Actor Most Due an Oscar

[MilTan]

@Romola Des Loups

Is Forrest Whitaker nominated this year for ‘The Last King of Scotland’? I think he’s extremely under rated, usually cast as ‘dead meat best friend’, but never turns in a bad performance.

He is, and he’s considered to be more or less a lock to win it. What a fantastic performance that was!

Something I find interesting is that the movie Ocean’s 11 is a completely puff-piece star vehicle, but so many of the actors in it are actually quite good, and deserving of an Oscar (or already have one): George Clooney (got his), Brad Pitt (definitely deserving), Don Cheadle (nominated a couple of times, definitely deserves one), Matt Damon (this one is a bit more of a reach, perhaps, but he was great in The Departed and The Good Shepherd this year).

[Annie]

From this list, Cate Blanchett and George Clooney have come to pass…

@Otto

Some comic, can’t recall who, had a joke that the only possible filthier stage name was “Muffy O’Clit.”

I think the author of that line was PJ O’Rourke, from the era when sneaking National Lampoon into Algebra was a no no.

[mamboman]

Annette Benning, Laura Dern and Julieann Moore. It is mystifying that Gwenneth Platrow, Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman have statues while three actually talented actresses have nothing.

mm

[Kalhoun]

@mamboman

Annette Benning, Laura Dern and Julieann Moore. It is mystifying that Gwenneth Platrow, Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman have statues while three actually talented actresses have nothing.

mm

Julianne Moore was great in Freedomland. I can’t believe she didn’t win something for that preformance.

[Otto]

@MilTan

Matt Damon (this one is a bit more of a reach, perhaps, but he was great in The Departed and The Good Shepherd this year).

Matt Damon does have an Oscar, for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting.

@Annie

think the author of that line was PJ O’Rourke, from the era when sneaking National Lampoon into Algebra was a no no.

Actually thinking about it, I think it was John Waters in one of his essays collected in the book “Crackpot.” But I could be wrong.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

Kate Winslett is overdue. The whole world is going “why hasn’t Winslett won one?”

[MilTan]

@Otto

Matt Damon does have an Oscar, for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting.

Yeah, that one somehow doesn’t count, since it wasn’t for acting. Especially since it puts Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on the same level, when they clearly are worlds apart as far as acting talent goes…

[MilTan]

@Diogenes the Cynic

Kate Winslett is overdue. The whole world is going “why hasn’t Winslett won one?”

I agree with this at least 150%. In fact, despite both being saddled with being the leads in Titanic, both Winslett and DiCaprio are fantastic actors who are due.

[Tangent]

@MilTan

both Winslett and DiCaprio are fantastic actors who are due.

I was going to mention DiCaprio. He’s excellent in pretty much everything he does. I thought he should have won an Oscar for *The Aviator * a couple of years ago. Hell, he should have won for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. This year, he’s nominated for Blood Diamond, but IMO his performance in The Departed was even better.
And another actor who I think will get one some day is Christian Bale. He seems to be an incredibly hard-working actor and he really inhabits his roles.

[SpartanDC]

@Tangent

And another actor who I think will get one some day is Christian Bale. He seems to be an incredibly hard-working actor and he really inhabits his roles.

Agreed. I didn’t think he was in that league until I saw American Psycho and was blown away that this was the same guy who played Batman (And though the Academy doesn’t have an award for this. I think he was the best Batman out of all of them).

I always wonder what Harrison Ford’s deal is. We know the guy can act, but he does nothing but subpar thrillers like Firewall now. It’s like he decided being nominated for Witness was enough and decided to just start earning paychecks.

[rowrrbazzle]

@Shirley Ujest

**Peter O’Toole **

Six nominations and the Academy ends up giving him a Lifetime oscar. It’s a crime!

The man gave us **Lawrence of Arabia ** **Arthur Chipping ** (Good Bye Mr. Chips), **King Henry the II TWICE. (Beckett and Lion in the Winter) and the delightfully funny **Allan Swan ** in the delightful romp, *My Favorite Year *

IIRC he’s currently tied with the late Richard Burton, his co-star in Becket, for the most nominations for Best Actor without winning it. So if he loses this time, he’ll pass Burton.

I heartily agree he richly deserved it for at least one of his performances (IMO Becket). However, even allowing for the subjective nature of the Oscar, if his current performance doesn’t deserve it on its own, he shouldn’t get it.