When Lindsay Lohan was a young actress, the world predicted she would grow up to wear many hats: award-winning actress, singer-songwriter, and maybe even director. Though her talent outshone many other actresses her age, the only hats we saw Lindsay try on were addict, party girl, tabloid damsel, jailbird and now thief. While formerly publicly distressed stars like Britney Spears have made comebacks in their careers and images, Lindsay has been perpetually unable to make a comeback of her own.


Lindsay lacks a strong support support system. While Britney has always seemed to have at least a few positive team players on her side, Lindsay’s wacko family seem to have as many problems keeping it together as LiLo herself. While Michael Lohan fights domestic violence charges, Dina resides in her imaginary world of fame and exploits her daughter’s disease for money. Poor little Ali Lohan started partying with Lindsay at a young age, has built herself a nice little modeling career and recently revealed a brand new face. (Yep, a whole new face.) Without a family to encourage her to get the help she needs, Lindsay suffers. Not to mention her choices of toxic, trouble-making friends who keep her partying and evidently influence her to steal things and then wear them in public.


Lindsay’s been known for cutting ties, career-wise. Lindsay’s entourage can’t take full responsibility for her misbehavior. While filming 2007′s Georgia Rule, her co-stars and crew members were not quiet about her extreme tardiness and blatant misconduct. In the meantime, Lindsay acquired a couple of DUIs and an ankle bracelet monitor, which didn’t look so hot on her résumé. Robert Rodriguez bravely gave her a shot in his 2010 film Machete, but she could hardly handle herself to play the small role she’d been given. When a Linda Lovelace biopic was first being discussed, Lindsay went as far as a photoshoot with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields before violating her probation and landing behind bars and later in rehab. (Though Malin Akerman was supposed to replace Lohan in Inferno, Amanda Seyfried is busy filming Lovelace). If Lindsay can’t even show up for her Ellen taping, why would any directors want to work with her?


Lindsay Lohan has become synonymous with strung-out party girl. These days, Lindsay gains more attention for addiction and substance abuse than for acting, singing or even Dancing With The Stars like so many washed-up celebrities before her. Her frequent entrances and exits to rehab have made her the butt of all substance abuse related jokes, including a classic Gwenyth Paltrow line on Glee. Why pay to see LiLo in anyone’s biopic but her own? The whole world knows she has a problem and everyone is just watching while she goes the way of Winehouse. Addiction is absolutely a disease and there is no easy or quick cure. Though Lindsay should be held accountable for her actions, she won’t get begin to recover until she recognizes that more than her career is on the line. Again and again, Lindsay tells the media that she wants to get back into acting. In 2010, Lindsay told Vanity Fair, “I don’t care what anyone says, I’m a damn good actress.” In the same interview, she denies having any problems with prescription drugs or alcohol.


Without regard for her own health, Lindsay will not overcome her disease or make a career comeback. Lindsay recently made an attempt to remind the world why she deserves a place in Hollywood with her Playboy shoot. The magazine may have done well, but will it be enough to get back in the good graces of the industry? Inside the issue, she talks about her growth over the last five years. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how much she’s really changed.

What are your thoughts on Lindsay as an actress vs. an addict? Do you think she’ll ever make a comeback, much less a full recovery?