7. Judi Dench
The same logic applies to Judi Dench's performance in Skyfall, a less-showy but no-less impressive turn as Bond's boss, M, who at the start of the film finds herself on the back heel, preparing for retirement. It's been said by many that Dench is the film's real "Bond girl", given how the other femmes end up returning to the periphery pretty quickly; Dench's character development here marks some of the strongest in the entire 23-film saga, and as such it's no surprise that she's garnered her own fair share of Supporting Actress plaudits, from the Broadcast Film Critics, the Chicago Film Critics Association, the London Film Critics Circle and the Satellite Awards. Given the fate of her character at the film's climax, and how emotionally-infused yet unsentimental it is, it's very possible indeed that she might end up on the rather malnourished Supporting Actress slate this year. And of course, if Bardem and Dench somehow both gained acting nominations, it would be a
huge surprise if the film didn't make the Best Picture list.