2017 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Supporting Actor
February 20, 2018
With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and who should just feel honored to be nominated. This week we look at the four acting categories, continuing with Best Supporting Actor. In this category, as with every acting category, there is an overwhelming favorite.
(Note: All previous awards listed are only for acting and not other categories. However, they are for supporting and lead acting. Previous awards and nominations for TV roles are not included, on the other hand.)
Best Supporting Actor
Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins for The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Conclusion: Sam Rockwell is about a ten to one favorite over Willem Dafoe. The rest of the nominees combined have about a 1% chance of winning.
Willem Dafoe for The Florida Project
Tomatometer Score: 96% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Actor's Previous Major Nominations: Two Oscars, One Golden Globe, Three Independent Spirit Awards and Three SAGs
Actor's Previous Major Wins: One Independent Spirit Award
Notes: I really want Willem Dafoe to win this Oscar, but I know he’s a long shot. That said, he’s not the biggest long shot on this list and the two previous Oscar nominations without a win do help his chances somewhat.
Tomatometer Score: 93% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: Two SAG
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Actor's Previous Major Nominations: Two Oscars, Two Golden Globes, Two Independent Spirit Awards, and Three SAGs
Actor's Previous Major Wins: One Independent Spirit Award and One SAG
Notes: Woody Harrelson is one of two supporting actors from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri that earned an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, the other actor has been winning all of the awards.
Tomatometer Score: 92% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: Golden Globes and SAG
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Actor's Previous Major Nominations: One Oscar, One Golden Globe, Three Independent Spirit Awards, and Three SAGs
Actor's Previous Major Wins: Three Independent Spirit Awards and One SAG
Notes: Richard Jenkins is a great actor and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won an Oscar during his career, but this is not his year.
Tomatometer Score: 77% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: BAFTA and Golden Globes
Movie's Previous Major Wins: None
Actor's Previous Major Nominations: Two Oscars, Two Golden Globes, One BAFTA, Two Independent Spirit Awards, and Four SAGs
Actor's Previous Major Wins: One Oscar, One Golden Globe, One BAFTA, One Independent Spirit Award, and One SAG
Notes: Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey, after it was revealed that the latter actor sexually assaulted an underage actor. Christopher Plummer had to reshoot all of Spacey's scenes with just weeks until the film’s release. The fact that he was able to do that is partially why he got the Oscar nomination. It won’t be enough to get him the win.
Tomatometer Score: 93% Positive
Movie's Previous Major Nominations: Golden Globes, BAFTA, Independent-Spirit-Awards, and Two SAG
Movie's Previous Major Wins: Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG
Actress's Previous Major Nominations: One Independent Spirit Award and Two SAGs
Actress's Previous Major Wins: None
Notes: Sam Rockwell has been an underrated actor for a long time and should have earned Oscar nominations for several of his past performances, especially Moon. Additionally, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is archetypal Oscar-bait, so it is not surprising it is earning so much buzz. Additionally, Sam Rockwell has won all three previous major awards he was nominated for and that’s another reason for him to be the overwhelming favorite to win the Oscar.
Filed under: Kevin Spacey, Willem Dafoe, Woody Harrelson, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer, Sam Rockwell