For today’s Oscar article, I thought it would be fun to dive a bit
into the actors that are nominated for Oscars this year, getting to know them a
little bit better and sharing my opinions (and embarrassing truths regarding
them). Without further ado…
Best Actor
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| Christian Bale in American Psycho |
Christian Bale
Born: January 30, 1974
Oscar History: Bale is on his second nomination-his first (which he won
for) was for The Fighter.
My Favorite Role: For me, it’s probably Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. I don’t super subscribe to some of his
later work and find his earlier stuff to be way more interesting. His hyper-macho serial killer in American Psycho is truly magnificent
stuff, though.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Unlike some of the other actors, I feel
like I’ve hit a good chunk of his work. Probably something like The Prestige or Velvet
Goldmine.
Bruce Dern
Born: June 4, 1936
Oscar History: Dern is enjoying his second Oscar nomination this year,
36 years after his first Oscar nomination for Coming Home.
My Favorite Role: I haven’t seen much of Dern’s work-like several
actors in this list, he just hasn’t been someone I’ve seeked out in an active
way. That said, I will love him
forever for bringing Laura Dern into the world.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: I cannot believe I am saying this, but I’ve
never seen Coming Home.
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| Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic |
Leonardo DiCaprio
Born: November 11, 1974
Oscar History: This is Leo’s fourth nomination (he was previously cited
for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The
Aviator, and Blood Diamond).
My Favorite Role: Unlike the other actors in this category, I can eagerly
say that I’ve seen almost every major film in Leo’s filmography (save one) and
though I’m a HUGE fan, my heart
belongs to Jack Dawson forever and always.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: The only major film in his filmography I am
missing is Blood Diamond, which is
not far away on my Netflix list.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Born: July 10, 1977
Oscar History: This is Mr. Ejiofor’s first Oscar nomination.
My Favorite Role: Almost certainly Solomon Northup, but I did enjoy the
desperation he brought to Luke in Children
of Men.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: I truly wish that I could have seen his
take on Othello in the West End, as
it apparently was something to behold.
I will settle for Dirty Pretty
Things out of things that are possible, though.
Matthew McConaughey
Born: November 4, 1969
Oscar History: This is Mr. McConaughey’s first Oscar nomination.
My Favorite Role: There’s no beating Magic Mike. I
genuinely feel that McConaughey will never be able to top this role (and he was
solid in Mud, so he can certainly
act). It was tailor-made for him,
and it’s a crime that his Oscar nomination (and even win) happened for Dallas Buyers Club and not his excellent work as Dallas.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: I have somehow missed 1990’s cult classic Dazed and Confused-it’s somewhere buried
on my Netflix list and I’ll catch it eventually.
Best Actress
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| Amy Adams in Junebug |
Amy Adams
Born: August 20, 1974
Oscar History: Adams is now a five-time Oscar nominee, with Junebug, Doubt, The Wrestler, and The Master getting her her first four
(all in supporting).
My Favorite Role: I know this is a big cliché, but Ashley Johnsten
stays my favorite performance of hers-she was so fresh and wonderful in Junebug, and no director has caught that
ease on the camera since.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: I have seen every major Adams film, but I
missed Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day which
piqued my interest at some point, so I’d probably go there with her.
Cate Blanchett
Born: May 14, 1969
Oscar History: Cate has been on a bit of a break with Oscar, but at 44,
she’s still way ahead of almost any other actor: she now has six Oscar
nominations, and (so far) one win, for The
Aviator.
My Favorite Role: Ooh, I had forgotten about Blanchett being nominated
when I decided on this feature, and I am having trouble here. I’m going to lean ever-so-slightly
toward Kate Hepburn in The Aviator over
Jude Quinn in I’m Not There, but both
were splendid.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: While I’m missing one Blanchett nominated
performance (Elizabeth: The Golden Age),
I’m probably most curious about her very early work in Oscar and Lucinda.
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| Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping |
Sandra Bullock
Born: July 26, 1964
Oscar History: Bullock made a late career bounce a few years back and
won her first nomination and win with The
Blind Side; this is her second citation.
My Favorite Role: Lucy
Eleanor Moderatz (While You Were Sleeping)
is a principle part of my childhood, so I cannot quite say that I’d dump her
for Dr. Ryan Stone in Gravity, but
repeat viewings may steer me toward her nominated work this year.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Like most of America, I’ve actually seen
the bulk of Bullock’s filmography, but for some reason I never caught A Time to Kill. So that’s probably it, though I don’t
have any real inclinations to catch it (is this a mistake-should I see it?).
Judi Dench
Born: December 9, 1934
Oscar History: Dame Judi Dench is on her seventh Oscar nomination with Philomena; she has won once for her
brief but memorable turn as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love.
My Favorite Role: As you’re about to find out, I’m missing one of the
most crucial moments in Dench’s filmography, so my favored performance is
probably Notes on a Scandal, a piece
of work that has grown on me in the years since I saw it.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: More than almost any other performance on
this list, Dench in Mrs. Brown is the
biggest “hang my head” moment.
Since the film is obviously part of the OVP (it won Dench her first
Oscar nomination), I’ll surely see it someday, but I’m as perplexed as you as to
how it has never come up.
Meryl Streep
Born: June 22, 1949
Oscar History: We all know that Streep is Oscar’s Queen-18 nominations
with three wins make her the acting champ.
My Favorite Role: I believe there’s some sort of law that states I have
to say Sophie’s Choice, but can I
just mention that it may well be The
French Lieutenant’s Woman? Is
anyone with me there?
Role I’m Most Eager to See: I am missing five nominated performances
from Streep: Silkwood, A Cry in the Dark,
Postcards from the Edge, The Bridges of Madison County, and One True Thing, so it’d be one of those
five. Which do you think it should
be? Share in the comments.
Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi
Born: April 10, 1985
Oscar History: This is Mr. Abdi’s film debut and therefore his first Oscar
nomination. Also, as a result, I
have nothing else to compare him to for both favorite roles and “eager to see!”
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| Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook |
Bradley Cooper
Born: January 5, 1975
Oscar History: Cooper is on his second Oscar nomination-he was cited
for Best Actor last year for Silver
Linings Playbook.
My Favorite Role: I wasn’t really into Cooper (at least talent-wise...libido-wise is another story)
until the past two years, but I’m becoming a big fan. I actually think I preferred Silver Linings Playbook to his work here, but both are strong.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Where his career goes, if we’re being
honest. With back-to-back Oscars,
I’m genuinely curious where this still very handsome leading man heads-does he
stay constant prestige like DiCaprio, get an action-movie franchise like Damon,
or balance strong films with cash-grabbing garbage for a while like Renner?
Michael Fassbender
Born: April 2, 1977
Oscar History: Fassbender, after years near Oscar, finally landed his
first nomination for 12 Years a Slave.
My Favorite Role: Lately, Fassbender can do no wrong in my
book-everything he’s in is stunning, including this year’s performance. That said, it will take a lot of work for him to top Shame, a breathtaking character study
for which he was criminally ignored by the Academy.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Some of his earlier work-both Fish Tank and Hunger are on my Netflix queue.
Jonah Hill
Born: December 3, 1983
Oscar History: Hill famously got a nomination two years ago for his
work in Moneyball, defying all
expectations regarding his career trajectory. This is his second nomination.
My Favorite Role: The Wolf of
Wall Street is definitely my favorite-he sells the crap out of that smarmy,
horrible sidekick.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Like Cooper, I’m going to cop out here and
say where his film career takes him.
Unlike Cooper he isn’t traditionally handsome, so he will probably have
to go the character actor route, but actors such as Philip Seymour Hoffman and
Paul Giamatti have proven that it can be done. Maybe he'll be what John C. Reilly once seemed like he would be before he fell into the land of crappy gross-out comedies exclusively?
Jared Leto
Born: December 26, 1971
Oscar History: This is Mr. Leto’s first Oscar nomination.
My Favorite Role: I’m really unfamiliar with Leto’s filmography. I’ve seen films like American Psycho, but have little memory
of him in them, so I don’t really have a “favorite role.”
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Film-wise, surely it’s Requiem for a Dream, but if we expand to all mediums I really want
to understand his appeal, so I’ll go My
So-Called Life.
Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins
Born: April 27, 1976
Oscar History: This is Ms. Hawkins’ first Oscar nomination.
My Favorite Role: I don’t have one yet-I wasn’t wild about what she was
doing in Blue Jasmine, and I am
missing the other big role in her filmography…
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Literally the next film in my Netflix queue
is Happy-Go-Lucky, so soon I will be
able to move this to favorite role (hopefully).
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| Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone |
Jennifer Lawrence
Born: August 15, 1990 (anyone else think it’s weird that this is the
only time that Lawrence was the youngest acting nominee?)
Oscar History: Lawrence is the youngest person ever to gain three Oscar
nominations; she won last year for Silver
Linings Playbook.
My Favorite Role: It remains Winter’s
Bone, the grittiest and realest of her three Oscar-nominated works, but I
genuinely enjoyed her in all three performances. Her winning role is ironically the least of the three for
me.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: Thanks to the youth of her career, I’ve
seen everything I’m hoping to see, but I’m eager for more.
Lupita Nyong’o
Born: March 1, 1983
Oscar History: This is her film debut and first Oscar nomination. As a result, it’s also my “favorite
role” and I have nothing eager to see, though she does have Non-Stop coming up with Liam Neeson and
Julianne Moore. Anyone excited
about Taken in the air?
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| Julia Roberts in Notting Hill |
Julia Roberts
Born: October 28, 1967
Oscar History: Roberts, after a long drought, received her fourth Oscar
nomination this year. She won at
the peak of her fame for Erin Brockovich.
My Favorite Role: Like Streep, I feel we’re all bound to say one
specific role, but I usually lean more toward Anna Scott in Notting Hill than Erin Brockovich…it depends on the day though.
Role I’m Most Eager to See: I have never seen Roberts’ breakout role in
Mystic Pizza, something I should
correct at some point (though can it possibly top Jenna Maroney’s musical
version?
June Squibb
Born: November 6, 1929
Oscar History: This is Ms. Squibb's first Oscar nomination.
My Favorite Role: I feel compelled to go back and see some of her earlier work, as I've seen most all of it, but nothing jumps out.
Role I'm Most Eager to See: I wasn't a huge fan of this performance (all surface-level), but the woman knows funny, so her upcoming stint on my beloved Girls is honestly the one I'm most looking forward to seeing.
And I'll turn it over to you-what are your blind spots and favorite film/acting memories of these lucky nominated twenty? Share in the comments!
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