10 Hollywood Superstars Who Have Made Millions and Gone Broke

Despite the fact that Hollywood celebrities make a lot of money, many of them end up in deep financial trouble. Here is a list of 10 Hollywood superstars who have made many millions in their lives and still gone broke.

Interestingly, a number of the Hollywood superstars on the list are connected to each other. One of the women on the list was married to two of the men on the list and two of the men on the list are related as uncle and nephew.

Does making a lot of money and then going broke run in families? Maybe it does in Hollywood.


10 Hollywood Superstars Who Have Made Millions and Gone Broke


1. Nicholas Cage

Even though he has been one of the most highly paid actors in Hollywood for many years, Nicholas Cage went famously broke due to his lavish spending habits. At one time Cage had a $2 million comic book collection as well as 15 homes, two castles, an island in the Bahamas and dozens of exotic cars. For more see How Nicholas Cage Went Broke.


2. Michael Jackson

Even though he was the most popular pop-star of his time, Michael Jackson had to declare bankruptcy in 2007 about two years before he passed away. Jackson's Neverland Ranch home cost an absolute fortune to maintain as it had its own train and train station as well as many zoo animals plus Jackson made big payouts to those who accused him of sexual misconduct. The Neverland Ranch was put up for sale for $100 million a few years ago. The price was reduced to $67 million in 2017 but the property has still not sold.


3. Mike Tyson

It's estimated that Mike Tyson made over $300 million when he was in his prime as a boxer. By 2003 it was all gone and he had to declare bankruptcy. Where did all the money go? Legal problems, divorce and drugs.


4. Johnny Depp

Despite being one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood, Johnny Depp is seriously in debt and might have to declare bankruptcy. That's because he owns 14 luxury homes and lives a $2 million a month lifestyle. Depp is blaming his financial troubles on his business managers. In the end he will probably be OK because he can still earn a ton of money in Hollywood.


5. Lindsay Lohan

When is the last time you have seen Lindsay Lohan in a new movie? Despite the lack of work she still lives a lavish lifestyle and is seriously in debt. She was recently evicted from her expensive London apartment for not paying the rent.


6. Chris Tucker

"Rush Hour" star Chris Tucker used to make big bucks but he also got into big financial trouble. At one point Tucker owed the IRS almost $14 million but he has reportedly dug his way out of the debt.


7. Lisa Marie Presley

Lisa Marie Presley inherited some $100 million from her dad Elvis, plus she made some money on her own from singing. By 2018, she was broke and suing her former manager for negligence and mismanagement. Lisa Marie was married to Michael Jackson from 1994 to 1996 and Nicholas Cage from 2002 to 2004. One can just imagine the wild and crazy spending that went on during those two marriages.


8. Tori Spelling

Despite being the daughter of Hollywood super producer Aaron Spelling and having a successful acting career, Tori Spelling finds herself today in serious financial difficulties. Tori blames her problems with money on the fact that she grew up rich and privileged.


9. M.C. Hammer

M.C. Hammer made a fortune with songs like "U Can't Touch This" but he spent money like crazy including on thoroughbred racehorses and he had to file bankruptcy in 1996. Today, Hammer has dug his way out of the financial hole and is doing pretty good with his own record label and other business ventures.


10. Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola, the famed Hollywood director and uncle of Nicholas Cage, has declared bankruptcy three times in his life. Coppola has admitted that he made "The Godfather Part III" just for the money to bail himself out of financial woes. Why did Coppola go broke? Most of the films he's made have never made a lot of money at the box office even though they gained him fame and notoriety.

For more see:

What Famous Child Actor is the Great, Great, Great Grandson of Charles Dickens?

What Person Has Won the Most Total Academy Awards?

Shocking Early Actor Deaths from Gone With the Wind

TV Legends James Gandolfini and Merv Griffin Had Homes in Califon, New Jersey

What Famous Child Actor is the Great, Great, Great Grandson of Charles Dickens?

Did you know that a famous child actor is the great, great, great grandson of Charles Dickens? The child actor is all grown up today, he starred as a child actor back in the 1970s.

Practically everyone who grew up in the 1970s, like this author, will remember the TV show the famous child actor was on. The show originally ran from 1970 to 1975, and then was seen countless times by millions of American kids in reruns that ran everyday on TV in the afternoons after school let out.

Charles Dickens is generally considered one of if not the greatest author of the 19th century. His famous books like "Oliver Twist", "Great Expectations", "A Christmas Carol", "David Copperfield", and "A Tale of Two Cities" are still read by millions of people everyday and most of his books have been made into Hollywood movies..

Who is the famous child actor who is the great, great, great grandson of Charles Dickens?

• Brian Forster

Through his mother's side of the family, child actor Brian Forster is the great, great, great grandson of Charles Dickens. Who is Brian Forster?

He played the role of Chris Partridge on the "The Partridge Family" from 1971 until the show ended in 1974. Chris Partridge was the youngest of the kids on the show and he played the drums in the family's band.

Brian Forster was not the original Chris Partridge on the show. Jeremy Gelbwaks played the part on the first season in 1970 but he could not get along with any of the other actors or producers from the show and Brian Forster was brought in to replace him starting in Season 2.

After "The Partridge Family" stopped producing new episodes in 1974, Brian Forster did not do a lot more TV acting. When he was old enough to drive, Brian Forster became a race car driver mainly in Northern California. He's also done some community theater acting.

In addition to Charles Dickens, Brian Forster is also related to some other famous people. His father, Peter Forster, was a British actor and his mother, Jennifer Raine (real name Jennifer Dickens Downing), was a British actress. 

Jennifer Raine's father was Alan Napier another actor who famously played  Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth on the TV show "Batman". 

So not only is Brian Forster the great, great, great grandson of Charles Dickens, he is also the grandson of Alfred the butler from "Batman".

Here's a couple of footnotes that fans of "The Partridge Family" will probably find interesting.

• When Brian Forster was added the cast in Season 2 to replace Jeremy Gelbwaks the show did not receive a single complaint from any fan. Probably hardly anyone even noticed the change.

• To show just how big "The Partridge Family" was at one time, their hit song "I Think I Love You" outsold the Beatles song "Let It Be" when both were released in 1970.

For more see:

What Person Has Won the Most Total Academy Awards?

Shocking Early Actor Deaths from Gone With the Wind

Bill Paxton Biggest Box Office Movie Hits

On February 25, 2017, Hollywood actor Bill Paxton passed away at age 61 from heart surgery complications. Paxton was born on May 17, 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas and he had a prolific Hollywood movie career.

                                                (Photo by Vanessa Lua)

Here are the biggest box office movie hits that Bill Paxton starred in. This author remembers Paxton from his early days in films like "The Terminator", "Weird Science" and "Aliens".

In total, Bill Paxton starred in 52 movies that grossed over $5.5 billion in worldwide box office receipts. Eleven of Bill Paxton's Movies made over $100 million and his top grossing film has made well over $1 billion.

Bill Paxton's last movie is "The Circle" which is set to be released on April 24, 2017.

Bill Paxton Biggest Box Office Movie Hits

1. "Titanic" - $2.2 billion (played Brock Lovett)

2. "Twister" - $495 million (played Bill Harding)

3. "True Lies" - $365 million (Simon)

4. "Edge of Tomorrow" - $364 million (played Master Sargent Farrell)

5. "Apollo 13" - $334 million (played Fred Haise)

6. "Vertical Limit" - $214 million (played Elliott Vaughn)

7. "Aliens" - $183" million (played Pvt. W. Hudson)

Bill Paxton had big connections in Hollywood to director James Cameron and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Paxton was in "Titanic", "The Terminator", "True Lies" and "Aliens" which were all directed by James Cameron. He also starred in movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger like "The Terminator", "True Lies" and Commando".

Bill Paxton was not in "Predator" but he did star in the sequel "Predator 2" which Arnold Schwarzenegger was not in. Paxton got the role of Master Sargent Farrell in "Edge of Tomorrow" because the director remembered him from "Aliens" as Pvt. Hudson. Paxton was hilarious in that role with plenty of memorable quotes.

There is no doubt movie goers will remember Bill Paxton forever because of his roles in such classic cult favorites like "Weird Science", "Aliens" and "Edge of Tomorrow".  

For more see:

What Person Has Won the Most Total Academy Awards?

Shocking Early Actor Deaths from Gone With the Wind

What Person Has Won the Most Total Academy Awards?

Do you know what person or individual has won the most total Academy Awards? This is a great Hollywood trivia question and if you already know the answer than you really know your Hollywood and Academy Award trivia.

                                                           (Photos by IvanBandura)

The person who has won the most total Academy Awards is exceedingly well known and just about everyone in the United States and probably the world knows who the person is. Which makes the answer extremely interesting. And the answer is not Jack Nicholson or Katherine Hepburn. 

When you go to that special Academy Awards party this year you can amaze everyone with your Hollywood trivia knowledge by asking - what person has won the most total Academy Awards? 

What Person Has Won the Most Total Academy Awards?

• Walt Disney - 26 total Academy Awards

Yep, that's right. The answer to the Hollywood trivia question - what person has won the most total Academy Awards - is none other than Walt Disney with 26. Walt Disney won his first Academy Award in 1932 and his 26th and last Academy Award in 1969, which was awarded posthumously.

Twenty-two of the 26 Academy Awards Walt Disney won were for competitive categories and many were for cartoon films like "The Ugly Duckling" in 1940. Walt Disney also won Academy Awards for long and short documentaries like "Bear Country" and "The Living Desert" both in 1954.

In addition to the 22 competitive Academy Awards, Walt Disney also won four honorary Academy Awards. The first was for creating Mickey Mouse in 1932, followed by one for creating "Snow White and Seven Dwarfs" in 1939. In 1942, Walt Disney won two honorary Academy Awards for sound in motion pictures through "Fantasia" and he was also awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

In 1965, Walt Disney won the Academy Award for best picture for the only time with "Mary Poppins". 

Overall, Walt Disney won 22 competitive Academy Awards from 59 total nominations. 

For more see:

Shocking Early Actor Deaths from Gone With the Wind

Robin Williams Biggest Box Office Hits and Flops

The world lost a great entertainer when Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014. The following are the biggest box office hits and flops in Robin Williams movie career.

The money shown for the films is for the worldwide box office, and includes only films in which Robin Williams played relatively major roles. My personal favorite Robin Williams film is "Jumanji", which made $262.8 million at the box office. A nice total, but not quite big enough to make this list.

Robin Williams Biggest Box Office Hits and Flops

Robin Williams Biggest Box Office Hits

1. Night at The Museum (2006) - $574.4 million

The most commercially successful film of Robin Williams career was "Night at the Museum", which made $574.4 million at the worldwide box office. Robin Williams played Teddy Roosevelt come to life in the movie. "Night at the Museum" had a budget of $110 million.

2. Aladdin (1992) - $504.1 million

Robin Williams was the voice of the Genie/Merchant in the animated Disney movie "Aladdin", which was his second biggest box office hit at $504.1 million. "Aladdin", which cost just $28 million to make, was a huge hit for Disney.

3. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - $441.3 million

In probably his most memorable movie role, Robin Williams played Daniel Hillard and Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire in his third biggest hit "Mrs. Doubtfire" which made $441.3 million at the worldwide box office. "Mrs. Doubtfire", which had a budget of just $25 million, was another huge money maker Robin Williams film.

4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) - $413.1 million

Robin Williams again played Teddy Roosevelt come to life in the sequel "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" which made $413.1 million. The budget for the sequel was $150 million.

5. Happy Feet (2006) - $384.3 million

Robin Williams fifth biggest box office hit was "Happy Feet", which made $384.3 million. Robin Williams was the voice of Ramon/Lovelace in "Happy Feet", an animated feature which had a budget of $100 million.

Robin Williams Biggest Box Office Flops

As you can see below, Robin Williams was in some pretty big flops in his career. Hard to believe for such a talented actor.

1. The Face of Love (2014) - $332,000

Robin Williams played Roger in the recent film "The Face of Love" which only made $332,000 at the box office. Annette Benning and Ed Harris co-starred in this absolute flop.

2. The Big White (2005) - $367,241

"The Big White" was a black comedy in which Robin Williams played Paul Barnell. The film was another huge flop with a production budget of $15 million, that co-starred Giovanni Ribisi, Woody Harrelson, and Holly Hunter.

3. House of D (2005) - $389,000

Robin Williams played Pappas in the box office bomb "House of D", which was the directorial debut of co-star David Duchovny. along with his soon-to-be ex-wife Tea Leoni. With a budget of $6 million, "House of D" was a flop.

4. The Final Cut (2004) - $551,000

Robin Williams played Alan Hakman in the sci-fi "The Final Cut", which only made $551,000 at the box office. I tried to watch this film recently because it co-stars Mira Sorvino, who I adore, but it was really bad.

5. The Best of Times (1986) - $7.8 million

Robin Williams co-starred with Kurt Russell in the comedy "The Best of Times" in which the two actors replay a high school football 13 years after it was originally played because Robin Williams character dropped a critical pass in the original game. Fans passed on this bad movie which only made $7.8 million at the box office.

Most Surprising and Famous Actors Who Appeared on M*A*S*H

The following is a list of the most surprising and famous actors who appeared on M*A*S*H the TV show that ran from 1972 to 1983. Unless you are an absolute M*A*S*H fanatic, some of the names on this list are sure to surprise you.

When I was a kid in the 1970s, M*A*S*H was a very popular show in our house because both of my older sisters loved the show. I loved the show too, especially the earlier episodes, and have always felt the show lost a lot when Mike Farrell joined the cast. Not because Farrell's character on the show, B.J. Hunnicutt, was too preachy, but because the character was about as funny as a lead balloon.

The earlier episodes were much more like M*A*S*H the movie, which is a riot to watch. Hope you enjoy the list of the most surprising and famous actors who appeared on M*A*S*H.

I've also included a few actors who appeared in the movie. I have gone back to many of the episodes mentioned below to watch these most surprising and famous actors who appeared on M*A*S*H.

Most Surprising and Famous Actors Who Appeared on M*A*S*H

Rita Wilson

Tom Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson, played Nurse Lacey in episodes "Blood and Guts" and "Hey, Look Me Over" in seasons 10 and 11 respectively.

George Wendt

Before he became incredibly famous as Norm on Cheers, George Wendt played Pvt. La Roche in "Trick or Treatment", which was episode two on season 11 in 1982.

Patrick Swayze

Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze was Pvt. Gary Sturgis in "Blood Brothers", which aired in 1981.

John Ritter

Before he became a sitcom star on Three's Company, John Ritter was on M*A*S*H in episode two in season 13 in 1983 called "Deal Me Out".

Michael O'Keefe

A few years before he famously played Danny Noonan in Caddyshack, Michael O'Keefe made two guest appearances on M*A*S*H in "Mad Dogs and Servicemen" in 1974, and "War of Nerves" in 1977.

John Matuszak

Former NFL player John Matuszak played Cpl. Elmo Hitalski in one of the dumbest M*A*S*H episodes of all time, "Promotion Commotion" in 1982.

Fred Williamson

Former NFL player Fred Williamson was Spearchucker Jones in *M*A*S*H the movie.

Alex Karras

Former NFL player Alex Karras played Lance Cpl. Lyle Wesson in "Springtime", which aired in 1974.

Shelley Long

Before she was Diane Chambers on Cheers, Shelley Long played Lt. Mendenhall in "Bottle Fatigue" in 1980.

Ron Howard

Ron Howard was already well known when he played Private Walter/Wendell Peterson in "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" in 1973.

Gregory Harrison

Gregory Harrison is notable because after he played Lt. Tony Baker in "The Nurses" in 1973, he went on to star as Trapper John in the TV show of the same name from 1979 to 1986.

Laurence Fishburne

Long before The Matrix, Laurence Fishburne played Corporal Dorsey in "The Tooth Shall Set You Free" in 1982.

Robert Duvall

Long before Lonesome Dove, many people forget that Robert Duvall played Frank Burns in M*A*S*H the movie.

James Cromwell

Long before he starred in Babe, James Cromwell played Leo Bardonaro on M*A*S*H in the episode titled "Last Laugh" in 1977.

Leslie Nielson

Leslie Nielson played Col. Buzz Brighton in "The Ringbanger" in 1973.

Rene Auberjonois

Rene Auberjonois portrayed Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H the movie. He went on to star in many movies and TV shows, and is probably best known for playing Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Rosalind Chao

Rosalind Chao, who appeared in the last few episodes of the show and married Corporal Max Klinger in the M*A*S*H two-hour series finale, went on to star in both Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Keiko O'Brien, the wife of Miles O'Brien.

Andrew Dice Clay

Believe it or not, but comedian Andrew Dice Clay appeared on M*A*S*H in episode "Trick or Treatment" in 1982 playing wounded drunk soldier Corp. Hrabosky.

Blythe Danner

Blythe Danner, who is the mother of Gweneth Paltrow, appeared in M*A*S*H episode "The More I See You" playing a love interest for Alan Alda's Hawkeye as Carlye Breslin Walton. Danner had previously been in a movie, To Kill a Clown, with Alda.

Family Members on M*A*S*H

Robert Alda

Alan Alda's father, Robert Alda, appeared in two different M*A*S*H episodes.

Antony Alda

Alan Alda's half-brother, Antony Alda, appeared in one M*A*S*H episode, along with his father.

Bizarre M*A*S*H Trivia

In a weird coincidence, the actors who portrayed Colonel Henry Blake, Roger Bowen in the movie, and McLean Stevenson in the TV show, both died of a heart attack one day apart in February of 1996. Bowen was 63 years old, while Stevenson was 68 at the time of their deaths. 

TV Legends James Gandolfini and Merv Griffin Had Homes in Califon, New Jersey

Califon is a small town located in northwestern New Jersey where two absolute TV legends, James Gandolfini and Merv Griffin, had homes. Actually, both television legends had homes located just outside of Califon proper, but Califon is the closest town to both homes, and one of these TV legends freely used the town's name for his very famous business.

                                               (Photo by Chairmen of Joint Chiefs of Staff)

I live in New Jersey right outside of Califon myself, so I can give you a quick guide to the homes that the television legends James Gandolfini and Merv Griffin owned in the area. Gandolfini also owned another home in the area, and that home was mentioned in an episode of the TV show he made famous with his portrayal of Tony Soprano.

TV Legends James Gandolfini and Merv Griffin Had Homes in Califon, New Jersey

• Merv Griffin 

Television legend Merv Griffin had his own TV show, "The Merv Griffin Show", which was on the air from the early 1960s until 1986. In 1961, Merv Griffin purchased a home on Hollow Brook Road in Califon, New Jersey.

The home was actually in Lebanon Township, but the mailing address was Califon. There is sign on Hollow Brook Road in the Teetertown Preserve that tells the history of the home Merv Griffin owned.

The house Merv Griffin bought was an old gristmill, which was converted into a home. He used the place as a weekend and holiday retreat for himself and his wife Juleann and son Tony. He would often drive through the town of Califon in a Bermuda-style resort cart, and mentioned the town sometimes on his talk show.

Merv Griffin liked the town of Califon so much that he named his production company, Califon Productions. If you ever watch "Wheel of Fortune," the credits state that the show is still produced by Califon Productions.

After "The Merv Griffin Show" was moved to California in 1972, Merv Griffin used his Califon house much less frequently, and he sold the place in 1980. In 2001, the old gristmill home was carefully dismantled and transported to Waco, Texas, where it is now the Homestead Gristmill.

It's hard to underestimate how big a television legend Merv Griffin was. He built a huge media empire around his TV talk show, and he also created two of the biggest shows in TV history with "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune".

• James Gandolfini 

James Gandolfini, who became a television legend by playing Tony Soprano on the HBO TV series "The Sopranos," also owned a home right outside of Califon, New Jersey. Gandolfini's home is on Sutton Road, which is technically in Tewksbury Township, but the home is right on the border of Califon, and is actually just up the road from the center of town.

Gandolfini bought the home with his second wife, Deborah Lin, in 2009. Like Merv Griffin, James Gandolfini used his home near Califon as a weekend and holiday retreat. Prior to owning the home near Califon, James Gandolfini had a home in nearby Chester, New Jersey.

The home in Chester, which is an old farmhouse, is located across the street from Hacklebarney State Park land on Pottersville Road. The home was mentioned in the episode "From Where to Eternity" on "The Sopranos," as a house where George Washington slept.

Hacklebarney State Park was also supposedly shown on "From Where to Eternity" as the place where Tony and Big Pussy killed Matthew Bevilaqua in retaliation for shooting Christopher. The episode was not actually filmed in Hacklebarney State Park, though.

I live up the street from Hacklebarney State Park, and I used to run past James Gandolfini's Chester house all the time. On occasion I would see Gandolfini out for a jog.

He was always accompanied by a couple of attractive blonde women while jogging. He was friendly and would wave hello when we passed. Gandolfini sold the home in Chester after he divorced his first wife.

Many people credit James Gandolfini for forever changing the landscape of TV. His portrayal of Tony Soprano ushered in an era of anti-heroes. Shows like "The Shield", "Breaking Bad", and "Mad Men" were only possible because Gandolfini's portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano broke the mold and paved the way.

A number of people believe that James Gandolfini gave the greatest performance in the history of TV with his portrayal of Tony Soprano. He was a true legend in the history of television, just as Merv Griffin was, and both had homes in Califon, New Jersey.