Waiting for Oscar?: Old Timers Ready for Reward!

There are plenty of actors and actresses who receive countless Oscar nominations and always go home with the words "it was an honour to be nominated" sounding in their minds. But then this is a group of performers who have been in movies with Oscar nominees but always been ignored when it comes to the acting categories. Which of them will make up for lost time?

1. Frank Langella – his year might have arrived already as he portrays Richard Nixon in Ron Howard’s “Frost / Nixon”. Worth watching as the bad guy in Kevin Kline comedy “Dave” or Adrian Lyne’s “Lolita”, not to mention a supporting turn in “Good Night and Good Luck”.

2. Richard Gere – one of the Hollywood pretty boys who may have become “too political” to some more conservative voters’ taste. Could have had a nom for “Chicago”, but he has been the leading man to a number of Oscar-nominated women in films such as “Unfaithful”, “Pretty Woman”, and “An Officer and a Gentleman”.

3. Donald Sutherland – in recent years he has taken on many minor film roles so even a shot at Supporting Actor might be a step too far. But I have a feeling that at some point he’ll get a nom as a tip of the hat for a brilliant career. I think he’s terrific in “Without Limits” and “Six Degrees of Separation”, gave a great cameo in “JFK”, and in his heyday the Oscar movies “M*A*S*H” and “Ordinary People”.

4. Martin Sheen – a legend of film and TV, and perhaps the Hollywood star most likely to be elected President in line with his role on “The West Wing”. From the first time I saw his “breakdown” in “Apocalypse Now”, I’ve thought he’s ripe for an Oscar nomination. “Badlands” and a very good supporting role in “Wall Street” might have been his best chance.

5. Steve Martin – I could have included him under comedians trying to be serious, but he’s a long time removed from his early film persona. Now he just qualifies as someone who’s been around a long time! “Roxanne”, “L.A. Story”, “Shopgirl”, “Grand Canyon”, and “Novocaine” all show an actor with plenty of range, but how did he not get nominated for his supporting role in David Mamet’s “The Spanish Prisoner”?

6. Mia Farrow – She’s been to the BAFTA’s and Golden Globes, mainly for her Woody Allen film roles, but not the Oscars. It’s a long time since “Rosemary’s Baby”, so how many award-worthy performances does she have left?

7. Jeff Daniels – has a habit of being in Oscar movies while only getting a couple of Golden Globe noms. “Terms of Endearment”, “The Purple Rose of Cairo”, “Pleasantville”, “The Hours”, and “The Squid and the Whale”. A few roles in large-scale films are already in the works!

8. Jeff Goldblum – he has to be one of the most popular “quirky” actors! Leaving “The Fly” and “Jurassic Park” aside, see him in “Igby Goes Down” and “The Big Chill” in particular.

9. Scott Glenn – look out for him as Donald Rumsfeld in Oliver Stone’s “W.” He’s got one of those appealing voices that stand out in roles such as “Training Day”, “The Shipping News”, “Carla’s Song”, “The Silence of the Lambs”, and “The Right Stuff”.

10. Mel Gibson – does he have any friends left? Sure he won the big Oscars for “Braveheart” but they’ve never recognised his acting. He was pretty good in “The Year of Living Dangerously” and “Gallipoli”, but people tend to showcase their acting skills in Peter Weir movies. Maybe “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon” made him a movie star, not an actor?