MONSTRO BEST ACTRESS - Vote Daily!
Friday, January 24, 2025 at 11:00AM by Nathaniel R
THE SUBSTANCE
We’re updating all Oscar charts this weekend (if we can manage) and of course we start by spotlighting Best Actress, the category we live for as actressexuals. As is silly tradition, we like to mush all the contenders together and see what we’ve got. A unique caveat: it feels a little weird to play this game in a year where one of the nominees comes from a movie that does create a creature, “Monstro Elisasue”, by fusing women together. ANYWAY… If you stitch all of this season’s Best Actresses together your Bride of Frankenstein beauty is a 47 year old raven-haired American actress (with family ties to the UK and Brazil) enjoying her first ever nomination. Read on for more craziness...
She plays a defiant woman, whether fighting for justice, refusing to age, living her truth whatever the cost, or merely trying to get her bag. Her genre-busting movie is a body-horror musical with political undertones overtones that took Cannes by storm and hasn’t stopped winning flowers since. Though our MonstroBestActress is the one in the spotlight, she actually shared leading lady duties in her movie with another fine actress (who campaigned in supporting). Her film debut was either in the early 80s or in 2015… it’s hard to say. She is a fiery Aries with Scorpio rising we think---we’re not official astrologists! Collectively she has eight kids.
See the new chart here and vote daily for your favourite contender!
But since this is the time of year when we also mourn the snubs (call them omissions if “snubs” offends you) here’s an extra actressy poll to vote on, too…
Reader Comments (22)
I haven't seen enough of the performances in the poll to make an informed vote, but does anyone have any idea who came the closest to making it in? I was one of the few who was predicting Pam Anderson would actually make it (at the expense of a surprise snub for Erivo, which of course didn't happen), but given Curtis missed too, I'm not so sure she was even in sixth place. The somewhat surprising Cinematography nomination for Maria makes me wonder if Jolie actually came closer to the nomination after all than we might have thought going into the nominations.
Edwin: I'm sure it was super-close between Anderson, Kidman, Jolie and Jean-Baptiste... My gut says that Torres was actually in 4th (or higher, I'm Still Here is becoming a cause celebre), and that Erivo edged out Marianne for the 5th spot.
No shade on the performance, but I actually find it incredible that Erivo made it in with this competition, when Robbie couldn't even get past Annette Bening in Nyad last year.
Edwin -- i've thought the same thing and I think Sebastian Stan's nomination suggests that too. It reminds us that they love few things as much as they love biopic performances.
Mike - i also think the race for 5th place was close but I also don't have any inkling who was actually in 5th place. Intellectually i think maybe Erivo (for the Barbie reasons you mention) but I was actually worried about Madison being the surprise snub because of preferential balloting and the feeling that she had no shot at an actual win.
"Robbie couldn't even get past Annette Bening in Nyad last year" - Ouch, don't remind me!
I'm most upset for Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
6th place was either her or Jolie, with Pamela Anderson trailing right behind them.
I winced when I saw the line "Living her truth whatever the cost".
There's no Kate Winslet on the poll so I didn't vote.
I’m excited for Demi Moore: I can’t fully get behind the “GIVE THIS WOMAN HER DUE” narrative because like Michelle Yeoh, it’s not like she has a long list of past “oversights” you can point to. But I love watching a lovely and interesting M O V I E S T A R experience this windfall of success.
The “popcorn actress” thing is complicated; She’s done a really nice job articulating it in personal terms. Because it’s not like she gave Body-Heat-caliber performances in Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, Ghost, etc. She tried her hand at Oscar bait (The Scarlet Letter) and it went very poorly. I agree with Demi that her reputation was self-reinforcing but I don’t see great unfairness in her career trajectory, and she doesn't seem to either.
I actually love her performance in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. It felt like a spiritual cousin to those fantastic supporting parts in Kill Bill.
@DK
I agree 100% with this. I actually respect Moore a lot for not clinging to her narratives. She's an experienced, undeluded woman who knows the score in her own life. The most charitable reading I can give to her career is one of commercial success but very few (if any) artistic triumphs. The Substance has changed that and I think *that* is what she's thankful for, as opposed to rewriting her own past as others are trying to do. I simply can't with the apparant retrospectives of Demi Moore as an underrapreciated genius. No. She was a movie star in borderline trashy 90's projects and the ones wherein she did swing big (G.I Jane is the big one tbh) she unfortunately received unmatched expectations.
Now if only Courtney Love could score with a part to bring her back, I'd be ecstatic.
@Chase—yeah, she's been an absolute model of humility and self-awareness. It's all been so well judged, the perfect campaign in every way. No notes, and she's made it this far because it's been such a flawless run. I expect her to win but win or lose, her media strategy should be studied.
I think Jean-Baptiste was in 6th place, followed in order by Jolie, Kidman & Anderson. Anderson might actually be lower, because I suspect a lot of voters, especially older ones, haven't seen the film and are judging her talents in a certain pre-biased way. Kind of like J Lo or to an extent Jen Anniston.
Go back to TV, babygirl!
"I expect her to win but win or lose, her media strategy should be studied"
10000%
With the benefit of hindsight, Marianne's goose was cooked when Bleecker couldn't get her a drama actress globe nod when the strongest competitors where in the comedy category. They obviously made zero effort to get this film in front of people.
Wow Best Actress is so bizarre this year. I agree that Demi seems like a front runner but it also feels entirely based on narrative and not performance. I say that because while I truly loved The Substance, I do not see an awards-worthy performance. I see a great story and narrative, but where are the big scenes for Demi? What would her Oscar clip? Is it just her on the phone reporting the weird finger? It’s also a co-lead situation so she’s gone for big chunks.
That’s why I really think Mikey or Fernanda could easily swoop in. If voters vote narrative, Demi wins for the most bizarre performance to ever win an Oscar. It could happen. It just seems odd when there are much more traditional nominees in the mix. But they just don’t have Demi’s narrative. It’s exciting to be unsure.
The whole Torres thing is a head scratcher. Is the Academy really THAT nostalgic for 1998? So random.
I think Demi is really appreciating this time,Her humbleness is what made me like her a lot more than i already did.
I don't think the narrative was here's great overlooked actress pushed to the side at 40,she is the equivalent of Sharon Stone in my opinion,not the best but good in ceratin roles and great movie stars.
I never thought she was a bad actress anyway,she just never was given the opportunity or she never went for them except The Scarlet letter and it's not terrible acting just bad writing and direction even Oldman and Duvall are bad in it.
I happen to feel she was Oscar worthy for Indecent Proposal,I find it to be her best dramatic performance and with more of a push she could have landed a Globe nod,
Ghost she shines in despite the hokey premise and sentimentality,when those tears fall in the finale I had bought into her wholesale.
Can someone explain why they may feel she's a bad actres,is it lack of range,lack of depth or something else,she's very watchable in all her 90's vehicles.
She was for a time right up there with Julia as the biggest female star though I admit a lot of her hits were down to big box office co stars Redford,Cruise,Nicholson,Swayze,Douglas.
@Mr Ripley79
I love your points about Moore's career. It's not that I think she's a 'bad' actress but she's stuck in vehicles that require much less than she can give, and I think that's the point of her revival with The Substance. I actually loved her in Disclosure, which is my third favourite performance from her. When she's given an opportimity to truly sink into a part she's great. I wish she had more Mortal Thoughts on her resume as opposed to the 90's trashy Hollywood schtick she was so often consigned to.
But again, she's humble and admirably self aware enough to realise these were the result of her own choices. And I share your sentiment about her previous standing in general. I appreciate her so much more in her other performance as herself in interviews that it has changed my views on her.
"but it also feels entirely based on narrative and not performance"
Isn't that what awards always are? it's like 85% narrative and 15% performance. A good performance can get you nominated, but the narrative will take you up to the stage.
i agree with DK and Chase on the read on Demi's career, and especially with DK's comparison to Michelle Yeough...i remember being flummoxed by the legions of people saying she had been overlooked when she really hadn't.
i think Demi's best performances are her early ones. she's magnetic in St. Elmo's Fire, and she has a wonderful wounded vulnerability in About Last Night. neither movie is very good, but she had a magic to her early on, and of course she is breathtakingly beautiful, with that awesome husky voice, and just so fun to watch. it's exciting to see her have her moment.
@EricB
I am so mad at myself that I completely forgot about About Last Night! That was such a beautifully realised performance.
Demi Moore TOP 5
1- The Substance
2- Mortal Thoughts
3- About Last Night
4- Disclosure
5- G.I Jane
For the record, I thought Demi gave a great performance and will be a deserving win. Iconic and singular to boot.
I think an argument could be made that Demi should've been nominated for Ghost. She's great in it and the movie clearly resonated with the Academy. It was a chance to give Patrick Swayze a nod as well.
Popcorn actors deserve recognition, too, whether they want to do a biopic or some other bait-y project or not.
DK -- Why is it random? The film got great reviews out of Venice, and I specifically praised Torres' performance to high heavens when covering TIFF.
Moreover, nobody would ask these questions if this were an English-language movie. I'M STILL HERE could be described as a historical biopic whose dramatization of the past comments on the present, and Torres is playing a real-life person who nobly resits against oppression, a long-suffering wife and mother around whom the movie centers. She even has her Oscar clip moments, including late in the movie, speaking an inspiring thesis to the audience.
If it were a Hollywood movie, it would be a slam dunk Oscar buzzy project and performance.
Also, it's Sony Pictures Classics. They've done amazingly well at getting prestigious non-English-language work recognized at the Oscars. Torres joins Cruz in PARALLEL MOTHERS and VOLVER, Huppert in ELLE, Riva in AMOUR, Montenegro in CENTRAL STATION, and Deneuve in INDOCHINE.
Please try to look beyond the one-inch barrier.
@Chase great a demi Top 10,here#s my 10.
1 The Substance the mocking of Sue scene or at the the mirror
3 Ghost the diner scene or that ending
4 Charlie's Angels Full Throttle the reveal monologue or at the beach
5 The Juror Alec reveals his plans or hearing about Annie's death
6 St Elmo's Fire getting fired from her job or the aftermath
7 Disclosure the we live in a man's world speech or the "You get back here" bit
8 GI Jane the confrontation withe Anne Bancroft or suck my dick
9 A Few Good Men first meeting with Tom or the research scene argument
10 Striptease the strip for Reynolds or comforting her daughter
Can you tell I was a fan before The Substance.