Oscars 2011: Five actresses whose post-Oscar careers stalled

Oscars 2011: Be careful what you wish for -- these stars never re-captured the glory of their Academy Award-winning night.

• Luise Rainer. She won the 1936 best actress prize, for a telephone scene in “The Great Ziegfield.” She won again the next year, playing a Chinese peasant in “The Good Earth.” And then, well, not much of anything – although, still around at 101, she may have already had the last laugh.

• Tatum O’Neal. The poster girl for too-much-too-soon, she won her best supporting Oscar at 10 for her precocious performance in 1973’s “Paper Moon.” But it was the beginning of a slide that included flop films, hard drugs, an ugly divorce – and now, finally, a reality show.

• Louise Fletcher. She was a terrifying Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and her signed speech to her deaf parents was an Oscar highlight. But good followups never came, and 1975’s best actress winner was soon playing supporting roles in horror movies.

• Mira Sorvino. She gave us another wonderful Oscar-night moment, when she picked up her 1995 supporting-actress prize for “Mighty Aphrodite” and proud papa Paul burst into tears. But a few bad movies, and some time out for a real life, pushed her off the fast track.

• Halle Berry. The first African-American to win best actress, her 2001 prize for “Monster’s Ball” was historic. Since then, it’s been a toss-up as to which of her decisions has been worse – with men or movies – as events seemed to go into a tailspin. A beauty in need of a career intervention,