You’ve seen them in television shows and movies but you’re probably not aware that these Hollywood actors have served their time behind bars. As much as people want to believe they’re as invincible as the characters they portray, they cannot deny the fact that they, too, are just humans. They also made some errors in the past. Some of them have been imprisoned for days, while others spent years in jail.
Here is a list of top 10 Hollywood actors who were previously incarcerated:
1. Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American singer and actor who was known for his roles in Brighton Beach Memoirs and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which earned him a Tony awards Best Featured Actor in a Play and Best Actor in a Musical respectively. He was also known for having voiced the adult Simba, the lead animated character in Disney’s The Lion King Trilogy.
Broderick was charged with reckless driving resulting in death in 1987 but was later reduced to a lesser offense of careless driving and $175 fine. The accident happened in Northern Ireland when he drove in the wrong lane and crashed with another vehicle resulting in the death of the driver and its passenger. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Broderick
Author: FroxX, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:FroxX&action=edit&redlink=1
2. Will Smith
Will Smith is an American actor, songwriter, rapper, and producer who was named in 2007 to be “the most powerful actor in Hollywood”. Among his achievements are two Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and five Golden Globe nominations. He was best known for his lead role for Pursuit of Happyness and Ali, which bagged him Best Actor nominations for the Oscars.
Known as both actor and singer, Smith’s case happened in 1989 when he was charged with assault that nearly caused his victim to go blind.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/7261359082/
Author: Official Navy Page http://www.flickr.com/people/usnavy/
Uploaded by MyCanon https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MyCanon
3. Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey is a well-known American producer and actor who gained attention due to his breakout role in the comedy film Dazed and Confused. After his debut, he went on to appear in various films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, The Wedding Planner, Fool’s Gold, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Known for his charming roles in romantic comedy films Failure to Launch and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, McConaughey surprisingly made it to the list of top 10 Hollywood actors who were previously incarcerated. In 1999, his neighbor filed a complaint against him due to a disturbance he made in the neighborhood. Upon search of his house, the police found marijuana and other drug supplies. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey
Author: Georges Biard
4. Tim Allen
Tim Allen is a comedian hailing from America best known for starring in the television sitcom Home Improvement. He also went to star in Disney’s The Santa Clause Trilogy and Dreamwork’s Galaxy Quest. He is also popular for his voice over of Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s Toy Story trilogy.
Allen served for two and a half years in prison for cocaine possession in 1978. In 1997, he was again imprisoned for driving under the influence of alcohol and served one year in jail.
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Allen Author: MavsFan28, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MavsFan28
5. Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, producer, former model, businessman, and rapper who was known as Marky Mark during his early years. He is known for his roles in movies such as Three Kings, The Other Guys, Lone Survivor, Boogie Nights, and Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder when he was 16. He pled guilty and was given 2 years sentence of which he only served 45 days.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/evarinaldiphotography/6908664193/in/set-72157629398494129 Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Creator:Eva_Rinaldi, Uploaded by MyCanon https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MyCanon
6. Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is a Canadian actor, film director, and film producer. He is well-known for his role as Jack Bauer on the popular Fox series 24. His role as Jack won him two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Satellite Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and one Emmy Award.
Sutherland was jailed for 48 days back in 2007 when he made a wrong u-turn. Apart from this, he was also charged for DUI in 1989, 1993, 2004 and 2007.
Image source: Kiefer Sutherland, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/14582687110/ Author: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America https://www.flickr.com/people/22007612@N05
7. Christian Slater
Christian Slater is an American actor who made his debut with a leading role in the film The Legend of Billie Jean. In the film The Name of the Rose, he co-starred as a monk’s apprentice with Sean Connery. He gained more recognition for his craft through his role in Heathers.
In the list of top 10 Hollywood actors who were previously incarcerated, Slater seems to be the one with the most charges. His first offense was in 1989 for drunk driving. In 1997, he was imprisoned for 59 days when he assaulted his girlfriend while under the influence of alcohol. In the same year, he was again arrested for possession of firearms in the airport. In 2005, he was charged with sexual assault. Image source: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/siebbi/31528139/in/album/613409 Author: Siebbi http://www.ipernity.com/home/siebbi
8. Robert Downey Jr
Robert John Downey Jr. is an American Actor known for his roles in Chaplin, Ironman, and Natural Born Killers. Starting from 2012 up until 2015, Robert Downey Jr. was included in the Forbes list of highest paid actors in Hollywood, with an estimate earnings of $80 million.
Everyone knows that the famous Ironman actor has spent some time in jail and rehab for drugs. He was imprisoned for a year because of trespassing and drugs. His sentence was later extended for failing to turn up for his drug test.
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/14802403202 Author: Gage Skidmore https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore
9. Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo is an American actor who appeared in a number of Hollywood films as a villain, antihero, or hypermasculine character. Some of the popular films that Trejo has appeared in include Con Air, Desperado, and Heat. He also appeared in TV shows, namely Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and The X-Files.
Trejo is the main actor behind 2010’s Machete film. Although if you have watched the comedy film Harold and Kumar’s Christmas, you probably know him as Maria’s dad. Trejo was previously incarcerated for 11 years because of robbery and drugs.
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Trejo Author: Toglenn https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Toglenn
10. Jamie Waylett
Jamie Waylett is an English actor known for his participation in six of the Harry Potter films. However, in 2009, just before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, it was announced that Waylett will not be joining the cast in the following films.
Known as Crabbe in the Harry Potter movies, this Malfoy minion seems to have the Death Eater’s mark even in real life. He was charged for violent disorder due to his involvement in 2011 England riots and was sentenced for 2 years. Prior to that, he was also charged for possession of drug and growing cannabis in his own home back in 2009. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Waylett Author: Charlie55 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Charlie55&action=edit&redlink=1
Click Here To Access The Guide Which Helped These Actors Survive Their Sentencing
