by Nathaniel R
Fassy on the set of 300
A bit of very random silliness since we now know when the next Oscars will be held. With 300 days to go, the film 300 popped into my mind. It was a big hit fifteen years ago grossing almost half a billion globally and becoming the 10th highest grossing film of 2007 in the US. Thrillist once argued it was the most influential movie of the Aughts. It received plentiful MTV Movie and Saturn Awards nominations but zero love from Oscar which is... appropriate. But every once in a while we think about the fact that it was Michael Fassbender's debut film (!) and that director Zach Snyder has continued to have a surprisingly fanatic cult following... so much so that his work factored into Oscar's embarrassing "fan favourites" contest this past season. So it prompted a question: Have any 300 alums outside of Michael Fassbender gone on to Oscar love?
The very Aughts very Digital action flick boosted several careers (as box office hits do) but the answer to that specific question is 'yes but but not my much'...
Gerard Butler as King Leoniades. He was a rising star at the time with his highest profile previous role being the lead in the film version of the musical Phantom of the Opera. The MTV Movie Awards embraced 300 and afterwards he had a wide array of leading offers but none of the movies were very popular before he settled into his regular groove of action lead of B movies beginning in the 2010s. Awards Record Since Then: nothing major.
Remember when blockbusters used to have sex scenes?
Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo. She was a rising star at the time and 300 definitely upped her profile netting her MTV and Saturn nominations. Soon she'd be headlining a TV series (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and five years later Game of Thrones would make her much much more famous. Awards Record Since Then: 5 Emmy nominations, 1 Globe nod, 1 BAFTA nod, 7 more Saturn nominations.
Dominic West as Theron. West's major leading role before 300 was in the critically adored TV series The Wire and he was already a SAG winner as part of the Outstanding Cast of Chicago (2002). He's kept busy in all sizes of roles since on screens both big and small. Awards Record Since Then: BAFTA, Globe, and Critics Choice nominations but always for television roles.
David Wenham as Dillios. He was hot off of supporting roles in Moulin Rouge! and The Lord of the Rings (Critics Choice, SAG, and NBR wins as part of the latter ensemble) when 300 came along for which he received a Saturn nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He's mostly stayed in supporting since in both film and television. Awards Record Since Then: A very reliable welcome actor but awards love has eluded him outside of Australian-based awards where he is a regular presence.
Vincent Regan as Captain. He's had a steady career in film and television in supporting roles. Awards Record Since Then: None but before 300 he had a nomination for a television role in Ireland.
Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes. Like Butler and Headey and Wenham he received an MTV nomination. He had had critical acclaim and awards notices in Brazilian film before 300 (most notably from Carandiru and Behind the Sun) and very quickly got Hollywood roles as a result of those films and his very photogenic nature. But his only real acclaim after 300 would continue to be in Brazilian film. Awards Record Since Then: 1 SAG nomination as part of the Cast of HBO's Westworld
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Michael Fassbender as Stelios. His film debut! Fassbender broke through critically shortly after 300 with Steve McQueen's Hunger and was quickly an in demand much-praised actor. After a weirdly long break from the movies while at peak fame (he's made only one film in the past 5 years) he'll be back later this year with two films: the sports film Next Goal Wins and the assassin drama The Killer. Awards Record Since 300: The Volpi Cup in Venice for Shame, 1 Spirit nomination, 1 NBR win, 2 BIFA wins, 2 Oscar nominations (though it should have been much more than that!), 2 European Film Award nominations, 3 Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominations, 4 BAFTA nominations, 4 SAG nominations with 1 win (as part of the Cast of Inglourious Basterds)
Tom Wisdom as Astinos. 300 was his second movie though he'd been a regular in a few TV series beforehand. He hasn't made many movies since but he continued to do television for awhile, most notably Dominion. He appears to have retired from acting though he is only 49. Awards Record Since Then: None.
Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes. Here's one of the most bizarre about faces from debut to biggest hit, Tiernan was the seductive gay twink bedding Edward II and upsetting queen Tilda Swinton in Derek Jarman's avante garde very gay 1991 feature to this deformed hunchback fifteen years later. He still acts but has turned to directing in the past decade. Awards Record Since Then: None.
Director Zach Snyder. After a terrific debut with the remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), he had an even bigger hit with this Spartan tale winning Best Director at the Saturn Awards (which honors only genre films). Afterwards it was all franchise style action pictures. Awards Record Since Then: PGA nomination and Hugo win for producing Wonder Woman (2017)
Production Designer Jim Bissell. He was already an Oscar nominee, for Good Night and Good Luck (2005). He received a nomination for this film from the ADG. Awards Record Since Then: More ADG nominations and an ADG Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Costume Designer Michael Wilkinson 300, his 14th film, gave Wilkinson his second guild nomination, this time in CDG Fantasy (the first was in Contemporary Costuming for Babel) as well as a Saturn nomination and prompted lots of slutty Halloween or Comic-con costumes for men in the Aughts. Awards Record Since Then: Oscar, Critics Choice, and BAFTA nominations for American Hustle, 3 more Saturn nominations (2 wins for Watchmen and Aladdin), and 5 more CDG nominations though he has yet to win with his guild.
Sound Team Patrick Rousseau, Frank A Montaño, and Chris Jenkins. Jenkins was the only previous Oscar winner on 300's team. This group was nominated for Sound Mixing from their guild the Cinema Audio Society and since CAS nominees regularly transfer to Oscar love they were surely the people who came closest to Oscar nods for 300. Awards Record Since Then: Another Oscar win for Jenkins (Mad Max Fury Road). 9 Oscar nominations in total (both before and after 300) for Montaño though he hasn't yet won. Rousseau has been working in movies since the 1970s (but hasn't made a movie in six years now) but hasn't been Oscar nominated yet.
Did you see 300 in theaters 15 years ago?