Best Comebacks of 2012

These celebs upped their personal games this year.

Bow Wow - With a role in the 2011 ensemble dramedy Madea’s Big Happy Family, Bow Wow continued to make his mark in Hollywood. The rapper-turned-actor upped his presence on the big screen in 2012 by starring as Chris Reyes in the military drama Allegiance. Plus, Bow Wow turned his talents on the small screen as one of the new hosts of BET’s 106 and Park. (Photo: John Ricard / BET)

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Bow Wow - With a role in the 2011 ensemble dramedy Madea’s Big Happy Family, Bow Wow continued to make his mark in Hollywood. The rapper-turned-actor upped his presence on the big screen in 2012 by starring as Chris Reyes in the military drama Allegiance. Plus, Bow Wow turned his talents on the small screen as one of the new hosts of BET’s 106 and Park. (Photo: John Ricard / BET)

Brandy Norwood - After impressing reality TV audiences on Dancing With the Stars and Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business, in 2012 Brandy returned to scripted television. As Chardonnay on BET’s hit sitcom The Game, the former Moesha star wooed snooty Jason Pitts (Coby Bell) and wowed TV audiences all over again. Brandy also returned to the music scene and released her sixth album, Two Eleven, in October. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

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Brandy Norwood - After impressing reality TV audiences on Dancing With the Stars and Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business, in 2012 Brandy returned to scripted television. As Chardonnay on BET’s hit sitcom The Game, the former Moesha star wooed snooty Jason Pitts (Coby Bell) and wowed TV audiences all over again. Brandy also returned to the music scene and released her sixth album, Two Eleven, in October. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

Missy Elliott - Hip hop has been sorely missing its supa dupa fly rapper and producing pop queen Missy Elliott. But the 41-year-old gave her hardcore fans a dazzling double dose of her return. At this year’s 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards and Black Girls Rock, Missy took the stage with artists like Ciara, Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent and reminded rap audiences why she’s the still one of the best in the game. (Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)

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Missy Elliott - Hip hop has been sorely missing its supa dupa fly rapper and producing pop queen Missy Elliott. But the 41-year-old gave her hardcore fans a dazzling double dose of her return. At this year’s 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards and Black Girls Rock, Missy took the stage with artists like Ciara, Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent and reminded rap audiences why she’s the still one of the best in the game. (Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)

Madonna - It was a comeback year for Madonna, thanks to Nicki Minaj. The Pink Barbie singer helped Madge's "Give Me All Your Luvin" become her 38th top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also the only hit single from her MDNA album. Madonna also treated audiences to a majestic Super Bowl performance, which featured Minaj, Cee-Lo, M.I.A. and LMFAO. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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Madonna - It was a comeback year for Madonna, thanks to Nicki Minaj. The Pink Barbie singer helped Madge's "Give Me All Your Luvin" become her 38th top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also the only hit single from her MDNA album. Madonna also treated audiences to a majestic Super Bowl performance, which featured Minaj, Cee-Lo, M.I.A. and LMFAO. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images

Mike Tyson - Mike Tyson became the poster child for reinvention in 2012. The former heavyweight champion became a vegan, and supported by wife Kiki, created the confessional one-man Spike Lee-directed Broadway Show: Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth. The critically acclaimed show is hitting the road in 2013. (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

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Mike Tyson - Mike Tyson became the poster child for reinvention in 2012. The former heavyweight champion became a vegan, and supported by wife Kiki, created the confessional one-man Spike Lee-directed Broadway Show: Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth. The critically acclaimed show is hitting the road in 2013. (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

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The One and Only - Jennifer Lopez won't let nothing hold her down. Here, the mom, mogul and performer captivates the crowd while on stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Jennifer Lopez - After divorcing ex-hubby Marc Anthony in April and departing America Idol in July, Jennifer Lopez mounted a full tilt personal and career comeback. First, a love connection with background dancer Casper Smart, then a post-Idol career jump-start and Lopez landed at number one on Forbes' most powerful celebrities list, besting lady rulers like Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

RZA: July 5 - The Wu-Tang Clan frontman and Man With the Iron Fists director turns 44. (Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

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RZA - RZA, Wu Tang Clan's resident music producer has taken his seven chambers expertise to Hollywood. The actor (American Gangster) directed his first film, The Man With the Iron Fists, produced by Quentin Tarantino. RZA will soon be mounting several new feature films including a horror movie, Tasmania and a comedy called Down to the Last Buck.(Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images

Lady O - Oprah Winfrey looks fresh in this mint green dress as she waves to fans while leaving her hotel and heads to a taping to surprise military families with gifts at Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. (Photo: FameFlynet, Inc)

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Oprah Winfrey - Critics pelted media queen Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network for sagging ratings and poor programming after its launch in 2011. But in 2012, Winfrey completely changed her strategy. Giving herself more of a network spotlight and tailoring shows (Iyanla Fix My Life) and interview subjects that appeal to Black audiences (Bobbi Kristina, Usher, Jennifer Hudson) Winfrey put OWN’s ratings on the upswing for the year.  (Photo: FameFlynet)

To Russia, With Love - The luminous Halle Berry poses during a photocall for the Russian premiere of her new film Cloud Atlas, co-starring Tom Hanks, in Moscow.(Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)

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Halle Berry - Halle Berry’s personal life has been something of a soap opera lately. Her custody battle over daughter Nahla with ex-baby daddy Gabriel Aubry and Aubry’s brawl with Berry’s current fiancé, Olivier Martinez, played out like a bad episode of Maury. Professionally, however, Berry rebounded nicely in the Wachowski siblings sci-fi opus Cloud Atlas  after a duo of big-screen flops, Frankie & Alice and Dark Tide. The actress now has a trio of buzz-worthy films — Movie 43, The Hive, Shoe Addicts Anonymous —  all slated for release in 2013. (Photo: REUTERS /MAXIM SHEMETOV /LANDOV)

Tempestt Bledsoe - Tempestt Bledsoe returned to prime-time TV this year in the new series Guys With Kids. In a role Bill Cosby would surely approve of, the actress has come full circle from playing daughter Vanessa Huxtable to now portraying Marny, a wife and mom of four in this funny, family friendly sitcom. So far, audiences are loving the reunion; NBC has ordered a full season of the series. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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Tempestt Bledsoe - Tempestt Bledsoe returned to prime-time TV this year in the new series Guys With Kids. In a role Bill Cosby would surely approve of, the actress has come full circle from playing daughter Vanessa Huxtable to now portraying Marny, a wife and mom of four in this funny, family friendly sitcom. So far, audiences are loving the reunion; NBC has ordered a full season of the series. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)