Trivia Fun

• MASTER THESPIAN: Mark Rylance is the only stage star among them (though Ruffalo has dabbled) and he's won 3 Tonys and 2 Olivier Awards in New York and London

• SPIELBERG: Only Ruffalo & Stallone have not appeared in a Steven Spielberg production. Bale began in Empire of the Sun, Hardy got a break on Band of Brothers and Rylance is Spielberg's new go-to. He's also voicing the giant in The BFG (2016)

• DANGLY BITS: All five of these men have gone full frontal onscreen! You have to wonder if that's ever happened for a male acting lineup before: Bale in American Psycho - though that didnt make the final cut;  Hardy in Bronson - and constantly; Ruffalo in Jane Campion's In the Cut; Rylance in Intimacy -with explicit sex scenes no less; and Stallone in the softcore porno Party at Kitty & Studs 

• SIGNATURE ROLE: Sylvester Stallone now holds the record of longest gap between Oscar nominations for playing the same character (1976/2015). Strangely this two nominations for the same character isn't as rare as you'd think. The previous record holder was Paul Newman for "Fast" Eddie Felson (1961/1986)

• EGOT? Nobody is further than 1 prize towards that goal though if Rylance or Ruffalo wins this Oscar they're halfway there (if you count Emmys for producing since Ruffalo won for The Normal Heart)  

Will / Should: It's Stallone's to lose, given the Rocky nostalgia for his 1976 Best Picture winner and his humble authentic take on this aging fighter

Should/Could: If there's an upset look for Rylance from Bridge of Spies who has the benefit of a spectacular reputation (a god on the stage) and a catch phrase "would it help?"

Jacob Tremblay (Room) and Paul Dano (Love and Mercy) possibly split their votes between lead and supporting though they campaigned here. Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Michael Shannon (99 Homes), and Benicio Del Toro (Sicario) were probably close calls given their ample precursor attention. Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) had critical love but an unfriendly-to-Oscar genre (sci-fi being their least favorite). Weirdly Michael Keaton's campaign for Spotlight never seemed to take though for our money his performance is richer than Ruffalo's in the film.

NATHANIEL'S PERSONAL BALLOT