2019 was a particularly great year for film. With movies like Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, The Irishman, Parasite, and 1917, it was a great year for movie-goers (and Netflix users, as the streaming program made history by releasing Martin Scorsese’s three and a half hour long film). This all leads up to the 2020 Academy Awards, which are particularly competitive this year.
Some actors and filmmakers have already made their mark in this awards season and are predicted to continue this streak. This includes actors like Laura Dern for her role in Marriage Story, Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Joaquin Phoenix for Joker. Sam Mendes has gotten the BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Director (Drama). Out of this year’s nominees, let’s take a look at who has been honored before and who is a first time nominee.
In the acting category, many of the actors are legends, like Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, who are both nominated in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category for The Irishman. Some nominees are newcomers, like Florence Pugh who has made her mark in 2019 with movies like Little Women, which she is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Midsommar.
Out of the five nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role, three have been nominated for an Oscar before. Jonathan Pryce and Antonio Banderas are the two that have never been nominated. Leonardo DiCaprio is the only actor to have won, which was for The Revenant in 2016. DiCaprio has also been nominated five other times, including this year for his role as Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Adam Driver was previously nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in BlacKkKlansman in 2019. Joaquin Phoenix was previously nominated for his roles in Gladiator (2000), Walk the Line (2005), and The Master (2012).
In the Best Actress in a Leading Role category, three out of five have also been previously nominated, with two having won an Oscar previously. Saoirse Ronan, Charlize Theron, and Renée Zellweger have all been previously nominated. Renée Zellweger won for her role in Cold Mountain in 2004 and had been nominated twice before, for Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) and Chicago (2002). Saoirse Ronan has been nominated three times before her current nomination, for Atonement (2007), Brooklyn (2015), and Lady Bird (2017). Charlize Theron won for her role in Monster (2003) and was nominated for North Country (2005).
In the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category, all of the actors have been nominated and all have won acting Oscars except for Brad Pitt (who has won for being a producer of 12 Years a Slave). It is looking like it might be Pitt’s year, as he won both the BAFTA and Golden Globe for his role as Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Pitt was previously nominated for his supporting role in Twelve Monkeys (1995) and for a leading role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Moneyball (2011). Al Pacino won in 1993 for Scent of a Woman and has been nominated for his roles in The Godfather (1972), Serpico (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), … and justice for all (1979), Dick Tracy (1990), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Joe Pesci won for his role in Goodfellas (1990) and was also nominated for Raging Bull (1980). All of Joe Pesci’s nominations are for roles in Martin Scorsese movies. Tom Hanks has won for his roles in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). His other nominations were for Big (1988), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Cast Away (2000). Finally, Anthony Hopkins won for his role as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (1991). He was also nominated for Remains of the Day (1993), Nixon (1995), and Amistad (1997).
The Actress in a Supporting Role category has a less extensive list than the Actor category, but is still legendary with actresses like Laura Dern and Kathy Bates. Three of the five nominees for this category have been nominated in the past. Laura Dern was nominated for her roles in Rambling Rose (1991) and Wild (2014). Kathy Bates won for her iconic role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990). She was nominated as well for Primary Colors (1998) and About Schmidt (2002). Margot Robbie was nominated for her role in I, Tonya (2017).
Most of the actors that were nominated for an Oscar this year have a lot of great roles under their belts. The resumes that these actors have are quite extensive and make this year’s Academy Awards very interesting.