Leonardo DiCaprio wants an Oscar. Badly. In his impeccably calm and confident acceptance speech on Sunday after he received a Golden Globe for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio focused on his passion for film history, saying that Martin Scorsese (and Bruce Dern) have made their mark in cinema. Leo once again proved that he is a consummate professional, nailing his clearly rehearsed speech with the gravitas that comes with being arguably the biggest movie star in the world. Implicit in his speech was his unending desire to make a similar impact, and something that would cement his standing as one of the best actors of his generation would be an Academy Award for Best Actor. But simply being a great actor isn't enough, as the Academy Awards voting process is highly political. Thus, saying that Leonardo DiCaprio SHOULD win the Oscar for Best Actor this year means not only that he deserves it for his incredible performance, but because he deserves it for the same political reasons other winners had as well. The internet has already banded around his quest for Oscar gold, and his recent nomination has fans salivating. This list is not exclusively an examination of why his performance was better or worse than other probable nominees (that would be a futile exercise in expounding my tastes as superior to the Academy's), but why now is the right time for him to get what he really, really wants. Tides can change before the ceremony on March 2nd, but despite his auspicious Globe win he will probably be edged out by another actor. Here is why he should win, mixed in with reasons why he won't...
Bryan Hickman is a WhatCulture contributor residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bryan's passions include film, television, basketball, and writing about himself in the third person.
