Lady Gaga is in the hunt for her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for her widely talked about role in “House of Gucci.” If she wins it would be her second Oscar after previously claiming Best Song for “Shallow” for “A Star Is Born” (2018). Already this season, Gaga has received major accolades from the New York Film Critics Circle and Capri Hollywood International Film Festival for the MGM film. She is also the only Best Actress contender to earn bids at BAFTA, Critics Choice and SAG Awards. Gold Derby currently has her in third place to win the Oscar, but I think our pundits are underestimating her.
Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t discount Lady Gaga’s chances of taking home the gold. (Editor’s note: Ryan Lapierre is a long-time Gold Derby user who has won countless contests through the years, including most recently the SAG Awards Film nominations event.)
1. “House of Gucci’s” SAG Award turnout.
“House of Gucci” over-performed on SAG Awards nomination morning. Not only did Lady Gaga receive a lead actress nomination, they also nominated Jared Leto in supporting actor, plus the film for ensemble. It’s a sign of strength that fellow actors responded to the film, and the Oscars’ actors branch can similarly go to bat for it come voting time.
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2. BAFTA love.
The British Academy has been a bellwether for eventual Oscar victories. BAFTA released their longlists last month, with “House of Gucci” being mentioned 13 times. It received three bids on February 3: actress, makeup/hair and British film. The fact that Gaga got nominated from international voters over several of her likely Oscar contenders could be enough to push her to the top at the Academy Awards.
3. She’s campaigning aggressively.
Gaga has been visible since the film’s release, and has not been shy opening up about her process to inhabit the role of Patrizia Reggiani. News stories have come out about Gaga about how she went method. She went in to dark places, and if voters are aware of this, they may start to admire the performance more. She also just did an interview for Variety with Jake Gyllenhaal, and an interview with Jimmy Kimmel as Oscar voting began.
4. Best Actress is still an open race.
Gaga has some steep competition from the likes of Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”) and Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”). Even though some pundits have their suspicions of who may take home the gold, nothing is set in stone. Oscar nominations come out on February 8, and Gaga kept campaigning throughout voting. If she gets nominated, she will undoubtedly put the gears in motion to work an aggressive campaign in round two.
5. One of the most talked about performances of the year.
“House of Gucci” ended up being one of the only awards contenders this year that wound up being a box office success. It wouldn’t have been the success it is without Gaga. She was the marketing for it, and the one heavily promoting it. The film wouldn’t be what it is without her involvement in it. If the “House of Gucci” fans within the academy are going to come through and get a big win, it’ll be for Gaga.
PREDICT the 2022 Oscar nominees through February 8
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