems unlikely that 7th times a charm will work for La Lohan (whose new film, The Canyons, opposite adult film actor James Deen, opens this Friday), here are 6 other former trainwrecks who surprised us all by bouncing back.

1. Robert Downey Jr.

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After being arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun while speeding down Hollywood's infamous Sunset Boulevard, the future Iron Man spent a year in a state-run rehab and bounced back after a well-received guest spot on lawyer dramedy Ally McBeal.

2. Drew Barrymore

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Despite her precocious charm in films like Steven Spielberg's "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," Drew Barrymore was far from innocent. She admits to smoking at age 9, drinking alcohol at age 11, and experimenting with hard drugs all through her mid-teen years. After her second stay in rehab at the tender age of 15, Barrymore traded Studio 54 for Studio City, and resumed working in films like "Poison Ivy", "Boys on the Side", and "Scream," which cemented her status as America's Sweetheart.

3. Britney Spears

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After bursting on to the scene as America's favorite pop tart in the late 90's, Britney's career and personal life hit a rough patch in 2007 after the dissolution of her marriage to backup dancer (read: notorious scrub) Kevin Federline. After a brief period which included partying with paparazzi and driving around aimlessly with other troubled starlets, Britney's parents took control of her personal life and finances, and proceeded to get the star sober again. After a disastrous performance at the 2007 VMAs, Britney got her act together, restoring her status as pop royalty in the process.

4. Neil Patrick Harris

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After Neil Patrick Harris wormed his way into our living rooms as the nation's youngest doctor on "Doogie Howser, M.D.," everyone expected Harris to be the next big thing. After a string of failed sitcoms and Lifetime Original Movies, however, Harris' career was in critical condition, at best. In this downtime, NPH became passionate about Magic (he serves as President of the Board of Directors of Hollywood's Magic Castle) and David Burtka (his partner with whom he raises their two adorable little nuggets. Eventually, Harris' determination paid off, and his supporting role as charming rogue Barney Stinson on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" elevated the show into 'must-see TV.'

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So if these 4 celebs can go from zeros to heroes after their turbulent career downswings, it seems at least possible for America's favorite 'Mean Girl' right?

With a docu-series (read: reality show) premiering on Oprah's OWN network early next year and several film deals in the works, it looks like Lindsay Lohan might actually make it work this time. After all, if there's two things we know for certain, it's that 1) Oprah never fails, and that 2) there's nothing the public loves more than a good old-fashioned comeback.