I’m not as behind his performance as a lot of fans seem to be, but I thought I’d throw this out there. What are his chances? Will the Hollywood “Establishment” throw him a bone like the did for Stallone’s turn in Creed? Or is the competition too stiff this year? What do you all think?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see either him or Driver nominated, but I’d consider Driver, an actor who Hollywood would perceive as a more “serious” thespian, a better bet. It depends if the studio wants to really push one, the other, or both for a nomination.
Certainly, far worse performances have been nominated. Both men were outstanding.
Definitely not. First, he’s against some very tough competition (Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson, Michael Shannon, Armie Hammer, Christopher Plummer, Michael Stuhlbarg), all of whom are in films that are likely to score other major nominations (Picture, Writing, Directing).
Second, and more importantly, he doesn’t embody the “wise mentor” part that did score Alec Guinness and Ian McKellen nods in similar enterprises. I like Last Jedi a lot, but Luke’s arc doesn’t go the way people expected it to, and while I think that’s for the larger film’s benefit, it means that his presence isn’t as important as it might’ve been. In both those films, their nominees gave the best performances, but I’d argue Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley are better, and that also does overshadow Hamill’s work (nostalgia notwithstanding).
I call it highly unlikely.
Hamill is not part of the movie establishment. His career in movies has mainly been in one series. Hollywood isn’t going to feel like it owes him an Oscar for all his years of performing in unsung roles. Hamill isn’t seen as a Michael Caine (who won an Oscar) or Kurt Russell (who hasn’t been nominated).
I’m just back from watching the latest Star Wars and the thread title caught my eye, and all I can say is “huh?”
I mean, I enjoyed the movie and all but an oscar nomination? Where did that one come from?
Well, that idea sure garnered support.
It seemed to me that, given the role the Star Wars franchise has played in Hollywood, a Supporting Actor nom might be a nice tip of the hat to its central character’s putative swan song, especially given his great notices for the role and his recognized-by-devotees-only work as a top voice actor. MovieMogul is absolutely right about the competition this year, though. I’m remembering John Travolta’s excitement about at being nominated, only to see that he was up against Richard Burton, Marcello Mastroianni, and Woody Allen (all of whom would lose to Richard Dreyfus). I do disagree with the idea that Driver and Ridley would overshadow his work awards-wise, though. There’s no way in Hell that either of them will be recognized for their lead roles, especially since neither is as strongly written as they were in The Force Awakens. Hamill’s role fits the Supporting Actor niche to a T, though. (I see now that I did not specify that this was the award I was prognosticating above - sorry.)
Perhaps you’re all right and this isn’t even on the table. Then again, I’m the guy who thought Mark Ruffalo merited a nomination for a subtle, nuanced performance as The Incredible Hulk. He didn’t get it, but he caught up later with nominations for Foxcatcher and Spotlight. It’s difficult for a genre actor to be recognized, but not impossible.
Hamill’s work hasn’t been “mostly in one series”. He’s done a lot more as a voice actor than he has as Luke Skywalker. Then again, that’s mostly been TV, not movies: I’m not sure if that makes a difference.
That said, the Academy Awards seem to cluster. The acting awards (and nominations) usually go to actors in the Best Picture nominations, and The Last Jedi isn’t the sort of film that they like to give Best Picture to.
As far as acting in The Last Jedi goes, I thought that Kelly Marie Tran (Rose) did the best job, though I’m not sure if her role counts as “lead” or “supporting”.
And I still think that Alan Rickman was cheated out of a nomination for the Harry Potter films.
I’m not a fan, but you’re absolutely right. He hits exactly the right tone - rather amazingly, since he ostensibly didn’t know how the character would turn out when he started the series.
Mark Hamill is great but no Oscar nomination unless it’s just as an honor for being part of such as hugely influential franchise.
He’s actually not that great an actor, not sure why his name would even be brought up as anything other than a joke.
I’m now picturing a serious-minded Mark Hamill – calm and composed, dignified and matter-of-fact – making a grim effort to get into character by suppressing his solemn and contemplative personality. Are we rolling? Okay, we’re rolling.
[whiny]
But I was gonna go to Tosche Station, to pick up some power converters!
[/whiny]
“That was almost perfect, Mark. You’ve almost got it right.”
Yes, but what is my motivation for picking up these “power converters”?
“Well, imagine that Darth Vader asked you to join him. How would you reply?”
“That sounds awesome. I’d never not join you!”
“Huh.”
The Power Converters were way out of Luke’s league. He didn’t stand a chance of picking them up.
My favorite performance by Mark Hamill this year was in the little-seen Brigsby Bear.
This is in no way meant to be a reflection on Hamill, but if Harrison Ford didn’t get nominated for The Force Awakens, there’s no way in hell Hamill will be nominated for The Last Jedi.
If the Hollywood Establishment wants to throw the movie a bone (rather than nominating Driver, Ridley or Tran for their actual performances), they’ll nominate Carrie Fisher for a posthumous Oscar.
The same goes for Camie.
This.
Of course it makes a difference. The Academy Awards are for acting in movies. Hamill may have done great work as a voice actor in television but he’s no more likely to get an Oscar for it than he is to get a Tony or a Pulitzer.
I think Stallone got one in part because a lot of Academy members may have wanted to give him a “consolation prize” for Rocky, which they probably felt went to Peter Finch for Network because he had died.
I don’t think Hamill gets a nomination, even as a “Luke Skywalker lifetime achievement award” of some sort. Did Sean Connery, or Roger Moore, get one for James Bond? (Then again, was it known at the time they made their films that they would be the last ones in which they would play Bond?) This especially applies in the supporting categories, which I feel are more “talent based” (i.e. less “political”) than the lead acting categories, except when they go to actors nominated in both the lead and supporting categories and the consensus is that the lead role was “good, but there was somebody better/more deserving.”
Of course, we don’t actually know that this is the last time Hamill will play Luke Skywalker, either. In fact, it’s quite likely that he will play him again, just with a blue glowy outline.