Top 20 Actors Who Deserve an Oscar But Haven’t Won Yet

About this gallery:

In this list, we’re shining a spotlight on some of the most talented actors and actresses who, despite delivering jaw-dropping performances (and in some cases, racking up nine nominations), have somehow still not taken home that golden statue. Seriously, what more do they have to do?!

Got another actor you think deserves an Oscar but hasn’t won yet? Drop their name in the comments – we’ll gladly add them to our list of Oscar snubs that keep us up at night! | © The Walt Disney Company

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld burst onto the scene at just 14 years old in True Grit (2010), delivering a performance so sharp it could cut through the Academy’s usual “wait-your-turn” attitude. With a commanding presence, whip-smart dialogue delivery, and the ability to go toe-to-toe with Jeff Bridges, Steinfeld proved she wasn’t just another child actor passing through. Since then, she’s balanced critically acclaimed performances (The Edge of Seventeen (2016), anyone?) with big-budget blockbusters and voice acting (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)). And yet… still no Oscar? Maybe the Academy’s just intimidated by someone this talented this young. | © Paramount Pictures

Steve Buscemi

Look, Steve Buscemi doesn’t need an Oscar to prove he’s an acting legend, but come on – give the man a trophy already! From his weaselly, scheming Carl Showalter in Fargo (1996) to his chaotic energy in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Buscemi has built a career out of playing the oddballs, the underdogs, and the guys who somehow steal every scene they’re in. His unique, slightly unsettling charm has made him one of the most recognizable actors of his generation, yet the Academy continues to pretend he doesn’t exist. Maybe he just needs to play a heartwarming grandpa in a tearjerker – though let’s be real, we’d much rather see him win for something completely unhinged. | © Universal Pictures

Benedict Cumberbatch

If Oscars were handed out based on the sheer elegance of one's name alone, Benedict Cumberbatch would have won years ago. Instead, despite powerhouse performances in The Imitation Game (2014) and Power of the Dog (2021), the Academy has kept him in the "so close, yet so far" category. Whether he’s playing a tortured genius, a Marvel sorcerer, or, yes, even a talking dragon (The Hobbit (2013-14)), Cumberbatch has consistently shown a level of versatility and depth that deserves more than just polite applause. Maybe the next time he plays a misunderstood genius, they’ll finally hand over the Oscar? (Just kidding, they’ll probably give it to someone else playing a musician instead.) | © The Weinstein Company

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder has been delivering Oscar-worthy performances since she was basically a teenager, yet somehow, she remains trophy-less. Whether it was her enchanting take on Jo March in Little Women (1994), her unforgettable gothic aesthetic in Beetlejuice (1988), or her haunting performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999), Ryder has consistently proven she’s one of Hollywood’s most compelling actresses. And while she’s had a well-deserved career resurgence thanks to Stranger Things, we’re still waiting for the Academy to correct their decades-long oversight. Maybe they’re still bitter about her shoplifting phase? Come on, guys, let’s focus on the talent! | © Warner Bros.

Samuel L. Jackson

If Oscars were handed out based on pure cool factor, Samuel L. Jackson would have a whole shelf of them by now. His monologue-spitting, gun-wielding, Bible-quoting Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994) remains one of the most iconic performances in film history – yet no Oscar win. (Yes, they finally gave him an honorary one in 2022, but that’s basically Hollywood saying, “Oops, our bad.”) With a career spanning Star Wars, the MCU, Django Unchained (2012), and basically every Quentin Tarantino movie, Jackson has shown an ability to command the screen like few others. Maybe the Academy just fears his legendary on-screen wrath? Because honestly, we wouldn’t blame them. | © Paramount Pictures

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes is the kind of actor who could terrify you in one scene and break your heart in the next. His performance as Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List (1993) was chilling, unforgettable, and – yep, you guessed it – snubbed. And let’s not forget The English Patient (1996), where he basically pioneered the “tortured romantic lead” aesthetic. Of course, an entire generation knows him best as Voldemort, but let’s face it: if the Academy won’t reward him for being one of the most terrifying villains in cinematic history, what will they reward him for? Maybe they’re just scared he’ll Avada Kedavra them if they let him on stage. | © The Walt Disney Company

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey didn’t just redefine comedy – he bent it into a surreal, rubber-faced, maniacally brilliant art form. From Ace Ventura (1994) to Dumb and Dumber (1994), he built a career on pure, unfiltered energy. But then he flipped the script with The Truman Show (1998) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), proving he had serious dramatic chops. Did the Academy reward him? Of course not! Instead, they patted him on the head and sent him home without a trophy. Maybe if he toned it down a little? But then again, who wants a subdued Jim Carrey? We want the guy who talks out of his butt and makes us cry in the same film. | © Universal Pictures

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper has done everything short of walking onto the Oscar stage and stealing the trophy. From his breakout in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) to the absolute gut-punch that was A Star Is Born (2018), the man has proven he can do it all. He’s been nominated nine times (yes, NINE) and has gone home empty-handed every single time. Seriously, at this point, the Academy is just trolling him. Maybe they’ll finally cave and give him one for Maestro (2023)? Or maybe they’re waiting until A Star Is Born 2: Even More Crying? Either way, it’s getting embarrassing. | © Relativity Media

Edward Norton

The first rule of Fight Club (1999) is that you don’t talk about Fight Club – unless you’re talking about how Edward Norton should have won an Oscar for it. Norton is one of those actors who completely disappears into every role, whether it’s Primal Fear (1996), American History X (1998), or Birdman (2014). He’s intense, transformative, and, apparently, way too good at acting for the Academy to recognize him. Maybe they’re just intimidated? Or maybe they’re still mad about all those stories of him taking over movie sets. Either way, give the guy a golden statue before he method-acts his way into actually stealing one. | © The Walt Disney Company

Glenn Close

Glenn Close has been nominated eight times and somehow lost eight times. At this point, it’s not an oversight – it’s a crime. Her performance in Fatal Attraction (1987) was so chilling it made an entire generation afraid of affairs. Then came Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Albert Nobbs (2011), and The Wife (2017), each proving that she’s an absolute force on screen. The Academy finally gave her an Honorary Oscar in 2023, but let’s be real: that’s just Hollywood’s way of saying, “Oops, we messed up – please don’t hold a grudge.” But if she decides to boil an Academy member’s pet rabbit? Honestly, at this point, we’d understand. | © Paramount Pictures

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield has mastered the art of being both incredibly charming and devastatingly emotional – sometimes in the same scene. His performance in Hacksaw Ridge (2016) was a knockout, proving he could lead a war film with raw intensity. And let’s not forget Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021), where he sang, cried, and somehow didn’t win an Oscar despite carrying an entire movie on his (very flexible) shoulders. But perhaps the real snub was The Social Network (2010), where he played the most sympathetic tech nerd of all time. Maybe the Academy is still mad that Spider-Man didn’t save them from bad decisions? | © The Walt Disney Company

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson can do everything. She’s saved the world as Black Widow, played heartbreaking indie roles, and even voiced an AI (Her (2013), anyone?). But when she went full-force in Marriage Story (2019), giving a raw, gut-wrenching performance that made us all want to go to therapy, the Academy still refused to hand her a trophy. Jojo Rabbit (2019) in the same year? Also a snub. Two nominations in one year and not a single win? That’s just cruel. Maybe next time she should play a struggling actress who finally wins an Oscar. That might do the trick. | © Marvel Studios

Willem Dafoe

If there’s one actor who can deliver Shakespearean-level monologues while looking like he might actually murder you, it’s Willem Dafoe. His unhinged, mesmerizing performance in The Lighthouse (2019) should have been the moment the Academy caved. But nope. Not even his poetic, fart-filled madness could get him the gold. And let’s not forget Shadow of the Vampire (2000), Platoon (1986), and The Florida Project (2017) – all brilliant, all Oscar-less. Honestly, it’s starting to look like the Academy is scared of him, which is fair. If I forgot to give Willem Dafoe an Oscar, I’d be sleeping with the lights on too. | © Sony Pictures

Toni Collette

Toni Collette is the queen of making you feel deeply uncomfortable – and that’s a skill the Academy should have rewarded years ago. Her mind-blowing, terrifying performance in Hereditary (2018) was so good that it single-handedly traumatized audiences. (Seriously, who didn’t sleep with the lights on after watching that?) And yet, horror movies rarely get Oscar love, so she was completely ignored. But even outside of horror, she’s been delivering brilliance for decades, from The Sixth Sense (1999) to Little Miss Sunshine (2006). If screaming “I am your mother!” at the top of your lungs in absolute agony doesn’t win you an Oscar, what does? | © Lionsgate Films

Amy Adams

Amy Adams has been nominated six times and somehow lost six times – which is basically the Academy’s way of testing our patience. From her deeply emotional performance in Arrival (2016) to her heartbreakingly raw role in American Hustle (2013), she’s been doing Oscar-worthy work for years. And don’t even get me started on The Master (2012) or Nocturnal Animals (2016). She’s like that student who gets straight A’s but the teacher still won’t give her the gold star. At this point, they should just preemptively engrave her name on a trophy so we can finally stop yelling at our TVs. | © Universal Pictures

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise may be known for running in every movie, but somehow, he still hasn’t run away with an Oscar. Sure, he’s an action legend, but let’s not forget his actual acting chops in Magnolia (1999), where he went full-on emotionally wrecked motivational speaker. He also turned in powerhouse performances in Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Jerry Maguire (1996), proving he’s more than just an adrenaline junkie with a megawatt smile. But let’s be real – the Academy probably won’t give him an Oscar until he literally launches himself into space for a role. And at this rate, he just might. | © Warner Bros.

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver defined sci-fi badassery as Ellen Ripley in Aliens (1986), and yet, no Oscar. Zero. Nada. She even got nominated for Gorillas in the Mist (1988) and Working Girl (1988) in the same year, but still nothing. Maybe the Academy just can’t handle a woman who can outsmart xenomorphs and corporate sleazebags at the same time? Either way, she’s been delivering top-tier performances for decades, whether it’s prestige drama or sci-fi epics. The real horror isn’t in Alien – it’s the fact that she doesn’t have an Oscar yet. | © Warner Bros.

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson should have won for Schindler’s List (1993), end of discussion. His performance was raw, heartbreaking, and career-defining. But instead of rewarding him, the Academy was like, “Nah, let’s give it to someone else.” Since then, Neeson has built a second career out of playing men with very specific sets of skills – which, sure, may not be Oscar bait, but still proves he’s one of the most compelling actors working today. Maybe if he threatens to “find” and “eliminate” the Academy voters, they’ll finally give him the award? Just a thought. | © Kismet Media

Jessie Buckley

Jessie Buckley is one of those rare actors who can do anything – drama, horror, psychological thrillers, musicals, you name it. Her performance in The Lost Daughter (2021) was haunting and brilliant, earning her an Oscar nomination but no win (sigh). And don’t even get me started on Wild Rose (2018), where she sang her heart out and deserved way more recognition. The Academy might not have caught up to her talent yet, but it’s only a matter of time before she’s giving an acceptance speech that makes everyone cry. Until then, we’ll just be sitting here, shaking our heads at the injustice. | © A24

Matt Damon

Matt Damon is so good at getting rescued in movies that it’s a miracle the Academy hasn’t just rescued him from perpetual Oscar snubs. Sure, he won for screenwriting (Good Will Hunting (1997)), but acting-wise? Still nothing. His hilarious, emotionally gripping performance in The Martian (2015) should have sealed the deal, but nope, they let him float away again. And let’s not forget Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Departed (2006), and Ford v Ferrari (2019) – all masterclasses in “Why Matt Damon Deserves an Oscar.” Maybe next time he should just write himself an Oscar-winning role. Oh wait, he already did, and they still didn’t give him one. | © Paramount Pictures