Some people claim that there are backstage politics that keep certain actors from being nominated for roles that should by all rights grant them the chance to be seen as the outstanding individuals they are. Others state that this is a fabrication and that the committee that makes those decisions goes by more than just talent. Whatever the reason there have been actors and actresses that seem to get snubbed for absolutely no reason at all. This is not just frustrating for the actor, but also for the fans who tend to think that awards ought to be granted on merit, not on popularity. Of course there is a fine line there that needs to be recognized.
Here are just a few individuals that are as of yet bereft of an Oscar and should by all rights already have one.
5. Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley in Aliens
This was an absolutely captivating role for Weaver to enter and she played it perfectly. After so many people have complained of how she was treated in the first film this movie became kind of a rallying cry for women who feel that sex should not be the only thing that sells. If there were any more dissenters to be heard they were silenced quickly when Weaver put in a solid performance as the xenomorph-killing heroine in this pulse-pounding thriller.
4. Matt Damon – Will in Good Will Hunting
He’s a favorite of many but never really seems to get noticed enough for his true acting talents. He’s been in a number of different films but he’s still largely known for his role in Jason Bourne, which kind of tarnished his career after a while considering that people didn’t think him capable of anything else. Damon has a very wide range of acting talent and should have, by now, been holding an Oscar to show just how far he’d come. Yes, he has an Oscar to his credit, but not a best actor one.
3. Edward Norton – Derek in American History X
This was a highly disturbing movie about racism and hatred and how the violent mixture of both can create utter chaos in the life of a single family. Norton played a ruthless white supremacist that cared nothing for his victims until he was shown just how erroneous his thinking was. Once he began to realize that living in hatred of others was so inherently destructive he became a changed man, only to lose nearly everything he’d tried to regain.
2. Johnny Depp – Whitey Bulgur in Black Mass
Johnny Depp does not get enough credit for his roles. As Captain Jack Sparrow he should have gotten more than a nod, and as Whitey Bulgur he should have been holding a trophy high to let everyone know that he’d reached the top of the mountain. It’s kind of disturbing that an actor can put everything they have into their craft and more, and still be snubbed by their colleagues and the committee.
1. Gary Oldman – Georg Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
This has to be the greatest upset of all time. A lot of people thought Oldman had this for certain, and would have been right if not for, well, if not for whatever it was that kept the award out of his hands. There will be other roles and other chances, but the clock is ticking at this time and Oldman obviously feels it. “Maybe next year” is a mantra that many stars cling to, but it shouldn’t be one that they have to sail on uncertain seas for this long.
There’s really no telling why some people get snubbed and others don’t. There have been some unworthy actors that have been rewarded and some that are good but still not the same caliber as others. This kind of proves there’s no such thing as justice in Hollywood.
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