Now that I did some dissecting of the current state of the Best Picture race, I shall once again put on my surgical gloves, and dissect each of the four acting races. I shall share who I currently think will be nominated, and who might even win the trophy. Ladies first.
Best Actress:
Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Viola Davis, Widows
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Much like the last few years, Best Actress is quite a bloodbath. But ultimately, Olivia Colman might emerge victorious with her performance as Queen Anne in The Favourite. While category placement is still unclear, given how Colman plays the center of the main love triangle, it feels plausible for Best Actress.
Meanwhile, newcomer Yalitza Aparicio may get swept along with the success of the festival sensation that is Roma; Comedienne Melissa McCarthy has won strong raves for her serious turn in Can You Ever Forgive Me?; singer turned actress Lady Gaga could ride the coattails of A Star Is Born to a win; And previous winner Viola Davis is looking strong for a follow-up nomination for her lead turn in the heist thriller Widows.
Also, let’s not forget those on the outside looking in. Will Nicole Kidman overcome the divisiveness of Destroyer? Can Toni Collette stay fresh in voters’ minds and overcome potential genre bias against Hereditary? Could six-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close finally get her moment in the sun with The Wife? We shall see in the coming months.
Best Supporting Actress:
Elizabeth Debicki, Widows
Claire Foy, First Man
Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
If Olivia Colman does go Lead, then we may get to say hello to Academy Award Winner Regina King. King is someone who is very much in the same vein as Allison Janney since she’s a steadily working character actress who’s been around for years and has been getting recognition for her work on television thanks to her Emmy wins. Now, she finally has an awards worthy film role to sink her teeth into, and could win an Oscar after putting in her time.
As for the rest of the competition, it is practically a space reserved for queens. Not only may Regina King be crowned Queen but she’ll be up against Queen Elizabeth I herself, Claire Foy and current comeback queen Nicole Kidman. There’s also Emma Stone who was crowned as an Oscar winner recently, and Elizabeth Debicki who’s been on the cusp of being anointed as a new Hollywood star, and looks to finally achieve her major breakthrough with Widows.
I know there’s also five time Oscar nominee Amy Adams to consider for her role as Lynne Cheney in Vice. But the film might peak too late since it’s not coming out until December, and also, she’s got The Woman In The Window coming out next year. Her time will come, but it might not be this year.
Now, the boys.
Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
Ryan Gosling, First Man
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman
After garnering three consecutive acting nominations, and a slight absence from the big screen, Bradley Cooper looks to finally achieve Oscar gold for A Star Is Born, a remake of the 1937 classic that Cooper also directed, produced, and co-wrote. The Best Actor category looks to be his best shot at a win, though, since the category is rather fluid and he’s carrying an overdue card.
However, there’s another overdue actor hovering over Cooper’s shoulders. Not only is Willem Dafoe on the hunt for his fourth nomination for At Eternity’s Gate but because he was likely a close second in Best Supporting Actor last year, the goodwill he’s garnered from his loss for The Florida Project could translate to a win here. Especially if they have other places to reward Cooper. Cooper is still safe as a frontrunner in this category, but I’d also watch out for Dafoe.
Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Daniel Kaluuya, Widows
So far, there doesn’t seem to be a major frontrunner in this category. I could say Sam Elliott for A Star Is Born since the Supporting Actor category tends to be kind to veteran character actors, which means Richard E. Grant could get his turn as well. At the same time, Mahershala Ali could pull a Christoph Waltz and win his second Oscar for Green Book. Then, you have Timothee Chalamet who may be in a film that received a divisive response, yet he still garnered MVP notices. Plus, he might be holding an IOU after his Call Me By Your Name loss.
But on the other hand, this category loves seeing an actor turn villainous which is why Daniel Kaluuya could be a dark horse for Widows. Also, Kaluuya is doing a complete 180 from his recently nominated performance in Get Out, proving Get Out was not a fluke. As an added bonus, he’s very good in Black Panther which was a monumental hit.
Hmmmm, for now, I’m going to go with Sam Elliott. But on a different day, my choice could be Mahershala Ali or Richard E. Grant.
Now, I’ll toss it off to you guys. Who do you think will be nominated in each acting category? Also, who do you feel are the frontrunners in each category? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section.