9. Aaron Eckhart, Thank You For Smoking (2005)
The Role: In Thank You for Smoking, Aaron Eckhart plays Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for the "Academy of Tobacco Studies." Naylor is the most hated and feared lobbyist in Washington, a fact that he thrives on--especially when discussing it with The MOD Squad, a lunch crew of lobbyists for controversial industries. Along with everything that comes with being the most hated man in Washington, Naylor also has to balance his relationships, most notably with his son.
Why It's Oscar Worthy: With the current reputation that big-tobacco has, the audience should hate Naylor, but thanks to an all-star performance from Eckhart we find ourselves cheering for the man defending those that sell tobacco to children. Eckhart's ability to humanize Naylor is extraordinary and was essential to the execution of this film. Eckhart keeps Naylor grounded when he could easily (and should) become a villain.