13 Oscar Winners Whose Careers Crashed After Their Big Win

13 Oscar Winners Whose Careers Crashed After Their Big Win

For a handful of actors, their Academy Award win was the peak—and everything afterward was downhill. Whether it was poor career choices, personal struggles, or Hollywood simply losing interest, these stars remind us that success in Tinseltown is never guaranteed. Here are 13 Oscar winners who, instead of riding the wave of their victory, ended up sabotaging or stalling their own careers.

1. Luise Rainer

Hollywood in the 1930s couldn’t get enough of her. After becoming the first actor to win back-to-back Oscars for The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth, studios had her pegged as the next big thing.

The problem? Rainer quickly grew disillusioned with the shallow roles she was being offered. Instead of playing along with the studio system, she pushed back—and was swiftly labeled “difficult.” Within just a few years of her historic wins, her career had flatlined.

By the time she faded into obscurity, Rainer had become a cautionary tale of how quickly Hollywood can turn its back. Today, she’s remembered more for her Oscar “curse” than her once-promising future.

2. Tatum O’Neal

Audiences fell in love with her precocious performance in Paper Moon, which made her the youngest Oscar winner in history at just 10 years old. Overnight, she became a Hollywood sensation.

But child stardom can be a double-edged sword. As she grew up, the industry didn’t know how to cast her. Personal struggles—including a very public battle with addiction—further kept her away from major roles.

Instead of transitioning into adult stardom like Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman, O’Neal became a reminder of how fleeting Hollywood fame can be. Winning an Oscar so young might have seemed like a blessing, but for her, it became the high point she could never top.

3. F. Murray Abraham

The world was floored by his chilling portrayal of Salieri in Amadeus, which earned him the Best Actor award. Critics hailed him as a serious talent destined for longevity.

Unfortunately, the roles that followed never matched the intensity of his Oscar-winning performance. Despite being a versatile actor, he found himself typecast or relegated to supporting parts. Hollywood seemed unsure of what to do with him after such a towering role.

Though Abraham eventually found steady work on TV and stage, the momentum he should’ve had in the ’80s fizzled. His career is often cited as an example of how one big win doesn’t always equal lasting stardom.

4. Jean Dujardin

With his charming performance in The Artist, Dujardin became the first French actor to win Best Actor. The win was seen as a breakthrough moment for international talent in Hollywood.

But reality set in quickly. Hollywood casting directors were hesitant to put a French-speaking actor with a heavy accent in leading roles. Despite his charisma, Dujardin couldn’t land parts that matched his Oscar prestige.

Back home in France, he remained a respected star, but in Hollywood, his name faded fast. What looked like a golden ticket into the American film industry turned out to be a short-lived celebration that didn’t open nearly as many doors as expected.

5. Kim Basinger

Her sultry performance in L.A. Confidential earned her an Academy Award and positioned her as one of the most in-demand actresses of the late ’90s. For a moment, it seemed like Basinger was unstoppable.

Then came a string of lukewarm projects that failed to capitalize on her Oscar momentum. Roles in films like I Dreamed of Africa and Bless the Child simply didn’t connect with audiences.

Although she never disappeared completely—appearing in films here and there—her star power never quite returned to its former shine. Basinger remains a respected actress, but her post-Oscar career highlights the unforgiving nature of Hollywood stardom.

6. Cher

Nobody can deny she’s a music icon. When Cher won Best Actress for Moonstruck, it felt like she had conquered both industries—music and film—at once.

Her acting career, however, didn’t continue on that high note. Subsequent projects, while not career-ending disasters, didn’t capture the magic of her Oscar performance. Hollywood quickly shifted focus to the next big thing, leaving Cher’s movie stardom behind.

Thankfully, she never needed film roles to remain relevant. Her music career carried her legacy forward, proving she didn’t need Hollywood’s approval to stay in the spotlight. Still, her Oscar win stands out as a peak she never repeated on the big screen.

7. Halle Berry

When she won for Monster’s Ball, Berry broke barriers as the first Black woman to take home Best Actress. It should have marked the start of a dazzling career filled with powerhouse roles.

Instead, she stumbled almost immediately with Catwoman, a box office flop and critical disaster that overshadowed her talent. Hollywood’s limited offerings for women of color didn’t help either.

While Berry has remained in the industry, her Oscar win never translated into the level of roles many expected. She became a tragic example of how even history-making moments can’t always protect a star from Hollywood’s brutal unpredictability.

8. Jennifer Hudson

Her show-stopping role in Dreamgirls catapulted her from American Idol contestant to Oscar-winning actress. For a brief moment, Hudson looked like the next great Hollywood star.

Yet her movie career never truly took off. Despite undeniable talent, she struggled to land leading roles, often returning to her music career instead. It seemed Hollywood didn’t quite know how to position her beyond that breakout performance.

Hudson’s Oscar remains a proud achievement, but her career path highlights the frustrating reality that even immense talent doesn’t always guarantee long-term opportunities in the film industry.

9. Adrien Brody

At just 29, he became the youngest man to win Best Actor for The Pianist. His emotional performance won universal acclaim and suggested a career filled with meaty, prestigious roles.

But instead of building on that momentum, Brody signed on to a series of forgettable films. While he worked steadily, few of his roles lived up to the promise of his Oscar win.

In recent years, he’s found some redemption through indie films and TV roles. Still, his post-Oscar slump is often cited as one of the most glaring examples of the so-called “Oscar curse.”

10. Mercedes Ruehl

Audiences adored her warm yet tough performance in The Fisher King, which won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The win seemed like the perfect launchpad for bigger roles.

Unfortunately, Hollywood never followed through. Ruehl didn’t disappear completely—she continued to act on stage and in smaller films—but the major offers dried up.

Her career serves as proof that even immense talent can be overlooked once the industry shifts its attention elsewhere. Winning an Oscar isn’t always the guarantee of lasting success it’s made out to be.

11. Mo’Nique

Critics couldn’t stop praising her gut-wrenching performance in Precious. Her Oscar win was considered a major victory for both independent cinema and underrepresented voices.

But shortly after, Mo’Nique clashed with industry figures over pay and promotion obligations. As a result, she was quietly pushed out of Hollywood circles.

Though she later returned to acting and comedy, her career never regained the prestige that her Oscar win should have secured. Her story reflects how speaking out in Hollywood can sometimes come with devastating professional consequences.

12. Renée Zellweger

Already beloved for roles in Jerry Maguire and Bridget Jones’s Diary, Zellweger cemented her status with an Oscar win for Cold Mountain. She was one of Hollywood’s most bankable actresses.

Then, suddenly, she stepped away. Taking a hiatus from acting, Zellweger all but disappeared from the big screen. By the time she returned, Hollywood had shifted, and regaining her spot proved difficult.

Her comeback with Judy did earn her another Oscar, but her career trajectory still feels uneven compared to the star power she once commanded.

13. Jennifer Connelly

Her emotional performance in A Beautiful Mind earned her Best Supporting Actress and showcased her incredible range. Hollywood seemed ready to embrace her as a leading lady.

Yet despite steady work in films and TV, Connelly never became the marquee star many predicted. Her career has leaned more toward supporting roles and art-house projects rather than blockbusters.

Connelly’s Oscar wasn’t a career-ender, but it didn’t launch her to the heights people expected. Instead, she’s become more of a reliable presence than an A-list powerhouse.