One of the most common delusions of fans is "one day [my favorite actor] will be nominated for an Oscar!" The reality is that statistics are against it. Even actors with massive careers (Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, Richard Gere, Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey) might go without...even when they manage to get close by either
_____a) snagging Oscar bait roles or
_____b) finding regular precursor attention @ the Golden Globes.
This year we might see long time shutouts like Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tilda Swinton in the mix, but you never know. For today's top ten I'm focusing on names that are even bigger headscratchers. These ten stars --well, I can never quite wrap my head around their absence from Oscar's history book. I've excluded foreign language actors since it's always believable that they'll be snubbed -- sorry Isabelle Huppert. Everyone knows you rule but Oscar is a slow reader and you have cooties (i.e. subtitles)Movie Stars That Oscar Refuses To Love
10 Christian Bale. He's done everything: wowing as a child star, headlining hits, Oscarbait gimmicks like weight loss and accents. Part of the golden resistance is the kind of movies he's made: too challenging (American Psycho) or small (The Machinist). Given the way his critical and audience cred grows each year, Oscar is starting to look dense.
09 Jeff Daniels. It might be a stretch to call him a "star" but he is nearly as reliable as that other Jeff (Bridges) who also makes superb acting look easy. The other Jeff has four nominations to his name despite the perceived effortlessness. Daniels is always good but he was plain ol' magnificent in The Squid and the Whale (FB Award) and The Purple Rose of Cairo (review) two very difficult and different roles. Yet, Oscar won't acknowledge him. Do they have something against Michiganders.
08 Myrna Loy She's best remembered for her classic stylish "Nora Charles" role in the Thin Man series but in the early days of Oscar they weren't so afraid of comediennes (Carole Lombard, Irene Dunne and others were nominated) so what gives? Even when she worked the ensemble dramas late in her career (Lonelyhearts, Airport 75, From the Terrace) it was always a co-star who was noticed instead. She was denied one of those 'you're really old and we forgot all about you!' sympathy nods that Oscar watchers are so familiar with. They apologized with an honorary Oscar two years before her death.
07 Kim Novak This star shone brightly in the 50s but AMPAS wore blinders. Her biggest Oscar success was undoubtedly Picnic (1955) but she was not among its many nominees. She is one of a long line of actresses who suffered from the 'too beautiful to be taken seriously' fate. Novak didn't do any de-glamming to win kudos, she tested studio patience with an affair with Sammy Davis Jr and --most importantly for the discussion here -- she had the misfortune of giving her greatest performance in Vertigo (58) a movie which was way ahead of its time. It's maddening that her double your pleasure star turn, an entirely bewitching act, was passed over. The snub is even more painful knowing that Deborah Kerr's worst performance (Separate Tables) was in the mix.06 Dennis Quaid. That disarming grin never fails to charm. The only known defense against it is a membership within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. That'll make you impervious. Quaid has tried against-type critical hoopla (Far From Heaven -FB award), biopic mugging (Great Balls of Fire), comebacks (The Rookie) and working the ensemble in a Best Picture nominee (Traffic, The Right Stuff, Breaking Away) --all tactics which have put the red carpet under the feet of many lessser actors.
05 Marilyn Monroe Kim Novak's problem again: if you're viewed as a trophy you're too pretty to earn one. It took a long time for Monroe's reputation to rise from movie star to fine actor. But decades later her work in Bus Stop, The Misfits and a number of musical comedies more than holds up. Her face has been over merchandized but there's still fresh discovery to be had in watching her actual work. Monroe as an icon is overvalued but Monroe the actor? Still underappreciated if you ask me.04 Christopher Plummer Plummer has been a revered workaholic actor since the 1950s. He was invited to join AMPAS recently and one imagines that's an apology of sorts. He's been featured in Best Picture winners (Sound of Music, A Beautiful Mind) but even in a year when he won multiple precursor awards within a Best Picture nominee (The Insider) they politely looked away.
03 Steve Martin. This enduring star is currently testing critical patience with insipid family comedies, but that doesn't negate his overall career genius. It's easy to write this one off as "Oscar doesn't like comedy" but that doesn't entirely quell the dissatisfaction. His work in the romantic comedy Roxanne or his dramatic but funny spin in Grand Canyon is on par with your typical Robin Williams acting. And speaking of... that less original funny man has multiple Oscar nods and an actual trophy to show for his work. Injustice! Has he ever been as inspired as Steve Martin was in All of Me? 02 Donald Sutherland. Some stars become legendary through the force of their own charisma (think Julia Roberts) even if the bulk of their actual filmography is not much to envy. Other actors achieve immortality by being in so many great films that their work will be seen forever. Pairing Sutherland's Oscar loved films with the knowledge that he's always passed over is a jaw dropping exercize: MASH, Klute, Don't Look Now, Fellini's Casanova, Ordinary People, JFK, Six Degrees of Separation, Pride & Prejudice ...(whew)
01 Mia Farrow On rare occassions I feel guilty for writing about the movies as in... 'stop reading right now and watch THIS!' I know there are people reading who haven't seen Farrow's haunting work in Rosemary's Baby, her unrecognizable and funny scenery-chewing in Broadway Danny Rose (1984), her perfectly judged star-gazing in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) or her quicksilver moodshifts in Alice (1990) ...and that's just four (four!) great performances off the top of my head. Mia Farrow has led an oft controversial, confrontational and tabloid-friendly personal life ever since her early days of stardom on Frank Sinatra's arm. But here's the thing: Oscar voters should be setting aside prickly personal lives when judging the merits of performance.
Mia's glory days are gone but she was brilliant more than once and has the classic films to show for it. But no honors from the Academy. Making this sting even more: Woody Allen films, which make up about a third of Farrow's filmography, have won many acting nominations and trophies, but Mia was never along for that ride. AMPAS has absurdly mistreated her. She's more than earned an honorary Oscar, don't you think?
Who would you add or subtract from this list? Which omission makes you the most bonkers? [for related posts, chase the labels @ the bottom of zee post]
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91 comments:
What a beautiful picture of Christian Bale. I love him. Even when I find him a bit smug and overly "actorly", I can't help but love watching his work. He should be higher on the list. Though I suppose the only time he's REALLY deserved a nod is American Psycho (other than maybe The Machinist, which I haven't seen). Plus, he still has time. I'm sure he'll be recognized eventually. And could easily win whenever he's nominated first (maybe this year?).
Other than that, Jim Carrey should really be on the list. You mentioned him, but he deserved an actual spot. I still can't believe the double-snub for The Truman Show and Man on the Moon, twice in a row, especially when you consider he's a huge HUGE star, even if it's for non-oscary stuff. By Eternal Sunshine, I think we'd all lost hope, but he of course deserved a nob for that one, too.
Nat, this list broke my heart.
Agh - good call on Mia Farrow. I can't believe she wasn't nominated for Rosemary's Baby!
And do you think they'll EVER nominate Richard Gere? I figure if they wouldn't nominate him for Chicago, what hope does he have left?
Well, he wasn't really that much of a lead in Chicago. I think that's what did him in.
What about The Hoax?
Christina Ricci!! She has given great to extraordinary performances in every film she has been in. Why the Academy hasn't nominated her is horrendous.
MERYL STREEP.... oh wait.
Donald Sutherland's lack of oscar recognition really puzzles me. It's not as if he's made exclusively Roeg films (Don't Look Now may be a masterrpiece, but even the surprisingly daring 70's academy wouldn't have gone for it). But Ordinary People? He was the best thing about the damn movie. Did he piss them off somehow?
Steve Martin in All of Me = one of the great comedic performances of all time.
The Sutherland thing is insanely puzzling. As recently as, like, two years ago, if you'd asked me, I'd have said that Sutherland had received at least 3 career noms easy.
The one particular case that most vexes me is Plummer for The Insider. How did that miss? In favor of Michael Clarke Duncan? Come on.
As for additions to your list: Gary Oldman. For a scene-stealer like him who regularly feasts on scenery while continuing to be really good, I'm amazed.
Also, it's not exactly a shameful career omission, but the fact that John Cusack never got nominated is a bit weird, considering how often he was the lead in films that saw multiple supporting nominations (Malkovich, Bullets Over Broadway,, The Grifters). Of course, that could change this year...
The big ones, for me, are Donald Sutherland and Christopher Plummer. At this point you have to wonder if Kiefer and Amanda will get there first.
And Steve Martin is a stunner. I knew he'd never been nominated as an actor, but I was sure he'd been included as a screenwriter or songwriter. Alas, no, despite winning the Writers Guild award for Roxanne.
Leave it to the Film Experience to get my learnin' on.
Jennifer Jason Leigh, really. Did anyone else see today's imdb poll on this topic, where people were asked which actress should have an Oscar by now? Effing Scarlett Johansson won, or is winning it at present. So unreal - when has she been more than competent?
Sutherland will always be the #1 answer.
I would say Tilda Swinton, but I know that's reaching the limits of possibility. (Still, Winger in Shadowlands over Tilda in Orlando totally hurts.)
And I gotta second the Meg Ryan thing, because I do think she's a brilliant actor in When Harry Met Sally... and You've Got Mail, at the very least. Myrna Loy was a great call, for similar reasons. Also totally on board with Farrow.
Trying to think of a new name to add, avoiding non-Americans, since we know the Academy is a xenophobic. Maybe I'll just add that Anne Heche is one of the best working film actors with no Oscar nomination, even though she hasn't really come anywhere close. Hope things work out soon for Celestia in a great role. But I find this extremely hard to imagine.
Oh yeah, duh, JAMIE LEE CURTIS. How could you forget her?
I just hope they give Christian Bale an Oscar before he dies from all of the strain he puts on his body. Seriously, when is the last time we saw a male star go to such extravagant physical lengths for the sake of his craft? "The Machinist" is probably the thinnest I've ever seen an actor get for a part. And then the bulk up for "Batman". And then getting scrawny again for "Rescue Dawn." And then the bulk up again for "The Dark Knight". What next?
This list is unbelievably spot on. Myrna Loy being overlooked is unforgivable. The love I have for her performance in The Rains Came is boundless. I know it was a busy year, but still...
And your Mia Farrow call is also excellent. The snubs you mention are really awful.
I gotta second Joe R.'s suggestions of John Cusack and Gary Oldman.
JAMIE LEE!!!!!! i apologize. thanks adam k. if i ruled the world she'd have at least two nominations. (freaky & fish called)
well for recent actors JOHN CUSACK, KEVIN BACON and CHRISTINA RICCI all probably have things to bitch about given that they're in high profile projects and they've often received accolades or media attention.
i think TILDA will eventually get nominated and JJL too. I have much less belief that CAMERON DIAZ will.
i use to think that an eventual nom for DREW BARRYMORE was a given (legendary family, well liked, etc...) but she never seems to try to get one so maybe not.
I thought Drew deserved a Globe comedy spot for Never Been Kissed, but I think her best Academy chance will be wa-a-a-ay into the future when a great director uses her in an uncharacteristic way. Whilst she's busy going about being cast in a characteristic way, she's screwed.
Meantime, great list!
Rob
I wouldn't put Hugh Grant on the list, but I'd give him an honorable mention. It's really just because of the one role that I wish he'd been nominated but...
Christopher Plummer has probably been asked to the Academy over his career many times, but like others (Sean Penn before he won), he's likely declined membership again and again.
I would have added Kevin Bacon to the list. What does that man have to do to get an Oscar nod? Damn already. Same for Jim Carrey, though his stock is going down year after year with his flops. It's sad that Jeff Daniels hasn't been nodded yet. He should have won for "The Squid and the Whale", but anyway. I'll second Jennifer Jason Leigh's mention too, though I'm crossing that this time the curse will be broken with "Margot at the Wedding".
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
GARY OLDMAN!
John Cazale.
He really is the patron saint of the un-nominated. Literally every performance the man has ever given is worthy of the win let alone the nomination.
That they passed over his work in the Godfather Part II is especially mind boggling.
"Well it wasn't the way I wanted it!"
If they still haven't nominated Cameron, I don't see any argument for why they ever would in the future. The door was wide open for Vanilla Sky and especially Being John Malkovich (I'm convinced she placed a close 6th for Sky and would've been nommed except for the fact that there were 5 other ladies who were just more prestige-y and in better loved films... in Malkovich, the only explanation I can think of for the snub is that they just don't like her).
A few years ago, Barrymore seemed primed for the kind of young Hollywood royalty supporting nod/win that Kate Hudson got for Almost Famous. But as Nat said, she never got that perfect role, or even really tried, from the looks of it. Now it seems perhaps she'll get an elderly supporting nod a la Lauren Bacall, for something unexpected or just for a kind of career tribute. We'll see.
Gena Rowlands deserves an Oscar. So brilliant...
Yeah, I agree that Drew (along with JJL and Martin, at some point) will eventually be taking a nomination, though when and where, I'm not sure.
The name I'm kind of floored we haven't seen bandied around here yet is Mr. Ewan. I mean, he was completely snubbed for Moulin Rouge!, and while I think that's his only nominatable perf, he's done some major films before and after, and he's certainly high profile.
And, as far as older actors go, I don't really think there's any getting over the fact that Edward G. Robinson never got nominated. I mean, Double Indemnity alone he should have been picking up the trophy. Add in fare such as The Cincinnati Kid and House of Strangers, along with the classic Little Caesar, and you have a recipe for someone who should definitely have gotten an invitation to compete from Oscar at some point.
Barrymore deserved recognition for "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." She was comic brilliance in that.
I can't wait until Maggie Gyllenhaal wins her Oscar. Or I can't wait until she starts racking up nominations.
I completely forgot about Ewan. Maybe because he's just so obviously not their style. But the Moulin Rouge! snub is unforgivable.
I'm so glad you mentioned Marilyn Monroe. I saw The Misfits for the first time at an art house screening in the early 80s and was amazed. She ripped my heart out. She was wonderful in Bus Stop, too. No one was better at fearlessly revealing the scared little girl inside.
mark ruffalo
Brian Cox. His current plan of being in every movie released doesn't seem to have worked yet, but it should pay off before it's honorary Oscar time. And Edward Everett Horton deserved a handful of nominations.
Cameron Diaz, I can understand the snubs. Vanilla Sky didn't get any love, though I agree Cameron was that film's one big jolt of energy. As for Malkovich, she was overshadowed by Keener, and (much as I loved Cameron in the movie) deservedly so. Plus, 1999 was a sickly competitive year for supporting actresses.
Ziyi Zhang.
I thought she deserved the Oscar itself for CTHD and HOFD, and even though you all hated/disliked/not liked (name someone who didn't... exactly) in Memoirs of a Geisha, you gotta admit she was thiiissss close to being nominated. I thought she (would've) deserved it. But Keira was obviously better. Everyone knows that. But I blame the absolutely undeserving Judi Dench. Come on! How was that Oscar-worthy? Someone just go back in time and assassinate Helen Hunt in 1996 already! Jeez!
I need to be a minor voice of dissent when it comes to Ewan in Moulin I'm afraid; I thought there were 4 greater unnominated turns that year from Gene Hackman (Tenenbaums), John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig), Anthony Lapaglia (Lantana) and Billy Bob Thornton (Monster's - they nominated the wrong lead!).
Matter of fact, whilst I'm confessing, I'm a Ewan fan who didn't much go for his work in Moulin (nor Kidman for that matter).
However, if there's one Ewan turn that deserved a nod above all others it has to be Trainspotting for me. I have him 1st that year.
Rob
yes, ewan in trainspotting should've had a place in the lineup. but that toilet dive was too much for their delicate sensibilities.
i'm glad to hear names i haven't thought of mentioned (particularly from classic films) because it just goes to prove the original point: it's not easy to get that oscar nomination. even using the oscar tricks doesn't always do it.
I think Drew Barrymore was Oscar worthy in Riding in Cars with Boys.
I think that is the best peformance she has ever given.
Whenever I tell people my favorite actress is Mia Farrow, people scratch their head. To see her listed as #1 on this list lifts up my heart. And though it may look like her best years are behind her, she still may find a role or two to compete with her best. She still looks fabulous.
randyugh -- i'm a fan too (if you click on the mia farrow label, there's more)
joe r --hear hear on 99. what a year that was for the SAs.
question for everyone:
is it wrong to think that Scream is Drew Barrymore's best performance? cuz I kinda do.
A few that haven't been mentioned:
Lili Taylor
Gary Oldman
Alan Rickman
Sam Neil
Robin Wright penn
Steve Buscemi
Guy Pearce
Ashley Judd
Alfred Molina
Nat, I can definitely see where you're coming from with Scream; even though I'd still give Never Been Kissed my #1 Drew Performance spot, Scream would certainly sit just behind it at #2. She knows absolutely what she's doing in every single moment, and as a result, her sequence remains the high point of the entire trilogy...
Riding in Cars was a solid enough turn, but I think the wobbly film surrounding it kinda buried how successful she really was. Seriously; she almost made you believe she was Adam Garcia's mother, which is a pretty impressive thespian achievement!
Rob
A terrific list.
Might I second GARY OLDMAN? I would've given him the goddamn statuette for The Contender. A stunning, overlooked performance. It's rhapsodic.
I'd also sneak in Bruce Willis. His action performances are tubular, but he shines in both comedy (Death Becomes Her) and drama (The Sixth Sense).
Martin Sheen, too. Apocalypse Now, The Dead Zone, Badlands.
Marylouise Burke. :)
I deeply love Bale, even as a heterosexual man i cant but admire his choice of roles and the quality of his acting. Same for Sutherland, even your list does not recognize him. He should be the number one. You forgot Mia Farrow crimes and misdemeanors, her most impressive acting to me. Also, Jennifer Jason Leigh in last exit to Brooklyn, Ms Parker and the vicious circle and Georgia. Lili Taylor in everything she is being since say anything. On the other hand, I tent not to watch movies with Jeff Daniels or Jim Carrey. They bugg me that much!
Christian Bale and Guy Pierce. Barrymore???? I have only seen her in Donny Darko and i consider her public enemy after that
I've always been disappointed that Jennifer Jason Leighn has not been nominated.
Gary Oldman ranks right behind her.
Others:
Thandie Newton
Wesley Snipes
Yeah, I think Myrna Loy and Mia Farrow are the best choices. Myrna Loy, I think, is clearly the best performance in The Best Years of our Lives and her character is probably the most difficult. She basically played dissatisfied wife but without coming off as being unhappy, which I think is kind of an impressive acting feat.
And THANK GOD Mia Farrow is #1, I was scrolling down the list hoping to find her, and I was glad to see her at the top. She should have easily one for Rosemary's Baby (Oscar saw it fit to honor to actresses in lesser performances that year), and she probably also should have won for Alice, for which she won the NBR.
Scream is definitely in the #2 position for Drew Barrymore's performances, behind Riding in Cars with Boys.
honestly i couldn't sit through riding in cars with boys. and i did try. i bailed and sat down for donnie darko instead: one of my best ever spur of the moment decisions in a movie theater.
has anyone else ever done this list and if so, what's your ranking?
we've been seeing gary oldman's name pop up a lot but he doesn't do much for me actually. A-C-T-I-N-G if you ask me (the same complaint i have for Felicity Huffman. I can just see every decision. it bugs me) though i haven't seen a lot of his earlier work so maybe that would convert me.
I grew up as a teen in the 50's 60's and KIM NOVAK was never an actress. She was not able to act her way out of a paper bag. Beautiful, yes! Sexy, Yes. She was lucky that she slept with Cohn the head of Columbia and she had great costars... but she could not hold on to her career because her reviews were so horrible.
well she was awesome in VERTIGO at least ;)
I absolutely agree on Myrna Loy (well, I agree on everybody else as well, but especially her) and can second some others you've named in the comments:
I never realized Michael Sheen wasn't even nominated at some time...and Alan Rickman?
I see there's a few people around who agree with me on Gary Oldman. He's a genius, it's almost indecent he doesn't already have the damn statuette, let alone a nomination...but who am I talking to, right?
1. Kim Novak was the Naomi Watts of her day. Not untalented, but required a demonically brilliant director (Hitchcock - Lynch) to mold something incredible.
2. Gary Oldman should've won for Sid and Nancy and JFK, and was robbed of a nod for Prick Up Your Ears. Dear God, the man was incendiary in the 80's.
3. I fear for Bale. I think he's respected more than actually liked. I respect his dedication to his role in The Machinist, but I question it just as much because I never thought the film was worth what he did to his body. Hell, if I hadn't known he was able to bulk up back to normal for Batman, I probably would've enjoyed the film less.
4. You know, given how weak 1994 was for leading ladies, you'd think they'd have thrown a bone and nominated Jennifer Jason Leigh (Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle). She was certainly worthy. 1995 was a brutally brilliant year for leading ladies (you have the five completely deserving nominees. And then you have Julie Delpy, Gong Li, Nicole Kidman, Leigh, that Moore person, Kirschner...)
PETER O'TOOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
arkaan --hearing Bale's Batman body described as bulked up to "normal" makes me feel very very inadequate ;)
You know one actor who isn't really "actorly," but certainly was famous and much-loved that never scored a nomination would be Bob Hope. Like Loy, he picked up an Honorary or five, but he was never nominated for a performance, despite his constantly hosting the show. Perhaps Billy Crystal should start doing some humanitarian work now so that he at least has a shot at the Jean Hersholt, cuz he seems to be on the same career trajectory.
Interesting aside: of the 50 actors that were listed in the AFI's Greatest Actors list, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, Shirley Temple (I don't count the tiny Oscar, which was an honorary), Rita Hayworth, Jean Harlow, The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, and Edward G. Robinson (8 in all), so the unnominated are still in good company.
lol nathaniel. I should've said normal for him. But Bale makes all feel inadequate with his dedication :D
I know foreign performers are kind of excluded from this -- but Isabelle Huppert is an exception. Violette Noziere; Loulou; La Separation; La Ceremonie; The Piano Teacher; 8 Women; Gabrielle. I mean, come on, surely one of those incredible performances should've struck Oscar nom gold. She's thrown enough chances their way!
And yes, I'd put Scarlett Johansson on the list. Lost in Translation and Match Point - she should be a double-nominee already, replacing anyone but Charlize from that god-awful 2003 list and Frances McDormand in 2005.
Here here on Marilyn, Jennifer and some of the others.
I can understand why Sutherland hasn't been nominated. I'm not a particularly big fan of his quite frankly but even I'm surprised he's never been nominated.
But, yeah, Jamie Lee Curtis is one I'd include. She should have three!
Billy Cudrup in waking the dead, Guy Pearce in anything, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Lili Taylor
Other names. Sorry if some has been mentioned before:
Jeff Daniels
Blythe Danner
Hope Davis
Danny Glover
Derek Jacobi
Charlotte Rampling
Alan Rickman
Linus Roache
I was about to jump on you for putting Steve Martin above Marilyn Monroe, but you compensate with Mia Farrow at no.1 - in my eyes, the greatest living American actress.
And I'd put Edward G. Robinson as no.2 behind Farrow.
Also, the nominationlessness of plenty of great foreign actors I would find baffling in theory - but then it's AMPASS we're talking about. They've proven themselves a hollow, insipid bunch enough times that none of their idiocy baffles me any longer.
I completely forgot...two names: Peter Sarsgaard and Gael Garcia Bernal. New, yes, but their work is consistently wonderful.
Love that you included Myrna Loy and Marilyn Monroe, but why not do two seperate lists, dead (no chance of getting nominated) and alive (still in the running)?
He might have been mentioned already but I'd add Ewan McGregor to the list too.
McGregor - zip.
And to the guy earlier who screaed "Peter O'Toole"... he has 8. Duh.
Barrymore was pretty amazing in Scream. I forgot.
You mention a lot of the same actors I would think of Nat.
It's a travesty that Christopher Plummer and Donald Sutherland has never been nominated for an Oscar. Hell I would even have nominated Donald Sutherland for best supporting actor for his turn in JFK!!! That's about as brilliant as acting gets! Not many actors could do what he did in those what? 7-8 minutes?
Yes, Peter Sarsgaard should have two noms already. Gael Garcia is consistently great, but a nom for what exactly? He has still to give that extra special performance to launch him into Oscar.
Also, don't think anyone's mentioned Danny Huston - should have been nommed for Ivans Xtc.
Oh and yes anonymous 10.53pm, Billy Crudup dammit! He should've won for Stage Beauty, let alone be nominated.
On a side note: One of the biggest snubs of the past 10 years:
Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line!
mmmmm caviezel in thin red line
DJP --Yeah, that's probably what i shoulda done... two lists one living, one not.
I agree with your list, especially Dennis Quaid. He was not only denied in Far From Heaven(which is the closest he came to being nominated)but in Savior,Big Easy, and Wyatt Earp to name a few. I think he has been denied because he is so natural and makes it look so easy. I would like to clear up one point you made. He is a member of the Academy, so apparently that still hasn't made any difference. I am still hopeful he will be recognized with a nomination one of these days, but if he isn't, he certainly is In Good Company,(no pun intended)which is another movie he should have been nominated for.
You could always still make 2 lists Nathaniel. ;)
DE-wait for it...-NIED! DENIED!
Thanks for not forgetting Myrna Loy. Just watched "her night" last night on TCM, which was terrific. "Best Years of Our Lives" was on Wednesday night. She was flawless.
Forgot to mention....what about Jerry Lewis? I'm a bit torn as to whether he ever deserved a nomination....but certainly discuss-able. If Sophia Loren / Blake Edwards (both of whom had previously won) can get an honorary oscars for their careers, I would think Jerry Lewis may be up for consideration. Certainly a humanitarian award....I would guess he has raised more $$$ for a charity (MDA) than any other celeb. My guess is MDA is not considered to be a "cool" cause though. Thoughts?
Gael garcia bernal SHOULD have already two oscars, amores perros and bad education
yeah, i'm a bit perturbed with myself for not nominating him for amores perros in my own awards. but he was honorable mention at least... which is more than the academy can say ;)
Jennifer Jason Leigh should be on this list. Whether you like her or not. I'm aware that a lot of people just don't gravitate towards her mannered style and tendency to play annoying, unsympathetic characters… but that isn't even the issue here.
She has technically been snubbed more often than older actors like Mia Farrow, Christopher Plummer or Donald Sutherland – they are excellent actors who have had long careers full of good work, but they haven't had as many specific outright snubs as Leigh because they've never played a huge role in the awards race of any particular year (Sutherland's worst snub was probably for Ordinary People, though I wouldn't consider it his most deserving performance). The horrible thing about Leigh's snubs is that she has "nearly" been nominated for an Oscar several times but never made the final cut: a New York Film Critics award and Boston Society of Film Critics awards for Last Exit to Brooklyn and Miami Blues in 1990, a Golden Globe nomination and National Society of Film Critics award for Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle in 1994, another New York Film Critics award and a Montreal Film Festival award for Georgia in 1995. On the other hand, while I love Christian Bale, I don't think he was even really on AMPAS's radar for his great work in films like American Psycho or The Machinist, so those snubs, while definitely unfair, weren't as... pointed.
Personally I think JJL is a brilliant actress, and I hope she gets her first nod and WINS next year for Margot at the Wedding. But even if she does finally get her dues, she has been snubbed more often than any other actress of her generation.
i just realized nobody brought up BRIAN COX. and i really thought his name would come up
goatdog mentioned brian cox, nathanial...i bet i really made you feel sheepish.
eric bana for me.
Jim Carrey! haha joking :-)
1) Isabelle Hupert
2) Daniel Auteil
3) Jeanne Moreau
4) Gary Oldman
5) Jonathan Pryce
6) Isabella Rossellini
7) Tilda Swinton
8) Jennifer Jason Leigh
9) Jeffrey Wright
10) Hugh Grant, Parker Posey, Gabriel Byrne, Tracey Ullman, Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Carmem Maura.
Sarah Polley deseverd nominations for multiple roles and should have been nominated and should have won for The Sweet Hereafter.
I totally agree re Myrna & Mia, and I'm glad at least one person mentioned Edward G Robinson, imagine he didn't get one nomination!
Here is my list of actors and the performances for who could be nominated.
Mia Farrow (Rosemary's Baby, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Alice), Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Caligola), Peter Sarsgaard (Boys Don't Cry, Shattered Glass, Kinsey), Christina Ricci (The Opposite of Sex), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge!), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Twenty Bucks), Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, Matilda), Maria Bello (The Cooler, A History of Violence), Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future), Jim Carrey (The Mask, The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine...), Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy, The Contender) Michael Keaton (Beetle juice), Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill Vol. 2), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle), and Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller's Day Off).
And in next years i wish will see nominated:
Emily Blunt, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Topher Grace, Kirsten Dunst, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Giovani Ribisi, Paul Dano, Rachel McAdams, and Jane Kaczmareck (well...if Helen Hunt win, i have hope)
Add Bob Hope, although he did get 4 Honorary Oscars. His role in "Seven Little Foys" was deserving.
Doris Day in "Love Me or Leave Me"
Sam Neill has been very good for many years, though I can see how his generally low-key work could have been overlooked.
Mel Gibson, as an actor. Fine performances in "The Man without a Face," "Signs," "Ransom" and "Hamlet" could have been nommed. Even "Braveheart," which won him Oscars for Picture and Director, but not a nomination for Actor.
Alan Rickman should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Die Hard, Best Actor for Truly, Madly, Deeply, and Best Supporting Actor for Sense and Sensibility. Snow Cake was also a great bit of acting from him, but I can understand how it was overlooked.
Also, he should be nominated this year for Best Supporting Actor for Sweeney Todd, and frankly, I think he ought to be recognized next year for Severus Snape in Half-Blood Prince, because he's going to have a good amount of screen time and will be absolutely amazing given the story! Seriously, it's outrageous how good he is as Snape and just because it's fantasy, he should NOT be overlooked!!!
Have none of you seen A CLOCKWORK ORANGE? i can not believe that Malcolm Macdowell did not win an oscar for his role as Alex, or even a nomination, let alone win a place on your malenky list!
My top ten of overdues actors:
10. Christopher Plummer
9. Mia Farrow
8. Peter Sarsgaard
7. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
6. Norma Aleandro (Especially for The Official Story)
5. Jennifer Jason Leigh (She should Jessica's Oscar in 1994)
4. Isabelle Huppert
3. Christian Bale
2. Ewan McGregor
1. Tony Leung Chiu wai
JIm Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He was brilliant brilliant BRILLiANT!!! There is no other way to say it. WHAT a film. Genius. Oscar awards mean fuck all. They pick films that are statements to a cause, not the best performances. Jim Carrey is a fine actor, with versatility that is shocking. His misses, like 23, can be very bad, but when he hits, he really nails it down. What actor/actress hasn't had their share of poor results? Are you perfect at your work? Well deserved acclaim for this movie, and you should watch it.
i agree with you ! every one of these actors are brilliant(Novak was so great in Vertigo)and respected!Christian Bale in American psycho,the machinist and Rescue dawn was awesome,inbelievable!
But every actor mentioned is a maverick in business! no mediawhore(as tom cruise,brad pitt,angie jolie),gossip people(love affair),no red carpet,no pub,no face for designer!
Sutherland by a mile. How he didn't wind up with a nomination for "Ordinary People" I'll never know. I love the movie and so did the Academy. His was arguably the most remarkable performance in the film (MTM was amazing as well) yet his 3 co-stars received nominations while he just got the shaft.
Sutherland's Cal Jarrett deserves consideration with Atticus Finch and Ted Kramer in the pantheon of greatest film dad's of all-time!
Michael Sheen! should have been nominated for his performances in both The Queen and Frost/Nixon.
He's quite a talented actor
Alan. Rickman.
No really.
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