Earliest years with all living nominees!
Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 10:45AM by Nathaniel R
1971 BEST ACTRESS (50 years ago) is the furthest back you can go to get a category (any category) where all the nomines are still alive: Julie Christie, Jane Fonda, Glenda Jackson, Vanessa Redgrave, and Janet Suzman
Loyal readers know we are always irritated that the Academy cares more about imaginary audiences than the one they have so we're thinking of the awesomeness of Hollywood and Oscar history today (since they won't). You've seen our lists of the "oldest living screen stars" and the "oldest living Oscar nominees" but we're aware Oscar is never going to do anything cool like a "family album" again, a great moment from the broadcast. BUT THEY SHOULD. If the Academy leaned back into tradition rather than pretend it didn't exist, they could harness more respect and enthusiasm again. Institutions become institutions for a reason. Institutions aren't "cool" by nature since they're like giant time-worn machines that you're parents and grandparents know even better than you but they do command respect if they believe in themselves. The Academy shouldn't be doing 'we're just like you!' Gen Z cosplay but merely flex their own hard-won nearly century old brand.
So here's something a little different: A list of the furthest back you can go in each Oscar category and still have a year where all the nominees still walk among us. Imagine if Oscar invited or celebrated even two or three of them (which is nothing really!) to honor their past. It would be so fun...
