Sad news today as Willie Aames opens up about the struggles he’s faced over the past couple of years. In 2008, the actor best known as playing neighbor Buddy Lembeck on Charles in Charge, found himself divorced with no family and a home lost to foreclosure. It just makes you wonder, how does someone go from being a millionaire to sleeping under someone’s shrubs?
Entertainment Tonight — an interview with Aames is scheduled to air tonight — released this statement (and I hope they fire the person who doesn’t know the difference between “peek, peak and pique”) about the actor, his hardships and a new career path:
Aames opens up about experiencing financial ruin after a successful career as an actor, “At the very peek [of “Eight Is Enough”] I was making a little over a million dollars a year,” he says. “Then suddenly there was no job, no bank account, no wife, no child. I never dreamt it could happen that fast. I found myself virtually homeless. I stayed with friends when I could, slept in parking garages or slept in the park. It was shameful. I remember laying underneath the bushes thinking, ‘Is this how it turns out? Is this how my life really turns out?'”
When asked about reports of a suicide attempt after his wife left with their young daughter, Aames says, “I gave people a lot of cause for concern and I think they acted on those concerns. I’m glad they did. Beyond that, that time period is a blur.”
Aames’s struggles have led to the new VH1 special, “Broke and Famous: Willie Aames,” airing Thursday night. “It’s a docu-drama on what happens to celebrities when they hit rock bottom,” he says. “You have to find some point that will give you the smallest amount of dignity and self respect back.”
Aames tells ET that throughout the years of trying to get back on his feet, he was turned down for several jobs, including wilderness guide, but was finally hired by a construction company.
Today Aames is reunited with his daughter and on his way to becoming a financial advisor. “I never dreamed I would want to be or become a financial advisor,” he reveals. “I am well on my way.”
Boo hoo. Go cry somewhere else. I hate when celebrities complain how they pissed away millions of dollars then want the public to feel sorry for them. Most people will never see a million dollars in their lifetime. What a loser.
The recently homeless and broke guy is going to be a financial advisor? I can hear him now:”Take that money and invest it in rum. Oh, and a shopping cart. You can’t underestimate the importance of a sturdy shopping cart.”
Ha! Right on Mike!
He was in two long running TV series, and he’s broke? Did he not ever hear of investing? Going to college? Living below his means?
In this horrible economy, where decent hardworking people have lost their jobs and are running out of unemployment benefits, it disgusts me that this guy is starring in a VH1 documentary, and no doubt making money off it.
I don’t think these young actors were paid all that well, by todays standards. My guess is it just ran out as he grew up and he had no other acting offers coming in. That’s why you see these old geezers like Robert Wagner selling shit like Insurance or Exlax…anything to make a buck cause they’re outliving their bank accounts.
“At the very peek [of “Eight Is Enough”] I was making a little over a million dollars a year.”
The show ran for 5 years starting in 1977. A little over a million was pretty good scratch back then.
Charles in charge of our days and our nights…
Maybe a financial adviser is not the best idea for a career.
When everybody knows you have pissed away your own money, you may have a hard time finding anyone willing to let you get near their money.
HA financial advisorand he lost all his money and didn’t know where it went until it was all gone? Yep.. sounds like he qualifies for banking and finance management all right., the banking industry needs more cannon fodder to take the fall.
Did he mention that he use to have a serious drug problem? Perhaps that’s where his money went. He’s been given opportunities to earn money as an adult on the reality show about celebrities who want to lose weight. As I recall, he was incredibly disrespectful to his personal trainer who had to knock on his front door to wake him up and Willie flipped out! He punched his front door and said many foul words. I have NO sympathy for him.