In the days leading up to the 88th Academy Awards, FilmBuffOnline will be offering profiles on all the nominees in the major categories. Some may be well known, others might be new to you, but if you need a refresher on these talented nominees, here it is.
Christian Bale
Nominated for: Playing a hedge fund manager who predicted the housing crisis in The Big Short.
Other honors for this role:
He has been nominated four other times for Best Supporting Actor for this role (Including The Screen Actors Guild Award) and has also received two Best Actor nomination as well (including the Golden Globes). So far, no wins.
Where you might know him from:
He was the Batman after Clooney but before Affleck. Also, has had a long and productive career in films that didn’t require him to wear a cowl or codpiece. Frequently seen in the films of David O. Russell.
History with Oscar:
This is Bale’s third nomination.
2011: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, The Fighter (Won)
2014: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, American Hustle (Lost to Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club).
Tom Hardy
Nominated for: Playing the duplicitous and murdering trapper in The Revenant.
Other awards for this role:
Hardy has received 14 other nominations for this role, winning three times (3rd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards; Best Supporting Actor, Nevada Film Critics Society & Houston Film Critics Society).
Where you might know him from:
Hardy was Bane to Christian Bale’s Batman in The Dark Knight Rises. He inherited the title role of Max Rockatansky in last year’s Mad Max: Fury Road. He has also appeared in Inception, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and Warrior.
History with Oscar:
This is Tom Hardy’s first Oscar nomination.
Mark Ruffalo
Nominated for: Playing one of the journalists that broke open the sex abuse scandal in the Massachusetts Catholic Church in Spotlight.
Other awards for this role:
Ruffalo has received 17 nominations for this role, and has three victories amongst those nominations.
Where you might know him from:
Mark Ruffalo is the third man to play Bruce Banner/the Hulk, having taken over the role from Edward Norton in The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Ruffalo has also appeared in 54, We Don’t Live Here Anymore, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Now You See Me.
History with Oscar:
This is Mark Ruffalo’s third Oscar nomination.
2011: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, The Kids Are Alright (Lost to Christian Bale, The Fighter).
2015: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Foxcatcher (Lost to J.K. Simmons, Whiplash).
Mark Rylance
Nominated for: Playing the Soviet spy traded for Gary Powers in Bridge of Spies.
Other awards for this role:
Rylance has been nominated a whopping 33 times in this category in lesser awards, and has walked away with 16 awards, most notably the 2016 BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor.
Where you might know him from:
To film audiences, Mark Rylance might be a relative unknown, having appeared in films such as The Other Boleyn Girl and Anonymous and TV series such as Wolf Hall. However, he is a legendary name on the stage, both on Broadway–where he has three Tony Awards in six years to his credit–and his native England–where he has one Olivier Award in four tries to his name. Rylance will also be playing the Big, Friendly Giant in this summer’s The BFG.
History with Oscar:
This is Mark Rylance’s first Oscar nomination.
Sylvester Stallone
Nominated for: Playing a cancer stricken Rocky Balboa, who agrees to come out of retirement to train his friend’s illegitimate son in Creed.
Other awards for this role:
Stallone has received 33 other nominations for this role, and has taken home 20 awards for his effort, including the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
Where you might know him from:
Everyone should know who Sylvester Stallone is. If you don’t, one, shame on you, two, he is best known for the seven times he played this role over the last 40 years. His second most well known character is John Rambo, who he has played four times. He is most known recently for his work in The Expendables.
History with Oscar:
This is Sylvester Stallone’s third Oscar nomination.
1977: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Rocky (Lost to Peter Finch, Network)
1977: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Rocky (Lost to Paddy Chayefsky, Network)
