The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards have finally been announced, and here are the 10 best performances from 2024 that didn’t get nominated for anOscar. The categories for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress are full of talented individuals who gave fantastic performances,and any one of the nominees is deserving of the award if they get it. However, the Oscars can’t fit every talented performance into their list of nominees, meaning that some had to be left aside. If the categories allowed for more nominees, though, these 10 would make it in.
The actors and actresses present in the Oscars nominations this year are fantastic. ForBest Actor, Ralph Fiennes, Sebastian Stan, Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, and Adrien Brodyhave been nominated. ForBest Actress, Fernanda Torres, Demi Moore, Karla Sofía Gascón, Cynthia Erivo, and Mikey Madisonhave been nominated. For Best Supporting Actor, Guy Pearce, Yuriy Borisov, Edward Norton, Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong have been nominated. Finally, for Best Supporting Actress, Zoe Saldana, Felicity Jones, Monica Barbaro, Ariana Grande, and Isabella Rossellini have been nomianted. However, these 10 performers did fantastic work as well.
10Pamela Anderson As Shelly Gardner
The Last Showgirl
Pamela Anderson’s lead performance inThe Last Showgirlseemed like an obvious pick for the Academy Award for Best Actress, so it is really surprising that she didn’t get in. InThe Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson plays Shelly Gardner, a veteran Las Vegas showgirl who discovers that her show is suddenly closing down after 30 years.
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The 2024 Gia Coppola film was meant to be Pamela Anderson’s big comeback movie, with her performance in the film garnering critical acclaim across the board. Pamela Anderson’s personal connection to the role and the fact that she stands out among actors like Dave Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis highlight how perfect she was for the film. Anderson was nominated for a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and more for her performance, which is why it is incredibly surprising that she didn’t receive a Best Actress nomination.
9Daniel Craig As William Lee
Queer
In 2024, director Luca Guadagnino releases his adaptation of William S. Burrough’s 1985 novellaQueer, starring Daniel Craig asa fictionalized version of Burrough named William Lee.Queerwas Guadagnino’s second film of 2024 afterChallengers, with it shocking many that neither film got a nomination at the Oscars. Daniel Craig not getting a nomination forQueerwas especially surprising, as the actor’s performance has been held up as one of the best parts of the film.
Daniel Craig’s performance as William Leewas nominated in all kinds of other awards shows, including at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. While it seemed like he had a good shot at getting an Oscar nomination, it didn’t end up happening, with him being left out of the category that is already packed full of acting talent.
8Angelina Jolie As Maria Callas
Maria
Another 2024 performance that felt like a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination was Angelina Jolie’s leading role as Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’sMaria. In the film,Jolie plays the real-life opera singer from the 1970s, with the film following Callas' life in the days leading up to her tragic death. The film is the third entry in Pablo Larraín’s trilogy that explored the lives of influential 20th century women, and much likeJackieandSpencer,Mariais led by an incredible performance from its lead actress.
Angelina Jolie’s performance paints an incredibly complex picture of the complex singer, with her managing to show her controversies as well as the tragic moments of her life. The acting work is also complimented by the musical talents that the role required. On top of that, the Academy Awards frequently nominate actors who have portrayed real-life musicians, making the lack of a nomination for Angelina Jolie even more surprising.
7Chris Hemsworth As Dementus
Although it was a long shot, many fans hoped that Chris Hemsworth would get a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work inFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga. In George Miller’s 2024Mad Maxprequel,Hemsworth plays the film’s antagonist, Dementus. Dementus is a violent warlord who takes in Furiosa, with her eventually leading Dementus and fighting against him as part of Immortan Joe’s army.
Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus is one of the most fun and energetic performances of the year, with him stealing the spotlight every time he is on screen. Although Hemsworth’s Dementus performance may not be as dramatic or quiet as some of the performances that ended up getting nominated, the Oscars aren’t scared to nominate louder and less subtle performances. Thus, Hemsworth’s work inFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagawas deserving of a Best Supporting Actornomination, and it is sad that this didn’t happen afterMad Max: Fury Road’s Oscars successes.
6Maria Bakalova As Ivana Trump
The Apprentice
Two performances from Ali Abbasi’sThe Apprenticewere nominated for Oscars,with Sebastian Stan getting nominated for Best Actor for his performance as Donald Trump, and Jeremy Strong getting nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Roy Cohn. However, one member ofThe Apprentice’s incredible acting trio was left out of the Oscars glory, with this being Maria Bakalova.
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InThe Apprentice, Maria Bakalova plays Ivana Trump, the first wife of Donald Trump. She gives an incredible performance as the more sympathetic member ofThe Apprentice’s main cast, with her showing an incredible emotional range throughout the film. Bakalova was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work inBorat Subsequent Moviefilm, and she easily could have been nominated again for her incredible performance inThe Apprentice.
5Lily-Rose Depp As Ellen Hutter
Nosferatu
Lily-Rose Depp’s leading role as Ellen Hutter inNosferatuwas another one of the most acclaimed performances of 2024, so it is shocking that she didn’t get a nomination at the 97th Academy Awards. InNosferatu, Lily-Rose Depp plays the Wisborgian woman who is haunted by Count Orlok, with her carrying much of the second half of the film. In a film full of talented actors, Lily-Rose Depp constantly manages to stand out, with her captivating audiences every frame that she is on screen.
The human aspect of Lily-Rose Depp’s Ellen Hutter is performed fantastically,with much of the horror from the movie coming from the audience’s sympathies for her sadness and condition. Depp really kicks things up a notch when she takes on her more possessed form, with her writhing about and contorting herself in all kinds of horrific ways.
4Zendaya As Tashi Duncan
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino directed two of the best performances of 2024, and while it was shocking that Daniel Craig wasn’t nominated for Best Actor forQueer, it is just as surprising that Zendaya wasn’t nominated for Best Actress forChallengers. InChallengers, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy who retired after becoming injured and married Art Donaldson.
Zendaya’s performance as Tashi Duncan is the linchpin ofChallengers, with her pitting Art and Patrick against each other throughout the film. Tashi constantly oscillates between unlikable, desirable, and tragic, with Zendaya giving an incredibly complex performance that turns Tashi into an excellent morally gray character. The audience never knows if Tashi is planning something or if she is just talking about tennis, with the intrigue and mystery surrounding her being thanks to Zendaya.
3Margaret Qualley As Sue
The Substance
Demi Moore is one of the front-runners for the Best Actress category at the Oscars, with her having already won an award at the Golden Globes for her performance as Elisabeth Sparkle inThe Substance. However, Elisabeth Sparkle is only one side of the coin inThe Substance, with her being inextricably connected to Margaret Qualley’s Sue. InThe Substance,Sue is the idealized version of Elisabeth Sparkle, with her being the seemingly perfect version of Elisabeth that appears after she takes the titular concoction.
Margaret Qualley highlights how Sue is able to switch on a dime inThe Substance, with her going from an incredibly popular celebrity to a horrifying villain in Elisabeth’s eyes.Qualley perfectly manages to tow the line between being the same person as Elisabeth as well as an outside force, with her definitely being worthy of a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
2Adam Pearson As Oswald
A Different Man
Aaron Schimberg’sA Different Manhas catapulted Adam Pearson into stardom, and his fantastic performance in the film was one of the best of 2024. In the film Sebastian Stan plays Edward, a deeply unhappy man with neurofibromatosis who has his facial disfigurements transformed after undergoing an experimental treatment. However, he soon meets Adam Pearson’s Oswald, another man with neurofibromatosis. However, he has a key difference: he is happy.
A Different Man’s entire story hinges onOswald being one of the most likable, cool, and charming people that Edward has ever met. Luckily, he pulls this off perfectly. Pearson’s performance in the film is absolutely electric, with him and Sebastian Stan’s shared screen time featuring some of the best acting of the year. It is a tragedy that Adam Pearson’sA Different Manperformance hasn’t gotten more accolades, as he could have easily won an Oscar for his work.
1Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin As Himself
Sing Sing
One of the biggest snubs of the 97th Academy Awards is that Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin didn’t get nominated for his performance as himself inSing Sing. Although he had to act across from legendary actor Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin absolutely killed his performance, with it being one of the most beautiful and emotional acting roles of the year.
The truly incredible thing about Maclin’s performance is that he is playing himself.Sing Singis about a real-life acting group that was started in the titular prison, with Maclin joining the group while serving time in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The fact that the program eventually led to Maclin playing himself in an Oscar-nominated film is incredible by itself, with it being a heartwarming story. However, the fact that Maclin gave one of the best performances of 2024 while doing so makes things even better, and he truly deserved a nomination at theOscarsfor it.
The Oscars
Cast
The Oscars, first held in 1929, is an annual American awards ceremony honoring achievements in the film industry. Winners across multiple categories receive a statuette officially named the Academy Award of Merit, commonly known as the Oscar.
