It felt like the Oscars took forever to happen this year, but the day has finally come. Will Michael B. Jordan win his first Academy Award for Best Actor after playing twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, in Sinners? Or will Timothée Chalamet, who’s been in hot water these past few weeks, win for Marty Supreme?
Since the Oscars have a history of overlooking legends and flawless performances, I’ve decided not to make winner predictions this year. While we wait to see who wins the biggest awards of the night, here are some of my favorite actors who, surprisingly, never won an Oscar for their best roles.
Angela Bassett
One of my favorite actresses of all time, I get mad every time I realize Bassett didn’t win an Oscar for playing Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It or Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. No matter the part, minor or major, she becomes one with the character. Even though she’s a household name, when I watch her movies, I don’t see the star; I see the character. That’s crucial for movie audiences and makes the plot more effective.
I know people love to say, “Angela Bassett received an honorary Oscar in 2024,” but she deserves to sit in the audience at the Academy Awards and hear her name being read off as the winner in the Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress category.
Cicely Tyson
Tyson’s career spanned over half a century, starring in movies like Sounder, Fried Green Tomatoes, and The Help. It’s mind-blowing that she only received an honorary Oscar in 2018, just a few years before her death.
Samuel L. Jackson
This one I could not believe. Samuel L. Jackson has been a household name since before I was born, acting in movies like Pulp Fiction, Coming to America, Do the Right Thing, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. I was surprised to see he was given an honorary Oscar in 2022, though he should’ve won one regularly.
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy has starred in so many classic films, including Coming to America, Harlem Nights, Life, and Trading Places. My favorite Murphy performance is when he played Jimmy Early, a raucous singer in Dreamgirls who has an affair with Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose). He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the role, and surprisingly, he doesn’t have an honorary Oscar yet. Murphy once joked he’d probably get one when he’s old and has no teeth.
Header credit: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
