12 Times Actors Were Cheated Out Of An Oscar

The Academy Awards decision process can often be frustratingly arbitrary. Actors are apparently gifted Oscars for political decisions rather than actual merit, with some seemingly winning either as reparations for prior snubs or just for having played someone with a hard life. In these instances there is almost always another actor who was overlooked for the great work they did, and as pointless as the Oscars are - it's a lot of patting on the back, after all - it's a damn shame they didn't get the recognition they deserved. Although admittedly it's not like the luminaries who comprise the Academy have a What's App group chat where they all plot and plan who the winners of the awards will be, you can sense the workings of their decision-making. The kind of process that leads to Marlon Brando winning an Oscar for simply having the wherewithal to stuff cotton wool in his cheeks. Much like Highlander, unfortunately, there can be only one - it just sucks that the Academy usually picks the wrong one.

12. 1974 - Al Pacino, The Godfather Part Two

Who Actually Won? Art Carney for Harry And Tonto Can you imagine if Matt Damon won a Best Picture Oscar for The Martian this year? Can you see how that would unfairly deprive Leonardo Di Caprio of an Oscar for The Revenant? That's pretty much what happened with Pacino back in '74. Art Carney (either fairly or unfairly, depending on who you ask) took home the Best Actor award for a long-forgotten film called Harry And Tonto, about an old man who goes on a road trip with his cat. Yup. This is the reason that Al Pacino did not receive the appropriate recognition for his devastating turn in The Godfather Part II. Have you ever heard of Harry And Tonto? No, but I'd wager you've heard of the bloody Godfather movies, haven't you?