Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1976: Results

5. Robert Duvall in Network - Duvall absolutely fulfills the role of the corporate hatchet men, and smartly differs himself from his other co-stars by showing that only money and power motivate the man.

Best Scene: Firing Max.

4. Carl Weathers in Rocky - Weathers gives a very entertaining yet nuanced depiction of a champion boxer.

Best Scene: Deciding on the Italian Stallion.

3. Chief Dan George in The Outlaw Josey Wales - Dan George gives a moving, funny, and very unique depiction of the "wise Indian".

Best Scene: His first monologue.

2. Hal Holbrook in All The President's Men - Holbrook gives a brilliant performance that creates such an enigmatic and fascinating character. 

Best Scene: Deep Throat's introduction.

1. Robert Shaw in Robin and Marian - Good Prediction RatedRStar. Robert Shaw gives a great performance. He brings his usual menace that you'd expect from him, but also offers a humorous and surprisingly moving depiction of a tired man forced to relive the past.

Best Scene: The duel. 

Overall Rank:

1. Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man
2. Robert Shaw in Robin and Marian
3. Hal Holbrook in All The President's Men
4. Chief Dan George in The Outlaw Josey Wales
5. Carl Weathers in Rocky
6. Burgess Meredith in Rocky
7. Robert Duvall in Network
8. Jason Robards in All The President's Men
9. Nicol Williamson in Robin and Marian
10. David Warner in The Omen
11. Roy Scheider in Marathon Man
12. James Stewart in The Shootist
13. Harry Dean Stanton in Missouri Breaks
14. Jeff Goldblum in Next Stop, Greenwich Village
15. Richard Harris in Robin and Marian
16. Zero Mostel in The Front
17. Donald Sutherland in The Eagle Has Landed
18. Martin Scorsese in Taxi Driver
19. Robert Duvall in The Eagle Has Landed
20. Harvey Keitel in Taxi Driver
21. Joe Spinell in Rocky 
22. Peter Falk in Murder By Death
23. John Vernon in The Outlaw Josey Wales 
24. Ned Beatty in Silver Streak
25. Peter Sellers in Murder By Death
26. Christopher Walken in Next Stop, Greenwich Village
27. William Devane in Marathon Man
28. Richard Boone in The Shootist
29. Richard Pryor in Silver Streak
30. Marty Feldman in Silent Movie
31. Jackie Earle Haley in The Bad News Bears
32. James Coco in Murder By Death
33. Donald Pleasence in The Eagle Has Landed
34. Patrick McGoohan in Silver Streak
35. Dom DeLuise in Silent Movie
36. Erland Josephson in Face to Face
37. Herbert Lom in The Pink Panther Strikes Again
38. Vic Morrow in The Bad News Bears
39. Alec Guinness in Murder By Death
40. Ron Howard in The Shootist
41. Melvyn Douglas in The Tenant
42. Jack Warden in All The President's Men
43. Burt Reynolds in Silent Movie
44. Ian Holm in Robin and Marian
45. Randy Quaid in Missouri Breaks 
46. Tony Burton in Rocky
47. Richard Narita in Murder By Death
48. Ronny Cox in Bound For Glory
49. Gunnar Bjornstrand in Face to Face
50. Patrick Troughton in The Omen
51. Stephen Collins in All The President's Men  
52. James Caan in Silent Movie
53. James Cromwell in Murder By Death
54. William Katt in Carrie
55. Treat Williams in The Eagle Has Landed
56. Dick Crockett in The Pink Panthers Strikes Again
57. Sid Caesar in Silent Movie
58. Martin Balsam in All The President's Men
59. Leo McKern in The Omen
60. Paul Newman in Silent Movie
61. Albert Brooks in Taxi Driver
62. Harvey Spencer Stephens in The Omen
63. Michael Murphy in The Front
64. Will Sampson in The Outlaw Josey Wales
65. Scatman Crothers in Silver Streak 
66. Truman Capote in Murder By Death
67. John Travolta in Carrie
68. Robert Walden in All The President's Men
69. Ned Beatty in Network
70. Fredric Forrest in Missouri Breaks 
71. Anthony Quayle in The Eagle Has Landed
72. Denholm Elliot in Robin and Marian
73. John Carradine in The Shootist 
74. Albert Popwell in The Enforcer
75. Peter Boyle in Taxi Driver
76. David Niven in Murder By Death
77. Wesley Addy in Network
78. Burt Young in Rocky
79. Harold Gould in Silent Movie
80. Antonio Fargas in Next Stop Greenwich Village
81. Clifton James in Silver Streak
82. Thayer David in Rocky
83. Charles Grodin in King Kong 
84. Larry Hagman in The Eagle Has Landed
85. Kenneth Haigh in Robin and Marian 
86. Ed Lauter in Family Plot
87. John Lithgow in Obsession  
88. Arthur Burghardt in Network
89. Sydney Lassick in Carrie
90. Hugh O'Brian in The Shootist
91. John McLiam in Missouri Breaks
92. Bill McKinney in The Shootist 
93. Bill McKinney in The Outlaw Josey Wales
94. Harry Morgan in The Shootist 
95. DeVeren Bookwalter in The Enforcer

Next Year: 1940 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1976: Carl Weathers in Rocky

Carl Weathers did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Apollo Creed in Rocky.

Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed was actually the only mainstay of the Rocky series, with a large role, that was not nominated for the 1976 Academy Awards. That's unfortunate as this also extends to the character of Apollo is not frequently mentioned in terms of the strength of the original film. Not that he's in any way a criticized element, but rarely is given the credit it should be in terms of the writing and the performance. Since the film is about Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), and his struggle it would have been easy enough to deal with his eventual opponent, The World Heavyweight Champion, as either a non-entity entirely or perhaps an overdone villain. Apollo is neither of those things and through his few scenes throughout the film we get an rather interesting character. His first appearance is for show as we see him on TV handling an interview. Weathers is excellent in his development of Creed's mannerisms in this scene as he takes on Muhammad Ali's style mannerisms of almost dancing when speaking, yet Weathers alters them enough to make them his own in making Apollo not just an imitation.

The next time we see Apollo though it is in a more private setting as he tries to come up with a new fighter for his bi-centennial fight, after his previous opponent must recover from an injury. Weathers is terrific because he does not just present Apollo as he was in the interview, instead he shows frankly a very different man. The mannerisms are still there but only to a far more muted, frankly a far more natural degree. Weathers presents Apollo as much more of a business man in the scene as he discusses the raw facts of what they need to do for the fight. That's not all though and Weathers is brilliant in portraying Apollo as he is basically his own promoter as he comes up with the idea for the fight, which is to get a local nobody a chance at the World Championship belt. There is a special glint in his eyes, and Weathers is marvelous in giving the idea such light as he develops it in his head before pitching it to the rest of the men. In his eyes Weathers conveys so well basically the dollar signs in Apollo's eyes as he states he details of the ideas and even more so when he finds the perfect fighter, none other than the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa.

Weathers also technically helps in giving more sense to why Rocky stands a chance, who in this film is not a great fighter. As Weathers shows that there is never the fight on his mind except just a few brief reassurances to his trainer, where Weathers exudes such confidence in his wave away of any potential challenge showing that it is obvious to Apollo that Rocky is not worth a second thought. Most of the time though it is all about the returns of the fight. This eventually leads to the fight itself which Weathers portrays the true showman in Apollo particularly in his over the top entrance. Weathers is extremely entertaining in portraying just the whole pomp of Apollo as his act is clearly trying to get the most of the crowd. The whole put on is absurd and purposefully so as Weathers makes it the true performance it should be with the mannerisms more overt than ever before since the whole crowd needs to see them. His whole physical of portrayal of the fight is worthy of mention as he actually makes a bit of an arc within it. In the opening he continues the act as Weathers continues to be properly over the top as even his punches are done as rather ridiculous and only for the show. Eventually though Rocky shows that he's in for the fight, and Weathers properly adjusts his performance to an actual match. As it continues though Weathers is great in depicting an ever growing intensity, as well his own physical pain, as he finally takes the fight seriously. Weathers gives a strong performance here by finding the depth to Apollo past simply Rocky's opponent. He's far more than that as Weathers develops, in just a few scenes, the whole way this true prizefighter operates, as a businessman, as a promoter, an entertainer, and when he needs to be a fighter.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1976

And the Nominees Were Not:

Hal Holbrook in All The President's Men

Carl Weathers in Rocky

Robert Duvall in Network

Robert Shaw in Robin and Marian

Chief Dan George in The Outlaw Josey Wales 

As Well As:

Ron Howard in The Shootist

Marty Feldman in Silent Movie