Oscars 2020: 15 Insanely Early Predictions For Next Year's Academy Awards

8. Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe - The Last Thing He Wanted

At Eternity S Gate Willem Dafoe
CBS Films

Other Nominees: John Lithgow (Fair and Balanced), Al Pacino (The Irishman), Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Timothée Chalamet (Little Women)

This category looks like it could be filled with heavyweights - Dafoe, Pacino, Pitt, and Lithgow is some lineup, and all are in Oscar-friendly fare - with Chalamet the up-and-comer, who many thought was going to be in this category this year too. That perceived snub might help his case this year, since he'll be in Little Women, which should be very popular in the acting categories. Another contender here, though, is Matthew Rhys, since A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood sees him play opposite Tom Hanks, who'll surely get a Best Actor nod.

It's tough to pick a winner from that lineup, but if there's a narrative around any of these it's that Willem Dafoe is long overdue. He's been nominated the past two years without a win, and voters could be looking to correct that. Dafoe plays a dying man here in a politically-tinged tale, which should give him plenty of opportunity to showcase his range, while director Dee Rees' Mudbound earned Mary J. Blige a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Dafoe is in line to go all the way, finally.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.