Oscar’s Comeback Nominees
Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream (top); Roman Polanski, Adrien Brody in The Pianist (middle); Diane Lane in Unfaithful (bottom)
Since the 1960s, nearly every year has had at least one Oscar comeback in the acting/directing categories. Some were veterans getting their first chance at the Oscars; others were Oscar veterans getting their first nod in years.
Below are a few examples in the last 10 years. As per this list, Oscar’s comeback veterans hardly ever win.
2005
William Hurt, nominated as best supporting actor for A History of Violence. Hurt has three previous best actor nominations; the last one in 1987 was for Broadcast News. He won in 1985 for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
2004
Alan Alda, nominated as best supporting actor for The Aviator. That was Alda’s first nomination.
2002
Diane Lane, nominated as best actress for Unfaithful, her first nomination.
Christopher Walken, nominated as best supporting actor for Catch Me If You Can. Walken had previously won a best supporting actor Oscar in 1978 for The Deer Hunter.
Roman Polanski, best director winner for The Pianist. Polanski had two previous nominations, the last one in 1980, for Tess.
2001
Sissy Spacek, nominated as best actress for In the Bedroom. Spacek had five previous best actress nominations, the last one in 1986, for Crimes of the Heart. She won for Coal Miner’s Daughter in 1980.
2000
Jeff Bridges, nominated as best supporting actor for The Contender. Bridges had three previous nominations (one as a lead, two supporting), the last one a best actor nod in 1984, for Starman.
Ellen Burstyn, nominated as best actress for Requiem for a Dream. Burstyn had five previous nominations (four as a lead, one supporting), the last one a best actress nod in 1980, for Resurrection. She won for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore in 1974.
Albert Finney, nominated as best supporting actor for Erin Brockovich. Finney had four previous best actor nominations, the last one in 1984, for Under the Volcano.
Julie Walters, nominated as best supporting actress for Billy Elliot. Walters had previously received a best actress nod for Educating Rita in 1983.
1999
Richard Farnsworth, nominated as best actor for The Straight Story. Farnsworth had previously received a best supporting actor nod for Comes a Horseman in 1978.
1998
Lynn Redgrave, nominated as best supporting actress for Gods and Monsters. Redgrave had previously received a best actress nod for Georgy Girl in 1966.
James Coburn, won as best supporting actor for Affliction, his first nomination.
1997
Julie Christie, nominated as best actress for Afterglow. Christie had two previous best actress nominations, the last one in 1971 for McCabe and Mrs. Miller. She won in 1965 for Darling.
Judi Dench, nominated as best actress for Mrs. Brown. Dench’s first nomination; on the other side of the Atlantic she’d already received several nods from the British Academy. (Admittedly, in Dench’s case the Oscar nomination was less a cinematic comeback than a belated recognition of the British stage and television star.)
Peter Fonda, nominated as best actor for Ulee’s Gold. Fonda’s first nomination.
1996
Lauren Bacall, nominated as best supporting actress in The Mirror Has Two Faces, her first nomination.
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Tags: Academy Awards, Alan Alda, Diane Lane, Ellen Burstyn, Film Awards, Jeff Bridges, Julie Christie, Lauren Bacall, Lynn Redgrave, Roman Polanski, William Hurt
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