Every Best Actor Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked
8. Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Who should have won: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street.
The crowning achievement of the majestic McConaissance, Dallas Buyers Club offered Matthew McConaughey his best chance yet to prove he wasn't just a rom-com heartthrob, and it's an opportunity he does not squander.
Dropping about fifty pounds to bring HIV-positive electrician Ron Woodroof to life, McConaughey's performance is physically transformative, yes, but it's also one of stark complexities and contradictions. McConaughey captures the man's pain and heartbreak, and also his confusion and indignation.
Topping off a remarkable career transformation, McConaughey puts his heart and soul into capturing what made Woodroof tick, warts and all. Though, let's be honest, he shouldn't have beaten DiCaprio's riotous work as Jordan Belfort to Best Actor.