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Every year, the Academy Awards honor members of the film community that make important contributions to their field. So naturally, movie fans are often most interested in seeing which of their favorite actors take home awards at the annual ceremony. However, for every deserving actor that receives an Oscar, there is one who misses out on that honor. Despite starring in very successful films and taking on memorable roles, some Hollywood actors have surprisingly never won an Oscar.
[Updated on 20 Dec, 2023]
10. Glenn Close Has The Most Nominations
Glenn Close has enjoyed a long, successful career as a Hollywood actress. The star has won SAG Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and many other exceptional accolades. However, there’s one thing she’s missing: an Oscar. Currently, Glenn Close holds the record for the highest number of Academy Awards nominations without a win for an actress. Nevertheless, she has received a stunning eight nominations over her four-decade career. The actress is still actively working, however, so it’s still possible for her to secure a win in the future.
9. Samuel L. Jackson Has Many Other Accolades
Samuel L. Jackson has received plenty of recognition over the years. In addition to being one of the highest-grossing stars ever, the Hollywood actor has MTV Movie Awards, BAFTA Awards, and many others to his name. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 2022 for his lifetime contributions to the film industry. However, the accomplished actor has surprisingly never won an official Oscar. Furthermore, the actor has only received one Academy Award nomination. He received the Best Actor nomination for 1995’s Pulp Fiction.
8. Hollywood Actor Edward Norton Is Multi-Talented
Edward Norton is one of many Hollywood actors who has expanded from the world of acting into directing. He has directed two feature films to date, and fans love him for his roles in movies such as Fight Club and Red Dragon. However, despite his talent, Edward Norton has zero Oscar wins to his credit. The actor still has a long career ahead of him, so there will be plenty of chances to earn an Academy Award down the road.
7. Liam Neeson Was Nominated For A WWII Biopic
Liam Neeson is often associated with the Taken series of films, but he’s also a talented dramatic actor. One of his most significant dramatic roles was Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List. Steven Spielberg directed the 90s war biopic. The film received multiple Academy Award nominations and won in quite a few categories. However, Neeson, unfortunately, missed out on winning the Best Actor Oscar for which he received a nomination. It’s his only Oscar nomination to date – so far.
6. Robert Downey Jr. Has An Uphill Battle To An Oscar Win
Unfortunately, even playing a major character in the MCU hasn’t been enough for Robert Downey Jr. to secure an Oscar win. This is partially because the Academy Awards tend to favor dramatic or biographical films. Action movies don’t make the nominations list as often as those two genres. As a result, the Hollywood Actor may need to branch out into other movie genres if he has his eye on winning an Oscar. He has received two nominations in his career – one for Best Supporting Actor and one for Best Actor.
5. Johnny Depp Doesn’t Want To Compete
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has spent a lot of time in the spotlight lately. However, this was due to issues in his personal life instead of his acting career. The accomplished actor will hopefully return to Hollywood in the near future. Either way, he has been quoted as saying he’s not interested in an Oscar win. Depp doesn’t believe that acting should be a competition and is more interested in taking on roles that he loves than taking on roles that might win accolades. Still, many longtime fans would love to see him win this well-deserved honor.
4. Harrison Ford Is A Fan-Favorite Action Star
Starring in a well-loved franchise is a dream come true for many actors. Hollywood actor Harrison Ford has managed to do it twice. First, he played the role of Han Solo in the first Star Wars movie trilogy. Later, he brought the fan-favorite adventurer Indiana Jones to life. The latest Indiana Jones franchise installment has just hit both streaming services and blu-ray, with Ford reprising his role once again. However, like many action stars, Harrison Ford does not have an Oscar win to his name. Although he hasn’t won an Academy Award, the actor does have four Golden Globes to his credit.
3. Sigourney Weaver Has Received Three Total Nominations
Sigourney Weaver is best known for playing Ripley in the Alien film franchise. However, the Hollywood actress has starred in countless other movies from nearly every genre over the years. Over the next few years, she’ll play a recurring role in the upcoming Avatar franchise installments. The actress received three Academy Award nominations but has yet to secure an Oscar win. Perhaps her upcoming projects will bring her closer to receiving that title.
2. Hollywood Actor Tom Cruise Is Hopeful For 2024
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise began his acting career in the 80s, so it’s been a long wait for an Oscar win. Cruise was hopeful that his 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick would be his ticket to finally winning an Academy Award, but unfortunately, it only nabbed a Nomination. Tom Cruise is another actor whose preferred film genre works against him, but it’s not out of the question for such a successful film to be an award winner. Fans will have to stay tuned to see how the 2024 Awards season unfolds.
1. Michael Keaton Was Only Nominated Once
Michael Keaton‘s career is alive and well – he won a SAG award for his role in the Hulu miniseries, Dopesick, last year. However, the Hollywood actor has never won an Oscar. Keaton is famous for playing Batman in both Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), both of which were directed by Tim Burton. Furthermore, Keaton starred as the eponymous Beetlejuice in Tim Burton’s cult classic horror-comedy. Whether or not he ever earns an Oscar win, the actor has certainly secured his place among the icons of Hollywood.
