Back in 2001, Will Smith earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role as Muhammad Ali in the biopic Ali. While many expected Smith to lose to Russell Crowe for A Beautiful Mind, he was bested by Denzel Washington for Training Day. 20 years later and it’s looking like the two will be heading for a rematch. And this time, Smith may just be the victor.
After King Richard debuted to rave reviews from the Telluride Film Festival, Smith immediately shot to the frontrunner status for Best Actor for his performance as Richard Williams, father of future tennis superstars Venus and Serena. The film is a charming crowd-pleaser and Smith’s potential trajectory to the Oscars stage feels reminiscent of Sandra Bullock’s win in 2009 for The Blind Side.
But Washington is going to give Smith a run for his money. He’s earned tremendous reviews for his performance in The Tragedy of Macbeth and there will be many in the Academy clamouring to award Washington with his third Oscar. Washington would be the first actor nominated for a Shakespearean performance since Kenneth Branagh for Henry V in 1989. If he were to win, he’d be the first actor to win for a role in a Shakespeare adaptation since Laurence Olivier for Hamlet in 1948.
Their greatest competitor likely lies with Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog. Cumberbatch is universally adored and most are calling it his greatest performance to date. Keep an eye on Andrew Garfield in tick, tick… BOOM!. While we’re yet to see the final film, if you know the original musical, you’d be keenly aware Garfield is playing a meaty character that could be something truly special.
BEST ACTOR PREDICTIONS:
1. Will Smith – King Richard (Warner Bros.)
2. Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth (A24/Apple TV+)
3. Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
4. Peter Dinklage – Cyrano (Netflix)
5. Andrew Garfield – tick, tick…BOOM! (Netflix)
IN CONTENTION
Nicolas Cage – Pig (Neon)
Clifton Collins Jr. – Jockey (Sony Pictures Classics)
Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
Leonardo DiCaprio – Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
Adam Driver – House of Gucci (MGM)
Jude Hill – Belfast (Focus Features)
Cooper Hoffman – Licorice Pizza (MGM)
Caleb Landy Jones – Nitram (TBC)
Joaquin Phoenix – C’mon C’mon (A24)
Simon Rex – Red Rocket (A24)