Tia Carrere got her first big break in the long-running soap opera, General Hospital. She then went on to star in the two Wayne’s World movies and her Hollywood success seemed to be a sure thing. Things became complicated, however, when Carrere wanted to appear on The A-Team and tried to get out of her General Hospital contract to do so.
She sued the show claiming that she was not earning enough, and lost. She was unable to get out of her contract and missed out on the chance to appear on the hit show and become a bona fide star.
Suzanne Somers
Famous for playing the role of Chrissie on the classic 70’s sitcom, Three’s Company, Suzanne Somers is a beloved television icon. Although she was only on the hit show for one year, Somers really made an impression on the audience, but also became a cautionary tale about why actors shouldn’t anger their producers.
The actress, who was taking a stand about how much she earned per episode, left the show and found herself in breach of contract. She ended up having a hard time affording her legal expenses, and with a bad reputation that made finding new gigs quite difficult.
Nicolas Cage
Looking back at the 1990s, it sometimes seems like Nicolas Cage starred in every single movie in that entire decade. That must have brought in a hefty sum, right? Unfortunately, the actor loved to spend money and his tastes were both expensive and exotic. He bought rare animals, a Gulfstream jet, and even his own private island, which left him on some unsteady financial ground even without the $14 million in back taxes that he owed the IRS.
Things got even worse in 2009 when he was sued by his ex-wife for $13 million and then later that year sued by a real estate company for not returning millions that they apparently loaned to him. So, if you’re at the movie theater and find yourself wondering how such a great actor agreed to be in a not-so-great movie, he may just be trying to make some money to pay off his debts.
Brendan Fraser
Once upon a time, Brendan Fraser was the go-to guy when casting for a new hit action movie was taking place. That has not been the case for a while though, and after the actor was divorced in 2007, he found himself in a bit of a tricky financial situation.
Things came to a head in 2013, when he was forced to petition the court to reduce the yearly spousal support payments he was making to his ex-wife. They stood at $900,000 and he claimed that he did not have enough income to afford them.
Lindsay Lohan
When she was young and adorable, Lindsay Lohan starred in The Parent Trap, and the rest was Hollywood history. The audience loved her, and she transitioned into a successful teenage superstar starring in hit films like Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. As the actress grew older, she was faced with substance abuse issues and legal trouble. She began to work less and less, and her income went down significantly.
Lohan is currently in the midst of a comeback and has recently appeared on the Netflix series, Sick Note. Although it is nice that she’s working again, she is clearly making nowhere near what she used to in her acting prime.