10 Phenomenally Talented Actors Who Have Never Won Oscars

It's the highest stamp of approval that lasts an entire career, yet these ten acting greats don't have a golden statue decorating their house.

The Oscar nominees have been the talk of the town for the past few weeks. Coming off the momentum of his Golden Globe win for The Wolf of Wall Street, could this finally be the year for Leonardo DiCaprio? He's been nominated by the Academy three times (Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, and Blood Diamond) to no avail. He even entered the race in 2004 with a Golden Globe win for his portrayal of Howard Hughes, another Martin Scorsese effort. The Academy Awards are a funny thing, though, aren't they? I mean, don't they just seem kind of silly? I know it's not exactly original of me to point out the absurdity of the film industry gathering together for a night of self-congratulation, but there's something else about it... People can't stop talking about it. The Oscars have poised themselves in a way that, even though we all know they don't matter, they totally matter. If they were so superfluous, why do we debate whether or not CGI heavy movies should even be eligible for Best Cinematography? Do they deserve the recognition? Their own category? Of course, the main attractions for the event are the stars. Part fashion show, another part inner-industry back-patting, most people tune into the Academy Awards for the glamour of it all. But a win is another thing: It's the highest stamp of approval that lasts an entire career. These sort of high-stakes decisions often leave film fans divided, taking to the message boards for healthy doses of "They got robbed!" and "her?!" Now, allow me to do just that. But I will say 10 is a very low number for this category and I wish I could've included many more and maybe should be on here if I'd be slightly more objective in my decisions. Some people on the ensuing list haven't only not won, but not even been nominated. One in particular hasn't been nominated for anything or had his name on the Walk of Fame. With that air cleared, I invite you to leave your own favourite Oscar-less actors in the comments.
Contributor
Contributor

While studying English and Philosophy at Rutgers University, Andrew worked as a constant contributor to the The Rutgers Review. After graduating in 2010, he began working as a free-lance writer and editor, providing his input to numerous areas including reviews for the New York Film Series, The Express-Times, and private script and story consulting. He is currently the Director of Film Studies at The Morris County Arts Workshop in New Jersey and publishes essays on the subject of film and television at his blog, The Zoetrope.