Biggest Oscar Squanderer of all Time!!!

[Worf101]

They won em but then proceeded to make us all regret they had. To quote Buggs Bunny, "Whatta Maroon... Whatta Ta rah rah goondeay.... Whatta imbissel."

[Worf101]

I mean I don't think you could throw away Oscar Cache any faster than Cuba Gooding Jr. has. You just can't make any chitier movies than he's done since Jerry McGuire. I swear they just keep gettin worse and worse and worse.

Da Worfster

[icarus]

you are so right about that one Worf, for exapmle that love boat one, I can't remember what it was called, but its all about him on a gay cruise, and wow. Although since jerry McGuire, he has done one good movie,radiobut thats all that comes to mind as cuba quality.

[recoveryone]

Cuba suffers from the hollywood type casting. He's one of the only Nice Black guy label placed on him. Even in Boys n the Hood he played the nice kid (Trey). Will Smith has even expanded his ability in acting from the clown to action hero type roles and even that first role in six degrees.

The one thing that set Cuba apart from the rest of the field is that he does not have a larger body of work to fall back on.


Hold on Worf one film he did a great job on after the Oscar "Men of Honor" with De niro and the small part he played in Pearl Harbor. But I think he is stuck with that label until he takes on a role like Men of Honor again.

[Kam]

crap i chose costner before i really thought about the 'squander' portion of the poll. id change it to either cuba or halle.
cuba certainly seemed like he had the most upside after winning the oscar and actually delivering a speech that sounded like someone who just won something. but after winning he did make some good choices (or his mgt team or whoever made the choices):
as good as it gets
what dreams may come
men of honor (ok, not the best movie, but still, who would turn down working with deniro)
it wasnt till 2001 when bay touched him in pearl harbor that i think the downward trend started, although cuba was actually really good in pearl harbor.

halle is too short to decide, monster's ball was just 2001 but she has a HUGE hurdle of Catwoman to get over. i can understand wanting to be a bond girl too... but die another day wasnt all that of a bond movie really.

benini might actually be the one with the most upside who went the least distance after his oscar win.... interesting question... still pondering... but defn ignore that one vote for costner. (*cough* goodfellas *cough*)

[Troy]

Quite a list of "winners" there. The only one that makes me scratch my head is Kingsley. He's done remarkable work his whole career. Yeah, crap too, but any actor that has been in what, 30 movies is gonna be in some crap too.

My choice is Bobby Bernigni. What has he done since winning? that Pinnoccio movie? Yeeeesh. Man, I LOVED him in the Jim Jarmusch flicks, particualrly "Night on Earth", but I found his oscar® winning feel-good holocaust film had the worst tone and was a cheap cash-in on most audiences deep feelings about the holocaust. Dreadful movie on just about every level (but I know I'm in the minority here, so relax).

Cuba's a close second I think. He's always Cuba in everything he does. I wasn't aware that Diving movie was good. I liked Deniro's Popeye impression in that.

Costner too. I watched Dances with Nice Indians recently and it was pretty awful. No, not as bad as The Postman, but still.

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Halle Berry gets my vote ..... "Do you know what happens to a toad .....?"

[kexodusc]

Costner's a good enough actor who should just stick to the acting instead of delivering 3 and a half hour long commentaries on societal trends. FWIW, I kinda liked the Postman, for that Lincoln Mercury line if nothing else. Wasn't he responsible for The Patriot though? Sheeesh...

Cuba's fallen about as fast as one can fall, but at least he's still trying. I think a lot of the problem is that he's done his job, but finds himself in terrible movies and doesn't get enough credit. I can think of a few bad ones where Mr. Jr. was the lone shining star. Can't fault the man for that. He can act.

Cher, I suppose, should be top o' the charts in this category...has she even done another movie, or his she still traveling on her farewell tour?

Who the hell is Marissa Tomei? Oh, wait, it's comin' to me...yeah, didn't George once comment about how hot she was in My Cousin Vinny in a Seinfeld episode? Yeah, pretty sure that's the last I heard of her.

Oliver Stone? What'd he squander? He won with Platoon, brought us JFK, won with Born on the Fourth of July, delivered to us a few other okay movies "U-Turn, Any Given Sunday, Alexander"...not his A-material, but c'mon, he's still above average...I'm sure he's got one more big hit in him. Most undeserving name on this list...everyone is entitled to a few mistakes.

Honestly, I'm gonna have to pick Whoopi as the biggest squanderer...not because she's worse than the others- just the opposite - SHE's BETTER!!!
But she's reduced herself to hosting awards shows and promoting weight loss programs on bad TV commercials in recent years. I dunno, maybe she's waiting for Sister Act 3, but get out there and break the walls down, woman, you're too good to be lumped into failure polls with the likes of Costner and Tomei.

[topspeed]

Cuba got my vote, if for no other reason than the fact that the guy can actually act. He's just made some awful career choices.

Tomei and Cher were a goof. You could probably throw Whoopi in with 'em while your at it.

Costner has actually made a few good ones since his Oscar, namely Open Range, a movie I loved. Yes, Waterworld and Postman stunk on ice, but Tin Cup, 13 Days, and Upside of Anger were pretty good flicks.

[recoveryone]

Interesting choice kex, I see Whoopi doing the same as the rest of her peers (billy, Robin, Ellen..etc) I have always seen her as the comic relief in her roles.

Doing award shows and commercial is one way to stay in the public eye. Its that or going back on the road doing her comedy show. Take Ellen, she had her own sitcom until that "L" word came out and bam she couldn't find work for almost 10 years and now she back with her talk show and doing commercials (Amer Expres) I think and now the biggest gig she has ever gotten, The Oscars. Comics seem to follow the same path, when their hot their all over and in between they do what they must to get by.

[Worf101]

Cuba suffers from the hollywood type casting. He's one of the only Nice Black guy label placed on him. Even in Boys n the Hood he played the nice kid (Trey). Will Smith has even expanded his ability in acting from the clown to action hero type roles and even that first role in six degrees.

The one thing that set Cuba apart from the rest of the field is that he does not have a larger body of work to fall back on.


Hold on Worf one film he did a great job on after the Oscar "Men of Honor" with De niro and the small part he played in Pearl Harbor. But I think he is stuck with that label until he takes on a role like Men of Honor again.

I agree with you he has to shed the "light comedy" "good Black Guy" mantel. But he's gotta do it like Denzel did. Go bad, I mean REAL BAD. Denzel's "Training Day" wasn't his best work, but it was so different, he had to garner attention. No bodies gonna take him seriously for playing the roles he's been playing, it's just not gonna happen. Oh and by the by, I think it's time for Will Smith to do the same thing as well. Before he flushes his career down the "ID2" or "MIB3" terlit bowl.

Da Worfster

[Worf101]

Costner's a good enough actor who should just stick to the acting instead of delivering 3 and a half hour long commentaries on societal trends. FWIW, I kinda liked the Postman, for that Lincoln Mercury line if nothing else. Wasn't he responsible for The Patriot though? Sheeesh...

Cuba's fallen about as fast as one can fall, but at least he's still trying. I think a lot of the problem is that he's done his job, but finds himself in terrible movies and doesn't get enough credit. I can think of a few bad ones where Mr. Jr. was the lone shining star. Can't fault the man for that. He can act.

Cher, I suppose, should be top o' the charts in this category...has she even done another movie, or his she still traveling on her farewell tour?

Who the hell is Marissa Tomei? Oh, wait, it's comin' to me...yeah, didn't George once comment about how hot she was in My Cousin Vinny in a Seinfeld episode? Yeah, pretty sure that's the last I heard of her.

Oliver Stone? What'd he squander? He won with Platoon, brought us JFK, won with Born on the Fourth of July, delivered to us a few other okay movies "U-Turn, Any Given Sunday, Alexander"...not his A-material, but c'mon, he's still above average...I'm sure he's got one more big hit in him. Most undeserving name on this list...everyone is entitled to a few mistakes.

Honestly, I'm gonna have to pick Whoopi as the biggest squanderer...not because she's worse than the others- just the opposite - SHE's BETTER!!!
But she's reduced herself to hosting awards shows and promoting weight loss programs on bad TV commercials in recent years. I dunno, maybe she's waiting for Sister Act 3, but get out there and break the walls down, woman, you're too good to be lumped into failure polls with the likes of Costner and Tomei.

A very reason and impassioned vote my friend. Gad, I hate it when you're right. (Mumble grumble, eyes water cooler, realizing there ain't been a dunkin' in a quite a spell).

Da Worfster

[bobsticks]

Yes, there are compelling arguments for Cuba, but I went with B. Kingsley.

Oh, it's not just Bloodrayne...go to the local blockbuster and check out Suspect Zero if you dare (Hint: you'll really really regret it).

[PeruvianSkies]

I don't think you really know completely what you are talking about since Marisa Tomei was also nominated for an Oscar in 2002 for IN THE BEDROOM, which was actually in 2003, so that's been 4 years, but still, she is around. I agree with the majority of the other options though, although Ben Kingsley has done a few decent projects like HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG and SEXY BEAST.

[kexodusc]

I can't believe I actually watched "In the Bedroom". Forgot about Marissa though. So has everyone else.

[GMichael]

I can't believe I actually watched "In the Bedroom". Forgot about Marissa though. So has everyone else.

I haven't. Seen her in a few commercials now and then. "Look who we've got our jeans on now."