Oscars 2019: Who Should Win Every Award (And Who Actually Will)

3. Actor In A Leading Role

Bohemian Rhapsody Rami Malek
Fox

Nominees: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Christian Bale (Vice), Viggo Mortensen (Green Book), Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate)

Who Should Win

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe will probably just be happy to be nominated, given his turn as Vincent Van Gogh has largely been overlooked this awards season, and the nomination was a complete surprise. Dafoe, however, deserves to finally get his Oscar here. Most of the contenders are of actors who've transformed into real figures. But none take the approach that Dafoe does. He doesn't just look like Van Gogh, he completely becomes him. It's a psychological metamorphosis that takes us right into the mind of a figure both fascinating and tragic; his passion, his art, his psyche are laid bare by Dafoe. Watching it, the bigger surprise is it took until the Oscars for it to get the recognition it deserves.

Who Will Win

Rami Malek

Since his shock win at the Golden Globes, Rami Malek has only continued to grow as the frontrunner for Bohemian Rhapsody, which was then compounded by him taking the SGA Award and the BAFTA. Christian Bale isn't a million miles behind, with a couple of big awards to his name too, but the pair have changed positions this awards season and it's Malek who remains in the ascendancy. 13 of the last 14 SAG winners have gone on to win the Oscar. This one, a battle of transformative portrayals of real-life figures, is closer than most, but Malek should still reign on the night.

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