10 Least Deserving Oscar Winners Ever

Among the most bizarre upsets in the Best Actor category's history.

Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson turned in all time great performances in 1974 with Lenny, The Godfather Part II and Chinatown respectively. All 3 were unsurprisingly nominated and then very surprisingly upset by Art Carney's mellow turn in Harry and Tonto. The first time nominee's win was considered a jaw-dropper at the time. Sporting a fresh coat of unconvincing, old timer make-up, Carney portrays an elderly New Yorker enjoying a cross-country road trip with his trusty cat, Tonto.

Carney's performance is pleasant enough but unexciting. The then-55 year old's work is not the kind of game-changing, instantly iconic stuff his competitors were putting out. His win seemed like the Academy wanting to reward him for his popular and versatile work in comedies such as The Honeymooners.

Another key example of the Academy voting for the safe and the middlebrow over the dynamic and exciting, Harry and Tonto is not remembered as a seminal film or performance these days. Unsurprisingly, most of Carney's opponents are, making this win all the more of a head scratcher.