The Greatest Actor to never win the Oscar

[Attitude]

Okay, so I've been part of the WZ Forums for a while now but never really came to the movie and music section a lot. I've made a few posts over but I haven't started a thread over in this section yet. So if I do something wrong please let me know.

My question is Who is the greatest actor to never win the oscar?

My choice is Jim Carrey.

I'm amazed that he hasn't won one yet. He's had several classics and had several big hits. How does somebody who is just such a great actor not win one. I know he won a couple of Golden Globes for Man On The Moon and I think The Truman Show. I'm not sure where the Golden Globes fall on the list of awards but I know there prestigous.

Honourable Mention



Adam Sandler
Okay I know people said Spanglish wasn't good but Punch Drunk Love was nominated and Reign Over Me was excellent. I think because he's a comedian he gets left out from the Oscars a lot. The same with Jim Carrey.

So who do you guys think the greatest actor to never win the Oscar is?

 

[INDYjon22]

Robert Downey Jr., not only is he my favorite actor but he has never won an Oscar for anything. He has been nominated, but has never won. He is an incredibly talented actor who can easily move around various genres with no one wondering what the hell he is doing in those films. He can do comedy, as seen in Tropic Thunder, he can drama as seen in Less Than Zero and The Soloist, he can do action as seen in Iron Man, and almost anyone can do horror, but for reference just check him out in Gothika. He just has terrific range and shows it in so many films, my personal favorite being Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Now, if this had been a year ago I would have said Jeff Bridges. But he won the Oscar last year and was right in the world, finally.

 

[.]

For me it would simply have to be Alan Rickman.

The man is brilliant no matter what role he plays. His performances in film include him as Hans Gruber in Die Hard, as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, as Eamon de Valera in Michael Collins, and as Metatron in Dogma. He is also known for his prominent roles as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 blockbuster film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and as Colonel Brandon in the Oscar-winning 1995 Sense and Sensibility. More recently he has played Judge Turpin in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and voiced the Caterpillar in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Now apart from Maybe Alice In Wonderland. The man was brilliant in each of those roles and was unique and witty at the same time. Alan Rickman has never even recieved a nomination for an oscar which in my opinion is a load of bullshit as he has been great in many roles most notably Eamin de Valera in Michael Collins and Hans Gruber in Die Hard stand out in my mind as Oscar worthy performances. He showed in those two films he could do action(Die Hard) and drama(Michael Collins) brilliantly and from his performances in Dogma and Galaxy Quest he showed he can also work brilliantly in comedy.

Rickman is an extremely talented actor and deserved an oscar for Michael Collins or Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

 

[TwistofRKO]

I'm assuming for individual performance?

I may be mistaken, but I don't believe Matt Damon has ever won despite being nominated. He's very diverse, and always steals the scene. He goes from Jason Bourne to the lead singer in Eurotrip, to Sgt. Sullivan, to The Informant. He can nail almost any role, and should have won by now.

Leonardo DiCaprio won a Golden Globe, but never an Oscar. He's the best living actor, I'll let you figure out the rest. He's had amazing performances, and should have won on at least three different occasions for his roles in The Aviator, Revolutionary Road, and Blood Diamond. His performance in Shutter Island should at least earn him another nomination. He probably would have won in 2006 for The Departed, even though his acting was perfect in Blood Diamond that same year, had he accepted the studio's offer to push him for the award.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

If we're going with individual performance then I have to say: Bill Murray in Lost in Translation.

Murray is of course best known for starting out on Saturday Night Live before moving into film and most memorably playing Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters. He appeared in comedy films that had dramatic elements to them (Groundhog Day comes to mind) as well as pure straight-up comedy films, however in 2003, that changed. In 2003, Bill Murray starred in Sofia Coppola's critically acclaimed Lost in Translation.

Murray was absolutely great in it as an over the hill actor who goes to Tokyo to film a whiskey commercial only to accidently befriend a fellow American (Played by Scarlett Johansson). Here is a review of Murray's performance from film critic, Lisa Schwarzbaum.

'Murray reveals something more commanding in his repose than we have ever seen before. Trimmed to a newly muscular, rangy handsomeness and in complete rapport with his character's hard-earned acceptance of life's limitations, Murray turns in a great performance.'

The reception from the public was great and it was clear that award committees also saw it that way. Murray went on to capture two of the big three. he would win the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy & the BAFTA for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Yet the Oscar evaded him as it instead went to Sean Penn for Mystic River.

It's a damn shame that Murray didn't get the Academy Award. He fully deserved it but couldn't quite achieve it.

 

[Ferbian]

That's a hard choice really. There's a lot of names that are absolutely great but have never won an Oscar.

I guess my primary choice would have to be Leonardo Dicaprio. He has starred in numerous amazing movies, and is definitely one of my favorite actors (At least among those that have never won an Oscar). And quite honestly, searching through names to mention in this thread (I had to be sure they hadn't won an Oscar after all), I couldn't help but scratch my head over the fact that Leonardo have never won one. Nominated, but never won.

I mean, this is the guy that have starred in so many blockbuster movies, and cashed millions on his movies, yet he has no Oscar to show off for it. Sure he have lots of other awards to show off for his career, but the Oscar always has a special thing over it, and I definitely would like to believe that Leonardo should have at least won once, or twice perhaps.

I may be mistaken, but I don't believe Matt Damon has ever won despite being nominated. He's very diverse, and always steals the scene. He goes from Jason Bourne to the lead singer in Eurotrip, to Sgt. Sullivan, to The Informant. He can nail almost any role, and should have won by now.

According to IMDB Matt won an Oscar for the best screenplay in the movie Good Will Hunting, shared it with Ben Affleck though, but I would say that still counts as him winning it. Although if not, I would definitely add him on the list.

 

[Attitude]

Someone else I realized didn't win an Oscar is Mark Wahlberg. I checked online and he never won. I do think he was nominated for Four Brothers and The Departed. I'll check later. But I was surprised that he hasn't won one yet. He's a really great actor. I also don't think Will Smith ever won which also surprises me. Once again I'll have to check. I think he was nominated for the Pursuit of Happiness.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Yeah, but Mark Wahlberg is wank, isn't he? Good in an ensemble. But that's because he's either got to raise his game, which he does by swearing a lot. Or being on screen for only a short amount of time.

 

[jmt225]

Names that come to mind, in this order:

Johnny Depp
Edward Norton
Brad Pitt
Leonardo Dicaprio
Viggo Mortensen
River Phoenix
Djimon Hounsou
Christian Bale
Tom Cruise
Joaquin Phoenix

And that's it (not including European or Asian actors). Each name is a fantastic actor, and each have given performances throughout their careers that were more than deserving of an Oscar.

That said, Johnny Depp is easily the greatest actor to never win the Oscar at this point in time. The guy hasn't done anything spectacular recently, which is why people over look him, but man... when you look at this dude's body of work, it goes unmatched. Edward Scissorhands, Benny & Joon, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Sleepy Hollow, The Ninth Gate, Blow, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (easily his most underrated performance), Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Neverland, Sweeney Todd, etc... these movies and his performances in them are just terrific. Nobody, who doesn't already have an Oscar, can compete with the range of roles Depp has pulled off during his tremendous career; that's a fact in my mind. However, I do have faith that someday soon we will be taking his name out of this category, because it's only a matter of time before he finally gets that Oscar. No doubt about it.

 

[TwistofRKO]

According to IMDB Matt won an Oscar for the best screenplay in the movie Good Will Hunting, shared it with Ben Affleck though, but I would say that still counts as him winning it. Although if not, I would definitely add him on the list.

Yeah, I knew he won that. I was focusing in on acting performances. He's been crucial in all the main roles he's had.

The best three actors, actual actors, are Matt Damon, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and they lose to one-dimensional actors. How does Nicholas Cage have an Oscar?

I also like the nod for Christian Bale. He was fantastic in 3:10 to Yuma, but was overshadowed by a bigger picture in the same genre.

 

[Cactus~Clothesline]

I'm going to have to go old school on the kids:

Clearly James Dean is the best actor to never win an Oscar. His three roles are truly amazing and he acted so well in all of them. He truly was ahead of his time and I only wish we could all see what he would have become as a man.

 

[Cactus~Clothesline]

I'm sorry if this is mean of me but you can't be serious? Adam Sandler may have made some good movies, but Click and Zohan are not them.

You do also know individual Oscars are based on acting skills, not the movie, right?

 

[Next Jericho]

My pick is Adam Sandler I am actually surprised he has not had one considering he has been in countless good films like Click, Happy Glimore, You Don't Mess with the Zohan and The Wedding Singer which are very funny and most of them are blockbuster films.

 

[Attitude]

I'm sorry if this is mean of me but you can't be serious? Adam Sandler may have made some good movies, but Click and Zohan are not them.

You do also know individual Oscars are based on acting skills, not the movie, right?

I thought Click was awesome. He did a great job in the movie. Zohan may have been way over the top but I think that's what made the movie hiliarious. Also Adam Sandler might have movies where all he does is beat the crap out people or act extremely goofy but he also has movies that have great messages behind them.

Take Click for example: The point of the movie was we tend to fast forward through life but never really slow down to enjoy what's important in our lives such as family and friends.

All in All I think Adam Sandler is a good actor so I agree with Next Jericho.

 

[Attitude]

Wait...Ok, so your opinion is your own and I'm not going to fight that...but do you really think he is Oscar worthy? I think that is the basis of discussion.

Based on his comedies yes he is Oscar Worthy. But we know the Oscars don't like comedies or the Comedy drama so it won't happen with comedy.

However based on his performance in Reign Over Me I think he is. As I said I think Adam Sandler is a great actor and that is my own personal opinion.

Obviously we just have a difference of opinion. If you do want to discuss even further I would prefer this to go to my other thread "Why Comedians don't win Oscars?"

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Did someone actually say Adam Sandler should win an Oscar?! Also, isn't this the same guy who said Jim Carrey should have won an Oscar? Dude, quit embarrassing yourself; both of these guys suck ass and are only good at making films about dicks and farts. There's nothing wrong with this, but bathroom humor is something that anyone can excel at; the Oscars are all about honoring exceptional work.

Oh, and the only person in here who deserves kudos is the guy who mentioned James Dean. The correct answer, though, is Peter O'Toole. O'Toole has been nominated EIGHT FUCKING TIMES for the Best Actor Award but has always come up short. AMPAS gave him an honorary Oscar not too long ago, but these things, in my opinion, are a huge slap in the face. If he still has one award-worthy performance left in him, then AMPAS should just give him the fucking thing without even announcing any other nominees. O'Toole is, without a doubt, the greatest actor to never win an Oscar.

 

[Attitude]

Did someone actually say Adam Sandler should win an Oscar?! Also, isn't this the same guy who said Jim Carrey should have won an Oscar? Dude, quit embarrassing yourself; both of these guys suck ass and are only good at making films about dicks and farts. There's nothing wrong with this, but bathroom humor is something that anyone can excel at; the Oscars are all about honoring exceptional work.

Oh, and the only person in here who deserves kudos is the guy who mentioned James Dean. The correct answer, though, is Peter O'Toole. O'Toole has been nominated EIGHT FUCKING TIMES for the Best Actor Award but has always come up short. AMPAS gave him an honorary Oscar not too long ago, but these things, in my opinion, are a huge slap in the face. If he still has one award-worthy performance left in him, then AMPAS should just give him the fucking thing without even announcing any other nominees. O'Toole is, without a doubt, the greatest actor to never win an Oscar.

PLEASE DO NOT GET ON MY THREADS JUST TO DISRESPECT MY OPINION OR ME.

So let me get this straight I should be embarassed for being fans of Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler. ABSOLUTELY NOT. Jim Carrey is a tremendous actor and has two Golden Globes to prove it. Adam Sandler's movies have been highly successful and made millions. He's good at what he does. I stand by what I say and GET THIS:I'M NOT EMBARRASSED.

Don't get on my threads and don't bother posting anything on my threads if all you can do is disrespect me. And since you personally don't like Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler doesn't mean they suck.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

So let me get this straight I should be embarassed for being fans of Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler. ABSOLUTELY NOT. Jim Carrey is a tremendous actor and has two Golden Globes to prove it. Adam Sandler's movies have been highly successful and made millions. He's good at what he does. I stand by what I say and GET THIS:I'M NOT EMBARRASSED.

First of all, it has been and will always be Oscar>Golden Globe. So referencing it doesn't mean anything especially when this is about the Academy Awards.

Seriously deep down in your heart, you think Sandler and Carrey are the best to never have won an Academy award? When there are numerous amount of actors with more talent then them with the likes of Depp, Leo, Pitt, Cruise, Norton, and so on. It is true that Sandler movies have made millions, but just because your movies make money doesn't mean you should be Oscar worthy.

Thing is your two guys never step out of their lines enough to be recognized. As we discussed in the other thread. Fact is ask 10 people what movies do you think of when you hear the names of Sandler and Carrey, I bet 10/10 times you get nothing but their comedies, nobody takes them seriously enough. It seems like comedies are just your cup of tea, not that theres nothing wrong with that, everyone has their own taste on what they like. But when you start a thread for Greatest actor to never win an Oscar, and state your picks, it is kind of funny compared to the list of people that still haven't won one. Like you said it is your opinion, it's just our opinion when we tell you why they shouldn't.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

PLEASE DO NOT GET ON MY THREADS JUST TO DISRESPECT MY OPINION OR ME.

So let me get this straight I should be embarassed for being fans of Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler. ABSOLUTELY NOT. Jim Carrey is a tremendous actor and has two Golden Globes to prove it. Adam Sandler's movies have been highly successful and made millions. He's good at what he does. I stand by what I say and GET THIS:I'M NOT EMBARRASSED.

Don't get on my threads and don't bother posting anything on my threads if all you can do is disrespect me. And since you personally don't like Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler doesn't mean they suck.

I have broken no rules in responding to your thread, so live with my comments (I am sorry that you can't put me on ignore).

And, no, you shouldn't be embarrassed for liking Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler, but you should be embarrassed for arguing that they're the greatest actors to never win Oscars. Also, Golden Globes mean jack shit in comparison to the Oscars; these awards are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press, not by directors, actors, actresses, screenwriters, cinematographers, etc. (AKA people who actually make films instead of bitching about them for a living).

 

[TwistofRKO]

I love Adam Sandler, and kind of like Jim Carey, but they play the same type of character in every movie. That's not acting, and doesn't deserve awards meant for the actor who portrayed his character in the best way. What, besides the surrounding factors, is really different in Adam Sandler in Click and Grown Ups? Not very much. Whereas Johnny Depp has played 30 different characters, Leonardo has even played a ******ed character, and mastered 3-4 different accents in movies. You should be able to win an award in a comedy, I'd agree, but Sandler isn't Oscar material.

 

[Furyof5]

Out of current actors, I believe the greatest actor to never win an Oscar is Leonardo Dicaprio. Now I used to hate him as an actor, because I hated the movie Titanic, but I took a closer look at his other movies recently and have seen just how great of an actor he is.

It seems like no matter what film this man is (bar Titanic) he is great, and keeps my attention the whole film. I have seen thousands of films and certainly know a good one from a bad one, and he has been in a bunch of good-great ones.

So yes Dicaprio would be my pick for this next honor, whether or not he shall this year is left to be seen, but I am kind of doubtful, as the Oscars is a hopefully biased council.

 

[Attitude]

I have broken no rules in responding to your thread, so live with my comments (I am sorry that you can't put me on ignore).

And, no, you shouldn't be embarrassed for liking Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler, but you should be embarrassed for arguing that they're the greatest actors to never win Oscars. Also, Golden Globes mean jack shit in comparison to the Oscars; these awards are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press, not by directors, actors, actresses, screenwriters, cinematographers, etc. (AKA people who actually make films instead of bitching about them for a living).

First, I will apologize because I was irritated when I read your first post. I felt you were attacking me for my choices. Second I didn't say Adam Sandler was the greatest actor to not win an award. I was support Next Jericho for his choice. I did however put him in Honourable mentions in my OP. But I didn't say he was the greatest.

@ Buffalo Dave I was defending my answers. I didn't say she couldn't express her opinions about why they shouldn't. I was just saying don't attack me for my opinions.

@Twist RKO Jim Carrey has stepped out of his Comedic Roles plenty of times. Eternal Sunshine, The Truman Show, The Majestic, and Man on the Moon. There are more but Jim Carrey doesn't do the same roles over and over again. Jim switches his character up in his comedies. You can't say Yes Man and Ace Venture are the same character. Bruce Almighty and Fun With Dick And Jane aren't the same. So to say all of his characters and roles are the same is insane.

 

[Attitude]

By the way the Golden Globes are important and are one of the most prestigous award ceremonies. There are plenty of actors who can't make those awards. The Golden Globes are one of the big two. The Golden Globes might be number 2 but only to the Oscars. And they are not far behind them. I will try to find the article for you guys on where it was debated on which was bigger. (But that is not this thread). The Golden Globes honors excellence in acting.

Plus to say that the Golden Globes are meaningless is horrible. I'm sure many of the actors everybody has been mentioning would disagree; examples Leonardo, Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, and Brad Pitt (they have all won at least one or more). It seems to me Jim Carrey is with a pretty elite group of actors that won Golden Globes.

 

[Attitude]

First, Read my second post on this thread. It's on the first page. You will see a couple other actors I had on my list. I will be surprised if you bash those to actors too.

Secondly, I will give you guys Adam Sandler. He has played the same character in several of his roles. But as he went on his character is now beginning to grow and mature as seen in Click, The Longest Yard, and Grown Ups.

Third, I will also give you Johnny Depp. He is one of my favorite actors and was unaware that he hadn't won an oscar yet. So you see I learned something in this thread. He would have been on my list too if I would have known.

 

[TwistofRKO]

Jim Carey is very much alike in the Grinch, Yes Man, and Fun With Dick and Jane. When's the last time he had a good performance in a non-comedy role? Its been a looong time.