Certain actors are firm favourites of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with nominations up to their eyeballs and another win seemingly never far away – your Streeps and Winslets, your Nicolsons and Penns.
And then there are some who – for various reasons – seem destined to never clutch that shiny little man and embarrass themselves with an over-emotional speech, however hard (or not) they may try…
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| TUX PURCHASE NOT STRICTLY NECESSARY |
1. Donald Sutherland
Shockingly, has never even been nominated in either the main or supporting actor categories. A pretty inexplicable snub for the respected, 40-year career actor – nothing for Klute, nothing for Ordinary People, nothing for M*A*S*H. Shameful.
2. Harvey Keitel
Despite starring in Mean Streets and delivering a memorable turn in Taxi Driver, le Harve has never really set the acting world alight in the same way as his contemporaries like De Niro, Pacino, Hoffman and Hackman. Except for a supporting nom for Bugsy he’s never registered on the Oscar radar. He does show his own little man a lot which is... er, something.
3. John Cusack
The male Cusack sibling has avoided Oscar-baiting roles his whole career – and with recent turns in 2012 and Hot Tub Time Machine, that trend doesn’t look like ending any time soon.
4. Jennifer Jason Leigh
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| MALE MIDDLE NAME CONFUSES THE PANEL? |
Working solidly and impressively for 30 years, but never quite broken through into the mainstream a role that has made the Academy really sit up and take notice. A Sutherland-sized travesty.
5. Sharon Stone
Chose to enter her acting twilight by reprising her breakthrough role in Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction. Sadly for Sharon, few actors have earned critical acclaim for movies in which they've co-starred with Stan Collymore.
6. Keifer Sutherland
A classic victim of finding TV success just as he was getting to prime awards-baiting age. Now so well-known as Jack Bauer that identikit undemanding roles in the likes of The Sentinel beckon long into the horizon. Seems to enjoy partying rather more than acting.
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| "GENERIC ROMCOM #34? SIGN ME UP!" |
7. Kate Hudson
Started well with a supporting nomination for Almost Famous, but her career trajectory has drifted into romcom territory, including far too many appearances with our next entry.
8. Matthew McConaughey
The many-abbed one is indisputably Hollywood’s current romcom king. This is not an accolade Mr. McConaughey should be in any way proud of.
9. Cameron Diaz
The Sweetest Thing is the kind of sin that is hard to forgive and forget. Tries hard with efforts like Being John Malkovich and The Box, but would really need to 'do a Theron' for voters to get past the big smile and California blondeness.
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BUTLER'S LACK OF RECOGNITION FOR
THE UGLY TRUTH STILL RILES |
10. Gerard Butler
Sort of the midpoint between McConaughey and Jason Statham, splitting his time equally between romcoms and hard man roles. The result is little inspiration in either.
11. Christian Slater
Never likely to receive the same kind of love as his acting role model Jack Nicolson, unless there was an award for best performance by an actor’s eyebrows.
12. Patricia Arquette
Slater’s True Romance co-star has suffered the same fate as Sutherland Jr. by fronting a too-successful TV series, psychic cobblers Medium.
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"WHY HAVE YOU TURNED UP TO THE OSCARS, RICH?"
"I GOT NOWHERE ELSE TO GOOOOOO!" |
13. Richard Gere
Less an actual actor than a clothes horse for female fantasies – Armarni-clad stud in American Gigolo, navy whites for An Officer And A Gentleman, tailored tux in Pretty Woman.
14. Demi Moore
Career seriously nosedived after the disaster that was Striptease and has never recovered. Preferred medium of expression nowadays is Twitter.
15. Harrison Ford
Single nom only for Witness. Not that it's ever seemed to bother the famously laid-back star.
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| BUT HE SURE KNOWS HOW TO CUT LOOSE |
16. Kevin Bacon
Solid in Murder in the First and The Woodsman, but sadly it seems that some people will never forget Footloose.
Jeeze Louise!
17. Bruce Willis
Should have been nominated for Pulp Fiction, but Miramax campaigned for Sam Jackson and Travolta (see below) instead.
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| SAM MAKES A SPECTACLE OF HIMSELF |
18. Samuel L. Jackson
Should have won for Pulp Fiction. His quantity over quality approach to choosing roles has not done him any favours.
19. John Travolta
Nominations for Saturday Night Fever and Pulp seem a loooong time ago.
20. Winona Ryder
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| BOLDLY GOING WITHOUT |
What happened to her career? Playing Spock’s mum in a near-cameo is not what you would call a comeback.
21. Johnny Depp
Certainly talented enough, but far too out-there to ever sway a panel of traditionalists, despite a pair of recent nominations.
