Here Are 15 Actors I Think Won Their Oscars For The Wrong Performances — And I Fear Some Of These Might Be Controversial
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Winning an Oscar is pretty much the highest accolade you can receive as someone involved in filmmaking. However, it's no secret that the Academy voters occasionally get it wrong.
The most obvious example of this is when very deserving actors go unrewarded for repeatedly great performances. I'm talking about people like Amy Adams, Saoirse Ronan, Michelle Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Tom Cruise, and Jake Gyllenhaal — stars who you'd think have at least one Oscar already but actually don't.
And then, there's another instance: When actors do get Oscars, but not for what many deem to be their best performance. Like, how often have you seen 'Academy Award Winner' in front of an iconic actor's name, searched up the movie they won for, and found yourself thinking… what?
Of course, there's a whole lot more that goes into an acting Oscar-win than just giving an excellent performance. The thousands of Academy voters take into account all kinds of factors, from the actor's campaign, the studio they're working with, whether they've won before, and, in some cases, what stage of their career they're in.
Because of all this, people have started questioning the actual value of an Oscar win — and it's a valid line of discussion. But, without further ado, here's a bunch of people with Oscars for (IMO) the wrong performances...
1. Leonardo DiCaprio — Best Actor, 2016
Won for: The Revenant
Should've won for: The Wolf of Wall Street
Or What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Or Catch Me If You Can. The list goes on.
2. Alicia Vikander — Best Supporting Actress, 2016
Won for: The Danish Girl
Should've won for: Ex Machina
3. Denzel Washington — Best Actor, 2002
Won for: Training Day
Should've won for: Malcolm X
4. Heath Ledger — Best Supporting Actor, 2009
Won for: The Dark Knight
Should've won for: Brokeback Mountain
5. Jennifer Lawrence — Best Actress, 2013
Won for: Silver Linings Playbook
Should've won for: Winter's Bone
6. Al Pacino — Best Actor, 1993
Won for: Scent of a Woman
Should've won for: The Godfather
Or The Godfather Part II, whatever works.
7. Kate Winslet — Best Actress, 2009
Won for: The Reader
Should've won for: Revolutionary Road
8. Jack Nicholson — Best Actor, 1975, Best Supporting Actor, 1983, Best Actor, 1998
HECTOR MATA / AFP via Getty Images
Won for: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Terms of Endearment, and As Good as It Gets.
Fantasy Films / Courtesy Everett Collection
Should've (also) won for: A Few Good Men
Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
9. Will Smith — Best Actor, 2022
Neilson Barnard / Getty Images
Won for: King Richard
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection
Should've won for: The Pursuit Of Happyness
Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
10. Russell Crowe — Best Actor, 2001
Lee Celano / AFP via Getty Images
Won for: Gladiator
Dreamworks / ©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
Should've won for: A Beautiful Mind
Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
11. Whoopi Goldberg — Best Supporting Actress, 1991
Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Won for: Ghost
Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Should've won for: The Color Purple
Courtesy Everett Collection / ©Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
12. Brad Pitt — Best Supporting Actor, 2020
Steve Granitz / WireImage
Won for: Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood
Andrew Cooper / ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection
Should've won for: Moneyball
Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
13. Sandra Bullock — Best Actress, 2010
Dan MacMedan / WireImage
Won for: The Blind Side
Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Should've won for: Gravity
Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
And some extra mentions for actors who have honorary Oscars, but not competitive ones...
14. Samuel L. Jackson — Honorary Oscar, 2021
ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images
Should have an Oscar for: Pulp Fiction
© Miramax / courtesy Everett Collection
15. Angela Bassett — Honorary Oscar, 2024
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Should have an Oscar for: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
© Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Or even What's Love Got to Do with It.
So, that's what I have! Do you disagree with any of these, or do you have any other examples I missed? LMK in the comments!
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People Are Highlighting An Unfortunate Pattern At The Academy Awards After Timothée Chalamet Lost Out On His Second Oscar Ellen Durney · March 3, 2025
'We'll Never See An Era Like That Again': Mikey Madison's Oscar Win Has People Reexamining Just How Young Jennifer Lawrence Was At The Height Of Her Fame Ellen Durney · March 4, 2025
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