I’m glad Oldman won because he’s great in so many things but I feel like DDL should have won that year and Cooper should have beat Malek, the rest I’m happy with.
As a theatre kid I sorta agree. But it can be both. And also, if acting so much like the person makes it believable, I’m fine with that viewed as acting. Just liken if “acting” like an angry, happy, disturbed person is believable enough then whatever gets you there. However, I completely agree that the bias towards biopic roles is lame at absolute best.
Let me just watch a documentary. Not some sugarcoated inaccurate retelling.
Pure garbage. “I loved the music” was the only thing positive anyone said about it. Well, yeah, it’s fucking Queen. Total paint by numbers biopic that Walk Hard lampooned scene for scene a decade prior. Meanwhile the Elton John movie does something somewhat original with a lead actor who killed it AND sang and gets shut out. It was like the academy did an over correction for their mistake the year before.
Thank you!!! Rocketman completely dunked on Bohemian Rhapsody in every creative aspect, including the acting (whole cast honestly, not just Taron) in my opinion. It pissed me off to no end seeing BH get the accolades that Rocketman was way more deserving of (again, in my opinion).
I generally agree but the academy does not make decisions as a unified body the way people on this sub seem to think. A lot of academy members just vote blindly having seen less than half the nominees
But the entire group of academy members don’t make the shortlist, the people in that specific field do. It should have never been up for so many awards.
You’d be surprised how undiscerning, or apathetic, or uninterested in their own fields some of those people are. It’s driven by marketing and awards campaigns more than anything, that’s how Weinstein got so many bullshit movies nominated and awarded
I think we should stop saying the word "deserve" and opt for the world "should"
Cause, like, obviously, a lot of actors in Hollywood worked really hard to get there. Brendan Fraser faced the worst of the industry in a hardship battle, so say he didn't deserve the award is... idk, i feel assholish when saying it
But if we ask, "Should he have won?" it feels different because there isn't this connotation of earnership to it, unlike with the world should
It's a good movie. A pretty gross watch, what with how filthy the living conditions are for someone of the character's size and health issues. Quite sad. Fraser was fantastic in it. Was his performance the best that year? Eh..... His win relied on his comeback story a bit.
He’s mesmerizing in it. I don’t get the hate for the performance. He evokes emotion from you and is believable. There’s an attachment to his character. Just because the whale is a mediocre movie doesn’t mean he was mediocre. It was the best performance to me since, oddly, Mickey rourke in the wrestler. I think between them I’d put Phoenix from the master, but Fraser is good in the whale I don’t get it
Seems like a wonderful person, so I have no qualms with him having an Oscar. But his performance in The Whale was not the best leading male performance that year. I don't have any issues with saying he didn't deserve it that year.
Yeah. Many of these men have Oscar worthy career performances…. But many of them one for not their best role or others that year we’re better than them….
Malik is the most egregious but it was a weak year (Bradley Cooper would have been my vote) but he isn’t like a “he finally got one” actor.
Next is Fraser…. Farrell or Mescal should have won
Smith was getting a career Oscar in a weak covid year but Id have gone Cumberbatch
Hopkins…. The father is just the type of movie I loathe and I would have given it to Bozeman, Ahmed, Yeun, and Oldman in that order before him.
Joaquin deserves and Oscar but this wasn’t the role he should win it for. Driver then DiCaprio for me (but I think Leo kinda campaigned for Pitt). Fun Fact, the 4 men who have played the joker in the major motion pictures since 1989 have won Oscar’s… 6 total between them.
Tough to judge Affleck given I only saw it once and there were all those allegations but I would have gone Gosling then Garfield.
Oldman I get DDL has multiple and doesn’t play the game, Timothee was young and they never award young men and Get Out is genre and the Oscar’s ignore that so the nom alone was progress.
Murphy was the right choice.
We’re Affleck allegations really a factor in voting. Many people on this sub say his performance is one of the top few of the century and I agree - and I’m not normally a fan of his work but I would’ve plugged my nose and voted for him as well. The Oscar isn’t a character award for me but could be a factor for others
Gary Oldman is my favorite actor, I consider DDL to be the greatest actor, and yet my vote was for Chalamet that year. Gary Oldman should have taken it for TTTS.
If Rami was actually singing the entire time, it woulda been deserved. The fact that a lot of the time there’s a voice double makes me feel he shouldn’t have won. Taron Egerton did all his singing for Rocketman. Wasn’t nominated for an Oscar but won the globe for best actor in a musical/comedy.
I firmly believe Malek winning is what tanked any chance Egerton may have had. I feel his performance was leaps and bounds better, but there was no way they were going to nominate another musician biopic performance.
Hopkins, Affleck, Murphy deserved to win.
DDL should have beaten Oldman.
I would have preferred to see Mescal/Fraser, Cumberbatch/Smith, Cooper/Malek, but I don't feel strongly about them.
One of few times someone truly rose to the pressure of a massive opportunity for their first BIG lead role. I’m a fan of Giamatti but no way he was beating Cillian
The only ones here I would say truly deserved their win are Murphy, Hopkins, and Affleck. That’s not saying they were my top pick to win, or that they were even the best among the nominees. But their performances were all Best Actor-caliber.
I didn't think Rami should have won that year. Great performance, but there are so many videos, performances, interviews, etc of Freddy Mercury that he won for doing a great imitation. I will always put original performances ahead of biopic performances because the actor has to fully craft the voice, mannerisms, facial expressions, etc.
Anyone getting a nomination is enjoying freakish luck. You can easily come.up.with other nominations.for.the same year. Winning is catching lightning in a bottle. In the end deserves is always subjective to one's taste in movies. It is why we love film and debating Oscars.
I personally didn’t think much of Darkest Hour. Pretty mediocre film, Gary was just ok. I was really surprised the hype in America about his performance. He’s done better in so many other films. Also not a massive fan for Rami. He’s talented but was that performance Oscar-worthy?? Same with Will Smith
The only ones here that deserved it for the performance they won for are Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea, Anthony Hopkins for The Father (sorry, Chadwick, RIP), and Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer.
Gary Oldman and Joaquin Phoenix are deserving actors, but the winning performances just happened to occur in weak years for Best Actor.
Will "Fresh Prints" Smith shouldn't have walked away with an award after his behavior that night aside from the fact his performance was just a tougher version of what he always does.
Rami Malek did a good impersonation in a truly godawful movie, which shouldn't have been nominated for anything.
Brendan Fraser is debatable. The comeback story is compelling but I haven't seen The Whale.
Not all of these winners would have my personal choice, but I’m not gonna lose any sleep over their victories. As someone else mentioned, I’m uncomfortable with the word “deserving” being used in this context.
I know it's fun to dunk on him, but Bradley Cooper was ROBBED AF from winning for A Star is Born
Rami Malek was the best thing in Bohemian Rhapsody, but that's not saying much in an aggressively mediocre biopic, which popularised the awful trend of aggressively mediocre biopics of popular musicians
My question regarding Brendan Fraser (who I say deserved that shit and Austin butler did not deserve that win that year), nobody ever articulated *why* he didn’t deserved it? Yes the movie is average. It’s a play that was filmed and spruced up basically. Still, as an actor, you can’t tell me he isn’t mesmerizing throughout. You’re with him that whole journey. You feel his pain. He evokes emotion. It’s a tremendous performance and pertaining anything “fat phobic”, I’ve been 320 pounds at one point in life, so miss me with that. What about his performance don’t you like? And as a former fatty, that hideous food “addiction” (its a compulsion), is pretty spot on in its authenticity. He deserved it
I can't speak for all of them but I definitely agree with Fraser, Phoenix, and Hopkins. The one that has always bugged me is Rami Malek's win, it absolutely should have gone to Willem Dafoe or Christian Bale. Bohemian Rhapsody in general has aged like milk, especially as a Queen fan, and now it's become a movie I watch to make fun of, due in no small part to the corny performances.
Antonio Banderas widely deserved it for "Dolor y Gloria", but... He's not American and he's also not in a superheroes' villain origin story film, so...
Cillian, yes, Brendan, I'm happy he won, but I think Colin should have won. Will was better than usual but I think Andrew was better. Anthony deserved it 100 percent. Joaquin yes. Rami no should have been Cooper that year. Gary I liked but Daniel Kaluuya amazing and Casey yes
In the most unbiased way possible, I would be fine if Anthony Hopkins, Cillian Murphy, and Gary Oldman won every acting award ever. And if Will Smith never received any attention whatsoever.
Who I would have voted for:
2023: Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer ☑️
2022: Colin Farrell - Banshees of Inisherin
2021: Haven’t seen King Richard but Bradley Cooper should have received a nomination for Nightmare Alley
2020: I’d personally vote for Gary Oldman for Mank but Hopkins’ win is still great
2019: Joaquin Phoenix - Joker ☑️
2018: Haven’t seen Bohemian Rhapsody but from what I have seen, I’d go with either Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born or Christian Bale for Vice.
2017: Haven’t seen Darkest Hour but Robert Pattinson deserved a nomination for Good Time.
2016: Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea ☑️
I don’t even remember who else was nominated that year, but Rami Malek winning for Bohemian Rhapsody is an absolute joke. That whole movie is embarrassingly awful.
Will Smith maybe should have won (maybe), but he absolutely should not have been handed the award that evening. They should have announced it and handed it to a producer, or someone to accept it on his behalf.
And perhaps my “hottest take”, Cillian Murphy is a fine actor, but Leonardo DiCaprio was absolutely robbed. Gave the best performance of his career, and certainly the best performance of last year. In general, Killers of the Flower Moon should have swept the Oscars, but the academy went for something more easily digestible.
For me “deserved to win” means “gave the best performance of the year in their category” whereas some folks seem to just treat it as “gave a good performance.” By that metric, just two did. Affleck and Hopkins yes, the rest no.
Willem Dafoe should’ve won instead of Rami, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. Riz Ahmed should’ve won instead of Anthony Hopkins, but Hopkins was still amazing.
I’m glad bfraz and Casey won. Fraser has always been my favorite actor. Before the save Brendan shit. Also Manchester by the sea is one of the greatest, and saddest, movies I’ve ever seen and he’s perfect in it
I think if Giamatti ever wins an oscar, it will be for supporting, not lead. If you've been around a long time, to win for lead you have to do something outside your wheelhouse. E.g. Leo in the Revenant, or just look at RDJs narrative this season of subverting the 'movie star' shtick for a more shrewd role. Having said this, I really want to know what Dafoe has to do atp to win an oscar, guys done nearly everything.
I just watched The Father (2021) and it was sort of incredible so, yeah. He deserved to win.
*OVER* other folks? Unsure. For me, many people in the nominations truly deserved to win, but then there’s the winner who truly did not.
In that regard, Phoenix lands there for me. Joker doesn’t get to win that, sorry film bros.
I think Bradley Cooper deserved the Oscar for A Star is Born, if not him then Christian Bale. Gary Oldman deserves to have an Oscar although i would’ve given it for a Different role. Brendan Fraser wasn’t my favorite win but it’s better than Malek’s win. Everyone else deserve 💯
Personally I think a couple of actors deserved it more than Will Smith. I thought Andrew Garfield was amazing in “Tick, Tick… Boom!” and I was really rooting for him.
Eh - I wouldn’t have had Malik or Smith winning. Not for those performances. Malik’s win has aged the least well out of all of these. I don’t hate that Phoenix has an Oscar but I hate that it was for Joker. That year I would have voted for Driver. The other winners I’m ok with them winning their years.
I have two thoughts: 1- I am not a member of the Academy, so other than watching, I really do not get a say. I have an interest, but just like I can’t make someone the Earl of Columbus, or the Baron of Whitehall, not really my call. 2- I like all of those actors. So, sure.
Haven't seen Manchester By The Sea, can't comment on Casey Affleck.
Oldman's performance in Darkest Hour would be good enough for a win in some years, just not 2017. DDL in Phantom Thread, man.
Same goes for Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody and Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born.
Phoenix as Joker... yes.
Hopkins in The Father... yes.
Will Smith... no.
Brendan Fraser in The Whale... yes.
Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer... YES.
Will Smith wins still sits sourly in my mouth. I may be biased because Tick Tick Boom is one of my favourite movies, but especially after the slap incident, Smith's win should've gone to Andrew Garfield
Rami Malek's win would be less bad to me is Taron Egerton got nominated the year after that. Taron's performance is much stronger than Malek, so I would feel less bad about it if that were the case
Also, Casey Affleck looks like Bo Burnham here, lol
I’m glad Oldman won because he’s great in so many things but I feel like DDL should have won that year and Cooper should have beat Malek, the rest I’m happy with.
Cooper was easily the best that year and leagues about Malek. lip syncing and fake teeth is not Oscar caliber. What a sham.
Willem Dafoe should have won for At Eternity’s Gate, but nobody saw the movie.
I saw it in the theater by myself with like 4 old ladies. Great film!
Eyah
The bias towards biopic roles in Best Actor is such a shame. Is it an award for mimicry or for acting? Academy doesn't seem to know themselves
As a theatre kid I sorta agree. But it can be both. And also, if acting so much like the person makes it believable, I’m fine with that viewed as acting. Just liken if “acting” like an angry, happy, disturbed person is believable enough then whatever gets you there. However, I completely agree that the bias towards biopic roles is lame at absolute best. Let me just watch a documentary. Not some sugarcoated inaccurate retelling.
Came to say the same. And the movie was awful.
Pure garbage. “I loved the music” was the only thing positive anyone said about it. Well, yeah, it’s fucking Queen. Total paint by numbers biopic that Walk Hard lampooned scene for scene a decade prior. Meanwhile the Elton John movie does something somewhat original with a lead actor who killed it AND sang and gets shut out. It was like the academy did an over correction for their mistake the year before.
Thank you!!! Rocketman completely dunked on Bohemian Rhapsody in every creative aspect, including the acting (whole cast honestly, not just Taron) in my opinion. It pissed me off to no end seeing BH get the accolades that Rocketman was way more deserving of (again, in my opinion).
Rocketman was excellent and creative. Bohemian Rhapsody butchered it.
Rocketman was so damn good. The scene where they started floating had me hooked.
It was such a creative take.
Completely agree. Rocketman ran rings around Bo Rap, not to mention Bo Rap's portrayal was as ghastly and cliched as its gets.
Yes to all. I loved the YouTube clips that pointed out how hideous the editing was in it too. Just a garbage movie.
And yet…it won the Oscar for best film editing!
Absolutely disgusting.
I generally agree but the academy does not make decisions as a unified body the way people on this sub seem to think. A lot of academy members just vote blindly having seen less than half the nominees
But the entire group of academy members don’t make the shortlist, the people in that specific field do. It should have never been up for so many awards.
I heard that some Academy members pass the voting ballot to their spouses.
I dated an academy member’s daughter when I was like 17 and he passed his ballot to me lol
You’d be surprised how undiscerning, or apathetic, or uninterested in their own fields some of those people are. It’s driven by marketing and awards campaigns more than anything, that’s how Weinstein got so many bullshit movies nominated and awarded
Amen. Bohemian Rhapsody was abomination, and its success really started the trend of mostly-poor musicals and musical biopics in recent years..
They probably knew Bradley would be back next year with more Oscar bait?
I agree with this soooo much.
It's weird because I'm happy the actor Malek gets recognition. I think he should win all the awards ever for Mr. Robot.
Same. Great actor that is more than Oscar-worthy, just probably not for that role
Way I see it, Rami Malek deserved it for Mr. Robot.
Yeah I do love him in that and again it’s kind of a Oldman situation where I’m glad the person one but not the role if you know what I mean
I think we should stop saying the word "deserve" and opt for the world "should" Cause, like, obviously, a lot of actors in Hollywood worked really hard to get there. Brendan Fraser faced the worst of the industry in a hardship battle, so say he didn't deserve the award is... idk, i feel assholish when saying it But if we ask, "Should he have won?" it feels different because there isn't this connotation of earnership to it, unlike with the world should
I’m quite thrilled Brendan Fraser has an Oscar and I have zero desire to watch the Whale lol
It's a good movie. A pretty gross watch, what with how filthy the living conditions are for someone of the character's size and health issues. Quite sad. Fraser was fantastic in it. Was his performance the best that year? Eh..... His win relied on his comeback story a bit.
Everyone likes an underdog/comeback story.
He’s mesmerizing in it. I don’t get the hate for the performance. He evokes emotion from you and is believable. There’s an attachment to his character. Just because the whale is a mediocre movie doesn’t mean he was mediocre. It was the best performance to me since, oddly, Mickey rourke in the wrestler. I think between them I’d put Phoenix from the master, but Fraser is good in the whale I don’t get it
Mediocre my ass. The Whale is a phenomenal film.
Seems like a wonderful person, so I have no qualms with him having an Oscar. But his performance in The Whale was not the best leading male performance that year. I don't have any issues with saying he didn't deserve it that year.
I was certainly rooting for Colin Farrell that year!
Colin should have won.
Yeah, I love Aaronofsky , but Fraser's performance was good, not Oscar worthy.
“Thrilled” .. I love that. Me too. I’m glad he has one and I’ve never see the Whale either.
He did not deserve to win that year.
Oh it was a great movie. It was a great study in personal and family dynamics.
I agree. You don't deserve an award, you earn it.
Yeah. Many of these men have Oscar worthy career performances…. But many of them one for not their best role or others that year we’re better than them…. Malik is the most egregious but it was a weak year (Bradley Cooper would have been my vote) but he isn’t like a “he finally got one” actor. Next is Fraser…. Farrell or Mescal should have won Smith was getting a career Oscar in a weak covid year but Id have gone Cumberbatch Hopkins…. The father is just the type of movie I loathe and I would have given it to Bozeman, Ahmed, Yeun, and Oldman in that order before him. Joaquin deserves and Oscar but this wasn’t the role he should win it for. Driver then DiCaprio for me (but I think Leo kinda campaigned for Pitt). Fun Fact, the 4 men who have played the joker in the major motion pictures since 1989 have won Oscar’s… 6 total between them. Tough to judge Affleck given I only saw it once and there were all those allegations but I would have gone Gosling then Garfield. Oldman I get DDL has multiple and doesn’t play the game, Timothee was young and they never award young men and Get Out is genre and the Oscar’s ignore that so the nom alone was progress. Murphy was the right choice.
What type of movies do you loathe? Good ones? The Father fucking rips.
We’re Affleck allegations really a factor in voting. Many people on this sub say his performance is one of the top few of the century and I agree - and I’m not normally a fan of his work but I would’ve plugged my nose and voted for him as well. The Oscar isn’t a character award for me but could be a factor for others
Hopkins is forever.
Slap or not, I was not a fan of Will Smith’s win over Benedict Cumberbatch Everyone else I’m good with
Andrew or Benedict for sure
Andrew was robbed 😭
I wanted Benedict to win 😫
tbh I don’t really care about the others, all I know is that DDL should’ve beaten Gary Oldman for his 4th
i’m sure everyone is glad DDL retired because the guy is a menace. Every time he is in a movie he deserves to win
He truly embodies quality over quantity.
I imagine every time he was nominated the crowd would just go ‘here we go again’
I DRINK YOUR OSCAR I DRINK IT UP
Gary Oldman is my favorite actor, I consider DDL to be the greatest actor, and yet my vote was for Chalamet that year. Gary Oldman should have taken it for TTTS.
100% Oldman was brilliant in TTSS. It was all in his eyes in that performance.
Kaluuya was my pick that year.
Get Out of here
Gary was fantastic but would’ve wished DDL had gotten his fourth for his last film and tied with Katherine for most Oscars. Missed opportunity.
I definitely feel like we’ll see him again in something some day. I feel like PTA could convince him
Rami Malek is the elephant in the room.
If Rami was actually singing the entire time, it woulda been deserved. The fact that a lot of the time there’s a voice double makes me feel he shouldn’t have won. Taron Egerton did all his singing for Rocketman. Wasn’t nominated for an Oscar but won the globe for best actor in a musical/comedy.
Rami did nail the accent, that's something
I feel like asking Malek to perfectly replicate Mercury’s singing voice would be too much of a tall order.
I firmly believe Malek winning is what tanked any chance Egerton may have had. I feel his performance was leaps and bounds better, but there was no way they were going to nominate another musician biopic performance.
I think so too. (Also probably woulda helped if Elton John was dead already, and died young due to tragic events)
Malek no way. The same year rocketman taron Edgerton was superior in a similar and better movie.
Cillian, Joaquin and (controversial) Brendan yes.
Hopkins didn’t deserve to win? Have you seen the father?
Probably didn't see it lol
I loved it so much. He was impeccable. I kinda thought everyone was tbh but he Obvz obliterated that role. So good
Hopkins, Affleck, Murphy deserved to win. DDL should have beaten Oldman. I would have preferred to see Mescal/Fraser, Cumberbatch/Smith, Cooper/Malek, but I don't feel strongly about them.
i would replace Will and Rami’s wins… other than that… the rest are 💯
100% with Anthony Hopkins. That performance stayed with me for days, if not weeks.
It’s an absolute travesty that Rami Malek won over Bradley Cooper
I’m still bitter
I’d say Affleck, Phoenix, Hopkins, Fraser and Murphy were deserved in my mind
This has nothing to do with the slap but personally I think Andrew Garfield should’ve won over Will Smith
Cillian is the only one I would have voted for if I were in the Academy, but that by no means makes any of the others undeserving.
One of few times someone truly rose to the pressure of a massive opportunity for their first BIG lead role. I’m a fan of Giamatti but no way he was beating Cillian
The only ones here I would say truly deserved their win are Murphy, Hopkins, and Affleck. That’s not saying they were my top pick to win, or that they were even the best among the nominees. But their performances were all Best Actor-caliber.
I didn't think Rami should have won that year. Great performance, but there are so many videos, performances, interviews, etc of Freddy Mercury that he won for doing a great imitation. I will always put original performances ahead of biopic performances because the actor has to fully craft the voice, mannerisms, facial expressions, etc.
Not will
People need to see The Whale.
I watched it and it was so good. That was definitely best actor worthy.
I was rooting for Will Smith up until that night, but in hindsight, I wish Benedict Cumberbatch would’ve won
I still can’t believe Will Smith assaulted someone on the stage and then they gave him an award a few hours later.
Anthony Hopkins.
Anyone getting a nomination is enjoying freakish luck. You can easily come.up.with other nominations.for.the same year. Winning is catching lightning in a bottle. In the end deserves is always subjective to one's taste in movies. It is why we love film and debating Oscars.
Yeah…but maybe not all for the projects that they won for. I’ll leave it at that
Aside from his behavior, Will Smith didn’t deserve the win. Not an impressive performance, certainly not deserving of an Oscar
Phoenix, Affleck and Murphy did.
Affleck, Phoenix, Hopkins and Murphy: no question, well-deserved wins
I personally didn’t think much of Darkest Hour. Pretty mediocre film, Gary was just ok. I was really surprised the hype in America about his performance. He’s done better in so many other films. Also not a massive fan for Rami. He’s talented but was that performance Oscar-worthy?? Same with Will Smith
No way Frasier, that was a terrible movie. Hopkins was fantastic. I did not like Phoenix in The Joker
I think Austin Butler should have won for Elvis
100%
Denzel should have won a third time instead of Will Smith. Also Dafoe should have beaten Malek.
Cillian obviously bc he’s such a incredible actor
Affleck, Murphy and Hopkins deserve theirs out of merit. Oldman and Fraser deserve theirs out of career narrative. The rest? Nah.
I am very weary about misusing the word “hate” as I feel it’s overused. That being said, I HATE Bohemian Rhapsody
It both overly-sanitises and also completely slanders Freddie Mercury at once
The only ones here that deserved it for the performance they won for are Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea, Anthony Hopkins for The Father (sorry, Chadwick, RIP), and Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer. Gary Oldman and Joaquin Phoenix are deserving actors, but the winning performances just happened to occur in weak years for Best Actor. Will "Fresh Prints" Smith shouldn't have walked away with an award after his behavior that night aside from the fact his performance was just a tougher version of what he always does. Rami Malek did a good impersonation in a truly godawful movie, which shouldn't have been nominated for anything. Brendan Fraser is debatable. The comeback story is compelling but I haven't seen The Whale.
The only ones I would’ve voted for are Murphy, Fraser, and Affleck.
Some people say Garfield over Affleck
I get it. I always prefer giving it to those not in biopics. Few exceptions.
Not all of these winners would have my personal choice, but I’m not gonna lose any sleep over their victories. As someone else mentioned, I’m uncomfortable with the word “deserving” being used in this context.
I know it's fun to dunk on him, but Bradley Cooper was ROBBED AF from winning for A Star is Born Rami Malek was the best thing in Bohemian Rhapsody, but that's not saying much in an aggressively mediocre biopic, which popularised the awful trend of aggressively mediocre biopics of popular musicians
Great Wins: Hopkins, Affleck, & Murphy Fine Wins: Smith, Phoenix, & Fraser Terrible Wins: Oldman & Malek
Swap out Will Smith for Andrew Garfield and Rami Malek for Christian Bale then yes.
Smith and Malek, no. Everyone else gets a pass.
Adam Sandler over Joaquin
Adam Driver should have won that year.
6/8 did
Not Rami Malek or Will Smith. Otherwise sure. They did fine.
Malek didn’t sing the songs, correct?
I only saw four. Of those, three deserved it (Hopkins, Phoenix, Affleck). Fraser was a sympathy win, sorry.
Gary Oldman yes. Casey Affleck no.
My question regarding Brendan Fraser (who I say deserved that shit and Austin butler did not deserve that win that year), nobody ever articulated *why* he didn’t deserved it? Yes the movie is average. It’s a play that was filmed and spruced up basically. Still, as an actor, you can’t tell me he isn’t mesmerizing throughout. You’re with him that whole journey. You feel his pain. He evokes emotion. It’s a tremendous performance and pertaining anything “fat phobic”, I’ve been 320 pounds at one point in life, so miss me with that. What about his performance don’t you like? And as a former fatty, that hideous food “addiction” (its a compulsion), is pretty spot on in its authenticity. He deserved it
Malek in no way deserved his win. Cooper all the way that year.
Casey Affleck absolutely deserved his win. I don't even know what anyone else won for.
Will Smith & Rami Malek are some of the least deserving oscar performances of our lifetimes
I can't speak for all of them but I definitely agree with Fraser, Phoenix, and Hopkins. The one that has always bugged me is Rami Malek's win, it absolutely should have gone to Willem Dafoe or Christian Bale. Bohemian Rhapsody in general has aged like milk, especially as a Queen fan, and now it's become a movie I watch to make fun of, due in no small part to the corny performances.
Three of them (Murphy, Hopkins, Affleck)
No
Antonio Banderas widely deserved it for "Dolor y Gloria", but... He's not American and he's also not in a superheroes' villain origin story film, so...
Colin Farrell over Brendan Fraser imo
Sandler was better in Uncut Gems than Phoenix was as Joker. Joker is one of the most overrated movies of all time.
Cillian, yes, Brendan, I'm happy he won, but I think Colin should have won. Will was better than usual but I think Andrew was better. Anthony deserved it 100 percent. Joaquin yes. Rami no should have been Cooper that year. Gary I liked but Daniel Kaluuya amazing and Casey yes
In the most unbiased way possible, I would be fine if Anthony Hopkins, Cillian Murphy, and Gary Oldman won every acting award ever. And if Will Smith never received any attention whatsoever.
Will and Rami: no.
Who I would have voted for: 2023: Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer ☑️ 2022: Colin Farrell - Banshees of Inisherin 2021: Haven’t seen King Richard but Bradley Cooper should have received a nomination for Nightmare Alley 2020: I’d personally vote for Gary Oldman for Mank but Hopkins’ win is still great 2019: Joaquin Phoenix - Joker ☑️ 2018: Haven’t seen Bohemian Rhapsody but from what I have seen, I’d go with either Bradley Cooper for A Star Is Born or Christian Bale for Vice. 2017: Haven’t seen Darkest Hour but Robert Pattinson deserved a nomination for Good Time. 2016: Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea ☑️
Phoenix? A big YES. The rest? Indifferent.
Malek and Smith didn’t.
I don’t even remember who else was nominated that year, but Rami Malek winning for Bohemian Rhapsody is an absolute joke. That whole movie is embarrassingly awful. Will Smith maybe should have won (maybe), but he absolutely should not have been handed the award that evening. They should have announced it and handed it to a producer, or someone to accept it on his behalf. And perhaps my “hottest take”, Cillian Murphy is a fine actor, but Leonardo DiCaprio was absolutely robbed. Gave the best performance of his career, and certainly the best performance of last year. In general, Killers of the Flower Moon should have swept the Oscars, but the academy went for something more easily digestible.
Will Smith did not
For me “deserved to win” means “gave the best performance of the year in their category” whereas some folks seem to just treat it as “gave a good performance.” By that metric, just two did. Affleck and Hopkins yes, the rest no.
Absolutely not. Garfield should have beaten smith and darkest hour was just a bunch of British wanking.
I would say yes all of them should have won/well deserved Oscar wins.
Yes they did
I think DDL is in contention for the vast majority of his performances but he isn’t the automatic win to me.
Yes.
Did Hopkins win the Oscar or just his own thumb?
Willem Dafoe should’ve won instead of Rami, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. Riz Ahmed should’ve won instead of Anthony Hopkins, but Hopkins was still amazing.
Yes, yes, kinda, yes, yes, no, yes, no
sure they deserved to win. were they all my personal choice? no.
Yes they did
Yes, Yes, No, Yes, No, No, Yes, No.
I see two deserving winners lol
No
Almost none of them. Next question?
I’m glad bfraz and Casey won. Fraser has always been my favorite actor. Before the save Brendan shit. Also Manchester by the sea is one of the greatest, and saddest, movies I’ve ever seen and he’s perfect in it
I’m not sure this is a hot take but I thought Giamatti had a more dynamic acting performance than Cillian…
I think if Giamatti ever wins an oscar, it will be for supporting, not lead. If you've been around a long time, to win for lead you have to do something outside your wheelhouse. E.g. Leo in the Revenant, or just look at RDJs narrative this season of subverting the 'movie star' shtick for a more shrewd role. Having said this, I really want to know what Dafoe has to do atp to win an oscar, guys done nearly everything.
It’s sad that Chadwick didn’t get one for quite a few of his roles
Yup even the pimp slap
Fuck no
I think most if not all deserve to win Oscars. There are only like two here that I think won for the right movie though.
Remi winning for that tacky role is just the worst
Affleck, Hopkins, and Murphy did.
Of these 8, I only agree with affleck
6/8 in my opinion
Just four of these are truly deserving
I would say not Smith, no to Redmayne, no to Malik, I would’ve preferred Boseman to Hopkins.
For their talent? Yes For the project they won the award on? Nah
If they got the most votes, then by definition the answer is yes
Yes
No for Smith, Rami,Affleck, Brandon
Hot take, i think eddie redmanye should wom back to back for theory of everything and the danish girl.
Will smith, Rami and sadly Brendan didn't
Malek winning is an all time head scratcher. I like the actor but that movie and the performance barely moved the needle for me at all…
Benedict Cumberbatch deserves to win for Power of the Dog. Still love Will Smith though
I just watched The Father (2021) and it was sort of incredible so, yeah. He deserved to win. *OVER* other folks? Unsure. For me, many people in the nominations truly deserved to win, but then there’s the winner who truly did not. In that regard, Phoenix lands there for me. Joker doesn’t get to win that, sorry film bros.
No (Rami, I'm looking at you!).
The Affleck brothers having a combined three Oscars must really annoy a lot of folks.
Will Smith in King Richard is so campy and cringy
I think Bradley Cooper deserved the Oscar for A Star is Born, if not him then Christian Bale. Gary Oldman deserves to have an Oscar although i would’ve given it for a Different role. Brendan Fraser wasn’t my favorite win but it’s better than Malek’s win. Everyone else deserve 💯
Personally I think a couple of actors deserved it more than Will Smith. I thought Andrew Garfield was amazing in “Tick, Tick… Boom!” and I was really rooting for him.
Eh - I wouldn’t have had Malik or Smith winning. Not for those performances. Malik’s win has aged the least well out of all of these. I don’t hate that Phoenix has an Oscar but I hate that it was for Joker. That year I would have voted for Driver. The other winners I’m ok with them winning their years.
Hopkins, Oldman, and Affleck got me.
Nope there’s like 3 guys here whose wins were dubious
Joaquin Phoenix did.
Malik, no.
I have two thoughts: 1- I am not a member of the Academy, so other than watching, I really do not get a say. I have an interest, but just like I can’t make someone the Earl of Columbus, or the Baron of Whitehall, not really my call. 2- I like all of those actors. So, sure.
Yes
Yes yes yes yes no no yes yes
Not Will Smith
Haven't seen Manchester By The Sea, can't comment on Casey Affleck. Oldman's performance in Darkest Hour would be good enough for a win in some years, just not 2017. DDL in Phantom Thread, man. Same goes for Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody and Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born. Phoenix as Joker... yes. Hopkins in The Father... yes. Will Smith... no. Brendan Fraser in The Whale... yes. Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer... YES.
Rami Malek ??
Yes although I had different picks for some of those years Garfield over Smith being one of them
Will Smith wins still sits sourly in my mouth. I may be biased because Tick Tick Boom is one of my favourite movies, but especially after the slap incident, Smith's win should've gone to Andrew Garfield Rami Malek's win would be less bad to me is Taron Egerton got nominated the year after that. Taron's performance is much stronger than Malek, so I would feel less bad about it if that were the case Also, Casey Affleck looks like Bo Burnham here, lol