Judy Garland and Natalie Wood Courtesy The Hollywood Archive)
For all the times we’ve heard, “It’s just an honor to be nominated,” we ALL know the truth. Celebrities yearn for the recognition and that tiny, shiny statue. An Oscar is the ultimate status symbol among the Hollywood elite. But, is winning Oscar a true indicator of acting excellence? The jury’s still out, but we’ll leave you with this: Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence both have Oscars, while Judy Garland, Annette Bening and Laura Linney have gone home empty-handed…and they’re not alone. Read on…
In no particular order…
- Johnny Depp
One of the most popular actors in Hollywood, Johnny Depp has a reputation for taking risks with interesting roles. He’s been nominated for The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Neverland, and Sweeney Todd. With his “Teflon” popularity, one can only assume he’ll win the big one sometime soon. - Glenn Close
Glenn Close has some serious “street cred” with critics, but the Oscar has eluded her many times. Long considered one of Oscar’s most overdue actresses, Glenn Close received her seventh career nomination on January 22, 2019. This year’s bid marks her fourth for Best Actress, while the other three were for Best Supporting Actress. Will Close finally win her elusive Oscar thanks to “The Wife,” or will she become a seven-time also-ran? - Robert Downey Jr.
Equally convincing in Iron Man as he was in Chaplin, Robert Downey Jr. isn’t afraid to break his fast-talking “M.O.” to experiment as an actor. He’s gotten the nod from Oscar twice for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder, but with his talent, you have to think it’s only a matter of time before he takes home a statue. - Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, but he just hasn’t had that Oscar moment. Cruise has been criticized for simply playing himself, but character acting is where he really shines. In Collateral, Tropic Thunder and his Oscar-nominated performance in Magnolia, Cruise proves his acting “chops” as an actor. - Natalie Wood
Wood began working as an actress at the age of 4, and starred in Miracle on 34th Street when she was 8, so it’s not surprising that she had 3 Oscar nominations by the time she was 25. What is surprising: Wood never got to give her acceptance speech and take home the gold. This denied the woman who helped define “teenager” with her work in Rebel Without a Cause! Her coming-of-age moment came with Splendor in the Grass. It was her first mature role. Her character, Deanie, is unable to give her boyfriend (Warren Beatty) a sexual connection, so he turns to a another girl. Unable to handle it, Deanie spirals out of control. Her constant breakdowns, her uncontrollable hysteria- her amazing, powerful performance – should have earned her the golden statue. - Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix has been in the game for a long time – the guy started acting before he even hit double digits! But, even after three decades in the biz and three Oscar-noms, that little golden statue continues to elude this talented actor. His last nomination was in 2013 for his role in The Master. Prior to that, he earned Oscar nominations for his performances in Walk the Line and Gladiator. - Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is one of Hollywood’s first real female action stars, and while she successfully laid the groundwork for other tough-girl actresses, she’s never laid her hands on an Oscar. She’s been nominated three times, including once for the alien-blasting Ripley in Aliens. - Judy Garland
It’s unbelievable that Judy Garland, the Queen of Musicals, never won an Oscar. In her tragically short life, she made 27 feature films. Still not impressed? She also made records, toured army camps during WWII, appeared on countless radio and TV shows, and performed over 1000 concerts.Her films were beyond physically demanding: she acted, sang, and danced through them all. She pushed her body the whole of her life. During 1938’s Love Finds Andy Hardy, she was given pep pills to meet the demands of her job at a young age, and sleeping pills to bring her back down to rest. As a result, she suffered from addiction and alcoholism, had a nervous breakdown, and spent time in a sanitarium. - Then she made A Star Is Born, and though her own stardom had been established long before, the Academy finally took note. The Technicolor romantic drama starred Garland as a simple farm girl, Esther, who dreamed of Hollywood, fell in love with an alcoholic star, and gave up her own career to rehabilitate him. Garland’s performance was so highly praised that she looked like a shoo-in for the Oscar in 1954. Shortly after giving birth to her son, she invited cameras into her hospital room in anticipation to give her acceptance speech….and lost.
- Edward Norton
Edward Norton broke out with his role in the 1996 film Primal Fear. The part earned the then-27-year-old a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In the two decades following, Norton has racked up two more nominations for his roles in American History X and Birdman, but so far he has yet to walk away with an Oscar. - Annette Bening
Annette Bening has a commendable total of four Oscar nominations, which include three for Best Actress. Bening is a force onscreen, and has reeled in praise for her parts in American Beauty, Being Julia, and The Kids Are Alright. - Ralph Fiennes
Yes, Lord Voldemort himself has one of the most underrated and dynamic careers in film. From Schindler’s List to the Harry Potter movies to The Grand Budapest Hotel Fiennes is always terrific. Unfortunately, his work has only been recognized by the Academy twice, the last time in 1997 for his role as Count Laszlo de Almásy in The English Patient. - Amy Adams
Okay, the term “the next Meryl Streep” is tired and unimaginative, but if we were to use it, Amy Adams would be in top contention for the honor. The woman was nominated five times for an Academy Award in eight years, for crying out loud! Some of her best work can be seen in The Master, The Fighter, Doubt, and 2018’s Vice – she received a Best Supporting Actress nom for all four films. - Ed Harris
Before he was enjoying a run as The Man in Black on HBO’s Westworld, Ed Harris managed to elevate almost every movie he was in (often in supporting roles). The actor has been nominated for an Academy Award a total of four times, including a Best Actor nod for the 2001 film Pollock. Harris garnered three Best Supporting Actor noms for his work in Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and The Hours. - Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer is another star who has been in the movie biz for decades with no Oscar to show for it. Pfeiffer has racked up two Best Actress noms (The Fabulous Baker Boys and Love Field) and one Best Supporting Actress (Dangerous Liaisons) nomination throughout her impressive career, but alas, no win… yet. - Laura Linney
Laura Linney is one of those quietly admired actresses that is an absolute master of her craft. She was splendid on the too-short-lived Showtime series, The Big C, (for which she won an Emmy). Though her work on the big screen has earned her two Golden Globes, the actress is zero for three at the Academy Awards. Her work in You Can Count On Me, Kinsey, and The Savages, were all recognized by the Academy, but ultimately failed to win her the gold. - Samuel L. Jackson
Believe it or not, Samuel L. Jackson has appeared in over 100 films. Only one of those films – one – have earned the prolific actor an Oscar nom. No surprise the nom was for Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. At this point, Jackson and Tarantino go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like Murray, if Jackson doesn’t earn a traditional Oscar, he’ll surely be considered for a lifetime achievement when the time comes. - John Malkovich
This 64-year-old legend has only been recognized by the Academy twice, but has yet to secure a win. The first nod came way back in 1985 for his role in Places in the Heart, which was followed nine years later by his nomination for In the Line of Fire. - Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is another Hollywood icon that has received absolutely no recognition from the Academy. Not a single Oscar nomination throughout her five decades in film! Zilch! However, the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador was named as one of Time’s most influential people in the world in 2008. - Hugh Jackman
Not only is this Australian heartthrob a solid actor, but he can sing and dance to boot! Hugh Jackman has been recognized once by the Academy. He was nominated for his role as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. More impressively, Jackman is only an Oscar away from earning an EGOT. - Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal has taken on plenty of acclaimed roles throughout his career, but has only been nominated once (Best Supporting Actor for Brokeback Mountain). The Academy even passed on his creepy performance in Nightcrawler, which is certainly a shame.
Year after year, these fan-favorites delivered performances that were universally admired in movies that were critically praised, but never heard their name called when the presenter opened that little envelope. Alas, there is still hope for many of them…