4. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, 2008)
Mickey Rourke astounded critics and viewers alike with his transformative role as a broken down professional wrestler in Darren Aronofsky's intimate yet powerful drama. Rourke made Randy 'The Ram' Robinson part of himself, so much so that he seemed to dissolve into his character. Its one of those performances where you have to believe that only he could have played it. As wonderful as this role was it wasn't enough to edge out Sean Penn, who walked away with the statue for playing gay activist and Mayor of the Castro, Harvey Milk. The Academy is always a sucker for a performance based on a real person and this year was no exception. Make no mistake Sean Penn's performance was one of quality. He does a fine job of capturing the immense humanism and contagious positivity of Harvey Milk. However Rourke's role was one of rare understated beauty and nuance. It was the tiny mannerisms and almost fleeting indefinable qualities of character that made his wrestler so honest and raw. The parallels between Rourke's own failing career and his down and out character lend a sensitivity and a subtleness to the performance that it into something very special. The Academy sure bungled the decision that year, even Sean Penn looked a little surprised on hearing his name read out.