Surprising Wildcards In The Oscar Race
Many times, absolutely no one is surprised when the Academy Award nominations are announced. But, occasionally the Academy shocks us with an unexpected nod. These wildcard contenders seemingly come out of nowhere to secure a nomination that no one saw coming.
Lana Turner: Best Actress In Peyton Place (1957)
Lana Turner, one of Hollywood's most iconic femme fatales, appeared in over 50 movies but earned only one Oscar nod. However, no one expected that nod to come in the Best Actress category for 1957's Peyton Place since it wasn't the best category fit and she had no precursors.
Twentieth Century, Peyton Place (1957)
Marisa Tomei: Best Supporting Actress In My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Everyone was surprised when Marisa Tomei was nominated for her supporting role in My Cousin Vinny (1992). They were even more surprised when Tomei took home the Best Supporting Actress statuette. Not only was she a relative newcomer to Hollywood, but dramatic performances usually claim the trophy.
Twentieth Century, My Cousin Vinny (1992)
James Cromwell: Best Supporting Actor In Babe (1995)
Babe, the 1995 family-friendly film about a pig who thinks he's a dog, is not the kind of movie typically honored during awards season. However, it was nominated for seven Oscars, including a Best Supporting Actor nod for James Cromwell.
Marcia Gay Harden: Best Supporting Actress In Pollock (2000)
Marcia Gay Harden's nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for Pollock (2000) came out of nowhere. The actress wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe or BAFTA award—but she did walk away with the golden statuette at the Oscars.
Laura Linney: Best Actress In The Savages (2007)
Laura Linney's performance in 2007's The Savages was critically acclaimed but she was passed over as nominations were announced for other major awards. Her nod in the Best Actress category for the Academy Awards surprised everyone—especially since her nomination ousted expected contender Angelina Jolie.
Searchlight Pictures, The Savages (2007)
Tommy Lee Jones: Best Actor In In The Valley Of Elah (2007)
Tommy Lee Jones has been nominated for four Academy Awards, but his third nomination was the most surprising. Neither his vehicle, 2007's In the Valley of Elah, nor Jones himself were considered contenders for a golden statuette.
Summit Entertainment, In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Best Supporting Actress In Crazy Heart (2009)
Acclaimed actress Maggie Gyllenhaal has received only one Oscar nod so far, for her performance role in 2009's Crazy Horse. While her co-star Jeff Bridges swept every major award for his leading role, Gyllenhaal’s only nomination that year was for an Academy Award.
Searchlight Pictures, Crazy Heart (2009)
Jonah Hill: Best Supporting Actor In The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by Martin Scorsese, 2013's The Wolf Of Wall Street received plenty of attention during awards season, with nominations for Scorsese, leading actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and the film itself. However, supporting actor Jonah Hill was overlooked until the Academy Award nominations were announced.
Paramount, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Michael Shannon: Best Supporting Actor In Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Highly acclaimed, Tom Ford's 2013 neo-noir Nocturnal Animals received a slew of nominations during awards season. However, it wasn't until the Oscars that supporting actor Michael Shannon scored a nod.
Universal, Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Marina De Tavira: Best Supporting Actress In Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón's 2018 masterpiece Roma rightly received many nominations from the major organizations during awards season. However, supporting actress Marina de Tavira was left out until the Academy Awards announcements—when she ousted Claire Foy, an expected nominee for her work in First Man.
Sir Alec Guinness: Best Supporting Actor In Star Wars (1977)
The 11 live-action films in the Star Wars franchise garnered a total of 37 Academy Award nominations. But only one of those nods was for acting. Sir Alec Guinness earned a nomination for his performance in the first franchise installment which premiered in 1977.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Johnny Depp: Best Actor In Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
Johnny Depp was an established actor with Golden Globe nominations for his work in Edward Scissorhands, Benny & Joon, and Ed Wood before finally receiving his first Oscar nomination. While it's clear that Depp had fun channelling Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, it's not a role that anyone expected an Oscar nod for.
Walt Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Melissa McCarthy: Best Supporting Actress In Bridesmaids
The Academy isn't known for honoring raunchy comedies but Melissa McCarthy received a nod for her work in 2011's Bridesmaids. Although McCarthy's work in the film launched her into bona fide stardom, the Oscar went to Octavia Spencer for her role in The Help.
Robert Downey Junior: Best Supporting Actor In Tropic Thunder (2008)
Robert Downey Junior's turn as Kirk Lazarus in Ben Stiller's 2008 Tropic Thunder was one of the actor's most unforgettable roles. In the film, a biting satire, Downey's character is an actor who dons blackface to play a Black solider. His startling performance earned him an unexpected Oscar nod.
Paramount, Tropic Thunder (2008)
Ann-Margret: Best Actress In Tommy (1975)
Ann-Margret, the sultry Swedish-American actress with dozens of film credits to her name, received only two Oscar nominations. Oddly, one was for her over-the-top role as Roger Daltrey's mom in the 1975 psychedelic rock opera, Tommy.
Sandra Hüller: Best Actress In Anatomy Of A Fall (2023)
It's been rare for foreign language films in any category to receive Oscar nods—until Parasite won the Best Picture award in 2020. By 2024, a slew of foreign language films received nominations across several categories. One such nomination was for Sandra Hüller's stunning performance in the French legal drama Anatomy of a Fall.
Le Pacte, Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Justine Triet: Best Director For Anatomy Of A Fall (2023)
Throughout the illustrious history of the Academy Awards, women have been nominated in the Best Director category only nine times. Justine Triet's nod for 2023's Anatomy of a Fall was especially surprising because it's a foreign language film.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
America Ferrera: Best Supporting Actress In Barbie (2023)
America Ferrera shone throughout 2023's Barbie. However, many found her Oscar nomination surprising, believing her nod was based on the one short scene where her character passionately speaks about the conflicting expectations of being a woman.
Beatrice Straight: Best Supporting Actress In Network (1976)
Beatrice Straight's Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress was truly remarkable because she only appeared on screen for six minutes in 1976's Network. Even more incredible, she was up against some heavy-weight contenders, including Jodie Foster for Taxi Driver and Piper Laurie for Carrie. Straight took the coveted statuette home.
Adrien Brody: Best Actor In The Pianist (2002)
Adrien Brody is the youngest actor to take home the Oscar for Best Actor, awarded for his performance in 2002's The Pianist. Even more surprisingly, he was up against four previous Oscar winners: Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, Nicolas Cage, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Juliette Binoche: Best Supporting Actress In The English Patient (1996)
Although 1996's The English Patient was expected to sweep the Academy Awards, it was still surprising that Juliette Binoche took home the Best Supporting Actress statuette for her role in the film. It was highly anticipated that Lauren Bacall would win for her work in The Mirror Has Two Faces.
Miramax, The English Patient (1996)
Richard Zanuck And Lili Fini Zanuck: Best Picture For Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Although Driving Miss Daisy (1989) was nominated in nine categories, it was overlooked for Best Director. As a result, everyone was caught by surprise when the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Almost four decades later, it remains the most recent PG-rated film to win in the coveted category.
Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Art Carney: Best Actor In Harry And Tonto (1974)
It wasn't much of a surprise when Art Carney was nominated in the Best Actor category for his performance in Harry And Tonto (1974). The beloved stage and television actor shone in his role. However, his win was a shocking upset over Al Pacino, who was nominated for The Godfather.
Twentieth Century, Harry and Tonto (1974)
Judi Dench: Best Supporting Actress In Shakespeare In Love (1998)
Judi Dench's performance in 1998's Shakespeare in Love was formidable; it was also short. Clocking in at about eight minutes, it garnered Dench a surprising Oscar nod in the Best Supporting Actress category. Even more surprisingly, Dench took the coveted statuette home.
Universal, Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Karla Sofía Gascón: Best Actress In Emilia Pérez (2024)
Karla Sofía Gascón made history in 2025 when she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in the Spanish-language French musical thriller, Emilia Pérez (2024). Gascón is the first openly transgender performer nominated in the Best Actress category.
Latvia: Best International Feature Film For Flow (2024)
Everyone expected the innovative and mesmerizing animated film Flow to receive an Oscar nod for Best Animated Feature. However, the Latvian film, notable for its complete lack of dialogue, also earned a nod for Best International Feature Film—marking the first time Latvia has been nominated in this category.
Sylvia Sidney: Best Supporting Actress In Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973)
Sylvia Sidney was a prolific film, stage, and television actress but she only received one Oscar nod. Her nomination for 1973's Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams was surprising given her body of work. The film was not well received critically and she has only a few minutes of screen time.
Columbia, Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973)
Dan Akroyd: Best Supporting Actor In Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Best known for his comedic work, Dan Akroyd scored his only Oscar nomination for a more serious role—that of Daisy's son Boolie Werthan in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy. His nomination for Best Supporting Actor caught many by surprise as it's not considered his best work.
Warner Bros., Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Sarah Miles: Best Actress In Ryan's Daughter (1970)
Although critically panned, the 1970 romantic drama Ryan's Daughter received four Academy Award nominations, including one for Sarah Miles in the Best Actress category. The Oscar went to Glenda Jackson for Women in Love.
Stanley Tucci: Best Supporting Actor In The Lovely Bones (2009)
Although Stanley Tucci's performance in the 2009 film was widely praised, The Lovely Bones was a box office flop with reviews that generally ranged from poor to average. Tucci himself said that playing serial killer George Harvey was a "horrible" experience.
DreamWorks, The Lovely Bones (2009)
Fred Astaire: Best Supporting Actor In The Towering Inferno (1974)
He was one of the greatest legends of Hollywood's Golden Age, but Fred Astaire didn't receive his first Oscar nod until he was 75. Many consider his nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category to be in recognition of his career achievements rather than his work in The Towering Inferno (1975).
Twentieth Century, The Towering Inferno (1974)
Leslie Brown: Best Supporting Actress In The Turning Point (1977)
The Turning Point (1977) received 11 Academy Award nominations, including one for Leslie Brown in the Best Supporting Actress category. It was Brown's first film performance. Even more surprisingly, her role was a fictionalized version of herself since the movie was based on her family.
Twentieth Century, The Turning Point (1977)
Penelope Milford: Best Supporting Actress In Coming Home (1978)
Although 1978's Coming Home received eight Oscar nominations, Penelope Milford's nod in the Best Supporting Actress category caught many by surprise. She had received no precursor attention at all and many feel her nomination should have gone to Angela Lansbury for Death on the Nile.
Alan Alda: Best Supporting Actor In The Aviator (2004)
Alan Alda received just one Oscar nod in his career—for 2004's The Aviator. Although he shone in the role, he had very little screen time and many were surprised by his nomination.
Ruben Östlund: Best Director For Triangle Of Sadness (2022)
Although he wasn't nominated for any precursors, Ruben Östlund got an Oscar nod for 2022's Triangle of Sadness. The nod was all the more surprising because Östlund's spot was expected to go to James Cameron for Avatar: The Way of Water or Joseph Kosinski for Top Gun: Maverick.
Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Andrea Riseborough: Best Actress In To Leslie (2022)
Few people had heard of the 2022 indie film To Leslie prior to Oscar season. Although Andrea Riseborough's performance in the 2022 flick was strong, it was a strong grassroots campaign among Hollywood's heavy hitters that secured the nod for her.
BCDF Pictures, To Leslie (2022)
Lesley Manville: Best Supporting Actress In Phantom Thread (2017)
Although Lesley Manville received a BAFTA nomination for her work in 2017's Phantom Thread, she was left out of contention at both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. As a result, her Oscar nod in the Best Supporting Actress category surprised many.
Universal, Phantom Thread (2017)
Greta Gerwig: Best Director For Lady Bird (2017)
Left out of the Best Director category at the Golden Globes, Greta Gerwig came back strong to secure a nomination at the Oscars. Her nod was all the more surprising because it was the first time a woman had been nominated for Best Director since 2009.
Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sophie Okonedo: Best Supporting Actress In Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Although Sophie Okonedo had tackled a smattering of film roles prior to 2004, the British actress was relatively unknown until her performance in Hotel Rwanda. Left out of all the major precursors except the SAG Awards, she caught many by surprise when she secured an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
United Artists, Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Max Von Sydow: Best Supporting Actor In Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
At the 2012 Academy Awards, it seemed as though four spots in the Best Supporting Actor Category were locked in but the fifth was up for grabs. It went to Max von Sydow for his performance in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close although he had no precursors at all.
Warner Bros., Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
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