11 Unexpected Actors Who Might Win Oscars In 2019

8. Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody

The Role: Freddie Mercury, the effervescent, late lead singer of the legendary rock group Queen.

Why He Might Win: Who doesn't love Queen? Considering how overdue Mercury has been for a biopic, there's a lot of general interest in this one, and given how drastically Rami Malek has transformed himself for the part, it's quite possible the Academy rewards him for his significant efforts.

Why It's Unexpected: Malek may be enjoying success on Mr. Robot right now, but it wasn't that long ago that he was still appearing in Night at the Museum and Twilight movies.

More to the point, when Malek was originally cast to replace Sacha Baron Cohen as Mercury, many were disappointed at what they perceived to be an "inferior" choice, even if the fears were quelled substantially when the first images of Malek in the role surfaced.

And finally, there's the whole Bryan Singer debacle, where he was fired mid-production for unprofessional behaviour. There's every possibility this will result in an awkward end product, pulled between the sensibilities of Singer and replacement director Dexter Fletcher.