10 More Actors Who Tried Like Hell To Win An Oscar (But Failed)

2. Bradley Cooper - Nightmare Alley

Going missing for the most part, when it comes to live action performances at least, on the big screen since taking in a ton of acclaim for his work when crafting 2018's A Star is Born, the return of Bradley Cooper in a leading man capacity was enough to leave most sitting up in their seats coming into this year's Nightmare Alley.

Add into that the fact that Guillermo Del Toro was helming the gripping noir, the likes of Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, and Toni Collette were on hand to support, and Cooper himself was said to have "messed (himself) up a bit" in digging into the complex character of Stanton Carlisle, and you had an undoubted, surefire Oscar contender and then some, right?

Well, outside of a Best Picture nomination and a few other less eye-catching nods, the rest of the cast, including a sensational Cooper, have been wholly left on the outside looking in. Sure, the Best Actor category in particular is looking as strong as ever this year. But Cooper must be wondering what more he had to do to garner some critical love after completely surrendering himself to a role he admitted "terrified" him.