The Film Experience

By: Christopher James

Here at the Film Experience, we think the longer the Oscar ceremony, the better - more glitz, more glamor, more movie stars! One of the best examples of this working out was the 2008 Oscars, where previous winners of each acting category gave a special presentation to each acting nominee (see this Supporting Actress example that Murtada wrote about). We did this exercise last year where we paired each nominee with the previous winner we would pair them with for this presentation. Now that we know this year’s acting nominees, we were eager to repeat for the 2022 crop of actors.

See who we would choose after the jump (and Oscar producers, please take these free ideas)...

Who would be cast?
I’ve tried to limit myself to a few rules to give the ceremony the maximum starpower for fanatics and casual viewers alike:

The presenter must have won that exact category (a Best Actor winner can only present Best Actor)
The presenter must not be nominated this year, however that does not apply to any performers this year. You gotta love a fresh crop of nominees!
Three of the four winners from last year will present - Jessica Chastain, Troy Kotsur and Ariana DeBose. Technically, Will Smith would not be able to attend after the slap incident.

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett (Tár) - introduced by Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice - 1982, The Iron Lady - 2011)

Cate Blanchett isn’t just the most nominated actor among this year’s nominees. With eight nominations, she’s tied for the 10th most acting nominations for any actor (tied with Marlon Brando, Jack Lemmon, Judi Dench, Geraldine Page, Jack Lemmon, Peter O’Toole and Glenn Close). It would be fitting if the all-time nomination leader, Meryl Streep, were to introduce Blanchett. At this point, Blanchett is the most likely actor to come near Meryl’s astounding 21 nomination haul. Streep had thirteen nominations at Blanchett’s age. Plus, if Cate were to win, she would follow Streep’s winning pattern (first win - supporting, next two wins - lead).

Ana de Armas (Blonde) - introduced by Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye - 2021)

Chastain won last year for her transformative work as televangelist Tammy Faye in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The biopic connection is pretty clear and Chastain is always an incredibly generous champion.

Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) - introduced by Kate Winslet (The Reader - 2008)

Kate Winslet was one of the first celebrities to jump on the Andrea Riseborough campaign, calling it “the greatest female performance on screen” during a Q&A Winslet hosted for the film. Being such a high profile advocate for the performance, it would be fitting to have her further champion Riseborough’s work on the Oscar stage.

Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) - introduced by Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side - 2009)

The “supportive Mother” archetype is a much more common supporting actress winner theme. Digging back into past Best Actress winners, the most recent example of this type of character winning is Sandra Bullock as the tough talking Leigh Anne Touhy in The Blind Side. Imagine if that character was inspiring Spielberg to make movies?

Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) - introduced by Halle Berry (Monsters Ball - 2001)

Imagine how incredible of a moment this could be. Halle Berry, the first (and only) black woman to win this award, could bestow a tribute to Yeoh who stands a chance at being the first Asian Best Actress winner. Berry has also had quite a career spanning between action and drama, which could relate well to Yeoh’s experience, breaking in after decades of incredible action work and going through a modern Renaissance with roles across many genres.

BEST ACTOR

Austin Butler (Elvis) - introduced by Jamie Foxx (Ray - 2004)

There’s no shortage of previous acting winners who won for portraying famous singers. No shade to Rami Malek (okay, maybe some), but Jamie Foxx would do a fantastic job talking through the art of inhabiting a larger than life musical icon.

Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) - introduced by Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart - 2009)

How many people remember that Colin Farrell co-starred with Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, the movie Bridges won for? I completely forgot. Granted, I’ve forgotten most of Crazy Heart. Still, Bridges is such an affable presence and I’m sure his tribute to Farrell would be a delight.

Brendan Fraser (The Whale) - introduced by Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club - 2013)

On paper, this feels like an odd pairing, but hear me out. McConaughey was a marquee star in the late 90s/early 00s not taken seriously by critics who went away for a few years before re-emerging as a dramatic heavyweight with the McConaissance. Brendan Fraser doesn’t quite have the robust slate of comeback roles that would label this a “Fraser-ssance,” but his comeback narrative is quite strong. McConaughey could speak about the joys of having a lauded second act in one’s career, setting us up for a new era of great Brendan Fraser performances. Also, in very different ways, both actors relied on the “physical transformation” angle in their campaigns.

Paul Mescal (Aftersun) - introduced by Adrien Brody (The Pianist - 2002)

As Nathaniel noted, at age 26 Paul Mescal is the 11th youngest nominee for Best Actor. If he were to win, he would be the youngest winner ever in this category. So why not have the current record holder, Adrien Brody for The Pianist, introduce Mescal?

Bill Nighy (Living) - introduced by Colin Firth (The King’s Speech - 2010)

Love Actually reunion! Though Firth and Nighy don’t share scenes together, it could be a fun way to remind audiences that Bill Nighy has been around forever doing incredible work in movies the general public has seen.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) - introduced by Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk - 2018)

Okay, yes, Regina King already introduced Angela Bassett when she was awarded the 2019 ICON award at the Black Girls Rock Awards. However, it would still be so amazing to see this pairing at the Oscars. After all, King’s first credited feature was Boyz n the Hood, which memorably starred Bassett. The two also worked together in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. This could easily be one of the standout moments of the night.

Hong Chau (The Whale) - introduced by Octavia Spencer (The Help - 2011)

Spencer was a longtime character actress and working actor before her breakout role in The Help earned her a supporting actress Oscar. Similarly, Chau has been working primarily in TV since 2006, with her first film breakthrough coming from Alexander Payne’s Downsizing in 2017. Spencer’s Oscar win has led her to a great career, including starring roles. Perhaps this nomination will also bring more great roles for Chau, who was similarly fantastic in The Menu this year.

Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) - introduction by Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener - 2005)

Out of all the nominees, Kerry Condon was one of the hardest to place, as she’s worked more in theater than in film and TV. However, like Condon, Weisz got her start in theater before making it to Hollywood. Both actresses have a steely gaze and command attention. It could be great to see Condon do more in film and potentially emulate a career like Weisz’s.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once) - introduced by Laura Dern (Marriage Story - 2019)

Legendary nepo babies unite! How wonderful would it be to see two accomplished actresses toast about growing up in Hollywood and navigating long careers in genre films before receiving acclaim?

Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once) - introduced by Ariana DeBose (West Side Story - 2021)

Hsu is the most recent example of an openly queer performer nominated for portraying a queer character. The last time that happened was shockingly 24 years ago, when Ian McKellen competed for Best Actor for playing James Whale in Gods and Monsters. The Oscars have been notoriously bad at rewarding out actors, though there’s a long history of actors remaining closeted throughout their careers. How special would it be to have last year’s winner, Ariana DeBose, the first queer woman of color acting Oscar winner, introduce Stephanie Hsu?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) - introduced by J.K. Simmons (Whiplash - 2014)

Gleeson is nominated for playing an irascible fiddle player who lops off his fingers. J.K. Simmons won his Supporting Actor Oscar for playing an irascible music school teacher who would likely cut off the fingers of his students if given the chance. Aside from some character similarities, Simmons was a longtime character actor who finally got a showcase role that broke him into the Oscar game. Gleeson has been Oscar-worthy for decades and this nomination is long overdue.

Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway) - introduced by Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah - 2020)

It’s a Widows reunion! Who doesn’t love to remember Widows? The two made such a memorable pair in the film. Plus, they are contemporaries in a new generation of exciting black actors and it's great to see them celebrated just a few years apart.

Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans) - introduced by Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People - 1980)

The last time Judd Hirsch was nominated was 42 years ago for Ordinary People. Who did he lose to? His co-star, Timothy Hutton. The two had memorable chemistry as a troubled, suicidal teen (Hutton) and his caring, yet stern, therapist (Hirsch). The film triumphed over Raging Bull to win Best Picture that year. This could be an emotional and moving way to pay tribute to that film and Hutton’s own Oscar moment, when he became the youngest winner in this category’s history.

Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) - introduced by Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri - 2017)

Sam Rockwell won his Oscar for starring in a Martin McDonagh film. Rockwell could give a nice tribute to how Keoghan handled himself with McDonagh’s dialogue.

Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) - introduced by Troy Kotsur (CODA - 2021)

The Oscars go through different phases in the Supporting Actor category. For a while, the prize went to villains, then to co-leads. Now, we seem to be on a “supportive Father” kick, following Troy Kotsur’s win for CODA last year. Ke Huy Quan portrays many different versions of Waymond Wong besides nerdy, loving husband and Father. Still, one could see Waymond and Kotsur’s Frank getting along well, sharing stories of their families. This could also be a terrific moment for Kotsur to share his own struggles finding work in the industry, as Quan has talked about his inability to find roles as he aged out of being a child star.

Who would you want to introduce each of the acting nominees for this year? Let us know in the comments below.