Best Actor: Ranking Every Nominee of the 97th Academy Awards
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
We are two categories away from going through all of the awards that honour entire films (feature or short). Of course, many people who watch the Oscars only pay attention to the major awards (a travesty, I know: each and every category holds equal value, in my opinion), and two of those trophies they wish to see the most are the leading acting awards: Best Actor and Best Actress. I’ll leave the even-more-competitive category for tomorrow and will focus on Best Actor today. Even so, this group is stacked. I honestly don’t think I would replace anyone (even though there are a couple of other names who would have fit in just as nicely below), so I am eager to get into the thick of it here. Which male thespian gave the best performance of 2024? Who was unforgettable, believable, and magnificent at their craft?
Here are your nominees for Best Actor ranked from worst to best.
Biggest Snub: Nickel Boys-Brandon Wilson
Even though I am happy with all five nominees below, part of me was still hoping that Brandon Wilson of Nickel Boys was going to pull an underdog story. He is fascinating in this film, whether he is on camera or we are seeing things from “his” perspective. A major reason why Nickel Boys is brilliant is because of how immersive and realistic the experience is, and Wilson helps drive that point home by never getting theatrical or melodramatic. Instead, he takes us by the hand and guides us into RaMell Ross’ journey through history, turmoil, and discourse. Wilson doesn’t underact either, and never comes off as wooden or lifeless: a very easy mistake to make for those who want to dial back their acting. I foresee a major future for Wilson, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. An additional shout out to Daniel Craig for Queer: a performance many predicted would take the five spot in the category but instead he — and the film — wound up omitted instead. I’m usually not a fan of Craig who can get ahead of himself, but he is better than ever in Luca Guadagnino’s tender-yet-twisted look at existential dread.
5. The Apprentice-Sebastian Stan
First off, I am thrilled to see Sebastian Stan here, either for The Apprentice or A Different Man (he wound up being nominated for the former, but he may be even better in the latter). While I have ranked him last in this category, it’s just because all five nominees are sensational this year and someone had to wind up being in fifth. I don’t even have any notes about how Stan could be better as Donald Trump in his “developmental” years. My rationale is that supporting actor Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn winds up stealing scenes quite frequently and Stan allows him to do so when appropriate; it is out of self-sacrifice that Stan takes a step back from his fellow nominees as well. Otherwise, I don’t think anyone could have tackled this role better than Stan. Some actors would have made scathing caricatures of Trump, trying to make the polarizing president look pathetic, desperate, or buffoonish. Others would have had the opposite approach with some serious ass-kissing and a godly portrayal that feels like the work of a propagandist. Instead, Stan walks the middle road: trying to understand Trump as a human being while still depicting the worst of his character. This makes for a fully-rounded, humanistic, identifiable performance which was begging to be a stereotype. Stan nails Trump’s direct mannerisms without turning him into a cartoon character, which rounds out the portrayal quite well. Even though some may not be, I am so happy that Stan got nominated for this film (or at all; again, go see A Different Man for Stan at his very best).
4. Conclave-Ralph Fiennes
It has taken decades for Ralph Fiennes to finally be nominated again, but the poor guy likely won’t be winning this year either (although, you never know…); his overdue Oscar will eventually happen, I just know it. As Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, Fiennes plays this religious figure in the middle of a serious dilemma (in charge of orchestrating the election amidst the College of Cardinals to find a new pope) with much introspective affliction. While he does express his struggles (to a point where he even begins doubting his faith amidst the political squabbling at his feet), Fiennes shows so much restraint in a film about personal beliefs and the strength of connection; you feel every ounce of his inner battles on the very expression he is trying to hide. He can only contain so much doubt and concern, and Fiennes never mugs. He is soft spoken but still commanding. This is a damn fine performance from a veteran actor who continues to be one of the driving forces in Hollywood, and it’s beautiful to see an actor who can be thrilling be just as compelling while dialing himself back.
3. A Complete Unknown-Timothée Chalamet
While it may feel like the film industry has too many Timothée Chalamet films (as if he is comparable to Chris Pratt or Tom Holland), the main difference is I think Chalamet — at his very best — is a terrific performer who can take on some difficult roles that his similar, often-working peers cannot. Case in point: he was completely different in Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown this year. As Bob Dylan in a highly conventional biopic, Chalamet doesn’t go for the bait and instead makes the folk legend just as reserved and mysterious as he is (Chalamet doesn’t feel the need to steal scenes or have that Oscar moment of over-acting). I know being able to play instruments isn’t standard criteria for what makes a good performance, but Chalamet spending months to learn how to play some Dylan standards (so comfortably that it’s believable that this is Dylan himself playing and crooning for us) paid off; the immersion remains, whereas performances by actors who didn’t put the hours in may be a little off-putting. Chalamet doesn’t overdo Dylan’s iconic drawl either, helping the legend remain a human being and not a parody. I think Chalamet is wonderful in this film, and easily one of the primary reasons to even see it.
2. The Brutalist-Adrien Brody
After over two decades of waiting for this moment, Adrien Brody finally has a performance that is at least nearly as good as his masterful turn in The Pianist. Brody is an Oscar nominee again, this time for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist as architect László Tóth (coincidentally, he is also a Holocaust survivor in this film, as he was in Roman Polanski’s feature twenty-two years prior). Brody is so gripping as Tóth, as I hung onto every word and reaction (obvious or restrained) that he mustered (keep in mind that this is over the course of nearly four hours: a difficult feat, for sure). While Tóth endures a lot, Brody plays the character with a quest for dignity and personal strength, as to not let the demons (his own or those of the world around him) get the best of him. His perseverance pays off. Like the titular architectural style, Brody turns Tóth into a work of brutalist art who wears his scars (literal and figurative) over his visage for the world to see; he is a human being, no matter what or who has marred him. He explodes precisely when he needs to, punctuating specific moments with all of the pent up anguish that he can no longer contain. In a film that is built by a waltz between maximalism and minimalism, Brody plays Tóth with a similar balance that betters the character and helps sell the tonal, aesthetic singularity of The Brutalist.
1. Sing Sing-Colman Domingo
In a year full of strong performance, my favourite role by a male actor this past year has to be Colman Domingo in Sing Sing. Last awards season, Domingo was nominated for his heavy-lifting of the highly-safe Rustin, and he shined even there. However, in a far better film, Domingo is given the opportunity to properly flourish as Divine G in Sing Sing. As Divine G puts all that is left of him in the Sing Sing facility’s community theatre program, you see a man who is beaten up by the sins of his past and dying to have a purpose to keep going in life (anything to finally see the light of day again outside of prison). What makes this performance exceptional is how Domingo understands the assignment: Divine G is an actor in jail, sure, but he is also an actor in his everyday life, putting on a front that he is fine when he is truly broken on the inside (effectively, he is an actor playing an actor who is acting while also acting). When he is forced to take a step back and primarily run the latest play, you still see a man who cannot help but keep on performing (anything to get by and slip past the worst aspects of being kept away from the rest of the world). Domingo doesn’t turn Divine G into a victim: just a shattered spirit who is slowly working on mending himself. He makes this character a gorgeously complicated person, and it’s a performance that has to be seen to be believed. I feel like Sing Sing was under nominated, but at least Domingo got his flowers for his sublime performance.
Who I Want To Win: I’d be happy with anyone winning. Honestly. I’m actively rooting for Colman Domingo, Adrian Brody, and Timothée Chalamet, but would be equally as chuffed if Ralph Fiennes won (he has deserved an Academy Award for decades) or if Sebastian Stan came in with the underdog win (he’s been a highly underrated actor outside of his blockbuster work, and 2024 showed the world what he is truly capable of with his two best roles). If you held a gun to my head, I’d pick Colman Domingo because I do think he is the strongest nominee and I feel like the late-bloomer is a generational talent who is deserved of an Oscar someday (if not this one).
Who I Think Will Win: This will be a tight race. I currently think Adrian Brody will win for The Brutalist, seeing as he has dominated so far. Having said that, I think there is quite a strong chance that Timothée Chalamet will pull ahead for A Complete Unknown, especially if this Best Picture nominee is unable to win elsewhere (maybe for its sound, but I can’t foresee anything else, unless A Complete Unknown winds up becoming the Best Picture frontrunner, which I don’t think is too likely, but you never know). Then there is Ralph Fiennes for Conclave (which feels like the stronger case for a film coming in from behind and winning ahead of Best Picture favourites like The Brutalist). If Fiennes wins, consider Conclave a Best Picture lock later on in the ceremony. Otherwise, I see this as a battle between Brody and Chalamet which is a little bit more even than many pundits are willing to admit; I’d give Brody the win right now by a hair. I say wait until the Screen Actors Guild Awards to take place; they are usually a spot-on prediction of who will take home Oscars gold for acting categories. If Brody wins here, it’s business as usual. If Chalamet, Fiennes, or anyone else wins (who is also nominated for an Academy Award, so not Daniel Craig for Queer), foresee the overtake happening at the Oscars.
The Academy Awards Project will continue tomorrow with another category: Best Actress. We’re going to rank every single nominee in every single category, Monday through Friday. You don’t want to miss it!
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.