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Kim Basinger:
The venerable sex symbol of the late eighties and early nineties went bankrupt in 1993. She had to pay Main Line Pictures a total of $8.1 million for backing out of her role in the movie Boxing Helena . This caused to sell her $20 million investment in Braselton, but, sadly, it only went for $1 million when she got rid of it. However, she got back on her feet by reaching for an out-of-court settlement, and later did her memorable role in L.A. Confidential . Naturally, she received plenty of MONEY for the latter.

Lorraine Bracco:
Many of you know her before as the one who played Ray Liota’s wife in Goodfellas . She was also married to actor Harvey Keitel, whom later she had a five-year legal custody battle with over their daughter Stella. As we all know, legal battles don’t come cheap, more so if they last for five years. Being drowned in lawyer fees caused her to file for bankruptcy in 1999. Luckily, after being CASTED as Dr. Jennifer Melfi in the hit HBO series The Sopranos , Bracco eventually got over her financial woes.

Toni Braxton:
Selling millions of albums doesn’t guarantee a lifetime supply of MONEY . After topping the charts with numerous hit singles, Braxton went bankrupt in 1998. There were many speculations as to why, one being that so she could be stripped of her record contract with LaFace, while others suggest that she merely ran out of CASH . Other than having to sell all her household possessions, she was also forced to part with two of her Grammy trophies in order to pay off her $3.9 million debt. Though, a year later, she re-signed with LaFace for a contract worth $25 million.

Ulysses S. Grant:
The late 18th President of the United States apparently went bankrupt after becoming a partner at a financial firm which shuffled off its “financial” coil. As he was diagnosed with throat cancer, former President Grant wrote a memoir which he sold in order to pay off his debts.

Don Johnson:
When the days of wearing white blazers with colored colored shirts became a past era, and was rightfully called “The 80’s,” one of its most famous icons also said farewell to his fortune. The Miami Vice superstar, Don Johnson, was pushed to a corner when it came to saving his Colorado ranch, worth $20 million. So, he filed for bankruptcy back in 2004. In the end, he was able to save his patch of land where he keeps all his pretty little floral patterned ponies—who knows, right?—from being auctioned off. However, he still had to pay over $900,000 in debts.

Oscar Wilde:
A portrait which grants immortality and being a bad influence couldn’t save this late great author from his miserable demise. As he got into trouble with the law, Wilde had to sell his prized possessions in order to alleviate his debts to society. With a little help from his friends, some with golden locks and blue eyes (just kidding), he was able to surface just a little from bankruptcy. However, he still died without a single pound to his name.

Director Micheal Bay might have had to take a small chill pill after an incident involving two of his actors for his much anticipated sequel to the robotfest Transformers the movie.

Shia LaBeouf and Austrailian Isabel Lucas were part of a car accident involving an unidentified female driver. It was a shame that his trusted pal Bumblebee wasn’t there to save him.

The three were rushed to the hospital immediately after the collision. The two women were only treated for minor injuries and were later sent home. Lucas, 23, who had been casted as LaBeouf’s costar in the upcoming Transformers 2 movie was said to have showed up for shooting the day after.

As for the rumored next Indiana Jones actor, he had to undergo surgery due to extensive injuries on his left hand. LaBeouf was also chraged with a misdemeanor for DUI, which police determined at the time of the accident, and is set for an August court date. It was also stated that LaBeouf will have to sit out for about a month because of his injury.

However, production sources mentioned that his absence will cause no delay to the already announced June 26, 2009 release date of Transformers 2. E news reported that “there’s plenty of stuff to shoot that doesn’t involve either LaBeouf or living, breathing humans in general…”

If there’s one thing we can learn from some Hollywood actors and actresses of today, it’s that there isn’t just one way to succeed. Actually there are three. From Acting, Singing, and Dancing, a number of Hollywood personalities have used either one of these talents to make it to the bigtime, while some go for all three and in the process multiply their chances of success.

In our day and age, learning how to do either one of these things, and more importantly learning how to them well is a whole lot easier. Effective instructional videos and websites that act as talent agencies are all over the internet. It’s just a matter of finding the right one and having enough perseverance to see you through the end.

For the sake of naming, and maybe even a source of inspiration for all those aspiring actresses, singers, and dancers, here are five of the most successful triple threats in Hollywood today:

Jennifer Lopez:
J-Lo has been acting, singing, and dancing for as long as anyone can remember. But her first steps to stardom point to humble beginnings. At first, she started as a backup dancer for the 90’s comedy show In Living Color. Then, she successfully made it into acting by appearing in the short lived television show South Central. The show may have flopped, but her career certainly did not. Come 1999, she released her debut album On the 6. As for the rest, well that’s all history.

Vanessa Hudgens:
This 20 year old High School Musical icon first made her screen debut at the age fifteen for the Hollywood movie Thirteen and Thunderbirds. In 2006, after being signed by Disney Channel, Vanessa quickly shot up to the top of her game with the release of the first High School Musical production. One could say that success came to her overnight, as fans were dazzled by her acting, singing, and a few dancing skills.

Beyonce Knowles:
This bootylicious R&B princess’ showed us that she’s more than just a voice with sexy moves. Already she has starred in hit films such Austin Powers: Goldmember, and The Pink Panther. Her acting skills may not be among the best there is, but she does stand to signify that, while in Hollywood, one only needs to succeed in one of the three (acting, singing, dancing) and the rest becomes all too easy.

Miley Ray Cyrus:
Being the daughter of country singing sensation Billy Ray might have contributed a lot in terms of her singing, but when it came to acting and dancing, Miley definitely had to work her way to success—just like what most of us can do. Today, she is probably the biggest teen star to grace the airwaves. Never mind all the recent controversy surrounding her, sometimes it’s all part of the fame game.

Faye Wong:
While she may be unknown to most people in America, Faye Wong is one of the most popular and successful triple threats in Asia. Not only does she show that being a successful actress, singer isn’t limited to Hollywood, but also makes us realize that modeling is also a viable way to increase one’s chances to achieve A-list status.

How can a reality show cast member get more airtime?
It’s really not up to the reality show cast member to determine if they’re going to get airtime or not. If they go into it thinking that they have their own little strategy in mind to get airtime, it may or may not work. Generally, the producers want to produce the reality show. They don’t want the cast members to produce the show. Just be yourself and play the game.

How can a reality show cast member ensure they’re portrayed well?
A producer would say that a cast member on a reality show just needs to be themselves. Don’t worry about your portrayal. There’s nothing you can really do to influence how you’re going to look, other than just be real and give the responses that you would give. Don’t try to edit yourself. If you try to act on a reality show, you really look odd. You probably won’t make air or you will look even more stupid.

How can a reality show cast member keep their sanity in extreme conditions?
You’ve got to be a little crazy to go on a reality show to begin with. So on some level, you’ve just got to feed off the adrenaline of being in that whole situation. Even if you feel uncomfortable or if you feel like you’re just stressed out or you’re not enjoying it, when it’s over, I’ll promise you one thing: you’ll probably miss it. Because where else would you ever be in your life where you would have all these really creative people around you so completely interested in everything that comes out of your mouth? When you go back to your home and whatever your non-reality-show-TV life is, chances are you’ll be missing that attention.

Do reality show staffs keep in touch with cast members?
You do keep in touch with some reality show cast members. It happens a lot. You definitely keep in touch with some of the people that you’ve had on your shows. But it’s never as intense as it is when you are actually doing the show.

Do reality shows misrepresent their cast members?
That is so classic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a reality show postmortem, from someone who didn’t win or didn’t look that good, where they didn’t say, “Oh my god, it’s the editors! It’s the producers! They did this, and they lied!” You know what? Tough. I’m really sorry. I’ve heard one honest reality show contestant. It was someone who came off of Paradise Hotel and she was hilarious. She said: “Yes, they have to edit stuff down, yes, they take the good moments together. But we said those things and we did those things and there’s no escaping those things because they’re right there on camera. You can’t really make someone what they’re not.”

How can a reality show cast member avoid being misinterpreted in an interview?
Being misinterpreted on a reality show is a matter of opinion, That’s the subject of an issue a producer would think more than objective. If that’s your concern, they would just let it go because they don’t need to really edit people a certain way, and the ability to do that is collimated anyway. You are what you are; the camera doesn’t lie.

If I’m cast in a reality show how can I tell if I’m being set up for a ‘twist’ ending?
If you’re cast in a reality show and you’re worried about a twist or something that’s going to catch you unawares, I would just say: sit back and enjoy the game and see what comes.

How do reality show post production editors differ from other TV editors?
What’s happening in reality TV is because shooting and post-production often happen at the same time. They have editors, of course, to edit the videotape. But they also have super editors, who are given much more authority to put the story together, because they’re the ones who are going to spend the time seeing all the tape, seeing all the coverage, more so than the producers. The producers may not have time to edit the reality show. The story producers may be out picking up their next interview.

Hollywood has a great comedic group. Adam Sandler, Will Ferell, Rob Schneider, Seth Rogen, Steve Carell, Jack Black and Sacha Baron Cohen are only a few of today’s big screen comedians who are bound to make your tummies ache. Even young comedic writers are rising fast in tinsel town. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill shook the world with laughter with the hit movie Superbad. But notice how this industry is so testosterone dominated? Here are a few comediennes who prove that women too can be funny.

Janeane Garofalo. I’m sure you’ve seen her throughout the 90s. She’s the ill-tempered Heather Mooney in Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, the Bowler in Mystery Men and Liz in Dogma. Those are only three of the many hilarious roles she took over. Even her cameo in Half-Baked as The Smoker Who is Only Creative When She Smokes was funny! Aside from being a funny actress, she is more importantly a funny writer. This proves that it takes genuine wit to make people laugh.

Lisa Kudrow. Her unforgettable role as Friend’s Phoebe just made her one of the funniest women to appear on TV. Yes, she also wrote comedy, but it is her acting that puts her in the pedestal of comedy. Like Janeane, Lisa Kudrow’s role in Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion must probably be etched in your mind. Watch their Time After Time dance routine on your plasma TV and it will surely make you laugh.

Jenna Fischer. I’m sure you know her as Pam, but her hilarious performances are not walled in the Office. You must have seen her Blades of Glory and in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Get a DVD collection of the Office and see how she can make you laugh!

Amy Poehler. This SNL lady had so many hilarious appearances. From the dense blonde Natalie Vanderpark to the bitchy skater in Blades of Glory, Poehler has taken on a variety of roles all certain to make you laugh.

Nicole Parker. She’s one hell of an impersonator! Her impression of Britney Spears in Meet the Spartans was probably the one and only funny clip from the flop comedy film. She also made unforgettable impersonations of Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Griffin and Renee Zellweger in MadTV. Her education on theater and voice at Indiana University surely paid off!

Tina Fey. She may have taken quite a serious character as the high school teacher in Mean Girls, but she does not have to take on any funny roles to prove her talent because she wrote the entire screenplay! The wit and hilarity of the Mean Girls all came from Tina Fey’s genius. And now, she still dominates TV as writer and actress in SNL and Rock 30, a new TV series she created.

So who said pretty can’t be funny? Here are great comediennes who gave remarkable performances. Making people laugh is a tough job. It requires genuine talent. Not everyone who is given a funny line to read can deliver it well to actually make audiences laugh. They prove that women too can have the talent and wit to be hilarious.