3. BLESSING: Anthony Hopkins
Although Sir Anthony Hopkins was a well established actor of the British theater (he was Laurence Olivier's understudy) and television (winning 2 Emmy awards for his work) in his early career, it wasn't until 1992, at age 55, that he became a household name. For his portrayal of the brilliantly sadistic Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lector in 'The Silence Of the Lambs' not only did he create one of the most notorious movie villains of all time, but also took home the Oscar for Best Actor. This role and subsequent Oscar win helped boost his street credit in Hollywood and he really hasn't lost much of that luster. Since winning in 1992 Sir Tony has been nominated for Best Actor twice ('The Remains Of the Day', 'Nixon') and Best Supporting Actor ('Amistad') and has solidified himself as one of the premiere actors from his native England and still one of the most sought after talents in Hollywood.
3. CURSE: Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr. was building a strong career as an up and coming star in Hollywood in 1997 when he gave an exuberant acceptance speech for his equally exuberant work in 'Jerry Maguire'. However, after a few box office misses ('Men Of Honor', 'Pearl Harbor', 'Rat Race') Cuba's energy level crashed low when he started churning out stinker after stinker ('Chill Factor, 'Snow Dogs', 'Boat Trip', 'Daddy Day Camp'). The gold on his Best Supporting Actor statuette is still probably shimmering, but his career has been tarnished with some notoriously bad film roles and direct to video duds.