# What are some exclusions from winning the Oscar for Best Actor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676 "2014-11-15T04:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![askingquestions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@askingquestions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askingquestions)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/1 "2014-11-15T04:31:04Z")
Suggestions: [ul] [li]Animated Voice-Over Roles[/li][li]Unsubstantiated Screen Time Relative to Story and Vital Essence of Character’s Use Towards the Plot Moving Forward[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/2 "2014-11-15T06:10:51Z")
**Moderator Action** Welcome to the SDMB, **askingquestions**. The About This Message Board forum is for questions about the message board itself (problems with posts, questions about rules, etc). Since this concerns acting and movies, it is best suited to the Cafe Society forum. I will move this thread for you. Moving thread from About This Message Board to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/3 "2014-11-15T11:41:30Z")
Anthony Hopkins won B. Actor for _Silence of the Lambs_ though he was on screen for about 12 minutes, so the first part of #2 isn’t necessarily valid. Though he was crucial for moving the plot forward. Another exclusionary rule: 1. Comedians need not apply when they’re being comedic. OTOH, if you do a “serious” role, you may actually win! ---
**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:** [November 15, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/4 "2014-11-15T23:11:04Z")
1. Actors in comedies are automatically disqualified. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/5 "2014-11-16T00:16:23Z")
CGI. Andy Serkis should have won an Oscar for his portrayal of Gollum in the second LOTR movie, but because Gollum was CGIed over him, he couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/6 "2014-11-16T00:24:04Z")
1. Not being any good. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-exclusions-from-winning-the-oscar-for-best-actor/704676/7 "2014-11-16T00:45:58Z")
I recall hearing somewhere that if you play a character who’s the figment of another character’s imagination (e.g., in a dream or a hallucination), the Academy will not nominate year regardless of how much screen time you have or how good your performance is. That was one of reasons given for why Brad Pitt couldn’t get nominated for **Fight Club** or Ed Harris for **A Beautiful Mind**.