The Nominees: Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) Who Will Win? J. K. Simmons (Whiplash) Who Should Win? J. K. Simmons (Whiplash) Supporting Actor is a mix of those long dead cert on a nomination and random mix of good, if less noteworthy turns. The big shocker here is Robert Duvall, who shows s**ting in a bath is a new shortcut to a nomination. It's impossible to say J. K. Simmons doesn't deserve all the hype around his performacne Whiplish, with the character actor finally set to get some solid gold recognition, although it's hard to not feel bad for Edward Norton - in any other year his self-deprecating turn in Birdman would have been a shoe-in.
