40 Actors Who Have Never Been Nominated For An Oscar But Deserve To Be
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An Academy Awards voter’s mission of sifting through a field of over 300 movies is more daunting than many awards enthusiasts assume. And when it comes to performances, that task becomes even more expansive.
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From Hollywood stalwarts like Jeff Daniels and Donald Sutherland to crowd favorites such as Zendaya and Oscar Isaac, numerous esteemed actors are still eagerly awaiting their names to be called on Oscar nomination morning. Variety has compiled a ranking of the top 40 living actors who have yet to receive their first Oscar nod.
While some incredibly talented actors have earned nominations in non-acting categories over the years—explaining their absence from this list—such as Julie Delpy (a two-time adapted screenplay nominee for “Before Sunset” in 2004 and “Before Midnight” in 2013), Jeff Goldblum (nominated for live action short for “Little Surprises” in 1996), and Owen Wilson (recognized for original screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums” in 2001), the list remains extensive and ever-changing.
Nonetheless, this list is vast, and ever-changing. Read below.
Honorable mentions: Steve Buscemi (“Ghost World”), Billy Crudup (“The Stanford Prison Experiment”), Billy Crystal (“When Harry Met Sally”), Blythe Danner (“I’ll See You In My Dreams”), Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”), Mia Farrow (“Hannah and Her Sisters”), Gong Li (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), James McAvoy (“Atonement”), Martin Sheen (“Apocalypse Now”), John David Washington (“BlacKkKlansman”)
Read Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Update: Original entrants from March 16, 2022 — Ana DeArmas (#25), Brian Tyree Henry (#18), Colin Farrell (#14), Emily Blunt (#10) and Michelle Yeoh (#2) — were removed from the list after receiving Oscar noms.
40. Carmen Ejogo
Best Performance: “Selma” (2014)
Other notable performances: “Born to Be Blue” (2015), “It Comes at Night” (2017)
Grotesquely ignored for “Selma” along with her co-star David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., Carmen Ejogo is a breadth of talent on the screen. Her delivery of asking the complicated historical figure if he loves her stands as one of the finest masterclasses in acting over the last decade. But “Selma” is just the tip of the iceberg for her.
39. Aaron Eckhart
Best Performance: “Rabbit Hole” (2010)
Other notable performances: “Erin Brockovich” (2000), “Thank You for Smoking” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008)
California-born Aaron Eckhart has been a vibrant presence for decades, crossing over multiple genres and delivering soulful turns throughout. His work opposite Nicole Kidman’s Oscar-nominated turn in “Rabbit Hole” currently stands as his best, and failed to gain traction on the Oscar circuit. Hoping for a future Michael Shannon/Richard Jenkins-esque moment for the beloved actor.
38. Michael Peña
Best Performance: “End of Watch” (2012)
Other notable performances: “Crash” (2005), “World Trade Center” (2007), “Cesar Chavez” (2014), “Fury” (2014), “Ant-Man” (2015), “The Martian” (2015), “A Million Miles Away” (2023)
One of the more underutilized Latino actors working in Hollywood, the very talented Michael Peña, was one of the more memorable parts of “Crash,” yet received no attention. He wasn’t even among the eligible awarded cast members when the film won the SAG award for cast ensemble. He was nominated for a SAG along with the ensemble for 2013’s “American Hustle,” but one year before, he was passed over for his work as Police Officer Mike Zavala opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Bringing a soulful interpretation, he could only muster an Independent Spirit nomination.
37. Awkwafina
Best Performance: “The Farewell” (2019)
Other notable performances: “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), “Swan Song” (2021)
A notable comedian, Awkwafina has shown impressive dramatic chops, such as Billi, a woman who is part of a family plan to schedule a wedding to gather before the matriarch grandmother dies. While she became the first Asian to win lead actress (comedy) at the Golden Globes (I don’t consider this a comedy, but I digress), the film from writer and director Lulu Wang was absent from Oscar morning, including Awkwafina. There’s more to the actor than Hollywood is giving her credit for. Watch out for her in the future.
36. Tahar Rahim
Best Performance: “The Mauritanian” (2021)
Other notable performances: “A Prophet” (2009), “The Past” (2013)
French actor Tahar Rahim is starting to break out significantly, especially after landing a BAFTA nom for his work as a wrongfully imprisoned man in “The Mauritanian.” However, he’s had a strong fanbase with roles in Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet,” which was nominated for international feature for France, and Asghar Farhadi’s “The Past,” which was sadly underrated in its respective year along with star Bérénice Bejo.
35. Zendaya
Best Performance: “Malcolm & Marie” (2021)
Other notable performances: “The Greatest Showman” (2017), “Challengers” (2024), “Dune Part Two” (2024)
Zendaya is one of the world’s biggest stars, slowly but assertively showcasing her acting range from blockbusters like “Dune Part Two” and the HBO/Max hit series “Euphoria,” for which she became the second Black woman to win best actress in a drama series in 2019, and first to win it twice in 2020.
In Sam Levinson’s monochromatic relationship drama “Malcolm & Marie,” Zendaya stretches herself opposite John David Washington, bringing a fiery interpretation of a woman being cast in the shadow. It’s not a question of “if Zendaya gets an Oscar nomination,” but rather “when.”
34. Kurt Russell
Best Performance: “Silkwood” (1983)
Other notable performances: “The Fox and the Hound” (1981) “The Thing” (1982), “Backdraft” (1991), “Tombstone” (1993), “Miracle” (2004), “The Hateful Eight” (2015)
Despite an impressive resume, the Massachusetts-born actor has never found his way to an Oscar ceremony. His closest bout came with Mike Nichols’ drama “Silkwood,” which garnered him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor in a motion picture.
What Russell brings as Drew Stephens, the boyfriend to our fallen heroine Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep), is amazing charisma but peppered with a ticking bomb persona and a yearning for his love to be something she isn’t.
33. Liev Schreiber
Best Performance: “The Manchurian Candidate” (2004)
Other notable performances: “Pawn Sacrifice” (2014), “Spotlight” (2015)
Liev Schreiber may have received adoration on television with “Ray Donovan.” But after getting his start as Cotton Weary in “Scream” (1996) and one of the kidnapping team members in “Ransom” (1996), the world first saw his true acting chops as Sam in “The Hurricane” (1999) and Laertes in “Hamlet” (2000). However, it’s his brainwashed soldier in “The Manchurian Candidate” who has him going toe-to-toe with masters like Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep.
32. Jennifer Lopez
Best Performance: “Selena” (1997)
Other notable performances: “Out of Sight” (1998), “Hustlers” (2019)
The world has been sleeping on J-Lo’s acting abilities for nearly 30 years.
It was pretty daunting to consider her best work when considering her exceptional sexual tension opposite George Clooney in “Out of Sight” and her daring and charismatic stripper from “Hustlers.” Ultimately, her transformation into the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena Quintanilla, in Gregory Nava’s biographical drama about a life cut too short, stands as her most significant endeavor (yet).
31. Alessandro Nivola
Best Performance: “Disobedience” (2017)
Other notable performances: “Junebug” (2005), “A Most Violent Year” (2014), “The Many Saints of Newark” (2021)
Alessandro Nivola has been a fantastic character actor with a pathway that has included critically acclaimed roles and remarkable versatility. He should already have an Oscar on his mantle for “Disobedience” opposite Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, but alas, even a simple nom couldn’t come his way for his earnest and heartbreaking turn.
30. Michael Sheen
Best Performance: “The Queen” (2006)
Other notable performances: “Frost/Nixon” (2008), “Far from the Madding Crowd” (2015)
Watching Helen Mirren steamroll through the 2006-2007 Oscar season for her work in “The Queen” and seeing LAFCA winner and BAFTA nominee Michael Sheen not be included on the supporting actor list was a tough pill to swallow. However, he took his interpretation of Tony Blair in film and turned it into an Emmy-nominated performance in HBO’s “The Special Relationship.”
29. Elizabeth Olsen
Best Performance: “Martha Marcy May Marlene” (2011)
Other notable performances: “Kill Your Darlings” (2013), “Wind River” (2017), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
Elizabeth Olsen has now established herself as Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Still, many of us loved her before her post-credits debut in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014). She blazed onto the screen in 2011 with a double dose of frightening turns in “Silent House” and her Oscar-worthy “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and dipped into multiple indie flares like “Liberal Arts” and “Kill Your Darlings.” While she’s undoubtedly raising the bar for acting in the MCU — we’re just as excited for her more roles that show her range and depth.
28. Meg Ryan
Best Performance: “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1994)
Other notable performances: “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989), “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), “City of Angels” (1998)
An icon of romantic comedies and has charmed audiences worldwide, Meg Ryan rose to fame in the late 1980s and 1990s, becoming synonymous with the genre with hits like “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “You’ve Got Mail.” However, her role in the 1994 drama “When a Man Loves a Woman” showcased her range beyond the romantic comedy. As Alice Green, a woman grappling with alcoholism, her raw and authentic captures the complexity of the struggle with addiction and recovery. An actual departure from her more lighthearted roles that earned her a SAG nom, but Oscar failed to bite.
27. David Oyelowo
Best Performance: “Selma” (2014)
Other notable performances: “Middle of Nowhere” (2012), “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (2013), “A United Kingdom” (2016)
One of the Academy’s most glaring omissions wasn’t just the overall ignorance of Ava DuVernay’s brilliant take on the 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Alabama, but the utter gall to not recognize David Oyelowo’s masterful turn as civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With all due respect to other nominees, Oyelowo should have a statuette in his home for this one.
26. Kathryn Hahn
Best Performance: “Private Life” (2018)
Other notable performances: “Revolutionary Road” (2008), “Step Brothers” (2008)
The delight of Kathryn Hahn in comedy is well shown by her hilarious outings in films like “Bad Moms” (2016) and “Step Brothers” (2018). She’s also demonstrated her skill on television with her Emmy-nominated work in “WandaVision.” Still, her dramatic outing with writer and director Tamara Jenkins in “Private Life” showcases the depth of her range as a performer. Let’s not forget her excellent chemistry with Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter and Molly Shannon that elevates every inch of the dramedy.
25. Steve Martin
Best Performance: “Parenthood” (1989)
Other notable performances: “The Jerk” (1979) “Planes Trains & Automobiles” (1987), “Roxanne” (1987), “Father of the Bride” (1991), “It’s Complicated” (2009)
One of director Ron Howard’s finest movies, it encapsulates a dynamic ensemble of actors, led by legendary comedian Steve Martin in his single best turn as Gil Buckman, a Dad just trying to do his best. A Golden Globe nomination was bestowed upon him, but the Academy couldn’t embrace it beyong his co-star Dianne Wiest.
24. Diane Kruger
Best Performance: “In the Fade” (2017)
Other notable performances: “Inglourious Basterds” (2008)
Diane Kruger has been double-dutching in and out of American and international cinema, displaying her range and quietly awaiting awards bodies to embrace her talents. While fans of Quentin Tarantino will say her Bridget von Hammersmark in “Inglourious Basterds” sits as her Oscar snub (shown by her nom for a SAG Award for supporting actress), it’s her vengeful turn in Fatih Akin’s masterful “In the Fade” — where she plays a woman whose husband and son are killed by Neo-Nazis — that stands as her absolute brightest moment yet.
23. Michael B. Jordan
Best Performance: “Black Panther” (2018)
Other notable performances: “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Creed” (2015), “Just Mercy” (2019)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most complex villain, Killmonger (yes, even more than Thanos), is intoxicating to watch frame after frame, thanks to work by Michael B. Jordan. Along with his passionate outing as Oscar Grant in Coogler’s debut “Fruitvale Station” (2013), two noms should be to his credit. His rivalry and chemistry with T’Challa, aka Black Panther (played by the late Chadwick Boseman), as he battles for the throne of Wakanda, are some of the best moments in the MCU. And who can forget Killmonger’s final beautiful shot (thank you, cinematographer Rachel Morrison) at the end, which brings it all together?
22. Rebecca Hall
Best Performance: “Christine” (2016)
Other notable performances: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008), “The Town” (2010), “The Gift” (2015)
If we already weren’t obsessed and enamored with the essence of Rebecca Hall through her sensational turns in films like “The Gift,” she expanded the heart’s capacity by stepping behind the camera with her directorial and screenwriting debut, “Passing.” Proving she can do it all, “Passing” should have received two additional noms for best picture and adapted screenplay, which by my count, would have added to her two other Oscar-worthy performances, including her traveling Vicky in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and her dark and engrossing suicidal reporter in “Christine.”
21. Alfred Molina
Best Performance: “An Education” (2009)
Other notable performances: “Magnolia” (1999), “Frida” (2002), “Spider-Man 2” (2004), “Love Is Strange” (2014), “Promising Young Woman” (2020)
At the 2022 Academy Awards luncheon, Alfred Molina took the stage to read the names of all the nominees to have their Oscar portraits taken before it dawned on me, “How have we not had Molina’s Oscar nomination happen yet?” He’s had a career of adoration and respect that can be compared to the likes of Mark Rylance and Ciaran Hinds, both of whom the Academy Awards have found room to recognize. It’s not as if there hasn’t been ample opportunity with magnanimous turns as Diego Rivera in his SAG-nominated role in “Frida” or his diabolical Doctor Octavius, a.k.a. Doc Ock in the Tobey Maguire-led “Spider-Man 2.” One of the clearest pathways for recognition was in 2009 opposite Carey Mulligan in Lone Scherfig’s coming-of-age drama, which was ignored by all the major awards bodies.
20. Julianne Nicholson
Best Performance: “August: Osage County” (2013)
Other notable performances: “Flannel Pajamas” (2006), “Black Mass” (2015), “Novitiate” (2017), “I, Tonya” (2017), “Monos” (2019)
However great you think Julianne Nicholson is, know you’re wrong. She’s better than that. She’s one of the best gracing our movie and television screens, shown by her Emmy-winning turn in “Mare of Easttown” and with her numerous outings in independent features like “Flannel Pajamas” and crime thrillers like “Black Mass.” However, her Ivy Weston in John Wells’ strong ensemble with Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts does it for me every time. Seeing her heart shatter into pieces as she learns the truth about her impending beau is something that can’t be forgotten in its decade of acting portrayals.
19. Clifton Collins Jr.
Best Performance: “Capote” (2005)
Other notable performances: “Traffic” (2000), “The Last Castle” (2001), “Jockey” (2021)
With more than 70 film credits, the Los Angeles-born actor has been a staple at the movies for two decades. However, opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in Bennett Miller’s best picture-nominated debut, his Perry Smith is incredibly layered and remains one of the big snubs of its individual awards year. This year, he was also worthy of a nomination for his magnificent work in Clint Bentley’s “Jockey,” which unfortunately was lost on the circuit.
18. Robin Wright
Best Performance: “Forrest Gump” (1994)
Other notable performances: “Land” (2021), “The Congress” (2013), “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” (2009), “Breaking and Entering” (2006), “White Oleander” (2002), “She’s So Lovely” (1997), “The Princess Bride” (1987)
It’s hard to imagine a role like the drug-addicted love interest to the titular character in Robert Zemeckis’ best picture winner “Forrest Gump” would be without an Oscar nomination. Alas, here we stand.
Despite a healthy showing as a multiple-time Emmy-nominated actress, Robin Wright has still not found her lane to a long overdue nom. She’s even tried to direct herself to one in her debut “Land” (2021), but found no such luck.
17. Ben Foster
Best Performance: “3:10 to Yuma” (2007)
Other notable performances: “The Messenger” (2009), “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013), “Lone Survivor” (2013), “Hell or High Water” (2016), “Leave No Trace” (2018), “Emancipation” (2022)
Imagine being one of the most versatile and indelibly talented actors in Hollywood, with a varied roster of characters and portrayals, and the Academy still hasn’t noticed. From his humble beginnings on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” Foster has navigated the complex and fruitful roles that have made him a villain, superhero, war hero and so much more. At this juncture, his sadistic right-hand man to Russell Crowe’s Ben Wade in James Mangold’s invigorating western-remake sits at the top of his notable works, but the Boston-born thespian should have a multitude of noms on his IMDb page.
16. Sarah Paulson
Best Performance: “Carol” (2015)
Other notable performances: “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “Run” (2020)
The inclusion of Sarah Paulson’s work in “Carol” is the prime example of how “category fraud” — a simple internet term for when a leading performance is campaigned for supporting and vice versa — displaces worthy performers in the Oscar realm. A critical darling, Todd Haynes’ two-lead drama was engulfed with marvelous Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara performances. Still, the latter (who nearly spearheads the entire movie) was campaigned in supporting actress, along with leading works from other studios like eventual winner Alicia Vikander for “The Danish Girl.” That left little room for Paulson’s Abby, a former love of Carol Aird, to find wiggle room for entry. Paulson’s notoriety has been well known in television, but she’s not limited to it, as she’s shown in her villainous roles in “12 Years a Slave” and last year’s “Run.”
15. Wes Studi
Best Performance: “Hostiles” (2017)
Other notable performances: “Dances with Wolves” (1990), “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992), “Geronimo: An American Legend” (1993), “Avatar” (2009)
Wes Studi’s role as Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hawk, one of the traveling prisoners of Captain Joseph J. Blocker (played impeccably by Christian Bale), is a subtle yet passionate performance of the veteran actor. Looking through his filmography, he’s been delivering astounding works for decades, with other notable turns in films like “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Geronimo: An American Legend.” As Hollywood is making (hopefully) a heartfelt and concentrated focus on our incredible Indigenous people and their talent, perhaps the great Studi can find his way to get his Oscar due. Notably, the Academy did give him an honorary award in 2020.
14. Ewan McGregor
Best Performance: “Moulin Rouge!” (2001)
Other notable performances: “Trainspotting” (1996), “Velvet Goldmine” (1998), “Big Fish” (2003), “I Love You Phillip Morris” (2009), “Beginners” (2010), “The Impossible” (2012), “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (2022)
You can’t get a better Ewan McGregor than his Christian, a musically talented writer in Baz Luhrmann’s jukebox masterpiece. Alongside Nicole Kidman, the magic and love story rests upon McGregor’s sensitive and endearing optimism exuded from every note and frame. But that’s only part of what he’s given the cinematic world that was worthy of attention. “Trainspotting” is a classic while he puts our tear ducts into overdrive in the survival drama “The Impossible.”
13. Peter Sarsgaard
Best Performance: “Shattered Glass” (2003)
Other notable performances: “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999), “Garden State” (2004), “Kinsey” (2004), “Jarhead” (2005), “An Education” (2009), “Jackie” (2016), “Memory” (2023)
Once upon a time, actor Peter Sarsgaard won the most precursor prizes during the 2003-2004 awards season for his supporting turn in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass.” In the film, he plays Charles Lane, a newly promoted editor who suspects one of his revered writers could have fabricated some of his stories. It was a breakout performance in the early days of online Oscar punditry that had everyone buzzing. However, when it came time for the significant televised ceremonies, he could only muster a Golden Globe nod, followed by shocking snubs from SAG, BAFTA and eventually the Academy Awards.
Even with solid follow-ups such as “Kinsey,” “Garden State,” and most recently as a man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in “Memory,” he still sits without a nomination to his credit. It begs the question, when?
12. Michael Stuhlbarg
Best Performance: “A Serious Man” (2009)
Other notable performances: “Call Me by Your Name” (2017), “Bones & All” (2022)
Michael Stuhlbarg is a phenomenal leading man when afforded the opportunity, as shown by his work in the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man,” for which he was recognized by the Golden Globes. Many say he packed a one-two-punch performance in the minimal time he had in “Call Me by Your Name,” something that has resonated ever since.
11. Claire Foy
Best Performance: “Women Talking” (2022)
Other notable performances: “Breathe” (2017), “First Man” (2018), “All of Us Strangers” (2023)
Now that Emily Blunt has finally secured her inaugural Oscar nom, we turn our sights on British star Claire Foy, who has made a knack of looking strong early in an awards season before falling out of the race. That’s been the case with her work as the wife of Neil Armstrong in “First Man” and notably as one of the women trying to escape a religious community in “Women Talking.”
Foy was also worthy of recognition in Andrew Haigh’s ghost drama “All of Us Strangers” before the film’s ultimate shutout of awards season. What a travesty.
10. Hugh Grant
Best Performance: “About a Boy” (2002)
Other notable performances: “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994), “Notting Hill” (1999), “Love Actually” (2003), “Florence Foster Jenkins” (2016), “Paddington 2” (2017)
Who can’t appreciate a film that showcases Hugh Grant at his “Grinch-iest” alongside a breakout turn from Nicholas Hoult? Alongside an incredible Toni Collette, this heartwarming story by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, and Peter Hedges features the British star at his most vulnerable and satisfying. Cue some people who feel his work in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” or “Paddington 2” are actually his best performances, but an excellent actor warrants such an argument.
9. Tessa Thompson
Best Performance: “Passing” (2021)
Other notable performances: “Dear White People” (2014), “Creed II” (2018), “The Listener” (not yet released)
The issue with capping contenders is there often are many worthy candidates, but the Academy doesn’t tend to look in unexpected places. That was the case for Afro-Latina Tessa Thompson, who delivers a vigorous, aching turn in Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut opposite Ruth Negga (also sadly snubbed). But with standouts on television like “Westworld,” she has promising things ahead.
8. Jim Carrey
Best Performance: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)
Other notable performances: “Dumb and Dumber” (1994), “The Mask” (1994), “Liar Liar” (1997), “The Truman Show” (1998), “Man on the Moon” (1999), “I Love You Phillip Morris” (2009)
Alongside a bombastic cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Wilkinson, Jim Carrey’s brain battles with his Oscar-nominated co-star Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski (also giving her best performance as well). The film is one of the best modern love stories of our time, and Carrey should probably have at minimum three nominations by now, but he still stands nomination-less.
7. Richard Gere
Best Performance: “Chicago” (2003)
Other notable performances: “Days of Heaven” (1978), “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982), “Pretty Woman” (1990), “Primal Fear” (1996), “Unfaithful” (2002), “Arbitrage” (2012)
The great Richard Gere has been furnishing the cinematic world with an extraordinary performance once a decade since the 1970s and has yet to fall in the Oscar realm. He shows skill in Terrence Malick’s masterpiece “Days of Heaven” before navigating through the smarmy, pretty-boy roles in romantic comedies and thrillers; it’s his tap-dancing, ventriloquist lawyer in the best picture winner “Chicago” that is his most charming turn yet. Unfortunately, despite a Golden Globe win and a SAG nom for best actor, but fell short at the ceremony. He would have been among his four other nominated cast members: Renée Zellweger, John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, and eventual Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones. The situation begs one of those awards season hindsight questions — should he have campaigned supporting? The world will never know.
6. Kevin Bacon
Best Performance: “The Woodsman” (2004)
Other notable performances: “Footloose” (1984), “Tremors” (1990), “JFK” (1991), “A Few Good Men” (1992), “The River Wild” (1994), “Apollo 13” (1995), “Murder in the First” (1995), “Sleepers” (1996), “Wild Things” (1998), “Mystic River” (2003)
Everyone has played “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” (or listening to his podcast with the same name). However, the actor who has worked with everybody has yet to receive recognition from anyone (at least in the Academy). As Walter, a child molester who returns to his small town in the independent drama “The Woodsman,” the brave exploration of a demon who could live among us is his most energetically charged and impressive outing.
You also wouldn’t be wrong to cite his villainous robber in “The River Wild” or his convicted killer in “Murder in the First” as his best.
5. Donald Sutherland
Best Performance: “Ordinary People” (1980)
Other notable performances: “MAS*H” (1970), “Don’t Look Now” (1973), “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978), “A Dry White Season” (1989), “Backdraft” (1991), “Without Limits” (1998), “Pride & Prejudice” (2005)
How can you have a career like the legendary Donald Sutherland and still find yourself Oscar-less, let alone without at least a nomination? In 1980, he was the only main actor of the best picture winner “Ordinary People” not to be invited to the party.
In 2022, when “A Dry White Season” director and Honorary Oscar recipient Euzhan Palcy spoke with Variety, she praised the man and was disappointed he wasn’t recognized alongside his co-star Marlon Brando. “It was a tough political film at the time,” she said. “Hollywood wouldn’t go for that.”
There’s still time to go for him now.
4. Isabella Rossellini
Best Performance: “Blue Velvet” (1986)
Other notable performances: “Death Becomes Her” (1992), “Fearless” (1993), “The Saddest Music in the World” (2003), “Joy” (2015), “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” (2022), “La Chimera” (2023)
Dorothy Vallens lives in our cinematic bloodstream, and David Lynch’s arthouse film acted as a vessel for all of us to engage and admire Isabella Rossellini for the rest of film history. Understanding that she gives everything to “Blue Velvet,” my “real answer” for her crowning achievement in acting is none other than Lisle Von Rhuman in “Death Becomes Her.” Still, life’s too short to explain and then defend why that film is one of the finest comedies ever made. Perhaps for another time.
3. John Goodman
Best Performance: “Barton Fink” (1991)
Other notable performances: “Sea of Love” (1989), “Matinee” (1993), “The Big Lebowski” (1998), “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000), “Monster’s Inc.” (2001), “The Artist” (2011), “Argo” (2012), “Flight” (2012), “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013), “10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016)
John Goodman is a staple of the business — shown by his multiple Emmys for Dan Connor in “Roseanne” — but his film contribution is nearly immeasurable. One of few actors to star in consecutive best picture winners — “The Artist” and “Argo” — along with a third nominee after “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” (2011), he’s never come in an earshot of the Oscar nom. He’s also one of the few actors who should have been nominated for voice work, shown by his lovable monster opposite Billy Crystal in “Monsters, Inc.”
In a recent revisit of the film, his work in “10 Cloverfield Lane” is among his best, but his early work in the Coen Brothers’ “Barton Fink” as a traveling salesman brings it home.
2. Oscar Isaac
Best Performance: “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013)
Other notable performances: “Drive” (2011), “Ex Machina” (2014), “A Most Violent Year” (2014), “The Card Counter” (2021)
Cuban and Guatemalan star Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada, better known as Oscar Isaac, has delivered captivating performances and is one of the most versatile actors of his generation. After his breakthrough role in Joel Coen and Ethan Coen’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013), playing a struggling folk musician, he moved into roles such as a reclusive tech CEO in “Ex Machina” and a morally conflicted business owner in “A Most Violent Year.” And who can forget Poe Dameron from the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy? We can see the nom on the horizon. The industry just needs to find it.
1. Jeff Daniels
Best Performance: “The Squid and the Whale” (2005)
Other notable performances: “Terms of Endearment” (1983), “Speed” (1993), “Dumb and Dumber” (1994), “Pleasantville” (2000), “The Hours” (2002)
Jeff Daniels is a thespian of stage, television and film, an actor’s actor who is beloved and revered in the business. But he’s still without Oscar recognition, despite having roles in multiple best picture-nominated movies, and one winner. To pick his crowning work is a “Sophie’s Choice” type of dilemma between his Bill Johnson in Gary Ross’ brilliant “Pleasantville” and his arrogant novelist father in Noah Baumbach’s semi-autobiographical portrait. For today, it’s Baumbach’s film, but tomorrow is a new day.
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