# Eight Best Actor Oscars for playing a musician... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904 "2017-11-06T18:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/41 "2017-11-11T15:43:36Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > So they may have meant Crosby, but I still say that a priest who uses music to reach his congregation (and who plays golf in his spare time) is not a musician (or a golfer). He’s a priest who sings and plays piano (and plays golf). Isn’t it a plot point that he uses his musical talents to raise money for the church, by putting out saleable and professional-quality work? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/42 "2017-11-11T15:57:44Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Hot dog: I think I have a wiener! Chiwetel Ejiofor for _12 Years A Slave_! Solomon Northrup, when he was free, was a violinist! > > :: pant pant:: Well, I was thinking, “Actor, scientist, president, fur trader, another actor, AIDS activist, or however you classify Ron Woodruff…Hey, what did Solomon Northrup do before, when he was free?” I haven’t seen 12YaS, but according to Wiki, his being a musician comes into the story a bit. So that must be it. I was thinking the same idea; that it would be some character who had a background as a musician even though we never saw him performing in the film. My first thought was William Hurt, who won an Oscar for playing Luis Molina in _Kiss of the Spider Woman_. I haven’t seen the movie but I was thinking maybe Molina had been a musician before he was arrested and sent to prison. But I checked and Molina was apparently a window dresser (unless the movie was different than the book). ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/43 "2017-11-12T00:58:07Z")
Eh, I’ve come around to thinking it probably is Crosby. I’ll let y’all know what EW says, assuming they get back to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/44 "2017-11-12T04:38:06Z")
Some actor who played the doomed male lead in some version of “A Star Is Born” or maybe whatsisname with the big teeth who starred in “The Buddy Holly Story”. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/45 "2017-11-12T08:44:21Z")
James Mason does not have an Oscar. Neither does Gary Busey (thank og). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/46 "2017-11-12T18:16:48Z")
Gary got a nomination, though. You’ll win some trivia bets with that fact. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904/47 "2017-11-12T18:30:05Z")
That’ll be the day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eight-best-actor-oscars-for-playing-a-musician/800904.md?page=2)