Waiting for Oscar?: Pretty Boys Can Act, Can't They?

This is an interesting category, as I consider all of the following to be actors who are perhaps considered for their “movie star good looks”, while trying hard to be appreciated for their acting abilities.

1. Billy Crudup– how has he not been nominated already??! He always plays interesting roles – check out “Stage Beauty”, “Almost Famous”, “Jesus’ Son”, “Big Fish”, “The Good Shepherd”, “Trust the Man”, “Without Limits”, “Waking The Dead”, or “The Hi-Lo Country”. He’s soon to be seen playing J. Edgar Hoover in Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” chasing gangster Jonny Depp.

2. Jared Leto – Like Crudup who played the runner Steve Prefontaine in “Without Limits”, Leto portrayed him in “Prefontaine”. He also stood out for roles in “Chapter 27”, “American Psycho”, “Requiem for a Dream”, and “Alexander”.

3. Ryan Phillippe – the former “Mr. Reese Witherspoon” would like to emulate his ex’s Oscar victory. “Stop-Loss” didn’t capture audiences as intended, but he’s had weighty roles in “Breach”, “Crash”, “Igby Goes Down”, and “Gosford Park”.

4. Josh Hartnett – From “Pearl Harbor” to “O”, “Black Hawk Down”, and “The Black Dahlia” he hasn’t been short of screen time.

5. Orlando Bloom – being in the “Lord of the Rings” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogies can’t have hurt his career, but “Troy”, “Kingdom of Heaven”, “Elizabethtown”, haven’t propelled him towards Oscar glory just yet.

6. Hayden Christensen – there was plenty written about his role as Anakin Skywalker in the new “Star Wars” movies, but for signs of his ability, “Life as a House”, “Shattered Glass”, and “Factory Girl” are more revealing.

7. Michael Pitt – no relation to Brad! See him in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, “The Dreamers”, and “Silk”, with a role in Oliver Stone’s new Vietnam pic “Pinkville” coming next.

8. Alessandro Nivola – perhaps not a household name, but “Laurel Canyon” and “Junebug” show him in a good light.

9. Jim Caviezel – best known for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”, he also was noteworthy in Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line”. He’s also had leading roles in “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “Angel Eyes”.

10. Kevin Bacon – “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” theory aside, he may well have worked with everyone in Hollywood and be popular enough to one day pick up an Oscar nod, most likely in the Supporting Actor category. “Mystic River”, “Apollo 13”, “A Few Good Men” and “JFK” had him in Oscar movies, while “Murder in the First” and “The Woodsman” were his award-worthy roles.

Honourable Mention:

Benjamin Bratt

Keanu Reeves

Pierce Brosnan