We always knew the fifth spot for Best Actor was open to all sorts of possibilities, but few of us expected it to be claimed by Javier Bardem for Being the Ricardos. Okay, Bardem had landed nods from SAG and at the Golden Globes, but his campaign just didn’t seem to have the buzz. And there was that 41-year record of at least one Best Actor nominee being here for the first time. That record has now been broken.
While Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog) had been in the driver’s seat for much of the precursor season, it was always suspected Will Smith (King Smith) would really start to take off once the televised awards began. And that’s entirely what’s happened. To add to his Golden Globe win in January, Smith has now also collected a SAG Award. At this point, he’s starting to feel unbeatable, particularly after his film scored six nominations including Best Picture.
Is there a case to be made for a Cumberbatch upset? Well, anything is possible. If The Power of the Dog is taking Best Picture, it could certainly nab an acting win along the way. That being said, Kodi Smit-McPhee is the more likely possibility in that scenario. Smith has the “overdue” narrative that’s hard to beat and the next few weeks should prove that.
So what will shape this race before Oscar voting commences on March 17? BAFTA and Critics Choice will reveal their winners on March 13. Expect to see Smith walk away with both trophies and become one of the biggest locks of this year’s awards.
BEST ACTOR PREDICTIONS:
1. Will Smith – King Richard (Warner Bros.)
2. Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
3. Andrew Garfield – tick, tick… BOOM! (Netflix)
4. Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth (A24/Apple TV+)
5. Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos (Amazon Studios)