7 actors that excelled in Oscar winning movies but weren’t nominated

[Image by Paramount Pictures]
[Image by Paramount Pictures]

Amy Adams is still probably hurting over the fact that while ‘Arrival’ received eight Oscar nominations she wasn’t recognised for her towering performance.

The fact that Adams has been nominated on five other occasions probably isn’t much consolation for her at the moment. But maybe Amy Adams can find some solace in other people’s misery, because this is far from the first time that the Academy have handed out a plethora of nominations to a film, only for its leading actor to be conspicuous by their absence.

Here are 7 other actors that have felt Amy Adams’ pain …

[Image by Warner Bros]
[Image by Warner Bros]

Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘The Departed’

‘The Departed’ finally brought an end to Martin Scorsese’s Oscar hoodoo. But it failed to even recognise Leonardo DiCaprio’s efforts as Billy Costigan, which was even more bizarre considering it won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing as well as Best Director awards, and Mark Wahlberg received a Best Supporting Actor nod.

[Image by United Artists]
[Image by United Artists]

Marilyn Monroe, ‘Some Like It Hot’

While it’s now thought of as the quintessential Marilyn Monroe performance, back in 1959 her portrayal as Sugar Kowalski was dismissed, even though ‘Some Like It Hot’ received Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Best Director (Billy Wilder), Best Adapted Screenplay (Billy Wilder, I.A.L Diamond), Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction nominations, while Orry Kelly won Best Costume Design.

[Image by Tri-Star Pictures]
[Image by Tri-Star Pictures]

Denzel Washington, ‘Philadelphia’

After his Oscar nomination for ‘Fences’ Denzel Washington now has more nominations than any black actor in cinema history with seven. It should be eight, too, because while Tom Hanks won the Best Actor award for ‘Philadelphia’, and the film itself received Best Original Screenplay and Best Makeup nominations, Denzel was bizarrely overlooked.

[Image by Warner Bros]
[Image by Warner Bros]

Humphrey Bogart, ‘The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre’

One of the finest performances in one of the best films ever made, Humphrey Bogart is the heart and soul of 1948’s ‘The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre’, as his character Dobbs is corrupted by the riches that he finds. The Academy weren’t impressed though, singling out Walter Huston for Best Supporting Actor and John Huston for both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, which they won, while it lost the Best Picture race to Laurence Olivier’s ‘Hamlet’.

[Image by Paramount Pictures]
[Image by Paramount Pictures]

Diane Keaton, ‘The Godfather II’

Everyone involved in ‘The Godfather II’ was showered with praise, as it received 11 nominations, five in the acting categories alone. But while Robert De Niro won the Best Supporting Actor prize, and Al Pacino, Michael V. Gazzo, Lee Strasberg, and Talia Shire were nominated, Diane Keaton’s performance as Kay Adams wasn’t deemed worthy enough, even though she went toe to toe with Pacino throughout

[Image by A24]
[Image by A24]

Jacob Tremblay, ‘Room’

The whole world fell in love with Jacob Tremblay when they saw ‘Room’, as his wide-eyed portrayal of jack Newsome was just immediately enchanting. The hardened cynics of the Academy weren’t that impressed, though, as they awarded Brie Larson the Best Actress award, gave ‘Room’ itself a Best Picture nod, as well as Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nominations, too, but left Tremblay empty handed.

[Image by Warner Bros]
[Image by Warner Bros]

Ingrid Bergman, ‘Casablanca’

Humphrey Bogart’s speech to Ingrid Bergman that culminates with, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” leaves most moviegoers misty eyed. It was enough for Bogart to pick up a Best Actor nominee, one of eight that ‘Casablanca’ received, as it went on to win three awards(Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay). But Ingrid Bergman failed to charm Academy voters this time around, something she made up for over time as she ultimately claimed seven nominations, resulting in three Oscars of her own.


Read more
La La Land is the joyous, vibrant film we need in 2017
Seven 2017 Oscar nomination stories worth celebrating
Emma Watson reveals why she chose Beauty and the Beast over Cinderella