In a recent study of all Academy Award winners during the 72-year history of the Oscars, actors and actresses who achieved that high level of success also lived longer than contemporary actors not so fortunate. In the study of 1649 actors and actresses, winners lived 3.5 years longer than nominees. On the surface of it, the report seems foolish and in good fun. However, there is a serious and compelling question in medicine that is again raised by the study. How does success and high status influence health and longevity? The study produced the same results following adjustments for age, sex, ethnicity, education, country of birth, and total number of films in a career (an indirect measure of financial security.) In contrast to the tabloid portrayals of life styles of the rich and famous, actors as a group tend to live longer than the average public. Oscar winners in a leading or supporting role enjoy an even greater prize, i.e. a longer life. A multi-Oscar winner (i.e. Marlon Brando) lives to age 82; a single winner (i.e. Al Pacino) lives to age 79. Contributing actors without a nomination live 75.8 year. The adoring public watching the Academy Awards on television from a couch live a paltry 72.5 years. There is no comfortable explanation for the findings but issues such as ambition, resilience, time preference, social support, work stress, and the confirming of professional control has been listed as possible explanations. It is well known that health and longevity suffer with poor education, poverty, and lower-grade employment. It appears that success at very high levels of achievement is linked to additional longevity benefits independent of financial success or education. In the past medical science has concluded that education and income confirm a health benefit through some non-specific social route, i.e. more likely to visit a physician. The Academy Awards Study asks that we address issues such as high self-esteem, sense of control and mastery, and optimism as we seek to understand the mechanisms promoting longevity. It may be that the socioeconomic status associated with good health confers longevity because of positive psychological and biological benefits of security and self-esteem. We can only hope that society will evolve to allow everyone an opportunity to achieve success in these terms regardless of his or her work arena or financial status. Until then, may I have the envelope, please?