Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1982: Results

5. Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy - Lewis gives a natural yet still funny portrayal of the rather painstaking measures a man takes in dealing with his celebrity status.

Best Scene: Pupkin invades Jerry's home.

4. Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn - Although I do feel he is underused somewhat Montalban creates an imposing villain while also giving a fairly striking portrait of a man consumed by obsession.

Best Scene:  "From hell's heart i stab at thee"

3. Michael Keaton in Night Shift - Keaton turns a potentially obnoxious character into only an endearing, very funny and even occasionally moving screwball of a man.

Best Scene: Breaking down prostitution.

2. Mickey Rourke in Diner - Mickey Rourke succeeds in proving to be a definition of cool in his very charismatic and quietly humorous performance.

Best Scene: Boogie is threatened.

1. Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner - Good predictions Psifonian, GetDonaldSutherlandAnOscar, and Michael Patison. Rutger Hauer easily gives the best supporting performance of 1982 in his portrayal of Roy Batty. He is properly menacing and certainly creates a memorable villain, but he goes even past that giving a heartbreaking depiction of the humanity in an artificial creation trying to find a way to stave off his demise.

Best Scene: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe"

Overall Rank:

1. Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner
2. James Mason in The Verdict
3. Mickey Rourke in Diner
4. Michael Keaton in Night Shift
5. Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
6. Wilford Brimley in The Thing
7. Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy
8. William Sanderson in Blade Runner
9. Charles Durning in Tootsie
10. Daniel Stern in Diner
11. Jack Warden in The Verdict
12. John Lithgow in The World According to Garp
13. Lou Gossett, Jr. in An Officer and A Gentleman
14. Edward James Olmos in Blade Runner
15. Keith David in The Thing
16. Richard Crenna in First Blood
17. James Earl Jones in Conan The Barbarian
18. David Warner in Tron
19. Burgess Meredith in Rocky III
20. Dan O'Herlihy in Halloween III: Season of the Witch
21. Joe Turkel in Blade Runner
22. Bill Murray in Tootsie
23. Ian Charleson in Gandhi
24. Joel Polis in The Thing
25. Brian Dennehy in First Blood
26. Kevin Bacon in Diner
27. James Mason in Evil Under the Sun
28. Brion James in Blade Runner
29. T.K. Carter in The Thing
30. Roshan Seth in Gandhi
31. Milo O'Shea in The Verdict
32. Max von Sydow in Conan The Barbarian
33. David Keith in An Officer and A Gentleman
34. Dabney Coleman in Tootsie 
35. Robert MacNaughton in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
36. John Gielgud in Gandhi
37. Steve Guttenberg in Diner
38. John Carradine in The Secret of NIMH
39. Carl Weathers in Rocky III 
40. Thomas G. Waites in The Thing
41. Sydney Pollack in Tootsie
42. Richard Masur in The Thing
43. Derek Jacobi in The Secret of NIMH
44. Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 
45. David Patrick Kelly in 48 Hours
46. Paul Winfield in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
47. Arthur Malet in The Secret of NIMH
48. James Remar in 48 Hours
49. Peter Strauss in The Secret of NIMH
50. Vincent Gardenia in Death Wish II
51. M. Emmet Walsh in Blade Runner
52. Dom DeLuise in The Secret of NIMH
53. Bill Kerr in The Year of Living Dangerously
54. Martin Sheen in Gandhi
55. Bruce Boxleitner in Tron 
56. Paul Reiser in Diner
57. Tony Randall in The King Of Comedy
58. DeForest Kelley in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
59. Charles Hallahan in The Thing
60. Mr. T in Rocky III
61. Roddy McDowall in Evil Under the Sun
62. Wayne Robson in The Grey Fox
63. Donald Moffat in The Thing
64. George Gaynes in Tootsie
65. Richard Dysart in The Thing
66. Daniel Day-Lewis in Gandhi
67. Tim Daly in Diner
68. Tim Curry in Annie
69. Ken Pogue in The Grey Fox
70. Peter Weller in Shoot the Moon
71. Denis Quilley in Evil Under the Sun
72. James Doohan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
73. Kevin Kline in Sophie's Choice
74. Barnard Hughes in Tron
75. James Garner in Victor Victoria 
76. John Shea in Missing
77. Burt Young in Rocky III
78. Peter Coyote in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
79. Michael Murphy in The Year of Living Dangerously
80. Walter Koenig in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
81. Bill Macy in My Favorite Year 
82. George Takei in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
83. John Amos in The Beastmaster 
84. Mako in Conan The Barbarian
85. Richard Belzer in Night Shift
86. Charles Durning in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
87. Charles Cioffi in Missing
88. Henry Jones in Deathtrap
89. Joseph Bologna in My Favorite Year
90. Rip Torn in The Beastmaster
91. Jack Starrett in First Blood
92. Nicholas Kay in Evil Under the Sun
93. Dom DeLuise in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
94. Gerry Lopez in Conan The Barbarian
95. Hulk Hogan in Rocky III

Next Year: 1956 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1982: Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy

Jerry Lewis did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a BAFTA, for portraying Jerry Langford in The King of Comedy.

Jerry Lewis is perhaps best known for his wacky comedies like the Nutty Professor, but there's nothing wacky about his performance here. Lewis has said that he is essentially playing himself here and the parallels are quite obvious right down to the same first name. Langford though is a successful comic just as Lewis is, and Lewis even hosted a variety show in his career not unlike the show hosted by Langford. Langford has a dual contradictory nature in the film. The first side is that of the fantasies of the fame obsessed celebrity wannabe Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) and the more sexually charged fame obsessed Masha (Sandra Bernhard). In this regard Langford is seen as he is seen on stage. We get the scenes of Langford doing his show where of course Lewis is particularly believable. This is not merely a given though and Lewis deserves credit for creating the scenes as the charismatic, somewhat sardonic talk show host, even if he has done the same thing in real life. A funny example but a good one for why this does deserve credit is if one watches Siskel & Ebert on I believe Sesame Street. They are both technically just doing their show with a slight twist but if you watch it Gene Siskel replicates that in a fictional setting in a natural way whereas Roger Ebert's performance is actually a little labored.

Lewis of course deserves credit anyway because technically he does his talk show manner more like Johnny Carson, where is his normal hosting method still was bit closer to his wacky onscreen persona. In addition though we get some more scenes of the fantasy where Pupkin dreams himself to be Langford's superior confidant. Lewis is good in fulfilling the false fantasy as he portrays this Langford as somewhat needy in the way that Pupkin is as he in reality. Outside of the fantasy though Lewis shows Langford in a far different light particularly in regards to his interactions with Pupkin. There is one particularly strong scene in the film where it shows Jerry walking around in downtown Manhattan where he is frequently spotted. Lewis is terrific in this scene, which included even real calls out to Lewis himself, as he shows the manner in which Langford must go about the normal routine of walking down the street while being so well known. Lewis is good in his body language as he portrays a slight hurry in his step in order to never quite be caught though while still having an ease in his manner. In his interactions Lewis is great in portraying a detachment as he always seems to stare somewhere else while still smiling, and trying to be friendly enough. Lewis presents the manner in which Langford tries to be as courteous as he should be well still maintaining a healthy distance, which unfortunately does get him into trouble. 

The worst person for Langford is Pupkin who refuses to leave him alone. It begins in a ride home where Pupkin keeps selling his right to be on Jerry's show. Lewis keeps that same general calm as he tries to get rid of Pupkin as calmly as he possibly can. This leads to problems though when Pupkin keeps hounding the staff of Jerry's show and eventually even goes to Jerry's home. The scene at Jerry's house is a great moment for Lewis as he shows rather bluntly that Langford now is fed up with Pupkin. Lewis actually manages to be a bit funny, in a purposefully painfully awkward scene, as he basically portrays such an intense rage in Jerry as he sees that a man's celebrity obsession has now even invaded his home. Lewis seems to suggest that Langford is about a step away from really hurting Pupkin but will keep it all pent inside as he struggles to calmly tell Pupkin to get out and never return. This naturally gets Langford kidnapped by Pupkin, so Pupkin and Masha can get what they want from him. Lewis again does well as he shows Langford just trying to calmly talk himself out of the situation. He effectively express the quiet fear in Langford as he attempts to keep Pupkin or Masha from hurting him. Lewis might actually be the cause of the funniest scene in the film which is when Pupkin forces Langford to deliver a message by cue cards. Lewis is hilariously deadpan, while staying true to his realistic depiction, in portraying Langford subdued exasperation as he tries to delicately explain Pupkin's mistakes with the cards. Lewis then is restricted to being taped to chair while Masha has a bizarre dinner with him and Pupkin gets to finally do his act on the show. Lewis does a great job of reflecting my own pained reaction at watching Sandra Bernhard's performance which properly culminates with him punching her out with a chance. Lewis only gets a single final reaction for Langford as he watches Pupkin's act. That's enough as the hate in his eyes sums up Langford's disgust at seeing Pupkin cheat his way to the top. Lewis does some very strong work in the film as he simply realistically portrays the reaction of a man in Langford's position and situation while managing to be naturally entertaining.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1982

And the Nominees Were Not:

Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner

Mickey Rourke in Diner

Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy

Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Michael Keaton in Night Shift