Alternate Best Actor 2025: David Jonsson & Cooper Hoffman in The Long Walk

David Jonsson did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Peter "Pete" McVries nor did Cooper Hoffman for portraying Raymond "Ray" Garraty in The Long Walk. 

The Long Walk follows a contest where young men must continue to walk at 3 miles an hour until only one of them is still left alive. 

One of the successes of the Long Walk are the performances which very much are not treating the material as an exploitative horror piece that certainly could’ve been a possibility. They are treating it with a reality which is emphasized best by the pair of leading performances of two of the most talented young actors working today. First in the primary lead role, whom we follow into the starting point of the walk as he’s left off by his emotional mother, played by Cooper Hoffman. Someone who made a striking impression through his comedic work in Licorice Pizza, showing himself not to be merely the son of a great actor, but having the potential to become a great actor himself. Hoffman stretches himself away from that comedic work there in very much taking upon the “any man” type lead as the young man choosing to join the walk despite his mother’s protests. From the outset Hoffman brought such a striking sense of the emotional weight of the decision immediately. His performance in the reaction to his mother’s horror conveying the undercurrent of his heartbreak, even as in his eyes conveying some distant determination that is in his head as he arrives at the starting point where we also meet David Jonsson as Pete McVries played by David Jonsson. Jonsson’s an actor who has already substantially impressed me first for his likable nerdy turn as the romantic lead of Rye Lane, then upped the ante through the different sides of an android in Alien Romulus which went above and beyond the calling of that film, so I was excited what more he had in the tank when it came to this role, and the answer is a lot. Jonsson’s performance is entirely new from him as his previous two turns were working some framework of nerdy in presence, here in many ways he’s the tougher confident one and while he’s got some biceps to back him up here, it is far more so brought to life by Jonsson who is wholly natural despite also being wholly new in his presence here, from his accent, demeanor and just style onscreen. Quite the accomplishment because you’d think the way he acts as Pete is just how he acts and speaks because Jonsson’s entirely natural. 

As the walk begins we instantly start getting the sense of chemistry between Jonsson and Hoffman, which is so tremendous right off the bat that it was not surprising to learn the two are teaming up again with how natural they are as a pair. There’s just this ease with them where the sense of friendship between the two just feels real and jumps out. Once they start talking to one another you see the connection and it just feels absolutely authentic. Where the two are wonderful in connecting the differences between the two within the connection. Hoffman emphasizes an interesting yet convincing combination between this certain optimism in attitude towards those around him while also presenting a very direct distaste for the very concept of the walk despite having signed up for it himself. Jonsson on the other hand presents a certain bluntness as Pete initially says he won’t save Ray if he falls before they start, yet in general brings such a positive disposition. Each offering in a way the same philosophy when you get to the heart of it yet each approaching it their own way as each is a mix of both pessimism and optimism yet present it on their own terms. Something we see as the walk begins where the two discuss what they can do with the money. Jonsson as Pete that he’ll do good is filled with such confidence and assurance in that belief. As assured though is Hoffman’s doubtful words about the nature of the walk and that it is all a falsehood that isn’t at all this random culling it is presented to be. Yet words between the words of intention create such camaraderie, along with the two of the other young men, where every little exchange builds such a palatable sense of warmth and real sense of the mutual spirit between the two guys. Hoffman and Jonsson are so good, and I love particularly Jonsson’s delivery of basically the “screw it” at the idea of not making friends on the walk. As in his eyes there’s such an appreciation for the people around him, it is absolutely wonderful work. 

Within their conversations we learn more about each man, one of the most pivotal when Ray pushes to ask about Pete’s scar across his face, the one moment where that innate positivity of the man stops, not that he becomes sorrowful yet Jonsson conveys a lot of history that he’d rather not get into in this moment as his delivery is of the quiet change of the subject. With Ray, Hoffman’s performance so much is a reflection of the character’s connection with the death of his father, which was personally performed by the chief villain of the piece the Major (Mark Hamill), and something that we watchers of cinema can’t quite separate which is Hoffman’s connection with his own father. Something that the young Hoffman even commented on as pivotal within his performance of someone reckoning with such a painful trauma. Hoffman’s incredibly moving in his portrayal of the moments of the character articulating this not through sadness, but rather this sense of very distinct pride in every word against the system and when he specifically names his father as his hero. Hoffman’s performance has such a tremendous weight within every word where you see just how fundamental the man was in his life and in who he is. Combined then with the moments where he reflects Ray’s passions to fight against the system with this certainty in belief going so far as to want to personally execute the Major if he wins the walk. Hoffman’s delivery of this intention is with such a specific and penetrating hatred that is so remarkable in the moment and you see the festering rage all bottled within a single intention that he whispers to Pete. It must be said Jonsson carries with Hoffman in every moment through his powerful reactions where you see the man genuinely taking in everything his new friend has said and factoring it into his mind. 

Within the walk itself almost all the actors, including Jonsson and Hoffman do a great job of portraying the physical weight of the walk and just creating a convincing progression of showing the phases of exhaustion throughout, including moments of dazed sleepiness, to re-finding their energy, to just getting to the point of being almost completely lost from the weight of the physical exhaustion. Of course reacting more within the walk is dealing with the violence of every “loser” in the game while also dealing with the other players. An element where again there is a great contrast between Jonsson and Hoffman. Jonsson excels in just having such a striking presence defined by confidence, where even when he’s targeted by the insults of another, Jonsson’s delivery is so great in emphasizing the way the man kind just walks right past every insult and so believably creating the resilient spirit of the man. Contrasting that Hoffman is also great in portraying a less convincing confidence. Presenting it as something that isn’t the natural state of Ray rather something he’s striving for. We see this when he tries to help the men falling behind where Ray’s encouragements are real but also have a degree of desperation. Hoffman articulates naturally the degree of vulnerability within Ray who is striving to win yet might not entirely be able to face what that means. Earning then the moment where Ray almost dies by almost falling asleep right before a long hill with his sudden outrage against Pete not as hate but rather the man being overcome by too much fear in the moment leading him to lash out at anyone. Hoffman created that unpredictable random emotion of the state of Ray in that moment. As convincing and even more powerful is the moment where Pete just goes about saving Ray, Jonsson’s performance is incredible because in his face you do see that he took in Ray’s words in the moment, yet at the same time you see that resilience and even belief in humanity as he takes charge of Ray’s walk helping him get to safety. 

The guardian for Ray aspect is where Jonsson’s work just goes above and beyond in portraying such sincerity the real friendship for Ray with the conviction not to let his friend die despite the “winner takes all” nature of the game they’re in. Jonsson’s articulation of Pete’s optimism is absolutely stunning work from Jonsson and frankly managed to give me chills by just how much emotional truth Jonsson manages to bring to a convincing belief in humanity within a nihilistic game. Jonsson’s performance is so great because he shows, as Pete says, that it’s not easy, it's hard. Jonsson describes Pete’s violent past filled with such detail where you sense every moment of the man’s horrible emotional turmoil in the nuance in Jonsson’s expression as he explains how he got his scar. His face is of a man who has been through hell, yet within that situation has come out not to hate humanity but to believe in it. Jonsson’s passionate ask of Ray to take the joy in life where and when he can has such poignancy, because Jonsson manages not to only convey that this is absolutely a fundamental belief to Pete, he convinces us as the audience to give it a chance, by showing every word coming through a man who we understand as gone through a grinder to come out still with this sense of hope. There’s nothing forced about it, it is absolutely real and Jonsson makes it real. And through that reality we believe every moment of Pete refusing to let Ray die and convinces us of the purity of his belief even as they go through one harrowing moment after another. Where Hoffman and Jonsson make you feel every loss we witness, because their reactions show both men taking in each kill deep into their souls. Whereas much as we see the physical toll of the walk, even more profound is the emotional toll that each depicts in similar yet also very specifically honest to the characters of Ray and Pete. 

At a certain point in the film it does strike you that both of them cannot survive and I love Jonsson’s subtle work in suggesting just how deeply Ray is starting to mean to him every time this comes up. We know both cannot survive and we start to feel the impending devastation before it even comes because you want to see these two survive and continue the profound friendship we’ve witnessed and brought to life so beautifully by both actors. Building up and leading to the climax where they are the final two. One pivotal moment when Ray almost dies as he stops to see his mom where Hoffman is quickly devastating in showing the intensity of his emotional distress and seeing just how painful it is to see his mom in the moment. Jonsson’s also great in the moment bringing as much passion though fashioned in Pete stressing that Ray can’t let his mom see him be executed and funneled through that specific empathy. The final scene of the film I’ll be perfectly honest, on re-watch stands as the most heartbreaking scene from 2025 for me with Cooper and Jonsson’s performances being essential to this realization. As they bring that warmth and love of friendship between every moment, as first in Jonsson’s reaction of contentment as he sits down to let Ray live, to Ray then bringing the brightest smile as he gets Pete walking again before sitting down himself to allow him to be shot. Hoffman’s final impassioned delivery that articulates his love for Pete but also even more so his belief that Pete can do good, rips my heart straight out. Particularly his delivery “that’s why I love you” that’s filled with that love but also acceptance of his faith for the sake of Pete. If that wasn’t brutal enough it’s Jonsson’s depiction of his immediate visceral grief at the death of his friend that just twists the knife. There's so much humanity within every cry out of Ray's name and you feel every bit of the tremendous sorrow within Jonsson’s heart wrenching performance. Jonsson’s performance though still has to thread the trickiest of needles to deliver on the film’s ending which frankly wouldn’t work if Jonsson’s was less than perfect. Well he is perfect in the sequence as Jonsson’s portrayal of Pete’s decision to ask for a gun and complete Ray’s wish by killing the major himself manages to in a way combine the cynicism and optimism in the act. Showing the intention of violence but within his eyes the heartbreak of the man who is killing the major not for himself but for the sake of his friend. Jonsson being as captivating then in the specific almost levity in his manner as Pete turns and continues to walk into the night. Both deliver great performances and is the chemistry between them really elevates the entirety of the film. Hoffman proving that his previous performance wasn't a fluke. Jonsson though maybe going even further in showing such a compelling presence and incredible emotional range. Together though creating such a poignant yet painfully tragic portrait of friendship. 

Alternate Best Actor 2025: Frank Dillane in Urchin

Frank Dillane did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Mike in Urchin. 

Urchin follows a homeless drug addict. 

Frank Dillane, son of Stephen, plays the role of the homeless addict where we enter the film seemingly as the man is at his lowest where we see him begging for money, loitering inside and fighting with another homeless addict. With such a performance it really is all about whether or not it feels like a put on, which with Dillane it does not. As he delivers from the start the physicality of the man who seems to be in a state of physical unease if not pain at all times. A degree of potential violence in every word he speaks there’s kind of an unpredictability. His eyes and expression filled with the history of a man who has mostly spent his life in this way and along an unpleasant path. There’s rarely any joy and there’s an innate messiness of the man who we see obviously no clarity in his shambling way of even walking. The eventual act of Mike violently attacking a man who has attempted to help and befriend him, is particularly unnerving because within the act there is no hesitation and his immediate apology of “sorry sorry’ isn’t precisely fake however just within Mike’s sorry state of only existing within the idea of the momentary fix. 

When being interrogated for his crime Dillane’s denial of any cause and an explanation that it was the other’s man’s fault is bad lying in his delivery but not in terms of doubt, rather just in terms of it being too exact in his rambling as someone far too comfortable in coming up with bad lies. Something we see followed up closely as he calls someone he knows to say he’s been arrested again and is sentenced for months of prison time. Dillane’s specific delivery of “I’ve been arrested again” speaks to such a history as he says it so easily so calmly, so much of someone who's been through this before and doesn’t even see it as an out of the ordinary experience for him. We jump ahead after he’s cleaned up through time in prison and meets the condition of his parole. Where the familiarity in itself is almost the same as when he was homeless. Dillane’s performance is one defined by the lack of surprise, even when he tries to fashion a kind of hope his expression almost denotes it being as a delusional joke that he is aware of just as much as the person he’s talking to. 

We follow Mike as he has the potential job as a chef at a hotel, where Dillane’s great in the scene of the interview in putting forth the attempt at earnest interest. Where he is able to convey the challenge in the young man who wants to try to do something, even an earnest bit of excitement in it, but a limitation in all his reactions where there’s the barrier of the man from a state of true normalcy. The moment with the owner asking him about his crime, just for his own awareness of the nature of his violence, Dillane’s delivery of the explanation carries so much in the simplicity of it. There is shame as he explains what he did but again there’s also a directness though of someone whose committed desperate asks like that before and may do so again. Where we even see the intensity within the man that speaks to the challenge of his life as he wears the stress of an irate customer so fiercely in his eyes or when he challenges a mediator for the voice he’s using with a sensitivity of someone on this emotional edge even when he’s supposedly “healthy”. 

There are slight comforts as he bonds with his coworkers but even then to describe Dillane as truly calm would be false and he keeps the sense of despondency within the man who is just above the water yet hardly safe. When he meets with his victim in a court ordered session, Dillane’s performance exudes the uncertainty of the man’s mental state where again there is the pain of shame but in no way is there any true understanding of any sense of how to proceed forward with himself, barely getting to look at the man or even acknowledging the mistake to the man. We find then the progression of Mike essentially moving back to the beginning even as he has a romance with a coworker that only leads to him being introduced to drugs again. A pivotal scene in Dillane’s performance is the taking of the drugs that are offered to him casually. Mike refuses them at first then takes them. Dillane doesn’t put a lot on the decision but in doing so shows within it this being a cycle for Mike. He takes the drugs and then he’s just back in it again. What we see is going from the nervous man on the edge of the drugs to becoming the completely lost man we saw at the start of the film. Dillane naturally reverts back to his more disjointed manner and ever increasingly paranoid man until he’s fully back to the start again. It’s a captivating performance with a very specific intention. Which isn't the recovery of the addict, but rather fully the cycle of one. Dillane effectively detailing each step from the dangerous homeless man on the edge of life, to the man straining for recovery, to falling to his demons, to back to that edge again. 

Alternate Best Actor 2025: Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams

Joel Edgerton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Robert Grainier in Train Dreams. 

Train Dreams tells the life story of a logger who lived from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. 

I return to the very talented Joel Edgerton interestingly in another role that Robert Duvall probably would’ve knocked out of the park. As Edgerton plays Robert Grainier a man representing history, though not historical but really could be any number of men of the period, who were part of the creation of America as we know it however no one would pay 25 cents to walk in the rooms where he grew up, no children would be named after him, though someone might plagiarize the Assassination of Jesse James to describe the character. Edgerton is constructing a man of a specific time but a specific one in which in many ways must still be universal. Something he achieves frankly with such remarkable ease in terms of the conception of his performance. Edgerton is one of those actors where you’d never think he’s Australian as Robert in reality, in fact you wouldn’t even second guess him as just being this logger. A logger who began his life as a train orphan sent into the west and finding a life for himself largely isolated within himself as he goes about his work as a logger. Edgerton’s work is able to embody silence so potently where he never simply is on the screen and importantly there is the life of the character within the silences. Where Edgerton’s performance alludes to a man already living with an innate sadness as the abandoned child, not as a man overwhelmed by this emotion but one who regardless lives with it. 

The importance of Edgerton’s performance in many ways is the lack of importance of it. Edgerton fashions nothing within Robert to make Robert any more or less than he is. Edgerton instead does not create any semblance of quirk or eccentricity, he is just any old man in so many ways and the way Edgerton can embody and make that compelling is what is the greatness of this performance. Because Edgerton seeks only to present life, and within that, even though technically he doing an accent, technically he is doing much in terms of the physicality of the role, particularly the way Robert is so often turned in towards himself in terms of his body language and so often looks down rather than up, speaks much about who is is as a man isolated in the world, none of it feels like a bit of effort from the performer. Edgerton makes the most essential success in this performance which is simply existing as the man. Never is there a question of performance, he is just this man, and that is the essential truth that needs to exist so we can then just follow Robert in his journey. Edgerton never gets in the way of seeing the man as he is within each moment of it and there is the fundamental great success of this performance from his starting point. 

Edgerton’s performance wears a difficult life, his eyes begin with a weariness, not one that needs to grow and speaks to where the man has already come from and the work he has already done in the dangerous work he performs as a man. With an early traumatic event coming while Robert is on a bridge building crew and a group of men go about casually murdering one of the Chinese workers. Edgerton’s performance in the scene is a pivotal establishment of the observing man as in his eyes we do see the concern even in his ask of “what’s he done?”, however at the same time a man unable to break a general complacency as the murder happens in front him. Edgerton’s reaction in the moment and thereafter showing the haunting vision of the crime still being worn in Robert’s eyes as he must now live with regardless of what he does with his life. Contrasting that an early light comes in the form of his eventual wife Gladys (Felicity Jones) who makes advances towards Robert far more than Robert does towards her. What Edgerton captures with Jones isn’t this red hot sort of romance, but rather a very poignant calm connection between the two. Where Edgerton just exudes a greater comfort, speaking a few more lines than usual, and within those lines Edgerton emphasizes a degree of growth of the man reaching out a bit more by being awoken by his wife. There’s a natural sincerity in their chemistry that makes their connection and initial life together as they make a log cabin home near a river, that powerfully illustrates the importance of being taken away from isolation even more so than love. 

Robert must return to his logging job every year far from Gladys where Edgerton is able to artfully yet quietly reflect the often harsh elements, not in big reactions but little ones that convey the constant threat of death. An element that Edgerton doesn’t portray as a debilitating fear but rather a subdued awareness of the nature of the space. Within this time we see him react to a few people, particularly explosive expert Arn Peeples (William H. Macy), where we get just a bit of camaraderie between them. Edgerton’s performance is notable in his reaching out to the older man with an earnest interest in what he has to say and more importantly an earnest wish to make connection with him. Edgerton, something he does consistently throughout, is putting just enough on a given moment of bringing us quietly within his mental space. Particularly in moments such as seeing a dead man’s boots placed into a tree, where within Edgerton’s performance you see in his eyes how much these losses do follow him, yet within that expression there is also just the quiet resilience of keeping that path. This is even to the point of Arn’s own death from a random fallen branch, where Robert stays with him in his final moments, which Edgerton is able to emphasize the empathy in Robert’s watching and listening but also the powerful sense of a man being unable to know what to say or how to really understand the man’s death. 

The respite being consistently for Robert with his wife and eventually his daughter as well. Where Edgerton brings the beauty of the simplicity of the joys in spending time with both of them and finding the pain of separating from them. Making it so when a massive forest fire ravages his home while Robert is away it is absolutely devastating. And what we see is the true power of his performance, because as much as Edgerton quietly carries the film through so much of it, when he raises his voice it has such a tremendous weight to it. In this instance portraying the penetrating anguish as he looks for his wife and daughter within the ashes of his home. Edgerton’s eyes filled specifically with such a pain of the man being lost and alone as he wanders around the graveyard of his life. Edgerton having one of his most verbal moments as he looks upon the image of the Chinese man who haunts him, where Edgerton’s delivery which is apologetic but with the terrible sadness as he states that his wife and daughter were too much a cost for the “payment” of his past failure. Only finding any respite between frequent visits from local shopkeep Ignatius Jack (Nathaniel Arcand) and finding stray dogs. Edgerton is incredibly moving in creating the small steps away from the sorrow. A sorrow he never entirely loses but finding a man having moments of connections when he can. Finding in particular his interactions with the dogs having a poignancy of a lonely man finding some relief for his isolation.

We follow Robert then as an aging man including one more trip to a logging expedition where Edgerton is almost silent in this sequence, yet amazing work in providing the way that Robert is even more lost than before. Including a moment where he speaks to another former fellow logger talking about Arn, where the older man can’t tie his shoes nor even remember that Arn died. Edgerton’s reactions in these moments are so subdued yet heartbreaking in his reactions of empathy towards the man but while also being struck at seeing his potential future if he were to keep coming back as a logger who no longer has a place on the jobs. Leaving Robert instead as providing essentially a local taxi service via wagon where Edgerton projects in his physical manner so effectively the detachment to his customers even when he’s directly speaking to them. That is until he takes a forest service worker Claire (Kerry Condon) where he finally has a longer conversation. Initially just from her more brazen personality where she leads the conversation where Edgerton’s great in the shyness of his work that grants years of not being the focus of conversation or even having someone to converse with in such an open way. Which eventually leads to a more poignant discussion between the two on their mutual losses including Robert finally talking about having lost his family. 

Edgerton is masterful in this scene bringing such a weighted sense of the life the man has lived in every word, the painful sorrow in every word as he speaks about the pain of his loss at times being too much. There is so much within it that he lets out just a bit, but the amount that we can see in his eyes is almost more than he can bear. Just the way in Edgerton’s voice just a bit, as he doesn’t even entirely lose his composure is so heartbreaking, because you do know the years have past, the nature of the man is to keep it inside, yet the emotions we see still are so raw and honest in every moment of Edgerton’s performance. Love also Edgerton’s consideration of Claire’s words about her own loss and the importance of every little thing. Edgerton’s great because it isn’t a simple comfort, just consideration and attempting to find that meaning in his eyes of man lost. Yet there is something as powerful in his minor chuckle at the idea of him being a hermit in the woods and being of some kind of importance. A meaning though that is Robert’s focus as we follow him in his remaining years. Visiting a phony freak show that promises answers with Edgerton’s quiet breakdown carrying remarkable punctuation of man struggling at the lack of one. The moment of looking at himself in the mirror Edgerton is amazing as you see the man surprised at the years represented by his own face and a man lost even within himself in a way. Contrasting that however is the film’s final scene where he takes a plane ride and while observing the size of the world below him, Edgerton’s reaction is that comfort in the way and even contentment. It is only a reaction yet speaks volumes of the native tongue of silence for Robert. Edgerton delivers an a masterclass in subtlety built upon not noise rather on hushed tones and often silence. Finding so much nuance, so much texture and so much soul in every second we spend with the type of man who wouldn’t be noted by history but is reflective of the history of so many lives. 

Alternate Best Actor 2025: David Strathairn in A Little Prayer

David Strathairn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bill in A Little Prayer. 

A Little Prayer follows a father as he has to deal with knowledge of his adult son’s infidelities. 

David Strathairn had a low key but actually fairly remarkable 2025, although in part from two of those films, including this one’s, delayed releases, regardless making the most of three very different roles. Whether that is playing the game show producer who sees his gamble go astray in The Luckiest Man in America, a role that would’ve been easy to play simplistic jerk note but Strathairn found quite a bit of complication within that part, as well as even his work in Zootopia 2. Strathairn was not just cashing a VO paycheck with that, giving his all to really put the lynx in a billionaire villain lynx for all that it was worth. But his most remarkable work is his extremely low key performance in in this film as the patriarch of a seemingly close knit family with his reenactor wife, Venida (Celia Weston), his son David (Will Pullen) whom he runs the family business with and his daughter-in-law Tammy (Jane Levy). Strathairn in the early scenes brings a nice ease of place and exudes very much the history of his Bill. Which is just a man who lives for his family and has been through some things but we just sense someone who is seemingly mostly at ease with his life. Strathairn brings this innate subdued warmth about him, particularly in his interactions early on with Tammy where he shows just a genuine care for her. 

Strathairn’s performance then becomes one of the leads though within an observational place as we follow Bill within his workplace and notices his son acting a bit strangely with one of their employees. Strathairn does a lot with his eyes here in conveying the thoughts that Bill is going through and does bring something really in basically any glance. Completely conveying the determination that his son is sleeping around on his wife. Strathairn’s reaction initially I think manages to say a great deal because the reaction isn’t of extreme horror rather of this quiet disappointment in the realization. And within the realization Strathairn has a degree of exasperation in his eyes of not a man fed up with his son but rather too much of an awareness of the failings of his son, or at least to a degree that he is aware of. So when he attempts an initial attempt to talk to David about his behavior, Strathairn’s delivery is very modest but very earnest. There’s less of trying to punish his son as he converses with him and more so trying to talk to him in regards to what he sees as the value of Tammy in the family. Unfortunately the conversation goes nowhere as David shuts it down by saying it is none of Bill’s business, and Strathairn’s quiet defeat is a defeat of years of dealing with a son who seemingly rejects his father’s advice on a consistent basis. 

We follow Bill then as he tries to uncover more information about what his son has been doing and unfortunately for him this eventually leads to a conversation with the woman his son is having the affair with which only reveals that David is even worse than he thought as she reveals that David also was verbally and physically abusive towards her. Strathairn’s reactionary work is incredibly moving because you see within his quiet distress there’s such pain and more than a bit of shame that David is his son. Strathairn carefully not presents this as a reaction of superiority rather just the sense of being lost, not lost for words how his son could be such a bad person but rather lost how he could raise such a son. Well this is going concurrently Tammy also having figured out David’s infidelity chose to abort their child, and eventually Tammy and Bill meetup to discuss the situation by spending the day together. This is the best scene in the film as both Strathairn and Levy are great together. 

What is so remarkable is the way they are able to create such a unique yet winning chemistry with one another. Which isn’t romantic yet is filled with such a sense of warmth and Strathairn’s great in showing how her presence in a way seems to illuminate and inspire the best of Bill. Creating the important sense of additional motivation in Bill initially to fix the relationship because within Strathairn’s performance you see the strong uncomplicated love for Tammy that Bill no doubt would want to have for his son, yet his son’s deep flaw can never allow for such simplicity. Strathairn finds such poignant chemistry with Levy in their conversation where he actually ends up advising her to leave. In Strathairn’s delivery there is a powerful combination of conviction of his sentiment of every word as the right thing but with the underlying burden of knowing this will end the relationship with someone he has come to deeply care for. An element that only becomes all the more painful when Tammy admits her connection with Bill as a “kindred spirit” and Strathairn’s reaction to this “confession” is heartbreaking because you see in his calm yet still devastated expression of someone feeling every bit of this loss that is only amplified by seeing that her love for him has been as great for him. It is a beautifully rendered scene by both actors where they create such a state of pure sincerity where all the complications involving David is still weighing on both, yet the direct honesty of the real affection between the two makes it far from just a moment of mutual suffering. It is with that specific shared spark of joy that leaves such a memorable impression so naturally realized by both actors as a true connection. While this whole performance is naturally realized by the talents of Strathairn, a performer who is always a welcome presence and hopefully we get a few more filmmakers to utilize this in the upcoming years. 

Alternate Best Actor 2025: Paul Mescal in Hamnet

Paul Mescal did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a SAG and a BAFTA, for portraying William Shakespeare in Hamnet.

Hamnet follows the life of Shakespeare through the relationship with his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley). Paul Mescal takes on the role of the bard in decidedly different terms than the more lighthearted depiction by Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love. This version attempts a more realistic, only within limits, depiction of Shakespeare and really in part his come up as a writer, though the ambitions of such are specifically within the context of his relationship with his wife and family with any focus on sort of what we know Shakespeare as being relatively limited till the third act of the film. Mescal fittingly doesn’t give importance to his Will, and what I mean by that is that there is no presentation of Shakespeare as a legend in the making. Rather we find him initially as a latin tutor who doesn’t exactly take his position all too seriously. And the nature of the structure of the film is Mescal essentially depicts different phases of the man’s life, because there are consistent though unstated time jumps throughout the film. This opening Mescal brings a sort of flighty quality of the ambitious young man stuck in a place where such ambition seems to fall upon mostly deaf ears if not even the direct ire of his rather strict and humorless father. Mescal effectively brings more so a boyish energy in these moments, an impishness really in creating the degree of immaturity of Shakespeare at this time and really leaving much room to grow as a man. 

His initial scenes with Agnes Mescal bring that same quality and his fascination with her is largely that initially. Where he creates the intrigue with her and is drawn into her unique qualities as a person, as this seeming connecting point with nature…atlhough I will say watching the film again that particular aspect only became more halfbaked if not a bit silly at times. Will brings his own value within the relationship as we get very directly his storytelling ability as he recounts the tale of Orpheus’s descent into the underworld. Mescal is truly great in this scene because for this scene he becomes a great storyteller and shows a preview of the storyteller that Shakespeare will become with his own material. Mescal reciting the tale though is captivating by managing to bring this very particular pace and rhythm as to entrance the audience into the particular tragedy of this story. Mescal has that particular ability here to emphasize a pause or a word that just brings together the emotion of the story and not just the plot of it. Making it so Mescal lets you feel the tragedy of Orpheus as he creates even the particular pace to build towards the climax of the piece and make you feel the impact of Orpheus's loss. It’s a standout moment for Mescal and suggests the greatness of Shakespeare before he has become great. 

We have our first kind of jump in time when Will impregnates Agnes, which even within that Mescal’s effective in bringing moments of immaturity though with the poetic license such as his delivery of having no ability for waiting, but afterwards with a quiet conviction of the man who will stand by his action to take Agnes as his wife. Where we get the first step to then just the playful married couple which is a very short segment, however Mescal’s good in playing Will, even as he’s going off to London to make a name for himself is still in the newlywed sort of state in his ease of excitement with wife and just a clear sense of love for her. Where we get another jump where it is now Will, Agnes and their three children including the young twins of Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith. Mescal again changes his presence a bit to now very much the more mature dad. We still get the spark of mischief when playing with the kids, however there is a greater sense of emotional maturity. Mescal’s pivotal scene with Jupe expresses this beautifully as he brings first this quiet delivery of a father very seriously tasking his son with being mature himself, before breaking and his repeated “will you be brave” where he so wonderfully changes to the fun loving father just wanting to play with his son. An element reinforced in his scene with Agnes discussing where they will live in the future, where she’s adamant to stay in the country meanwhile Will’s destiny is in the city. Mescal’s very subdued work illustrates the greater maturity of Will at this point with an honestly quieter sense of romance, where the warmth is still there but the emphasis now is on the contemplation of the future.

A future that becomes cloudy when while Will is away Judith falls ill, almost dies, followed by Hamnet also falling ill and dying. Mescal’s performance isn’t the one accentuated in these scenes but he’s still great in delivering the gravity of the loss from what we do see him. We see the initial reaction of pain and he is heartbreaking in bringing that so tangibly to life in these moments. The third act though takes Will again away from his family seemingly living within his grief on his own as he’s putting on one of his most famous plays named Hamnet. Where we get two similar scenes, one amazing one less so. The first being the scene of the actors playing Hamlet and Ophelia the off to the nunnery speech, where Mescal’s incredible in his work as he’s pacing about and continuing to ask them to play it “again”. His delivery of again, his expression, is filled with so much complicated emotion as we see the pain of his loss, the frustrations with his life, and most importantly the rage of the world. Where Mescal is outstanding in his own delivery of the speech to the actors. As I love that Mescal is able to deliver it as the meaning not so much as it is in the play but as it represents Will in this moment. Where there is some anger of the director struggling with his actors, but even more so the rage against the world which the speech represents in itself as Hamlet notes the pathetic state of man. Mescal doesn’t become Hamlet in the moment, he is Shakespeare in the moment, completely conveying his emotional state behind the words so powerfully. 

Needlessly doubling down the film immediately has Will alone where he recites “To be or Not to Be” as he seemingly contemplates suicide at the docks of London. I say needlessly because the previous scene I think made essentially the same point more naturally, more efficiently and more effectively, using a less frequently spoken part of Hamlet, meanwhile this is arguably Shakespeare’s most famous. Having said this I hang none of this at Mescal’s door, and while not as powerful as his previous scene, Mescal still delivers on the speech by again playing as the writer reflecting on his work rather than Hamlet, here less rage and just pure sorrow into the words that reflect upon death. Although I’d argue his less "substantive" in terms of Hamlet’s text work as the “ghost” when we finally see the production, it also better serves the idea. Where Mescal combines the sense of genuine emotion and performative emotion, delivers this quiet grief stricken darkness to the ghost as he delivers his message to Hamlet on stage. Mescal conveying in the moment the burden to be caught within this state of death and really in the painful state of grief. While not the focus of the final moments, Mescal’s reactions are pivotal as he reacts to the crowd and really his wife’s reaction to the end of Hamlet…well forgetting Fortinbras and all that but I digress. My joke aside, Mescal is great in the way it is less of a cure but rather the grief is there but intertwined with hope. Hope in his eyes that he and Agnes will find any closures and catharsis in this attempt at a reflection of their loss. Mescal finding just the right subdued even meekness in the man only carefully looking up to see if he has made the connection. Although Mescal became an afterthought within the praise of the film, though I think in part due to the misguided category fraud, it is unfortunate as his performances is essential to the film. First in creating the jumps in time, where we don't see the steps, yet Mescal makes each phase feel natural from the last in creating detail and nuance in the life of Shakespeare here presented with a purposeful vagueness at times. Mescal never feels vague, and even champions the film's most overt moments in terms of referencing the bard. And while I do have mixed feelings on the two most overt uses of the words before the ending, none of those feelings come from Mescal who always finds the power in the words but power not from Shakespeare as a literary legend but from Will as a man. 

Alternate Best Actor 2025

 And the Nominees Were Not:

Lee Byung-hun in No Other Choice

Jesse Plemons in Bugonia

Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams

David Jonsson in The Long Walk

Paul Mescal in Hamnet

Feel free to predict these five, those five or both.

Robert Aramayo in I Swear

Josh O'Connor in Wake Up Dead Man

Dylan O'Brien in Twinless

David Strathairn in A Little Prayer

Frank Dillane in Urchin

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: Results

5. William H. Macy in Train Dreams - Macy delivers an impressive transformative turn that represents his film's time and place with such poignancy.

Best Scene: Reflection on the trees.

4. Tyler Okonma in Marty Supreme - Okonma delivers such a wonderfully charismatic performance that sings through his chemistry with Chalamet. 

Best Scene: The hustle.

3. Russell Crowe in Nuremberg - Crowe elevates every bit of his film he can in presenting the evil of a man who believes himself above traditional moralities. 

Best Scene: Tale of his uncle.

2. Jacobi Jupe in Hamnet - Jupe gives a heartbreaking and endearing performance as he manages to deliver a child's earnestness with an adult's emotional conviction. 

Best Scene: Cheating death.

1. Jack O'Connell in Sinners - O'Connell delivers a truly great villainous turn where he manages to be truly menacing, rather funny, quite charismatic, wonderfully musical and even finds a bit of pathos in his vampire. 

Best Scene: First attempt at entrance. 

Overall Ranking:

1. Sean Penn in One Battle After Another
2. Jack O'Connell in Sinners
3. Jacobi Jupe in Hamnet  - 5
4. Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another
5. Russell Crowe in Nuremberg
6. Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later
7. Tyler Okonma in Marty Supreme
8. William H. Macy in Train Dreams
9. John Leguizamo in Bob Trevino Likes It
10. Delroy Lindo in Sinners
11. James Raterman in One Battle After Another - 4.5
12. Danny Huston in The Naked Gun
13. David Bradley in Frankenstein
14. Lewis Pullman in The Testament of Ann Lee
15. Peter Mullan in I Swear
16. Kevin O'Leary in Marty Supreme
17. Kenny Rasmussen in The Plague
18. Abel Ferrara in Marty Supreme
19. Géza Röhrig in Marty Supreme
20. Aidan Delbis in Bugonia
21. Josh Brolin in Wake Up Dead Man
22. Lee Sung-min in No Other Choice
23. Joe Alwyn in Hamnet
24. Noah Jupe in Hamnet
25. Jeffrey Wright in Highest 2 Lowest
26. Alexander Skarsgård in Pillion
27. Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man
28. Andrew Scott in Blue Moon
29. Ryusei Yokohama in Kokuho
30. Conan O'Brien in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
31. Leo Woodall in Nuremberg
32. Will Patton in Train Dreams
33. Jay Lycurgo in Steve
34. Tom Burke in Black Bag
35. Pedro Pascal in Freaky Tales
36. Lewis Pullman in Thunderbolts
    
37. Nicholas Hoult in Superman
38. Christoph Waltz in Frankenstein
39. Carlos Francisco in The Secret Agent
40. Patrick Kennedy in Blue Moon
41. David Strathairn in The Luckiest Man in America
    
42. Charlie Plummer in The Long Walk
43. Alden Ehrenreich in Weapons
44. Nathaniel Arcand in Train Dreams
45. Tony Goldwyn in One Battle After Another 
46. Ratso Sloman in Marty Supreme
47. David Harbour in Thunderbolts
48. Josh Brolin in Weapons
49. John Hoogenakker in One Battle After Another 
50. Liev Schreiber in Caught Stealing
51. Bobby Cannavale in Blue Moon
    
52. Chris Evans in The Materialists
53. Ben Foster in Christy
54. Andrew Garfield in After The Hunt
55. Jonah Wren Phillips in Bring Her Back
56. Joseph Quinn in Fantastic Four: The First Steps - 4
57. Rupert Evans in Truth & Treason
58. Akira Emoto in Rental Family
59. Cha Seung-won in No Other Choice
60. Vincent D'Onofrio in Caught Stealing
61. Douglas Hodge in Pillion
62. Kaiony Venâncio in The Secret Agent
63. John Carroll Lynch in Sorry Baby
64. Cary Christopher in Weapons
65. Rolf Saxon in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
66. David Strathairn in Zootopia 2
67. Kevin Durand in The Naked Gun
68. Ben Mendelsohn in Freaky Tales
69. Edi Gathegi in Superman
70. Christian Slater in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
71. Peter Dinklage in Roofman
72. Luke Manley in Marty Supreme
73. Nick Nolte in Die My Love
74. Park Hee-soon in No Other Choice
75. Koto Kawaguchi in Marty Supreme
76. Tramell Tillman in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
77. Paul Walter Hauser in The Naked Gun
78. Robert Aramayo in Palestine 36
79. Skyler Gisondo in Superman
80. Chad L. Coleman in Christy
81. Tom Hanks in Freaky Tales
82. Aaron Taylor-Johnson in 28 Years Later
83. Jim Downey in One Battle After Another
84. Omar Benson Miller in Sinners
85. Nathaniel Arcand in Train Dreams
86. Paul Rudd in Friendship
87. Tut Nyuot in The Long Walk
88. Joel Edgerton in The Plague
89. Patrick Warburton in Zootopia 2
90. John Catsimadtidis in Marty Supreme
91. Christopher McDonald in Happy Gilmore 2
92. Paul Grimstad in One Battle After Another
    
93. Kayo Martin in The Plague
94. Benedict Wong in Weapons 
95. Ralph Colucci in Marty Supreme
96. Bill Kelly in Christy
97. ASAP Rocky in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
98. Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme
99. Eric Schweig in One Battle After Another
100. Ebon Moss-Bachrach in Fantastic Four: The First Steps
101. Garrett Wareing in The Long Walk
102. Andy Samberg in Zootopia 2
103. Ryan Bader in The Smashing Machine
104. Penn Jillette in Marty Supreme
105. Mark Hamill in The Life of Chuck
106. George Gervin in Marty Supreme
107. Gabriel Spahiu in Kontinental '25
108. Daryl McCormack in Wake Up Dead Man
109. Jon Bernthal in The Accountant 2
110. Paul Schneider in Train Dreams
111. Bas Rutten in The Smashing Machine
112. Robério Diógenes in The Secret Agent
113. Ahn Hyo-seop in KPop Demon Hunters
114. Luke Ayres in Steve
115. Joshua J Parker in Steve
116. Araloyin Oshunremi in Steve
117. Tut Nyuot in Steve
118. Richard E. Grant in Nuremberg 
119. Kevin Tighe in One Battle After Another
120. Jay Ellis in Freaky Tales
121. Yul Vazquez in The Lost Bus
122. Chris Cooper in The History of Sound
123. Lee Byung-hun in KPop Demon Hunters
124. Takehiro Hira in Rental Family
125. Pico Iyer in Marty Supreme
126. Roney Villela in The Secret Agent
127. Șerban Pavlu in Kontinental '25
128. John Diehl in Train Dreams
129. D.W. Moffett in One Battle After Another 
130. Edvin Ryding in 28 Years Later
131. Anthony Carrigan in Superman
132. Wyatt Russell in Thunderbolts 
133. Nathan Fillion in Superman
134. Tom Hiddleston in The Life of Chuck
135. Lukas Gage in Companion
136. Lars Mikkelsen in Frankenstein
137.  H. Jon Benjamin in Familiar Touch 
138. Timothy Olyphant in Havoc
139. Dennis Quaid in Sovereign 
140. Benjamin Pajak in The Life of Chuck
141. Christian Convery in The Monkey
142. Jeffrey Wright in The Phoenician Scheme
143. Steven Yeun in Mickey 17
144. Simon Delaney in Blue Moon
145. Soya Kurokawa in Kokuho
146. Fisher Stevens in Song Sung Blue
147. Cosmo Jarvis in Warfare
148. Joseph Quinn in Warfare
149. Jason Schwartzman in Mountainhead
150. Pruitt Taylor Vince in Superman
151. Min Tanaka in Kokuho
152. Ken Watanabe in Kokuho
153. Hudson Hensley in Song Sung Blue
154. Shamier Anderson in The Luckiest Man in America
155. Benedict Cumberbatch in The Phoenician Scheme
156. Carl Lumbly in The Life of Chuck
157. Bryan Hibbard in Christy
158. Adonis Tanța in Kontinental ’25
159. Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World
160. Chiwetel Ejiofor in The Life of Chuck
161. Jesper Christensen in Sentimental Value
162. Pedro Pascal in The Materialists
163. Amr Waked in Urchin
164. Harris Dickinson in Urchin
165. John Magaro in The Mastermind
166. Griffin Dunne in Caught Stealing
167. Aubry Dullin in Nouvelle Vague
168. Ralph Ineson in Fantastic Four: The First Steps
169. Laurence Fishburne in The Amateur
170. LaKeith Stanfield in Roofman
171. Udo Kier in The Secret Agent
172. Sam Worthington in Relay 
173. Bill Camp in The Mastermind
174. Bruno Dreyfürst  in Nouvelle Vague
175. Øyvind Hesjedal Loven in Sentimental Value
176. Daniel Dae Kim in KPop Demon Hunters
177. Bill Lee in Eephus
178. Akemnji Ndifornyen in The Ballad of Wallis Island
179. Jim Belushi in Song Sung Blue
180. Stephen Lang in Avatar: Fire and Ash
181. Stavros Halkias in Bugonia - 3.5
182. Tim Blake Nelson in The Testament of Ann Lee
183. Tom Hanks in The Phoenician Scheme
184. Bryan Cranston in The Phoenician Scheme
185. Emory Cohen in Roofman
186. Ted Williams in Marty Supreme
187. Charles Melton in Warfare
188. Louis Cancelmi in Sorry Baby
189. Riz Ahmed in The Phoenician Scheme
190. David Cale in The Testament of Ann Lee
191. Michael Gandolfini in Warfare
192. Will Poulter in Warfare
193. Pierce Brosnan in Black Bag
194. Jeremy Irons in Palestine 36
195. Christopher Abbott in The Testament of Ann Lee
196. Mathieur Almaric in The Phoenician Scheme
197. Saul Williams in Sinners
198. Daniel Zolghadri in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
199. Simon Pegg in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
200. Michael Stuhlbarg in The Amateur
201. Regé-Jean Page in Black Bag
202. Richard Ayoade in The Phoenician Scheme
203. Kamel El Basha in Palestine 36
204. Ving Rhames in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
205. Yao in Sinners
206. Harry Shearer in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
207. Pedro Pascal in Eddington
208. John Douglas Thompson in Highest 2 Lowest
209. Michael Shannon in Nuremberg
210. Walton Goggins in The Luckiest Man in America
211. Harvey Guillén in Companion
     
212. Rob Reiner in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
213. Javier Bardem in F1
214. Ke Huy Quan in Zootopia 2
215. Holt McCallany in The Amateur
216. Ben Mendelsohn in Roofman
217. Forest Whitaker in Havoc
218. Austin Butler in Eddington
219. Ethan Slater in Wicked For Good
220. Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts
221. Carl Lumbly in Captain America: Brave New World
222. Henry Czerny in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
223. Austin Abrams in Weapons
224. Paul Walter Hauser in Fantastic Four: The First Steps
225. John Slattery in Nuremberg
226. Liam Cunningham in Palestine 36
227. David Wilmot in Hamnet
228. Colman Domingo in The Running Man
229. Tracy Letts in House of Dynamite
230. Tobias Menzies in F1
231. Michael Imperioli in Song Sung Blue
232. Lucas Hedges in Sorry Baby
233. Anders Danielsen Lie in Sentimental Value
234. Ramy Youssef in Mountainhead 
235. Jonathan Bailey in Wicked For Good
236. Hadis Pakbaten in It Was Just An Accident
237. Matt Smith in Caught Stealing 
238. Mark Hamill in The Long Walk 
239. Keith William Richards in Eephus
240. Frederick Wiseman in Eephus
241. Russell J. Gannon in Eephus
242. Charles Dance in Frankenstein
243. Jason Clarke in House of Dynamite
244. Alex Jennings in Ballad of a Small Player
245. Josh Brolin in The Running Man
246. Chiwetel Ejiofor in Eleanor the Great
247. Matthew Maher in Relay 
248. Stephen Graham in Deliver Me From Nowhere
249. Thomas Haden Church in Wake Up Dead Man
250. Italo Martins in The Secret Agent
251. Igor de Araújo in The Secret Agent
252. Gabriel Leon in The Secret Agent 
253. Ken Jeong in KPop Demon Hunters
254. Ebrahim Azizi in It Was Just An Accident
255. Paul Walter Hauser in Deliver Me From Nowhere
256. Jeff Bridges in Tron Ares
257. Daniel Zolghadri in Lurker
258. Josh O'Connor in The History of Sound
259. Jeremy Renner in Wake Up Dead Man
260. David Dastmalchian in Dust Bunny
     
261. Stephen Lang in Sisu: Road to Revenge
262. Jeff Goldblum in Wicked For Good - 3
263. Tim Blake Nelson in Captain America: Brave New World
264. Buddy Guy in Sinners 
265. Billy Crudup in Jay Kelly
266. Jacob Batalon in Novocaine
267. Daniel Ezra in The Running Man
268. Manuel Gracia-Rulfo in Jurassic World Rebirth
269. Giancarlo Esposito in Captain America: Brave New World
270. Colin Hanks in Nuremberg
271. Andrew Scott in Wake Up Dead Man
272. Cosmo Jarvis in The Alto Knights
273. Esai Morales in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
274. Rupert Friend in Companion
275. Steve Carell in Mountainhead
276. Billy Howle in Palestine 36
277. Benny Safdie in Happy Gilmore 2
278. Chris Addison in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
279. Mark O'Brien in Nuremberg 
280. Chris Evans in Honey Don't
281. Lee Pace in The Running Man
282. Jared Harris in House of Dynamite
     
283. Anthony Ramos in House of Dynamite
284. Idris Elba in House of Dynamite
285. Jim Broadbent in Jay Kelly
286. Cliff Curtis in Avatar: Fire and Ash
287. David Thewlis in Avatar: Fire and Ash
288. Cory Michael Smith in Mountainhead
289. Tom Bateman in Hedda  - 2.5
290. Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly
291. Bradley Cooper in Is This Thing On?
292. Dean Winters in Highest 2 Lowest
293. Michael Stuhlbarg in After The Hunt
294. Mark Ruffalo in Mickey 17
295. Rupert Friend in Jurassic World Rebirth
296. Holt McCallany in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
297. Danny Ramirez in Captain America: Brave New World
298. Colin O'Brien in The Monkey
299. Bad Bunny in Caught Stealing
300. Beck Bennett in Superman
301. Bad Bunny in Happy Gilmore 2
302. Jeremy Strong in Deliver Me From Nowhere
303. French Stewart in Bob Trevino Like It
304. Robert Morgan in The Accountant 2 
305. Nick Offerman in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
306. Nick Offerman in The Life of Chuck
307. Haley Joel Osment in Happy Gilmore 2
308. Andy Samberg in The Roses
309. Michael Cera in The Running Man
310. Brendan Cowell in Avatar: Fire and Ash
311. Will Pullen in A Little Prayer
312. Ray Nicholson in Novocaine - 2
     
313. Britain Dalton in Avatar: Fire and Ash
314. Bruno Bichir in Kiss of the Spider Woman
315. Gabriel Basso in House of Dynamite
316. Samuel Bottomley in Anemone
317. Jemaine Clement in Avatar: Fire And Ash
318. Evan Peters in Tron: Ares
319. Jack Champion in Avatar: Fire and Ash
320. Charlie Day in Honey Don't - 1.5
321. Asap Rocky in Highest 2 Lowest
322. The Golfers in Happy Gilmore 2 
323. Ben Stiller in Happy Gilmore 2 - 1

Next: 2025 Alternate Lead.