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 (39)
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.
I like Demi Moore as a movie star, and appreciate her performance in The Substance, but I deeply dislike narrative wins. At least her winning will not come at the expense of an all-time-great performance, which is what Yeoh managed to achieve with her unethical campaigning.
“Please try to look beyond the one-inch barrier.”
Yikes are you well? Fernanda Torres crashing this crowded Best Actress year (with a Globe win and a Best Picture nod) is indeed completely random, I know exactly zero people who would’ve bet on that a month ago. Doesn’t even merit explanation.
Honestly? We were spoiled with phenomenal leading performances this year. The Oscars could have 10 nominees in this category and we'd still be talking about who got robbed.
For example, I'm thrilled with Demi Moore being nominated. She's great in The Substance. At the same time, I don't think she gave the best leading performance in a horror movie this year. Naomi Scott in Smile 2, Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brien in Love Lies Bleeding, Amy Adams in Nightbitch, and Lily Rose Depp in Nosferatu are right up there and only the latter two made a blip this awards season.
Acknowledging this takes nothing away from Moore or the other nominees; it just shows how deep the pool was this year.
And speaking of Moore, I took the 40 years angle as an acknowledgement of what her career was and what The Substance allowed her to make of it. She found a director and a production that trusted her to do what needed to be done on a tricky film, she pushed herself into uncomfortable places based on her career, and it paid off handsomely.
DK -- Well, you know Abe from this very website, who predicted Torres would get into Best Actress before her Globes win. And six other writers had her in sixth place of probability, right on the cusp.
LINK: http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2025/1/5/team-experience-oscar-predictions-pre-globe-jitters.html
Also, kudos to Nick Taylor, the only TFE writer who realized I'M STILL HERE was a Best Picture possibility, even if he ranked it as a runner-up.
Ever since I'M STILL HERE was picked by Sony Pictures Classics, people have been talking about Torres as a possibility. Plus, it kept winning Audience Awards left and right at fests worldwide. I think Juan Carlos Ojano was the first person I talked to who pointed this out as a sign it might get noms beyond International Film. And that was around October/November.
Hey Nat! Just to check, before new Film Bitch Awards categories start going up are we going to get last year's winners? It may just be my computer but I can't see the medals on the acting page
@ Cláudio Alves: I did mention I'M STILL HERE as a potential Best Picture nominee in an article posted November 25. I always thought it had a chance.
Here's an excerpt:
"Fernanda Torres has turned into a bonafide contender in a crowded Best Actress race, and with Sony Pictures Classics backing it, the film is a top contender in both categories. However, something gives me pause. I'm Still Here keeps collecting Audience Awards in film festivals, which suggests a potential surge of support and might even become SPC’s top priority (compared to The Room Next Door) as the season rolls along."
LINK: http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2024/11/25/which-international-feature-films-will-get-into-best-picture.html
I have also tweeted about its Best Picture chances multiple times around the same time.
Nov 15: https://x.com/carlosojano/status/1857118146949533800
Nov 21: https://x.com/carlosojano/status/1859499380090470426
Dec 14: https://x.com/carlosojano/status/1867950475930402996
Was it a surprise: Definitely.
Was it "completely random"? Absolutely not, DK.
"I know exactly zero people who would’ve bet on that a month ago."
That's on you and the people around you.
"Doesn’t even merit explanation."
Blah blah blah, try living in reality.
I'm sorry but none of them in the poll.
If we are talking about best leading actres the most regretful miss in the category are Zoe Saldana, Ariana Grande and Margaret Qualley
HA!
Everyone has a narrative. Voting is a popularity contest; it's about which narrative sells to most voters. Especially in an awards season so streamlined and industrialized, there is no such thing as winning "solely on merit".
If you're still in denial, here are the summaries of the narratives floated/pushed for the Best Actress nominees based on months of campaigning:
Erivo - "powerhouse performer nails iconic role in popular Broadway musical"
Gascón - "trans performer making Oscar history during transphobic Trump era"
Madison - "a star is born in one of the most acclaimed films of the year"
Moore - "unrewarded Hollywood icon gives career-best work in challenging role"
Torres - "Brazilian superstar making history w/ former nominee mother in politically relevant film"
Btw, "solely on merit" is a highly subjective thing anyway so I don't know where the heck do you get the gall to invalidate wins/nominees because they'll just win due to narrative while your loves will win "solely on merit". If you even care about what goes on in Oscar voting, you would know that many voters vote outside of voting "solely on merit".
Also, don't think it's not obvious that "winning because of the narrative" gets thrown around a lot when a non-White performer is in contention in a tight race while the White performers get propped up as winning "solely on merit".
Classic bullsh*t. You are telling on yourselves. 😂
@Juan Carlos And that's why Oscars are not taken seriously by cinephiles, but the most ridiculous thing is, when they have the chance to use the narrative to award someone else, they use the argument that chooses quality to be stick with their choices
An example of that was when Anthony Hopkins and Frances McDormand won over Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman
So, they just use the argument of the narrative at their convenience
If you are interested in Demi, you should read her memoir. It’s one of the best celebrity memoirs I have ever read because she is completely self-aware and has led a very interesting life.
I completely agree that Bleecker Street failed Jean-Baptiste. To my dismay, I have no idea if Hard Truths will even play in my city. As a Mike Leigh fan, that makes me angry. This should have been a release similar to The Apprentice in early fall, and it could have built some buzz.
I voted for Zendaya in the poll as I think she gave a classic movie star arrival performance. But I have no doubt that her day will come.
I’m really glad that Demi Moore got to do what she did to make The Substance. She probably read that script, thought it would turn into some C level horror slop and must’ve thought that her career hit rock botttom. Please alert the clueless Oscar telecast producers not to remind its viewers that ‘this is Demi Moore’s first Oscar nomination and win.’ Bad enough they ruin the ‘In Memorium’ segment, but they’re worse at their dumb-down.
-People complaining that Moore is gone for a chunk of the film, all I can say is that her acting glows as if you were watching a silent movie performance. Her Oscar clip is definitely when she rubs the make-up off her face while staring in the mirror. Silent screen acting at its best!
@ César Gaytán: Still battle of narratives.
Hopkins - "acting legend gives career-best work late in his career"
Boseman - "superstar gone too soon delivers best work of his career"
McDormand - "face of highly relevant and overwhelming Best Picture frontrunner"
Davis - "acting legend doing physical transformation + worthy of making history as second Black Best Actress winner"
Winning "solely on merit" is just smokescreen for people with unconscious (or not) racial bias. They would ALWAYS spin the conversation as a battle against "merit" (White) vs "narrative" (non-White).
See previous discourses:
Anthony Hopkins vs Chadwick Boseman
Frances McDormand vs Viola Davis
Cate Blanchett vs Michelle Yeoh
__________ vs Lily Gladstone
People exposing themselves as racists.
Whaaaat are you talking about? Hahahahaha
There's no doubt anyone takes the part of a conversation that likes more and turns it to another places
My example is because McDormand was a previous (and recent) double winner and instead of turn Viola into a double winner too, they prefer to crown McDormand as triple winner
The same with Hopkins and Boseman, making Hopkins a double winner and Chadwick Oscarless instead of being both academy award winners
Another case would it be Renee Zellweger over Scarlett Johansson and a lot more, but in the 2021 ceremony it happened twice in the lead category, thats why is the one I prefer to use as example
Thats also the reason I mentioned that "they stick with their choices" (previous winners) but you just over passed from that part to pointing out an "exposure". But you are right, evidently there is people that always see color
I wouldn't have nominated Boseman in Lead,I think that performance pales against Hopkins in The Father and at least Hopkins won for the right roles,I would have had him win in 93 also.
Hopkins the actor is leagues above Boseman.
I would' not have nominated or voted for Viola either,doesn't make me racist it's a difference of opinion,everyone is entitled to their choices and I think Oscar made the best decision in 2020 in both races.
Juan Carlos Ojano
It's actually the other way around. We should be calling out actors who campaign incessantly and fervently promote their narratives, them being either career or race-related, without fear of being labeled racist.
Yeoh's campaign can only be compared to the likes of Winslet, Leo, and Redmayne, for which all individuals received significant backlash. I'm not going to overlook that just because she's likable and the win is historic. Davis, on the other hand, handled the Ma Rainey promotional tour with respect to the other nominees and showed no signs of desperation.
This thread is such a delightful blend of Oscars buzz and creative musings! Speaking of creativity, CapCut is a fantastic video editor if you’re channeling your inner auteur. With features like dynamic transitions, music sync, and even AI-powered effects, it’s perfect for crafting your own award-worthy content—whether it’s a dramatic short film or a fun tribute to your favorite Best Actress contender. For a seamless editing experience on your capcut for PC, check out CapProCut APK—definitely worth trying if you love storytelling through video!
Challengers being snubbed will never make sense to me. Zendaya's perfromance was raw and unique. Do I think she should win best actress? No, Demi Moore in my opinion should. But Zendaya at least deserved a nomination. In my perfect world Challengers would of been nominated for best actress, film editing, sound, orginal score, directing, writing original screenplay, and best picture and then won for film editing, sound, and original score. I doubt anyone agrees with these opinions though.