Profiling Oscar - or - How to Win an Oscar in a Leading Role
August 15th 2007 06:38
Kathy Bates - Best Actress - 1990
For instance, in 1991, Anthony Hopkins was fifty-four! He becomes a septuagenarian in December of this year! In 1999 an unbelievably young Hilary Swank took home an Oscar - and seemingly overnight became a woman who could be anything from 25 to 35! - No offence Hil!
The Silence of the Lambs - 1991 - Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won Oscars for this intelligent horror movie
By contrast, in the present decade the gap has narrowed to the age-group 35 to 45. Only two actors exist outside this narrow spectrum: Adrien Brody (2002, The Pianist, age: 29) and Denzel Washington (2001, Training Day, age: 47). The rest have fit neatly into the late-thirties, early 40's bracket, most probably because, this male demographic appeals more to women.
Tom Hanks won the second of his two Best Actor Oscars in this film
A decade on... 35 years and six months!!!
The age spectrum was also somewhat less dazzling. The youngest Oscar winning Best Actress was Charlize Theron for 2003's Monster at age 28. The eldest actress was last year's winner Helen Mirren who, at 61, was more than twice the age of the rest of the decade's winners.
The basic answer seems to be, Oscar likes buff 40-ish men (no pun intended) and women at their sexual prime (mid 30's). But then again, if you look at the range of talent on display in Hollywood these days, the most talented actors are aged from around 35 to 45. But could the same be said of the actresses?
It would seem that the big hitting Oscar nominated more mature actresses such as Meryl Streeps, Dianne Keaton's, Judi Dench's and Annette Bening's are being overlooked in favour of one hit wonders such as Helen Hunt, Julia Roberts and Halle Berry.
It was not common for biopics to win Oscars in the mid 90's but Susan Sarandon did just that with this movie in 1995
What about genre?
Dead easy! You want an Oscar? You want a Drama. Be it criminal, romantic, costume heavy, political, war, action or even a psycho thriller, it has a better chance of winning an Oscar than any comedy. Only one comedy (and the term is used loosely!) has hit it big for its performers at the Oscars: 1997's As Good as it Gets - which snared Oscars for the legendary Jack Nicholson and the seriously over-rated Helen Hunt.
Otherwise, there is a better chance of winning an Oscar in a horror movie! All be it an intelligent, well written horror movie. No slasher flicks for Oscar!
Monster, Silence of the Lambs and Misery have all collected Oscars. However, ther Academy clearly prefers gals being scary to guys - only Anthony Hopkins has collected an Oscar from a horror movie.
The only comedy to hit it big at the Oscars for it's two leads in the last twenty years
However, it should be noted that the trend started with the actresses with Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich in 2000, whereas the Best Actor category only became over-run by Biopics in 2004 with Jamie Foxx in Ray.
Over the last seven years, five Leading ladies have won Oscars for pretending to be someone else. Prior to 2000, however, there were only three biopics that made it for their leads at the Oscars: Shine, Dead Man Walking and Reversal of Fortune.
Also good to note: actresses are far more likely to hit home with a political or a romantic drama; actors in an war/action or a crime drama.
What about nudity? Simple answer: guys - absolutely not. Gals: only if they go all the way. Monster's Ball, Shakespeare in Love and The Piano all feature some pretty explicit nudity. Is it a surprise that the actresses who scored with those pictures were all somewhat contraversial decisions - certainly one off's! Where is Holly Hunter these days?
Hilary Swank came out of nowhere to win the first of two Oscars in 1999 with Boy's Don't Cry
What sort of character?
Here the spectrum is pretty broad. Everything from socialites to actresses, to police, to singers to nuns. But the general rule of thumb for leads seems to be as follows: it's better if your character is NOT a traditional hero type. Something more off-beat and colourful is far more likely to grab the gold. Villains are not likely winners.
Over the last seventeen years between all the Best Actor and Actress nominations only four winners have been villains: Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991), Idi Amin (The Last King of Scotland, 2006), Annie Wilkes (Misery, 1990) and Aileen Wuornos (Monster, 2003). The pattern seems to be that Oscar likes to start each new decade with a fresh villain. So for the rest of the 2000's - it's not likely that any villainous characters are going to take home a Best Actor or Actress Oscar.
Note also, if you are going to play a villain, make them as vile as possible. Nothing short of a sadistic serial killer or a cannibal will do!
Halle Berry won a contraversial Best Actress Oscar in Monster's Ball in 2001
Nine out of thirty-four winners in the last seventeen years have NOT been American. Nominees, who already have a one in five chance of winning, can quarter those chances again if they are not American - or a chance of about 5%.
Also, it's still better to be white! Only three African American actors and one African American actress have won Best Lead Oscars since 1990 (or ever in the case of Actresses!). Basically, African American actors have a 3% chance of victory. African American actresses only 1%. Now surely this can be acceptable to no one!
Racism aside, best to remember, if you do happen to be a leading actor or actress after an Oscar, it's better if the movie is ABOUT your character. It is certainly possible to be the billed lead of a film without it being structured around you. However, it is better if the story IS the character.
A 29 year old Adrien Brody became the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner of the decade with the Pianist in 2002
Final thing to remember: if you are unlucky enough to have a co-star... hope they lose! Or better still that they don't get nominated!!! Only two films have garnered both Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars since 1990. They were both in the 90's (Silence of the Lambs and As Good as it Gets). Moral of the story: BILLING!!! Make sure your co-star gets featured and not leading billing and have the writer on your side!
Final important note: if you HAVE already won a Best Actor and Actress Oscar - you're more likely to win a second within ten years of your first win. Only five performers since the Academy Awards were established in 1928 have won consecutive Oscars in leading roles that were more than ten years apart.
These days Oscar loves a good Biopic, but after seven years prominance their demise is iminant
Hepburn, Leigh, Brando and Nicholson remain four of Hollywood's most iconic names even now - and Nicholson is still going strong!
In practice, so far as the 80th annual Academy Awards ceremony is concerned, it means the following...
Kevin Spacey (1999, American Beauty) and Gwyneth Paltrow's (1998, Shakespeare in Love) Hollywood careers are officially over!
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Though I think the Oscars lost all credibility in the 80's...