There's a very real Oscars Curse that affects winners

Those up for an Oscar this weekend can rest easy knowing that all slaps will be kept to a minimum - but there's something else that might send a chill down nominee's spines.

The 'Oscars Curse' is a long-running legend that has plagued Hollywood's most acclaimed actors for decades.

Of course, taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor or Actress is probably the highlight of every star's career - but many believe that it actually marks the beginning of their downfall.

The 'Oscars Curse' suggests that those who take home the coveted award are jinxed to have bad luck for the rest of their careers.

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But does the theory hold up?

In more recent years, thankfully, no. But a little trip down memory lane does support this supposed 'curse'.

Let's take a look at some of the top examples, shall we?

Starting off with Halle Berry, who was the first - and is still the only - Black woman to win Best Actress.

When you hear Halle's name, you probably think of top films like Losing Isaiah, X-Men, and Jungle Fever - all of which came before her Oscars win in 2001.

After taking home the award for Best Actress, Berry had her pick of what she wanted to work on next, and opted for films like Gothika (2003), Catwoman (2004), and Perfect Stranger (2007) - all of which received almost entirely negative reviews.

Then there's Cuba Gooding Jr, who won an Oscar in 2004 for his role in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire.

After bringing 'Show Me The Money!' into all our lives, Gooding Jr seemed destined for more showbiz success - the whole world was quoting him, for crying out loud.

Warner Bros

But after his Oscar win, he sort of lost his movie magic.

He went on to star in the 2003 comedy Boat Trip, which not only earned him a dreaded Razzie nomination, but had activists calling for people to boycott the film because of its homophobic content.

Although he did appear in some relatively well-received films like American Gangster (2007) and As Good As It Gets (1997), he also had a rough time in the box office because of films like Daddy Day Camp (2007), Norbit (2007), and Snow Dogs (2002).

Even Gooding Jr himself has admitted he made some very bad decisions after his Oscar win.

"After I won the Oscar it was a year before I worked... I did What Dreams May Come with my love Robin Williams - and then I was banished to the wilderness to do direct-to-video/DVD/Blockbuster movies," he told Page Six.

Thankfully, Gooding Jr did have a redemption arc when he played OJ Simpson in American Crime Story.

Sony Pictures

Then there's Adrien Brody who, in 2003, was the youngest person to win the Oscar for Best Actor, aged just 29.

But that, unexpectedly, wound up being the very early peak of Brody's career.

Everyone wanted Brody as their leading man after that win - and for many, he was.

Sure, he gone on to star in The Village (2004), Detachment (2011), and The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - receiving mixed reviews from critics - but none of those were nearly as successful as The Pianist.

Eventually, he just sort of started to disappear.

He did make a resurgence in the TV world, starring in HBO's Winning Time and Succession, and even earning an Emmy nomination for the latter. But as far as film goes, it appeared Brody had bowed out.

Of course, the list goes on, but before we get too bogged down on this curse, let's wrap it up with one more supposed victim just for good measure.

Canal+

Kim Basinger was a Bond girl in 1993's Never Say Never Again, a love interest opposite Michael Keaton's Batman, and an Academy Award winner for her role in 1997's LA Confidential.

But since then, Basinger hasn't really been able to pick out the award-winning films.

Although she certainly hasn't retired from acting, she sort of slowed down after her win. Most recently, you'll have seen Basinger in the two Fifty Shades of Grey sequels, where she played Christian Grey's friend Elena Lincoln - neither of which were exactly critically acclaimed.

Obviously, there are countless exceptions to the rule of the 'Oscars Curse'. So many winners have gone on to have remarkable careers long after their first wins.