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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The grim reality behind the glam Hollywood lifestyle of child stars who've fallen on hard times
Drake Bell has laid bare in stark relief how Hollywood glamour is often just a mirage. 'It's like, you know, "Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. Like, I saw you on TV. You're rich," he explained during a recent interview with The Unplanned Podcast. 'That's far from the case.' As the 39-year-old actor and musician has pointed out, those promising early roles amount to significantly less than the pot of gold he was promised. So, who else has suffered a similar financial fate? 1. Dustin Diamond Popular: Countless reruns have given Saved By The Bell the sort of multi-generational success one usually associates with the biggest era-defining shows It's a show that appears to transcend the early 90s generation of teenagers it was originally made for. Indeed, countless reruns have given Saved By The Bell the sort of multi-generational success one usually associates with the biggest era-defining shows, among them the tirelessly popular Friends. Launched in 1989 and set at the fictional Bayside High School, the NBC show became an overnight success - and rightly made household names of its genetically blessed principal cast. But it was the nerdy pimple magnet Samuel 'Screech' Powers - named as such because of his grating, high-pitched voice - who claimed many of the show's accolades. Dustin Diamond - the actor responsible for bringing him to life - had already featured in two episodes of coming-of-age comedy The Wonder Years before making his first appearance at Bayside High. But it would be his portrayal of Screech that endeared him to millions. The American actor was just 11 when he auditioned, ostensibly for a role in Disney show Good Morning, Miss Bliss - an early prototype of what would ultimately become Saved By The Bell - in 1988. He would maintain the role for the next five years, with Saved By The Bell running across four seasons before airing its final episode for a prime-time audience in 1993. One could forgive Diamond for viewing it as a promising start, but it would prove to be a false promise, with bigger roles failing to materialize as he moved into adulthood. Indeed, the actor later reprised his best known role in numerous spin-offs throughout the 1990s - among them the forgettable Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style and short-lived sitcom Saved By The Bell: The College Years. Screech would be resurrected yet again, this time for a prolonged six-year spell on Saved By The Bell: The New Class - in which he returns to his old Bayside stamping ground as a teaching assistant. 'I didn't know what to do,' he admitted during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013. 'It was hard to get work that wasn't Screech-clone stuff.' But for all his endeavors as the divisive character, Diamond's financial returns paled in comparison to the enormous success of Saved By The Bell - for reasons not unlike those that would later affect Bell. While the actor was thought to have made an initial $2million from the show, poor residual deals meant Diamond and his castmates failed to receive payment for any of the show's extensive re-runs. In later years the actor would turn to reality TV as a means of income, with Diamond memorably featuring on the British version of Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. Tragically, Diamond died aged 44 in 2021, just weeks after being diagnosed with extensive small-cell carcinoma of the lungs. The actor's estimated net worth at the time of his death ranged from $300,000 to $500,000. 2. Gary Coleman 'What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?' For Diff'rent Strokes fans it became a signature catchphrase, but for the young actor responsible for delivering it throughout the show's run, it soon grew tiresome. Gary Coleman was 10 and already a paid actor with a string of commercials to his name when a starring role on the show changed his life, but ultimately not his personal fortune. Alongside co-star Todd Bridges - the aforementioned 'Willis' - Coleman played Arnold Jackson, the younger of two black children adopted into an affluent white family following the death of their mother. It was a divisive premise, but Diff'rent Strokes became an overnight success following its launch in 1978, running for eight years and making household names of all of its principal cast-members - notably Coleman. Earning a reported $100,000 per episode at the show's peak, Coleman was one of the highest paid child stars of the 1980s - but he only saw a fraction of the riches he earned as Arnold. Managed by his adoptive parents, the actor - who developed kidney issues as a child that stunted his growth - saw a larger percentage of his sizable earnings diverted, leading to a bitter financial dispute in later life. In 1989, just three years after the final credits rolled on Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman sued parents WG and Edmonia Sue Coleman, and manager Anita DeThomas, for misappropriation of earnings. A judge at Beverly Hills Superior Court agreed that Coleman's parents and manager had wrongly banked $1.28 million in commissions, salaries, fees and pension distributions from the actor between 1982 and 1987. He would walk away from court after agreeing to a $1.3 million settlement, pocket change when compared to the amount he'd lost. The actor suffered an additional financial blow in 1995 through a failed arcade business, the Gary Coleman Game Parlor, losing an additional $200,000 through the endeavor. Four years later Coleman filed for bankruptcy protection. 'I can spread the blame [of filing for bankruptcy] all the way around,' he said at the time. 'From me to accountants to my adoptive parents, to agents to lawyers and back to me again.' Coleman, who had struggled with a series of health issues, died aged 42 in 2010 following a fall at his home. An initial will stipulated that his funeral service be '...conducted by those with no financial ties to me and can look each other in the eyes and say they really cared personally for Gary Coleman.' At the time of his death, Coleman's net worth estimated at $75,000 - a fraction of the $18million he earned throughout his career. 3. Jack Wild As film adaptations go, there's no denying that big-screen musical Oliver! was an enormous commercial success. Directed by Carol Reed, this 1968 rendering of Charles Dickens' classic Oliver Twist won a remarkable six Academy Awards and raked in more than $40million at the box-office. It also made overnight stars of its young cast, notably Mark Lester, who played the titular Oliver, and his 16-year-old co-star, Jack Wild. As precocious pickpocket Artful Dodger, the hitherto unknown Wild endeared himself to millions through his versatility as a highly capable actor, singer and dancer. Indeed, his captivating portrayal of the beloved Dickens character would earn him deserved BAFTA, Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations the following year. Reflecting on his early success in posthumously released memoir It's A Dodger's Life, he wrote: 'Even before the movie was released, people were saying, "You've stolen the film! You and Ron Moody [who played Fagin] have such chemistry!" 'But I couldn't begin to have any idea of what was to happen when the film was premiered three months later in Leicester Square. 'I'd never experienced anything like this before: the cameras, the attention, the noise; I thought I must be the fifth Beatle.' Oliver! would lead to further roles, notably that of Jimmy in 17 episodes of American children's show HR Pufnstuf and a starring role in The Pied Piper - another musical, released in 1974 with a stellar cast that included John Hurt, Donald Pleasance and Roy Kinnear. Fame led to fortune, and Wild later admitted to living the high life during the 1970s, frittering away his money on lavish restaurants, expensive clothes and handouts to friends and family. 'I had suits hand-made by a Mayfair tailor,' he recalled. 'If I asked for something, I got it. In restaurants, I'd get the best table and there were always chauffeur-driven cars to take me everywhere.' But the actor's initial success would fail to provide a launchpad for his career as he moved into adulthood and began a rapid descent into alcoholism. 'Over the years, people have tried to blame my battles on my early success as a child actor, but I just don't see that,' he wrote in his memoir. 'I'd have been an alcoholic no matter what career I had chosen and, rather than my success unbalancing me, I think it balanced me out. 'Without it I would have been capable of anything, even murder. Some of my family ended up on the wrong side of the law, and I think I would have been there too if it hadn't been for my success; my success did not destroy me, it saved me.' By 1980 Wild's career was in freefall, the money was gone and he was forced to make ends meet in panto while his drinking steadily escalated. Finally, in an act of desperation, he turned to welfare as a means of bringing in money to feed his crippling alcohol dependency. 'I'd sign on for Unemployment Benefit and use that for drink,' he recalled in his memoir. 'I would constantly have a drink within three feet of me so I could be unaware of what was going on around me. 'At the same time I was expecting a phone call from Spielberg saying: "I want you to be in my next movie!" It was insane.' Wild blamed excessive drinking for his oral cancer diagnosis in 2001. He later had chemotherapy and had his tongue and voice-box removed - leaving him unable to communicate verbally for the rest of his life. He died aged 53 in 2006, 17 years after successfully beating his addiction to alcohol. 'I only wish I'd invested the money and not drank quite so much,' he wrote. 'But other than that I don't think there is much else I'd change. 'And I did have a lot of fun.' 4. Amanda Bynes Arguably one of the defining American child stars of her era, Amanda Bynes earned as much as $3million a year at the height of her career. But a life overshadowed by mental health issues, hospitalizations and a strict conservatorship has decimated her earning power, with Bynes no longer working as an actress. Aged just 14 and already established thanks to her role in Nickelodeon show All That, Bynes took center stage in spin-off The Amanda Show, a heavily financed vehicle for her evident potential. The show ran for three hugely successful seasons following its 2000 launch, with the actress's versatility paving the way for later roles in a string of Hollywood productions. Indeed, she would take a starring role alongside Frankie Muniz in 2002 teen comedy Big Fat Liar before landing one of the biggest parts of her career, this time as Penny Lou Pingleton in Hairspray. Released to critical and commercial acclaim, director Adam Shankman's 2007 screen adaptation of the legendary Broadway musical placed Bynes alongside acting greats John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken in a star-studded cast. It all hinted at greater things for the young actress, by now 21 and commanding life-changing sums of money for her services. But her career would rapidly unravel following a final film appearance in 2010 rom-com Easy A. By 2013, Bynes' most significant appearances were in court, notably for driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and possession of marijuana, as her life went rapidly off the rails. That same year she was hospitalized under a 72-hour Mental Health Evaluation Hold after starting a fire on a complete stranger's driveway - prompting a successful conservatorship from her concerned parents, Rick and Lynn. Bynes owned a reported $5.7 million worth of assets at the time of the conservatorship, much of it accrued through property investment. But despite earning vastly more throughout the 2000s, her parents discovered she had pulled in just $144,000 in 2012, a fraction of her former income, the vast percentage of which came from a $1.8million rental in southern California, bought by the actress in 2011. In full control of her financial affairs, they also claimed she squandered $1.2 million of her savings in less than one year - among them two $100,000 cash withdrawals. Worse, she was spending heavily despite having no significant source of income. Waning influence: By 2013, Bynes' most significant appearances were in court, notably for driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and possession of marijuana (in 2009) Rick and Lynn's conservatorship ran until 2022, when Bynes' successfully filed to end it. Now looking to reinvent herself after walking away from the TV and film industry, Bynes - who is still said to be worth an estimated $6million - has turned to subscription only service OnlyFans for a source of income. A source close to the former child star has claimed the move will not only afford her the opportunity to make money, share her fashion designs and provide a potential springboard into reality TV, but will also be a safe space to reveal 'what happened from her past at Nickelodeon.' 'Amanda was looking into making money and is convinced that OnlyFans will bring some serious cash her way,' the insider told 'Her intentions are to do this before she seeks any reality show opportunities. She understands the stigma around OnlyFans, but she is determined to make this very safe - nothing naughty. 'She wants to share some of her future designs with her fans, collaborate with them and she also wants to tell stories to people who don't know everything about what happened from her past at Nickelodeon. 'She is seeing OnlyFans as a bit of a career renaissance.' 5. Aaron Carter He'd banked a reported $200million before his 18th birthday, but Aaron Carter would still struggle with financial problems as he entered adulthood - among them a $3.5million tax bill. The younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, the singer was only 10 when he recorded his self-titled debut album in 1997. It would go on to sell more than a million copies worldwide and provide a launchpad for an incredible run of early success for the baby-faced Carter. By the time he was 18, the singer had already recorded four multi-platinum albums, but his departure from Jive Records - the label responsible for launching his career - would prove to be the catalyst for a dramatic commercial decline. Indeed, there would be a 16-year wait for his fifth album, Love, in 2018, but the popularity Carter enjoyed during the early years of his career had long since waned as his young fan base inevitably grew up. Falling fortunes: By the time he was 18, the singer had already recorded four multi-platinum albums, but his departure from Jive Records would prove to be the catalyst for a dramatic commercial decline Five years earlier, the singer had filed a bankruptcy petition to free himself of a $3.5 million debt, accrued through outstanding unpaid taxes in 2003, at the height of his career. But despite his financial struggles, Carter - who battled mental health and substance abuse issues throughout his adult life - insisted he wasn't desperate for money. 'I'm not broke. I mean, I don't make all the money in the world right now, but I'm doing the best that I can,' he told Oprah Winfrey during an appearance on Oprah: Where Are They Now - Extra. 'I do a lot of shows and I write a lot of music. I'm rebuilding my life. Over the last 10 years, my story's been really difficult.' He added: 'No disrespect to my brother, but when Nick was 18 years old and I was 10 years old, I was just kind of starting to make lots of money. 'I made over $200million in my career before I even turned 18 years old. 'We had this massive compound, with, like, 12 houses on it. It was worth over $10million, and I had paid a lot of that money. 'I had done a lot of that stuff, and I never got any of those returns back or anything like that… Even at this point, I've never even owned my own home.' In the red: In 2013, the singer filed a bankruptcy petition to free himself of a $3.5 million debt, accrued through outstanding unpaid taxes in 2003, at the height of his career Thrown to the wolves: Aaron (right) with older brother Nick in 2004. The singer claimed his parents mishandled his money and neglected his finances Carter also claimed his parents mishandled his money and neglected his finances. 'There was a lot of neglect on my parents' part,' he said. 'They didn't do a lot of things right.' The singer revealed he was only given $2million when he became an adult, despite the Coogan law - which is designed to safeguard a portion of child performers' earnings - stating he should have been given about $20million. Carter died of accidental drowning aged 34 in 2022, after inhaling difluoroethane - a colorless gas - and taking Xanax. His estate, valued at $550,000, was reportedly insolvent after debts and other financial commitments were met following his death.
Buzz Feed
17-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
I Have These No-Blister Walking Sandals In Four Colors
Hear me out: I know everyone knows about Tevas. In the '90s, their signature 'original universal' style of sandals were known as bad-granola-dad fashion (people say some really, really mean things about them on Reddit). But sometime around 2015 they were made cool again, thanks to 'ugly shoes' being back in fashion. But if you've been avoiding them because you don't like their signature prints (which can sometimes have a snake-y 'Legends Of The Hidden Temple' aesthetic, or sometimes a 'Saved By The Bell' summer yacht club vibe) or you're not sure they look comfortable, let me convince you otherwise on both fronts. First of all, Teva's 'original universal sandal' is available in approximately 40 colors in women's sizing and 30 in men's sizing on Amazon, ranging from the aforementioned prints to (drumroll ...) solids. And colorblocked solids! Take a look at a few of my favorites below: I wear them with everything from schlubby drugstore-errand shorts to casual dresses, and a colleague recently convinced me they were work-appropriate when I questioned wearing them to the office. A solid black or a fresh white pair look especially modern, if that's your thing. But let's talk about the most important thing: comfort. I'm a New Yorker who walks at least 5 miles a day, so I've put these things to the test. And because of a number of genetic mutations, I have feet that are blister magnets. Sandals, with their myriad straps and slings, are especially blister-inducing. So when I set out to break in my first pair of Tevas and came home with not a single blister, I couldn't believe my wretched little feet. And after thousands of miles, I still haven't gotten blisters. Perhaps it's due to the adjustable Velcro straps that allow you to custom fit each sandal to your own unique foot shape, but I also find that unlike leather, the grosgrain ribbon straps don't create any friction against my skin. I don't have any particular arch support needs, but I find these to sufficiently support my foot even on miles-long walks. A bonus: the footbed provides plenty of cushion walking on hard city sidewalks, and enough lift off the ground to keep my feet from touching all the gross little gifts you can find on a New York sidewalk. In short, they've been a godsend rain or shine (yes, they hold up well in the rain!), and because they're a somewhat modest price, I now own them in four different colors. Certain shades like '90s multi' are just $34, whereas other shades like 'magic black-grey' are up to $45. Don't trust me? Check out these promising reviews. Get the women's sandal from Amazon for $45.01+ (available in sizes 5–13 and dozens of colors) and the men's sandal from Amazon for $50.81+ (available in sizes 7–15, two widths, and 38 colors).
South China Morning Post
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
‘Great American family'? Meet Mario Lopez's glamorous wife, Courtney Lopez: the Saved by the Bell actor met his partner during his Broadway debut in A Chorus Line, and they share 3 kids
Last December, Mario Lopez brought his family to the Hollywood Christmas Parade, where he was honoured with the Humanitarian of the Year award. 'What an honour to be recognised as 'Humanitarian of the Year' with my family at the Hollywood Christmas Parade!' the Saved by the Bell actor wrote in his caption on Instagram, alongside a pic of his wife, Courtney Lopez, and their three adorable kids, Gia, Dominic and Santino. Advertisement In another post, the fivesome are seen riding in a car while waving into the camera. 'Great time spent with the fam at the Hollywood Christmas Parade!' the TV host wrote. Courtney Lopez has appeared in various projects alongside her husband Mario Lopez. Photo: @courtneym_lopez/Instagram Mario, 51, is no stranger to sharing snippets of his family life on social media. Here's what we know about his glamorous wife, Courtney Lopez. Courtney Lopez is an actress and producer Courtney Lopez is from Pittsburgh with Italian roots. Photo: @courtneym_lopez/Instagram Courtney, 42, is an actress and producer. Her TV and film credits include Saved by the Bell, Feliz NaviDAD (2020) and Steppin' Into the Holiday (2022) – all opposite her hubby, Mario. The couple's latest Great American Family project, Once Upon a Christmas Wish, is set to come out on December 7. Mario also hosts On with Mario Lopez, an iHeartRadio show, and the On with Mario Interviews podcast, both with Courtney appearing alongside him. How did Courtney meet Mario Lopez?
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Which '90s TV Shows And Movies Didn't Age Well?
Plenty of movies and TV shows — no matter how popular they were in their day — have aged poorly by today's standards. The '90s was no exception. For example, the Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" was played as a joke, but in the current political climate and with reports of a certain prominent public figure seemingly doing a Nazi salute, it comes across as way too flippant a use of such a word. Related: How Long Would You Last In A Zombie Apocalypse? Build Your Survival Squad To Find Out And when I first watched the Saved by the Bell episode where Screech plays chess against a Russian exchange student, I remember being shocked by how casually they bullied him for being a "commie." Related: Choose 11 Yummy Dishes At This International Buffet And We'll Reveal What You Need At This Exact Moment And in the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective scene where Ace reveals that Lt. Lois Einhorn is a trans woman by ripping off her clothes is just grossly anti-trans — and it's an example of a harmful trope where a character's gender identity is used as a big reveal or twist. So, what's a scene from a '90s TV show or movie that has aged poorly, in your opinion? Why? Share your answers in the comments, and they may be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post! Also in Community: Eat Foods From Across Asia And I'll Guess Your Hair Color Also in Community: If You Can Name These 15 Recurring Disney Channel Characters, You're Officially Getting Old Also in Community: Enjoy A Buffet And We'll Guess Your Favorite Music Genre
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Nineties TV legend looks unrecognisable 32 years after teen telly fame as she poses with controversial Doctor Who star
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS nineties TV legend looks totally unrecognisable 32 years after reaching telly fame as a teen. The sitcom star posed alongside a controversial Doctor Who actor at a fan convention in Palm Springs. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 This 90s TV star posed alongside controversial Doctor Who star John Barrowman Credit: Instagram/@johnscotbarrowman/@posephotoops 5 The pair embraced whilst then comically posing in the pics uploaded to John's Instagram Credit: Instagram/@johnscotbarrowman/@posephotoops The 51-year-old rose to fame as a child star in 1989, joining the cast of the High School comedy, Saved by The Bell, where she played Jessie Spano for four years. Now over three decades later, Elizabeth Berkley looks like she's barely aged a day. At a fan convention, Elizabeth posed alongside controversial Doctor Who star John Barrowman. The pair embraced whilst then comically posing in the pics uploaded to John's Instagram. He wrote: 'I had no idea @elizberkley knew who I was. 'She is iconic and an ally. We chatted, laughed and hit some poses. Then the B**** pushed me down the invisible stairs! A new friendship has erupted.' Controversial John was sacked from ITV's Dancing On Ice in 2021 when historical sexual misconduct claims surfaced. He was accused of flashing at the cast on Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood where he appeared as Captain Jack Harkness between 2005 and 2011. Elizabeth is no stranger to controversy herself, after leaving Saved By The Bell to try to break into film, she got the role of Nomi Malone in the problematic 1995 film Showgirls. The saucy film which featured extensive nudity was widely slammed by critics, but over the years has gone on to become a cult classic. Star of hit nineties sitcom looks unrecognisable in popular drama - but can you guess who it is? Elizabeth, who has a PhD, went on to become a bestselling author with her self-help book, as well as appearing on the West End and Broadway and in TV shows like CSI: Miami. Fans took to the comments gushing over the pair, one user said: 'Two of my favorite celebrities, this is the collaboration of talent I've always wanted to see' 'Jessie Spano X Captain Jack!' chimed another. 'Love her!! Awesome pictures,' added a third. Other TV shows Elizabeth has appeared on include Titus and most recently the hit Netflix show Cobra Kai starring Ralph Macchio. The mom-of-one shares son Sky with actor, fashion designer and painter Greg Lauren. He is also the the nephew of the world renown fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Greg and Elizabeth tied the knot in 2003 after the duo met at a dance class three years prior. 5 Elizabeth on Saved by The Bell where she played Jessie Spano for four years Credit: Alamy 5 Her on-screen boyfriend was Mario Lopez playing A.C. Slater Credit: Getty
