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

Next: 2025 Alternate Lead. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: Russell Crowe in Nuremberg

Russell Crowe did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Hermann Göring in Nuremberg.

Nuremberg follows the trial of the Nazi high command for crimes against humanity through the perspective of psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek).

Russell Crowe depicts the highest ranking Nazi still living Hermann Göring who goes about purposefully surrendering to the US allies. The piece is very much structured as Göring as the representative of the Nazi ideology to be examined and potentially taken down by crusading allied lawyers but more importantly as the scene partner for tête-à-tête of psychiatrist and evil patient in a not entirely unlike Hannibal Lecter kind of way. Although Crowe’s performance is not one that actually emphasizes the evil of the character and is far more interesting in his choices in very much presenting Göring as someone who intends to present himself as a respectable leader simply trying to run and protect his country as he sees fit. A performance that emphasizes the presence of the character, which Russell Crowe has a tremendous presence innately as a performer that isn’t the hardest for him to achieve. As we have from the first scenes between Crowe and Malek, who sadly is not up to snuff in any way shape or form and is overshadowed completely constantly here, Crowe’s performance does elevate the material consistently and makes scenes shine. As Crowe plays this almost jovial quality that doesn’t denote Göring as nice in anyway rather presenting someone who reacts to his confinement as some kind of bemusement to himself more than anything and treats the allies he sees around him including Kelley, as curiosities to him, particularly early on as he pretends not to speak English and Crowe’s whole performance is watching with a calculating and also somewhat degrading stare. 

When Göring reveals his English speaking to Kelley, Crowe’s work often is of this specific state of pretending to be far less than he is and is quite compelling in playing the elements of the character. As Crowe’s delivery of Göring’s claims of being unaware of the final solution, there’s a clever combination Crowe manages to pull of in his eyes and delivery where he manages to earnestly state the claim though with his eyes there’s always a sense of calculation waiting for people to believe his claims with the cunning of a politician and power player behind every false word. Crowe excels in creating the specific narcissism where even in the moments where it seems like he is sharing a mutual interest, like magic, or a mutual endeavor of exposing Rudolf Hess as a fraud, Crowe presents a specific quality that is less of real affection and more of an allowance for personal entertainment. Crowe never portraying direct and genuine warmth between himself and his new confidant, rather presenting a paternalistic quality of someone being amused by for him is essentially is a new underling. Crowe doesn’t soften Göring rather presents a man who believes himself to be in control of this specific situation by essentially pretending to be far less than he in terms of maliciousness but at the same time very much brandishing his intellectual skill at attempting to slip through the hangman’s noose through this particular form of subterfuge. 

Crowe only fully lets in on the character in a moment where he describes a relationship with a Jewish uncle who had invited his family into their home when he was young. Crowe first tells the story as though it is a bit of nostalgic remembrance before getting to the strange specifics that his mother was given the room near the uncle meanwhile his father was given a room with the servants in order for the uncle to have sex with his mother. Crowe’s minor yet pivotal switch in delivery stating that just because man may help does not mean they are your friend, has an incisive delivery. A delivery that speaks to a merciless man of war, and also alluding to a man with the real capability of the extreme antisemitism and atrocities his regime was responsible for. An idea only expanded upon when footage of the concentration camps incenses Kelley to directly confront Göring over his guilt and Crowe lifts the curtain on the man. Presenting just a cold resilience to criticism where anything he parries, Crowe with a confidence in his eyes and defiance in his voice always turns it around back at him with dishonest precedence. Leading to his cross-examine first by American lawyer Robert Jackson (Michael Shannon), who fumbles against Göring’s ability of obfuscation based on minor details. Crowe’s delivery of this scene, along with his physical approach where he almost sits as though he’s at a sofa, emphasizing the dismissive and controlling tone as man getting away with his crimes essentially by the small print. Only when British lawyer Sir David Maxwell Fyfe takes on the cross examination by essentially setting up that Göring would have to be a fool to not be aware and to get him to denounce Hitler do we see Göring fall. Crowe excels in this moment as well by bringing the fragility of the ego where we see the man unable to hide as he’d be a criminal one way or an idiot other, and accepting the former as the lesser of two evils to his deranged view. Crowe’s performance isn’t a big breakdown rather this quiet resignation of a man seeing that there’s no trick for him left other than in his death. Although this is hardly a great film, Crowe makes the most of what he has, even though a better script and a better co-star, this could’ve been a truly unforgettable turn, as is it is a very good one from a great actor. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: Jacobi Jupe in Hamnet

Jacobi Jupe did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Hamnet Shakespeare in Hamnet.

Jacobi Jupe plays the only son of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and Agnes (Jessie Buckley), who is one of two twins along with his sister Judith. Jupe’s performance is a fairly brief one in the scheme of the film given so much is dealing with the death of his character. So for a kid he needs to make an impact pretty quickly while also hitting a very specific blend of needs which is pretty challenging as child performers go. As the first aspect is just being a believable child which Jupe isn’t only a believable child he’s also an incredibly endearing one. There’s just a spark in his performance where you get such a sweet sincerity about his character as we see him doing kid things like switching spots with his sister to try to trick their dad and just playing around with his parents. Jupe has a real charm that feels realistic to just a kid where there’s that sense of life about him. But being just a cute kid would be one accomplishment, an accomplishment which Jupe succeeds wholeheartedly, but there is more asked of him than that.

As we have a pivotal scene where his father is going back to London to continue working, and Jupe’s emotional nuance in his strained voice at recognizing his father is leaving is heartbreaking already but so much more. Jupe’s performance manages to convey in these emotional scenes, also one with his mother where she says she has a vision of him essentially on stage, a powerful combination between a degree of emotional maturity yet still filtered through wholly a child. Such as when his father asks if “he will be brave?” Jupe is equally convincing in his first affirmation, where we see him working through the sadness of not being able to see his father for a while combined though with the determination to be protector for the rest of the family, as he is when his father keeps asking in essentially leading to a father/son cuddle, where Jupe far more childish reaction of excitement of getting his father’s affection. Jupe is convincing in both moments but more importantly they do not feel disparate rather creating an honest complexity in his depiction of Hamnet. Jupe makes it hard not to love the sweetness of the kid but with that wish to also be strong.

So then when his sister comes down with a severe illness Jupe’s performance is rather astonishing. As again we get that uniquely potent combination of mature and the child. Portraying powerfully such genuine concern for his sister combined though with the inner strength in that little face of his that carries such a remarkable impact to it. So then when he has a scene where he literally asks to give his life for Judith, it is such a devastating moment because what Jupe manages to do is be a cute kid asking essentially for superpowers in the moment to save the day, while also conveying the gravity of the choice in the direct sincerity of his delivery as he offers himself for sacrifice to save his sister. An element that becomes all too true when Judith recovers but Hamnet comes down with the same fever. Jupe’s performance is frankly hard to watch in these scenes because he’s so convincing in delivering the harrowing visceral intensity of every bit of the sickness as he becomes deathly ill. Combining this with the sort of “out of body” scenes of him calling for his mother while he’s alone on a stage, Jupe’s work carries with it such emotional devastation. And that is technically almost the end of his performance except for a single silent moment at the end of the film, which is well performed in that silence, though more so a direction moment. What Jupe accomplishes in his screentime is such a tremendous impact and is what haunts the film. He isn’t just some random child and doesn’t accept essentially the cheat of the loss of a child, which is heartbreaking even without detail. Jupe creates detail, texture and emotional connection beyond just the idea. Making Hamnet such a winning presence, so when he is lost it is all the more painful, and within it finding this wonderful combination between the conviction of an adult and the levity of a child. He makes Hamnet far more than a name and gives him a remarkable life that makes you truly feel the depth of the tragedy of having it stolen so quickly and so mercilessly.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: John Leguizamo in Bob Trevino Likes It

John Leguizamo did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bob Trevino in Bob Trevino Likes It.

Bob Trevino Likes It follows a struggling young woman Lily (Barbie Ferreira) connects with a man with the same name as her father after struggling to connect with her own. 

John Leguizamo is one of those actors who has been a mainstay of various character parts in so many different films for a particularly long time. I won’t quite say welcome presence as I’ve found him a bit inconsistent as a character actor, though I would say he typically has gotten more consistent as he’s gotten older. This might be a culmination of that trend as Bob Trevino, the Bob who is not the father of Lily, however is the man who happens to get connected with her on social media and as noted by the name likes her posts. Leguizamo’s performance is essential to any success of the film because what he does is convincingly bringing reality to the specificity of the situation. As Leguizamo’s early scenes have quite the wonderful “dad” energy for the lack of a better word where there’s a silly kind of fascination with social media and this humble kind of fun he’s just having. There’s no ulterior motive other than to share some joy with the young lady. Leguizamo manages to really hit this earnest note in a way that doesn’t seem simple but rather a natural realization of the guy’s straightforward goodness. 

When they even meet up Leguizamo finds the right tone in playing against her in each bit, where there’s a degree of shyness, a sense of the awkwardness of the situation between them but also just that direct bit of care for someone else. The connection between them forming just basically in trying to find some joy in life and Leguizamo articulates such a natural empathy in his performance in reaction to every bit of herself she reveals to them. One particularly powerful moment comes as Lily reveals that she accidentally miss handled a dog and was severely reprimanded as a young girl and mistreated by her father for the action. Leguizamo is amazing in the moment in his reaction first of disbelief than of such deep and profound empathy in his modest yet so powerful delivery of the word of reassurance that not only did she not do anything horrible, she also was horribly treated for the behavior. Leguizamo finds the essential sincerity through every interaction but also carefully showing as much as he’s offering such warmth she’s been denied by her own father for so many years, also showing the sense of joy and even confidence building in himself by being recognized for being a good man. 

As we do get brief moments of his Bob outside of the central relationship where we see him with his wife, where Leguizamo is quite effective in managing to the allude the history of the two’s sorrow over their son who died young, yet what Leguizamo is able to articulate is the man who is fighting against the sadness. Importantly shading it all that the sadness is in his eyes, but as a man who pushes through it. Leguizamo doesn’t play into conflict through the relationship with Lily, as his wife is somewhat suspicious of it, but rather presents a convincing certainty of the purity of it when he speaks of it, in a way making it all the more convincing that his wife wouldn’t be more suspicious of it. Leguizamo portrays an interesting change in his character, as Bob is already a good guy, but the relationship in a way presents the power from the acknowledgement of him being a good guy and being appreciated for it. Something he builds up naturally in his reactions to Lily’s appreciation as just finding more and more confidence, earning then the moment where Bob stands up to his boss wanting to use him as a scapegoat. A scene that in itself is well played by Leguizamo in showing Bob’s goodness fully weaponized but even greater is the moment right afterwards when he calls his wife. Leguizamo’s heartbreaking in the moment because you get such a palatable sense of pride as he describes what happens, combined with the physical stress of the moment weighing on him as he comes down afterwards. It’s a beautifully acted moment, just like all of this performance is. One that successfully sells the concept of the movie, that could easily have been far more cloying, totally unbelievable, or just ridiculous. The sincerity Leguizamo brings though delivers instead a genuine poignancy in his depiction of Bob Trevino.  

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: Tyler Okonma & Abel Ferrara in Marty Supreme

Tyler Okonma did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Wally in Marty Supreme. 

Marty Supreme has an unusual collection of performers, per the Safdie way, where while there are some professional actors the distinct faces seems more so the focus of director Josh Safdie than their professional resume when it comes to the supporting cast. A tricky approach yet one that can pay such unique dividends. One such example is Tyler Okonma, evidently better known as Tyler the creator, who had some acting roles though usually random television appearances and cameo style of appearances. But his work here you’d think he was just as reliable a character actor as any as we find him as Wally, a taxi driver and fellow ping player with Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet). Who we find as his close confidants where Okonma more than holds his own against the more established cinematic presence of Chalamet. In fact I love the matching though slightly more subdued energy that Okonma brings in his reaction to Chalamet, essentially offering Wally as the version of Marty if Marty were a bit more down to earth. The sense of friendship and a history of that friendship in their quick interaction in their first scene together really speaks to years of some ball busting and general friendly rivalry in their games. Wally comes back into play as Marty is in need of cash and Wally isn’t only Marty’s playing partner, he’s also his table hustling partner. Where again Okonma in just a few line deliveries, even when just over the phone, manages to convey a mix of frustration, friendship and intrigue as Wally’s willing to go along with Marty but also is a bit tempered in his expectations. 

We get a great banter scene when he meets Marty up at a dingy hotel and Okonma beautifully plays lower energy against Chalamet’s heightened. I especially admire his hilarious and down to earth delivery of “that’s how you get a bladder infection” after Marty claims his particular ability to restrain himself in a certain very private respect. Okonma really plays up to every down and vice versa with Chalamet, where they have excellent chemistry and you just sense these two truly go way back. An element only further amplified where each plays their parts at a bowling alley where they enact their hustle. Okonma’s so much fun in playing up his sad sack part as a seemingly injured man. Okonma brings the right lost quality to every bit and just plays up the pleasantly sorrowful man who just wants money to get home. Where you can see how he might endear himself to the patrons enough to bet on his behalf in order to show Marty playing the part of the racist jerk heel who will take a man’s last few dollars just for the sake of it. 

Leading to their successful hustle where both are magnificent in their jubilant singing and dancing around Wally’s nearly empty gas taxi cab, and each capture a sense of friendship but also the sense of the specific victory of their plan. Although there are a few exceptions as Marty asks for more money and again in just a brief exchange Okonma’s delivery of asking Marty not to screw him over is with knowledge of a man who does like Marty but knows he can only trust Marty up until a point. The trouble with Marty rears its head as those hustled find the two together, and the two make a rapid egress that leaves Okonma’s taxi damaged. A quick scene but important in the anger with attachment in Okonma’s voice where it is with the connection specifically for taking care of his family. It’s not pure hatred though, as even in his anger Okonma still conveys a bit of kid gloves he does give his friend. Something emphasized by his last brief scene in the tennis table hall where after it all Wally couldn’t be more cheerful in calling out Marty’s name. As much as I love Marty Supreme I would not have minded more Wally because Okonma picks up the part so perfectly so quickly. He doesn’t have a ton of screentime but in that screentime he fully breathes life into the part, particularly in that chemistry with Chalamet. Okonma doesn’t waste a second and if the film had been just the adventures of Wally and Marty, there’s no question Okonma could’ve carried that as well. 

Abel Ferrara did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Ezra Mishkin in Marty Supreme. 

Speaking of memorable faces there are few people with less memorable faces than off-beat director Abel Ferrara who pops into the film as a random dingy hotel denizen who has a dog that’s quite beloved to him. Casting a director weirdly seems always a wise decision as the great examples of it you do get such an idiosyncratic presence, which is certainly the case for Ferrara, who you probably could’ve shot just hanging around the set and that would’ve been interesting footage. As you have his particular way of the always non happy grin, that more than a slight daze in his eyes and of course his way of talking right through his teeth. Making every moment he does have onscreen just kind of interesting on its own. But Ferrara’s performance is more than visual casting, which is a lot because he seems like just the guy you’d see in this particular time and place in a way that enlivens those details. Ferrara’s performance though is on point regardless as we get his immediate pain when Marty accidentally drops a bathtub on him while he’s washing his tub, Ferrara doing some great pain acting, by not only doing the direct visceral reaction but even managing to convey his hurriedness as he tries to hire Marty to take his dog to the vet, bringing appreciation and concern within the pain so naturally. Of course Marty being as he is the dog runs away yet he and his “not” girlfriend Rachel (Odessa A’Zion) try to get money from Ferrara Mishkin. Ferrara’s vocal work in the phone call scene alone is just so great in its idiosyncrasy, where he’s very funny in his particularly direct and earthy way of being baffled by her overpriced request, though finding nuance even when describing that his dog cost him nothing, which Ferrara plays pretty brilliantly as you sense the facade of it a bit as Mishkin does care about his dog despite the front. As we see as he’s willing to meet to get his dog as Rachel attempts a con, where Ferrara’s performance manages to be combination of hilarious and genuinely menacing with particularly his delivery of “Fuck this” as he quickly sees through the scheme. Where Ferrara brings this natural dangerousness as he goes about casually stabbing someone and Ferrara makes it unnerving in the convincing ease of this guy’s willingness to stab essentially. Which extends as he kidnaps the pregnant Rachel and honestly his threat of taking a hammer to her stomach, to get Marty to come along, is bone chilling because the casual way Ferrara says it sells it completely as something Mishkin would totally do. Leading to a literal gunfight to get his dog back where I love how much genuine concern there is in Ferrara's voice as he calls for his dog. It's a wonderful bit of work because everything about Ferrara suggests a whole world and history that we get just a memorable glimpse of here. 

Then there’s one more performer who I won’t include his picture or name for the sake of certain readers but he didn’t receive an Oscar nomination either for portraying Milton Rockwell. But it would be disingenuous of me to review performances of Emil Jannings and Robert Blake but skip this one. As the performer in question also is not a professional actor, though heavily featured on “reality” pitch show Shark Tank, which I’ve seen a few episodes via being in company with fans of the show. Playing the role of a horrible rich guy which maybe isn’t the biggest stretch but downplaying someone as “playing themselves” is something I always bristle at. As easier said than done. For me this was a curious casting that worked for me wholly, maybe because my exposure was only as the guy offering the most parasitic deals on potential entrepreneurs. As much of it is playing right into the same type and use of what we see in Shark Tank, which let’s be honest is also a performance, essentially where he delivers a tone not of a mentor, or really even a teacher, rather a patronizing dictator of his business acumen that you should just listen to and that’s that. Honestly if you cast a more seasoned actor you probably would get more hidden depths to this guy, but weirdly I think it works maybe better in presenting Rockwell as a particularly hideous force. For example, even when he’s bringing up his dead son, the emotion behind it isn’t sorrow more of this like this annoyed repetition of a man who had his property stolen. And that isn’t an emotionless performance, rather he does play different levels of annoyance towards Marty who doesn’t listen to him, and builds from scene to scene showing a growing intensity of distaste for Marty. Leading to Marty begging for a second chance from the man by submitting to a fixed tennis match which Rockwell only allows if Marty will succumb to a literal paddling. Where the performance of gratification of each hit has such intense smarmy that is pretty remarkable, something extends to the watching of Marty’s humiliation in the fixed match, where the performer's smile is filled with such a vile pleasure. Playing towards the notes with variation but instead of a way to make you like Rockwell, you see even more how horrible he is, which may or may not have been the intention however it works. And simply put, since the performer, during the climactic match that Marty refuses to throw, evidently came up with the line "I was born in 1601. I'm a vampire. I've been around forever. I've met many Marty Mausers over the centuries. Some of them crossed me, some of them weren't straight. They weren't honest. And those are the ones that are still here. You go out and win that game, you're gonna be here forever too. And you'll never be happy. You will never be happy." I must say the casting wholly worked for me. That line is great, but the matter of fact delivery of it works as this man either being one or at least believing himself to be a representation of this force of control and exploitation that makes dictations on the world as he sees fit.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: William H. Macy in Train Dreams

William H. Macy did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Arn Peeples in Train Dreams. 

William H. Macy plays one of the men on the logging jobs that our central character Robert Granier (Joel Edgerton) works with, an old timer, the oldest on the jobs, who we come across for a brief section within the film. Macy's performance for me is one where I find the extent of the work goes beyond the character beautifully so as his screentime is fairly limited overall. Macy though seeks to give as much life as he can for Arn in just a few scenes. First portraying the specific type of age of the character, which Macy himself is 75 but a modern 75 not the 75 of the far rougher living age of the men of the turn of the century of Train Dreams. Macy specific aged manner, his voice, his movements they are all reflective of the very specific period. His vocal work is quite impressive with making the specificity of the period dialogue particularly natural, but also natural within the idiosyncratic man that is Arn. Macy pulling off the trick marvelously in being of this period so distinctly, because he manages to be so of the period while also wholly tangible of that period. Macy fashioning such specificity in the way he sits, the way he smokes his pipe, the way even walks back and forth when checking his dynamite job, that appears to be Arn's main purpose as he seems to rarely do much actual logging. Macy walks right out of that past in such a wonderful way because none of it feels like a put on rather he captures the man as though we are just transported through time to meet Arn and get to know him just a bit. His rambling delivering in itself speaks so much to someone who frankly has gotten used to frequently speaking to himself even though he speaks it in a way as though he's offering the conversation for anyone who would like to hear it. To the point Macy's reaction is almost of a bit of surprise when Edgerton's Robert shows a bit of genuine interest in one of the man's random songs he' singing. Macy's delivery has this constant internalization of even when he starts speaking to Robert, he's always looking down, still expressing the words towards himself, though with this quiet hints of warmth and attempt at a shaky wisdom of the man wholly enjoying this connection for a moment. We see within Arn's reaction to the death of a few men, a history of experiencing deaths, Macy not projecting disconnect but rather a painful acceptance of the suffering with as much grace as he can. Something he explores a bit more in the philosophical discussion about tree cutting, Macy brings such a beautiful simple passion towards describing the history the trees represent, Macy speaks with a distinction and a connection to the trees. Selling the idea powerfully in his eyes of a man looking beyond his own life in a way and having this sense of a deeper reflection. A reflection not of a modern sensibility but Macy finding it so soulfully for a man of this period. The most revealing moment of Arn though as Robert asks about his family, and Macy's delivery of "Wherever there's a smiling face" has such an artful combination of warmth and pathos of a man who means yet does suffer from it in a way well. Bringing then a direct sincerity in his appreciation for getting to know Robert beyond temporary meeting. Macy finding the man of Robert's ilk before Robert and the end of such a man, when a random branch lands on Arn's head. I love his death scene because Macy doesn't make it this big drama, rather showing the man very much lost in his thoughts from the head injury to a degree, but just trying to appreciate what's around him one last time with his modest yet heartbreaking delivery of seeing the beauty one last time. This is an extremely brief performance, which should not be a criticism but rather a reason to praise Macy all the more. Macy transforms himself here, in a way that I have not seen before from him, so specifically to embody such a distinct sense of period and setting, but also so specifically this man and his unique philosophy. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025: Jack O'Connell in Sinners

Jack O’Connell did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Remmick in Sinners. 

Jack O’Connell plays the lead villain of the film the vampire Remmick who literally jumps into the frame to interrupt the main action with his presence, as he first sees him seek refuge from Choctaw vampire hunters via a pair of Klu Klux Klan members. Where essentially we see what is so much of O’Connell’s performance, which he excels with consistently, which is the various “sells” Remmick delivers throughout the film in an attempt to get let into different places and try to convince others to buy into him in one way or another. In this first instance basically playing a “hat in hand” southern traveler “mistreated” by the Choctaw as he pleads with his “good ole boy” southern accent for this scene to the husband and wife Klan members, which gets him in before revealing his true nature where O’Connell consistently brings the biggest of smiles of Remmick in a way loving what he does as he “invites” people to join him in his “family” so to speak. O’Connell finding the perfect kind of demonic glee as you see him loving him see the spread of himself essentially as he converts the two to his cause. 

Unfortunately for those on the first night of the juke joint, particularly inspiring musician Sammie (Miles Caton) who has given a musical performance that called upon the ancestors which Remmick could see from beyond the home, Remmick takes more than a liking to Sammie. O’Connell’s eyes in the scene of discovery are essential as you see suddenly the drive and real lust for Sammie, not sexual or even bloodlust, but just the desire for that power to connect with his ancestors which becomes his fixation. Where we get the first musical performance of O’Connell which he makes strong use of everyone that he gets, the first being presenting himself to the owner twins Stack/Smoke (Michael B. Jordan), among others, as merely a folk trio as they play “Pick Poor Robin Clean”, which is a wonderful moment where the performance, particularly O’Connell’s delivery of the song where he manages to have this combination of wholesome and creepy at the exact same time particularly in that smile of his. And O’Connell is quite charming to the point you could believe he’d convince everyone to let him in, as brings such a passive delivery and almost an “aw shucks” manner to everything he says as just a leader of the white trio who just wants a moment of equality. He manages to be creepy, charming but also naturally funny in presenting the sides of Remmick’s pitch. Two separate standout moments, one when noting Sammie, and O’Connell demeanor changes towards that lust just a bit as though Remmick can’t quite help himself, and the other moment when Smoke asks if they’re Klan members. O’Connell is hilarious in the stammering in the moment, where Remmick personally is surprised at the accusation yet also with the sense of needing to sidestep the issue because his companions were Klan members even though he was not. 

O’Connell’s presentation of Remmick is a fascinating use of essentially using good to do bad. As his second musical performance of “Will Ye Go, Lassie Go”, there is such sincere devotion to the song, just as is his overtures to Hailee Steinfeld’s Mary who just lost her mother, where O’Connell presents it less as a lie, but rather leaving out the whole truth. Presenting basically vampirism as a cure for all ills, and O’Connell in trying to pull in the mark bringing this meek earnestness to each note just as he did the song. Only when it is clear she is passing on the note, O’Connell instant switch to violence has such a remarkable ease as you see the real vicious intention who won’t give you a choice on his healing. Which then we get a domino effect of most of the patrons, Mary and Stack getting converted, and we get another aspect of O’Connell’s performance. Which is testament to some great blocking from Ryan Coogler, and the work of O’Connell in conveying this specific puppet master he is. Something we see both in his last sell to the survivors, where the formerly human people also all sell the notion of the vampire community but also as we literally see in O’Connell’s last musical performance “Rocky Road to Dublin” where the vampires are all dancing around his lead where O’Connell wonderfully dances to the tune as someone fully embracing this night. O’Connell’s movements with the other vampires is also in this calm center of power, but also with this lack of surprise to every word or movement they say. O’Connelly delivers these subtle gestures and movements that reinforce the way that everyone is under his beckon call even when they are supposedly speaking for themselves. 

O’Connell has a confidence of tone throughout the film. Where has an ease to be menacing, to find some genuine depth in certain moments but also can even be quite funny as well. As he has so many great touches throughout. One that requires mention is continuing that excitement towards converting Sammie, with his particularly fervent delivery of “SAMMIE!” when surprising poor Sammie, among others, by flying around the back of the juke joint to attack them. A moment that is funny but also alarming in equal measure. There is even remarkable attention to detail in his accent, which is how to utilize one brilliantly. Where O’Connell allows the real Irish origin of Remmick to be a hint throughout, which in itself is not O’Connell’s own accent. Allowing himself to reveal it in the most personal moment, such as when the escaping Sammie starts reciting the Lord’s Prayer only for Remmick to join in gleefully. O’Connell brings this demented quality as he mocks Sammie’s attempt, but also interwoven with a certain long dormant pain as he recounts the words from the men who took his father’s land. Even within the finale itself, which I will admit I do find a little straightforward in the actual method of the vampire’s destruction, O’Connell does his best to make it as interesting as he can. The first being when Sammie, to survive, slams the guitar against Remmick’s head where the silver of the guitar jams into Remmick’s face. O’Connell’s delivery of “Shit” is absolutely hilarious as he grants you the sense of an immortal, who is a bit taken aback by one injury he’ll survive but is going to be leading a lasting mark for quite awhile. Followed by the light burning Remmick up, which a theoretical standard moment of the vampire burning up, yet even this O’Connell makes a bit more interesting as his cries are of pain, yet there’s more to them than that, there’s a complex sorrow he brings not from the death but rather potentially finally being freed or seeing the sun after so many years. It would be easy enough just to make it “bastard gets his” moment but even that O’Connell uses to bring a bit more character to the film. As strange as it is that I might’ve preferred a Sinners without vampires, O’Connell is the best argument against this claim. As he consistently impresses in creating such a magnetic villain, who fashions an honest argument, while bringing genuine vicious menacing and just so many memorable little moments within his relatively limited screentime. The fact that he’s in the film for less than 15 minutes only speaks to the incredible impact he has on the film. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2025

And the Nominees Were Not:

Russell Crowe in Nuremberg

Jacobi Jupe in Hamnet

Jack O'Connell in Sinners

Tyler Okonma in Marty Supreme

William H. Macy in Train Dreams

Best Actor 2025: Results

5. Michael B. Jordan in Sinners - Jordan effectively carries his film in two separate ways one through charisma and one through stoic conviction. 

Best Scene: Epilogue.

4. Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon - Hawke gives his most showoff performance to date, and I found it largely effective as the showoff yet sorrowful Lorenz Hart. 

Best Scene: Argument with Rodgers.  

3. Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent - Moura gives a subdued and moving depiction essentially of one normal man trying to live in a mad time.

Best Scene: Testimony

2. Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another - DiCaprio delivers one of his best performances that manages to be both a very funny and moving journey from revolutionary to burnout dad. 

Best Scene: In the car with Sensei. 

1. Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme - Good predictions Kevin, Robert, Tim & John Smith. Chalamet is a live wire of cinematic charisma in delivering a captivating yet challenging depiction of one man's ego and ambition. 

Best Scene: Final game. 

Next: 2025 alternate supporting. 

Best Actor 2025: Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon

Ethan Hawke received his third acting Oscar nomination for portraying Lorenz “Larry” Hart in Blue Moon. 

Blue Moon follows songwriter Lorenz Hart hanging around Sardi’s on Oklahoma! opening night, a success of his songwriting partner Richard Rodgers, but without Hart as his lyricist. 

Ethan Hawke receives his first leading Oscar nomination in a fairly atypical role for Hawke. Hawke has in the past had transformative parts but in the role Hart, who was five foot, sporting not the best combover and a man of constant flamboyancy, this is an idiosyncratic performance within Hawke’s oeuvre. This is the most “look at me” performance Hawke has ever given and I actually don’t mean this as a criticism given that is entirely within the attention of the character of Lorenz Hart as depicted in Blue Moon. The film after all is constructed essentially as a stage play, where it wouldn’t be the hardest to tweak into a one man show stage play honestly, and one where the star would be well above the title on the marquee with so much of the attention of the piece is to see that star act. Hawke is granted this opportunity to act up a storm essentially and it really wasn’t too surprising, and really quite fitting to the character of Hart in the film that there has been a degree of disagreement on this performance. Fitting the bit of Hart throughout the film where his whole act may be something you find endearing, or tiresome, or maybe a mix of both, and Hawke’s performance can fall within the same exact perspective. 

Hawke very much chooses to be unforgiving to anyone not purchasing a ticket to his show where he goes all in on every bit of flamboyance there is to the character of Hart. His specific accent choice in which basically he’s dishing out gossip with every word he speaks, which he finds absolutely delicious at least, his physical manner very much brings a degree of pantomime style where every story must also be articulated within his movements to accentuate every bit he has. Hawke is performative as a performative man who wants to make everything he does and says as a bit of a performance for all to see. The starting performance being his ire towards Oklahoma! As an abhorrent overly schmaltzy non-satirical claptrap, where Hawke very much plays the disgust with more than tilt of over the top dismissiveness. Hawke plays the note of the critic where his judgment is that upon high where everything wrong with Oklahoma is accentuated as an aggressive bit of venom built upon superiority. A superiority of a man who knows, within his own mind, that he would’ve made a far better show, but not sure most if any would actually agree with him. 

The next performance is the bar patron, where he purposefully makes himself the single spectacle of Sardi’s, where he is known by name by the tender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), along with a piano for hire. Hawke with Eddie in particular playing up the man who wants, no need, to be the life of the party as he comes up with one anecdote after another, and one joke after another. Whether that be his declarative way of stating the worst line in Casablanca by complaining about the specific usage of precedent, but also conversely praising the film for its famous final line. Still declaration, yet more playful than when concerning musical theater. But really Hart is on a constant wave of prattling on in every direction as he’ll swing as quickly to making a joke about one’s manhood when half cocked, where Hawke’s delivery accentuates a purposeful provocation and color of someone who wants to be noticed but also entertain in his specific measure of doing so. While also ensuring everyone knows his business as he proclaims his intentions for his love interest, the young Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), where he makes his intentions known to bed her with all with braggadocious manner however that really alluding to the insecurities of the man who has to defensively remind Eddie that he isn’t strictly homosexual. 

Where we see a wavering, particularly as writer E.B. White (Patrick Kennedy) also happens to be in the bar, Hawke does denote the certain reverence towards White, there’s still irreverence at moments but he tones down his delivery as such and does effectively allude within Hart’s certain respect for another writer. Hawke becomes as performative but more wistful as though he is sharing these moments with someone who he believes thinks the way he does. Including getting to “glory” in his own review of himself and Rodgers with this distinct pride and articulating every bit of “genius” in the review in the most indulgence but this strange kind of sincerity in the more genuine joy we see in Hawke’s expressions because someone he admires is reading it. Contrasting that are the moments where he releases his past failures, such as bad reviews on the poor piano player, where Hawke is at his most indulgent in just really making every line an overlong symphony of pity me pathos…but Hart is also doing the same as a man who wants others to feel sorry for him, or at least begin to feel as sorry for him as he feels for himself. 

Honestly Hawke’s most interesting scenes however are with Andrew Scott as Richard Rodgers, because that is where we do get the most dynamic sense of his personality beyond the performance, though we do open the performance as Hawke, purposefully, is at his phoniest as he praises Oklahoma to high heavens initially. Meanwhile we have Hart trying to sell Rodgers on his own satirical ideas, where you do get that sense of creative passion in every word, that you do see the man in his element, but in the moment too much as he’s composing his thoughts at Rodgers. Rodgers however though is less to jump in, particularly as in his ideas there’s more than a few attacks against the earnestness of Oklahoma, which Hawke does deliver well as basically the rambling passions of a man who can’t help himself.  Where we get snap backs from Rodgers noting Hart’s unreliability, and alcoholism. Where Hawke’s reactions in these moments are some of his best because we see the drop of any “fun”, just instead playing a messy combination between bitter sorrow at Rodgers noting his very real flaws, and sloppy attempts at apology of the man trying to still keep his connection with his creative partner alive. 

Contrasting that I find the least interesting scenes with the young Elizabeth, where Hawke needs to play a simpering horndog, which there is probably a better word but I’d rather use one Hart wouldn’t approve of, towards her and wanting to know her sexual escapades with a younger man, while really wanting to have sex with her himself. Getting into details in a one on one conversation that I’m pretty sure is a seven hour long scene, well at least it felt much longer than anything in The Secret Agent. Although this isn’t really Hawke, or Qualley, just the story itself is so aggressively boring and just seems like it takes forever to tell a real simple tale of Elizabeth likes hot young guy for his hotness but like Hart for his brain but can’t love him due to his lack of hotness. Hawke is entirely fine in the scene in the over eagerness at listening to the details, then his immediate switch to the sad sack at the truth of it all, but balanced with his deliveries that attempt some mentor's grace even as he’d rather not have it in the moment. 

Through the night we have those different variations of similar songs, more so than any great revelatory portrait of a trouble artist, and in the end they are just different avenues for Hawke to show off this different side of his presence as an actor. Even his previously more extroverted performances, like in his career best work in The Good Lord Bird, were not extroverted in this sense. Hawke very much is playing to the backrows and very much is presenting this performance as a take or or leave quantity in realizing Hart as a take it or leave it man. The question really becomes then is how much do you really like spending time with all this performing? Well, I mostly enjoyed it, though this is an instance of hanging out with a raconteur whom I mostly enjoy. I don't always love it but am willing to get through maybe a bit I’m less find of because I might enjoy the next one more. Would I say in this respect that this is Hawke’s best performance, even if just cinematically, no, but within the approach of essentially an actor’s showcase, I think Hawke offers an entertaining enough entry, my favorite no, but one I did not mind giving my time two twice…for the most part.