The ultimate dream for any actor or actress is to take home an Oscar. Winning big at the prestigious awards show is what many stars aspire to as it's considered the peak of any Holywood career.
However, Oscars glory doesn't always guarantee long-lasting fame, fortune and success, as these stars will attest. They have all experienced a downfall in their personal or professional life after winning an Academy Award, which gives light to the notion that there's an Oscars curse in Hollywood.
While there's no way to know if the curse is real or just the nature of the business, let's take a look at the stars who have been seemingly affected by the so-called curse...
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock cemented her crown as America's sweetheart when she won Best Actress for her portrayal of real-life persona Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side, a 2009 sports drama based on a true story.
Sadly, 10 days after her win, it was claimed tattoo artist Michelle McGee had an 11-month-long affair with Bullock's husband, Jesse James, while the actress was filming The Blind Side. Other women then also stepped publicly forward with cheating claims.
Shortly after, Bullock filed for divorce, ending her four-year marriage to the West Coast Chopper founder.
"The vast majority of the allegations reported are untrue and unfounded," James said in a statement to People at the time.
"There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me. It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way."
Halle Berry
In 2002, Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win the Best Actress category for her role in the film Monster's Ball.
Apart from scoring the iconic role as Storm in the X-Men franchise after her Oscars win, Berry has failed to be a strong Oscars contender ever since.
And it wasn't just her professional life that was affected but her private life also imploded after the 2002 ceremony.
Months after taking home the award, she and husband Eric Benét split after the musician told her he had cheated with several women.
"During the period of my most significant public success — the Academy Awards — my private life faced a staggering crisis," she confirmed eight months later in Essence magazine.
Adrien Brody
The year was 2003 and Adrien Brody not only won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in The Pianist but at 29 he also became the youngest man ever to win the award.
Add to that the impromptu and passionate kiss he exchanged with actress Halle Berry on the podium before delivering his acceptance speech and he was undoubtedly on top of the world.
However, since winning the Oscar, Brody has appeared in movies that are far from Oscars-worth such as M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, which was poorly received by critics, and a remake of King Kong that tanked at box office.
Cuba Gooding Jr
Cuba Gooding Jr's star was shining bright before the Oscars in 1996. He had already starred in the critically acclaimed hits Boys In The Hood, A Few Good Men and Losing Isaiah before winning Best Supporting Actor for Jerry Maguire.
But while the sports film showed him the money, Hollywood failed to show him the roles after his Oscars glory and he followed up his win by starring in questionable movies such as Radio and Boat Trip.
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden won Best Supporting Actress in 2001 for playing artist Lee Krasner, the husband of painter Jackson Pollock, in the edgy biographical drama Pollock.
The actress starred in another Academy Award-winning film Mystic River in 2003, but she has ailed to land roles in projects worth noting.
In a 2003 interview, Harden said winning the top gong hurt her career.
"The Oscar is disastrous on a professional level," she said. "Suddenly the parts you're offered become smaller and the money less. There's no logic to it."
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon was the golden girl at the 2005 Oscars when she won Best Actress for her role in Walk the Line. But behind the scenes, things were far from shiny.
She walked the red carpet with husband Ryan Phillippe, despite years of rumours their marriage was on the rocks. Tellingly, at the Oscars in 2002, he even joked on stage that his wife earned more money than him.
One year after Witherspoon won gold, their seven-year marriage was over.
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank was the envy of Hollywood with two Oscars under her belt: one in 2000 for the Clint Eastwood-directed film Million Dollar Baby and the other in 2005 for Boys Don't Cry. But it seems her winning streak was up by 2006.
Months after winning her second Oscar, the actress split from her husband Chad Lowe. What's more, Swank has yet to land a role that once again places her as a strong Oscars contender.