9. Raul Julia
While beginning acting in films in the early 1980s, Raul Julia was already a skilled stage actor, but brought with him the intensity and preparation that he honed on the New York stage. One of his first starring roles was in the 1985 drama Kiss Of The Spider Woman, playing a South American political prisoner. He was given rave reviews for his performance, which he researched by visiting real prisons in his native Puerto Rico. He was however, overshadowed by co-star William Hurt's larger than life performance in the film and was overlooked for a Best Actor Oscar, which Hurt ultimately won. Over the years, Julia consistently gave terrific performances in all of his film roles, but was never recognized by the Academy. In the 1990 legal thriller Presumed Innocent, Julia gave a rousing performance as a defense attorney representing Harrison Ford, but was not honored with a deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination. The following year, his charismatic and brilliant work in The Addams Family generated some Oscar buzz for Julia, but the Academy - not favorable to comedies - snubbed him again. In 1994 he finished a TV film that became his most celebrated performance with The Burning Season. The role ended up netting him a Golden Globe and Emmy award, but it was awarded posthumously, as he died from a brain hemorrhage not soon after shooting had finished.