Oscars 2014: 10 Underdogs Who Might Get Surprise Nominations

4. Best Supporting Actor €“ James Gandolfini (Enough Said)

The Academy loves to be sentimental, and it's not unfair to say that when a performer unfortunately passes away ahead of awards season, it inevitably gives their performance a push in the right direction. Just look at Heath Ledger's turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Brilliant though it was, the turn was far less likely to have been nominated had Ledger still been alive, and he eventually went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. But this isn't to in any way diminish James Gandolfini's splendid work on romantic drama Enough Said. A fitting swansong for the actor, he has received nominations from SAG, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Independent Spirit Awards and several local critics groups, and the SAG in particular is often a strong indication of what ends up being nominated for an Oscar. The win is already pretty much sewn up for Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), and Gandolfini will have trouble fighting off Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street), Will Forte (Nebraska) and Tom Hanks (Saving Mr. Banks) in particular for the fifth slot, but it's certainly possible, and the fact that it's a posthumous performance only helps his chances.