The motion picture academy has handed out Oscars for leading performances since the first ceremony in 1929. While the Best Actor prize is typically taken by a veteran, the Best Actress Oscar has tended to go to an ingenue. However, those age biases could be changing. While a whopping 32 of the 94 Best Actress champs have been in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last three women to win were 60-year-old Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”), 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) and 50-year-old Renee Zellweger (“Judy”). And Zellweger’s closest rival was 44-year-old Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”). (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscars predictions for Best Actress.)
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth, who won for reprising her Tony-winning role in 1952’s “Come Back, Little Sheba.”
Fifteen of the 92 Best Actress winners, including Colman, were in their 40s when they took to the stage while 34 were thirtysomething.
McDormand was the sixth winner in her 60s when she won Best Actress for the second time in 2017 (she was just shy of 40 when she did so for “Fargo” in 1997). Her pal Meryl Streep had also defied the youth bias when, at age 62, she picked up her third Oscar in 2012 for “The Iron Lady.” Streep also had the overdue factor in her favor as it had been almost three decades since her second win for “Sophie’s Choice.” Likewise for Helen Mirren who was 61 when she was crowned champ for “The Queen” in 2007 after two previous losses. Geraldine Page was also 61 when she finally won on nomination #8 for “A Trip to Bountiful” in 1986.
Katharine Hepburn, who was 26 when she claimed her first Oscar in 1934 for “Morning Glory,” had just entered her 60s when she won Best Actress back-to-back (“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” 1967; “The Lion in Winter,” 1968). The only other Best Actress champ in her 60s was Marie Dressler who won for “Min and Bill” at the 4th Academy Awards in 1931. Hepburn was almost 75 when she won her record fourth Oscar for “On Golden Pond” in 1982 while Jessica Tandy was 80 when she prevailed in 1990 for “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Who will win Best Actress at the 2021 Oscars? Below, we consider the contenders. This roster includes past Academy Awards champs, previous nominees and those looking for their first bids, be they film newcomers or long-time screen actors.
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UPDATED: March 6, 2021
Please note: To read full descriptions of each film, check out our 2021 Oscar Best Picture predictions. Certain contenders are also included in the Best Supporting Actress round-up. Only those actresses whose films have confirmed release dates are listed below. Check back often as new contenders are scheduled while other are dropped due to delays or critical reaction.
Leading Contenders
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix – December 18)
Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Paramount Pictures – February 12, 2021)
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman” (Netflix – January 7, 2021)
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures – December 4)
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features – December 25)
Zendaya, “Malcolm and Marie” (Netflix – February 5, 2021)
Strong Contenders
Amy Adams, “Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix – November 11)
Yeri Han, “Minari” (A24 – February 12, 2021)
Sophia Loren, “The Life Ahead” (Netflix – November 13)
Michelle Pfeiffer, “French Exit” (Sony Pictures Classics – February 12, 2021)
Rosamund Pike, “I Care a Lot” (Netflix – February 19, 2021)
Kate Winslet, “Ammonite” (Neon – November 13
Possible Contenders
Jessie Buckley, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things ” (Netflix – September 4)
Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Focus Features – March 13)
Julia Garner, “The Assistant” (Bleecker Street – January 31)
Cristin Milioti, “Palm Springs” (Neon – July 10)
Elisabeth Moss, “The Invisible Man” (Universal – February 28)
Anya Taylor-Joy, “Emma” (Focus Features – February 21)
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We will be updating our Oscar predictions for each competitive category often in the days to come so be sure to bookmark this page and keep checking back as the race heats up.
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture: Updated – March 5, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Director: Updated – March 5, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Actor: Updated – March 6, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Actress: Updated – March 6, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor: Updated – February 25, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress: Updated – February 25, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay: Updated – February 26, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Screenplay: Updated – February 26, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Cinematography: Updated – March 4, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Costume Design: Updated – March 4, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Film Editing: Updated – March 4, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Updated – February 22 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score: Updated – February 10, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Song: Updated – February 10, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Production Design: Updated – February 12, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Sound: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Visual Effects: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Animated Feature: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Documentary Feature: Updated – February 9, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best International Feature: Updated – February 9, 2021
PREDICT the 2021 Oscar nominations through March 15
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