25 Amazing Actors Who've Never Won An Oscar Despite Their Mind-Blowing Performances

"How has Will Smith not gotten an Oscar already??? He’s played such huge roles so well."

—matchamatcha

"His performances in Nightcrawler, Prisoners, and Nocturnal Animals were absolutely incredible. He puts so much detail into his characters and gives his all with every performance. He’s been around FOREVER and has only been nominated once 15 years ago."

—kmann12

"Maybe he kinda had similar roles, but he does every one of them so well. He's also been in nearly every iconic movie or saga of the last few decades, and he's always the best part of a Tarantino movie. I mean, c'mon! Considerably worse actors have received the award."

—janine_

"Three times nominated (Birdman, American History X, and Primal Fear) but no wins. Not to mention his great work in The Illusionist, Fight Club, The Score, and 25th Hour. Bonus points to him for being down-to-earth and smart in real life, and for using his platform for climate change and social justice. Amazing man and actor."

—gms89

"Glenn Close not winning an Oscar should be considered a crime. Seven nominations and ZERO WINS?? WTF?"

—saramercedes17

"She has been nominated for four Oscars, and she was only 13 years old when she was nominated for her first! She is an absolutely phenomenal actress, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the future (hopefully an Oscar win!)"

—fallon7

"She is a truly phenomenal actress. Her performance in Frida was so riveting and memorable. She absolutely deserved an Oscar for it."

–grundlefresch

"His performance as Iron Man was phenomenal."

—ishahashir1

"She was SO GOOD in Hustle & Flow and everything else."

—janine_

"He should've gotten it for Silver Linings Playbook, and if not that, then DEFINITELY for A Star Is Born."

—tvelazquez10

"He is the new DiCaprio of the Academy."

—meghanakiran

"The man's one of the best supporting actors out there, and one of the rare ones who manages to elevate everyone else's performances. You'd think that he would have won at least one supporting actor Oscar, but he’s only ever been nominated once, and he’s never won. It’s completely barmy."

—kthrnb1stone

"Stop snubbing Black actors!!!"

–janine_

"Amy FUCKING Adams. She gives a stellar performance every time and is ignored. Now that Leo has his Oscar, start a campaign for Amy. Even my mother who never cares about awards season was mad about that because Amy Adams is a gift, and we don't deserve her."

—monikap6

–llin422

"Absolutely phenomenal actor from Natural Born Killers, Larry Flynt, Three Billboards, to Zombieland. The list goes on. He has such an impressive range that it's baffling why he hasn't won an Oscar."

—kronus47

"Her being nominated four times and not winning kills me, especially for the movies she was nominated for (Blue Valentine, Brokeback Mountain, My Week with Marilyn, Manchester by the Sea). Those performances blew everyone else out of the water those years."

—faceghostta

"Oyelowo gave us one of the most unbiased, beautifully artistic portrayals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ever. Oyelowo worked behind the scenes for years, studying King through interviews, letters, documentaries, museums, and King’s family and friends. Anyone who puts that much effort and intensity into a role deserves to be freaking nominated at least! Oyelowo brings the role to life so you see King’s struggle between protecting his family versus protecting the people he’s fighting for. There are moments in the film where Oyelowo says no words, but you know what’s going on inside his heart, making you feel what King was feeling. No one will be able to re-create how Oyelowo played King."

—megana459810788

"Underrated king, Mark Ruffalo. His nominations were always up against some strong performances, but I’m still shook he didn’t win for Spotlight."

—nicholass4ecc11c9d

"She is so talented and has blessed the world with so many iconic characters and movies. Her acting is beautiful and heart-wrenching, but she’s also amazing with comedy."

—nonibyers

"In Split, he played the role of 24 different personalities, managed to switch between them at a moment's notice, and absolutely slayed every single one of them. He chilled me to the core in that movie, and he didn’t get anywhere near the recognition he deserved."

—chels_88

"He is the most underrated actor out there right now."

—andip4

"He is such a versatile actor and has been in some extremely underrated and amazing films! My absolute favorite movie is Inside Llewyn Davis. He plays the title role with such emotion and vigor that it just breaks my heart! He's been in a ton of popular films (like his role as Poe in Star Wars) and I just hope he gets more recognition soon!"

—poesjacket

"He should win one for every movie he’s in."

—30secondstoemma

"Pam Grier was absolutely ROBBED for her performance in Jackie Brown. The fact that she wasn’t even nominated despite giving one of the best performances by an actress in that decade is absolutely ludicrous. Plus, Helen Hunt took home the statuette that year for a forgettable role in a forgettable film. It honestly just shows how behind the times the Academy was and still is. They could have made history by giving a legendary Black actress her first Oscar for portraying a complex, morally gray character, but instead they stuck with more of the same."

—msroberts14

"I'm still waiting for the Academy to mail Toni Collette her Best Actress Oscar for Hereditary."

—oldsoulphoenix

"I will never give up on this. The man was one of the most talented actors who ever lived. He could literally play anything: Sheriff of Nottingham, Rasputin, Mesmer, Snape. It's insane the range he had, and how he could destroy a person with just one look or gesture. I've never seen another actor who could make me feel all the emotions a person can feel, sometimes all in one movie. The fact that he never got an Oscar is a crime."

—LannisterLuv