“And the Oscar goes to…” Those 5 words can change the lives of Oscar-nominated actors, for better or for worse. The tension of the moment is perceived even from television, with boxes that let us see the faces of each nominee. And although it is exciting to see the overflowing joy of the winners, the reactions of those who have just lost an award as important as the Oscar are also outstanding. Here is a recount of those who assumed defeat in an interesting way.
Angela Bassett (Best Supporting Actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
The most recent Academy Awards ceremony left us with a rather awkward moment starring Queen Ramonda. For some time, Bassett was considered the candidate to beat, and her Golden Globes and Critics Choice wins tipped the scales in her favor. However, Jamie Lee Curtis defeated her, a situation that did not leave Bassett very happy. Her reaction was commented on by many, who even highlighted that she did not applaud or stand up to celebrate her colleague who beat her.
Burt Reynolds (Best Supporting Actor for Boogie Nights)
Playing an adult film director had made Reynolds the darling of the 1998 ceremony. However, Robin Williams was the winner for his work on Good Will Hunting. The most painful thing about the moment was not Reynolds’s reaction (a forced applause and a frown), but that it was his first and only nomination throughout his entire career. You can see the reaction around the one minute mark.
Sam Mendes (Best Director for 1917)
The 2020 ceremony became historic for the triumph of parasites, the first non-English-speaking film to win the Best Picture award. But the director of this one, Bong Joon Ho, also won the award for Best Director. Obviously, it was not the favorite, and when his name was mentioned as the winner, Sam Mendes – until then favorite – did nothing more than raise his eyebrows and applaud with a gesture of resignation.
You can see the reaction from minute 0:50
The nominees for Best Actress in 2019
That year looked like the ideal for Glenn Close to finally win the Oscar for Best Actress. Her participation in The good wife it had been multi-awarded, and the Academy Award would come full circle in a big way. But no one imagined that Olivia Colman (for The favourite) would win the prize. The reaction from the nominees, especially Lady Gaga and Melissa McCarthy, is unmatched.
You can see the reaction from minute 0:58
Jack Nicholson (Best Actor for About Schmidt)
At the 2003 awards, Adrien Brody was awarded the Best Actor award for his performance in The pianist. Few predicted victory for him, especially for competing against celebrities like Jack Nicholson and Nicolas Cage. When the verdict was announced, and even wearing dark glasses, Nicholson’s reaction was evident: a great astonishment that was also shared by the other nominees.
You can see the reaction around minute 0:09
Diane Warren (Best Original Song for Four Good Days)
Losing one Oscar may be considered a bad moment, but losing 14 is practically a tragedy. That’s what happened to Diane Warren, who holds the record for the most losses in the Best Original Song category. Although losing is practically a habit for the composer, her reaction at the 2022 ceremony was priceless. That year, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell succeeded thanks to their work in no time to die. But Warren’s frustration also caught the attention of many.
You can see the reaction around minute 1:28
Sally Kirkland (Best Actress for Anna)
Let’s travel back in time and focus on the 1988 Oscars. At them, Cher won the Best Actress award for Moonstruck. And although many of her fans celebrated the moment, the protagonist of Anna He didn’t have the same reaction. She pursed her lips with obvious anger, rolled her eyes, and upon noticing the presence of the cameras, her face immediately changed into a wide smile. For that performance alone, she deserved an award.
You can see the reaction around minute 1:30
Samuel L. Jackson (Best Supporting Actor for Violent times)
When thinking of a Quentin Tarantino movie, many immediately go to Violent times. And if we think of a performance of that tape, Samuel L. Jackson’s is perhaps the most memorable. However, the Academy did not think so. Martin Landau snatched the Oscar for his performance in Ed Wood. Instead of feigning politeness and emotion, Jackson just exclaimed an obvious and honest “shit.”
You can see the reaction around minute 1:06
Which of these reactions was your favorite? Do you think losers should feign courtesy for the sake of the ceremony, or are they right to express what they feel?
Juan Jose Cruz I am one of those who always defended Robert Pattinson as Batman and can see the same movie in the theater up to 7 times. My guilty pleasure? Low budget horror movie.