Chloe Peterson
Every year, the Academy Awards honor the best performances in film, but sometimes truly amazing work gets overlooked. Some actors deliver career-defining performances that critics and audiences love, yet they don’t even make it onto the nomination list. These snubs remind us that awards don’t always tell the whole story about great acting.
1. Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler shocked everyone with his intense, anxiety-filled performance as Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler with a serious gambling problem. Known mostly for his comedies, Sandler proved he could handle dramatic roles with incredible skill and energy.
Critics absolutely loved his work, and he won several major critics’ awards for Best Actor. The film kept audiences on the edge of their seats as Howard made one risky decision after another. His frantic, desperate character felt completely real and different from anything Sandler had done before.
Despite all the praise and awards from critics, the Academy completely ignored him when nomination time came around. Many film fans still consider this one of the biggest Oscar snubs in recent memory.
2. Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods
Playing Paul, a troubled Vietnam War veteran, Delroy Lindo gave what many consider the performance of his long career. His character struggles with PTSD, anger, and complicated relationships with his fellow soldiers and his own son during a return trip to Vietnam.
Lindo brought raw emotion and unpredictability to every scene, making Paul both sympathetic and difficult to watch. He even won the National Society of Film Critics’ Best Actor award, one of the most respected honors in film criticism. His powerful monologues and emotional breakdowns felt painfully authentic.
Despite this recognition and widespread calls for his nomination, the Oscars left him out entirely. Fans and critics alike viewed this as a frustrating oversight of truly exceptional work.
3. Ethan Hawke in First Reformed
Ethan Hawke delivered a haunting, quiet performance as Reverend Toller, a troubled priest facing a crisis of faith. His character wrestles with environmental despair, personal guilt, and spiritual doubt in ways that felt deeply moving and thoughtful.
Numerous critics’ groups recognized his brilliant work by giving him their Best Actor awards. Hawke brought such depth and pain to the role that viewers could feel the weight of every decision his character made. His restrained acting style perfectly matched the film’s serious, meditative tone.
Yet when Oscar nominations were announced, Hawke’s name was nowhere to be found. The snub surprised many people who considered it one of the year’s finest performances and a career highlight for the veteran actor.
4. Lupita Nyong’o in Us
Lupita Nyong’o took on the challenging task of playing two completely different versions of the same character in Jordan Peele’s horror thriller. As both Adelaide and her terrifying double, Red, she had to create distinct voices, movements, and personalities that felt totally separate.
Her creepy, raspy voice as Red became instantly iconic, and her physical performance showed incredible range and commitment. Critics praised how she balanced horror, emotion, and complexity throughout the film. The dual role required her to switch between protective mother and menacing villain seamlessly.
Even with all the strong reviews and audience appreciation, the Academy didn’t include her in the Best Actress category. Horror performances rarely get Oscar recognition, but many felt Nyong’o’s work deserved to break that pattern.
5. Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips
One of Hollywood’s most respected actors, Tom Hanks, gave a gripping performance as the real-life cargo ship captain taken hostage by Somali pirates. While the entire film showcased his talent, the final scene where he breaks down after his rescue is particularly unforgettable and emotionally powerful.
His portrayal of shock and trauma felt completely authentic, showing his incredible ability to convey deep emotion. The film received plenty of awards attention and nominations in other categories, making his personal snub even more surprising. Many expected him to easily earn a Best Actor nomination given his performance and reputation.
Instead, the Academy overlooked him completely, which shocked fans and industry insiders. Even legendary actors with proven track records sometimes get inexplicably left out of the Oscar race.
6. Toni Collette in Hereditary
Toni Collette’s portrayal of Annie Graham, a mother dealing with unimaginable grief and supernatural horror, remains one of the most talked-about performances in recent horror cinema. Her emotional breakdowns felt so real and devastating that they were almost hard to watch.
From quiet moments of sadness to explosive scenes of rage and terror, Collette showed an incredible emotional range. One particular dinner table scene became famous for how intensely she expressed her character’s pain and anger. Critics and horror fans widely considered it one of the year’s strongest performances across any genre.
Unfortunately, the Oscars have a long history of ignoring horror films, and Collette received no nomination. The snub sparked conversations about how the Academy overlooks excellent acting just because it appears in scary movies.
7. Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler
Jake Gyllenhaal transformed himself physically and mentally to play Lou Bloom, a creepy freelance videographer who films crime scenes and accidents for news stations. He lost weight to look gaunt and unsettling, and his wide-eyed, intense stare made Lou feel genuinely disturbing.
His character has no empathy and will do anything for the perfect shot, creating a chilling portrait of ambition without morality. Gyllenhaal earned nominations from BAFTA, the Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes, and numerous critics’ groups. Everyone seemed to recognize how he made such an unlikable character completely fascinating to watch.
Somehow, though, the Academy left him off their Best Actor list. This remains one of the most puzzling Oscar snubs, especially given how many other major awards recognized his brilliant work.
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