Where were Carol, Quentin Tarantino and Jane Fonda?
When the Oscar nominations were announced Thursday morning, more than a few names we expected to hear—based on Golden Globe wins, awards-season hype or simply just solid performances—were absent from the roster.
Read next: The 10 Biggest Oscar Nomination Surprises
Carol
Carol nabbed six nominations, but the movie was shut out of both Best Picture and Best Director despite love from critics, a BAFTA nod and its quietly beautiful contribution to the canon of love stories. Though the film has a chance to score some statues on Oscar Sunday, its exclusion from the Best Picture field still feels like a disappointment.
Read more: How Carol Went From Long-Shot Love Story to Awards-Season Favorite
Joy
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David O. Russell’s last three movies—The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle—were all nominated for Best Picture. But instead of Joy being the one to clinch the Oscar, it missed the boat entirely.
Read more: Jennifer Lawrence Talks Joy Inspiration and How Katniss Would Spearhead Her Squad
Ridley Scott
The Martian won Best Picture in the Comedy or Musical category at the Golden Globes, and Ridley Scott took home the Globe for Best Director, so it’s surprising to see his name absent from the Best Director field this year—especially given the Academy’s propensity to recognize well-respected actors and directors who are late in their careers without ever having won.
Read more: The Martian Director Ridley Scott Says He Knew About Mars Water for Months
Quentin Tarantino
The Hateful Eight received three nominations, but missed the Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director races. Tarantino has won two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and, despite two nominations, has yet to win Best Director.
Read more: Review: Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight Revels in Snow, Not So Much in People
Ryan Coogler
The love audiences and critics had for Creed, director Ryan Coogler’s much lauded addition to the Rocky canon, didn’t translate into any Oscar nods beyond Sylvester Stallone’s Supporting Actor nomination, despite widespread recognition of Coogler as a bright new talent—perhaps too new to win the Academy’s votes.
Read more: Creed Director Ryan Coogler on His Chemistry With Michael B. Jordan
Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander
Mara and Vikander were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress—Mara for Carol and Vikander for The Danish Girl—but many believed they should have been up for Best Actress, as they were at the Golden Globes.
Read more: What The Danish Girl Reminds Us About Transgender People Throughout History
Helen Mirren
Mirren’s name has frequently come up as an Oscar contender in not one but two films that came out in 2015: Trumbo and Woman in Gold. The Academy recognized her for neither one.
Read more: Here’s What Helen Mirren Has to Say About Ageism in Hollywood
Jane Fonda
Though Fonda’s screen time in Youth is limited, the actress makes the most of it as a narcissistic, aging movie star who has lost sight of the passion for acting that ignited her in her younger years. A Supporting Actress nomination wasn’t a shoo-in, but she was certainly well within range to land one.
Read more: Watch Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Admit That Men Can Be Funny
Idris Elba
Elba’s performance in Beasts of No Nation earned him nominations for a Globe and a SAG Award, but he won’t be in the running come Oscar Sunday. One could argue that the film’s intense subject matter might have hurt his chances—though it was far from the only top movie in 2015 that was difficult to watch.
Read more: Watch Cary Fukanaga Talk About the Violence in Beasts of No Nation
Johnny Depp
Many critics and viewers thought Depp’s performance as Whitey Bulger in Black Mass was enough to land him a nod for Best Actor. But Depp, who has publicly questioned the point of actors competing with one another for awards, likely isn’t losing sleep over not getting nominated.
Read more: Johnny Depp Doesn’t Want to Win an Oscar, Ever
Will Smith
Though Smith’s performance in Concussion arguably placed him in the outer ring of contenders for Best Actor, his Globe nomination suggested that he might have a shot at the nomination. As it turned out, his name was not mentioned Thursday morning.
Read more: Review: Concussion Has the Truth on Its Side
Jacob Tremblay
The problem with remarkable performances by child actors is that they often get categorized as remarkable performances for a child instead of remarkable performances for an actor. Tremblay’s work in Room falls into the latter category, though stiff competition in both the lead and supporting actor categories made a nomination a long shot for the 9-year-old.
Read more: Oscar Isaac Played Jedi With Room’s Jacob Tremblay After the Golden Globes
Paul Dano
Dano is one of those actors who keeps churning out remarkable performances without snagging too much of the spotlight. His turn as a young Brian Wilson in Love and Mercy looked like it might land him his first Oscar nom, but he was shut out of a competitive field.
Read more: Heroes and Villains: Love and Mercy’s Paul Dano on Playing Brian Wilson
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Carol
The Weinstein Company Carol. Carol nabbed six nominations, but the movie was shut out of both Best Picture and Best Director despite love from critics, a BAFTA nod and its quietly beautiful contribution to the canon of love stories. Though the film has a chance to score some statues on Oscar Sunday, its exclusion from the Best Picture field still feels like a disappointment.
Read more: How Carol Went From Long-Shot Love Story to Awards-Season Favorite
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Joy
20th Century Fox Joy. David O. Russell’s last three movies—The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle—were all nominated for Best Picture. But instead of Joy being the one to clinch the Oscar, it missed the boat entirely.
Read more: Jennifer Lawrence Talks Joy Inspiration and How Katniss Would Spearhead Her Squad
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Ridley Scott
Kevork Djansezian—Getty Images Ridley Scott is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Martian won Best Picture in the Comedy or Musical category at the Golden Globes, and Ridley Scott took home the Globe for Best Director, so it’s surprising to see his name absent from the Best Director field this year—especially given the Academy’s propensity to recognize well-respected actors and directors who are late in their careers without ever having won.
Read more: The Martian Director Ridley Scott Says He Knew About Mars Water for Months
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Quentin Tarantino
Jeffrey Mayer—Getty Images Quentin Tarantino is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Hateful Eight received three nominations, but missed the Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director races. Tarantino has won two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and, despite two nominations, has yet to win Best Director.
Read more: Review: Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight Revels in Snow, Not So Much in People
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Ryan Coogler
Karwai Tang—Getty Images Ryan Coogler is seen on Jan. 12, 2016 in London. The love audiences and critics had for Creed, director Ryan Coogler’s much lauded addition to the Rocky canon, didn’t translate into any Oscar nods beyond Sylvester Stallone’s Supporting Actor nomination, despite widespread recognition of Coogler as a bright new talent—perhaps too new to win the Academy’s votes.
Read more: Creed Director Ryan Coogler on His Chemistry With Michael B. Jordan
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Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander
Jeffrey Mayer, Steve Granitz—Getty Images Rooney Mara, left, is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Alicia Vikander, right, is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mara and Vikander were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress—Mara for Carol and Vikander for The Danish Girl—but many believed they should have been up for Best Actress, as they were at the Golden Globes.
Read more: What The Danish Girl Reminds Us About Transgender People Throughout History
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Helen Mirren
Jeffrey Mayer—Getty Images Helen Mirren is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mirren’s name has frequently come up as an Oscar contender in not one but two films that came out in 2015: Trumbo and Woman in Gold. The Academy recognized her for neither one.
Read more: Here’s What Helen Mirren Has to Say About Ageism in Hollywood
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Jane Fonda
John Shearer—Getty Images Jane Fonda is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Though Fonda’s screen time in Youth is limited, the actress makes the most of it as a narcissistic, aging movie star who has lost sight of the passion for acting that ignited her in her younger years. A Supporting Actress nomination wasn’t a shoo-in, but she was certainly well within range to land one.
Read more: Watch Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Admit That Men Can Be Funny
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Idris Elba
Donna Ward—Getty Images Idris Elba is seen on Dec. 2, 2015 in New York City. Elba’s performance in Beasts of No Nation earned him nominations for a Globe and a SAG Award, but he won’t be in the running come Oscar Sunday. One could argue that the film’s intense subject matter might have hurt his chances—though it was far from the only top movie in 2015 that was difficult to watch.
Read more: Watch Cary Fukanaga Talk About the Violence in Beasts of No Nation
-
Johnny Depp
Jason LaVeris—Getty Images Johnny Depp is seen on Jan. 9, 2016 in Culver City, Calif. Many critics and viewers thought Depp’s performance as Whitey Bulger in Black Mass was enough to land him a nod for Best Actor. But Depp, who has publicly questioned the point of actors competing with one another for awards, likely isn’t losing sleep over not getting nominated.
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Will Smith
John Shearer—Getty Images Will Smith is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Though Smith’s performance in Concussion arguably placed him in the outer ring of contenders for Best Actor, his Globe nomination suggested that he might have a shot at the nomination. As it turned out, his name was not mentioned Thursday morning.
Read more: Review: Concussion Has the Truth on Its Side
-
Jacob Tremblay
George Pimentel—Getty Images Jacob Tremblay is seen on Jan. 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The problem with remarkable performances by child actors is that they often get categorized as remarkable performances for a child instead of remarkable performances for an actor. Tremblay’s work in Room falls into the latter category, though stiff competition in both the lead and supporting actor categories made a nomination a long shot for the 9-year-old.
Read more: Oscar Isaac Played Jedi With Room’s Jacob Tremblay After the Golden Globes
-
Paul Dano
Michael Kovac—Getty Images Paul Dano is seen on Jan. 11, 2016 in West Hollywood, Calif. Dano is one of those actors who keeps churning out remarkable performances without snagging too much of the spotlight. His turn as a young Brian Wilson in Love and Mercy looked like it might land him his first Oscar nom, but he was shut out of a competitive field.
Read more: Heroes and Villains: Love and Mercy’s Paul Dano on Playing Brian Wilson
