It’s time for Oscar! In the weeks leading up to the big ceremony on Sunday, March 2, we are getting a clearer picture of who we should expect to walk away with Oscar gold. Since the winners of the Screen Actors Guild prizes usually align with the Academy’s choices due to an overlap with the voting bodies, it is likely that three first-time nominees – Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o – will be clutching trophies, with one past winner (Cate Blanchett) adding another to her mantle. Of course, these victories will have some folks complaining about why Leonardo DiCaprio remains statue-less or why Amy Adams cannot seem to ever get any Academy love despite five nominations.
However, while many of us complain about the injustice that certain actors do not have Oscar victories, we tend to forget that there are many great actors still flying under-the-radar of the Motion Picture Academy and cannot even land a nomination. Many of our finest character actors, independent stars and comedy personalities give exceptional performances, but the Academy ignores their stellar turns routinely. I’d like to explain why these 10 amazing actors are deserving of a nomination… and hearing their name called on Hollywood’s biggest nights.
Note: You will likely realize that I did not include any female actors on this list. While this may suggest that I am sexist, let me reassure you that there were several female contenders that I considered (among them, Isabella Rosselini, Mia Farrow, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Lee Curtis). However, I found the 10 actors here more deserving. Chalk this one up to a more competitive marketplace for male actors, likely because the majority of scripts focus on male characters. It seems that more worthy men are snubbed from Oscar night than worthy women. However, if there are any names that you feel are missing from this list, feel more than free to add a comment below.
