11 Famous Actors You Won’t Believe Have Never Won an Oscar
Will the 2024 Oscars be Ryan Gosling's year? Despite these actors' critically acclaimed achievements, they've never been awarded by the Academy.
It's safe to say the annual Academy Awards are the pinnacle event for American actors and filmmakers. The gold statuettes are not only acknowledgments of excellence in Hollywood, but symbols of status in and beyond the acting community. However, this doesn't mean that every excellent actor is guaranteed an Oscar—in fact, many of the most famed and critically acclaimed actors have never scored an Academy Award. As the 2021 Oscars approach, L'OFFICIEL looks back on some of the actors who have surprisingly never won an Oscar—from notable snubs that have garnered critique from fans and fellow actors, to lesser known losses spanning over decades-long careers.
The famed Glenn Close has been nominated a grand total of seven times, either for Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress.
Not far behind Glenn Close in nominations, the American actress has been nominated six times, five of which were for Best Supporting Actress.
Despite being in some of the most famous films over the past decades, the Pulp Fiction actor has only been nominated once by The Academy for Best Supporting Actor in 1995.
Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor on two different occasions, but hasn't scored the prestigious award yet.
Many would be surprised to hear that the critically acclaimed actor, known for his abundant number of roles, has only been nominated twice by the Academy, and has never won. His roles in Drive, Blue Valentine, and more were never nominated, to the complaint of many fans.
Gosling’s Blue Valentine co-star has also never snagged an Oscar, despite her four nominations.
The Fight Club and Birdman actor has been nominated three times.
Despite being one of the best-known actors of this generation, Gyllenhaal has only been nominated for one Oscar for his role in Brokeback Mountain. It’s surprising his credits in films like Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler, and Nocturnal Animals, performances acclaimed by critics and fans alike, have never been recognized by the prestigious film award association.
The Australian actress was nominated twice for her critically acclaimed performances. She was excluded from nominations in 2001, which some argued was a snub by the Academy and she should have been considered for her starring role in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive.
Even though Harrelson is a household name for his prolific range of performances across film genres, he has few nominations to his name and no wins to date.
Bening has been nominated four times during her long-acting career, including for her role in American Beauty and The Kids Are All Right.
