10 Worst Post-Oscar Career Choices

Does receiving an Oscar impair your judgment? How the careers of 10 winners went off the rails after their big night.

1. Halle Berry

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 2002 for Monster’s Ball.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choices: Gothika (2003), Catwoman (2004)
What Went Wrong: Only three years after collecting an Oscar, Halle Berry did win another award: A Razzie for Worst Actress of the Year for Catwoman.

2. Roberto Benigni

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in 1999 for Life is Beautiful (1997).
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: Pinocchio (2002)
What Went Wrong: According to Benigni, Pinocchio was made at the suggestion of Italian auteur Federico Fellini, but the star's hopes of crossing over to American shores went down with the whale.

3. Kevin Spacey

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in 2000 for American Beauty.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: K-PAX (2001), The Shipping News (2001), Superman Returns (2006) and Fred Claus (2007)
What Went Wrong:K-PAX says it all, but throw in a terrible Lex Luthor impression and things definitely went south fast for Spacey.

4. Susan Sarandon

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1996 for Dead Man Walking.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: Stepmom (1998) and The Banger Sisters (2002)
What Went Wrong: Hollywood has never been kind to older women, but Sarandon has been left behind her contemporaries, Annette Bening and Meryl Streep, in picking choice roles.

5. Cuba Gooding Jr.

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 1997 for Jerry Maquire.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choices: Chill Factor (1999), Boat Trip (2002), Snow Dogs (2002), Radio (2003) and Daddy Day Camp (2007).
What Went Wrong: Gooding Jr. told the New York Times, “I thought people wanted me to make them laugh. But I was wrong on so many levels. I try to take all my energy and bravado and take it into comedy, and that's when I'm terrible.” No kidding.

6. Helen Hunt

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1998 for As Good as it Gets.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: Pay It Forward (2000), Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women (2000).
What Went Wrong: After taking home the Oscar, she made four films that all hit theaters simultaneously — Pay It Forward, Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women, Cast Away, and What Women Want. Her role in Cast Away was decent if small, but the other three films were ultimately forgettable...or just plain awful.

7. Robin Williams

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 1998 for Good Will Hunting.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: Patch Adams (1998) and RV (2006)
What Went Wrong: He's had a number of roles in questionable melodramas like Bicentennial Man (1999) and What Dreams May Come (1998), and owns the screen when he plays a psycho -- One Hour Photo (2002), Insomnia (2002).

8. Louis Gossett Jr.

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 1983 for An Officer and a Gentleman.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: Firewalker (1986) and, The Principal (1987)
What Went Wrong: Following his win, Gossett partnered with now-irrelevant '80s heavy-hitters like Chuck Norris (Firewalker) and Jim Belushi (The Principal), not much of a resume builder.

9. Jamie Foxx

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in 2005 for Ray.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: Stealth (2005) and Miami Vice (2006)
What Went Wrong: It’s never a good thing when a robot plane kills you and steals your thunder in a movie.

10. Mira Sorvino

Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 1996 for Mighty Aphrodite.
Terrible Post-Oscar Career Choice: The Replacement Killers (1998) and At First Sight (1999)
What Went Wrong: Without Woody Allen leading her around the movie set, Sorvino was miscast and lost in her future roles.

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Comments

Join the discussion!
well
on March 23, 2009
A lot of the time, the studio that an actor works under will... persuade them to do these films. In order to remain on good terms with a faithful studio, the actor will take the role.
Are you nuts?
on March 23, 2009
RV and Radio both were great movies. Cuba did some incredible acting in Radio...and a movie I had expected to completely suck (RV) turned out to be a charming little comedy.
Bad post-Oscar choices
on February 19, 2009
One of the reasons so many of these people made bad choices is that they weren't worthy winners in the first place, viz Helen Hunt, Halle Berry, Roberto Benigni, Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino. Susan Sarandon is the most incomprehensible - the two you mention are among the worst films I have seen.
Nice list
on February 18, 2009
This list is hilarious. Sometimes I can't believe that the same actors are making these terrible movies. It always points out the difference between an actor and a movie star. A good acting teacher will teach you how ro be both. Check out the Film Connection Acting Mentorship Program. It’s a weekend Intensive Workshop w/ Joe Anthony ! http://www.joeanthonystudios.com 3 days in small class (12 people or less) in a major city in the US. Only $750.00, which includes all books and materials. Go to http://www.film-connection.com/acting.html to apply!
The Helen Hunt Incident
on February 18, 2009
I believe Pay it Forward was an awesome movie. So I don't think it should count as a post Oscar fumble! But I definitely agree with the other movies/actors.
RV was a bad choice?
on February 18, 2009
Robin Williams did not make a mistake by acting in RV. RV is a great movie. As far as the other selections, I would have to say you are pretty accurate. Shelby Jones http://www.squidflicks.com
Wow
on February 18, 2009
OMGosh no way dude, that is awesome! RT www.anonymity.eu.tc
Recycling articles?
on February 18, 2009
I liked this article a whole lot better when you published it the first time - and it was better written: http://www.premiere.com/Feature/The-20-Worst-Post-Oscar-Career-Choices

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