Kelly Macdonald and other Oscar-Less Wonders
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 12:30PM by Kyle Stevens
I was finishing up the new season of Black Mirror --which is alternately smart and smarmy, somehow managing to exaggerate reality to the point of smugness rather than satire-- when, lo and behold, who should pop up in the finale but Kelly MacDonald. And she's magnificent in it. Not being a Boardwalk Empire watcher, I hadn't really thought about her since her spectral turn as Rowena Ravenclaw in the Harry Potter movies. Then I remembered just how good she was in No Country for Old Men, Gosford Park, and even Nanny McPhee. I surprised myself by starting to fantasize Oscar-winning roles for her -- as one does.
But there are so many worthy actresses without the big award. So to get our minds off the horrors of this past week, let's retreat into some good old-fashioned actressexual playtime. Who are your top five working actresses you'd love to see win an Oscar?
Off the top of my head, and in no particular order, mine are:
- Annette Bening
- Maggie Cheung
- Sally Hawkins
- Isabelle Huppert
- Kelly MacDonald
CAVEAT: I've not said Viola Davis, because her status will probably change soon!
Reader Comments (68)
This list couple probably be quintupled without breaking a sweat but my top five are:
Charlotte Rampling
Glenn Close
Sigourney Weaver
Toni Collette
Laura Linney
Since she's not in my top five I will affirm that Kelly MacDonald is eminently worthy of the prize.
That should be "could probably be quintupled" not couple. That's what I get for not proofreading before I hit post.
Are you sure Maggie Cheung is still working?
My own Top 5:
1. Gena Rowlands (unless her Honorary Oscar counts)
2. Catherine Deneuve
3. Isabelle Huppert
3. Charlotte Rampling
5. Maggie Cheung (who might be retired, actually)
If Gena Rowlands' Honorary counts as an Oscar, and if Maggie Cheung's current status is retired after all, the next two on the list would be Hanna Schygulla and Liv Ullmann.
And for the record: My favorite Oscar-less actress who stills seems to have a reasonable chance (rather than a one-in-a-million shot) to win an Oscar some day would be Carey Mulligan.
RE Viola I just dislike locked up wins so early,it's like forget wether she's good in Fences,better than her competition,besting previous work,let's just give it to her,sorta takes out the value of the award.
Off the top of my head:
1. Glenn Close
2. Annette Bening
3. Keira Knightley
4. Patricia Clarkson
5. Julie Walters
But many of the other suggestions-- Toni Collette, Sigourney Weaver, Sally Hawkins-- are also great ideas.
1. Charlotte Ramplng
2. Laura Linney
3. Catherine Keener
4..Glenn Close
5. Michelle Williams
Five off the top of my head:
1. Glenn Close
2. Emily Watson
3. Rooney Mara
4. Emily Blunt
5. Sigourney Weaver
Keeping it realistic (no Gena, no foreign language):
1 - Judy Davis
2 - Laura Linney
3 - Toni Collette
4 - Miranda Richardson
5 - Catherine Keener
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Lisa Kudrow
Elisabeth Moss
Carey Mulligan
Michelle Williams
Oscar-less Holy Trinity:
1. Glenn Close
2. Michelle Pfeiffer
3. Annette Bening
I don't care for anyone else.
1. Glenn Close.
2. Naomi Watts.
3. Annette Bening.
4. Judy Davis.
5. Michelle Williams.
6. Sigourney Weaver.
7. Isabelle Huppert.
8. Toni Collette.
9. Julie Walters.
10. Keira Knightley.
Judy Davis
Eva Green
Toni Collette
Gong Li
Isabelle...Adjani
Nobody for Amy Adams? In terms of nominations and momentum probably the most due? Poor Amy.
My one and only would be Julie Walters.
Glenn Close
Annette Bening
Kathleen Turner
Michelle Pfeiffer
Debra Winger
(stuck in the 80s, I know!)
+ any Brit: Sally Hawkins, Rampling, Miranda Richardson, Julie Walters
Oh, how fun. Mine would be, off-the-top-of-my-head:
Jessica Chastain
Annette Bening
Viola Davis
Catherine Deneuve
Carrie Coon
There are too many to name, but off the top of my head:
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Carrie Coon
Rose Byrne
Eva Green
Naomie Harris
(bonus: Emily Blunt)
Meryl Streep
...just kidding...
Alfre Woodard
Kristin Scott Thomas
Helena Bonham Carter
Eva Green
Allison Janney
1. Isabelle Adjani: I have never seen someone work in front of a camera quite as effectively as Adjani. She brings an unparalleled level of passion and intensity to her performances. Would have been a worthy Best Actress winner for The Story of Adele H., Possession, Camille Claudel, and Queen Margot.
2. Isabelle Huppert: Consistently great. Her work in The Piano Teacher haunts me to this day.
3. Chloë Sevigny: Skilled at both comedy and drama, and is very natural in front of the camera. You never catch her acting, and her performance in Boys Don't Cry is one of the best ever nominated in the Supporting Actress category.
4. Sally Hawkins: Like Sevigny, she's great in comedies and dramas, and is a very resourceful actress. Can shine even with a role that is very brief or underwritten. Would have been a worthy Oscar winner for Happy-Go-Lucky and Blue Jasmine. Can't wait to see Maudie!
5. Helena Bonham Carter: Uniquely versatile, with a commanding presence. Love her in Howards End, Margaret's Museum, Fight Club, Sweeney Todd, and especially The Wings of the Dove.
Wish I could say Liv Ullmann but alas, she's more or less retired from acting now. What a shame. Where is her honorary Oscar? I wish they'd stop embarrassing themselves and right this wrong by honoring her and James Ivory asap.
Michelle Williams
Taraji P. Henson
Anna Kendrick
Annette Bening
Laura Linney
1. Judy Davis
2. Isabelle Huppert
^ these two being Oscar-less keeps me up at night
the remainder of my list is subject to change on a daily basis...
3. Helen McCrory (needs a showcase movie role stat)
4. Miranda Richardson
5. Parker Posey (but if we're going Guest stars then a cheeky bonus vote for Catherine O'Hara)
I'm super-impressed with Carrie Coon and Andrea Riseborough too but feel a little new for my all-time overlooked list.
How could I leave off Allison Janney?! Maybe because the substance of her TV work has yet to be replicated in the movies.
I'll also second that honorary for Liv Ullmann. I mean, c'mon!
Oh yes, Liv Ullmann! Not as deserving as Jackie Chan for an Honorary Oscar, but worthy still.
@mark gordon
Of course we want the actor to be win for career best work, but do we really want them to be too far ahead of the competition? It makes for a better race when the nominees' work is of equal value (or close to it).
Sharon Stone
Blythe Danner
Lily Tomlin
Bette Midler
Phylicia Rashad (I really want to see more from Phylicia in film...loved her work in Creed, especially at the end where she is watching Creed's fight on TV...her reactions were so genuine and funny).
Cicely Tyson
Norma Aleandro
Catalina Saavedra
Gong Li
#1 Annette Bening
#2 Sigourney Weaver
#3 Toni Collette
#4 Michelle Williams
#5 Jessica Chastain
Lily Tomlin
Annette Bening
Angela Bassett
Julie Delpy
Jessica Chastain
... and maybe Mia Farrow
[Without repeating any already mentioned]
Mary Alice (makes anything she's in better just by showing up)
Angela Bassett (steely strength and heartbreaking vulnerability)
Cameron Diaz (so much untapped potential for comedic greatness)
Forever heartbroken that Alicia Vikander won an Oscar for her "breakout year" (in the wrong performance, but that's a story for a different day...) while Jessica Chastain went home empty-handed for 2011, her "breakout." Justice for Celia Foote!
I'll go for Amy Adams. I like her in everything I've seen her in (which includes all her Oscar-nominated performances except The Master). Here's hoping she gets nominated for Arrival.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Gena Rowlands
Joan Allen
Emily Blunt
Isabelle Huppert
Can't believe I forgot Liv Ullmann! She and Bibi Andersson would be wonderful choices for Honorary Oscars.
Would also like to see Shelley Duvall, Charlotte Rampling, Laurie Metcalf, Toni Collette, Kimberly Elise, Sigourney Weaver, and Geneviève Bujold have their moment in the sun.
I will 2nd everything Peggy Sue wrote. (Also stuck in the 80's.
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/the-25-best-actresses-whove-never-won-an-oscar/barbara-stanwyck (This still has Julianne Moore on the list, but a lot of the above names also mentioned.)
...and another one: http://screenrant.com/best-actresses-never-oscar-academy-award/?view=all
Besides the way overdue Glenn Close, I had to go with character actresses:
Laura Linney
Patricia Clarkson
Judy Davis
Toni Collette
Alfre Woodward
I also love Kelly Macdonald. She deserved Oscar consideration in '07. Alas!
Excluding actresses who are likely contenders this year (Bening, Davis, Harris, Huppert and so forth)... Here's 10 off the top of my head.
Angela Bassett
Sylvia Chang (so great in this year's Mountains May Depart)
Jessica Chastain
Maggie Cheung
Judy Davis
Catherine Deneuve
Salma Hayek
Sarah Paulson
Lily Tomlin
Alfre Woodard
@SoSue - Bette is such a good call. I think I'd go with, in no particular order
Bette Midler
Annette Bening
Angela Bassett
Sigourney Weaver
Glenn Close
Obviously there are a TON of runner-ups: Pfeiffer, Collette, etc. Hell, I'd love if it Joan Cusak found another juicy comedic role and took it all the way to the podium.
1- Eva Green
2- Kirsten Dunst
3- Sharon Stone
4-Jennifer Jason Leigh
5-Keira Knightley
Wait...WTF Sigourney Weaver doesn't have an oscar?! How'd I not know that. Well her & Glenn Close should be on the tops of everyone's lists. Beyond that, I approve most of these suggestions - Pfieffer, Clarkson, Davis, Colette...etc., those all hurt.
Joans Allen and Cusack!!! How could I forget those two?!?!?
Oh God, this is too hard.. my id says Uma Thurman, Andrea Riseborough, Scarlett Johannson, Toni Collette, Gillian Anderson
My ego says Amy Adams, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Saoirse Ronan
My super ego says Laura Linney, Alfre Woodard, Sigourney Weaver, Gong Li, Annette Bening.
Plus dozens more!
Maggie Cheung is definitely retired (sniffle).
80s ladies. (sigh) that's arguably the decade where they skipped the most deserving ladies for reasons that have not aged well. I mean how the hell did Pfeiffer, Turner, Weaver, Farrow, and Close emerge from THAT decade in THOSE careers without an Oscar? It's so so gross! The 90s weren't so rough on their top players but I sure wish they'd consider Gong Li for an Honorary Oscar.
at any rate if we're doing "working right now" I'd most desire Oscars for
Bening
Chastain
Davis
Johansson
Dunst
and i really wish the following would get substantial comebacks or unexpected career peaks or cinematic breakthroughs with a few killer film roles back to back in the next few years:
Michelle Pfeiffer
Toni Collette
Kimberly Elise
Sarah Paulson
Keira Knightley
[Without repeating any already mentioned]
1. Mary Stuart Masterson
2. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
3. Gillian Anderson
4. Rachel Griffiths
5. Olivia Williams
6. Stockhard Channing
7. Judy Greer
8. Julia Ormond
9. Jean Smart
10. Bridget Fonda
[my top 10 of the already mentioned]
1. Kristin Scott Thomas
2. Michelle Williams
3. Carey Mulligan
4. Toni Colette
5. Miranda Richardson
6. Alfre Woodard
7. Lisa Kudrow
8. Chloé Sevigny
9. Sharon Stone
10. Cicely Tyson
PS Joan Allen would be way up there if she can find her previous face back.
@Domgo Damn. Jean Smart is a great choice! She can play anything. Wish she did more films but happy she has a blazing career on tv.
-Toni Collette
-Amy Ryan
-Laura Linney
-Patricia Clarkson
-Carey Mulligan
Best Actress:
Glenn Close
Viola Davis
Judy Davis
Saoirse Ronan
Isabelle Huppert
Best Supporting Actress:
Catherine Keener
Patricia Clarkson
Laura Linney
Julie Walters
Emily Watson
Gong Li would have to top my list. She's been amazing in amazing movies ("Raise the Red Lantern"), amazing in eye-popping movies("Curse of the Golden Flower"), amazing in otherwise mediocre movies( "Memoirs of a Geisha"). And most amazing of all - not a single nomination ever. That's just not fair.
Others I'd love to see finally win an Oscar:
Catherine Keener
Carey Mulligan
Frances Fisher
Diane Lane
Meg Ryan
Jennifer Aniston
Fanny Ardant
Bernadette Peters (If only she'd been allowed to repeat her stage role in the screen version of "Into the Woods"! She owns that part and always will).
I'd also be cheering if Eva Green, Gretchen Mol, Greta Scacchi, Judy Davis or Jeanne Moreau ever hoisted the trophy.
What the heck! Five is not enough as far as supporting actresses are concerned. Here's 5 more!
Mare Winningham
Margo Martindale
Alfre Woodard
Joan Allen
Toni Colette
Nat: Of the ones you'd want to win that are still working, I'd say all but ScarJo are probable at some point. As far as ScarJo goes? I don't know if she's in a position to even get a nomination at this point, unless the perception of her ideal career profile (as in, alternates between smart commercial fare and mega auteur work like Under the Skin with no "prestige" mid-ground) veers wildly. Yeah, though it's pessimistic, I'm pencilling ScarJo down for a 0 noms and an honorary career record.
Impossible to pick just five! Some absolutely great suggestions!
At this moment:
Viola Davis
Amy Adams
Jessica Chastain
Angela Bassett
Toni Colette
Um boo you're wrong
1. GLENN CLOSE OF COURSE
2. Annette Bening
3. Sigourney Weaver
4. Michelle Pfeiffer
5. Amy Adams
6. Jessica Chastain
7. Liv Ullman
TONI (fucking) COLETTE
Amy Adams
Joan Allen
Claire Danes
Michelle Pfeiffer
Joan Allen