Hollywood is the biggest movie industry in the world and anything that is buzzing in Hollywood automatically becomes world news. It’s currently Oscars season again so we are looking at notable Hollywood actors who ordinarily should have the Academy Awards statuette decorating their walls or tables but do not. The Oscars are every Hollywood actor’s dream, thus it is not uncommon to find some actors dedicating their entire careers to winning the golden Oscar. There are some who are lucky to land a win on their first nomination, while others are constantly snubbed. Indeed, winning is a tricky game.
Below is a short list of some Hollywood actors who we consider the most surprising Oscar snubs of all time.
Sir Ian McKellen
This is quite shocking, but then you have to realize that the guy who plays Magneto and Gandalf doesn’t need an Oscar validation. He was nominated in 1999 for Gods and Monsters and in 2002 forThe Lord of the Rings.
Will Smith
The Fresh Prince got Best Actor nods for Ali (2002) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2007) but didn’t score any win for both.
Tom Cruise
He’s mostly pulling stunts in Mission: Impossible movies these days, but Cruise came very close to Oscar glory with nominated roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett has many memorable performances under her belt but none have caught the eye of the Academy to even garner a nomination. They most likely never saw Lost in Translation.
Jessica Chastain
She had back to back nominations in 2012 and 2013 for The Help and Zero Dark Thirty, but has been ignored since then. It’s as if A Most Violent Year, Miss Sloane, and Molly’s Game never existed.
Samuel L. Jackson
Jackson has over 180 acting credits to his name and yet he was only ever nominated for his role in Pulp Fiction. He lost to Martin Landau for Ed Wood.