Oscars 2021: 10 Actors Likely To Get Their First Oscar Nomination This Year
6. Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Sacha Baron Cohen actually has an Oscar nomination for his writing on the first Borat film. He came especially close to a lead actor nomination as well but the Academy has a notorious bias against comedic roles. 14 years later, Cohen is back with another Borat film (which will undoubtedly boost his profile this season) and he's once again in the conversation for a nod from the Academy.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is helmed and written by Aaron Sorkin which means the characterisation and dialogue are of great importance to the story. Cohen thrives as the rebellious Abbie Hoffman standing trial for protesting the Vietnam War. It is the perfect role for Cohen as he is allowed to show off his comedic talents while also tapping into more serious moments that he excels at.
The one problem is the potential for vote splitting. Trial has a lot of brilliant supporting performances from the likes of Oscar vets Mark Rylance and Eddie Redmayne and first timers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jeremy Strong so don't be surprised to see multiple names from this film on the same ballot. What gives Cohen the edge over his co-stars is he manages to be the emotional core that ties the narrative together not to mention the fact that the Academy will feel that Cohen is overdue.