Hollywood’s Biggest Snubs
For every Daniel Day-Lewis with three Oscars, there’s a legendary performer who’s never even been nominated. No matter how many classic lines they’ve delivered or hearts they’ve broken, Hollywood’s biggest award has somehow overlooked them. Here are the greats still waiting for their golden moment. Trust us...some of these will completely shock you.
Marilyn Monroe
She wasn’t just a movie star—she was the movie star. From Some Like It Hot to The Misfits, Marilyn Monroe proved she could act as well as mesmerize. Critics came around too late, and the Academy never recognized her. Tragic timing for someone who gave everything to the screen.
Jim Carrey
He made us laugh (Ace Ventura), then stunned us with The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Despite Golden Globe wins, Jim Carrey’s blend of comedy and depth never earned Oscar attention. Maybe next time, Academy—if he ever feels like trying again.
Paramount Pictures, The Truman Show (1998)
Richard Gere
For decades, he’s been smooth, soulful, and more talented than people give him credit for. From American Gigolo to Chicago to Pretty Woman, Richard Gere’s been a box-office draw and a strong actor. But the Academy? They’ve ghosted him harder than Julia Roberts in the opening scene.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
Rita Hayworth
One of the brightest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Rita Hayworth lit up the screen in Gilda and The Lady from Shanghai. She had beauty, talent, and charisma to burn—but Oscar gold? Never. The face that launched a thousand pin-ups somehow never launched a nomination.
Columbia Pictures, The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
Donald Sutherland
It’s almost criminal that M*A*S*H, Klute, and Ordinary People star Donald Sutherland never got an Oscar nod. Over six decades, he’s gone from anti-hero to wise mentor, but the Academy’s never noticed. Fun fact: His son Kiefer has an Emmy—so at least the family trophy shelf isn’t empty. (Sutherland later received an Honorary Oscar in 2017, but was never nominated for a competitive one.)
Paramount Pictures, Ordinary People (1980)
Mia Farrow
Between Rosemary’s Baby, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and Hannah and Her Sisters, Mia Farrow defined complex, quietly powerful performances. Yet somehow—no nominations. Critics adored her, audiences believed her, but Academy voters apparently never looked past the gossip columns.
David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons
Ewan McGregor
From Trainspotting to Moulin Rouge! Ewan McGregor’s done it all—musicals, sci-fi, gritty drama. Still, the Oscars have ignored him like a Jedi mind trick gone wrong. Even his Obi-Wan Kenobi return couldn’t sway them to the light side.
Disney+, Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Alan Rickman
How do you play Hans Gruber, Severus Snape, and the romantic hero in Sense and Sensibility and never get an Oscar nod? Alan Rickman’s range was Shakespearean-level, yet the Academy never called his name. Fans still think that’s the real injustice of Hogwarts.
Warner Bros., Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Steve Buscemi
He’s a national treasure of weird intensity—Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, Ghost World. Steve Buscemi makes every line feel like a nervous breakdown wrapped in poetry. The Oscars? Crickets. Maybe he’s just too good at disappearing into his roles.
Universal Pictures, Fargo (1996)
John Goodman
He’s been in The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Argo—and made every film better. John Goodman is that rare actor who never phones it in, even when surrounded by chaos. It’s long past time he got a little golden dude.
Paramount Pictures, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Hugh Grant
Yes, he’s charming—but he’s also quietly brilliant. About a Boy and Paddington 2 showed how sharp his timing really is. Hugh Grant might be trapped in rom-com memories for some voters, but lately, he’s been proving he’s much more than floppy hair and charm.
StudioCanal, Paddington 2 (2017)
Jeff Daniels
He’s held his own opposite Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, and a newsroom full of monologues. From Terms of Endearment to The Newsroom, Jeff Daniels has shown depth, humor, and gravitas. But Oscar voters? Still waiting for the message to load.
Dennis Quaid
In The Right Stuff, Far from Heaven, and The Rookie, Dennis Quaid made every character feel authentic. Somehow, he’s still waiting for that nomination. Hollywood’s favorite everyman has aged into one of its most underrated dramatic forces.
PH2 Mark Cavanugh (US Navy), Wikimedia Commons
Donald Glover
It might shock people to realize he’s got Emmys and Grammys—but no Oscar nominations. Guava Island and Solo showed serious range, and if he ever fully dives into a prestige role, it’s only a matter of time before “EGOT” becomes real. Mark this prediction.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Gillian Anderson
She’s crushed it on TV (The X-Files, The Crown) and in films like House of Mirth, but the Academy has never come knocking. Her control and intensity on screen deserve major recognition. Maybe they’re just waiting for her to play an Oscar voter.
Showtime Networks, House of Mirth (2000)
Oscar Isaac
Yes, the irony’s real. Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, Scenes from a Marriage—Oscar Isaac’s range is staggering. He’s magnetic even when saying nothing. Yet somehow, Oscar’s never been nominated for an Oscar. You can’t make that up.
HBO, Scenes from a Marriage (2021)
Ray Liotta
Gone too soon, Ray Liotta was unforgettable in Goodfellas, but he never got a nomination for it—or anything else. The Academy might’ve missed its shot, but audiences never did. Some performances don’t need statues—they live forever.
Warner Bros., Goodfellas (1990)
Kevin Bacon
He’s been an A-lister, a character actor, and the center of an entire pop-culture game—but never an Oscar nominee. Mystic River, Apollo 13, The Woodsman—all brilliant work. Kevin Bacon’s consistency might actually work against him; he’s so good we’ve started taking him for granted.
Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons
John Turturro
He’s one of those actors who quietly steals every scene—Barton Fink, Do the Right Thing, The Big Lebowski. Directors love him, critics rave about him, but the Academy? Nothing. Turturro’s subtle intensity and total lack of vanity make him a legend in the “should’ve been nominated” hall of fame.
Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons
Jeff Goldblum
A true original. From The Fly to Jurassic Park to The Grand Budapest Hotel, Jeff Goldblum has built a career on charisma, intelligence, and glorious weirdness. Somehow, he’s never been nominated—maybe because there’s only one Goldblum, and you can’t really categorize him. (For the record, he did earn a 1996 Oscar nomination for directing the short film Little Surprises—but never for acting.)
Universal Pictures, Jurassic Park (1993)
John Cusack
From Say Anything to Being John Malkovich to High Fidelity, John Cusack has built a career on soulful, slightly offbeat characters who always feel real. Critics love him, audiences trust him—but the Academy’s never called. He’s the king of almost-prestige, forever one nomination away from validation.
Buena Vista Pictures, High Fidelity (2000)
Edward G. Robinson
He practically invented the movie gangster, starring in Little Caesar, Key Largo, and Double Indemnity. Edward G. Robinson had presence, depth, and grit—and yet, not a single Oscar nomination. He could steal a scene with one glare, but the Academy apparently didn’t like being intimidated. (He was finally given an Honorary Oscar in 1973, just two months after his death.)
Warner Bros., Little Caesar (1931)
Joseph Cotten
If you starred in Citizen Kane and The Third Man, you’d think a nomination was inevitable. Not for Joseph Cotten. He was the ultimate understated actor—quietly brilliant, never showy—and maybe that’s why he slipped past the Academy’s radar. History, of course, remembers him just fine.
RKO Radio Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Peter Lorre
He could make a single line sound like a threat, a confession, or both. From M to Casablanca to The Maltese Falcon, Peter Lorre defined the unforgettable supporting character. Chilling, clever, and oddly sympathetic, he never got a nomination—proof that the Academy doesn’t always reward originality.
Warner Bros., The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Jean Harlow
Before Marilyn, there was Jean Harlow—the original blonde bombshell. She was sharp, funny, and magnetic in Dinner at Eight and Red Dust, lighting up early talkies with pure electricity. Hollywood adored her, but she passed away at just 26, long before the Academy ever caught on.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
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