The Oscar race is on, and actors likeColin FarellandMichelle Yeohare vying for their first victory after years of consistent but overlooked work. On the other hand, veteran actors and Oscar darlings likeCate BlanchettandMichelle Williamsare back in the mix for delivering career-best work in some of 2022’s best films.
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Receiving an Oscar nomination is one of the greatest honors an actor can achieve, and the Academy has anointed many worthy performers throughout its 95-year-old history. Thus, it makes sense that audiences have forgotten about some Oscar-nominated actors, especially those who have only received one nomination or whose recognition came in a category other than acting.
1Jeff Goldblum
Throughout his career,Jeff Goldblumhas cultivated a careeras everyone’s favorite quirky uncle. The actor’s unmistakable energy elevates any project he is in, whether it’s a newJurassic Worldmovie or an MCU project likeThor: Ragnarok.
Goldblum rose to prominence with films likeThe Big ChillandThe Fly, delivering incredible work each time. However, despite his many worthy performances, he has never been nominated for an acting Oscar. Still, Goldblum received an Oscar nomination in 1996 for his live-action short filmLittle Surprises, proving that he really is a box full of surprises.
2Jennifer Tilly
it might be surprising to learn thatJennifer Tillyis actually Academy Award-nominee Jennifer Tilly. The actor is best known nowadays as one of cinema’s most iconic and enduring scream queens thanks to her role inthe long-running horror franchiseChild’s Playand her memorable (and Oscar-worthy) performance in 1996’s erotic thrillerBound.
However, Tilly’s best performance is the one that earned her the Oscar nomination: as a superficial and manipulative gangster’s girlfriend in 1994’s comedyBullets Over Broadway. Her work is dynamic and utterly hilarious, and her nomination is among the coolest and most refreshing things AMPAS has ever done.
3Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskinsstarred in several iconic films throughout the 80s and 90s, most notablyWho Framed Roger Rabbit?. The actor received his first and only Oscar nomination for his leading role in the 1986 neo-noir crime dramaMona Lisa, which also won him a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award.
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Hoskins remains active throughout the 90s and 2000s, playing roles in now-iconic films likeMermaidsandHook. He retired from acting in 2012 and sadly passed away in 2014. Hoskins was among the best and most underrated actors of his generation, but at least the Academy recognized him once for his brilliant work in film.
4Elisabeth Shue
Elisabeth Shuerose to prominence when she replacedClaudia Wellsas Jennifer Parker inBack to the Future Part IIandPart III. Numerous lead and supporting roles followed, mainly playing girl-next-door characters, which made her performance in 1995’sLeaving Las Vegasall the more surprising.
For her role as a sex worker in an affair with a man who is suicidal, Shue earned raves from critics. She received nominations for the Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards, losing every time. Nowadays, Shue might be easily recognized for her recurring role inThe Boys, but her career goes way back, earning her several accolades.
5Sam Waterston
Following a successful career on the stage,Sam Waterstonrose to prominence with 1974’s adaptation ofThe Great Gatsby. He appeared in numerous other films throughout the 70s and 80s, earning an Oscar nomination for his critically-acclaimed lead role inRoland Joffe’s 1984 biopicThe Killing Fields.
Like many actors from the 80s, Waterston turned to television in the 90s, playing the now-iconic role of Jack McCoy inLaw & Order. Most recently, he starred opposite fellow 80s legendsJane Fonda,Martin SheenandLily Tomlinin the hit Netflix comedyGrace and Frankie.
6Felicity Huffman
Felicity Huffmanwas on top of the world in the early 2000s. Her role as Lynette Scavo in the television sensationDesperate Housewiveswon her the 2005 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. A mere five months later, she received her first Oscar nomination for her harrowing work inDuncan Tucker’s 2005 comedy-dramaTransamerica.
Although she won the Golden Globe for her performance, Huffman ultimately lost the Oscar. She remained inDesperate Housewivesfor seven more years, starring in the acclaimed but short-livedAmerican Crimeafter it ended.
7Judd Hirsch
Already famous for his work in the now-iconic comedy showTaxi,Judd Hirschreceived his first and so far only Oscar nomination forRobert Redford’s 1980 family dramaOrdinary People. Although the film won big at the 1981 Oscars, Hirsch lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar against co-starTimothy Hutton, who became the youngest winner in the category at twenty years old.
Hirsch continued his successful career in film and television, but no Oscar nomination followed. However, he is back in the conversation this year for his scene-stealing turn inSteven Spielberg’s quasi-biopicThe Fabelmans.
8Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver’s career seemingly exploded overnight. Her breakthrough role came with 1995’s romantic dramaCircle of Friends. Two years later, she received her first and so far only Oscar nomination for her role as Skylar inMatt DamonandBen Affleck’s sleeper hitGood Will Hunting.
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Although she kept working consistently throughout the late 90s and the noughties, Driver’s A-list career never materialized. However, she remained a consistent and versatile performer and was most recently seen in Netflix’sThe Witcher: Blood Origin.
9John Malkovich
Some actors are great at playing villains;John Malkovichis one. He rose to prominence with his Oscar-nominated supporting turn in 1984’sPlaces in the Heart, oppositeSally Fieldin the role that won her her second Oscar. He played numerous roles throughout the decade, including the cynical Vicomte de Valmont inStephen Frears' acclaimed period dramaDangerous Liaisons.
Malkovich received a second Oscar nomination, again in the supporting category, for his villainous role inWolfgang Petersen’s 1993 political thrillerIn the Line of Fire. Malkovich remains active today, starring in Netflix’s comedySpace Forceuntil recently.
10Jeremy Renner
These days,Jeremy Renneris best known as Hawkeye, the sixth-best Avenger in the MCU. However, Renner is an accomplished and acclaimed actor with not one but two Oscar nods under his belt. He received a Best Actor nomination for his breakthrough role inKathryn Bigelow’shistory-making Oscar-winning war filmThe Hurt Locker. The next year, he received a Best Supporting Actor mention for his work in Ben Affleck’s crime dramaThe Town.
Renner’s recent career has mostly revolved around the MCU, but hopefully, he’ll return to making acclaimed and provoking films now that his journey as Hawkeye is seemingly over.
