Did you know the earliest Oscar year which boasts 20 acting nominees who are still with us is 1992? It's the 25th anniversary of that year and that's the furthest back in time you can go from which all the acting nominees are still walking this earth. With the very noticeable exception of long retired Gene Hackman (no one has been able to convince him to come back to the movies -- and directors have tried!) most of them are still working, too. The lesson is simple: cherish your favorite actors while they're with us because no one lasts forever... except through their art!
The nominees that year were:
 |
 |
 |
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| Leading ACTRESS |
Leading ACTOR |
Supporting ACTRESS |
Supporting ACTOR |
| Deneuve Indochine |
Downey Jr Chaplin |
Davis Husbands & Wives |
Davidson Crying Game |
| McDonnell Passion Fish |
Eastwood Unforgiven |
Plowright Enchanted April |
Hackman Unforgiven ★ |
| Pfeiffer Love Field |
Rea Crying Game |
Redgrave Howards End |
Nicholson A Few Good Men |
| Sarandon Lorenzo's Oil |
Pacino Scent of a... ★ |
Richardson Damage |
Pacino Glengarry... |
| Thompson Howards End ★ |
Washington Malcolm X |
Tomei My Cousin Vinny ★ |
Paymer Mr Saturday Night |
If you'd like a breakdown of the earliest years for the individual categories, it won't surprise you to hear two things. First, that we're offering that list since we're trivia overachievers here at TFE . Second, those categories line up exactly like average age statistics for those races i.e. lead Actress skews youngest, then Supporting Actress, then Actor, and in last place is Supporting Actor because that's the category that's most frequently enamored of veterans. Those details are after the jump...
Just for fun we'll also list which member of each of these lineups are "closest to" the possible lineups this year... even if that distance is miles away.
Earliest Best Actress Race Where All Women Are Still With Us
1971
Julie Christie, McCabe & Mrs Miller
Jane Fonda, Klute ★
Glenda Jackson, Sunday Bloody Sunday
Vanessa Redgrave, Mary Queen of Scots
Janet Suzman, Nicholas and Alexandra
Closest to this year's race: We'll never know how close Jane Fonda was to an eighth nomination two years back for Youth (2015) -- I think close -- but this year the only one of these five who is anywhere near golden statues is Vanessa Redgrave since she has a cameo as Annette Bening's mom in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool about the last year in the life of Supporting Actress Oscar winner Gloria Grahame.
Earliest Best Supporting Actress Race Where all the Women Are Still Us
1975
Ronee Blakley, Nashville
Lee Grant, Shampoo ★
Sylvia Miles, Farewell My Lovely
Lily Tomlin, Nashville
Brenda Vaccaro, Once is Not Enough
Closest to this year's race: Most of these actresses are retired so it'd have to be Lily Tomlin who is still a regular awards show presence.
Earliest Best Actor Race Where All the Men Are Still With Us
1983
Michael Caine, Educating Rita
Tom Conti, Reuben Reuben
Tom Courtenay, The Dresser
Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies ★
Albert Finney, The Dresser
Closest to this year's race: by association only that'd be Michael Caine who is a regular in Christopher Nolan's work. You can hear him on the radio (uncredited) in Best Picture hopeful Dunkirk though he is nowhere to be seen.
Earliest Best Supporting Actor Race Where All the Men Are Still With Us
1990
Bruce Davison, Longtime Companion
Andy Garcia, The Godfather Part III
Graham Greene, Dances With Wolves
Al Pacino, Dick Tracy
Joe Pesci, Goodfellas ★
Closest to this year's race: Graham Greene is in Wind River, this summer's sleeper hit which has disassociated itself from the Weinstein Company, and is fighting for some awards traction. But if there's a surprise 'get' from an indigenous actor this year it would probably be for Gil Birmingham who has a richer part in that same film.