Early Oscar Predictions for the Best Actor Category
Every year the Best Actor category is an incredibly competitive category with this upcoming Academy Awards certainly being no different. Like recent years gone by, expect a fierce battle for five positions available.
Predominantly, the movies that contend for the Best Picture of the year are strongly influenced by male leads, which leads to the contenders for Best Actor in a Leading Role being a hotly contested category. Some years there have been strong arguments that numerous actors are worthy of collecting the gong. Take last year for instance; Matthew McConaughey walked away with Best Actor for his portrayal of Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, but there was a strong case for Leonardo Di Caprio to win his first Oscar for his performance in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. The same can be said for the previous year; Daniel Day Lewis won his third Best Actor Oscar for his role as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, yet Joaquin Phoenix could've easily been a worthy winner for his beautiful performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's, The Master. With all that said, this year seems to have the same feel.
the early contenders
From what we've seen and heard so far, Michael Keaton (Birdman), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Steve Carrell (Foxcatcher) seem to be the early frontrunners. These three have been standing firm since September when previews of these movies screened at various festivals. With a whole host of films still to be released, it's likely that Keaton may well be the one who drops out of this early list of contenders. We still haven't seen Timothy Spall's performance in Mr. Turner and the excitement surrounding Interstellar and Matthew McConaughey's performance still hasn't reached its maximum.
We expect Cumberbatch and Carrell to remain firm contenders, with Carrell possibly being the favourite to win. Carrell's performance in Foxcatcher got all critics in a daze after it screened at Cannes earlier this year. It's been stated to be his best work to date. Cumberbatch on the other hand, is no easy competitor to face. He is on the verge of landing the role of Doctor Strange in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster and is easily one of the most popular actors with audiences and critics alike.
do not count these guys out
Other actors that are worth noting are Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year) and Jack O'Connell (Unbroken). Gyllenhaal has been on a rich vein of form recently with his last three movies— Enemy, Prisoners and End of Watch— with all being performances of the highest standard. Early reviews of Nightcrawler suggest this could be Gyllenhaal's best of his career and that the movie itself is a real contender for Best Picture at the Oscars.
As for A Most Violent Year star Oscar Isaac, he too looks to be a true contender for Best Actor this year. The first official trailer for A Most Violent Year dropped yesterday (see here), so it wouldn't be a surprise if Isaac became a strong threat in the coming months. Isaac proved his worth in the Coen Brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis last year, with some suggesting he was a tad unlucky not to land a nomination.
As for Jack O'Connell, he's becoming a very well rounded actor. Unbroken seems to be the most 'Hollywood' of all the potential contenders and with Angelina Jolie at the helm, the Academy are suckers for a feel good hit. With that being said, do not look past O'Connell nabbing a nomination.
if we had to name the nominees now;
• Steve Carrell (Foxcacther)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
• Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner)
• Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)
• Michael Keaton (Birdman)
could easily spoil the party
• Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year)
• Jack O'Connell (Unbroken)
• Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)
dark horses, but anything can happen
• Miles Teller (Whiplash)
• Ben Affleck (Gone Girl)
• Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
• Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood)
• Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice)
• Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
• David Oyelowo (Selma)
