Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Results

5. Robert Preston in The Last Starfighter- Preston gives an entertaining enjoyable performance doing his usual thing that perfectly fits his character.

Best Scene: Centauri's introduction.

4. Jeffrey Jones in Amadeus- Jones gives a funny little performance with his reactions throughout the film, but does convey the right command of his character.

Best Scene: The Emperor gives his opinion on Mozart's new opera. 

3. Richard Burton in 1984- Burton gives a swan song performance being properly oppressive and cruel as his torturer character.

Best Scene: O'Brien tortures Winston. 

2. Hector Elizondo in The Flamingo Kid- Elizondo gives a very moving performance and effectively is the heart of his film.

Best Scene: Mr. Willis meets Mr. Brody. 

1. James Wood in Once Upon a Time in America-Woods wins this year easily as he gives the most complex and compelling performance. He creates an incredible depiction of one man's journey of ambition and where it leads him to.

Best Scene: Noodles meets Secretary Bailey.

Overall Rank:

1. James Woods in Once Upon a Time in America
2. Harry Dean Stanton in Repo Man
3. Kenneth McMillan in The Pope of Greenwich Village
4. Adolph Caesar in A Soldier's Story
5. Pat Morita in The Karate Kid
6. Kenneth McMillan in Dune
7. Hector Elizondo in The Flamingo Kid
8. Denholm Elliott in A Private Function
9. Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters  
10. Tsutomu Yamazaki in Farewell to the Ark
11. Richard Burton in 1984
12. Jeffrey Jones in Amadeus
13. Daniel Day-Lewis in The Bounty 
14. Sting in Dune
15. Robert Preston in The Last Starfighter
16. Dan Aykroyd  in Ghostbusters
17. Roy Dotrice in Amadeus 
18. Richard Frank in Amadeus  
19. Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters
20. Robert Englund in A Nightmare on Elm Street 
21. John Candy in Splash 
22. Powers Boothe in Red Dawn
23. John Malkovich in The Killing Fields  
24. William Atherton in Ghostbusters 
25. Tim Roth in The Hit 
26. Sy Richardson in Repo Man
27. John Litgow in Footloose
28. Richard Crenna in The Flamingo Kid  
29. Bill Hunter in The Hit
30. Amrish Puri in The Temple of Doom 
31. Dean Stockwell in Paris, Texas
32. Treat Williams in Once Upon a Time in America  
33. Tracey Walter in Repo Man
34. Charles Kay in Amadeus  
35. Fred Gwynne in The Cotton Club
36. Richard Griffiths in A Private Function 
37. Burt Young in The Pope of Greenwich Village
38. Martin Kove in The Karate Kid 
39. Patrick Hines in Amadeus 
40. Wilford Brimley in Country
41. William Zabka in The Karate Kid 
42. Jonathan Moore in Amadeus 
43. Bob Hoskins in The Cotton Club
44. Denzel Washington in A Soldier's Story 
45. Wilford Brimley in The Natural
46. Simon Callow in Amadeus 
47. Richard Edson in Stranger Than Paradise
48. Rusty Jacobs in Once Upon a Time in America 
49. Richard Farnsworth in The Natural 
50. Dan O'Herlihy in The Last Starfighter
51. Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters
52. Judge Reinhold in Beverly Hills Cop
53. John Malkovich in Places in the Heart
54. Pete Postlethwaite in A Private Function
55. Rob Reiner in This is Spinal Tap 
56. Harry Shearer in This is Spinal Tap
57. John Ashton in Beverly Hills Cop 
58. Robert Duvall in The Natural
59. Liam Neeson in The Bounty 
60. Nicolas Cage in The Cotton Club
61. James Fox in A Passage to India  
62. Harry Dean Stanton in Red Dawn
63. Danny Glover in Places in the Heart
64. Christopher Lloyd in Star Trek III 
65. Edward Woodward in Champions
66. Robert Prosky in The Natural 
67. Ian Holm in Greystoke 
68. Charlie Sheen in Red Dawn 
69. Hard Boiled Haggerty in Micki and Maude
70. Alec Guinness in A Passage to India 
71. Gregg Henry in Body Double 
72. Matthew Modine in Mrs. Soffel
73. Joe Pesci in Once Upon a Time in America
74. Richard Jordan in Dune 
75. Darren McGavin in The Natural
76. Ray McNally in Cal
77. Nick Apollo Forte in Broadway Danny Rose
78. Michael Winslow in Police Academy
79. Gregor Fisher in 1984
80. Ronny Cox in Beverly Hills Cop
81. William Forsythe in Once Upon a Time in America  
82. Richard Mulligan in Micki and Maude
83. C. Thomas Howell in Red Dawn
84. DeForest Kelly in Star Trek III
85. Mike Monetti in Once Upon a Time in America 
86. Anthony Andrews in Under the Volcano  
87. Ed Harris in Places in the Heart 
88. Bubba Smith in Police Academy
89. Nigel Havers in A Passage to India
90. Jonathan Banks in Beverly Hills Cop 
91. James Remar in The Cotton Club
92. Danny Aiello in Once Upon a Time in America 
93. Fernando Rey in The Hit
94. Ralph Richardson in Greystoke
95. Julian Sands in The Killing Fields
96. Steven Berkoff in Beverly Hills Cop
97. Dan Hedaya in Tightrope
98. Chris Penn in Footloose 
99. Seymour Cassel in Love Streams
100. Patrick Stewart in Dune
101. Jose Ferrer in Dune
102. Jurgen Prochnow in Dune 
103. Scott Glenn in The River 
104. Freddie Jones in Dune
105. Wallace Shawn in The Bostonians
106. Charles Durning in Mass Appeal
107. Johnny Depp in A Nightmare on Elm Street
108. Dean Stockwell in Dune 
109. Bruce Davison in Crimes of Passion
110. Brad Dourif in Dune 
111. Jonathan Ke Quan in The Temple of Doom 
112. Eugene Levy in Splash
113. David Graf in Police Academy
114. Andrew Rubin in Police Academy
115. Scott Tiler in Once Upon a Time in America

Next Year: 2005 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Jeffrey Jones in Amadeus

Jeffrey Jones did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Emperor Joseph II. 

One thing I have to say before I get on with my review is my annoyance in the way the director's cut of the film is used as the preferred cut by distributors. The film is a masterpiece as the theatrical cut, the director's cut adds nothing to the film, and at times very much hurts the perfect pace found in the Best Picture winning original cut.

Anyway with that out of the way onto Jeffrey Jones as the Emperor of Vienna Joseph II considered the musical King who wishes Mozart (Tom Hulce) to become part of his court, even though many of the other musical officials of Vienna dislike Mozart including the jealous Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) the official court composer for the Emperor. Amadeus is a film really with many enjoyable smaller roles filled well by various character actors, but Jones perhaps does the most with his part as the Emperor. His role is not a big one but important to the film.

Jones plays the Emperor as not a man of great power, or necessarily even a man of great substance. Jones finds a very particular way of portraying the Emperor as a bit of a doofus, well at least when it comes with the official musical dealings of the court. Jones is quite good though because he puts a great deal of wit into his portrayal that really could have been far more of an over the top idiot, but instead Jones finds just the right tone in which to play the part.The most important part of this is by taking this approach to the part he frankly is far funnier.

It is an entertaining performance particularly in his short little moments of showing the Emperor's ineptitude like when he struggles to think of a word to describe how he felt about Mozart's first opera for him, and merely takes to heart the suggestion of one of his underlings. Importantly though Jones does not overplay the stupidity of the Emperor, as there are other times where he believably shows himself to at least be a leader of some sort. In the way he carries himself, and addresses others he does suggest the right undercurrent of power in the man, but as well as a certain welcoming quality within in.

Jones finds a way to play the Emperor as he should be by supplying both laughs in displaying the Emperor's lack of musical knowledge, but as well that this man is an Emperor after all. He is particularly very good in the scene where Mozart pleads his case to be able to put on the Barber of Seville. He does well in conveying a genuine interest in the artists endeavor, but as well just the right power in his oppositions. As the Emperor states his own case Jones is convincing in that he is not opposed because he is stupid, but rather it does stem from a genuine concern as the leader of his people. This is not an especially complex part, but Jones handles it just right and adds quite a bit of joy to his film.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984

And the Nominees Were Not:

Richard Burton in 1984

Jeffrey Jones in Amadeus

James Woods in Once Upon a Time in America

Robert Preston in The Last Starfighter

Hector Elizondo in The Flamingo Kid