The golden standard in Hollywood is the Oscar Awards . There’s no greater accolade for an actor to aspire toward, but sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way we think it will.
Unfortunately, the Academy has a long and ugly history of snubbing some of cinema’s most worthy candidates. Have a look and check out these 10+ great actors who never got the Oscar they deserved.
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Helena Bonham Carter in *The King’s Speech*.
Helena Bonham Carter all too often gets pigeon-holed as Tim Burton’s muse.
She’s one of the most versatile actresses of her generation, as was on full display during her powerful performance as Queen Elizabeth.
Toni Collette in *Hereditary*.
The brave who made it all the way through Hereditary understand that Toni Colette not only gave the performance of her career but arguably of the decade as well.
Sadly, horror historically doesn’t bode well with the Academy and Toni was snubbed.
Jake Gyllenhaal in *Nightcrawler*.
Carrying on with yet another snub, I find it mind-boggling that Jake Gyllenhaal was somehow passed over for “Best Actor” considerations with Nightcrawler .
Jake was both magnetic and terrifying as Louis Bloom . The Golden Globes certainly thought so, but not the Oscars.
Ethan Hawke in *Training Day*.
How is it even possible that Ethan Hawke doesn’t have a single Academy Award?
I don’t mean any disrespect toward Benicio del Toro , but I still have no idea how he managed to squeak out a win for “Best Supporting Actor” over Ethan.
Willem Dafoe in *Platoon*.
Willem Dafoe has been nominated for an Oscar four times over the course of his career without a single win.
He also should have been nominated for his work in The Lighthouse , and he should’ve won for Platoon .
Denzel Washington in *The Hurricane*.
Denzel is one of the few actors who could have ten Oscars to his name. He’s of the most respected and hard-working actors in the industry.
His portrayal of Rubin ‘The Hurricane’ Carter is, in my opinion, the greatest sports stories ever brought to the big screen.
Robert De Niro in *Taxi Driver*.
Robert De Niro is a legend. He’s dynamic, diverse, and commands conviction from his audience in a way that few (if any) actors can compete with.
Taxi Driver was a paradigm-altering film that is still impacting our film culture to this day.
Saoirse Ronan in *Lady Bird*.
Saoirse is a once-in-a-generation type of actress. She isn’t even 30-years-old and she’s already received 4 Academy Award nominations.
I think it’s just a travesty that she didn’t take home the gold for her hilariously heartfelt work in Lady Bird .
Samuel L. Jackson in *Pulp Fiction*.
For those of you who don’t believe that Samuel L. Jackson was robbed, I have three words for you: Ezekiel. Twenty-five. Seventeen.
There’s really nothing else left to say, it’s as simple as that. Jules deserved to take home the gold.
Angela Basset in *What’s Love Got To Do With It*.
Angela Basset is Tina Turner, as far as I’m concerned. She put her entire heart and soul into this performance and received the snub of the decade for all her hard work.
Al Pacino in *The Godfather*.
Ironically, Pacino was nominated for “Best Supporting Actor,” alongside James Caan and Robert Duvall.
Marlon Brando won “Best Actor,” even though he’s only in about 1/3 of the movie. While there’s no denying that Brando is brilliant, the nomination and statue belonged to Al.
Leonardo DiCaprio in *Blood Diamond*.
Leo has been snubbed on so many occasions it’s almost laughable. It’s remarkable that his only Oscar win for “Best Actor” came for the film in which he was (perhaps) the least deserving.
It’s downright shameful that he lost for Blood Diamond , as it was the performance of his career.
Ralph Fiennes in *Schindler’s List*.
The look on Ralph Fiennes’ face tells you everything you need to know about his portrayal of S.S. soldier, Amon Goeth: cold, calculated, and merciless.
Schindler’s List is a film that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.
Scarlett Johansson in *JoJo Rabbit*.
It isn’t often that an actress is snubbed twice within the same year, but that’s exactly what happened to Scarlett.
She should have won “Best Actress” for Marriage Story as well as “Best Supporting Actress” for JoJo Rabbit .
Johnny Depp in *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street*.
It seems almost unbelievable that Johnny Depp has gone his entire career without receiving a single Oscar.
There are numerous instances where he could and should have won, but none are more blatantly obvious than Sweeney Todd .
