2023/2024 Oscar Nominations Reactions

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-The nationalities of the 20 best actor nominees are:

16 US nominees though 2 are second-generation Latin American (Colman Domingo’s parents are from Guatemalan and Belize, America Ferrera is Honduran); 1 Canadian in Ryan Gosling; 1 Irishman in Cillian Murphy 1 German in Sandra Huller; 1 British (2nd generation Irish) in Carey Mulligan

-Zasie Baetz was announcing like she was giving away cars on either the Price is Right or Opera. At first, I was convinced that she was stanning American Fiction but that was likely my bias. Jack Quaid is one of my favorite young stars of Hollywood, but isn’t there still room in Hollywood for Jack and his dad? #FarFromHeavenforever

-I’ve seen 6 of the 10 nominees (Check: Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Anatomy of a Fall, Maestro, Poor Things, Holdovers, Didn’t See: American Fiction, Zone of Interest, Past Lives, Barbie) and 14 of the 20 nominees (Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Emma Stone, Sandra Huller, Annette Bening, Lily Gladstone, Robert DeNiro, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, DaVine Joy Randolph, Emily Blunt, and Jodie Foster). Of the remaining four, I haven’t seen Zone of Interest holds the least interest to me. I don’t pressure myself to see everything that’s out there.

-The woke crowd will probably be split, but with the surprise inclusion of Sterling K Brown, America Ferrera, and the fact that one woman was still nominated (Justine Triet), they don’t have much basis that the patriarchy squeezed their voices out. To the degree that foreign film enthusiasts overlap with woke advocates (a lot of foreign films are made by white people and that’s all that counts to the woke), there’s much to celebrate on that front as three foreign films have never been among the final ten. I saw Anatomy of a Fall and the subtitles made the story difficult to follow, so audiences will have to adjust.

-Killers of the Flower Moon is the 12th Best Picture Nominee that Robert DeNiro has appeared in: Godfather II, Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, Soldier’s Story, Awakenings, Goodfellas, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Irishman, Joker, and now Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s likely a new record. Leonardo DiCaprio is close behind at 11; Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe; Jesse Plemons (who’s had a streak of 6 in 7 years: Brides of Spies, The Post, Vice, Irishman, Judas and the Black Messiah, Power of the Dog), and Bradley Cooper are tied at 7;Emma Stone is at 5; and Margot Robbie, Gary Oldman, and Paul Giamatti are at 4

-These were the most competitive female acting categories in years. Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman in May December; Greta Lee in Past Lives; Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson in Color Purple; Rachel McAdams in Are You There God It’s Me Margaret; Rosamund Pike in Saltburn were all in the running. The last one in each category was likely the two elderly ladies from Nyad: Annette Bening and Jodie Foster. I’ve never loved a Jodie Foster performance but somehow she won me over this time. I think, all factors considered, Foster, got in on that extra bit of sparkle she bought to that inspirational role. Bening got in because of the tendency to award people who transform and exhaust themselves. They couldn’t recognize her in the role.

-Congratulations to Bradley Cooper, Jodie Foster and Annette Bening for being in the 5-timers club. Why Cooper is already considered by pundits to be out of running for the award is already beyond me. He completely transformed himself for the role, he keeps the movie watchable through his pure joy, and he’s turned into a great spokesman for classical music through the journey. He also co-wrote, directed, and produced the film. If he doesn’t get an Oscar now, he might get desperate enough to go full-Revenant and get eaten by a bear.

Congratulations to the 2023/2024 Oscar Class. These people all have a screen credit (as determined by Rogerebert.com) in one of this year’s best picture nominees: Adam Brody, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Anne Rotger, Antoine Reinartz, Barry Corbin, Benny Safdie, Bradley Cooper, Brendan Frasier, Camille Rutherford, Cara Jade Meyers, Carey Mulligan, Carrie Preston, Casey Affleck, Christopher Abbott, Christian Friedel, Cillian Murphy, Daniel Holzberg, David Krumholtz, Da’vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Emma Mackey, Emma Stone, Emily Blunt, Emily Cass McDonnell, Erika Alexander, Florence Pugh, Gillian Vigman, Greta Lee, Gustaf Skarsgard, Helen Mirren, Issa Rae, Jack Quaid, Jason Clarke, Jason Isbell, Jeffrey Wright, Jehnny Beth, Jerrod Carmichael, Jesse Plemons, John Cena, John Lithgow, John Magaro, John Ortiz, Josh Hartnett, Kate McKinnon, Keith David, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Lucy Boynton, Margaret Qualley, Margot Robbie, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bonner, Matt Damon, Maximilian Beck, Maya Hawke, Medusa Knopf, Michael Cera, Michael Urie, Milo Machado Graner, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Olivia Thirby, Paul Giamatti, Ramy Yousef, Rhea Pearlman, Robert DeNiro, Robert Downey Jr, Ryan Gosling, Sascha Maaz, Sandra Huller, Sarah Silverman, Simu Liu, Scott Shepherd, Stephen Thorne, Skyler White, Sterling K Brown, Swann Arlaud, Tate Donovan, Teo Yoo, Tony Goldwyn, Vicki Pepperdine, Willem Dafoe, Will Ferrell

The nationalities of the 20 best actor nominees are:

16 US nominees though 2 are second-generation Latin American: Colman Domingo’s parents are from Guatemalan and Belize, America Ferrera is Honduran; 1 Canadian in Ryan Gosling; 1 Irishman in Cillian Murphy 1 German in Sandra Huller; 1 British (2nd generation Irish) in Carey Mulligan

Oscar's Class of 2021

So many thoughts on the Oscars, but here's a stat list I keep every year: Actors appearing in a BP nominee who've been in three or more BP nominees:

10 Leonardo DiCaprio-Titanic, Gangs of New York, Aviator, Departed, Inception, Django Unchained, Wolf of Wall Street, Revenant, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Don’t Look Up

9 Cate Blanchett-Elizabeth, LOTR 1-3, Aviator, Babel, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Don’t Look Up Nightmare Alley,

8 Meryl Streep-Kramer vs Kramer, Julia, Deer Hunter, Out of Africa, The Hours, The Post, Little Women, Don’t Look Up

6 Bradley Cooper-Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, American Sniper, A Star is Born, Nightmare Alley, Licorice Pizza

6 Jesse Plemons-Bridge of Spies, The Post, Vice, Irishman, Judas and the Black Messiah, Power of the Dog

6 Benedict Cumberbatch-Atonement, War Horse, 12 Years a Slave, Imitation Game, 1917, Power of the Dog

6 Willem Dafoe-Platoon, Mississippi Burning, English Patient, The Aviator, Grand Budapest Hotel, Nightmare Alley

6 Stephen McKinley Henderson-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Lincoln, Manchester by the Sea, Fences, Lady Bird, Dune

5 Judi Dench-Room with a View, Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat, Philomena, Belfast

5 Timothee Chalemet – Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, Little Women, Dune, Don’t Look Up

5 David Strathairn-LA Confidential, Good Night and Good Luck, Lincoln, Nomadland, Nightmare Alley

5 Sean Penn-Thin Red Line, Milk, Mystic River, Tree of Life, Licorice Pizza

4 Rooney Mara-Social Network, Her, Lion, Nightmare Alley

4 Josh Brolin-No Country for Old Men, Milk, True Grit, Dune

4 Mark Rylance-Bridge of Spies, Dunkirk, Trial of the Chicago 7, Don’t Look Up

4 Jonah Hill-Moneyball, Django Unchained, Wolf of Wall Street, Don’t Look Up

4 Jennifer Lawrence-Winter’s Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Don’t Look Up

4 Toni Collette-Sixth Sense, The Hours, Little Miss Sunshine, Nightmare Alley

4 Christine Ebersole-Tootsie, Amadeus, Wolf of Wall Street, Licorice Pizza

3 Jon Bernthal-Wolf of Wall Street, Ford v Ferrarri, King Richard

3 Rita Moreno-West Side Story, The King and I, West Side Story

3 Richard Jenkins-Hannah and Her Sisters, Shape of Water, Nightmare Alley

3 Aunjanue Ellis-Ray, The Help, King Richard

3 Frances Conroy-Aviator, Joker, Power of the Dog

Oscar Best Picture Nominees of the 10s by Setting

I often enjoy taking quizzes at Sporcle and sometimes I create my own. This is about the settings of Oscar-nominated films. The idea that the Oscars are more in love with the definite past than the indefinite present and the future is especially prescient in a listing like this.

Stats List: The Oscar Class of 2019

For eight of the nine films ("Parasite" being the exception) that got nominated in the 2019/2020, this has been an exceptional year in terms of big-name stars finding themselves in Oscar nominated films. "1917" would also be a little short of big name talent if not for the cameos but they still count. 

Here is a list in alphabetical order of actors in a 2019 Best Picture nominee:

Adam Driver, Alan Arkin, Al Pacino, Alfie Allen, Andrew Scott, Anna Paquin, Archie Yates, Austin Butler, Azhy Robertson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Camp, Bobby Cannavale, Bob Odenkirk, Brad Pitt, Brian Tyree Henry, Bruce Dern, Chris Cooper, Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Dakota Fanning, Damien Chazelle, Dean Charles-Chapman, Eliza Scanlon, Emile Hirsch, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Frances Conroy, George McKay, Harvey Keitel, Jack Huston, Jesse Plemons, Joaquin Phoenix, Joe Pesci, Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, Julie Hagerty, Jung-eun Lee, Kang-Ho Song, Kurt Russell, Laura Dern, Lena Dunham, Leonardo , Luke Perry, Margaret Quayle, Margot Robbie, Mark Strong, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Mike Moh, Noah Jupe, Raphael Roncal, Ray Liotta, Ray Romano, Rebel Wilson, Richard Madden, Robert DeNiro, Roman Griffith Davis, Saiosre Ronan, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, So-Dam Park, Shea Whigham, Stephen Merchant, Sun-Kyun Lee, Taiki Wahiti, Timothee Chalemett, Timothy Olyphant, Thomasin McKenzie, Tracey Letts, Wallace Shawn, Woo-Shik Choi, Yeo-Jeong Cho, Zazie Beets

Here's a list of where each of these actors now stands on the all-time list of Best Picture nominee appearances:
11 Robert DeNiro: Godfather II, Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, Mission, Raging Bull, Awakenings, Goodfellas, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Irishman, Joker
9 Leo Dicaprio: Titanic, Gangs of NY, Aviator, Departed, Inception, Django, Wolf of Wall Street, Revenant, Once Upon a Time in H'Wood
8 Brad Pitt: Babel, Curious Case of Ben Buttons, Inglourious B's, Tree of Life, Moneyball, 12 Years a Slave, Big Short, Once Upon a Time H'wood
8 Al Pacino: Godfather I, Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather II-III, Scent of a Woman, Insider, Irishman, Once Upon a Time in H'Wood
7 Meryl Streep: Julia, Deer Hunter, Kramer vs Kramer, Out of Africa, Hours, Post, Little Women
6 Harvey Keitel: Taxi Driver, Bugsy, Piano, Pulp Fiction, Grand Budapest Hotel, Irishman
6 Matt Damon: Good Will Hunting, Saving Pvt Ryan, Departed, True Grit, Martian, Ford v Ferrarri
5 Benedict Cumberbatch: Atonement, War Horse, 12 Yrs a Slave, Imitation Game, 1917
5 Tracey Letts: Big Short, Ladybird, The Post, Little Woman, Ford vs Ferrari
5 Christian Bale: Fighter, American Hustle, Big Short, Vice, Ford vs Ferrari
5 Sam Rockwell: Green Mile, Frost/Nixon, 3 Billboards, Vice, Jojo Rabbit
5 Saiosre Ronan: Atonement, GBH, Brooklyn, Ladybird, Little Women
5 Shea Wigham: Silver Linings Playbook, Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, Vice, Joker
4 Scarlett Johansson: Lost in Translation, Her, JoJo Rabbit, Marriage Story
4 Bruce Dern: Coming Home, Django Unchained, Nebraska, Once Upon a Time in H'Wood
4 Bill Camp: 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, Vice, Joker
4 Jesse Plemons: Bridge of Spies, The Post, Vice, Irishman
4 Colin Firth: Engl. Patient, Shakespeare in Love, King's speech, 1917
4 Joe Pesci: Raging Bull, Goodfellas, JFK, Irishman
3 Chris Cooper: American Beauty, Seabiscuit, Little Women
3 Alan Alda: Aviator, Bridge of Spies, Marriage Story
3 Margot Robbie: Wolf of Wall Street, Big Short, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3 Joaquin Phoenix: Gladiator, Her, Joker
3 Bob Odenkirk: Nebraska, Post, Little Women
3 Frances Conroy: Scent of a Woman, Aviator, Joker
3 Timothee Chalamet: Call Me By Your Name, Ladybird, Little Women

As we can see, where your name is on the marquee doesn't always align with how many great movies you're in. Some people like Tracey Letts, Shea Wigham, and Bill Camp just get all the breaks.

Others like Alan Alda and Phoenix get treated relatively shabbily by this metric (considering the cruelty that "Crimes and Misdemeanors" was snubbed while "Hannah and her Sisters" wasn't?) and poor Laura Dern never was in a Best Picture nominee before this so she gets shafted completely.

Megalist: All movies over the last 20 years which starred 3 Oscar Winners or More

I've started to notice that the formula for a good movie is to have two stars in it. Very not often do you see films investing beyond that unless it's a mega-ensemble film like Bobby, Murder on the Orient Express or something along those lines. 

I did one of those megalists where I made the criteria films with three Oscar winning actors in the cast excluding Oscar recipients (although honorary recipients are just as worthy, and I will die along those lists). This is not a 100% accurate measure of stardom, and I included people before they won the Oscar or in films for which they won their Oscar (i.e. Shakespeare in Love, A Beautiful Mind) so Larry Crowne (which has a small role for Rami Malek) is essentially a two-star film with a break out star. Lastly worth nothing, a handful of Oscar winners (Judi Dench, Jon Voight, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Chris Cooper) are not particularly selective with their roles and don't demand (or maybe simply aren't afforded) top roles, so they normally squeeze into casts in all sorts of places.

Still it's (slightly) interesting to read.

1998:

Shakespeare in Love: Gwyneth Paltrow*, Colin Firth, Geoffery Rush, Judi Dench*
Great Expectations: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Robert DeNiro, Chris Coooper

Enemy of the State: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King, Jason Robards

Primary Colors: Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates, Allison Janney

Antz: Gene Hackman, Anne Bancroft, Christopher Walken

One True Thing: Meryl Streep, Rene Zellweger, William Hurt

Big Lebowski: Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

A Thin Red Line: Sean Penn, George Clooney, Adrian Brody
Meet Joe Black: Anthony Hopkins, Brad, Marcia Gay Harden

Midsummer Nights Dream: Kevin Kline, Sam Rockwell, Christian Bale
Elizabeth: Cate Blanchett, John Gielgud, Geoffery Rush

1999:

Talented Mr Ripley: Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

American Beauty: Kevin Spacey,* Chris Cooper, Allison Janney

Cider House Rules: Michael Caine*, Charlize Theron, JK Simmons, Kieran Culkin

Insider: Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer
Magnolia: Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards

Tea with Moussilini: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Cher

Music of the Heart: Meryl Streep, Chloris Leachman, Kieran Culkin
Any Given Sunday: Al Pacino, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Charlton Heston

8 MM: Nicolas Cage, Robert Duvall, Joaquin Phoenix

2000:

Traffic: Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro*, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Viola Davis
Quills: Geoffery Rush, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine, Joaquin Phoenix

Finding Forrester: Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin

Almost Famous: Frances McDormand, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin

Nurse Betty: Rene Zellweger, Morgan Freeman, Allison Janney

Men of Honor: Cuba Gooding Jr, Robert DeNiro, Charlize Theron

Requiem for a Dream: Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto
Gone in 60 Seconds: Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall
Dr T and the Women: Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Lee Grant

Legend of Bagger Vance: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jack Lemmon

Wonderboys: Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr.

2001:

Royal Tenenbaums: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow

Shipping News: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench

Beautiful Mind: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly*, Christopher Plummer

Ocean’s 11: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt

Miss Congeniality: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Regina King

Iris: Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent*, Kate Winslet

Hannibal: Julianne Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman
Bridget Jones Diary: Rene Zellweger, Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent

I Am Sam: Sean Penn, Dianne Weist, Laura Dern, Mary Steenburgen
America's Sweethearts: Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Christopher Walken
Captain Corelli's Mandolin: Penelope Cruz, Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale
The Pledge: Jack Nicholson, Benicio del Toro, Helen Mirren

2002:

Adaptation: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper*, Tilda Swinton

Hours: Nicole Kidman*, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Allison Janney

Catch Me If You Can: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken

Gangs of New York: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jim Broadbent

Insomnia: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hillary Swank

Banger Sisters: Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Geoffery Rush

Nicholas Nickelby: Anne Hathaway, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent

Panic Room: Jodi Foster, Forrest Whitaker, Jared Leto
Moonlight Mile: Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Holly Hunter

Spiderman: Cliff Robertson, JK Simmons, Octavia Spencer

2003:

Cold Mountain: Nicole Kidman, Rene Zellweger*, Natalie Portman, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Cillian Murphy

21 Grams: Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Melissa Leo

Legally Blonde 2: Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Regina King

Mystic River: Sean Penn*, Tim Robbins*, Marcia Gay Harden

Runaway Jury: Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Rachel Weisz

Intolerable Cruelty: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffery Rush

Something’s Gotta Give: Jack Nicholson, Dianne Keaton, Frances McDormand

Gothika: Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr. 

2004:

Ocean’s 12: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck
Alexander: Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Christopher Plummer, Jared Leto
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Marlon Brando

Finding Neverland: Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, Julie Christie

National Treasure: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Christopher Plummer

Manchurian Candidate: Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Jon Voight
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: Rene Zellweger, Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth

The Village: Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix

The Terminal: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Zoey Saldana

2005:

Batman Begins: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman

Bewitched: Nicole Kidman, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine

Miss Congeniality 2: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Regina King
North Country: Charlize Theron, Francis McDormand, Sissy Spacek

Syriana: George Clooney*, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Christopher Plummer, Viola Davis

Robots: Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Dianne Weisz, Jim Broadbent

[Empire Falls: Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward]

2006:

Good Shepard: Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro, Eddie Redmayne, Joe Pesci, William Hurt

Prairie Home Companion: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones

Superman Returns: Kevin Spacey, Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando

All the King’s Men: Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet

Inside Man: Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer

Ant Bully: Meryl Streep, Nicholas Cage, Julia Roberts, Regina King

2007:

I’m Not There: Cate Blanchett, Chrstian Bale, Heath Ledger, Julianne Moore

National Treasure 2: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren

Elizabeth the Golden Age: Cate Blanchett, Geoffery Rush, Eddie Redmayne

Darjeeling Limited: Adrianne Brody, Anjelica Huston, Natalie Portman

American Gangster: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Cuba Gooding Jr

Charlie Wilson’s War: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

In the Valley of Elah: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon

Ocean’s 13: Al Pacino, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck
Assassination of Jesse James: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell

Hot Fuzz: Olivia Colman, Jim Broadbent, Brad Pitt

2008:

Four Christmases: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight

Dark Knight: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger*, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy

Burn After Reading: Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, JK Simmons

Revolutionary Road: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCpario, Kathy Bates

Doubt: Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Iron Man: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges
Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton

Righteous Kill: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Melissa Leo

Tropic Thunder: Robert Downey Jr, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Voight

2009:
Nine: Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench

Brothers Bloom: Adrian Brody, Rachel Weisz, Maxmillan Schell

Men Who Stare at Goats: Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges

Everybody’s Fine: Robert DeNiro, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo

State of Play: Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis

Soloist: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr,  Octavia Spencer

2010:

Valentine’s Day: Anne Hathaway, Jamie Fox, Shirley MacLaine, Kathy Bates, Julia Roberts

Red: Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dreyfuss

Inception: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy

Little Fockers: Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, Barbara Streisand

Conviction: Hillary Swank, Melissa Leo, Sam Rockwell

Eat Pray Love: Julia Roberts, Viola Davis, Javier Bardem

Iron Man 2: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell

2011:

The Help: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer*, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Jessica Chastain

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis
New Year's Eve: Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry, Hillary Swank 

Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides: Penelope Cruz, Geoffery Rush, Judi Dench

Carnage: Jodi Foster, Kate Winslet, Christophe Waltz

Midnight in Paris: Marion Cotillard, Adrian Brody, Kathy Bates

Crazy Stupid Love: Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei

The Ides of March: George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei

Larry Crowne: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Rami Malek

Iron Lady: Meryl Streep*, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman
Contagion: Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard

Tree of Life: Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn

Cars 2: Michael Caine, Vanessa Redgrave, Whoopi Goldberg

King Fu Panda 2: Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh

2012:

Dark Knight Rises: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman

Django Unchained: Jamie Foxx, Christophe Waltz*, Leonardo DiCaprio

Lincoln: Daniel Day-Lewis*, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones

Amazing Spiderman: Emma Stone, Sally Field, Chris Cooper

Les Miserables: Anne Hathaway*, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne

The Company You Keep: Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Chris Cooper
The Master: Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Dern

2013:

Last Vegas: Roberto De Niro, Michael Douglas, Mary Steenburgen, Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman

The Butler: Forrest Whitaker, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr, Vanessa Redgrave

American Hustle: Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro

Wolf of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jean DuJardin, Matthew McConaughey

Stand Up Guys:  Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Al Pacino
Red 2: Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones
The Big Wedding: Robin Willliams, Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon, Dianne Keaton
The Counselor: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz

August Osage County: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper

Movie 43: Emma Stone, Kate Winslet, Kieran Culkin

2014:

Interstellar: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine

Grand Budapest Hotel: F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Adrian Brody

Night at the Museum 2:  Robin Williams, Rami Malek, Ben Kingsley

X-Men Days of Future Past: Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin

Hunger Games Mockingjay 1: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman,            Amazing Spiderman 2: Emma Stone, Sally Field, Chris Cooper

Noah: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins
Monuments Men: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Jean DuJardin

The Homesman: Tommy Lee Jones, Hillary Swank, Meryl Streep

Inherent Vice: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro

2015:
Youth: Michael Caine, Jane Fonda, Rachel Weisz

Big Short: Christain Bale, Marissa Tomei, Melissa Leo, Brad Pitt

Hunger Games Mockingjay 2: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Magic in the Moonlight: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden

2016:

Bridget Jones Baby: Rene Zellweger, Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson

Hail Caesar: George Clooney, Francis McDormand, Tilda Swinton

Jungle Book: Ben Kinglsey, Lupita Nyongo, Chrisopher Walken

Suicide Squad: Jared Leto, Will Smith, Viola Davis

Knight of Cups: Christain Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman

Captain America Civil War: Robert Downey Jr, William Hurt, Marissa Tomei

2017:

Murder on the Orient Express: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Olivia Colman

Kingsman 2: Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges

Tulip Fever: Alicia Vickander, Christophe Waltz, Judi Dench

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales: Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz

2018:

Mamma Mia 2: Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Cher

Book Club: Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Keaton, Jane Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss
The Favourite: Olivia Colman*, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone

Black Panther: Forest Whitaker, Lupita N'yonga, Juliette Whitaker
Avengers Infinity War: Benicio del Toro, Gwyneth Paltrow, William Hurt, Brie Larson

Ocean's 8: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway

Widows: Robert Duvall, Viola Davis, Dan Kaluuya

2019:

Little Women-Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Mikey Madison

Avengers Endgame: Tilda Swinton, Michael Douglas, Marisa Tomei, William Hurt, Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr

Addams Family: Charlize Theron, Allison Janney, Mikey Madison

Irishman: Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin

2020:

Prom-Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Ariana DeBose

Dolittle-Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Marion Cotillard, Jim Broadbent

Little Things-Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, Rami Malek

Defending the Academy on Diversity

Recent controversy that the Academy Awards are not inclusive of diversity on the basis that they had no African-American nominees are baseless. Statistically, it had to happen sooner or later and I object to the notion that the Academy needs to reserve a spot for a black actor just so it can sidestep the racial debate.The Academy has even had three years where there have been as many as five nominees.

2009: 3-Freeman, Sidibe, Monique
2008: 2-Taraji P Henson, Davis
2007: 1-Ruby Dee
2006: 5-Hotsou, Whitaker, Smith, Hudson, E Murphy
2005: 1-T Howard
2004: 5-J Foxx, S Okendo, D Cheadle, J Foxx, M Freeman
2003: 1-D Hounsou
2002: 1-Queen Latifah
2001: 3-H Berry, D Washington, W Smith

23 nominations over 10 years= 2.3 a year. And that means an average of 2.3/20=11.5% of the nominations have gone to African-Americans. If African-Americans make up significantly more than 11.5% of the SAG, you have little basis for complaint.

Not to mention an additional percentage of non-whites:
2010: Javier Bardem (Hispanic) 2009: Penelope Cruz (Hispanic) 2008: P Cruz (Hispanic) 2007: Javier Bardem (Hispanic) 2006: Penelope Cruz (Hispanic), Rinko Kikuchi (Asian), Adriana Barazza (Hispanic) 2005: Charlize Theron (White African) 2004: Caitlin Sandia Moreno (Hispanic) 2003: Ken Watanabe (Japanese), Benicio del Toro (Hispanic), Keisha Castle-Hughes (New Zealand/Maori), Ben Kingsley (Half-Indian), Shoreh Aghdoshloo (Iranian) 2002: Selma Hayek (Hispanic) 2001: Ben Kingsley (Half-Indian).

This is an additional 15 nominations over 10 years. Theron, Castle-Hughes and Kingsley are only half non-white but still that's an additional 7.5%. So that's 19%.

Let's also establish of there's an American favoritism or a UK/USA favoritism:
2000: Julie Walters (UK), Judi Dench (UK) Albert Finney (UK), Russell Crowe (New Zealand), Javier Bardem (Spain), Benicio del Toro (Mexico), Geoffery Rush (Austalia), Juliette Binoche (France)
2001: Kate Winslet (UK), Tom Wilkinson (UK), Maggie Smith (UK), Helen Mirren (UK), Judi Dench (UK), Nicole Kidman (Australia)
2002: Daniel Day-Lewis (UK), Michael Caine (UK), Catherine Zeta-Jones (UK-Wales), Selma Hayek (Mexico), Nicole Kidman (Australia), Russell Crowe (New Zealand)
2003: Ben Kinglsey (UK), Jude Law (UK), Naiomi Watts (UK), Samantha Morton (UK), Djimon Hounsou (Benin/Nigeria), Benicio Del Toro (Mexico), Ken Wattanabe (Japan), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Australia),Charlize Theron (South Africa), Shoreh Aghdoshloo (Iran)
2004: Sophie Okendo (UK), Imelda Staunton (UK), Kate Winslet (UK), Natalie Portman (Israel), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Colombia)
2005: Judi Dench (UK), Kiera Knightly (UK), Rachel Weisz (UK), Charlize Theron (South Africa),
2006: Helen Mirren (UK), Judi Dench (UK), Kate Winslet (UK), Peter O'Toole (Ireland), Djimon Hounsou (Benin/Nigeria), Adriana Barraza (Mexico), Rinko Kikuchi (Japan), Cate Blanchett (Australia), Penelope Cruz (Spain)
2007: Daniel Day-Lewis (UK), Tom Wilkinson (UK), Javier Bardem (Spain), Marion Cortillard (France) Ellen Page (Canada), Julie Christie (India), Cate Blanchett (Australia) (X2)
2008: Kate Winslet (UK), Penelope Cruz (Spain), Heath Ledger (Australia)
2009: Helen Mirren (UK), Colin Firth (UK), Carey Mulligan (UK), Christophe Waltz (Austria), Penelope Cruz (Spain), Christopher Plummer (Canada)
2010: Colin Firth (UK), Helena Bohman Carter (UK), Christian Bale (UK-Wales), Geoffery Rush (Australia), Nicole Kidman (Australia), Natalie Portman (Israel), Jackie Weaver (Australia), Javier Bardem (Spain),

73/220 nominees are non-American: 33.1%
66.9% of nominees are American
65.9% of nominees are American or Canadian
30/220 or 13.6% of the nominees are from Great Britain
39/220 or 17.7% are European
11/220 or 5% are Australian


Considering almost a 1/3 of the nominees are not from the US and the Academy/Hollywood is centered in the US, charges of xenophobia are not really valid

Acting Oscars in an alternate universe

Acting Oscars in an alternate universe:
I'm just sort of reimagining the Oscars here dating back to 1989. I tried to keep myself to a certain number of rules in limiting what I wanted and what was realistic. One rule was that the number of Oscar winners in the alternate version must equal the number of Oscar winners in history. For example, if I penciled in Russell Crowe for a second Oscar, that would make it one less Oscar winner total. It was a matter of balancing multiple Oscar winners with single Oscar winners.
Secondary rules were to balance dues, be realistic in who would win, and make sure that as many of the deserving actors, if I deprived them an award somewhere, I'd give it back to them later.
By dues, I mean the dues that go into whether an actor wins an Oscar is dependent on whether they've won one before and if so, how recently that would be.

Without further ado, let's start:
89:
Best Actor: Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July*
Best Supporting Actor: Martin Landau, Crimes and Misdemeanors*
Best Actress: Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy
Best Supporting Actress: Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot
I was originally planning to just do the 20-year period of the 90's and 00's but I needed to strip Denzel Washington of his 89 supporting Oscar to even things out so I went back a year.

In this year, I decided to give the Oscar to Tom Cruise becasue as I wrote in a seperate post, Cruise really needs an Oscar somewhere for the good of Hollywood. I picked Cruise to get the Oscar for 4th of July because I realized when I replaced Day-Lewis for Brody in 2002, I deprived history of its first and only Best Actor winner under 30-years old. To take his place, I thought, I could either give it to Tom Cruise for Born on the 4th or snub Ryan Gosling for Lars and the Real Girl and I chose the former being that the latter wasn't particularly likely.

90:Best Actor: Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune
Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
Best Actress: Kathy Bates, Misery
Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston, Grifters*
Everything here is kept as is. Kathy Bates performance in Misery was iconic and Joe Pesci gave one of the best supporting roles ever so there's no need to change either of them. Jeremy Irons is a well-respected theater veteran who deserves nothing less than an Oscar. I was considering keeping Whoopi Goldberg because she couldn't guest-star on 30 Rock as an INGOT winner without this award.


91:
Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins, Silence of the Lambs
Supporting Actor: Harvey Keitel, Bugsy*
Actress: Laura Dern, Rambling Rose*
Supporting Actress: Amanda Plummer, Fisher King**
In 1991, I wanted to take the opportunity to reward either Bugsy and JFK with an acting Oscar and I ended up going with Harvey Keitel. Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Kingsley both deserve Oscars elsewhere and being that I found room for that, I thought I'd reward Harvey Keitel for his fairly distinguished career as mobster Mickey Cohen in Bugsy.
I decree Jodie Foster needn't have two Oscars so I took her Silence of the Lambs win away. This prevents Silence of the Lambs from being just the third film to win actor, actress, director, screenplay, and picture, but it's just a horror film anyway. Laura Dern is also Hollywood royalty and has had a relatively respectable career. Shy paramour Amanda Plummer stuck out more in The Fisher King than nagging girlfriend Mercedes Ruehl in my opinion.

92:
Best Actor: Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman
Supporting Actor: Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven
Best Actress: Susan Sarandan, Lorenzo's Oil*
Best Supporting Actress: Greta Sacchi, Player**
I initially had thoughts of rewarding "The Player"'s Tim Robbins for his role as a creepy Hollywood executive a little too willing to get away with cold-blooded manslaughter. It would have compensated for my not awarding Robbins in 2003 and I still wanted to give him an Oscar (his acting wins me over, his politics don't). I was considering bumping Pacino down to supporting for Glengarry Glenn Ross but after 7 failed noms, Pacino deserves better than supporting actor. I could have even awarded Pacino a second supporting nom and a 9th nomination with the Insider in 1999 but I decided that Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman is one of my favorite performances and one that I needed to defend against the detractors and I feel equally highly of Eastwood in Unforgiven. I wanted to give Susan Sorandon something. 

A chance to void Marissa Thomei's controversial win, fortunately, gave me the opportunity to award Altman's film with a win for unnominated Greta Scacchi, who played the "Ice Queen"-Robbins' equally dark lover whom he meets in the most immoral of circumstances.


93:
Best Actor: Tom Hanks, Philadelphia
Supporting Actor: Ralph Feinnes, Schindler's List*
Best Actress: Holly Hunter, Piano
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Paquin, Piano

As a fan of Anna Paquin and Holly Hunter, I didn't want to mess with their Oscar wins and the back-to-back wins that defined Hanks career (as well as cinema in the 90's) didn't need tampering either. Tommy Lee Jones gets his own down the road, and Ralph Feinnes one of the UK's finest, gets his for Schindler's List.


94:
Best Actor: Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump
Best Supporting Actor: Martin Landau, Ed Wood
Best Actress: Jessica Lange, Blue Sky
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Tilly, Bullets over Broadway*
94 was such a great cinematic year and I didn't really want to mess with anything here. I like that also-rans Ed Wood and Bullets Over Broadway got love in the acting categories and I think Jessica Lange (in a bizarre win) deserves a second Oscar. I switched Dianne Weist for Jennifer Tilly, however. This avoided a double win for Weist, who's career has been unremarkable.

95:
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Dead Man Walking
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Harris, Apollo 13*
Best Actress: Elizabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas
Best Supporting Actress: Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite
Apollo 13 is my favorite film of the 90's and wanted to award Ed Harris for it, who conveys all the tension and drama of the space race with his frenetic pacing as mission director Gene Kranz. Presidential portraits seem award-worthy enough and giving Hopkins a second Oscar ensures that he won't be remembered just for his performance as a serial killer. Let's switch up Dead

96:
Best Actor: Ralph Feinnes, English Patient
Best Supporting Actor: Armin Muehler-Stahl, Shine*
Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Fargo
Best Supporting Actress Juliette Binoche, The English Patient
James Woods for Ghosts of Mississippi and Tom Cruise were under consideration here. I wasn't particularly impressed with Rush in Shine but I felt Rush deserved an Oscar and couldn't give it to him in 2000 or 1998. Gooding Jr. who has single-handedly diminished the value of the award with poor post-Oscar career choices, gets to be erased and a man with a mesmerizing performances gets in instead.


97:
Best Actor: Rob Duvall, The Apostle*
Best Supporting Actor: Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting
Best Actress: Helena Bohman Carter, Wings of the Dove*
Best Supporting Actress: Kim Bassinger, LA Confidential

98:
Best Actor: Joseph Feinnes, Shakespeare in Love**
Best Supporting Actor: James Coburn, Affliction
Best Actress: Fernando Montonegro, Central Station*
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Griffith, Hillary and Jackie*

99:
Best Actor: Matt Damon, Talented Mr. Ripley**
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Clarke Duncan, Green Mie*
Best Actress: Annette Benning, American Beauty*
Best Supporting Actress: Chloe Seveigny, Boys Don't Cry*

00:
Best Actor: Russell Crowe, Gladiator
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio del Toro, Traffic
Best Actress: Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovitch
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Hudson, Almost Famous*

01:
Best Actor: Russell Crowe, Beautiful Mind*
Best Supporting Actor:Jon Voight,Ali*
Best Actress: Halle Berry, Monster's Ball
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Connelly, Beautiful Mind

02:
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York
Best Supporting Actor: Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven**
Best Actress: Rene Zellweger, Chicago*
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep, Adaptation*

03:
Best Actor: Ben Kinglsey, House of Sand and Fog*
Best Supporting Actor: Jonny Depp, Pirates of the Carribean**
Best Actress: Charlize Theron, Monster
Best Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johannsen, Lost in Translation**

04:
Best Actor: Jamie Foxx, Ray
Best Supporting Actor: Alec Baldwin, Aviator**
Best Actress: Hillary Swank,, Million Dollar Baby
Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen, Sideways*

05:
Best Actor: Joaquin Pheonix, Walk the Line*
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney, Syriana
Best Actress: Reese Whitherspoon, Walk the Line
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weicz, Constant Gardener

06:
Best Actor: Ken Wattanabe, Letters from Iwo Jima**
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Best Actress: Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal*
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

07:
Best Actor: Virgo Mortgensen, Eastern Promises*
Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men**
Best Actress: Julie Christie, Away from Her*
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There*

08:
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, Dark Knight
Best Actress: Kate Winselt, Reader
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Milk

09:
Best Actor: Morgan Freeman, Invictus*
Best Supporting Actor: Christophe Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, Last Station*
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air*

Stats:
Existing multiple oscar winners who have lost Oscars (unless otherwise noted, they've gone from 2 oscars to 1 oscar) in my multiple reality: Jodie Foster, Michael Caine, Jack Nicholson (3 Oscars to 2 Oscars), Hillary Swank, Kevin Spacey (2 to 0), Denzel Washington
Existing Oscar-winners who have gained an Oscar in this alternate timeline: People who have gone from 1 oscar to 2 oscars (or 2 to 3): Meryl Streep, Rob Duvall, Ben Kingsley, Martin Landau, Julie Christie, Russell Crowe, Anjelica Huston, Jon Voight

People who no longer have Oscars: Mo'nique, Jeff Bridges, Jim Broadbent, Gwenyth Paltrow, Cuba Gooding Jr., Maria Thomei, Chris Cooper, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Nicole Kidman, Adrian Brody, Roberto Begnini, Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bullock, Helen Hunt, Marion Cotillard

People who are now suddenly very much due an Oscar: Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kevin Spacey

Long due people who now finally have an Oscar in this alternate timeline: Ed Harris, Annette Benning, Ralph Feinnes, Tom Cruise, Lynn Redgrave, Harvey Keitel


.

Is a 2nd nomination harder for an actor or easier?

Someone asked this question on a message board:

I think the second nomination is humongous because it t shows you're not just a one-hit wonder. I feel like 2-time noms like Brad Pitt, Rob Downey Jr, Joaquin Pheonix, Samantha Morton, Amy Adams*, Catherine Keener and now Matt Damon are now members of the club of established actors because they have two and if you look at their filmographies, it felt like they were being increasingly recognized for notable work around the time they earned their second nomination. I even feel like the above list of names is more established than a one-time winner like Rachel Weicz, Jennifer Hudson, Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, or Cuba Gooding Jr, because they've shown they can reach the threshold of Oscar nomination twice.

As a result, I think it's not hard to get a second nomination if you've deserved it but I think a voter would think twice if you're not a one-hit wonder (someone who had a really good role just once). I can't imagine someone like Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd, Sandra Locke, Casey Affleck, Sophie Okendo, even Alan Alda, getting a second nomination if they suddenly did a great film tomorrow unless it was amazing like Charlize Theron in monster. It would fall a little under the well they already have a nom rule.

To look at this further:
-Brad Pitt got nominated in Benjamin Buttons after turning in notable leading performances in Assassination of Jesse James and Babel. Babel was significant because he almost got nominated for it and the picture got nominated for an Oscar and won the golden globe that year.

-Catherine Keener got nomination #2 for Capote after she had one of those prolific years that people take note of: She was also in 40-Year Old Virgin and Interpreter and won the NBR prize for all three

-Rob Downey Jr. had the upcoming lead in Soloist (this was a little bit of reverse dues because the film was scheduled to be released in 08 and if the trailer doesn't make your heart melt alone, I don't know what would). Downey Jr. also had just become Tobey Maguire 2.0 by hemming a megablockbuster in Iron Man. Three years prior he garnered some note in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Good Night and Good Luck

-Matt Damon already had an Oscar in writing and acting but a decade later it was clear that he was one of the most respected and prolific actors in Hollywood and needed more to show for it. Bourne Ultimatum, Good Shephard, Syrianna and Departed were all memorable turns (he got zero Oscar buzz for the latter two because George Clooney and Leo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg outshone him for the Oscar buzz). Even his role in All the Pretty Horses could have made a decent case for an Oscar nom. By 2009 with fading buzz for Informant, his best role to date, the voters needed to apologize to him by sticking him in the supporting category for a role that was (at least, in my opinion) pretty forgettable.

-Amy Adams filmography might be a little short compared to others on the list but she only started acting this decade and wasn't a commodity until 2005. She had been in a consistent number of pictures sup to 2008 where she has shown range and expanded her resume: She did a comedy with Will Ferrell, a Mike Nicholls picture with Hanks and Roberts, starred in a Disneyesque flick, did another indie in Sunshine Clearing, and shined in a theatrical piece in Doubt.

Actors in 3 or more nominated films this decade

Here's a brand new random list:Actors and how many films they've been in, specific to this decade.

Requirements are:

-Must be in a minimum of 3 oscar-nominated films.

-By nomination, we mean best picture

-One of those Oscar-nominated films must have been in the 00's.

You might find some surprising names here like Allison Janey or Christopher Plummer. I didn't have time to look up every extra in all three LOTR's.

Jack Nicholson-10-Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Reds, Terms of Endearmant, Prizzi’s Honor, Broadcast News, A Few Good Men, As Good as it Gets, Departed

Dustin Hoffman-8-The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, All the President’s Men, Kramer vs Kramer, Tootsie, Rain Man, Finding Neverland

Al Pacino-6-Godfather, Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather III, Scent of a Woman, The Insider

Daniel Day-Lewis-6-Ghandi, Room with a View, My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Gangs of New York, There Will be Blood

Tom Wilkinson-6-In the Name of the Father, Sense and Sensibility, Full Monty, Shakespeare in Love, In the Bedroom, Michael Clayton

Cate Blanchett-6-Elizabeth, LOTR 1-3, The Aviator, Babel

Meryl Streep-5-Julia, Deer Hunter, Kramer vs Kramer, Out of Africa, Tootsie

Tommy Lee Jones-5-Love Story, Coal Miner’s Daughter, JFK, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men

Willhem Defoe-5-Mississippi Burning, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, English Patient, The Aviator

Russell Crowe-5-LA Confidential, The Insider, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander

John C Reilley-5-Thin Red Line, Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours, Aviator

Christopher Lee-5-Hamlet, Moulin Rouge, Lord of the Rings I-III

Tom Hanks-4-Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Green Mile

Morgan Freeman-4-Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby

Jim Broadbent-4-In the Name of the Father, Bullets over Broadway, Moulan Rouge, Gangs of New York

Kelly McDonald-4-Elizabeth, Godsford Park, Finding Neverland, No Country for Old Men

Geoffery Rush-4-Shine, Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, Munich

Ian Holm-4-Chariots of Fire, Lord of the Rings I, Lord of the Rings III, The Aviator

Sissy Spaceck-4-Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Missing, JFK, In the Bedroom

Julie Christie-4-Dr. Zhivago, Darling, Heaven Can Wait, Finding Neverland

Vanessa Redgrave-4-A Man for All Seasons, Julia, Room with a View, Atonement

Kevin Bacon-4-JFK, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Mystic River

Leonardo DiCaprio-4-Titanic, Gangs of New York, Aviator, The Departed

James Cromwell-4-Babe, LA Confidential, Green Mile, The Queen

Ed Harris-4-Right Stuff, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Hours

Julie Christie-4-Doctor Zhivago, Darling, Heaven Can Wait, Finding Neverland

Matt Damon-4-Field of Dreams, Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Departed

John Rhys-Davies-4-Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lord of the Rings I-III

Chris Cooper-3-American Beauty, Seabiscuit, Capote

Allison Janey-3-American Beauty, The Hours, Juno

Toni Collette-3-Sixth Sense, The Hours, Little Miss Sunshine

Alec Baldwin-3-Working Girl, The Aviator, Departed

Albert Finney-3-Tom Jones, Erin Brockovitch, Traffic

Chris Cooper-3-American Beauty, Seabiscuit, Capote

Clifton Collins Jr-3-Traffic, Capote, Babel

Michael Pena-3-Million Dollar Baby, Crash, Babel

Judi Dench-3-Room with a View, Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat

George Clooney-3-Thin Red Line, Good Night and Good Luck, Michael Clayton

Beth Grant-3-Rain Man, Little Miss Sunshine, No Country for Old Men

Martin Sheen-3-Apocolypse Now, JFK, The Departed

Sean Penn-3-Dead Man Walking, Thin Red Line, Mystic River

Kate Winslet-3-Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Finding Neverland

Sean Astin-3-LOTR I-III

Orlando Bloom-3-LOTR I-III

Elijah Wood-3-LOTR I-III

Virgo Mortgensen-3-LOTR I-III

Ian McKellan-3-LOTR I-III

Maggie Smith-3-California Suite, Room with a View, Godsford Park

Christopher Plummer-3-Sound of Music, The Insider, A Beautiful Mind

Richard Harris-3-Guns of Navarrone, Unforgiven, Gladiator

The most star-packed rosters of 2004-2007

As determined by combined number of Oscar nominations when the films were released. The lists are highly skewed by Meryl Streep, but it's an interesting list. Also do you notice that there's virtually no correlation between number of stars you have in an animated film and the amount it grosses? I also notice that the numbers will inevitably get smaller the further back you go, and that's because oscars are handed out at a faster rate than Oscar-winning actors are dying (or in rare cases, retiring from acting, but noone ever truly retires, just ask Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Dan Akroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, etc.):

2007:
1. Evening 26: Meryl Streep 14, Toni Collete 1, Vanessa Redgrave 6, Glenn Close 5
2. Stardust 19- Robert De Niro 6, Peter O’Toole 8, Michelle Pfieffer 3, Ian McKellan 2
Rendition 19: Meryl Streep 14, Alan Arkin 3, Jake Gyllenhall 1, Reeee Whitherspoon 1
4. Lions for Lambs 18: Meryl Streep 14, Tom Cruise 3, Robert Redford 1
5. Bucket List- 16: Jack Nicholson 12, Morgan Freeman 4
5. Harry Potter & the Order of Pheonix 16-Emma Thompson 4, Ralph Feinnes 2, Imadela Staunton 1 Maggie Smith 6, Helena Bohman Carter 1, Julie Walters 2
5. Ocean’s 13-16: Al Pacino 8, Matt Damon 1, Brad Pitt 1 George Clooney 1, Don Cheadle 1, Elliot Gould 1, David Paymer 1, Andy Garcia 1, Oprah Winfrey 1
8. National Treasure 2 14: Ed Harris 4, Jon Voight 4, Helen Mirren 3, Nicholas Cage 2, Harvey Keitel 1
9. Charlie Wilson’s War 10: Tom Hanks 5, Amy Adams 1, Julia Roberts 3, Philip Seymour Hoffman 1
9. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead 10-Albert Finney 5, Ethan Hawke 1, Marissa Thomei 2, Philip Seymour Hoffman 1, Rosemary Harris 1
9. Bourne Ultimatum 10-Matt Damon 1, Joan Allen 3, Albert Finney 5, David Strathain 1
Elizabeth and the Golden Age 9: Cate Blanchett 3, Samantha Morton 2, Geoffery Rush 3, Clive


2006:
Prairie Home Companion 20: Meryl Streep 13, Kevin Kline 1, Woody Harrelson 1, Virginia Madsen 1, Lily Tomlin 1, John C Riley 1, Tommy Lee Jones 2
Ant Bully 20: Meryl Streep 13, Julia Roberts 3, Nicholas Cage 2, Paul Giamatti 1, Lilly Tomlin 1
Departed 16: Leo DiCaprio 2, Jack Nicholson 12, Matt Damon 1, Alec Baldwin 1
Good Shephard 16: Robert De Niro 6, William Hurt 4, Joe Pesci 2, Alec Baldwin 1, Matt Damon 1, Angelina Jolie 1, Timothy Hutton 1
All the King’s Men 15: Anthony Hopkins 4, Kate Winslet 4, Jude Law 2, Sean Penn 4, Patricia Clarkson 1
Devil Wears Prada 13: Meryl Streep 13
Venus 13: Peter O’Toole 7, Vanessa Redgrave 6
Inside Man 12: Jodie Foster 4, Denzel Washington 5, Clive Owen 1, Willem Dafoe 2
Stranger than Fiction 13: Dustin Hoffman 7, Queen Latifah 1, Emma Thompson 4, Tom Hulce 1
Children of Men 11: Clive Owen 1, Michael Caine 6, Julianne Moore 4

2005 is the weakest year on record:
1. Prime 14-Streep 13, Uma Thurman 1
Baman Begins 13-Wattanabe 1, Freeman 4, Caine 6, Wilkinson 1, Niesson 1
Bewitched 13-Kidman 2, Caine 6, MacLaine 5
4. Robots 11-J Broadbent 1, H Berry 1, J Earl Jones 1, G Kinnear 1, D Weist 3, R Williams 6
5 Corpse Bride 10-Emily Watson 2, Helena Bohman Carter 1, Jonny Depp 2, Albert Finney 5
5 Racing Sripes 10-Dustin Hoffman 7, Michael Clarke Duncan 1, Whoopi Goldberg 2
5. Harry Potter 10-Miranda Richardson 2, Maggie Smith 6, Ralph Feinnes 2
8 Two for the Money 8-A Pacino 8
8 Weatherman 8-Cage 2, Caine 6
8 Hide and Seek 8-Robert De Niro 6, Elizabeth Shue 1, Amy Irving 1

2004:
1. Lemony Snicket 22-Hoffman 7, Streep 13, Jude Law 2
1. Manchurian Candidate 22-John Voight 4, Denzel Washington 5, Meryl Streep 13
3. Meet the Fockers 15-Dustin Hoffman 7, Robert De Niro 6, Barbara Streissand 2
3. Finding Neverland 15-Jonny Depp 1, Kate Winslet 3, Julie Christie 3, Dustin Hoffman 7
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azhkaban 15-Maggie Smith 6, Julie Christie 3, Emma Thompson 4, Julie Walters 2
6. I Heart Huckabees 13-Lily Tomlin 1, Dustin Hoffman 7, Jude Law 2, Someone whose name I can't remember 2, Naiomi Watts 1
6. Ocean's 12 13-Catherine Zeta Jones 1, Albert Finney 5, Julia Roberts 3, Andy Garcia 1, Matt Damon 1, Brad Pitt 1, Elliot Gould 1
6. Shark Tale 13-Will Smith 1, Rene Zellweger 3, Robert De Niro 6, Angelina Jolie 1, Peter Falk 2
8. Troy 11-Peter O'Toole 7, Brad Pitt 1, Julie Christie 2
8. Stepford Wives 11-Glenn Close 5, Christopher Walken 2, Nicole Kidman 2,
10. Merchant of Venice 9-Jeremy Irons 1, Al Pacino 8
10. Aflie 9-Jude Law 2, Susan Sorandon 5, Marissa Thomei 2
10. Aviator 9-Leo DiCaprio 1, Cate Blanchett 1, Alec Baldwin 1, John C Riley 1, Ian Holm 1, Jude Law 2, Wilhem Defoe 2

10 Actors who should get a second Oscar

When someone is awarded an Oscar in acting (or anything for that matter), it's a way for Hollywood to officially declare that the Oscar-winner is officially a part of the upper echelon of accomplished actors. Every year, Hollywood has an opportunity to invite up to four distinguished actors into that group. Last year they chose a character actor who had been invisible for most of his career (Forest Whitaker), one of the grand dames of the British theater (Helen Mirren), an aging comic actor who gained most of his fame in the 70's (Alan Arkin), and a singer who cut her chops in Reality TV living out a Hollywood fairytale (Jennifer Hudson). The year before, the Academy invited one of Hollywood's most beloved character actors in one of his few lead roles (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and one of Hollywood's biggest matinee idols in one of his few supporting roles (George Clooney).

Sometimes, however, The Academy gives an Oscar to someone who already has one, despite the limited opportunities they have to honor peers that are too talented to be without any. Whether there's an inclination to deny someone a second award, because they already have one is hard to conclude, although it isn't too far-fetched to say that the "They Already Have One" effect could have played a role in certain cases. Among recent examples where the better performance lost out, I'd say Meryl Streep losing to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Hanks losing to Russell Crowe for Gladiator, and Russell Crowe losing out to Denzel Washington and then being snubbed in Master and Commander and Cinderella Man or Cate Blanchett losing to Jennifer Hudson in Notes on a Scandal. Still, an Oscar going to someone who isn't a first-timer happens fairly often.

Recently: Hillary Swank (2004), Denzel Washington (2001), Kevin Spacey and Michael Caine (1999), Jack Nicholson (1997), Tom Hanks, Dianne Weist, and Jessica Lange (1994), and Gene Hackman (1992).

Here is the list of actors and actresses who have won more than one:
Actors-Walter Brennan, Spencer Tracy, Frederick March, Gary Cooper, Anthony Quinn, Jack Lemmon, Marlon Brando, Jason Robards, Melvyn Douglas, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey, Michael Caine, Denzel Washington
Actresses-Louise Rainier, Bette Davis, Olivia de Haviland, Vivian Leigh, Ingrid Bergman, Shelly Winters, Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Glenda Jackson, Maggie Smith, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest, Jessica Lange, Hillary Swank.

Some of the great actors to have only one a single Oscar include Humphrey Bogart, Henry Fonda, Alec Guiness and Jimmy Stewart. A couple of others, Paul Newman and Al Pacino won the Oscars so late in their careers that it felt a relief for them to win just one. Still, others like Peter O'Toole have won none at all.

Nevertheless, here's a list of those I'd like to see get a second Oscar to join the Multiple-Oscar club and an analysis of their chances to do so:

1. Ben Kingsley (Ghandi)-He keeps on giving career-defining performance after career-defining performance but if one were to look up his win for Ghandi, it would suggest that his career peaked in the 1980’s. I think he could have won an Oscar for House of Sand and Fog if the cards went a slightly different way. Other than that, though, I don't know how he can do it again. He keeps getting gangster roles like in Lucky Number Sliven and You Kill Me and a gangster part is kind of Oscar-baity but if he does another gangster role, Oscar pundits will just say "oh, it's his usual gangster shtick." I think Kingsley would have to find another real original part like the immigrant homeowner in House of Sand and Fog, or perhaps something biographical.

2. Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs)-It's kind of a shame how Hopkins doesn't get any attention from the Oscar pundits, and probably the voters, despite the fact that he consistently knocks your socks off. Maybe it's because people just can't see him as anything but that evil brain eater from Silence of the Lambs but films like Proof or Hearts in Atlantis or even Meet Joe Black are great performances despite the quality of the films themselves, and he gets no recognition for it. Let me ask: Were Matt Dillon, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Jake Gyllenhall, or William Hurt truly that much of a line-up to bump Anthony Hopkins out for his performance in Proof?
Maybe, the academy only likes seeing Anthony Hopkins play evil roles and he has to be given a really good villainous role to garner the academy's attention.

3. Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune)-He’s on my wish list because he's very talented and has lacked the career acclaim of some of his peers. Most people (including myself) easily forget that he won an Oscar already but this could work to his advantage because he doesn’t have as much pressure to distinguish himself in a new way with the voters: He just has to distinguish himself anyway at all.

4-5. Susan Sorandon (Dead Man Walking) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) are two that I'm rooting for because I think that they are simply the best of their generation, they've continued to stay interesting throughout the years and I think they're both being unfairly billed as old. I'm at least happy to see that Frances' Oscar in Fargo hasn't stopped her from being recognized for great performances in Almost Famous and North Country. In that respect, I'm also happy that these two talented actresses have a sizeable list of nominations to their name to reflect their prolific careers. McDormand should just keep doing what she's doing and hope for the best and Sorandon needs to try more for the starring category, in my opinion. In movies like Igby Goes Down and Elizabethtown, she's bound to get lost in the FYC ads that might push for a younger costar (i.e. Kirsten Dunst or Amanda Peete). Sorandon is capable of taking over a movie and she's not noticeably removed in age from when she single-handedly carried movies like The Client, Dead Man's Walking and Stepmom.

6. Tommy Lee Jones (Fugitive)-A project like Three Burials of Mesquilada shows he's a multi-faceted star which might make him a more prestigious name as an actor although at the same time, it could prevent him from getting an acting Oscar since he might become nominated in another category. I don't think, however, that Tommy Lee Jones, an aging star, is seen as a hall-of-fame type actor on the level of some of the other guys who have yet to win two like Jon Voight or Robert Duvall. To get another Oscar, he might have to find a meaty supporting role in someone else's movie.

7-8. Speaking of Voight (Coming Home) and Duvall (Tender Mercies), I'd count those two as the last of that De Niro/Hackman/Hoffman/Nicholson generation to not have a second oscar. I think they're considered to be slightly below the level of those four in terms of an accomplished career and that's why a second Oscar would be great for their legacy. For Voight and Duvall, it could be a combination of dues that plays into a win if the voters are thinking: it's been too long since they've won an Oscar. It would be interesting to see Voight win since his daughter, Angelina, is such a tabloid fixture, and all the subsequent publicity might give us a closer glimpse into that enigmatically strained father-daughter relationship.

9. Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock)-Wouldn't it be great for Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) if she won an Oscar for a picture that people had actually had seen? Pollock grossed just $8 million domestically and $10 million total (accounting for international gross). She got a nomination for Mystic River and I don't think that's the last great role she has in her. People who are likely to win a second Oscar. Harden should be taking the kinds of roles that are being gobbled up by Laura Linney and Patricia Clarkson that require an intelligent woman with range. The fact that she was able to distinguish herself in Mystic River with relatively little screen time proves she's a scene stealer.

10. Russell Crowe (Gladiator)-Despite his temper tantrums, Crowe remains my favorite actor among those currently at A-level status and his knockout performances in A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander and (from what I hear) Cinderella Man show that he has the potential to be the actor to beat on any given year. The question is whether Crowe has to work on his image before his peers award him with another statue.

Breakout Supporting Roles and Best Picture Winners

I just noticed this pattern as i was strolling through some best picture winners. They usually feature either great supporting roles, breakout actors in supporting roles, or actors in supporting roles before they broke-out:

Titanic:
pre-Fantastic Four Ioan Gufford (if i spelt his name wrong, i don't care)
pre-Alias Viktor Garber
Kathy Bates

Shakespeare in Love:
pre-Love Actually Colin Firth
pre-Vera Drake Imadela Staunton
pre-In the Bedroom Tom Wilkinson

American Beauty:
pre-Star Trek: Enterprise Scott Bakula
pre-Seabiscuit Chris Cooper
pre-Ghost World Thora Birch
pre-West Wing Allison Janey
pre-O.C. Peter Gallagher

Gladiator:
pre-In America Djimon Hotsou
pre-Walk the Line Joaquin Pheonix in a breakout role

A Beautiful Mind:
pre-Rent Anthony Rapp
pre-Sweet Home Alabama Josh Lukas
perrenial character actor Adam Goldberg
Judd Hirsch
Ed Harris
pre-Wimbledon Paul Bettany in a Breakout Role

Chicago:
pre-Talladega Nights John C Riley in a Breakout Role
Lucy Lui
Christine Barinski
Queen Latifah

Lord of the Rings:
pre-Pirates Orlando Bloom (sort of)
pre-Hidalgo Virgo Mortgensen in a breakout role
Sean Astin
Christopher Lee
Cate Blanchett
Mirando Otto
Ian McKellan

Million Dollar Baby:
bucks the trend

Crash:
Ryan Phillipe
Thandie Newton
pre-Hustle and Flow (by 3 months) Terrence Howard
Jennifer Esposito
Sandra Bullock
Matt Dillon
Don Cheadle
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges in a breakout role

Departed:
Anthony Anderson, Vera Farminga, Ray Winstone and Mark Wahlberg will break out onto a new level of stardom, I predict
In addition, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin inhabit great small roles in this movie

Million Dollar Baby is the only one which bucks the trend, which is odd because Golden Globe winner of that year Aviator fits that trend better with a supporting cast that include:
Wilhem DeFoe, Jude Law, Gwen Stefani, Kate Beckinsdale, Cate Blanchett, John C. Riley, Ian Holm, Alec Baldwin and Alan Alda

Actors and how many best picture nominees they've been in

This was a lot harder than the previous list with best picture nominees, but it was a rather enjoyable way to spend free time. That gives me an indication over what kind of job I should go for if i can do this and it's not considered work.
I had help from two other people on this, so thanks to them, whatever their names are. This isn't a complete list of course, because we can only do one actor at a time. I also really hope there isn't a computer genius out there who figured out how to do this in an easier way. I'd like to hope I'm the only person out there with these statistics and that i've done something revolutionary here.

Some observations:
-What does this list show? I think it shows more than the previous list of actors in 2 or more best picture nominees because the tastes of people who award the best picture vary so much from year to year and dynasties don't regularly play out in terms of best picture winners. Good movies usually do get in the best picture category and the club of nominees ranges from things as diverse as coming-of-age stories in American Graffiti and Breaking Away to action films like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to musicals (lots and lots of musicals, to .
-Appearing in a lot of good movies and having a lot of great accolades doesn't neccessarily coincide as is the case with Meryl Streep, Humphrey Bogart, or Katherine Hepburn. Good actors and actresses will stand out in extreme cases. Actors can get oscar-nominations for artsy films that wouldn't get the best picture prize but take Lawrence Olivier vs Dustin Hoffman. Dustin Hoffman is an iconic figure in film history because whenever we think of Rain Man, All the President's Men, Tootsie, Midnight Cowboy, or The Graduate, we think of him. His characters have had some of the most memorable scenes and lines in movie history. Lawrence Olivier was possibly the best actor ever, but exactly what do we remember of him? Wuthering Heights? Hamlet? Henry V? No doubt, great films, but the number of high profile films, I think makes a difference, that's all I'm saying.
-Being friends with Frank Capra and John Ford would get you high on the list. Every major work of theirs earned a best picture nomination. To a lesser extent, Eliza Kazan, William Wyler, Fred Zinneman, and Billy Wilder had that same success.
However, an eye for good projects makes a star bankable and you're more likely to have a legacy and be remembered if you're in great pictures. Harrison Ford never earned acting acclaim but until the last couple years where he slowed down in project selection he was one of the most visible and most popular stars in Hollywood, and this list indicates that.
-Way to go Ward Bond! I did this through clicking random names and came across this guy and slowly started working my way up the list and going "this guy might beat Jack Nicholson!" and i counted one after another after another. He was an uncredited actor (his biography said he was friends with John Ford who kept giving him bit parts) but by the time we got into the 40s, he was starting to have speaking roles and he even played Morgan Earp (Wyatt's brother) in My Darling Clementine. So Ward Bond, I salute you, and if your descendants are reading this be sure to contact me to claim your complimentary prize for winning the contest.
-Incredibly useless stat: Shirley MacLaine and Morgan Freeman rank highest on conversion of nominees to best picture winners by going 3 for 4
-Slightly more intersting stat: John Cazale has only appeared in 5 movies and 5 of them are best picture nominees
-Kevin Bacon does pretty well among his contemporaries with this criteria with 4 films. I wonder how much of the Six degrees of Kevin Bacon game can be played on those 4 films alone since they're all ensemble pieces
-John C. Riley with Chicago, The Hours and Gangs of New York in 2002 and Thomas Mitchell with Mr Smith Goes to Washington
-Robert Duvall has 8 films on this list, 7 of which are on AFI's top 100 list (all except Tender Mercies). He holds the distinction of being in the most movies on that list, although To Kill a Mockingbird is more like a cameo than a part.

The grand list:
Ward Bond-12 films-Mister Roberts, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Maltese Falcon, Seargent York, Grapes of Wrath, Gone with the Wind, You Can’t Take it With You, The Informer, Lady for a Day, It Happened One Night, Arrowsmith, The Quiet Man
Jack Nicholson-10 films-As Good as It Gets, The Departed, Reds, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms of Endearment, Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, Broadcast News, A Few Good Men, Prizzi’s Honor
Elizabeth Taylor-9 films-Father of the Bride, A Place in the Sun, Quo Vadis (uncredited),
Ivanhoe, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra (1963), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Anne of the Thousand Days (uncredited)
Gregory Peck-8 films-Guns of Navaronne, To Kill a Mockingbird, How the West was Won, Roman Holiday, Twelve O'Clock High, Gentlemen's Agreement, Yearling, Spellbound
Dustin Hoffman-8 films-Tootsie, The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Finding Neverland, Rain Man, Kramer vs Kramer, All the President’s Men, Lenny
William Holden-At least 8 films-Bridge on the River Kwai, Network, Our Town, Sunset Boulevard, Born Yesterday, Towering Inferno, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Country Girl
Gary Cooper-8 films-Wings, High Noon, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Pride of the Yankees, Mr Deeds Goes to Town, Seargent York, Friendly Persuasion, Farewell to Arms
Robert Duvall-8 films-Tender Mercies, Apocolypse Now, Godfather II, Godfather, The Conversation, Network, To Kill a Mockingbird, MASH
Harrison Ford-8 films-American Graffiti, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Witness, Working Girl, The Fugitive, Conversation, Apocolypse Now
Marlon Brando-7 films-A Streetcar Named Desire, Julius Caesar (1953), On The Waterfront (Winner), Sayonara, Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Godfather (Winner), Apocalypse Now
Thomas Mitchell-7 films-High Noon, It’s a Wondeful Life, Our Town, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Gone with the Wind, Stagecoach, Lost Horizon
Robert De Niro-7 films (Godfather II, Deer Hunter, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Brazil, Goodfellas, Awakening)
Henry Fonda-7 films-On Golden Pond, The Ox-Bow Incident, Grapes of Wrath, How the West Was Won, Jezbezel, 12 Angry Men, Mister Roberts
Katherine Hepburn-6 films-Stage Door, Little Women, Philadelphia Story, On Golden Pond, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Lion in the Winter
Daniel Day-Lewis-6 films-Ghandi, Room with a View, My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Gangs of New York, There Will be Blood
Jean Arthur-6 films-Mr Deeds Goes to Town, You Can’t Take it With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Talk of the Town, The More the Merrier, Shane
Al Pacino-6 films-Scent of a Woman, The Insider, Godfather, Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon , Godfather III
Tom Wilkinson-6 films-In the Name of the Father, Sense and Sensibility, Full Monty, Shakespeare in Love, In the Bedroom, Michael Clayton
Anthony Hopkins-5 films-Lion in the Winter, Elephant Man, Silence of the Lambs, Howard's End, In the Name of the Father
John Cazale-5 films-The Godfather (Winner), The Conversation, The Godfather: Part II (Winner), Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter (Winner)
Ingrid Bergman-5 films (?)-Bells of St. Mary's, Gaslight, Spellbound, Casablanca, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Willhem Defoe-5 films-Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Mississippi Burning, English Patient, Aviator
Russell Crowe-5 films (in the last 9 years which is pretty damn impressive)-
LA Confidential, Insider, Gladiator, Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander
John C Riley-5 films-Thin Red Line, Aviator, The Hours, Gangs of New York, Chicago
Gene Hackman-5 films-Bonnie and Clyde, French Connection, The Conversation, Reds, Unforgiven
Cate Blanchett-5 films-LOTR I-III, The Aviator, Elizabeth
Tommy Lee Jones-5 Films-Love Story, Coal Miner’s Daughter, JFK, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men
Tom Cruise-4 films-Born on the 4th of July, Rain Man, Jerry MaGuire, and A Few Good Men
Shirley MacLaine-4 films-Around the World in Eighty Days (Winner), The Apartment (Winner), The Turning Point, Terms of Endearment (Winner)
Richard Dreyffus-4 films-The Graduate, American Graffiti, Jaws, Goodbye Girl,
Faye Dunaway-4 films-Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, Network, Towering Inferno
Tom Hanks-4 films-Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Green Mile
Humphrey Bogart-4 Films-Treausre of the Sierra Madre, Caine Mutiny, Casablanca, Maltese Falcon
James Cromwell-4 films-Babe, LA Confidential, Green Mile, The Queen
Morgan Freeman-4 films-Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Shawshneck Redemption
Walter Huston-4 films-Treausre of Sierra Madre, Dodsworth, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Maltese Falcon
Ian Holm-4 films-Aviator, Chariots of Fire, 2 LOTRs
Vanessa Redgrave-4 films-Man for All Seasons, Julia, Howard's End, Atonement
Leo DiCaprio-4 films-Aviator, Gangs of New York, Departed, Titanic
Ed Harris-4 films-The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Hours
Geoffery Rush-4 films-Shine, Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth, Munich
Kelly McDonald-4 films-Elizabeth, Godsford Park, Finding Neverland, No Country for Old Men
Claude Rains-4 films-Lawrence of Arabia, Casablanca, Mr Smith Goes to Down, Kings Row
Kevin Bacon-4 films-JFK, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Mystic River
Allison Janey-3 films-American Beauty, The Hours, Juno
Chris Cooper-3 films-American Beauty, Seabiscuit, Capote
Sean Penn-3 films-Dead Man Walking, Mystic River, Thin Red Line
Judi Dench-3 films-A Room with a View, Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat
Maureen O’Hara-3 films-How Green was My Valley, Miracle on 34th Street, Quiet Man
Alec Baldwin-3 films-Working Girl, Aviator, The Departed
George Clooney-3 films-Thin Red Line, Good Night and Good Luck, Michael Clayton
Beth Grant-3 films-Rain Man (as the woman from the farmhouse who let Ray watch Jeapordy), Little Miss Sunshine (as the bitchy beauty paegent organizer), No Country for Old Men (as Kelly McDonald's mom)
John Voight-3 films-Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance, Coming Home
Robin Williams-3 films-Dead Poets Society, Awakenings, Good Will Hunting
Natalie Wood-2 films-Miracle on 34th Street, West Side Story
Daniel Craig-2 films-Elizabeth, Munich
Woody Harrelson-2 films-Thin Red Line, No Country for Old Men
Barry Del Sherman-2 films-American Beauty, There Will be Blood
Sidney Pollack-2 films-Tootsie, Michael Clayton
Brenda Blethyn-2 films-Secrets and Lies, Atonement
JK Simmons-2 films-Cider House Rules, Juno
David Warchofsky-2 films-Born on the Fourth of July, There Will be Blood
Paul Dano-2-Little Miss Sunshine, There Will be Blood
Stephen Root-2-Ghost, No Country for Old Men
If anyone wants to assist in this list, go right ahead