Oscars 2021: 10 Actors Likely To Get Their First Oscar Nomination This Year
1. Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
It is difficult to fully ascertain what the legacy of Chadwick Boseman will be, Black Panther will inspire so many for generations but if the question is asked what was Boseman's best example of raw acting, the answer would be Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Boseman plays ambitious musician Levee, a member of Ma Rainey's blues band in the 1920s, who struggles with his place in the world and the glass ceiling he can't seem to break through.
Boseman gives a masterful performance and delivers two key monologues that are powerful and timely and will easily secure him the nomination for Best Actor. He is the favourite to win which would make him the third actor to win an Oscar posthumously after Peter Finch and Heath Ledger.
The only people that could upset Boseman would be the early favourite Anthony Hopkins or the dark horse Riz Ahmed but that would certainly be a shock at this point. Boseman is deserving of this nomination and potential win but, there is also a slim chance he could end up being a dual nominee. If the Academy choose to shower Boseman with the love we're expecting, he may also end up with a Best Supporting Actor nod for Da 5 Bloods but that is no where near as a surety as his nomination for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
It is heart-breaking to say goodbye to such a talented performer and it is bittersweet that his final performance was also his masterpiece.