Zane's take at the Cinema's

We all have our favorite actors in the world and there’s a very good chance that they’ve either been awarded an Oscar or at the very least an Oscar nomination. Knowing how incredibly difficult it is to let alone win an Oscar, it’s an even bigger challenge to get an Oscar nomination due to the amount of performances one has to compete against. But there is a laundry list of actors and actresses that have tallied up some awards nominations from the Academy Awards but never received the statute come the night of the Oscars. Rather than make a top 10 list of the best actors and actresses with no Oscars, this is simply a list of the ones that I think stand out the most in no particular order.

BRADLEY COOPER

I think Bradley Cooper is starting to be placed in a similar sandbox that Leonardo DiCaprio was once in. As of this very moment, Bradley Cooper is a five time Oscar nominated actor (4 Best Actor and 1 Best Supporting Actor) for movies like Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper, A Star Is Born, Maestro and American Hustle. He’s made an even bigger name for himself by stepping into the director’s chair with the remake of A Star is Born and Maestro. In other words, Bradley Cooper has shown his talents both in front and behind the camera. He’s given exceptional work, largely, from a performance base and never disappoints in that regard. The problem he’s run into is that he can’t seem to catch a break with scoring a nomination but loosing it out to someone who gave an even better performance. He went down a different path with directing Is This Thing On? and even having a brief supporting role he still shines. I’m sure one day he’ll finally get his Oscar but it’s crazy knowing he still doesn’t have one.

TOM CRUISE

Mock me all you want, but Tom Cruise is one of the most important figures we have in the movie industry. I’m not suggesting he’s box office gold like he used to be because the last two Mission Impossible movies he made fell short compared to what Fallout did. Obviously, there were a variety of circumstances with the writer’s strike, Barbenheimer and the post Covid era of the movie going. Nevertheless, Tom Cruise is a gifted and remarkable talent and younger people don’t really value him that way nor do a lot of people understand how good of an actor he can be. Less we forget, he’s a three time Oscar nominated actor his roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia. Everybody loves him as the rebellious Pete Maverick or the crazy stunt man in Mission Impossible, but it looks like he’s changing his gears now that the Mission Impossible has wrapped up. His upcoming movie Digger, being directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is gonna be unique for him but refreshing who knows what the conversation will be this time next year at next year’s Oscars.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON

I know Mr. Jackson won the Honorary Oscar in 2022 for his lifetime achievement in film, but the fact that he has yet to win one for a single performance is baffling. Yes, one can argue that Samuel L. Jackson has done SO many movies that even the very best can get hidden away. But if you really think about it and break it down methodically, Samuel L. Jackson is world class talent. If you look past the straight to DVD releases he’s done, his work with Marvel or a subpar theatrical release, Sam Jackson’s work in the Tarantino movies is brilliant stuff. He’s wonderful at comedy and he can wonderfully play the heavier/dramatic side. His only nomination being for Best Supporting Actor in Pulp Fiction is a well deserved nomination, but he’s given equally great performances in a vast list of movies after that.

BEN FOSTER

When the remake of the 3:10 to Yuma came out, one of the biggest positives about the movie wasn’t about Christian Bale or Russell Crowe (who were already power house names at that time), it was all centered around Ben Foster. Before 2007, Ben Foster didn’t have really anything to his name that was strongly notable. His biggest was probably his role was X-Men: The Last Stand, but even that had serious taint to it. But when remaking a classic western like 3:10 to Yuma, there’s a lot riding on that. Not only is one of the best remakes or western, it truly showed that with the right direction and attention you can have something special. Even going up against two titans with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe is already a tall order but Foster stole each minute he was on screen. Suffice to say, Ben Foster is one of the most underrated performers of his generation and he deserves to have an Oscar on his mantle sooner rather than later.

ANGELA BASSETT

Angela Bassett is Hollywood royalty. Just like Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett also won the Honorary Oscar in 2024 for her body work and what an incredible body of work she does have. She made a killer debut in the film What’s Love Got to Do with It, earning a her a nomination for Best Actress but after that she has yet to win another one yet. The second time she was nominated was for Best Supporting Actress in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever but having lost to Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the biggest head scratches the Academy has ever made. Not to disrespect Jamie Lee Curtis at all, but with everything that Wakanda Forever was faced with and the fact that Angela Bassett had MUCH more to with her character in that movie, it simply isn’t a contest. Even on an individual basis, Bassett’s performance is heads and shoulders above what Jamie Lee Curtis did in Everything Everywhere All at Once. What I’m trying to say is that Angela Bassett not having an Oscar is a damn shame.

AMY ADAMS

Amy Adams is absolutely prolific in every single way possible. The versatility she has is testament because she’s been in just about every movie genre that exists. She’s done musicals with Enchanted, gritty dramas like The Fighter and Arrival, and yes, she’s been in comic book movies like Man of Steel. In the span of her career, Amy Adams is a six time Oscar nominee. Most of which fall under the Best Supporting Actress category. Regardless, it really is a damn shame that some one like Amy Adams doesn’t have an Oscar and what’s funny is that she’s worked with some of the best and prestigious directors in Hollywood like Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam McKay and David O. Russell. I think it’s safe to say that Amy Adams will eventually get herself an Oscar one day.

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR

There’s another actor I’ve yet to mention that is arguably the greatest actor that doesn’t have an Oscar but we’ll save that for later. However, I think there’s a real strong candidate for that and I think it’s got to be Chiwetel Ejiofor. Chiwetel Ejiofor is exceptional in everything he’s in. He’s a major house hold name with casual movie goers, but if you’re a die hard cinephile I think he’s for sure brought up in film discourse. Say what you will about the remake of The Lion King, but Chiwetel Ejiofor was an excellent choice to voice Scar. He’s one of the best and perhaps the most underrated villain of all time in Joss Whedon’s Serenity. He’s great in big ensembles whether it’s Ridley Scott’s The Martian or the MCU’s Doctor Strange. Even at age 19, Steven Spielberg casted him to play a supporting role in the film Amistad. But I would be remiss if I weren’t to mention his Oscar nominated role as Solomon Northup in the Best Picture winning movie 12 Years a Slave. He’s yet to receive awards recognition since that one role but I’m sure he’ll get his moment to shine.

RALPH FIENNES

Remember how I said in my argument for Chiwetel Ejiofor, I had mentioned at the very beginning that there is another actor that is better? Ralph Fiennes is that very actor. I’m sure most younger people (around their 30s or so) would recognize him more for his work in the Harry Potter movies as Lord Voldemort, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if we were to dissect the entirety of his career, Ralph Fiennes has turned in some legendary and iconic performances. His best performance (to many) is his role as Amon Göth in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List. He earned some high praise for his work in The English Patient, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Conclave. Outside of his work that’s received awards recognition, his performances in films like The Menu, Hail, Caesar!, Coriolanus and especially the two recent 28 Years Later movies are wonderful additions to a legacy that live on forever.

HARRISON FORD

If you take away the franchise angle, Harrison Ford is a gifted actor and I don’t think a lot people really value it like I do. Han Solo and Indiana Jones are beloved characters and no one can deny that. But when you assess his career from another angle, Harrison Ford has been in some all time classics and top of that has turned in some magnetic performances. Blade Runner, Presumed Innocent, Frantic  or even classic action films like Air Force One, The Fugitive Patriot Games the man can do it all. Some people would actually be surprised that Harrison Ford is an Oscar nominated actor for his performance in 1985 film Witness. Even in the realm of TV, Harrison Ford has been giving a memorable performance on the hit show Shrinking on Apple Tv+. There’s really nothing that Harrison Ford has to prove now because he’s practically done it all.

JEFF DANIELS

The last one I’ll mention on this is someone that I think doesn’t get nearly the credit that he deserves. Jeff Daniels is a guy that, yes, is famous for being in the hit comedy Dumb and Dumber and it’s sequel Dumb and Dumber To and Paper Man. And to be fair, it’s not like Jeff Daniels is a house hold name. People would recognize him because of Dumb and Dumber but he’s never been the lead in a ton of movies because he’s been more prominent as a supporting character. That being said, it his work in films like Looper, Steve Jobs and The Martian where he can be an incredible dramatic actor. His back and forth with Michael Fassbender in the masterpiece that is Steve Jobs are some of the most layered and compelling scenes in any movie ever. Not only is that credit for the directing and writing, it’s proof that Jeff Daniels can carry a scene with almost any other respected actor because he’s just that damn good.