# Do Oscars go to Best Work

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-oscars-go-to-best-work/466623>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 6, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-oscars-go-to-best-work/466623 "2008-10-06T02:13:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-oscars-go-to-best-work/466623/1 "2008-10-06T02:13:06Z")

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Meaning, do actors ever get the Oscar for the best work of their career? Paul Newman; Russell Crowe didn’t. It may be a silly observation. We all know the Oscars often don’t get the best performance of the year right (according to our own opinions, of course). Can someone come up with some examples of actors or actresses getting the Oscar for the very best work of their careers to that point? Of their careers to date? or of their lifetime?

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**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-oscars-go-to-best-work/466623/2 "2008-10-06T02:27:02Z")

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Robert De Niro - Raging Bull

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-oscars-go-to-best-work/466623/3 "2008-10-06T12:44:23Z")

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Harold Russell, **The Best Years of Our Lives**  
Tatum O’Neal, **Paper Moon**  
Anna Paquin **The Piano**