10 Oscar Performing Frontrunners Who Did not Win

The exercise — heck, it is extra of a passion at this level — of monitoring precursor awards on the way in which to predicting the nominees and winners of every 12 months’s Academy Awards is one which has advanced drastically through the years. It is a pastime that noticed a large spike in reputation within the age of the Web; and right now, with extra precursors, extra boards, and way more social media conversations, Oscar predictions are simpler and extra entertaining to make than ever earlier than.

The 4 appearing classes specifically, simply being probably the most coveted awards for thespians within the movie trade, often have tons of buzz round all of them all year long. For just about each Oscars race, there’s sometimes one or two very clear frontrunners because the night time of the Academy Awards approaches. However now and again, that frontrunner does not win. When this occurs, it is sometimes surprising, however these sorts of surprises are what make this passion so enjoyable.

10

Kate Hudson for ‘Nearly Well-known’ (2000)

Misplaced to Marcia Homosexual Harden for ‘Pollock’ (2000)

Nearly Well-known is without doubt one of the most beloved cult classics of the 2000s, a heartwarming and optimistic retro take a look at ’70s rock tradition. It has lovely visuals, nice music, and an exceptional solid, probably the most memorable performances being Kate Hudson‘s start-making flip as groupie Penny Lane. Hudson was the frontrunner for many of the race that 12 months, having tons of trade buzz and having received the Golden Globe.

In probably the most surprising twists of any Oscar appearing class race, nevertheless, it was Marcia Homosexual Harden who ended up taking the award dwelling for her efficiency in Pollock. This was a correct shock. Not solely had Harden not received any main precursors; she hadn’t even been nominated for many of them. That is no SAG nod, no Golden Globe nod, no BAFTA nod, no Critics Alternative nod. Although there are some preferring her efficiency over Hudson’s, the actual fact of the matter is that that is an upset for the historical past books.

9

Eddie Murphy for ‘Dreamgirls’ (2006)

Misplaced to Alan Arkin for ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (2006)

He is lengthy overdue for a comeback, however for a very long time all through the ’80s and ’90s, Eddie Murphy was one of many kings of Hollywood comedy. Like most well-known comedic actors are likely to do, although, he wished to show that he was able to a extra critical position. So, he starred within the musical drama Dreamgirls because the fast-talking R&B star James “Thunder” Early, a task impressed by R&B legends like James Brown and Marvin Gaye.

The Finest Supporting Actor Oscar was just about in Murphy’s bag for many of the season. He had received the Globe and at SAG, and was a comedic actor delivering a extra dramatic efficiency (one thing the Academy all the time eats proper up). Then, Norbit occurred. The completely disastrous comedy got here out proper throughout Oscar voting, and it is extensively believed that it was an enormous think about swaying voters towards Alan Arkin‘s efficiency in Little Miss Sunshine as an alternative. Arkin had solely received the BAFTA, however that was sufficient for the Academy to see him as the perfect obtainable alternative after Norbit stained Murphy’s fame proper when he wanted to maintain a clear picture probably the most.

8

Glenn Shut for ‘The Spouse’ (2017)

Misplaced to Olivia Colman for ‘The Favorite’ (2017)

Tied with the late Peter O’Toole with eight Oscar nominations, Glenn Shut is the actor with probably the most Oscar nominations who nonetheless hasn’t received any. It is, fairly frankly, a travesty — notably due to how remarkably shut she got here through the 2018 Oscars season for her powerhouse efficiency because the ghostwriter spouse of a Nobel Prize laureatte in The Wife.

One in all Close’s best films, The Spouse is an outstanding film in its personal proper, but it surely’s particularly the right automobile for a efficiency that saved Shut sweeping at nearly each necessary award ceremony. That is SAG, the Golden Globes, and Critics Alternative, to call only a few. Phrase on the streets was that there was no manner this is able to not lastly be the 12 months that this legendary actress acquired her due. Then, Olivia Colman from The Favourite got here in with only a BAFTA win and pulled one main upset. It is a tremendous efficiency, and at the least it gave us one among the best Oscars speeches of all time, but it surely’s nonetheless unhappy that Shut nonetheless does not have a little bit golden bare man to maintain in her closet.

7

Chadwick Boseman for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Backside’ (2020)

Misplaced to Anthony Hopkins for ‘The Father’ (2020)

The late Chadwick Boseman grew to become the primary actor to obtain a posthumous Finest Main Actor nomination within the Twenty first century, for his unbelievably nice work in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Primarily based on an August Wilson play, it is a gorgeous little film that gave a basis to a bunch of immensely highly effective performances, together with Viola Davis‘s (which additionally obtained an Oscar nod) and, in fact, Boseman’s.

Equally to Shut, Boseman had posthumously received at SAG, Critics Alternative, and the Golden Globes, whereas the eventual Oscar winner, Anthony Hopkins for The Father (an equally jaw-dropping efficiency, to be completely truthful) had solely received at BAFTA. This precursor momentum, together with the sentimentality over Boseman’s sudden passing, together with the truth that, breaking with custom, the Finest Main Actor class was left for final through the 2021 Oscars (one of many Academy’s most puzzling selections ever), led everybody to foretell that the beloved Black Panther star would turn into an Oscar winner. Sadly, he didn’t — however his legacy lives on however.

Misplaced to Cliff Robertson for ‘Charly’ (1968)

The Lion in Winter, bringing collectively the 2 huge display screen legends Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn (in addition to providing Anthony Hopkins‘s breakout efficiency), is one among the most essential period films of the twentieth century. It is also well-known, nevertheless, for being the film that introduced O’Toole the closest to lastly getting that elusive Oscar that sadly by no means got here.

O’Toole is past unimaginable as Henry II, and he shares gorgeous chemistry with Hepburn. There was a transparent narrative right here: O’Toole, a extremely revered actor who had already misplaced 4 instances, delivering a extremely acclaimed efficiency that earned him a Golden Globe. Nevertheless, his frontrunner standing in 1969 wasn’t tremendous robust. This, mixed with the unprecedentedly aggressive campaigning carried out by Cliff Robertson for his efficiency in Charly, managed to sway voters into giving him the Oscar as an alternative of O’Toole.

5

Judy Garland for ‘A Star Is Born’ (1954)

Misplaced to Grace Kelly for ‘The Nation Lady’ (1954)

A star with a cult following as huge as her priceless legacy, Judy Garland was probably the most iconic stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. As such, she gave unimaginable performances in all kinds of wonderful initiatives, and one among her greatest is certainly her flip because the younger singer and actress Esther Blodgett within the first remake of 1937’s A Star Is Born.

Of those 4 movies, Garland’s efficiency is maybe the strongest and most memorable.

The film would be remade a couple of times again later, and of those 4 movies, Garland’s efficiency is maybe the strongest and most memorable. She received at a number of prestigious precursors, and since she was so in style and this was stated to be the perfect efficiency of her profession, it was anticipated that she’d win the Oscar in a landslide. Then, in probably the most well-known Oscar upsets of the awards’ early days, Grace Kelly got here in and took the award as an alternative for her work within the forgettable The Nation Lady. The years have not been notably variety to this upset, as individuals are likely to agree that Garland was unbelievable in A Star Is Born, whereas The Nation Lady wasn’t even Kelly’s greatest efficiency of 1954 (she provided a lot stronger work in Alfred Hitchcock‘s Rear Window and Dial M for Homicide).

4

Leonardo DiCaprio for ‘The Wolf of Wall Road’ (2013)

Misplaced to Matthew McConaughey in ‘Dallas Consumers Membership’ (2013)

Each one among Leonardo DiCaprio‘s most essential movies and one among Martin Scorsese‘s, The Wolf of Wall Street is the form of biopic epic that is not sometimes greenlit by main studios lately. It was (and nonetheless is) a extremely acclaimed film general, however there was one clear standout ingredient that was (and nonetheless is) the a part of the image that folks talked about probably the most: DiCaprio’s over-the-top efficiency as Wall Road stockbroker Jordan Belfort.

DiCaprio was the frontrunner for many of the race, due to the large acclaim that his efficiency had obtained and the “lengthy overdue” narrative that Oscar voters have a tendency to like rewarding. He received the Globe for Finest Actor in a Comedy, however as precursors saved coming and Matthew McConaughey saved profitable a number of the most necessary ones for Dallas Buyers Club, issues have been trying bleaker and bleaker for DiCaprio. By the point McConaughey received at SAG, the 2 actors have been just about neck-and-neck for the Oscar, and it wasn’t all that surprising when McConaughey finally received.

3

Lily Gladstone for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023)

Misplaced to Emma Stone for ‘Poor Issues’ (2023)

One other one among Martin Scorsese’s most essential films, his newest masterpiece is the interval epic Killers of the Flower Moon, one among his boldest and most unusual Twenty first-century works. It is anchored by an impressive ensemble solid led by DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and — in fact — a powerhouse star-making efficiency by Lily Gladstone.

This was a type of very particular Oscar races the place, all through just about the entire season, the Lead Actress class was remarkably shut between two performances: Gladstone’s and Emma Stone‘s in Poor Things. Going into Oscars night time, nevertheless, Gladstone had extra precursor momentum and way more trade and public buzz. As such, even Emma Stone herself was visibly shocked when she received the Oscar and never Gladstone. Both manner, each are among the many best performances of the 2020s up to now.

2

Jack Nicholson for ‘Chinatown’ (1974)

Misplaced to Artwork Carney for ‘Harry and Tonto’ (1974)

The legendary Chinatown is maybe the best neo-noir ever made, with one of many tightest and most enthralling screenplays ever written. It is led by the enduring Jack Nicholson, delivering what on the time was extensively thought-about (and, to many, nonetheless is) his greatest efficiency. His position as Detective J. J. Gittes was extremely acclaimed, and since he had already been nominated thrice earlier than over the span of simply 5 years, many felt that he was overdue.

This trade buzz, accompanied by Nicholson’s distinctive efficiency throughout precursors, made it clear to pre-Web Oscar predictors that the actor was evidently that season’s Oscar frontrunner within the Finest Main Actor class. Nevertheless, his competitors was Artwork Carney for Harry & Tonto. It is a sentimental efficiency, which the Academy loves, and whereas it was extensively believed that Nicholson would inevitably win an award finally (certainly, he’d go on to win three), Carney was a a lot older actor and extremely revered in Hollywood. So, in probably the most infamous legacy wins ever, Carney beat out his competitor’s much-more-legendary efficiency in what’s simply one of many most essential films of the New Hollywood movement.

1

Marlon Brando for ‘A Streetcar Named Need’ (1951)

Misplaced to Humphrey Bogart for ‘The African Queen’ (1951)

Marlon Brando‘s loss within the Finest Main Actor class in 1952 is one most notorious Oscar upsets of all time, maybe as a result of Brando’s efficiency in A Streetcar Named Desire is without doubt one of the strongest shows of appearing ever seen on movie. The film received within the different three appearing classes, so Brando’s loss stopped Streetcar from turning into the primary film to win all 4 (a feat that hasn’t been achieved but). It might have been very, very effectively deserved.

Streetcar, one among the best-ever stage-to-screen adaptations, has 4 of the best performances of Hollywood’s Golden Age; and of those 4 performances, Brando’s stands out as maybe the perfect. It actually revolutionized Hollywood appearing, bringing technique appearing into the mainstream within the trade. Brando additionally had the precursors to again up the prediction that he’d win, however Humphrey Bogart nonetheless managed to beat him for his efficiency in The African Queen, in probably the most notorious upset of the appearing Oscar classes ever. Bogart had extra of a historical past in Hollywood, and voters probably felt like he deserved the win, largely due to his illustrious profession. Each are legendary actors, however Bogart provided a lot better performances in different motion pictures, whereas Brando in A Streetcar Named Need may simply be probably the most electrifying appearing efficiency of the ’50s.

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