Tues Top Ten: Stars Without (Competitive) Oscars
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 7:00PM Do you miss Oscar season or are you glad it's over? I'm feeling a little bit of both right now, which is why this image that a reader sent me is so great. It's Glenn Close & Michelle Pfeiffer on Oscar night in 1989, when they both lost for their roles in Dangerous Liaisons (1988). Michelle did take the stage as a presenter that night (alongside Dennis Quaid).
Who knew that the Merquise de Merteuil and Madame Tourvel could exhibit any such tenderness for each other? (Or maybe the Merquise is just looking for the softest spot on Tourvel's neck in which to sink her fangs?)
So the picture got me to thinking about stars who've never won Oscars despite multiple nods. (Of course the most egregiously mistreated stars in Hollywood are the great actors who've never even been nominated... but that's a different list.) For this Tuesday Top Ten, I thought we'd do things a little differently and the rank will be determined not by my opinion but by Oscar's through the number of nominations. I determine the order if stars have the same number of losing nominations.
TOP TEN WORKING FILMS STARS
WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS WHO'VE
NEVER WON A COMPETITIVE OSCAR
Honorable Mentions: Mickey Rooney, Eleanor Parker, Kirk Douglas (yes, they're all still alive), Jane Alexander, Debra Winger, Diane Ladd and Marsha Mason each won three-to-four nominations but since none of these famous actors are working much or at all in features anymore, I decided to make this a list of top “working” stars instead. As for the bottom third of the top ten list, since there are a lot of stars who’ve earned three nominations without ever winning, I had to make judgement calls as to who to include. So my apologies to: Laura Linney, Joaquin Phoenix and Sigourney Weaver (and others with 3 nominations) who just-missed here.
Johnny Depp, The Dangerous Liaisons girls and more after the jump...
10 Johnny Depp
3 Nominations (2003-2007): The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Neverland, Sweeney Todd
Closest He Came To Winning: Pirates, for which he snagged the SAG, probably got him to third place in a tough Oscar race. Despite the unfortunate calcification of his gift of late (does he any interest in recognizable humanity anymore?) there’s no denying the imaginative triumph of his first nomination, nor the turns preceding it that won him a devoted following prior to that theme park ride mainstream epiphany that he had a special gift.
Worst Snub: Either of his Edwards for Tim Burton
What He Should Have Won For: Edward Scissorhands (1990, maybe) or Pirates (2003), neither of which are anything like typical Oscar roles but that doesn't mean he wasn't Oscar worthy in both of them.
Will He Ever Win?: Five or six years ago who would’ve ever said no? But given the repetitive downward spiral of his career creatively he’ll have to break free of longtime collaborator Burton and his accompanying cartoon quirks to get a real shot again.
09 Joan Allen
3 Nominations (1995-2000): Nixon, The Crucible, The Contender
Closest She Came to Winning: She was probably a runner up with her first, losing to Oscar’s favorite throwback type (the hooker with the heart of gold) via Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite.
Most Universally Bitched About Snub: Pleasantville (1998)
What She Should Have Won For: The Upside of Anger (not nominated). The latter still stings since she was working on a level so far above nearly all of the nominees that year.
Will She Ever Win? Hollywood seems to have lost interest, which is a shame.
08 Michelle Pfeiffer
3 Nominations (1988-1992): Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Love Field
Closest She Came: in 1989 she was the presumed frontrunner until mass sentimentality swept Hollywood and made Jessica Tandy the oldest Best Actress winner ever for Driving Miss Daisy. Shame on everyone!
Worst Snubbings: Scarface and White Oleander
What She Should Have Won For: The Fabulous Baker Boys and White Oleander (not nominated). I’d add Batman Returns for a third Oscar (no, for real. it's clearly one of the most memorable turns of an entire decade) but it’s hard to quibble with Emma Thompson’s win for indelibly moving work in the majestic Howard’s End
Will She Ever Win? No. Oscar doesn’t have much use for women over 50 (sad but true) and Pfeiffer has always been too cool an actress to trade on sentiment, something you need to win when you’re past a certain age. (If you’re a woman, at least)
Can Amy Adams snag a trophy next time? It's now or never if you ask me.
07 Amy Adams
4 Nominations (2005-2012): Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master
Closest She Came: That’s a tough call. I doubt she was actually close in any of those races though she might have been a distant second place for Junebug. But the ease with which she nabs nominations theoretically suggests I could be very wrong about this
Most Universally Bitched About "Snub": Enchanted
What She Should’ve Won For: She would’ve made a worthy if not definitively deserved winner on her first or third nominations but isn’t four nominations enough for that particular filmography?
Will She Ever Win? Only if it’s in the next few years and she hustles for a 5th nomination - Janis Joplin? – if so momentum could do half the work for her. Otherwise she's toast since Oscar streaks rarely last much longer than hers has.
06 Ed Harris
4 nominations (1995-2002): Apollo 13, The Truman Show, Pollock, The Hours
Closest He Came: 1998 was a strange Best Supporting Actor year but my guess is that he very narrowly lost his Truman Show bid to James Coburn in Affliction.
Was He Ever Snubbed? I'm not sure you could say so but he did nearly win a critics prize for The Right Stuff (1983)
What He Should’ve Won For: The Truman Show
Will He Ever Win? Something tells me no since he couldn't get winners traction for very baity parts like the ones he was nominated for.
05 Annette Bening (4 nominations)
4 Nominations (1990-2010): The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia, The Kids Are All Right
Closest She Came To Winning: She was, I'd guess, the runner up for three of her four Oscar races but I suspect it was American Beauty for which she came the closest to holding a statue of her own (oh you know she's held Warren's!). That film was possibly thisclose to joining The Silence of the Lambs and precious few other films as a winner of all five top Oscar prizes. Being Julia… her historic Round Two with Hilary Swank was probably the only time she wasn't in second place; the last minute surge that year was all about Vera Drake’s Imelda Staunton.
Most Obvious Snubbing? Bugsy (1991) which was otherwise a huge hit with Oscar
What She Should've Won For? Hmmmm. Runner up sounds right in many cases... but I would have voted for her on her first and fourth nominations given the state of those races.
Will She Ever Win? I think so …but in supporting. She works a lot still and hasn’t lost even a touch of her range or fire.
04 Julianne Moore
4 Nominations (1997-2002): Boogie Nights, The End of the Affair, The Hours, Far From Heaven
Closest She Came: I doubt she’s ever been runner up even. For shame! Historically it helps to be double nominated in a given year but the late Best Actress surge in 2002 was all about Renee Zellweger in Chicago (who took the SAG prize) and Catherine Zeta Jones was so far out front for the same film in Supporting Actress that only Meryl Streep was a perceived challenger.
What She Should Have Won For: Safe (1995) maybe but that was such a strong Actress year that any number of women would have made satisfying winners. But definitely Boogie Nights (1997) for which I suspect she was in third place -- ridiculous since it might be THE Supporting Performance of its decade -- and Far From Heaven (2002... third place again). So anything short of two Oscars at this point is embarrassing. For the Academy, not for her.
Will She Ever Win an Oscar? I don't believe so. She’s been a respected actress for nearly 20 years but never the “it” girl which is when it’s easiest to win Oscars. I don't even think they'll hand her an Honorary since Oscar has a strange thing against women. (Only a small percentage of honorary Oscar winners are women... and yet Oprah has one. No, I don't get that either.)
Would you have given Albert Finney the Oscar for Erin Brockovich?
03 Albert Finney
5 Nominations (1963-2000): Tom Jones, Murder on the Orient Express, The Dresser, Under the Volcano, Erin Brockovich
Closest He Came: Benicio Del Toro was a strong frontrunner in 2000 but I imagine Finney had the lions share of dissenting votes for that other Best Picture nominated Steven Soderbergh film. As for his debut nomination - Tom Jones did win Best Picture which is often pared with Best Actor but it's tough to imagine him even being runner up in that particular Best Actor year given the competition and the fact that he was only 27 and, thus, one of the youngest Best Actor nominees ever.
Will He Ever Win? He needs another role as good as the one he got in Brockovich
02 Glenn Close
6 Nominations (1982-2011): The World According to Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs
Closest She Came: Ouch does her Oscar history hurt. She was very obviously the close (excuse me) runner up in two consecutive years 1987-1988 after a gargantuan amount of momentum from her debut (Garp) onward.
Snubs?: Not really. The most noticeable miss was Reversal of Fortune (1990) since she had been so very popular with AMPAS for all of the 1980s. But by then AMPAS was probably embarrassed to keep stiffing her.
Will She Ever Win: Your guess is as good as mine but given that Meryl Streep gets nearly all the meaty roles for women over 60 and the bulk of female Oscars go to women in their late 20s/early 30s...
Consolation Prize: She's shares the most nominated losing women ever prize with Queen of Supporting Actresses Thelma Ritter and the legendary Deborah Kerr and none of them will be forgotten.
01 Peter O'Toole
8 nominations (1962-2007): Lawrence of Arabia, Becket, The Lion in Winter, Goodbye Mr Chips, The Ruling Class, The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year, Venus
Closest He Came: You'd think the title character in Lawrence of Arabia would win you an Oscar but he had the misfortune of being up against another equally iconic role (Gregory Peck’s lawyer father in To Kill a Mockingbird) in a year in which he also had the "misfortune" of being too young (having just turned 30) and maybe even too beautiful (that's only welcome in actresses that young!) at the time for Hollywood's top male honor.
Consolation Prize: He already has an Honorary Oscar and the distinction of being the most nominated actor of all time, male or female, never to win the big prize.
WHICH OSCARS OR HOW MANY WOULD YOU GIVE THESE PEOPLE?
Do you take issue with the list?
Was Oscar too generous or not generous enough with each of them?
And what to do with Oscars huge back catalogue of mistreated ladies they never gave prizes too during the peak of their film careers?
Reader Comments (92)
Joan Allen's "The Upside of Anger" snub and Michelle Pfeiffer's "The Deep End of the Ocean" snub still sting the most for me.
It's interesting how a lot of these people were nominated in a small time frame...they all had their "moment" and that was it. No more Academy love. That's gotta sting.
Peter O'Toole was great in "The Lion in Winter", should have won for that!
I thinks Glenn Close was runner-up in 1982 for "Garp" (she won several critics prizes), but I'm not really sure about 1987 - I think Holly Hunter was the runner-up for a very likeable role in the much-beloved "Broadcast News", that won her the Golden Globe and several critics prizes. Close didn't win anything for "Fatal Attraction", and she even lost the Golden Globe to Sally Kirkland for a small indie film (plus, her role was very unlikeable). And I'm not totally sure about her being a runner-up in 1988... she was definitely the best actress that year, but Sigourney Weaver had just won the Golden Globe for "Gorillas", was a double-nominee that year and had a whole biopicture on her shoulders. Close totally deserved to win, anyway...
All these years and I still can't decide my vote for best supporting actress. Every six months I find myself rooting for someone different. I love them all!
poor donald sutherland - a working actor who has never been nominated.
I love and miss Joan Allen, but ever since she got those cheek implants, she does not look like Joan Allen no more. It is such a shame - The Upside of Anger was a fantastic performance, and she had Yes the same year. I also think that her quietly understated brilliance in The Contender unjustly is being overshadowed by the big acting of Burstyn, Björk and Roberts the same year.
I personally would have put Joaquin Phoenix in the list at the end since in my opinion he's a superior actor to both Allen and Depp and a bigger 'star' than the former, but that's just me. I think I can live with all of these except for O'Toole (though he did won the honorary as you mentioned), Moore (a total travesty that's she's Oscarless) and Phoenix, who definitely deserved his first more this year than Daniel Day-Lewis did his third, though DDL's work is so towering it's hard to argue with it.
Depp is kinda a joke now, I can't imagine him deserving any win. Sigourney should be on this list instead of him. Another one that will probably never win...sigh
How is Leo Dicaprio not on this list?
Also, O'toole was robbed in 1968. Damn you, Cliff Robertson.
I'm more about who they missed for noms:
MP for Cheri. I really think they missed there.
Moore for A Single Man (but her best work was Boogie Night, I agree)
Sigourney Weaver for Ice Storm
Janet McTeer for Songcatcher
Depp is joke now ? Woow .. He will win the oscar soon he have two serious roles/movies with oscar winninng directors
I want to scoop up all of these actors and put them into a Jonathan Demme movie. Especially, Michelle Pfieffer and Joan Allen.
Joan Allen in The Upside of Anger was everything Annette Bening's performance in The Kids Are All Right was commended and celebrated to be by critics. Also, Costner was kind of awesome in that-- but he has one of the most undeserved Oscars in recent memory so he cannot be considered. Also, forget Presidents in movies, her Pat Nixon is my DEFINITIVE First Lady.
Gary Oldman is the other obvious choice among male actors. I feel like he got unfairly criticized for his portrayal of Smiley the way Jessica Chastain as Maya was in 2011-2012 for the brilliant (and perfect antidote to Argo) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. They are playing a specific construct of their environment. The virtuoso stuff is out the window. Was it the best performance of either? I think in both cases it remains to be seen to probably not, and with Oldman that is pretty incredible.
Two French screen legends (I would have thrown in Anna Karina but she was a muse) Isabelle Huppert and Catherine Deneuve just have 1 Oscar nomination between them despite both of them having some visibility in America.
I think Amy Adams will win in the next two years. She is on an Anne Hathaway trajectory with getting superhero movie credos and continually working on prestige-y projects with David O. Russell and Spike Jonze. At some point the Academy will have to cry 'Uncle!' with her.
I know Big Fish runs hot and cold with people but how did Albert Finney not get an Oscar nomination for that?
Dead Examples: Nothing for Toshiro Mifune. I mean, how?
I've never seen the Accused, but it's shocking to me that Close didn't win for Dangerous Liaisons. And I really wish she'd get more of the parts that seem to inevitably go to Streep.
I'd absolutely give Bening the prize for The Grifters.
I'm more annoyed with Pfeiffer not receiving more nominations (Scarface, Batman Returns, and hey, I thought she stole Hairspray) than I am with her not winning.
But what blows me away most from this piece is the remarkably short time period of Moore's 4 nominations. Those are all performances in which she killed it, and I'd say she should've won three of those (Boogie Nights and a double in 2002). To have made such work in such a short period is remarkable. Wish she'd gotten another nomination for A Single Man.
Julianne Moore deserved to win for Boogie Nights so badly. And deserved nominations for Safe, Magnolia and A Single Man. You could also argue nominations for The Kids Are All Right and Blindness.
I didn't follow these things back then (as I was 4 years old) but Joan Allen in The Crucible has always really impressed me, so my say is she deserved one for that.
At this point Depp seems most likely to win Supporting Actor. If he can find a good supporting villain to play in a movie not directed by Burton I feel like he would easily win. Even something unimaginitive like the Mad Hatter, had he gotten traction for that (beyond the Globes) he probably could have won in a different year.
Annette Bening is an interesting case.She seems like an actress that should have won already but I agree that runner does feel right for her in most of her nominations. I would kind of feel bad taking away Whoopi's Oscar for Ghost. You can't argue that Swank deserved it more than she did for American Beauty (which I also agree was her best chance to win). She didn't deserve to win for Being Julia. I probably would have given it to her for TKAAR.
I'm worried about Amy Adams. 2005 was such a weak list of nominees in almost all the acting categories, had it not been her debut she could have won for Junebug. Doubt she didn't need to win for that. The Fighter I think was her best shot, had she played the game like Melissa Leo did she might have had a chance being the younger and prettier nominee from that movie. That said I would also feel bad about taking Leo's Oscar.
Shame about Julianne Moore... Maybe the Carrie remake will be a HUGE critical and commerical success and she'll get a monster mom nom. Worked for Piper Laurie.
Moore should have won for "Far From Heaven"
ScottC, also amazing those breakouts and nominations happened in her early 30s (Chastain-level ginger corresponding vibes are a' happenin') when her critical notices like Short Cuts and Vanya on 42nd St. picked her up from obscurity of being best known for a soap opera. I actually thought she should have scored the acting nomination for The Kids are All Right than Bening or Ruffalo. I even remember Bening's Oscar clip having Moore do the heavy, showy stuff and thinking, 'And you decided not to nominate THAT!' For me, she is definitely missing some nominations.
All talented performers even Depp who has squandered his talent and credibility in junk BUT if he makes some wise choice soon it might not be too late.
I'll admit I'm not much of a fan of Amy Adams but she does have a certain talent however that she has four nominations is absurd! I would say at the most she should have two for The Fighter and Junebug, even though I hated that movie she was memorable in it. I don't think she deserved to win either time though.
The top four on the list are also the ones who really have been the most shortchanged by Oscar.
Julianne Moore for Far from Heaven and Boogie Nights
Glenn Close for Dangerous Liasions
Albert Finney for Murder on the Orient Express for sure but all his nominations were for stellar work.
Peter O'Toole for The Lion in Winter, My Favorite Year and even though I hated the movie, I know I'm in the minority there, Lawrence of Arabia-he was great but the movie was interminable.
Looking over the list and thinking about all of them plus the other great talents who haven't won or worse yet never been nominated and then realizing the minor talents like Zellweger or Mira Sorvino who do have one makes me wonder why I follow them year after year. It frustrating but of course I'll still watch and follow next year!
On Peter O'Toole: That he didn't pull a competitive win for Lawrence of Arabia is weird but not unforgivable. If the Academy felt like a competitive win, The Last Emperor should have been an easy pick for supporting actor. Unless they seriously thought Connery was actually more worthy of a competitive win. In which case I just have to say: BLEEPING REALLY!?
Julianne Moore should have two by now. Very embarassing indeed.
Glenn Close...... What can one say???
I think michelle williams will join this club. She already has three noms. She will probably be nominated again, but wont win.
CMG -- but everyone said that about _______ too. History shows that Oscar streaks do come to screeching halts (see Julianne Moore whose hot streak ended 7 years after it began) so if you don't win while you're on a hot streak, you don't win (usually). Zellweger wouldn't have won for Cold Mountain without the build up of her hot streak (roughly 7 years... but most of it in 3 years). Sarandon wouldn't have won without the build up of her hot streak (roughly 7 years) Which means it's now or never for Adams (who just hit 7 years)
I'm really thinking 7 years is the limit (for most actors) to be in Oscar's favor. Glenn Close had 82-88... and didn't win and promptly vanished from Oscar's good graces. it's happened to so many people.
Weaver (Aliens), Depp (Pirates - tough year), Harris (The Hours), Bening (American Beauty, but one hell of a tough call) and O'Toole (The Lion in Winter, though I haven't seen Charly) should have Oscars in the bag. Moore and Driver jockey for my top choice in 97, but Moore's snubs in 2009 (shocker) AND 2010 (less surprising) were so sad. She mysteriously finds herself in competitive categories on a regular basis, considering AMPAS doesn't always have strong batches for the women. Seriously though, don't they owe her another nod if she can find a strong role? Maybe that will be the one? I refuse to give up hope. That Emmy smells like momentum. Let's make it so.
I would love to see Adams triumph as Joplin - unexpected casting rewarded in a big way. I was thinking surely Linney will be back... and Close, Turner, Pfeiffer... boy, too many actresses for AMPAS to possibly catch up. I'm not sure what happened in the late 80s, but if we had Weaver - 86, Close - 88 (does Foster need two? What happened that year?), Turner in Supporting for 88 (I love Davis but her co-star was clearly superior, and I constantly forget she's an Oscar winner), Pfeiffer - 89. See how much nicer that makes history? Then we can just focus on fitting in the Bening/Moore/Linney love. Much more reasonable.
I refuse to believe any of these are out of the question, with the possible exception of O'Toole, based simply on age. Is it terrible that I see most of the guys as "tough break" vs. the women, where I consider them pretty much sins against humanity? Oscar finds a way to reward the boys (see Supporting Actor winners) - time for us to see some of Hollywood's finest actresses beat out the PYTs.
eurocheese -- it wouldn't even be so despairing if theAMPAS governing body believed in honorary Oscars for actresses but they clearly do not. And when they do they're just as likely to give it to someone they've already rewarded with a competitive Oscar (like Sophia Loren) . Frankly they make no sense as a body UNLESS you accept that they're like monstrously sexist.
which is a tough thing to accept even if you're prone to think sexism is the root of many evils (like me) especially if you love the Oscars.
I kind of think Adams is in a Marsha Mason sort of situation-she gets in constantly and with little struggle for a decade, and then just before she turns 40, she disappears.
Of these, the only ones who will ever win are Bening and Depp-both supporting, Bening likely soon and Depp when he's hit his golden years and makes a "comeback."
Im very surprised you didn't include Sigourney, particularly since her nominations come across genres, including the oft-ignored comedy and sic-do. In fact, I think you mentioned it in one of your podcasts.
Nathaniel-it's weird though the people who get "exempt" from the seven-year rule. Meryl, Spencer Tracy, Olivier, Kate Hepburn-somehow they managed to extend theirs where others couldn't.
It's also weird the people who rack up a sizable nomination haul without a sweep of any sort-Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Julie Christie, Diane Keaton, Jon Voight, etc.
I have more respect for Amy after remembering those four nominations -- she's actually quite versatile, and fits neatly into supporting-sized roles (pity about all the category fraud). And so I think she'll win eventually. She could fill the Dianne Wiest or Patti Clarkson void in her late thirties and forties. And on your fifth or sixth nomination, they may think you're more due than you are.
(Interestingly, she could join ole Marsha as the only actors (I think) to get four nods in their thirties, and none anytime else.)
Johnny depp have two upcoming serious/dramatic movies will put him in the map again and the awards recognition
No mention for Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio? I see both of them winning someday.
Good point on the honorary awards, Nathaniel. I could see them giving one to Glenn Close though. I doubt she wants to accept less than a full win, but she may not have a choice. :(
Just checking IMDB - holy cow, Adams has some major potential shots coming up. Spike Jonze, O'Russell again, Lullaby sounds baity (first time director, but look at that cast) and then Janis Joplin. If most of that comes out in the same year, she may be hard to beat.
I'm sure Amy Adams will get some traction with that upcoming David O. Russell project, as premature as predicting that may sound. Do we really think this Janis Joplin bio will work out? Especially since that Nina Arianda has both its star AND its director? Regardless, Amy seems to be a favorite of directors that most of us love (incl. Russell, PTA, Spike Jonze) and AMPAS clearly likes her. She's become the perennial supporting actress, a position that some people certainly respect even if it's a bit unusual, when weighing her considerable level of celebrity against the size of the roles she gets cast in. Whatever the case, I'm sure she'll win one in the next five years or so. Sooner or later, the question is going to be raised as to WHEN she'll win, a la Kate Winslet. I know she's no Kate, but she did give us Junebug and The Fighter and those achievements shouldn't be glided over.
As much as it makes sense on paper, I just can't imagine Amy Adams up there on that stage. She seems like the type of person that they like a lot and nominate all the time but just isn't winner material.
Also, Michelle Williams better not join this club. She needs an Oscar.
Surprised Sigourney didn't make this list. But my friends dad served her at a bar where she was filming something and said she was a huge bitch anyway. :p
True, Nathaniel. It really is a vicious cycle.
I just feel like Amy has been recognized as the ultimate supporting player but there is something there that has not yet felt exploited by other directors. And maybe that is just because I find some of her more notable nominations to not really be strong movies or well-directed movies themselves.
I suspect that Close not getting nominated for Reversal of Fortune is one of those reasons why category fraud is so prevalent today.
She had top billing, was the films leading actress in the film and even narrated the damn thing but would have had much less screen time than the actresses nominated for Best Actress in that year.
If she had been classed as Supporting Actress I bet she would have been nominated and may have even won.
great pic of close and pfeiffer, nat !
You forgot about Leonardo Di Caprio. Countless films he should have got an Oscar for. Django there wasn't even a nod for best supporting actor. I think it's crazy that he doesn't have one.
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John Cusack. He's done some great stuff (Say Anything, The Grifters, Being John Malcovitch) and some amazing cheese. It's like the steering wheel has broken off, but his foot is still on the accelerator. I hope he does something great again soon, but the disparity between his good and bad work is cringe worthy. Never nominated, but still could be.
I LOVE THIS LIST. Others who I think will win eventually not mentioned above who I am rooting for to win in the future are Viola Davis and Michelle Williams. Plus, I think Tom Cruise had his moments and came close for Magnolia but I can't imagine them nominating him again.
No Sigourney = list no good :p
It's a pity that American actresses -Streep aside- almost never get vindicated at the last stages of their career. That is quite common in Europe. Page and Tandy were exceptions and they happened many years ago. Our ladies of the 80s would deserve that treatment and more. They're the most talented generation ever.
Hmm I think most people would consider Pitt and DiCaprio over Depp and Allen at least.
Dean --after accounting for Oscar's # of nods, I was trying to judge it based on whether I personally would have handed them an Oscar at any point. At no point has DiCaprio ever been the #1 of a year for me (he came closest with Gilbert Grape but I think Fiennes in Schindler's List is the supporting performance of that decade for men so no dice).
PItt I would have once (for Moneyball) but never more than that whereas Depp and Allen I'd have been tempted at least twice to give them the actual statue let alone a nomination and Pfeiffer would have definitely 2 Oscars and possibly 3 (and a helluva lot more nominations) on my watch so they all with Pitt's equal tally of nominations, demanded to be the list more. HOpe that makes sense.
P.S. I am a bigger Pitt fan than Depp fan (for sure and for most of my life) but I was going by most robbed of an Oscar
@Dean depp is better than this two as an actor he's much more talented , he nominated for the oscar for three leading roles but pitt and leo one of their nomination was for a supprting role
agent69 - but what would you have given her the Oscar for? I love me some Sigourney Weaver but I can't give her an Oscar because I gave my Oscar to Kathleen Turner for 1986 ;)
Bening for The Kids Are All Right
Deborah Kerr for The Sundowners
Richard Burton for Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?
Peter O'Toole for The Lion in Winter
Julianne Moore for Far from Heaven
Ed Harris for The Hours
Albert Finney for Erin Brockovich
Glenn Close for Dangerous Liaisons
Sigourney Weaver for Working Girl
Angela Lansbury for The Manchurian Candidate
AMPAS: Honorary Oscars for Angela Lansbury, Doris Day, Eleanor Parker and Maureen O'Hara before they pass away! Hello! And PLEASE don't come up with de Havilland or Fontaine instead! They already have their Oscars!
I really really really want Viola to win but have a hard time believing she will. Well, Denzel is rumored to be directing her along with himself in the Fences adaptation. They both got Tonys for it- hey Denzel is one Emmy away from triple crown.
Amy Adams turns 40 this year doesnt she?
Some more:
Thelma Ritter in All About Eve.
If Amy Adams succeeds with Joplin she'll be showing her amazing range, so she'll have a nomination for sure... And yet, she'll be competing agains La Streep for August: Osage County (remember Katharine Hepburn pattern when it cames to which Oscars she won when: Three wins after losing far too often).
Snubs: Patricia Clarkson and Catherine Keener in anything; Ryan Gosling and Lars... and Blue Valentine.
eurocheese: Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting? Huh? One of the blandest "sympathetic crying girlfriend" turns I've ever seen. MUCH better in Grosse Pointe Blank (wins all acting categories, 2 other nominations).
@Philip H. I have this deep fear that Michlle Williams will join the ranks of Michelle Pfeiffer, Julianne Moore, and Annette Bening.
Like the others, she's extremely talented, versatile, beautiful, well-respected, very famous...but, I don't know, she's not particularly charismatic in interviews or the public sphere (even though she's very articulate about her craft and seems genuinely sweet), she's not desperate on the campaign trail or adamant about winning an Oscar (hello Kate Winslet), she's not America's Sweetheart ( a la Sandra Bullock), and she doesn't gravitate toward big box-office or francise affair (although the Oz movie is definitely a question mark in turns of career trajectory...maybe she's trying to branch out a little with art-house and studio fare, like Jennifer Lawrence or Marion Cotillard).
I hope I'm wrong about her and she does claim an Oscar soon. She's only in her early thirties, so she's still in Oscar's wheelhouse for actresses (sad how women have such a short time span with Oscar, or at least a much more constrictive span of relevancy. I know it's been beat to death, but male movie stars' path to Oscar glory is much more lenient and unpredictable). But I hope the best for Michelle. For me, she's the most exciting actress working today and you can definitely tell she has true commitment for her craft. And honeslty I have the utmost respect for her because she really worked for it...considering she came from teen melodrama soap opera to highly respected, three-time Oscar nominee who is sought-after by world-class auteur helmers...that's a sign of a true artist. And--like Jodie Foster with the Hinkley attempted assassination--I so admire and respect that the untimely tragedy of Heath Ledger's death is a footnote in her career. She's respected for her artistry, not pity. Shows true character on her behalf.
Sigourney and Kathleen ... now that is a tough call for 1986. Both so iconic.
Laura Linney was my winner the year she lost out for You Can Count On Me, she is so damn good in that film !