A couple of weeks ago, we invited you to submit ideas for our ‘The Lists’ feature, and, true to form, the suggestions came thick, fast and occasionally puzzling. (The Ten Best Bond Actors, for example, would require a couple of rather inventive entries. But hey, we like challenges.) As I was sifting through the suggestions ahead of this week’s edition, I noticed that a couple of you brought up the ever-popular issue of under-rewarded performers.
No surprise there. It’s a subject that has endless mileage because our relationship with on-screen actors is so personal and idiosyncratic — everyone has their own list of thesps who we feel that tiny bit closer to than anyone else, who we’ll watch and defend even in their lowest career troughs, and whose lack of formal recognition from the likes of the Academy is something we take very, very personally. With actors, our devotion may not always be rational (as any of my friends who I’ve dragged with me to see the latest Jennifer Aniston disappointment can attest) but it is unwavering.
So it is that Oscar blogs are littered with impassioned posts about the overdue and the unfairly snubbed, with Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp seemingly the current patron saints of the ‘how have they not won’ brigade. But today I want to celebrate the victims of an even more fundamental oversight: The Un-nominated.
From Buster Keaton to Dirk Bogarde, from Marilyn Monroe to Katrin Cartlidge, the list of gifted and/or iconic actors whose careers ended without so much as a single Oscar nomination is distinguished, baffling and surprisingly long. The Academy tends to ensure that most great actors get at least one bite at the cherry, even if it’s not always for their best work. (The fact that Tim Roth’s Oscar resume begins and ends with “Rob Roy” is but one embarrassing example.)
But every now and then, for whatever reason, a worthy name continues to slip through the cracks, despite consistently doing the right work in the right films with the right people. (Just ask Mia Farrow.) For the list below, I’ve gathered 10 men and women for whom it’s not too late. All are fine, actively working actors who should have at least one — usually more — Oscar nomination by now, but thus far, the Academy has turned a blind eye. Wake up, guys.
10. Steve Buscemi
Indiewood’s go-to guy for neurotic, bug-eyed eccentrics ever since his immortal protest against being Mr Pink in “Reservoir Dogs,” and the comic high point in many an overblown Hollywood product, Buscemi’s Oscar drought is proof how slack Oscar can be in rewarding character actors. Passed over for his hilarious work in Best Picture nominee “Fargo,” he seemed to be on course for his first nod in 2001, when he picked up a slew of awards for his turn as sweet, socially inept record collector Seymour in “Ghost World.” Sadly, the Academy had other ideas.
9. Scarlett Johansson
Buscemi’s co-star in “Ghost World,” Johansson has become something of a critical punchbag of late following a spate of ill-chosen films. Certain people seem to have swiftly forgotten that in 2003, she announced herself as an actress of real grace and intelligence with the stunning one-two of “Lost in Translation” and “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” She earned dual Golden Globe nods and won a BAFTA, but Oscar was unmoved. Two years later, they were still napping when she electrified Woody Allen’s “Match Point.” Since then? Mainly dross, but if the Academy had thrown her bone, maybe she’d be getting better offers.
8. Isabelle Huppert
She may have a BAFTA, a Cesar and awards from the Cannes, Berlin and Venice festivals, but Oscar has so far remained blind to Huppert’s prolific international career. Poised for a Hollywood breakthrough as the female lead in the infamous “Heaven’s Gate,” she responded to that film’s epic failure by returning to France and playing a million fascinating varieties of sexual repression. Her career got a second wind this decade with massive acclaim for her work in “The Piano Teacher,” but it’s unlikely she’ll ever play it safe enough for the Academy’s liking.
7. Kevin Bacon
Like his relative contemporaries Dennis Quaid and Jeff Daniels, Bacon is one of those solid, unshowy actors who seems to be punished by the Academy for his reliability — after all, when you’re so consistently good, it’s difficult to have a ‘breakthrough’ of the kind Oscar voters like to reward. In 1995, “Murder in the First” brought him awards smoke but no fire, and one can only assume the film’s nervy subject matter cost him a nomination for his stunning performance as a reformed pedophile in “The Woodsman,” but that’s the voters’ failing, not his.
6. Gong Li
One of the great faces of modern cinema, Gong was instrumental in bringing Chinese cinema to Western attention in the early 1990s. However, while festival juries and the likes of the New York critics responded to her haunting star turns in such masterworks as “Raise the Red Lantern,” “The Story of Qiu Ju” and “Farewell My Concubine,” Oscar voters couldn’t look past the subtitles. After crossing over to Hollywood with a spectacularly baity performance in “Memoirs of a Geisha,” Oscar attention finally seemed to beckon, but her campaign got derailed amid the film’s critical mauling.
5. Maggie Gyllenhaal
History books will suggest that Helen Mirren gave the only award-worthy performance of 2006, but the Oscar that year actually belonged to Gyllenhaal, whose astonishingly raw, unsentimental performance as an ex-con and junkie trying to reconnect with her young daughter in “Sherrybaby” marked a watershed in an already promising career. Oscar voters foolishly ignored her, just as they did four years previously when her fierce, funny, dangerous turn in “Secretary” as the titular office worker lured into the joys of S&M announced her as a name to watch. Gyllenhaal is still only 30; one senses her time will inevitably come.
4. Mathieu Amalric
Easily one of the most compelling actors in the world today, Amalric had amassed an impressive portfolio of work in his native France before coming to international attention in “Munich.” His performance as assassin informant Louis was the best thing in Steven Spielberg’s confused Oscar nominee, but the Academy paid no mind. Two years later he was the galvanizing human anchor of Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” but the performance was too unconventional to strike gold. Next to be seen as the villain in “Quantum of Solace,” I sense he’s on the cusp of a Bardem-style breakthrough.
3. Jennifer Jason Leigh
1994 served up one of the weakest Best Actress fields in Oscar history, yet they still couldn’t find room for Leigh’s singularly daring interpretation of Dorothy Parker in “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.” She was even more impressive the following year in “Georgia,” but still got no love. Since then, she’s maintained one of the most consistently interesting careers in the business, turning in challenging work in such Academy-unfriendly films as “eXistenZ,” “In the Cut,” and “Margot at the Wedding.” Respected as an industry outsider, it’s hard to say if she’ll ever do something baity enough for Oscar attention.
2. Gael García Bernal
If playing Che Guevara and a transsexual in the same year can’t get the Academy to notice you, what can? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure Bernal has what it takes to find out. No actor of his generation has quite such an enviable CV: from his searing breakthrough in “Amores Perros,” he’s gone from strength to strength, with “Y tu Mama Tambien,” “Bad Education,” “The Motorcycle Diaries” and a mercurial comic turn in “The Science of Sleep” making good on that promise. Next year brings Jim Jarmusch’s “The Limits of Control” and Lukas Moodysson’s “Mammoth” with Michelle Williams. And he’s not yet 30…the sky’s the limit.
1. Gary Oldman
“Sid and Nancy,” “Prick Up Years Ears,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” “JFK,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Leon,” “Murder in the First,” “The Fifth Element,” “The Contender,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight”… Most entries on a list like this are debatable. This one is not. Now 50, Oldman still has not one major acting award — or Oscar nomination — to his name, despite one of the most exciting, chameleonic filmographies out there. With Heath Ledger grabbing all the attention in this year’s supporting race, it’s unlikely that’s about to change, but the Academy needs to address this embarrassment, and soon.
And there you have it. I know I’m going to catch hell for not having Christian Bale on the list, but that’s what the comments section is for. Have your say below.
Comments
71 responses to “THE LISTS: Top 10 actors who need a nomination, stat!”
Bacon gave a brilliant performance in “The Woodsman” and should have been nominated without question —
BRAVO for including Gong Li!. How has she not won or even been nommed for any of her amazing perfromances?
Maybe her upcoming “Shanhgai” has a long shot.
Her beauty and talent are a blessing to cinema
Personally, I felt that Kevin Bacon was the real gold in “Mystic River”. Tim Robbins & Sean Penn got all the attention but Bacon was great there.
Isabelle Huppert and Gong Li are great and obvious choices.
steve martin
catherine o’hara
John Cusack.
John Cusack
Gong Li
Chrsitian Bale.
I agree with most everyone on this list, but NO ALAN RICKMAN?!? Blasphemy!
Don’t forget Jim Carrey. He should have been nominated for The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, at the very least.
Also, Cameron Diaz. You may laugh at this suggestion, but that’s only because she’s chosen to make one truly terrible film after another. But she’s proven that, given the proper material, she is a formidable actress. — Being John Malkovich and Vanilla Sky being her very best performances to date.
Can’t agree enough with Mr. Oldman. “JFK” and “The Contender” are two superb performances. I was convinced for a few days that he was Oswald. What an actor.
Maggie Cheung (even though she allegedly retired)? and Maria Bello?
I hope Oldman get a nod for Dark Knight, no chance he’ll win over Ledger, but it would be nice to see him nominated.
I think Anne Hathaway, Rachel McAdams, and Paul Dano are three young actors you don’t mention that are on their way to it eventually.
I would have added Peter Sarsgaard, who was the best thing about Jarhead.He made something out of roles in throwaway films like Flightplan and The Skeleton Key. Personally, i would have given him Supporting Actor nominations for Kinsey, Garden State, Shattered Glass, and Boys Don’t Cry. All of them. His brief performance in Elegy had it been a bigger role and bigger film, might have done it for him.
This is just another place to thank Guy for the suggestion to catch “SherryBaby,” which I did last week. Gyllenhaal was fantastic, and “Secretary” is now among the next movies on my list. That Oscar season really disappointed me, because now I think Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts (“The Painted Veil”) were the season’s two best, and neither was nominated.
(Maggie Cheung (even though she allegedly retired)?)
She is not retired. She is making more films. I think she does car ads too. But she not half the actress, or beauty Gong li is.
I still think the worst instance of Leigh being robbed was for Best Supporting Actress in “The Hudsucker Proxy”. It’s the bunk, as she’d say.
I agree with them all but Scarlett Johannson.
Sorry…she photographs well and we are supposed to mistake that for acting? Matchpoint? Emily Mortimer is the other name for this list…not Johannson.
Girl With The Pearl Earring? I was at a Q&A where she admitted she hadn’t even read the script when she began filming and that while the audience may have felt she was feeling something profound, she was actually just thinking about, literally, cutting cheese or going to crafty.
She has a face that makes us think there is more going on then there is. Sorry…Scarlett doesn’t make my cut at all.
I agree wholeheartedly about Maggie Gyllenhaal and Sherrybaby. Wow!
You should catch hell for not having Christian Bale on the list…he’s only the best actor of his generation.
Props for mentioning Gael Garcia Bernal however.
It’s been well publicized that Oldman made enemies with the Academy years ago, and they are the type of body that loves to hold a grudge.
Great suggestions, guys — narrowing the list to ten was hard, and a lot of the names you’ve given (Cusack and Rickman especially) came close.
As for Bale — it’s irrational, but he leaves me cold. Can’t help it.
I like Bale, but I can’t think of anything I’d personately have nominated him for in any given year. Well, maybe “Empire of the Sun”, but apart from that – nothing.
“Personally” that is, of course . I should better go to bed.
jim carrey
christian bale
gary oldman
john cusack
alan rickman
ya im with michael mckay. Bale is, imo, undeniably the best actor of the generation.
however i did like this list… love oldman as does everyone else not involved with awards.
love buscemi too.
Like the Gong Li mention… loved her in “To Live”
I would also like to mention:
Guy Pearce (LA Confidential, Memento)
Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge)
Val Kilmer (The Doors, Tombstone)
Catherine O’Hara (any Christopher Guest pic)
John Goodman (Big Lebowski, Barton Fink)
Donald Sutherland (there must be more than 5)
Bruce Willis (Die Hard, 12 Monkeys, 6th Sense)
Mel Gibson (Gallipoli, Braveheart)
Bale… American Psycho. should’ve walked away with the award easily
Mentioning Tim Roth’s single nomination reminds that Harvey Keitel’s only oscar nomination came for Bugsy, unbelievable.
Not including Donald Sutherland makes this list non valid.
Agree with Oldman, especially in The Dark Knight. He was so good in that many people didn’t even know he was in it.
Donald Sutherland is most definitely the #1 for me… a shame.
I don’t see anything in Oldman. Sorry.
Oldman’s performance in The Contender performance was outrageously good but you missed his very best effort: Hannibal.
Anyway, Oldman was a very good selection for the top spot on your list.
Scarlett becoming Allen’s new muze should’ve been good for her awards prospects but it hasn’t paid off thus far. Pity.
I totally agree on Oldman. TDK would be a good start.
JOHN! TURTURRO!
I also strongly agree with Guy on Gary Oldman, and the person above who mentioned John Goodman and Val Kilmer. Most of the other people mentioned are just “pretty good” actors who only gave one or two truly stellar performances, or young guns who are going to get nominated eventually.
(Speaking of which, JOSEPH! GORDON! LEVITT!)
I also think Jeffrey Wright, Chow Yun-Fat, Hope Davis, and Brendan Gleeson deserve their day in the spotlight. (I’m sure I’m neglecting some other obvious ones… those were just the four that came immediately to mind.)
I was about to chastise you for including Scarlett Johansson on your list when she was CLEARLY nominated for “Lost in Translation,” and then I was reminded that she wasn’t. How the fuck? I’m no big Scarlett fan, but that was a travesty.
By the way, I guarantee you that Steve Carell will be nominated for an Oscar in the next ten years. (Because, you know, Internet guarantees really mean a lot.)
DAKOTA FANNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fanning’s breakthrough performance was in I am sam. But also in Man on fire, Hide and Seek.
Rickman
Oldman
Also in Dreamer she was great!
My top ten:
1. Gong Li: (Raise to the Red Laintern, To Live, Memoirs of a Geisha)
2. Tony Leung Chiu-wai (In the Mood of Love, 2046)
3. Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!, Trainspotting)
4. Christian Bale (Empire of the Sun, American Psycho)
5. Isabelle Huppert (La Pianiste, Violette Noziere)
6. Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Bad Education, The Science of Sleep)
7. Jennifer Jason Leigh (Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle)
8. Vera Farmiga (Down with the Bone)
9. David Thewlis (Naked, Total Eclypse)
10. Peter Sarsgaard (Shattered Glass, Kinsey)
I’m glad someone gave props to Cameron Diaz…I too believe that she is a formidable actress. Cusak, McGregor, Bale and pretty much everyone else mentioned also deserve more attention from the academy, as does Daniel Craig. Of course Oldman is number one on this list! He’s long overdue!
“Spielberg’s confused Oscar nomineee”. Pffffffff…
I would have loved if Peter Sarsgaard had been nominated for Supporting for his work in “Jarhead”. If there’s an unnominated actor in Hollywood who I could see winning Best Actor in five years, it’s him. I can’t complain too much that it hasn’t come yet for him, but for the movies those have mentioned (Shattered Glass, Kinsey, Boys Don’t Cry, and even Garden State, which he was far and away the best in) I have faith it will come in the future.
Mia Farrow
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Steve Carell
Elizabeth Banks
Kevin Bacon
Rupert Everett
Ewan MacGregor
Gary Oldman
Paul Dano
Emily Blunt
I do see a lot of potential in him, but I think that it’s way too early to mention Bernal. To my mind, the man’s best work is still in the film that made him known to most of the world (“Y Tu Mama. . .”), and he’s spent the years since then appearing in what I feel to be ambitious but flawed projects. His performance in “The Motorcycle Diaries” was completely respectable, but the movie was heavy-handed and Bernal was overshadowed by better work from an unknown (de la Serna). The most compelling element of that film outside of beautiful was the anticipation of seeing a man who I don’t think we ever truly see: Che Guevara.
I also respected his spirited work in “Science of Sleep” and “Babel” more than I really loved it. He needs to find another great project before he can prove to me that he is one of the best unnominated actors of his generation. At this point, there’s just no way that his individual work can compete with Bale (American Psycho, Rescue Dawn, Empire of the Sun), Sarsgaard (Shattered Glass, Kinsey, Garden State). Even the young Gordon-Levitt (Mysterious Skin, Brick, The Lookout) is more overdue for attention than Bernal. Just my honest opinion on the matter. :)
Totally agree with Oldman, he’s way overdue.
I’ll 3rd Diaz. She did terrific work in There’s Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Shattered Glass and even My Best Friend’s Wedding. Sadly, she hasn’t chosen any projects lately that have given her much to work with but she has the talent.
You chose Scarlett Johansson, one of the most painfully average “actresses” in Hollywood, over Christian Bale? Have you actually seen any of her work? She’s horrible and blank and almost ruined the Prestige for me. I agree with the others upthread, Bale is the best actor of his generation and his performance in American Pyscho is one of the best male performances from the last dozen years.
By the way, Christopher Plummer and Donald Sutherland should have been no-brainers on your list.
I wanted to limit the list to actors who have done nominatable work in recent years — granted, also a debatable issue — hence the exclusion of the (great) likes of Farrow and Sutherland. If it were an “all-time” list, it would look rather different.
And I’m sorry, but everyone has a couple of respected actors they they don’t personally click with — Bale is one of mine.
But good calls all round, guys. (Well, maybe not all round — Dakota Fanning?)
I think that Jack Black is a good actor and has done some good work. BUt he is often seen as a joke. I thionk that he was great in “Nacho Libre”, even though the movie was not so good, also “Margot at the wedding” and “High fidelity”. He most certainly isn’t more worthy as Oldman or BUscemi, Gong Li, Huppert and the others, but he is unappreciated and his performances undervalued
I am still heartbroken that Donald Sutherland wasn’t nominated for Pride & Prejudice. He made me cry at the end.
Christopher Plummer
Yeah, though I’m personally indifferent to the film and the performances in it, I suppose “Pride and Prejudice” would make Sutherland eligible under my criteria. My bad.
Im actually shocked that John Turturro was only mentioned once… His work in “Quiz Show” alone is pretty damn captivating not to mention the dozens of great supporting roles he has had over the years.
Props to mentioning Gael Garcia Bernal and Gary Oldman. The two of them seriously need an Oscar nom. But here’s another name to consider.
How about Liev Schreiber?
The guy’s always made good films and is one of the best actors of his generation. (Say what you will about the Manchurian remake, but I watched both the original and the remake and I believe that the remake’s actors hold their own against the original.) He has this onscreen presence that should have been given major attention years ago, instead of him staying relatively under-the-radar. He’s underrated, but he deserves some of that Oscar love.
Yea…Gary Oldman seriously needs to be nominated. I thought he was deserving for Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Professional. He also was good in Air Force One. Other names that have been mentioned that I agree with are Donald Sutherland, Mia Farrow, Christopher Plummmer, and Jim Carrey.