10 Great Actors Never Nominated For An Oscar
6. John Goodman
This veteran character actor and Saturday Night Live favourite has brought to life some of The Coen Brothers’ liveliest (and strangest) characters through his frequent collaborations with the pair. His standout performances are as high strung Vietnam veteran Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski and the increasingly unsettling Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink. Similar to the Coens’ scripts, Goodman’s performances both blend and defy various genres with him exhibiting everything from genuine warmth to cold blooded murder whilst remaining consistent to the personality of the character he is portraying.
A seasoned performer on film and a major success on TV from Roseanne through to his current work on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, Goodman’s success rates as an actor have proved high in all areas with the slightly glaring exception of the awards season. Despite various eccentric roles high enough in the quality department to warrant recognition, Goodman’s film work remains largely ignored by the little gold men.
With more and more focus on his TV and voice work (Monsters Inc. fans can rejoice come 2020), it seems unlikely this aspect will change for Goodman though his success in various fields speaks for itself.