Top 10 Best Performances the Oscars Ignored in the Last Decade
Get get there are just five spots, but how could the Oscars ignore these performances? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Best Performances the Oscars completely snubbed between 2014-24.
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00:00 "They're not asking, we're demanding. Give us the vote!"
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best performances
00:10 the Oscars completely snubbed between 2014 and 2024.
00:14 Beware of minor spoilers ahead.
00:17 "I'm only your favorite woman of all time. Barbie!"
00:21 Number 10. Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide and Red.
00:27 "You know how sometimes things line up? You know, like coincidences.
00:32 Since we've been here, they've been happening more and more."
00:38 Throughout this horror tale, the lead actress was tasked with playing two complex roles.
00:43 Nyong'o started off the movie playing a fiercely protective mother named Adelaide.
00:48 When doppelgangers crawled out of the shadows,
00:50 the actress also took on the role of the sinister Red.
00:54 Not only did both of Nyong'o's characters flesh out their backstories and motivations,
00:59 but they also clashed on several occasions.
01:01 The two performances she provided were so distinct
01:04 that it felt like the duo was played by separate actresses.
01:07 "How it must have been to grow up with the sky."
01:12 Although Nyong'o brought two three-dimensional characters to life at once,
01:16 she didn't receive a single Oscar nod.
01:18 It's a shame that her incredible range wasn't enough to win over the Academy.
01:22 "And to think, if it weren't for you, I never would have danced at all."
01:31 Number 9. Charles Melton as Joe Yu
01:35 May-December
01:36 "People, they like see me as like a victim or something. I mean,
01:43 we've been together for almost 24 years now, like, why would we do that if we weren't happy?"
01:51 A vocal group of moviegoers were shocked when this star wasn't nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
01:56 In May-December, he played Joe, a man who married a woman with whom he had an
02:00 inappropriate encounter when he was younger. Although he seemed calm and collected on the
02:05 outside, there was a constant sense that he was processing lots of pain underneath the surface.
02:10 Melton's largely reserved performance made the moments where he expressed
02:13 strong emotions really stand out.
02:16 "Stories like these don't."
02:17 "Stories? Stories?"
02:20 "You know what I mean. Instances of severely traumatic beginnings."
02:24 "This isn't a story!"
02:26 The actor did a tremendous job capturing Joe's inner turmoil
02:30 and the weight of the heavy subject matter. Even though Melton won't earn a golden statue
02:34 for his work, his nuanced performance isn't likely to be forgotten.
02:38 "Why can't we talk about it? If we're really as in love as we say we are, if we have that,
02:45 where shouldn't I be able to talk about this with you?"
02:49 Number 8. Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner - Uncut Gems
02:53 "I have every intention of paying you back. I'm broke right now."
02:57 "You're broke? What's that?"
02:58 "Look at that!"
02:59 "Do you remember that?"
03:00 "Look at it!"
03:01 "That is money that's not mine!"
03:04 The Happy Madison comedian turned in what's arguably his best dramatic role to date in
03:09 a tense 2019 drama. During Uncut Gems, Sandler played a jeweler whose obsession with gambling
03:15 gets him in trouble with celebrities and loan sharks alike. Although the character was responsible
03:20 for his own misery, the actor managed to make us feel incredibly sympathetic for his plate.
03:24 "I don't know what I'm thinking. I don't know what everybody's doing. It's not ever going right."
03:31 "I know, I know."
03:32 "I'm so sad."
03:35 Sandler's likable performance got us fully invested in seeing if Howard's luck would run
03:39 out by the end of the film. Although critics and audiences called for the actor to be in the
03:44 running for Hollywood's biggest night, he was completely shut out of the race. Sandler put
03:49 so much into his dramatic gamble that it was surprising that it didn't pay off.
03:52 "Please, I'm begging you. Just give me another shot."
03:57 "You know what, Howard?"
04:01 "Say yes, what?"
04:03 Number 7. Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart.
04:07 Killers of the Flower Moon.
04:09 "You're going to marry me, Molly.
04:13 I want you to be my wife.
04:15 Would you do that?"
04:19 It was great to hear that Lily Gladstone's work in this dark drama had earned her a best actress
04:25 nod. However, it was surprising to learn that her co-lead, Leonardo DiCaprio, had been completely
04:31 shut out. He initially played Ernest as a naive man who was unaware of who was committing heinous
04:36 crimes against the local Osage people. But as the film goes on, it's revealed that the character was
04:42 actively participating in crimes against the community and his own family.
04:46 "If someone were to knock off Bill Smith and Rita too, right? When she was gone, all that estate
04:54 money would go to my mother-in-law, Lizzie Q, and she wills it to my children."
04:59 While we never feel bad for Ernest, DiCaprio gives us insight into how the real-life man
05:05 might have justified his horrible actions. That's why it was a bit shocking to hear that the actor's
05:10 layered portrayal was completely overlooked by the Academy members.
05:14 "My soul is clean now, Molly. It's a relief to me to be out from under all this."
05:21 Number 6. Margot Robbie as Barbie.
05:25 "Barbie, aren't you guys gonna thank me and give me a big hug for being your favorite toy?"
05:33 Playing one of the most iconic pop culture characters of all time sounds like a daunting
05:38 task, but Margot Robbie made it look absolutely effortless when she starred as Barbie. After the
05:43 cheery character started having negative thoughts, she went on a journey to uncover the issue. Along
05:48 the way, Barbie was forced to confront hard truths about gender inequality and societal expectations.
05:54 Robbie expertly guided us through every step of the title character's emotional journey.
05:59 "No one on the Supreme Court is me. I'm not good enough for anything."
06:08 She also kept the film fun by nailing every single punchline that came her way. While the movie
06:14 itself was quickly placed in the conversation for best picture, the Academy was silent about
06:19 Robbie. The actress arguably deserved more notice for a role that she was practically made for.
06:24 "I want to be a part of the people that make meaning, not the thing that's made."
06:33 Number 5. Viola Davis as General Nyniska, the Woman King.
06:38 "Proved myself today, I am the best."
06:41 "It is not enough to be the best. Your arrogance and your stupidity will get you caught."
06:47 "I am not you."
06:48 Nearly a decade after winning an Oscar for her role in Fences,
06:52 Viola Davis seemed poised to receive top honors for the Woman King. In the latter film,
06:57 she played an uncompromising Dahomey general who wasn't afraid to charge into battle alongside her
07:02 soldiers. Davis looked like a true warrior every time she appeared in one of the film's slick fight
07:08 scenes. And while General Nyniska was unquestionably tough, the actress gave her hints of vulnerability,
07:14 too.
07:14 "I am sorry. I left you. I was not brave enough."
07:26 Although it seemed like Davis would leave the Oscar race, her efforts went unnoticed for the
07:30 2023 ceremony. It was stunning that there wasn't enough room to honor the Woman King.
07:35 "We fight for Dahomey, for our sisters, for our great king. You will be revered."
07:46 Number 4. Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis "Lou" Bloom. Nightcrawler.
07:51 "Who am I? I'm a hard worker. I set high goals, and I've been told that I'm persistent.
07:55 Now, I'm not fooling myself, sir."
07:57 There are times when an actor disappears into a role so much that it's easy to forget that
08:02 the person on screen isn't real. Jake Gyllenhaal pulled off this impressive acting feat for
08:07 Nightcrawler. He played Lou, a scheming man who becomes obsessed with capturing gripping footage
08:12 that he can sell to news stations. As the character crossed more and more lines to get
08:17 the best scoops, we questioned whether the hero of the story was actually its biggest villain.
08:22 "According to witnesses, they were driving at a high rate of speed,
08:28 probably toward Griffith Park, when apparently they ran head-on into this light pole,
08:32 another car, single vehicle."
08:33 It was criminal that Lou's descent into depravity wasn't acknowledged with an Oscar nomination.
08:38 Thanks to Gyllenhaal's commanding performance, we couldn't look away from Lou's dark pursuit
08:43 of the next big story for a single second. "Now, when I say that I want these things,
08:49 I mean that I want them, and I don't want to have to ask again."
08:55 Number 3. Toni Collette as Annie Graham. Hereditary.
08:59 "I just sometimes feel like it's all ruined.
09:00 And then I realize that I am to blame."
09:08 While Ari Aster's modern horror classic was full of great performances,
09:12 Toni Collette was the clear MVP. She spent most of the film trying to keep herself together as
09:17 grief threatened to tear her apart. While that premise could have led to a one-note performance,
09:22 Collette brought a variety to her role. "I'm a medium, okay? I was seeing apparitions earlier,
09:27 and I just shook them off, and I shouldn't have. Please, I know how it sounds, but there's no way
09:31 to talk about it. I just need to show you, okay? Please, you'll see. I'm completely lucid."
09:35 She was also able to drop any semblance of humanity after evil forces took hold of her.
09:40 Despite giving a well-rounded performance, the actress didn't come close to Oscar gold in 2019.
09:46 In fact, she hasn't even been nominated for the award since the year 2000. A nod for hereditary
09:52 would have been an excellent way to end her long Oscar drought. "If it could have maybe brought
09:57 us together or something. If you could have just said 'I'm sorry' or faced up to what happened,
10:02 maybe then we could do something with this."
10:05 Number 2. David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr.
10:09 Selma. "One struggle ends just to go right to the next and the next.
10:17 If you think of it that way." In 2015, the Academy was heavily criticized by critics and moviegoers
10:23 for failing to highlight diverse performers and creatives. One of the most notable omissions from
10:28 their list was David Oyelowo's role as Martin Luther King Jr. The actor perfectly captured
10:34 the civil rights icon's look, cadence, and powerful presence. "We will vote. We will put these men out
10:41 of office. We will take their power. We will win what you were slaughtered for." Oyelowo also made
10:48 sure that the larger-than-life doctor felt grounded and relatable. At times, the actor's
10:53 King came off as so real that we felt as if we were watching a documentary instead of a biopic.
10:58 While the Academy has taken steps to improve its voting process since 2015,
11:03 Oyelowo's snub still stands as one of their biggest missteps. "I cannot determine my own
11:08 destiny, for it is determined for me by people who would rather see me suffer than succeed."
11:13 Before we highlight our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions that the Oscars missed out on.
11:18 Florence Pugh for Best Actress - Midsommar. The actress's grounded portrayal of grief
11:24 in an ambitious horror film was overlooked. "Uh, I'm gonna go for a walk." "I can walk too."
11:31 "Uh, no, I'm gonna..." "No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't think that. You're fine."
11:41 Greta Lee for Best Actress - Past Lives. She absolutely shined in the lead role
11:46 while pulling at her heartstrings.
11:48 "I've immigrated twice to New York. I want to do something here.
11:55 I want to live my life here, but I'm always sitting on the plane to Seoul."
12:04 Ralph Fiennes for Best Actor - The Grand Budapest Hotel.
12:08 His brilliant and hilarious portrayal of Monsieur Gustave H deserved Academy attention.
12:14 "You're looking so well, darling. You really are. They've done a marvelous job.
12:17 I don't know what sort of cream they've put on you down at the morgue, but I want some.
12:22 Honestly, you look better than you have in years. You look like you're alive."
12:25 Jennifer Lopez for Best Supporting Actress - Hustlers. The triple threat performer commanded
12:31 the screen but couldn't get Oscar recognition. "Oh baby, this game is rigged. And it does not
12:37 reward people who play by the rules. You either stand in the corner or get in the ring."
12:42 Charlize Theron for Best Actress - Mad Max Fury Road. The Academy somehow drove
12:48 past her powerhouse performance as Furiosa. "They're looking for hope." "What about you?"
12:54 "Redemption."
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13:16 Number 1. Amy Adams as Louise Banks - Arrival. "It's my fault.
13:22 I told him something that he wasn't ready to hear." During Arrival, we witnessed Dr. Louise
13:31 Banks celebrate her child's birth, worry about her preteen's well-being, and grieve her daughter's
13:36 tragic loss. And that's just within the first four minutes of the film. After Adams showcased
13:42 audiences a wide range of emotions in a short time, we got to see her grow and change while
13:47 trying to communicate with aliens that arrived on Earth. Every time we thought we had Louise
13:52 figured out, the actress added an entirely new dimension to her character. "I guess that's why
13:56 I'm single." "Trust me, you can understand communication and still end up single."
14:02 It's unclear why this incredible performance didn't make Adams into an Oscar contender.
14:07 Over the years, fans and critics alike have recognized that her role as Louise will stand
14:12 the test of time. "Believe it or not, I know something that's going to happen.
14:17 I can't explain how I know it just do." Which actor do you think deserved an Oscar nomination
14:25 the most? Shout out their names in the comments. "Despite knowing the journey and where it leads,
14:32 I embrace it." Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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14:46 [Music]