{"id":585206,"date":"2026-08-30T19:50:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T19:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/585206\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T19:50:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T19:50:27","slug":"from-tom-cruise-to-timothee-chalamet-overdue-actors-may-win-an-oscar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/585206\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tom Cruise to Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet: Overdue Actors May Win an Oscar"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know that list of Hollywood stars who were nominated multiple times but never won a competitive Oscar: Marlene Dietrich, Peter Sellers, Ava Gardner, Ralph Fiennes, <\/a>Dorothy Dandridge, Natalie Wood, Peter O\u2019Toole, Cary Grant, Amy Adams, Richard Burton, and Bradley Cooper.<\/a> The list goes on. Or those who won the Oscar long after they should have won the Oscar? See Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman.<\/p>\n

Winning the Academy Award is about being in the right movie at the right time. Hitting the zeitgeist. And often being \u201coverdue\u201d can push someone into the winner\u2019s circle. The legacy of a long career counts for a lot with Oscar voters, along with personal popularity and respect. (See Amy Madigan in \u201cWeapons\u201d). And you don\u2019t have to be likable or even show up to win: Sean Penn has won three Oscars<\/a> out of six nominations. The performance just has to be undeniable as it was with \u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"'Days<\/a> \"THE<\/a> <\/p>\n

This year we have quite a few prior nominees vying for the gold. (Once you get in the club, they often invite you back.) We are limiting this list of overdue actors to those who are actually in the running for a nomination this year as well as those who have earned more than one Oscar. (The list of one-hit wonders is long. Sandra H\u00fcller <\/a>will add to her \u201cAnatomy of a Fall\u201d nod this year, for sure<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

For fun, let\u2019s rank the acting contenders in order of their likelihood to nab an Oscar statue on March 14, 2027.<\/p>\n

\"Matt\u2018The Odyssey\u2019Universal<\/p>\n

Matt Damon<\/p>\n

For the win: Best Actor, \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d (Universal)<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 88<\/p>\n

Past acting nominations: \u201cThe Martian\u201d (2016), \u201cInvictus\u201d (2010), \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d (1998). <\/p>\n

Bottom Line: This veteran actor carries the year\u2019s most admired and prestigious blockbuster, Christopher Nolan\u2019s adaptation of Homer\u2019s epic poem about a mighty Greek warrior struggling to return home after the fall of Troy. At 55, Damon had to embody the muscled, grizzled, wily Odysseus. And he emphasized in his interviews how challenging physically and mentally the shoot was for him. Comp: Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar at 41 for \u201cThe Revenant.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Malkovich<\/p>\n

\"John\u2018Wild Horse Nine\u2019Searchlight Pictures<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cWild Horse Nine\u201d (Searchlight)<\/p>\n

Festival play: Venice<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cIn the Line of Fire,\u201d \u201cPlaces in the Heart\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Martin McDonagh\u2019s two-hander gives Malkovich, 72, a plum role as a dying CIA spook who visits Easter Island in order to shuffle off this mortal coil at the hands of his spy partner (Sam Rockwell). Malkovich makes you laugh and cry, with ace support from Rockwell.<\/p>\n

\"ChristopherChristopher Miller, Drew Goddard, Phil Lord, Ryan Gosling at the \u2018Project Hail Mary\u2019 panel at the 2025 Comic-Con InternationalVariety<\/p>\n

Ryan Gosling<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d (Amazon\/MGM)<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 77. <\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cBarbie,\u201d \u201cLa La Land,\u201d \u201cHalf-Nelson\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: At 45, Gosling is at the height of his popularity after the smash crowdpleaser \u201cProject Hail Mary.\u201d He\u2019s charming on the PR circuit<\/a>, and if \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d wasn\u2019t eating up all the oxygen, he\u2019d be the Best Actor frontrunner for his tone-perfect performance as a science teacher in outer space trying to save the world with the help of an alien named Rocky.<\/p>\n

Tom Cruise<\/p>\n

\"HOLLYWOOD,Tom Cruise<\/a> accepts an Academy Honorary Award from Alejandro Gonz\u00e1lez I\u00f1\u00e1rritu onstage during the 16th Governors Awards<\/a> at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on Nov. 16, 2025 in Hollywood, CaliforniaPhoto by Kevin Winter\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cDigger\u201d (Warner Bros.)<\/p>\n

No festival play <\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cMagnolia,\u201d \u201cJerry Maguire,\u201d \u201cBorn on the 4th of July\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Cruise, 64, is slathered in makeup<\/a> to look his own age in \u201cBirdman\u201d Oscar-winner A.G. I\u00f1\u00e1rritu\u2019s madcap end-of-the-world comedy with shades of \u201cDr. Strangelove.\u201d Sometimes over-the-top works with the Academy. (See Sean Penn.) The movie is skipping festivals, which suggests that Warners is scared of critics. But that\u2019s exactly what \u201cDigger\u201d needs to succeed. If Cruise wants to win badly enough, he might campaign a little. He is usually guarded with the press.<\/p>\n

Edward Norton<\/p>\n

\"OliviaOlivia Wilde, Edward Norton, and Seth Rogen at IndieWire Studio Presented by Dropbox at Sundance on Jan. 25, 2026 in Park City, UtahClayton Chase<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cThe Invite\u201d (A24)<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 82<\/p>\n

Past acting nominations: \u201cA Complete Unknown,\u201d \u201cBirdman,\u201d \u201cAmerican History X,\u201d \u201cPrimal Fear\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Hollywood veteran Norton, 57, has been consistently nominated for his crafty performances, with no Oscar win thus far. He shines in Olivia Wilde\u2019s hilarious four-hander as a free-thinker who with his partner (Pen\u00e9lope Cruz) tries to lure his uptight neighbors (Wilde and Seth Rogen) into group sex. Wilde credits her co-stars with collaborating on this high-wire act.<\/p>\n

Samantha Morton<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Samantha Morton attends the \u2018I Am Kirsty\u2019 photocall during the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival 2019 at BFI Southbank on April 14, 2019 in London, EnglandGetty Images<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 88<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cIn America,\u201d \u201cSweet and Lowdown\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Like last year\u2019s Oscar-winner Amy Madigan, British actress Morton is a familiar figure in the film<\/a> community. While the 49-year-old delivers \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d\u2018s best supporting performance as ruthless enchantress Circe, the actress is bracingly candid, admitting on a podcast<\/a> that she has not worked for a year.<\/p>\n

Timoth\u00e9e\u00a0Chalamet<\/p>\n

\"TimothéeTimoth\u00e9e Chalamet at the 2026 Golden Globe AwardsCourtesy of Kevork Djansezian \/ CBS<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cDune: Part Three\u201d (Warner Bros.\/Legendary)<\/p>\n

No festival play<\/p>\n

Past acting nominations: \u201cMarty Supreme,\u201d \u201cA Complete Unknown,\u201d \u201cCall Me by Your Name\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Global star Chalamet<\/a>, 30, hit the awards circuit hard last year for \u201cMarty Supreme,\u201d making a few controversial blunders<\/a> along the way which may have cost him the Oscar. \u201cDune: Part Three\u201d offers him a dramatic lead as the powerful Paul Atreides, who goes to the dark side in the finale of Denis Villeneuve\u2019s trilogy. On the other hand, genre films don\u2019t always yield acting nods.<\/p>\n

Cynthia Erivo<\/p>\n

\"CynthiaCynthia Erivo at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in March 2025Gilbert Flores\/Variety<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cPrima Facie\u201d<\/p>\n

Festival play: TIFF sales title<\/p>\n

Past acting nominations: \u201cWicked,\u201d \u201cHarriet\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Never count out Erivo. The issue here is why this movie based on the Tony-winning play hasn\u2019t already been picked up. Buyers may be waiting to see how it plays with Toronto audiences. And it\u2019s tough to launch an awards campaign that late. It\u2019s been done. But it\u2019s a steep ramp. <\/p>\n

Adam Driver<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)Adam Driver, James Gray, and Miles Teller at the 79th Festival de Cannes held at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2026 in Cannes, FranceEarl Gibson III\/Deadline<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cPaper Tiger\u201d<\/a> (Neon)<\/p>\n

Festival play: Cannes Competition, New York Film Festival opener<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 77 <\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cMarriage Story,\u201d \u201cBlacKkKlansman\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Driver won raves for his performance as a 1986 Long Island ex-cop who tangles with the Russian mafia in James Gray\u2019s family thriller. <\/p>\n

Paul Giamatti<\/p>\n

\"PaulPaul Giamatti at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Gilbert Flores for Variety<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cThe Debut: (A24)<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cThe Holdovers\u201d and \u201cCinderella Man\u201d<\/p>\n

Festival play: Venice <\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Giamatti got close to a win for Alexander Payne\u2019s \u201cThe Holdovers.\u201d It was \u201cOppenheimer\u201d star Cillian Murphy\u2019s year. Giamatti is well regarded and chronically outstanding, which may finally lift him into the winners circle. <\/p>\n

Scarlett Johansson<\/p>\n

\"PAPER\u2018Paper Tiger\u2019Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cPaper Tiger\u201d (Neon)<\/p>\n

Festival play: Cannes Competition and NYFF Opening Night<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 77<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cMarriage Story\u201d and \u201cJojo Rabbit\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Scarjo goes period as a 1986 working-class Long Island wife and mother. She runs a gamut of emotions as her husband (Miles Teller) and her two boys are put through the wringer when they run afoul of the Russian mafia.<\/p>\n

Mark Ruffalo<\/p>\n

\"SunriseSunrise Coigney and Mark Ruffalo at the 96th Annual Oscars held at Ovation Hollywood on March 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGregg DeGuire for WWD<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cBeing Heumann\u201d (Apple TV)<\/p>\n

Festival play: TIFF opening night.<\/p>\n

Past acting nominations: \u201cPoor Things,\u201d \u201cSpotlight,\u201d \u201cFoxcatcher,\u201d \u201cThe Kids Are All Right\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: This may not be Ruffalo\u2019s year, as many in Hollywood, while respecting his acting chops and Emmy contender \u201cTask,\u201d are unhappy with his recent vocal pro-Palestine activism and attacks on the Ellisons\u2019 contested Warnermount merger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Glenn Close<\/p>\n

\"NEWMariska Hargitay and Glenn Close attend Variety\u2019s 2024 Power of Women: New York event on May 02, 2024 in New York CityWireImage<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cLa Bola Negra\u201d (Netflix)<\/p>\n

Festival play: Cannes Competition<\/p>\n

Metascore: 85. <\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cFatal Attraction,\u201d \u201cHillbilly Elegy,\u201d \u201cThe Wife,\u201d \u201cAlbert Nobbs,\u201d \u201cDangerous Liaisons,\u201d \u201cFatal Attraction,\u201d \u201cThe Natural,\u201d \u201cThe Big Chill,\u201d \u201cThe World According to Garp\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: With eight competitive Oscar nods behind her, Close is more than overdue and she even speaks Spanish in Cannes director prizewinner \u201cLa Bola Negra.\u201d But it\u2019s a small supporting role and Netflix is also campaigning for the more colorful Cruz. <\/p>\n

Rooney Mara<\/p>\n

\"Bucking\u2018Bucking Fastard\u2019Venice Film Festival<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cBucking Fastard\u201d<\/p>\n

Festival play: Venice (sales title)<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cCarol,\u201d \u201cThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: You never know what you\u2019re going to get when Werner Herzog leaves nonfiction for narrative. Mara and her sister Kate play twins who speak in sync. Extra credit for originality? <\/p>\n

Colman Domingo<\/p>\n

\"MICHAEL,\u2018Michael\u2019Glen Wilson \/ Lionsgate \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cMichael\u201d (Lionsgate)<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 39<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cSing Sing,\u201d \u201cRustin\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Domingo is a beloved figure, but even he is unlikely to elevate a blockbuster with a 39 Metascore. And he plays the cartoon villain of the piece, Joe Jackson. <\/p>\n

Willem Dafoe <\/p>\n

\"WillemWillem Dafoe the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 28, 2025 in Venice, ItalyEarl Gibson III\/Deadline<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cWerwulf\u201d (Focus), \u201cLate Fame\u201d (Magnolia)<\/p>\n

Movie Metascore: 78.<\/p>\n

Festival play: Venice 2025 for \u201cLate Fame.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cAt Eternity\u2019s Gate,\u201d \u201cThe Florida Project,\u201d \u201cShadow of the Vampire,\u201d \u201cPlatoon\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: If only the hugely respected Dafoe wasn\u2019t up for a Universal horror remake from Robert Eggers and a micro-indie drama. His day will come. The critics groups, however, might go for his performance in \u201cLate Fame\u201d as a New York poet revisiting his legacy.<\/p>\n

\"NEWAndrew Garfield attends the \u2018After the Hunt\u2019 red carpet during the 63rd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on Sept. 26, 2025 in New York CityGetty Images for FLC<\/p>\n

Andrew Garfield<\/p>\n

For the win: \u201cThe Uprising\u201d (Focus Features)<\/p>\n

Prior acting nominations: \u201cTick Tick Boom,\u201d \u201cHacksaw Ridge\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line: Director Paul Greengrass is often in the awards conversation (\u201cCaptain Phillips,\u201d \u201cGreen Zone,\u201d \u201cUnited 93\u201d), but Focus is opening this violent actioner about a medieval peasant revolt on Sept. 11 without festival play as a strictly commercial release, possibly because the Best Actor category is impossibly stacked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You know that list of Hollywood stars who were nominated multiple times but never won a competitive Oscar:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":585207,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[10779,430,156,593,15660,111,139,69,2584,45005,7629],"class_list":["post-585206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-awards","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-film","tag-matt-damon","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-oscars","tag-timothee-chalamet","tag-tom-cruise"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}