Best Actor & Best Actress. Vote on the Trivia-Filled Charts
Friday, February 1, 2019 at 7:57PM by Nathaniel R
Lead acting nominees ranked by how many Best Picture nominees they've starred in.
We continue to expand the Oscar charts so we're hope you're enjoying them. All four acting charts are now complete, with Best Actress and Best Actor both newly updated with lots of trivia, theories on how the actors were nominated and more. Just like how we did with Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor. Don't forget you can vote each day on who should win. But for the here and now, here's some trivia in relation to all four acting categories combined:
BY THE NUMBERS
64 = average gross (in millions) of their nominated movies (box office numbers via a couple of days ago)
52 = number of Oscar nominations between them
47 = the average age of this year's nominees
33 = average number of films they've appeared in
18 = number of children they have among them
9 = number of Emmys won by this group (Close x 3, King x 3, McCarthy x 2, and Malek)
5 = number of Oscars won by this group (Ali, Bale, Rockwell, Stone, and Weisz)
3 = number of Tonys won by this group (Glenn Close only)
2.6 = average number of Best Picture nominees that they've each starred in*
2.4 = the average number of Oscar nominations (in acting) for this year's nominees
2 = number of the nominees married to other famous actors (Elliott & Weisz)
2 = number of nominees who have played Meryl Streep's immediate family on film (Olivia Colman was her daughter in Iron Lady, and Glenn Close her mother in Evening... albeit in flashbacks with Mamie Gummer as the young Meryl)
PERCENTAGES
35% of the nominated characters are LGBTQ people
35% of the nominees were born outside the US (Adams, Aparicio, Bale, Colman, de Tavira, Grant, Weisz)
35% have also been Emmy nominees (Ali, Close, Driver, Elliott, King, Malek, McCarthy)
35% have also been Emmy nominees (Ali, Close, Driver, Elliott, King, Malek, McCarthy)
30% of the nominees are Water signs (3 Scorpios, 2 Pisces, and 1 Cancer)
25% are former Oscar winners
25% of the characters nominated are politicians of some sort, professionally or in practice
25% of the characters nominated are musicians or employed in the music industry
20% of the nominated actors have performed on Broadway (Close, Cooper, Stone, Weisz)
20% of the nominated characters are dying or dead by the credit scrawl of these pictures.
20% are former Emmy winners
10% are former Tony nominees (Close & Cooper)
0% of the actors nominated are LGBTQ ...
(but Lady Gaga is mother monster so maybe she counts a little?)
RANDOMNESS
There are no Geminis nominated! It's the only sign not nominated and as a Gemini, we object!
* Those figures are much higher than they used to be pre 2009 when the Best Picture field expanded. It used to be uncommon to have lots of Best Picture nominees on your resume which makes Willem Dafoe's record particularly impressive. He's appeared in the most Best Picture nominees of this group of 20 actors, SIX in total, and yet only one of them (The Grand Budapest Hotel) happened in the current expanded Best Picture era.
Reader Comments (42)
15% are Emmy winners. You forgot Malek in that line. (You did list him before correctly).
Gaga came out in 2009 as bi. More recently, she curiously said she wasn’t part of the LGTBQ community, but an ally.
I wish Bradley Cooper and Olivia Colman were the winners. Something about Rami and Glenn feels wrong.
Melissa McCarthy has 2 Emmys.
Tony Lip actually passed away in 2013 at the age of 82 (actually, and the movie itself says this, he and Don Shirley died within months of each other.
"On the other hand it's hard for male actors to win awards for romantic dramas because they tend to be more sensitive performances and that's only valued with female actors..." It's funny you say that, because I remember when I saw A Star is Born, there's a scene where Jackson breaks down crying in front of Ally, some guy a few rows behind me was laughing. All I could think was "seriously? laughing at a man crying is still a thing?"... I have several issues with ASIB, but Bradley Cooper's performance is outstanding and, with Ethan Hawke criminally not in the lineup, he gets my vote...
“I'm still undecided: Melissa, Olivia, or Glenn? But I would vote for Glenn due to her Oscar history AND the quality of this performance.“
That’s how I somewhat feel.
I prefer Melissa and Olivia technically, but I’m rooting for Glenn.
I think is one of the best lineups in years, even though only 2 would carry over into my lineup.
Excellent
1. Melissa
2. Olivia
3. Glenn
Great
4. Yalitza
Good
5. Gaga
Best Actor should obviously go to Bradley. What a terrible lineup.
Cooper is the best of the 5. But I think more than a sensitive portrayal being problematic, the role just wasn't showy enough, especially across from Gaga. Malek: showy. Bale: showy. Even Mortensen was comparatively showy.
There is nothing wrong with Glenn Close finally winning for a towering performance.
Viggo is a Libra.
Both McCarthy and Gaga are Emmy nominees!
And actually - Colman is an Emmy nominee as well, for The Night Manager.
Viggo is a Libra and Bradley is not straight
Why are all looking at Cooper and nobody noticed how titanic was Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate?
Oldman, Janney, Rockwell and Queen McDormand are NOT presenting this year.
Why Bradley Cooper isn’t an undeniable force this year is so strange. I think his reluctance to ‘play the game’ or put himself out there in interviews, though, hasn’t helped. It’s meant that so much of the focus has been on Gaga, and for whatever reason people seem to have found a lot of her promo offputting, or faintly ridiculous. That ‘there can be 100 people in a room’ meme...
Nathaniel, have you seen At Eternity's Gate?
Peggy Sue -- not yet. This is the first time I've missed an Oscar nominated performance before the nominations in ages!
There probably would have been a fifith and sixth Best Picture for Bale. The Dark Knight would also be nominated for Best Picture!
Nathaniel, I think the record for nominations across different categories belongs to George Clooney, nominated for 6 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay), followed by Beatty and Kenneth Branagh with 5.
Also fun trivia: Bale and Olivia Colman were born on the same day (January 30th, 1974).
Agree with Peggy Sue -- would love to hear your thoughts on the rumor that Oldman, McDormand et. al aren't presenting?
Yeah this whole things needs A LOT of revisions. Forgot that Melissa McCarthy is also an Emmy winner. And Tony Lip is actually dead. And surely there’s more trivia out there about Melissa McCarthy.
I've seen At Eternity's Gate and I guess I don't really get the big deal about the performance. But it's maybe more a problem with Dafoe's style in general because I haven't really ever quite gotten all the praise for him, even in The Florida Project. I do appreciate that he generally dials it back and plays a lot of non-showy parts; he obviously picks the right projects to be involved with.
I am BD and I am rude
Seven of the ten (everyone except Colman, Aparicio, and McCarthy) have appeared in movies based on comic books. Even Gaga, who has a small role in one of the Sin City movies. I wonder when/if we're going to see a year where its ten for ten.
I don't know if presenting would be Frances's thing, but she was there to present Nicholson with his third Oscar for the 1997 ceremony. I'm sure the other three would attend if asked.
Lady Gaga is only "offputting" to a few people here and there. The Academy liked her well enough to nominate her twice (despite repeated predictions from posters here that she would be bypassed in Best Actress) and she is a lock to take home the Best Song Oscar (again, despite predictions from posters here). She's been incredibly gracious about Glenn all season. She is also the reason we are going to have performances of all five nominated songs on Oscar night; apparently she told the Academy that she wouldn't perform unless all songs were performed. That's the type of move that will engender a lot of goodwill in the industry into the future.
BD & Louella - FIXED
Louella -- people can say all they like that Bradley is not straight but until actors themselves publicly identify as LGBTQ we aren't going to claim otherwise. Plus he has a baby with his girlfriend -- it's possible that he is actually straight.
@Suzanne, I hate people writing hagiographies about Gaga. Being gracious to Glenn should be expected of any contender -- she shouldn't be singled out. And, frankly, the Best Song fiasco (whether or not her reps intervened) is reason enough to vote for "RBG" or "Mary Poppins". Gaga has commandeered all attention and publicity, this season, and thankfully voters have seen right through it!
I think only one actress ever with the sign Aquarius has won in Lead, out of 90 winners!
So.... Sorry Olivia, it doesn't look good.
While I think this is a gr8 BA line up,all deserving in different ways not seen Yalitza
Colman a British acting treasure finally getting her moment but she was better in Tyrannosaur.
Gaga proving she can hold your attention in a film and not messing it up,the 1,000 people quote may have been a calculated move who knows with PR these days.
Close doing something I never thought would happen crowning that 87/88 run with a rich turn.
McCarthy making feel for an off putting character and THAT monologue about her cat in court.
RE Bradley Cooper I think not being true to yourself is a detriment to Hollywood Actors,they could bring about so much change in the Industry and Wider World but I understand it's their business and the repercussions for them would go deeper and wider and for most it would be shock gossip.
The baby and girlfriend thing has been going on for years in Hollywood and todays stars are probably no different.
Straight or Gay he is fab in the movie and that's all I care about.
BA is for me one of the worst in a few years not as bad as 2015 but pretty low.
Bale,Malek and Mortensen have lots of dodgy "look at me" moments.
Malek considering he's playing a musician surely hits some bad notes until he gets a moustache.
Mortensen is also doing too much early on,I don't think he has a clue who this man was,he does settle down but it's not Oscar worthy.
Bale I could see the ticking of the clock,every breath,utterance,wheeze sounded unnatural and over emphasized.
When is Dafoe's movie out,I don't have to see Aquaman to get my Willem fix do I.
Cooper splendid,although I never saw any tears in his big crying seen with GaGa,not sure if it was bad acting,unable to cry on cue or just his hand covered his face for a lot of it but that's only 1 false note in a worthy winner.
I actually think the BA nominees are pretty good. Malek would be the one I left out and replaced with Gosling.
Yalitzia is the only thing I loved in ROMA, but I am not in the game anymore of linking her nomination. Charlize (Tully) and Thomasin (Leave no Trace) would be my forth and fifth spot in the Best Actress line up along with Glenn, Melissa and Octavia. Let's all be frank: Gaga is nominate because of her star power and star like ability. Only this. And didn't have seeing a great or even good performance of her in ASIB. People like her. That is the answer for her nomination.
If we had Glenn - Olivia - Melissa - Charlize - Thomasin, we could consider they tied with 1995 best actress line up as the best of the las 25 years (Stone, Sarandon, Shue, Streep, Thompson).
Glenn is my Favourite of all! The true is: no one would give what she gave us in "The Wife".
Best Actor: I am here for Bale (really impressive me!) and Dafoe. The others? Love Viggo but I don't like his work here. Bradley is good but he is not better than that. Malik... 🤐
My dream line up for actor should be Dafoe - Bale - Foster - Washington - Ali.
Melissa should have a BP under her belt...Bridesmaids should've been nom'd!
As much, as I want Glenn to finally win, I think her win will not age well. Like I said, when Meryl won her third. I wanted her to win a third Oscar, but that particular performance in The Iron Lady, wasn't worthy enough, considering her other performances. Al Pacino's win might be a better example, through he gave arguably worse performance, than ladies above. Considering he was up for an Oscar for performances like in The Godfather: Part II, or Dog Day Afternoon, his win for The Scent of a Woman seems stupid. Just like Meryl's win for The Iron Lady, next to her performances in Ironweed, A Cry in the Dark, or even Doubt. And Glenn's win will seem stupid next to Dangerous Liaisons, or Fatal Acraction..
moviefilm:. Did you see The Wife? Put a corset and a big dress on her and it'd be as talked about as Dangerous Liaisons.
The Wife may not be a showy or super exciting film, but it's miles above The Iron Lady, and Glenn does fantastic work in it. Not even comparable.
That's an interesting note about Dafoe and being in six best picture nominated movies. Does anyone know which actor or actress holds the record?
Meryl should've won her 3rd earlier in 95 or 06 or for The Post.
Moviefilm - THE WIFE is a perfectly fine film minus the terrible (and totally unnecessary) flashback sequences. It is elevated by an incredible performance by Glenn Close, effectively forgiving the film’s mediocrity.
THE IRON LADY is not normal filmmaking. Completely bonkers. It is developing a cult following and will screen in the next decade as midnight movie.
I'm rooting for Close, but I wish the film was better. Her performance seems stifled in an unbelievable film. With a few adjustments, the film could've been truly great. How did Anderson or Runge not see that? In terms of aging, I don't think the performance will alter too much in opinion over time. Close remains in subtle character even when she implodes, which is unusual for any actor, I think. It shows what a tremendous job she did. Again, I just wish the film was better.
Pryce was outstanding as well. I've never cared too much for him since those Infinity car commercials (nothing personal). He plays an unlikable and somewhat dopey character in The Wife very well. I'm wondering why he fizzled during the award season.
Answered my own question for those interested: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actors_who_have_appeared_in_multiple_Best_Picture_Academy_Award_winners
Glenn Close check! Next stop Sigourney Weaver (although it will probably be the Bening for The Report, fingers crossed) and then of course La Pfeiffer, so that all the 80's overlooked goddesses will be vindicated (well some at least). I mean I love Jodie Foster in The Accused and Cher well, for being Cher, but we could have been already done with Glenn's oscar back then. Please academy, I can't go through another Peter O' Toole in my lifetime. And on that note, the best actor one,just to be sure, please give it to Dafoe!
Thank you.