BAFTA Nominations ≠ Oscar Nominations: Part 1

Okay, so while we sadly don’t get very many comments on this blog (it’s SOOOO easy to rectify that situation-hint, hint), I notice quite readily when you enjoy a particular post or series based on traffic, and so I have been meaning to do something in regard to our series about the Golden Globes not equaling the Oscars, as you all seemed to enjoy it and it still gets lots of hits.  After all, if Hollywood has shown us anything, it’s that we need to make a sequel to anything that’s popular.

I’ve finally settled on the BAFTA Awards as our follow-up.  The BAFTA Awards, one of the most prestigious “precursor” (anyone else secretly hate that word?) awards, have come to mirror Oscar a bit more in recent years, but does have its own quirks and favorites.  Obviously, it has a penchant for nominating British actors; this was particularly true in the earlier years of the awards, when British Actors and Foreign Actors were in two separate categories.  However, like the Globes, it is extremely rare to ring up a large number of nominations at the BAFTA Awards without at least one nomination from Oscar.

Therefore, I’ve compiled a list of the ten actors that have received the most nominations at the BAFTA Awards without ever receiving an Oscar acting nomination (this is going to factor into one of the ten people below).  In order to break ties (there were a number of them), I did the following:

1. If an actor received multiple nominations for different films in the same year, that counted as less for the rankings.

2. If the actor won a BAFTA Award for one of their performances.

3. If an actor received their nomination as a “British Actor” rather than the more all inclusive category.

Any questions you can ask in the comments-otherwise, let’s dive in!

10. Ziyi Zhang

BAFTA Nominations: 3 nominations: 2000-Best Supporting Actress (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), 2004-Best Actress (House of Flying Daggers), 2005-Best Actress (Memoirs of a Geisha)

BAFTA Wins: None

Got the Closest On: Memoirs of a Geisha, hands down.

Reasons She Missed: The first two films likely fall into a penchant for BAFTA to favor international cinema more than AMPAS (everyone knows the awards body favors their fellow countrymen, but they actually do a better job of getting involved with international celebrities than the Oscars do).  The third nomination remains a conundrum.  Zhang was one of four women that year that scored nominations from HFPA, BAFTA, and the SAG Awards (the other three-Reese Witherspoon, Charlize Theron, and Judi Dench-all received Oscar nominations).  Felicity Huffman was ineligible for the BAFTA because of release issues, but was also a certainty.  Oddly, though, Zhang was one of those annual actors who hits every precursor but somehow misses with Oscar (in this case, to Keira Knightley for Pride & Prejudice).  It seems odd in particular that they snubbed her for Theron, who had just won, and Zhang's  film got six Oscar nominations.  It’s worth noting that this was a decidedly weak field and that Knightley’s performance was actually better than Zhang’s (or Dench’s or Theron’s or Huffman’s), but it’s still a weird one.

9. Edward Fox

BAFTA Nominations: 3 nominations: 1971-Best Supporting Actor (The Go-Between), 1977-Best Supporting Actor (A Bridge Too Far), 1982-Gandhi (Best Supporting Actor)

BAFTA Wins: Fox won for The Go-Between

Got the Closest On: A Bridge Too Far

Reasons He Missed: It’s worth noting that there were be several actors on this list who missed simply because BAFTA and AMPAS aren’t always looking at the same set of goals-BAFTA does want to well represent its countrymen and the vast majority of both of these write-ups will feature Brits.  That said, Fox’s snub for A Bridge Too Far seems odd if only because that film seems right up Oscar’s alley.  The film is a massive epic and even won Fox the NSFCA Best Supporting Actor trophy.  1977 is a hard year to explain Oscar's thinking.  Somehow an epic biopic about an Oscar-nominated writer from an Oscar-winning filmmaker missed to a short, modern romantic comedy, and was competing against a Sci-Fi adventure film and another mod-romantic comedy.  Oscar occasionally likes to prove he isn’t predictable, and that may have cost Fox.

8. Jack Hawkins

BAFTA Nominations: 4 nominations: 1952-Best British Actor (Mandy), 1953-Best British Actor (The Cruel Sea), 1955-Best British Actor (The Prisoner), 1956-Best British Actor (The Long Arm)

BAFTA Wins: No wins

Got the Closest On: None of these, but that doesn’t mean Hawkins was never in contention.

Reasons He Missed: For these films, Hawkins was in the same boat as our next actor, in that he wasn’t a leading man outside of Britain.  However, unlike our next actor, Hawkins made a pretty solid splash in British films that played to international audiences.  He was a character actor in such Academy favorites as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Ben-Hur, and Lawrence of Arabia.  All three of these films received Oscar nominations for a supporting actor, and it’s not a stretch to assume that Hawkins may have been in contention for at least one of them.

7. Kenneth More

BAFTA Nominations: 4 nominations: 1953-Best British Actor (Genevieve), 1954-Best British Actor (Doctor in the House), 1955-Best British Actor (The Deep Blue Sea), 1956-Best British Actor (Reach for the Sky)

BAFTA Wins: More won for Doctor in the House

Got the Closest On: None of them

Reasons He Missed: More was never a major star in American film (I’m guessing most people who read this haven’t even heard of him, and I had to look him up to write this).  Unlike Olivier, Niven, and Burton, he didn’t star in American productions until later years and was primarily known as a British star.  His film The Deep Blue Sea did get close to an Oscar nomination some 57 years later when Rachel Weisz was in contention for a nomination for the lead role (Vivien Leigh played the part in the original).

6. Lord Richard Attenborough

BAFTA Nominations: 4 nominations: 1960-Best British Actor (The Angry Silence), 1962-Best British Actor (The Dock Brief), 1964-Best British Actor (Guns at Batasi), 1964-Best British Actor (Séance on a Wet Afternoon)

BAFTA Wins: 1 win for two films in 1964

Got the Closest On: Okay here’s where I’m cheating a bit as Richard Attenborough famously won two Oscars for 1982’s Gandhi but as a producer and director rather than as an actor.  However, for acting, his closest draws were for different films than I’ve just listed, and I’ll get to them below.

Reasons He Missed: Attenborough’s nominated films for BAFTA are like Hawkins' and More's-it just doesn't sem like they were going to go for any of them (Seance was probably his best, very, very longshot).  More likely, though, were one of his nominated performances at the Golden Globes: Attenborough got nominated for Supporting Actor for The Sand Pebbles and Doctor Doolittle, both of which scored highly with AMPAS and were probably a better shot for Attenborough.

5. Billie Whitelaw

BAFTA Nominations: 4 nominations: 1968-Best Supporting Actress (Twisted Nerve), 1968-Best Supporting Actress (Charlie Bubbles), 1976-Best Supporting Actress (The Omen), 1990-Best Supporting Actress (The Krays)

BAFTA Wins: 1 win for two films in 1968

Got the Closest On: I'm guessing The Omen, though she did win NSFCA for Charlie Bubbles

Reasons She Missed: With three of these films, Whitelaw was like many of the other performers a British actor over-indexing for films that were well-loved across the pond.  However, for millions of moviegoers, she is instantly recognizable as the evil Mrs. Baylock in The Omen (you also recognize her from Hot Fuzz, if you're under thirty and can't figure out why she looks familiar).  The Omen didn't pick up any Oscar nominations for acting, but it was a huge film in 1976 and got two music nominations, so I wouldn't be stunned if Whitelaw was in the field for her work in the film.

4. Stephane Audran

BAFTA Nominations: 4 nominations: 1972-Best Actress (Le Boucher), 1973-Best Actress (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), 1973-Best Actress (Just Before Nightfall), 1988-Best Actress (Babette's Feast)

BAFTA Wins: She won a trophy in 1973 for both performances

Got the Closest On: Probably The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Reasons She Missed: Audran is one of those major European actors of her day that rarely get discussed now.  Two of her films won the Best Foreign Film Award (Discreet Charm and Babette's Feast) with AMPAS, so unlike someone like More, they were clearly aware that she existed.  I suspect that Discreet Charm would have been a better shot-the film got a Screenplay nomination (usually a sign of stronger support with AMPAS) and the 1970's had a number of foreign actresses scoring for films in their native languages.

3. Alan Rickman

BAFTA Nominations: 4 nominations: 1991-Best Actor (Truly Madly Deeply), 1991-Best Supporting Actor (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), 1995-Best Supporting Actor (Sense and Sensibility), 1996-Best Supporting Actor (Michael Collins)

BAFTA Wins: Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham picked him up his only BAFTA near the beginning of his fame.

Got the Closest On: Probably none of them, though it stands to reason that he was closest for Academy favorite Sense and Sensibility.

Reasons He Missed: That sigh of relief I'm hearing from you is that we're finally back on someone everyone's heard of-yes, Professor Snape is one of the most snubbed actors in the history of the Oscars through the lens of BAFTA, yet it's pretty clear none of these were really close.  Truly Madly Deeply was from a director that would land hard five years later with Oscar, but he didn't make it for this early film.  Sense and Sensibility was a major film with Oscar, but I don't remember reading much about Rickman getting a nomination for this film (it was all about the ladies).  That said, he's still working very regularly (he was in The Butler from this past year, which is certainly on Oscar's radar even if his performance isn't) and this isn't an impossible situation for him.

2. Mia Farrow

BAFTA Nominations: 5 nominations: 1969-Best Actress (John and Mary), 1969-Best Actress (Rosemary's Baby), 1969-Best Actress (Secret Ceremony), 1985-Best Actress (The Purple Rose of Cairo), 1986-Best Actress (Hannah and Her Sisters)

BAFTA Wins: No wins

Got the Closest On: Rosemary's Baby

Reasons She Missed: Proving just how much Farrow deserves an Honorary Oscar, not only was she in second place on the Globes list, she also manages second place at the BAFTA Awards.  Some of you may quibble that the Best Actress nomination in 1969 really was just one, rather than for all three films, but still, it's impossible to argue that Farrow should sport the title Oscar nominee by now.  Her closest shot was certainly Rosemary's Baby, and considering that she had two other films out in close proximity to Rosemary and that it was nominated in other Oscar categories, it's still bizarre that the young actress couldn't score that year.

1. Sir Dirk Bogarde

BAFTA Nominations: 6 nominations: 1961-Best British Actor (Victim), 1963-Best British Actor (The Servant), 1965-Best British Actor (Darling), 1967-Best British Actor (Our Mother's House), 1967-Best British Actor (Accident), 1971-Best Actor (Death in Venice)

BAFTA Wins: Two wins, for The Servant and Darling

Got the Closest On: Darling

Reasons He Missed: While it's easy to dismiss a few of these films as products of BAFTA's fascination with home product (I feel like I should see Victim immediately considering the subject matter), but Darling is another story entirely.  The film was a major player at the Oscars that year-it won Best Actress and Best Screenplay and was nominated for Picture and Director.  That's not a film that you easily dismiss the lead actor.  I've never seen the film (shame on me, I know), but I would imagine that Bogarde's youth, coupled with vote-splitting with a costar (Laurence Harvey, who was better known to the Oscars due to Room at the Top and Summer and Smoke) probably cost him.  Bogarde was famously closeted during his career (making the fact that he made Victim all the more bolder, since it shed a light on his life in a way that he likely didn't want to), and despite his good looks, he never enjoyed major success in Hollywood.  Legend has it that he was in contention for the leads in Gigi, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago, which would have certainly gotten him at least one Oscar nomination had he been able to score them.  He also appeared with Edward Fox in A Bridge Too Far and had a very successful second career as an author.

There's the list.  Unlike the Golden Globes, there's not a lot of hope for these actors.  Bogarde, More, Hawkins, and Fox are all dead, Farrow, while Attenborough, Whitelaw, and Audran are all largely retired.  The only two people with legitimate shots of getting off of this list are Zhang and Rickman-do you think they will?  Which of these actors probably got the closest to an actual nomination in their career (my gut says either Farrow or Zhang)?  Which should have been nominated?  Share in the comments!