Winning an Oscar is the top possible achievement for anyone working in the film industry. Academy Award winners have the label of the best of the best in the world of movies and since the moment of their triumph during the Oscar night, they have many doors opened. However, nothing in life is hundred percent sure and even the Academy Award won´t assure its laureates bright future and a never-ending stream of success. In the following list, you will find examples of those who ended with serious financial problems despite they have that famous golden statue on their shaft. Some of these people were able to recover from their bad luck and today, they cannot be described as poverty academy awards winners 2016, however, some were not.
10. Richard Dreyfuss
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Richard Dreyfuss´ acting career was full of roles in blockbusters like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, American Graffiti or Mr. Holland’s Opus and it was crowned by the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1977 for his performance in The Goodbye Girl. But his fabulous CV doesn´t assure him the jobs he really wants. Richard Dreyfuss says that „I have to say I’ve worked for money a great deal recently because I’ve had to. I won an Oscar – now I’m broke“.
9. Brenda Fricker
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In 1989, Brenda Fricker became the first Irish actress to won an Oscar for her performance in My Left Foot. She was awarded Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Despite her appearance in several other movies, she was not able to repeat her success and in an interview on Sky Arts channel, she admitted being lonely, depressed and totally broke as she lived off all her savings.
8. Dianne Wiest
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Dianne Wiest was one of Woody Allen´s favorite actresses and she was awarded two Academy Awards for her performance in two of Allen´s movies – Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986 and Bullets over Broadway in 1994. Recently, she was talking about her inability to get another major role in a movie. She was also talking about her inability to pay rent for her apartment. Despite the fact that she later stated that this comment was „out of context“, it seems that even multiple success in the industry doesn´t always lead to a life of a millionaire.
7. Isaac Hayes
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In 1972, Isaac Hayes became a third African-American to win an Oscar for a theme song for the movie Shaft. Bad luck with his activities connected to his record company led to a big debt of several millions of dollars. However, Hayes was able to recover from his problems and to return to fame. He also provided the voice for the character of Chef in a South Park cartoon. Isaac Hayes passed away in 2008.
6. Kim Basinger
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Kim Basinger started her career as a fashion model. In the 1970s, she switched modeling for acting and she appeared in many famous movies including 9 ½ Weeks, James Bond movie Never Say Never or L.A. Confidential for which she was awarded an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1997. She is the prominent first-class superstar but it didn´t help her when some bad investment decisions led to her personal bankruptcy in the 1990s.
5. Francis Ford Coppola
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Francis Ford Coppola is a director, screenwriter who created some of the most famous movies in history: Patton, Godfather series, Apocalypse Now or The Great Gatsby. His work was globally recognized and is still considered to be the first class. However, he went through some tough times as well in the early 1990s when he had to file bankruptcy. Coppola recovered from his debts thanks to his new business with exclusive wine.
4. Dino De Laurentis
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Dino de Laurentis was an Italian producer who produced more than 500 movies, 38 of which were nominated for an Academy Award. He actually awarded an Oscar in 1958 for producing movie La Strada. Same as many others, he experienced a bad luck when his producing company went into bankruptcy back in 1988. Dino de Laurentis died in 2010.
3. Nicolas Cage
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Nicolas Cage is one of the Holywood´s highest paid actors but it seems that it is not enough to fulfill all of his needs – huge residences, yachts, luxury cars and even a personal jet cost a lot of money. Cage had several legal battles with his former manager. Both are accusing each other for huge financial losses or unpaid loans and taxes. Cage joined Academy Award winners in 1995 as he was given an Oscar for his role in Leaving Las Vegas.
2. Robin Williams
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Robin Williams was described as an acting genius by many. He created many fabulous roles in movies like Good Morning, Vietnam, The Fisher King, Mrs. Doubtfire and especially that in Good Will Hunting which brought him an Oscar. In 2014, Robin Williams committed suicide at his home in California. It was revealed after his suicide that the actor has serious financial problems. Not surprisingly, media speculated that his financial situation took some part in his fatal decision.
1. Lee De Forest
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Lee De Forest is special among our poverty award winners, 2016 Academy Award ceremony was held 143 years after his birth and in fact, he was nor an actor neither director, producer or of any other film industry profession. Lee De Forest was a scientist and his Academy Award was given to him for his great contribution to the development of a sound film. But his profession did not make him safe from financial problems. In fact, Lee De Forest died in poverty.
Within the context of this list of Academy Award winners who ended in poverty, it could be interesting to read about the Top 10 Best Paid Sitcom Actors.
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