Best Actor: Ranking Every Oscar Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Last year’s winner: Joaquin Phoenix-Joker.
Even though I would argue the Best Actress group is more difficult to sort through (due to their talent), these five Best Actor nominees are tough enough. I think every selection is great, with some candidates that feel greater than others (so at least ranking doesn’t seem as difficult). Which of the following five fellas held up their films the best? Here are your nominees.
Biggest Snub: Mads Mikkelsen-Another Round
I don’t think any of the five nominees are weak enough to warrant being replaced, but I will say that I was expecting the additional Another Round dark-horse nomination to go to Mads Mikkelsen, and not director Thomas Vinterberg (hey, I’m fine with this nod, too!). In a similar way to Vinterberg, Mikkelsen just seemed like someone that has had a stellar filmography that would have won enough Academy members over. Even though I wouldn’t say his performance in Another Round is his absolute best, Mikkelsen still shines enough that this would feel like both a legacy and earned nomination. Maybe one day, Mads. Maybe one day.
5. Gary Oldman-Mank
You know competition is stiff when Gary Oldman is ranked last. I will say that I am loving this more subtle, nuanced wave of Oldman performances this late into his career (as opposed to his more eccentric work earlier on), and Mank showcases the best of his capabilities within this phase. Oldman still transforms — this time as Herman J. Mankiewicz — into another being, but this feels like an actual person, and not an impersonation or a literary character. It’s great seeing how much variety Oldman is capable of. Of course, this level of naturalistic acting is something Oldman has been doing for nearly twenty years now, but his work in Mank is still one of the finer examples of it.
4. Steven Yeun-Minari
First time nominee Steven Yeun is fantastic in Minari, as he feels like an archetypical father figure many of us experienced as children: eager to bond with his kids, but showing his vulnerability when having to face confrontations. As a father, husband, and son, Yeun embodies so many different concerns, thoughts, and passions. There’s no label or description you can give him, outside of “pure” and “real”. He’s not of a literary blueprint, but life itself. I hope to see more detailed performances by Yeun in the future.
3. Anthony Hopkins-The Father
I know Anthony Hopkins has done his fair share of lighter, sillier, or less-serious work, but it still takes a lot to be one of his finer performances in recent memory. What can I even say about his acting in The Father? He’s charming, sure, but when the chips are down and Hopkins exhibits his fears and worries about his loss of memory, it’s actually painful to watch him. I found myself forcing myself not to cry for so much of the film because of Hopkins’ acting. It’s challenging, yes, but it’s absolutely beautiful acting at the same time. The fact that he’s this good so late into his career as well is just confirmation that he is one of the greats.
2. Chadwick Boseman-Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
I can’t speak for everyone, but I honestly went into Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom expecting a Viola Davis picture, and leaving having seen a Chadwick Boseman one; not even because his character gets more screen time. Before his passing, I felt like Boseman was the kind of actor that we still had yet to see the greatest performance of. I still don’t think we got it (I’ll forever wonder what additional acting magic we would get from here on out), but his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the best we’re going to get, and what a powerful performance it is. Boseman takes up the entire space around him, devoting his cries and emotions to all that are willing to listen, and each and every monologue or conversation is enough to bowl you over. It’s unquestionably a masterful performance. We lost Boseman far too soon.
1. Riz Ahmed-Sound of Metal
One thing I’ve always loved about Riz Ahmed is how much he makes the little things into the bigger picture. We get a few moments where his character Ruben has an emotional breakdown or big moment to shine, and Ahmed nails those too. However, it’s all of the tiny things that win me over in Sound of Metal, like his occasional sign of pain in his eyes, or the fact that you know he’s at peace without him having to even crack a smile (how does he even do that?). Toss in the amount of work that went into his drumming and American Sign Language (both are convincing enough), and you have the top performance of the category. Ahmed is such an authentic actor, and he has been for a while now. It’s nice that the Academy Awards have woken up and finally shown him some love.
Who I want to win: I have no problem with any of these five guys winning, but I would select my top three (Ahmed, Boseman, Hopkins) as the ones I’d love to see win the most; my one and two were both criminally overlooked actors for years, and my three is a veteran who is still magnificent decades later.
Who I think will win: I will actually be shocked if Chadwick Boseman doesn’t win this. He has cleaned up every category up until this point. I highly doubt this will change, too. I can’t see any vote splitting, unexpected surprises, or any other outside factors getting in the way. This is Boseman’s trophy.
Tune in tomorrow for our next Academy Award category! We’re reviewing every single nominee.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.