If Billy Bob Thornton and Emily Watson win on Oscar night, they'll become the latest unknowns to burst into the big time by grabbing the prize. Heck, just being nominated has put them on the map -- but will that make them bankable? Consider these four actors whose post-Oscar career paths have not yet led them back to the dance.
LOUISE FLETCHER For the former '50s TV actress who had quit for over a decade to be a full-time mother, winning an Oscar for her Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) was like ''being thrown an explosive.'' But at 41, what followed was more fizzle than boom. After a starring role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic, she got mostly supporting parts, too many of them lab-coated doctors (Brainstorm) or mean grandmas (Flowers in the Attic) -- not to mention the tough principal she played in last year's High School High. ''I'm not going to be a person who complains about roles for women,'' she has said. ''I'm working.''
LINDA BLAIR Nominated for her head-turning performance in The Exorcist (1973), the 15-year-old Blair segued into strong TV roles (Born Innocent, Sarah T. -- Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic), then found herself typecast in ''trashy'' exploitation films. Since then, she has often found more fulfillment in championing animal rights and training and showing horses. Still, she hasn't given up on acting. Currently visible in Wes Craven's Scream, she also has plans to produce her own TV movie. ''[Hollywood will] only hire the top ten people of the moment,'' she says. ''Everyone's fighting to get good work.''
JUSTIN HENRY As the towheaded tyke of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), the 8-year-old Henry was the youngest Oscar nominee ever. But Henry would only appear in a few more movies (most notably 1984's Sixteen Candles), opting instead to grow up normal. ''I put acting on hold,'' he has said, ''but always knew I'd come back.'' After finishing college, he did just that. Heading out to Hollywood in 1994, he landed a part in the TNT Civil War drama Andersonville, and has just wrapped the feature film Groupies, with Ally Sheedy.
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM Before winning his Oscar as Mozart's archrival in Amadeus (1984), Abraham was a New York stage actor who did occasional movie work (Serpico, Scarface) and, most infamously, played a leaf in a Fruit of the Loom commercial. But his Oscar win didn't make him a star. ''What it does is help you find work for the rest of your life,'' he has said. Sure, the movie roles are still mostly in the supporting category (Mobsters, Mighty Aphrodite) -- but he'll never have to do another underwear ad.
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