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Some years, the winner has 1 runner up who posed the biggest threat to win.
Example: Meryl’s runner up in 2011 was Viola Davis as she snagged two televise awards – the SAG and Critics choice – and was definitely in 2nd place.
Kate Hudson was most probably 2nd to Marcia Gay Harden because she was the frontrunner going into the Oscars although she had the GG under her bag only.
So, in other years, and particularly in the past 25 years, who were the runners up and if you could explain why you think these people were in 2nd place please do. (unless its too obvious)
ReplyBest Actress
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2014 Rosamund Pike
2013 Sandra Bullock
2012 Jessica Chastain
2011 Viola Davis
2010 Jennifer Lawrence
2009 Carey Mulligan
2008 Meryl Streep
2007 Julie Christie
2006 Judi Dench
2005 Felicity Huffman
2004 Imelda Staunton
2003 Diane Keaton
2002 Renee Zellwegar
2001 Sissy Spacek
2000 Ellen Burstyn
1999 Anette Bening
1998 Cate Blanchett
1997 Judi Dench
1996 Kristen Scott Thomas
1995 Elizabeth Shue
1994 Jodie Foster
1993 Angela Bassett
1992 Susan Sarandon
1991 Susan Sarandon
1990 Julia RobertsSince she has the most nominations of all time, it would
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make sense that MERYL STREEP has finished in second
place more than any other person.
2009 JULIE AND JULIA
2008 DOUBT
2002 ADAPTATION right ahead of julianne moore
1995 THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY right ahead of elizabeth shue
1988 A CRY IN THE DARK right ahead of glenn close
1985 OUT OF AFRICA right ahead of whoopi goldberg
1981 THE FRENCH LIEUTENEANTS WOMAN right ahead of diane keatonBest Actress & Best Supporting Actress
1939. Bette Davis, Dark Victory & Olivia de Havilland, Gone with the Wind
1940. Joan Fontaine, Rebecca & Judith Anderson, Rebecca
1941. Olivia de Havilland, Hold Back the Dawn & Teresa Wright, The Little Foxes
1942. Bette Davis, Now, Voyager & Agnes Moorehead, The Magnificent Ambersons
1943. Ingrid Bergman, For Whom the Bell Tolls & Anne Revere, The Song of Bernadette
1944. Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity & Angela Lansbury, Gaslight
1945. Ingrid Bergman, The Bells of St. Mary’s & Eve Arden, Mildred Pierce
1946. Jane Wyman, The Yearling & Lillian Gish, Duel in the Sun
1947. Rosalind Russell, Mourning Becomes Electra & Gloria Grahame, Crossfire
1948. Olivia de Havilland, The Snake Pit & Jean Simmons, Hamlet
1949. Deborah Kerr, Edward, My Son & Elsa Lanchester, Come to the Stable1950. Gloria Swanson, Sunset Blvd. & Celeste Holm, All About Eve
1951. Katharine Hepburn, The African Queen & Lee Grant, The Detective Story
1952. Susan Hayward, With a Song In My Heart & Jean Hagen, Singin’ in the Rain
1953. Deborah Kerr, From Here to Eternity & Geraldine Page, Hondo
1954. Judy Garland, A Star Is Born & Claire Trevor, The High and Mighty
1955. Susan Hayward, I’ll Cry Tomorrow & Natalie Wood, Rebel without a Cause
1956. Deborah Kerr, The King and I & Mildred Dunnock, Baby Doll
1957. Anna Magnani, Wild Is the Wind & Elsa Lanchester, Witness for the Prosecution
1958. Rosalind Russell, Auntie Mame & Maureen Stapleton, Lonelyhearts
1959. Elizabeth Taylor, Suddenly, Last Summer & Thelma Ritter, Pillow Talk1960. Shirley MacLaine, The Apartment & Janet Leigh, Psycho
1961. Natalie Wood, Splendor in the Grass & Fay Bainter, The Children’s Hour
1962. Geraldine Page, Sweet Bird of Youth & Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate
1963. Rachel Roberts, This Sporting Life & Edith Evans, Tom Jones
1964. Debbie Reynolds, The Unsinkable Molly Brown & Agnes Moorehead, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte
1965. Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music & Ruth Gordon, Inside Daisy Clover
1966. Anouk Aimee, A Man and a Woman & Wendy Hiller, A Man for All Seasons
1967. Edith Evans, The Whisperers & Beah Richards, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
1968. [3rd] Vanessa Redgrave, Isadora & [2nd] Kay Medford, Funny Girl
1969. Genevieve Bujold, Anne of Thousand Days & Dyan Cannon, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice1970. Carrie Snodgress, Diary of a Mad Housewife & Sally Kellerman, MASH
1971. Glenda Jackson, Sunday Bloody Sunday & Ann-Margaret, Carnal Knowledge
1972. Maggie Smith, Travels with My Aunt & Shelley Winters, The Poseidon Adventure
1973. Joanne Woodward, Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams & Sylvia Sidney, Summer…
1974. Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence & Valentina Cortese, Day for Night
1975. Isabelle Adjani, The Story of Adele H. & Lily Tomlin, Nashville
1976. Liv Ullmann, Face to Face & Jane Alexander, All the President’s Men
1977. Jane Fonda, Julia & Melinda Dillon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1978. Jill Clayburgh, An Unmarried Woman & Meryl Streep, The Deer Hunter
1979. Bette Midler, The Rose & Barbara Barrie, Breaking Away1980. Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People & Eileen Brennan, Private Benjamin
1981. Meryl Streep, The French Lieutenant’s Woman & Jane Fonda, On Golden Pond
1982. Jessica Lange, Frances & Teri Garr, Tootsie
1983. Meryl Streep, Silkwood & Cher, Silkwood
1984. Jessica Lange, Country & Geraldine Page, The Pope of Greenwich Village
1985. Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple & Oprah Winfrey, The Color Purple
1986. Kathleen Turner, Peggy Sue Got Married & Maggie Smith, A Room with a View
1987. Holly Hunter, Broadcast News & Anne Archer, Fatal Attraction
1988. Glenn Close, Dangerous Liaisons & Sigourney Weaver, The Working Girl
1989. Michelle Pfeiffer, The Fabulous Baker Boys & Dianne Wiest, Parenthood1990. Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman & Diane Ladd, Wild at Heart
1991. Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise & Jessica Tandy, Fried Green Tomatoes
1992. Susan Sarandon, Lorenzo’s Oil & Judy Davis, Husbands and Wives
1993. Angela Bassett, What’s Love Got to Do with It & Rosie Perez, Fearless
1994. Winona Ryder, Little Women & Uma Thurman, Pulp Fiction
1995. Sharon Stone, Casino & Kate Winslet, Sense and Sensibility
1996. Brenda Blethyn, Secrets & Lies & Lauren Bacall, The Mirror Has Two Faces
1997. Judi Dench, Mrs. Brown & Gloria Stuart, Titanic
1998. Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth & Lynn Redgrave, Gods and Monsters
1999. Annette Bening, American Beauty & Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry2000. Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream & Julie Walters, Billy Elliott
2001. Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! & Helen Mirren, Gosford Park
2002. Renee Zellweger, Chicago & Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
2003. Diane Keaton, Something’s Gotta Give & Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog
2004. Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake & Natalie Portman, Closer
2005. Felicity Huffman, Transamerica & Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
2006. Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal & Adriana Barrazza, Babel
2007. Julie Christie, Away From Her & Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
2008. Meryl Streep, Doubt & Viola Davis, Doubt
2009. Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia & Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air2010. Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right & Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
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2011. Viola Davis, The Help & Jessica Chastain, The Help
2012. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty & Sally Field, Lincoln
2013. Amy Adams, American Hustle & Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
2014. Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl & Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game2014. Mation Cotillard
2013. Judi Dench
2012. Jessica Chastain
2011. Viola Davis
2010. Annette Bening
2009. Meryl Streep
2008. Meryl Streep
2007. Julie Christie
2006. Judi Dench
2005. Felicity Huffman
2004. Imelda Staunton
2003. maybe Naomi Watts
2002. Julianne Moore
2001. Cissy Spacek
2000. Ellen Burstyn2014. Emma Stone
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2013. Sally Hawkins
2012. Sally Field
2011. Janet McTeer
2010. Kacki Weaver
2009. Vera Farmiga
2008. Viola Davis
2007. very tight but Ruby Dee
2006. Cate Blanchett
2005. Amy Adams
2004. Natalie Portman
2003. absolutely no idea
2002. Julianne Moore
2001. Maggie Smith
2000. Kate HudsonEasier to explain with hindsight, and I have weaker memories for earlier years, but here are my guesses for the last 25 years–
2014: Reese Witherspoon (even though many say Rosamund Pike, I think Witherspoon had more mass appeal) and Emma Stone (especially since she was in the year’s Best Picture winner)
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2013: Sandra Bullock (even though many say Amy Adams, I think Bullock had more mass appeal) and Jennifer Lawrence (Globe and BAFTA)
2012: Jessica Chastain (BFCA and Globe) and Sally Field (mass appeal in a well-received movie)
2011: Viola Davis (BFCA and SAG) and Berenice Bejo (especially since she was in the year’s Best Picture winner)
2010: Annette Bening (Globe) and Helena Bonham Carter (BAFTA, and in the year’s Best Picture winner)
2009: Meryl Streep (BFCA and Globe) and Anna Kendrick (breakthrough performance in a well-received movie)
2008: Meryl Streep (BFCA and SAG) and Viola Davis
2007: Julie Christie (BFCA, Globe and SAG) and Ruby Dee (SAG, and mass appeal)
2006: Meryl Streep (Globe) and Abigail Breslin (breakthrough performance in a well-received Best Picture nominee)
2005: Felicity Huffman (Globe) and Michelle Williams (BFCA and breakthrough performance in a well-received Best Picture nominee)
2004: Annette Bening (Globe) and Natalie Portman (Globe)
2003: Diane Keaton (Globe) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (breakthrough performance and critically well-received)
2002: Renee Zellweger (Globe and SAG and in the year’s Best Picture winner, even though I think Julianne Moore deserved it more) and Meryl Streep (Globe)
2001: Sissy Spacek (AFI, BFCA, and Globe) and Helen Mirren (SAG)
2000: Ellen Burstyn (critically well-received) and Kate Hudson (Globe and breakthrough performance in a well-received movie)
1999: Annette Bening (SAG and in the year’s Best Picture winner) and Toni Collette (in a Best Picture nominee)
1998: Cate Blanchett (BFCA and Globe) and Lynn Redgrave (Globe and critically well-received)
1997: Judi Dench (Globe) and Gloria Stuart (SAG, mass appeal, and in the year’s Best Picture winner)
1996: Brenda Blethyn (Globe) and Lauren Bacall (Globe and SAG)
1995: Elisabeth Shue (despite Stone’s lone win at the Globes, Shue had so many critics’ awards and was the other half to Cage’s winning performance) and Kate Winslet (SAG and breakthrough performance in a well-received Best Picture nominee)
1994: Jodie Foster (SAG) and Uma Thurman (breakthrough performance in a well-received Best Picture nominee)
1993: Angela Bassett (Globe) and Winona Ryder (Globe)
1992: Susan Sarandon and and Judy Davis
1991: Geena Davis and Kate Nelligan
1990: Anjelica Huston and Mary McDonnellAnonymous
Best Actress
1980 Mary Tyler Moore
1981 Meryl Streep
1982 Jessica Lange
1983 Debra Winger
1984 Judy Davis
1985 Whoopi Goldberg
1986 Sigourney Weaver
1987 Glenn Close
1988 Glenn Close
1989 Michelle Pfeiffer
1990 Anjelica Huston
1991 Susan Sarandon
1992 Catherine Deneuve
1993 Angela Bassett
1994 Jodie Foster
1995 Elisabeth Shue
1996 Kristin Scott Thomas
1997 Judi Dench
1998 Cate Blanchett
1999 Annette Bening
2000 Ellen Burstyn
2001 Sissy Spacek
2002 Renée Zellweger
2003 Naomi Watts
2004 Annette Bening
2005 Felicity Huffman
2006 Judi Dench
2007 Julie Christie
2008 Meryl Streep
2009 Meryl Streep
2010 Annette Bening
2011 Viola Davis
2012 Emmanuelle Riva
2013 Sandra Bullock
2014 Rosamund PikeBest Suppporting Actress
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1980 Cathy Moriarty
1981 Jane Fonda
1982 Kim Stanley
1983 Glenn Close
1984 Geraldine Page
1985 Oprah Winfrey
1986 Piper Laurie
1987 Anne Archer
1988 Sigourney Weaver
1989 Julia Roberts
1990 Lorraine Bracco
1991 Juliette Lewis
1992 Judy Davis
1993 Rosie Perez
1994 Uma Thurman
1995 Kate Winslet
1996 Lauren Bacall
1997 Gloria Stuart
1998 Kathy Bates
1999 Chloë Sevigny
2000 Kate Hudson
2001 Helen Mirren
2002 Meryl Streep
2003 Shohreh Aghdashloo
2004 Virginia Madsen
2005 Amy Adams
2006 Cate Blanchett
2007 Ruby Dee
2008 Viola Davis
2009 Anna Kendrick
2010 Amy Adams
2011 Bérénice Bejo
2012 Sally Field
2013 Jennifer Lawrence
2014 Emma StoneSupporting Actress
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1960 Glynis Johns
1961 Fay Bainter
1962 Angela Lansbury
1963 Lilia Skala
1964 Agnes Moorehead
1965 Ruth Gordon
1966 Wendy Hiller
1967 Beah Richards
1968 Sondra Locke
1969 Dyan Cannon
1970 Sally Kellerman
1971 Ann-Margaret
1972 Shelley Winters
1973 Sylvia Sydney
1974 Valentina Cortese
1975 Lily Tomlin
1976 Piper Laurie
1977 Melinda Dillon
1978 Maureen Stapleton
1979 Candace Bergen
1980 Eva LeGalline
1981 Joan Hackett
1982 Glenn Close
1983 Cher
1984 Geraldine Page
1985 Meg Tilly
1986 Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
1987 Anne Ramsey
1988 Sigourney Weaver
1989 Angelica Huston
1990 Annette Bening
1991 Kate Nelligan
1992 Judy Davis
1993 Winona Ryder
1994 Uma Thurman
1995 Joan Allen
1996 Lauren Bacall
1997 Gloria Stuart
1998 Lynn Redgrave
1999 Catherine Keener
2000 Kate Hudson
2001 Helen Mirren
2002 Meryl Streep
2003 Shohreh Agdashloo
2004 Virginia Madsen
2005 Michelle Williams
2006 Abigal Breslin
2007 Cate Blanchett
2008 Viola Davis
2009 Vera Farmiga
2010 Amy Adams
2011 Melissa McCarthy
2012 Sally Field
2013 Jennifer Lawrence
2014 Emma Stone
I think Meryl Streep was probably in second place for her three leading roles leading up to her win ( The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt, and Julie & Julia).
Viola Davis came in second first to Penelope Cruz and then to Meryl Streep.
2005 – Felicity Huffman was in second place for Transparent.
2006/2007 – Cate Blanchett probably came in second for her supporting performances in Notes on a Scandal and I’m Not There.
2000 – I bet Julie Walters ended up in second for Billy Elliot. That film was beloved and she is a respected British actress.
There was no second place against Monique and Charlize Theron. The other nominees probably received the same fraction of pity votes.
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1960 Shirley MacLaine
1961 Piper Laurie
1962 Bette Davis
1963 Leslie Caron
1964 Kim Stanley
1965 Julie Andrews
1966 Lynn Redgrave
1967 Edith Evans
1968 Joanne Woodward
1969 Jane Fonda
1970 Carrie Snodgress
1971 Vanessa Redgrave
1972 Diana Ross
1973 Ellen Burstyn
1974 Gena Rowlands
1975 Ann-Margaret
1976 Liv Ullman
1977 Shirley MacLaine
1978 Jill Clayburg
1979 Bette Midler
1980 Mary Tyler Moore
1981 Meryl Streep
1982 Jessica Lange
1983 Debra Winger
1984 Jessica Lange
1985 Whoopi Goldberg
1986 Kathleen Turner
1987 Glenn Close
1988 Glenn Close
1989 Michelle Pfeiffer
1990 Angelica Huston
1991 Susan Sarandon
1992 Susan Sarandon
1993 Angela Bassett
1994 Miranda Richardson
1995 Elizabeth Shue
1996 Brenda Blethyn
1997 Judi Dench
1998 Cate Blanchett
1999 Annette Bening
2000 Ellen Burstyn
2001 Nicole Kidman
2002 Renee Zellweger
2003 Diane Keaton
2004 Annette Bening
2005 Felicity Huffman
2006 Kate Winslet
2007 Julie Christie
2008 Meryl Streep
2009 Meryl Streep
2010 Annette Bening
2011 Viola Davis
2012 Jessica Chastain
2013 Amy Adams
2014 Felicity JonesI love threads like these! I’ll try not to be too biased- but we all know how THAT goes lol! Off the top of my head so not all years will be present. Some commentary will follow:
______________BEST ACTRESS
1935: Katharine Hepburn, Alice Adams (I believe this was official)1937: Greta Garbo, Camille (Luise Rainer’s awful win for The Good Earth still stings; this is Garbo’s finest hour)
1939: Bette Davis, Dark Victory (No one was beating Leigh in Gone with the Wind, but Davis puts in an incredible performance here as a woman learning to cope with death when she discovers she has a brain tumor)
1940: Katharine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story (Hepburn’s loss to Ginger Rogers was mainly attributed to political issues she was involved in, and her ‘box-office’ poision image wasn’t quite gone yet)
1942: Bette Davis, Now Voyager
1950: Bette Davis, All About Eve (Swanson and Baxter took voters from her, allowing the still brilliant Judy Holliday to prevail)
1951: Katharine Hepburn, The African Queen (A performance many rank as one of Hepburn’s greatest roles. If only it wasn’t for Vivien Leigh in Streetcar in the same year; Shelley Winters was also amazing in A Place in the Sun)
1954: Judy Garland, A Star Is Born (Still one of the top 3 worst Oscar tragedies ever- and to the vanilla Grace Kelly of all performances in The Country Girl????)
1956: Deborah Kerr, The King and I
1958: Elizabeth Taylor, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1959: Elizabeth Taylor, Suddenly Last Summer (she was on a hot streak now, with two performances back to back that I think were easily second place)
1960: Shirley MacLaine, The Apartment
1961: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (the performance she should have won for instead of the silly Roman Holiday)
1962: Bette Davis, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Davis should have walked away with this, sorry Anne Bancroft)
1965: Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music (who else?)
1967: Faye Dunaway, Bonnie and Clyde
1969: Jane Fonda, They Shoot Horses Don’t They?
1972: Diana Ross, Lady Sings the Blues
1980: Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People (still remains one of my favorite female performances of all time)
1981: Meryl Streep, The French Lieutenant’s Woman
1982: Jessica Lange, Frances
1983: Debra Winger, Terms of Endearment (I would have voted for her by a hair over MacLaine)
1985: Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple
1987: Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction
1988: Sigourney Weaver, Gorillas in the Mist (I think Close wasn’t as near as we suspect; Weaver’s Globe win made me think this. I think Streep was brilliant but A Cry in the Dark was not a popular movie; I think Melanie Griffith was too light)
1989: Michelle Pfeiffer, The Fabulous Baker Boys (One of the most obvious second place holders I think; Pfeiffer swept EVERYTHING)
1990: Anjelica Huston, The Grifters (though don’t be surprised – Golden Globe winner Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman had a lot more votes then we suspect, I think)
1991: Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise (My vote would have gone to Sarandon; but I think personally Davis’s performance was more popular at the time. It even managed an MTV Nomination for Best Female Performance; Jodie Foster in Silence was good but not worthy over either of these women)
1992: Susan Sarandon, Lorenzo’s Oil (such a weak lineup; missing is Sharon Stone’s star-making role in the controversial hit Basic Instinct; and Geena Davis’s sentimental and perfectly humble work in A League of Their Own)
1993: Angela Bassett, What’s Love Got to Do with It (if this had been released in 1994, Bassett would have taken it – and deservedly so)
1994: Jodie Foster, Nell (though I personally would have gone with Winona Ryder’s effortless work in Little Women, this weak lineup – not one best picture nominee- seems foiled for one to ponder. Was Susan Sarandon (The Client) second place because she was due? Or was SAG winner Foster the favorite? I think Jessica Lange- who won the Drama Globe- was far ahead of the competition.
1995: Sharon Stone, Casino (I might get a lot of “WTF” for this but I’m going by who I think had the second place position. I don’t think Streep (Bridges) or Thompson (Sense) had that many even though their roles are some of their best. I think critical darling Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) was strongly competitive. But I have a hunch that the Drama Globe win by Sharon Stone indicated she was popular and let’s face it- her role has plenty of money scenes. I think the rightful winner, Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking, prevailed easily. – My personal pick that year was non-nominated Nicole Kidman in To Die For.
1996: Brenda Blythen, Secrets & Lies
1997: Judi Dench, Mrs. Brown (luminous as always)
1998: Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth (still one of the major eye-sores we must deal with on a daily basis).
1999: Annette Bening, American Beauty (though I think she was getting so many votes because she was pregnant with Warren Beatty’s baby, in a popular Best Picture winner, and the SAG was just a lot of noise. My personal second place of the nominees was easily Julianne Moore in The End of the Affair)
2000: Joan Allen, The Contender (The Burstyn fans will whine, but back in 2000 Requiem for a Dream was not that hot – both in theaters or for critics, many deeming Burstyn a mess of a performance in “a fright wig”). Allen was actually the earlier favorite and probably easily had second place status next to champion Julia Roberts.
2001: Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! (Many debate whether it was Kidman or Sissy Spacek. Despite Spacek’s Drama Globe and critic awards, the performance still reigns too subtle to be the classic ‘best actress’ win; Kidman’s performance is louder, flashier and she was way more popular. Her win for The Hours the following year further indicates she was still gaining sympathy votes for people crying that Tom Cruise dropped her)
2002: Renee Zellweger, Chicago (in terms of the critical masses, it would be Julianne Moore in Far from Heaven. But the popularity and best picture buzz for the musical put Zellweger on top- and that surprise SAG win sealed the deal that she was ThisClose to beating Kidman.
2003: Diane Keaton, Something’s Gotta Give
2004: Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005: Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
2006: Meryl Streep, The Devil wears Prada
2007: Julie Christie, Away from Her
2008: Meryl Streep, Doubt (Seriously, I think the SAG win showed this was close)
2009: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia (still stings she lost to…that woman)
2010: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right (Bening’s best performance)
2011: Viola Davis, The Help
2012: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
2013: Sandra Bullock, Gravity
2014: Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night (yep, sure do think so)
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13K Subscribers, 29 Million ViewsFYC: Derbyite of the Year, 2017
Only have the energy to do 1936-1960 for now.
1936: Carole Lombard. Official record.
Alice Brady. A major scene-stealr, probably the closest “My
Man Godfrey” got to winning an acting Oscar, and her loss certainly fueled her
win the following year for “In Old Chicago.”
1937: Greta Garbo. Had Garbo not been so unwilling to do
publicity/play the game, MGM likely would have thrown the resources it
eventually put into drumming up Luise Rainer in “The Good Earth” behind Garbo
for “Camille.” (Part of MGM’s Rainer build-up also had to do with the fact that
“The Good Earth” had such a big budget, and the theory was that any major Oscar
win for “Earth” would drive up the film’s box office receipts.)
May Whitty. One of the most respected thespians of her era.
1938: Norma Shearer. “Marie Antoinette” as a movie didn’t
live up to the colossal expectations engendered by the production and publicity
legends that swirled around it, but it was universally heralded as the
performance of Shearer’s career, and there was industry-wide awareness that it
was a project that Shearer’s late husband Irving Thalberg had shepherded along
for her until his death. Between the critical acclaim and the sentimental
value, Shearer probably lost by a slimmer margin than most would expect.
Miliza Korjus. MGM promoted her to within an inch of her
life at the time of “The Great Waltz.”
1939: Bette Davis. She WAS her movie, and it was one of her
biggest box office hits. Much was made at the time that Garson should have been
put in Best Supporting Actress, Garbo’s performance was seen as much (if not
more) for its novelty than for its real merit, and Dunne never quite caught
enough fire to be a real threat for the win.
Olivia de Havilland. A game-changing role in the year’s
biggest hit.
1940: Joan Fontaine. The Academy clearly found a lot to like
about “The Letter,” but not enough to give it any wins. Hepburn’s nomination
was little more than a quiet olive branch from the industry to welcome her back
into the fold. Scott’s nomination was the VERY lucky result of a LOT of hype
and pushing for her film.
Judith Anderson. She already had a reputation as one of the
great stars of the stage ala Helen Hayes, and here, she made an indelible
impression on film.
1941: Greer Garson. Her star was rapidly on the ascendant
and hot off the success of “Pride and Prejudice” the year before, Garson was
already seen as an Oscar waiting to happen. “Blossoms in the Dust” was also a
very profitable and critically acclaimed hit (and Best Picture nominee). Davis
was hurt by the industry-known friction between her and director Wyler on the
set of “The Little Foxes,” Stanwyck was in a comedy up against four heavy-ish
dramas, and the de Havilland sisters could have easily canceled each other out.
Sara Allgood. “How Green Was My Valley” was very popular
with the Academy, and Allgood could have easily won in a tandem win with her
onscreen spouse Donald Crisp.
1942: Bette Davis. “Now, Voyager” was a tremendous
money-maker for Warner Bros., and it was Davis’s fifth consecutive nomination
in as many years. Russell’s nomination was an apology for missing out on “The
Women” and “His Girl Friday,” Wright got swept up in a “Pride of the Yankees”
tidal wave, and Hepburn was seen as solid filler.
Dame May Whitty. “Mrs. Miniver” was a juggernaut. Nobody
would touch “The Magnificent Ambersons” with a 10-foot pole at the time.
1943: Greer Garson. MGM publicized “Madame Curie” like there
was no tomorrow, and Garson was right at the crest of reigning as one of the
great queens of the industry.
Paulette Goddard. She had had a particularly good run from
1939-1943, and had a baity role in a timely film.
1944: Barbara Stanwyck, with Claudette Colbert nipping at
her heels. “Since You Went Away” was seen (rightly so) as an Americanized
answer to “Mrs. Miniver,” David O. Selznick promoted it for all he was worth,
and frankly, “Away” was a much, much more Academy-friendly picture than
Stanwyck’s vehicle.
Agnes Moorehead. “Mrs. Parkington” was MGM’s fifth-biggest
moneymaker that year, and Moorehead had a very juicy part in the film.
1945: Ingrid Bergman. It really cannot be overstated how
incredibly popular “Bells” and its prequel, “Going My Way” were upon their
respective releases.
Ann Blyth. The smart money was definitely on Blyth at the
time, and several newspapers even erroneously printed her as the winner in
early morning post-Oscar editions (rather than the real winner, Anne Revere).
1946: Rosalind Russell. Russell fought for six years to get
the picture made (“Sister Kenny” was for her what “Frida” was for Salma Hayek),
and it was quite a valedictory for her when the film was released (and copped
Russell her first Golden Globe, in the bargain).
Lillian Gish. “Duel” was one of the year’s most talked-about
pictures, and those critics who didn’t care for it still appreciated her
contribution to it.
1947: Rosalind Russell. She and Redgrave were critically
acclaimed in “Electra,” although the industry commiserated more than heralded
them for shouldering such a white elephant of a vehicle. The legend of Russell
“leading” Loretta Young’s standing ovation speaks for itself.
Anne Revere. Her final monologue in “Agreement” was
remembered after the fact by many, many people at the time.
1948: Olivia de Havilland. De Havilland won critical
hosannas in one of the year’s most-talked about movies (and the fourth-highest
grosser of 1948). She probably lost by thatmuch.
Jean Simmons. She was an arcing meteor of the time, and
could have ridden a “Hamlet” wave in a famous role.
1949: Jeanne Crain. “Pinky” was a major talking point in the
industry that year, and much was made of the difficulty in casting the lead.
Crain had the biggest high of her professional career in 1949, and she was also
a key player in one of the year’s more mainstream and most popular films, “A
Letter to Three Wives.”
Ethel Barrymore. Acting royalty, and after “None But the
Lonely Heart,” the Academy was ever-ready to buss her cheek.
1950: Gloria Swanson. Before Garland in “A Star is Born,”
Swanson in “Sunset” was the Comeback Kid of all time. As much as people don’t
want to believe it these days, Baxter’s nomination really did hurt Davis more
than contemporary rumor has it.
Celeste Holm. If there hadn’t been such an apples vs.
oranges proposition with Josephine Hull in the mix, Holm probably would have
taken this in a cakewalk: a very sympathetic role with plenty of screentime in
one of the year’s most acclaimed films (and the eventual Best Picture winner)?
Most of the time, that recipe would equal Oscar in a slam-dunk.
1951: Katharine Hepburn, with Jane Wyman nipping at her
heels. More was made of the difficulties Bogart and Hepburn went through
filming “The African Queen” on location than was made of their actual
performances, whereas Wyman got a lot of acclaim for bolstering the otherwise
forgettable “Blue Veil.”
Thelma Ritter. If not for the “Streetcar” tidal wave, Ritter
probably would have been a virtual lock in what came perilously close to a
leading performance.
1952: Bette Davis, with Susan Hayward nipping at her heels.
She wasn’t shy about letting Hollywood know she was gunning for Oscar Number
Three, and while “The Star” was decidedly a watered-down version of “All About
Eve” (with shades of her earlier Oscar-winning role in “Dangerous”), Davis came
out with guns a-blazing. Meanwhile, Susan Hayward was clearly desperate to
break into the club.
Thelma Ritter. Jean Hagen was truly lucky to be nominated,
for all the attention the Academy paid to “Singin’ in the Rain.” Moore was too
young, Marchand was a novelty.
1953: Deborah Kerr. With a little more screentime, she might
have managed to ride the “Eternity” tidal wave. She certainly made an impact by
changing her onscreen persona so dramatically from what audiences were
accustomed to seeing her do.
Thelma Ritter. This was nothing more than a “Welcome to the
Club” nomination for Kelly, and Page and Rambeau were lucky to be nominated.
Probably one of the best shots Ritter ever had at the win.
1954: Judy Garland. The sentimental favorite that year, no
question, in her make-it-or-break-it comeback. All of the other women,
including Dorothy Dandridge, had no prayer.
Jan Sterling, with Claire Trevor nipping at her heels. The
two women were pretty much deadlocked, but Foch and Jurado never had a prayer.
1955: Susan Hayward. By now, the desperation was palpable,
and she wasn’t shy about showing it. That being said, “Summertime” really
issued in the flowering of the autumnal Hepburn, and the film led to something
of a rediscovery of her among the cognoscenti. It was probably the very tip of
the beginning from her passage to reliable industry worker bee to what became
her living legend status in the 1960s.
Natalie Wood. Both she and “Rebel” co-star Sal Mineo were
highly touted in the trades, and she was a well-liked industry veteran who was
applauded for going after such a “dangerous” role in a “dangerous” vehicle.
1956: Deborah Kerr. Probably the closest the six-time
nominee ever came to the gold. “The King and I” was a colossal smash, and Kerr
reaped a Golden Globe win and several critical awards before the Oscars.
Mildred Dunnock. The “Baby Doll” actors were seen as very
brave at the time for tackling this material. Heckart all but disowned her
vehicle, McCormack was a novelty, and McCambridge never got enough steam.
1957: Lana Turner. Although Woodward was the runaway
favorite, and there was decidedly a cloud of “Who would have believed she’d
have ever gotten the nomination?” surrounding Turner’s nomination for sure,
“Peyton Place” was THE most talked-about film of the year, and Turner had the
makings of a great Cinderella story if she had managed to eke out the win.
Hope Lange. She was seen as having the better chance between
the two “Peyton Place” women.
1958: Rosalind Russell. All the other women might as well
have stayed at home. Both Russell and Hayward had swung and missed plenty of
times, and “Auntie Mame” was Warner Bros.’s biggest moneymaker for 1958
(according to some accounts, it even saved the studio from bankruptcy). But
“Auntie Mame” was also a comedy, and Russell’s already-legendary stage performance
in a sometimes broad/sometimes sophisticated farce was still a tough sell
against Hayward’s ultra-dramatic Death Row inmate.
Peggy Cass, with Martha Hyer nipping at her heels. These
were the most widely-seen films among the nominees in this lineup (if not
necessarily the most critically acclaimed.)
1959: Audrey Hepburn, with Elizabeth Taylor nipping at her
heels. Both women were the main focal points of their films (the laudatory
critical estimations of Katharine Hepburn were muted compared to the laurels
foisted upon Taylor at the time), and the Academy was also besotted with
Audrey’s vehicle.
Susan Kohnor. For five minutes after “Imitation” came out,
she was a major “It” girl, and there was an expectation that she would be
hanging around much longer than she ultimately did.
1960: Greer Garson. Many expected “Sunrise at Campobello” to
do better with the Academy than it did, and it was something of a comeback
vehicle for Garson, in a role that marked (for her) an unusually strong bent
toward character acting. There were some definite raised eyebrows that Ralph
Bellamy failed to get nominated for his Tony-winning work as FDR, so Garson
also got the heft of being the sole thespian flagbearer for the “Campobello”
team. There was also a feeling that Shirley MacLaine would be around for a
while. Kerr never caught fire, and Mercouri never had a chance.
Janet Leigh. Some saw the “Supporting” nomination as
slumming for an actor of her (then) stature, but she was lauded for being brave
enough to do the film at all.
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Since 1995:
1995:
Lead – Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas (unsure about that one)
Supporting – Kate Winslet, Sense and Sensibility (Allen might be possible, too)1996:
Lead – Brenda Blethyn, Secrets and Lies
Supporting – Lauren Bacall, The Mirror Has Two Faces1997:
Lead – Judi Dench, Mrs Brown
Supporting – Gloria Stuart, Titanic (meh)1998:
Lead – Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth
Supporting – Lynn Redgrave, Gods and Monsters (unsure)1999:
Lead – Annette Bening, American Beauty
Supporting – Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry2000:
Lead – Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream
Supporting – Kate Hudson, Almost Famous2001:
Lead – Sissy Spacek, In the Bedroom (Kidman might be possible too, but she wasn’t nominated for SAG, although maybe voting split because of The Others might have hurt her chances there, so I’m unsure here)
Supporting – Helen Mirren, Gosford Park2002:
Lead – Renée Zellweger, Chicago (should be Moore, but Zellweger won SAG, so…)
Supporting – Meryl Streep, Adaptation.2003:
Lead – Diane Keaton, Something’s Gotta Give
Supporting – Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April (actually, I have no idea here)2004:
Lead – Annette Bening, Being Julia (although it should be staunton here)
Supporting – Virginia Madsen, Sideways (could very well be Portman, too)2005:
Lead – Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Supporting – Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain (or Adams?)2006:
Lead – Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Supporting – No idea.2007:
Lead – Julie Christie, Away from Her
Supporting – Ruby Dee, American Gangster (meh, the other 3 were much better)2008:
Lead – Meryl Streep, Doubt
Supporting – Viola Davis, Doubt2009:
Lead – Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Supporting – Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air2010:
Lead – Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Supporting – Helena Bonham-Carter, The King’s Speech2011:
Lead – Viola Davis, The Help
Supporting – Bérénice Bejo, The Artist2012:
Lead – Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Supporting – Amy Adams, The Master (could very well be Hunt or Field, but no matter who, Hathaway won this by a landslide2013:
Lead – Sandra Bullock, Gravity (unsure again, because here I imagine another landslide victory)
Supporting – Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle2014:
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Lead – Reese Witherspoon, Wild (I suppose Moore also had a landslide victory so it’s difficult to say. Witherspoon carried most of the movie on her shoulders and that impresses voters. Gone Girl wasn’t beloved so I don’t expect many votes for Pike, voters probably forgot about Jones because they were so in love with Redmayne. Maybe there was some love for Cotillard in the end and she ended up 2nd.)
Supporting – Emma Stone, BirdmanI’ve always thought that had Helen Mirren been out of the picture in 2006 Kate Winslet would have won. The film wasn’t that popular BUT Dench and Streep were past winners and Winslet was on her 5th nomination without a win. I think they would have given it to her based on her previous loses.
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