Won and Done? An Oscars Rewind

by Mark Brinkerhoff

All three of Will Smith's nominations have been for biopics. His first was Ali (2001). If he wins will that be the end of his Oscar journey?

We’re a mere two days from the 94th Academy Awards, and it’s looking likely that at least one of the probable acting winners will win the coveted Oscar after multiple nominations. Equally possible: For many “overdue” actors, winning an Oscar marks a turning point.   In 2020, TFE took a look back at the post-Oscar win trajectories of Golden Age and modern Hollywood stars alike: Gregory Peck, Shirley MacLaine, and the Susans—Hayward and Sarandon—all of whom finally won Oscars on their fifth (and to-date final) nominations. 

Among the current acting nominees, two three-time Oscar nominees have yet to win...

Jessica Chastain and Will Smith, both of whom are now the presumed frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Actress. (Although with the latter, it’s really anyone’s guess!) Regardless of who ultimately wins on Sunday, one thing is for sure: For every Academy favorite/perpetual nominee like Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep, far more eventual Oscar winners enjoy no “afterglow”—i.e. their winning nomination turns out to be the last, notably:

• Cher
• Faye Dunaway
• Gig Young
• Liza Minnelli
• Maureen Stapleton
• Rex Harrison
• Robin Williams
• Rod Steiger
• Ruth Gordon
• Sidney Poitier
• Whoopi Goldberg 

(God forbid this fate befalls TFE faves like Brad Pitt and Laura Dern, or Joaquin Phoenix, though one could easily see their fellow winner that year Renée Zellweger falling into the same rut—through no fault of their own—ask Emma Thompson and Jessica Lange!)

Sally Field escaped the "won and done" fate with her third nomination for Lincoln (2012)

A select few, it’s worth noting, do manage to go decades without a follow-up nom after their big wins only to eventually return to Academy favor (your Helen Hunts, Julia Roberts, and Sally Fields). An even fewer number of celebrated actors, meanwhile, win well-deserved Oscars on their breakthrough nomination—Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas and Tilda Swinton immediately come to mind—and, preposterously, never get nominated again!

Then, of course, there are those generational actors (the Michelle Pfeiffers, Sigourney Weavers, Winona Ryders) who rack up Oscar nominations in quick succession, are widely tipped to win one of them, lose in an upset but are nevertheless expected to win someday… except that day never comes to pass. The Academy moves on—though we have not! —and these still-working actors find themselves not only Oscarless today but without even so much as a nomination for decades (despite continuing to deliver ample, award-worthy performances in the years since).

So, with the latest Oscars soon to be (mercifully) in the rearview, look forward to a new series at TFE, revisiting some of the aforementioned actors’ winning performances and subsequent Oscar-worthy follow-ups, in the weeks and months ahead.

Comments

[Philip H.]

As much as I would love for Chastain to win for a better film, I’m afraid her fate could be similar to Pfeiffer, Ryder, Weaver if she doesn’t snag it this time.

But who knows! I mean, who would’ve imagined Sally Field would return for a third nomination in supporting actress decades after her two nods / wins? Anything could happen. I mean, even Renee Zellweger came out of the woodworks and WON a second Oscar!

I’d love to see Bette Midler return as a nominee. She was so good in The Rose but Norma Rae was the ~*moment*~ … kinda like Jessica Lange having the misfortune of being up against Meryl in Sophie’s Choice.

I’d also love to see Michelle Pfeiffer back!

[Ryan T.]

I hope NOT because I love seeing her in movies, but I feel like whenever (if ever?) Michelle Williams wins, it might be a "won and done" deal.

And I know we're talking about actors here, but do we think when Diane Warren finally wins one, would they even nominate her again?

[Philip H.]

^ I randomly rewatched Natalie Portman’s Black Swan win the other day and MAN was that easily one of the best Leading Actress lineups in recent memory! Any of those women could’ve taken it and it be a stellar, worthy choice. Not to mention Blue Valentine, Rabbit Hole, even Winter’s Bone are underrated gems in these actresses filmographies.

But yeah, it made me kinda sad that Michelle Williams hasn’t had her moment yet. I hope she gets it! She’s so talented. Isn’t she in a Peggy Lee biopic soon? Or is that someone else…

Re: Diane Warren - I think if she wins, they’d only nominate her again for an undeniable HIT, not like all these autopilot nominations they’ve given her.

[Frank Zappa]

Michelle Williams is playing Spielberg's mom in his autobiopic; the lead in Kelly Reichardt's new one; and yeah, Peggy Lee (directed by Todd Haynes).

[Mr Ripley79]

I think Julianne Moore showed in 2014 that you should never count out a well respected and adored actor getting their dues.