The Academy Awards are a funny old business; half the time the wrong person wins, either because the Academy loves sentimental, pat melodrama, or they aren’t prepared to sit down and watch more challenging, visceral films. Every so often, they give out an acting award that beggars belief, either in its initial context or in the years that follow, once we realise that the winning actor actually isn’t particularly good. Either they were blessed with a flash-in-the-pan great role, or they’ve just gotten lazy and not followed up their award-winning turn with other befitting work.
Here are the 10 worst actors to ever be gifted an Academy award…
10. Timothy Hutton
It still boggles the mind that Timothy Hutton scooped up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his turn in Ordinary People – becoming the youngest winner of the award in history – beating out Joe Pesci’s immortal turn in Scorsese’s astounding Raging Bull. While the performance, like most on this list, is far from bad, it’s just not Oscar worthy, compounded by the fact that Hutton never returned to the same level of prestige, and three decades later, is stuck working in daft heist TV show, Leverage. It’s probably what he’s best known for these days, but all it does is remind us that Hutton certainly has that “flash in the pan” quality; his stilted, unfussed work on Leverage is sad proof that Hutton really wasn’t ever that good an actor, and simply appealed to the Academy’s fanciful sensibilities that year.
It’s a shame as most surely expected he would only improve after this glory. Rather, it seems he peaked too early…
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12 Comments
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for including Sandra Bullock on this list. She essentially won an oscar for playing a southern woman not sure what’s so impressive about that. That was easily the plainest and least impressive role to ever win an oscar (not to mention in the most over hyped movie).
I see you not a fan of black in Hollywood. Five out of the 10 was black. Am just saying.
well then he is not a fan of white Hollywood either…. five out of 10 are white!!
I see you not a fan of white in Hollywood. Five out of the 10 was white. Am just saying.
Where is Nicolas Cage?
Worst best original score winner: three6mafia.. i remember the commentator said “if anyone is keeping count, thats three6mafia, one, martin scorsese, zero”
Huh… Scorsese has an Oscar… Should have more and for his better films
well, thats just like your opinion man.
Marisa Tomei here is a serious crime, and wait till next year’s Gravity when your regret putting Bullock here sonny.
Can’t agree with Timothy Hutton there, because despite his clunkers, the dude can do good work. I’ve seen Lymelife and Ghost Writer recently and thought he was great – and very different – in both. He doesn’t elevate bad material, but he’s quite good when he’s in the right role.
I’d definitely put Nicolas Cage in his place – beat out Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking, and has put together possibly the biggest string of clunkers of any Oscar winner in history. Or how ’bout Tim Robbins, who’s likable and smart and clever but not exactly the kind of actor who ever goes outside a certain, very narrow box?
Oscars are not awarded on past or future roles (although some have been given to actors who people might have felt cheated previously, IMHO) They also aren’t handed out because a film might age well. Timothy Hutton, for example, has done excellent work in Nero Wolfe, LymeLyfe, directed Digging to China, and Heaven’s Fall. Just because you aren’t looking for it doesn’t mean it isn’t there and it isn’t quality.
Reese Witherspoon for “Walk the Line” should be on this list. She won because, at the time, she was the big female Hollywood star. I’ve never thought much of her as an actress.
Thanks for putting Roberto Benigni.
I’m italian and I assure you, while Benigni is good in this movie he’s just playing himself in a different location.
Edward Norton should have won for American History X that year.