Nikki Reed has enjoyed both critical and commercial
successes during the course of her still-young career, but lately the actress seems to be
more famous for her personal endeavors than her screen time. So, what happened to make the Twilight alum's
career turn as stone cold as the vampire she portrayed in the hit film series? Here are some theories as to why Hollywood
has lost its thirst for Nikki Reed. Early stride Reed's very first foray into show business
came when she co-wrote the screenplay for the semi-autobiographical indie film Thirteen
when she was just a teenager. Reed had enjoyed a longstanding friendship
with Hollywood production designer Catherine Hardwicke, who helped Reed write the script
for the film she starred in. The film was a huge success for both women,
as it launched both Hardwicke as a director, as well as Reed's acting career. Ever since that movie, though, Reed hasn't
replicated her success as a screenwriter, even though her time on screen was just beginning. High pressure Thanks to her work on the script and the screen
in Thirteen, Reed became someone to watch after the film's release and later told Nylon
that the sudden attention she received was difficult for her to process at the time. "It was a feeding frenzy, and I wasn't ready. I couldn't understand what was happening. I didn't have any media training—I didn't
have anybody but myself. I was a very sensitive kid who then had to
condition myself to desensitize." Despite her hesitation, she eventually began
steadily working in front of the cameras, starring in Hardwicke's next feature film
Lords of Dogtown and landing a recurring role in the hit teen soap The O.C. Unfortunately, she had trouble finding the
same kind of critical praise she'd enjoyed in Thirteen, as her small-time starring vehicles,
like Mini's First Time and Cherry Crush simply didn't impress. The Twilight Zone Thanks to her close affiliation with Catherine
Hardwicke, Nikki Reed was a shoo-in for a role in Twilight, the big-screen adaptation
of Stephenie Meyer's young adult vampire novels. Reed was cast as Rosalie Hale, the impossibly
beautiful adopted sister to sparkly heartthrob Edward Cullen, and once the film became a
full-on star-making phenomenon, Reed's status as an "it" girl was officially solidified. There was a downside to her part in the Saga
too, though. Some fans of the books opposed the selection
of Reed for the role of the blonde stunner, which gave Reed some serious self-confidence
issues. To make matters worse, the character was also
quite off-putting and cruel, which may have blurred the lines between Reed's real-life
personality and the one she portrayed on-screen. More importantly, the movies pegged her for
more an ensemble actress than a leading lady. Before the Twilight Saga, she was often seen
as a central provocateur, but after the vampire franchise, her roles have been more secondary
in nature. And even those movies haven't done well, often
heading straight-to-streaming or getting shunned by reviewers. "This is brutal. This? Moviemaking? I don't know what's going on." Making music At the tail end of the Twilight films, Reed
began to dabble in music, thanks in part to her former marriage to American Idol alum
Paul McDonald. The two collaborated on an EP together, and
the pair were featured on the soundtrack for Breaking Dawn – Part 2 for their single,
"All I've Ever Wanted." Reed further explored her interest in the
musical arts by co-directing the music video for Hanson's "Get the Girl Back" in 2013. Even after the dissolution of her marriage
to McDonald, Reed released another album with him titled I'm Not Falling in 2014 and later
branched off into a solo career with the release of her 2015 track, "Fly WIth You." Unfortunately, despite the effort, that has
failed to become a full-on second career for her just yet. Other interests Alongside music, Reed has also dabbled as
a designer. The actress has designed jewelry collections
and handbags, both of which have rolled into her ongoing charity work. A casual review of Reed's Instagram feed makes
her interests clear. Like her husband Ian Somerhalder, Reed has
become a vocal proponent of humanitarian, animal welfare and environmental causes, ranging
from her strange 2011 "Give a S***" campaign video to her vocal support of the Ian Somerhalder
Foundation. She told Eluxe magazine, "As I got older,
and I found my 'voice,' I became more and more vocal about what I was seeing and hearing. I only recently became more involved in environmental
issues." It may be a new interest, but she sure is
diving deep into the do-gooder department. Making a comeback Shortly after their whirlwind marriage, Nikki
Reed and Ian Somerhalder decided to team up on a professional level as well, launching
their company Rare Bird Films in 2015. The title of the company, Somerhalder said,
is a tribute to their shared personal mantra of being "rare birds flying through the world
nesting all over the place together and laying eggs." The kitschiness of that philosophy notwithstanding,
their company did recently land a deal with Warner Bros. Television which will allow them to develop
new small screen properties for the network. About the feat, Reed wrote, "So excited to
get the chance to produce amazing (& socially conscious) TV … Now you know where we've
been hiding!!" Perhaps Reed, whose short-lived run on Sleepy
Hollow ended her near-decade hiatus from TV, will get a second wind for her career on the
small screen thanks to this deal… It would certainly be an interesting development,
given that it was her behind-the-scenes work on her first film which kicked things off
to begin with. In other words, don't count her out just yet. Thanks for watching! Click the Nicki Swift icon to subscribe to
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