11 Unexpected Actors Who Might Win Oscars Next Year
4. Fionn Whitehead - Dunkirk
The Role: A British Army private named Tommy. That's all we know.
Why He Might Win: Whitehead's casting attracted a ton of attention around Hollywood, because he was largely unknown prior to being hand-picked by Christopher Nolan to play the movie's apparent protagonist.
That says a lot about what he might be bringing to the film, and while it's possible the film could end up more of an ensemble piece given the incredible talent appearing in supporting roles, if Whitehead is the center around which everything revolves, then he could most certainly score Best Actor honours.
Why It's Unexpected: At a mere 20 years of age, Whitehead would be the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner by quite a margin (Adrien Brody was 29 when he won), so though the stats are definitely working against him, Nolan has a history of bringing out the best in great actors (if we forget about Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises), newcomers and legends alike.