Top 5: “Oscar-worthy” roles in films that have been overlooked or forgotten

There are many instances where actors have played sensational roles in movies, but somehow these performances have been overlooked or even forgotten.

A user of Reddit’s popular r/movies community, which has more than 30 million members, suggested the following discussion topic: ‘Name an Oscar-worthy performance that is rarely mentioned.’ His suggestions were Joaquin Phoenix in You Were Never Really Here (2017) and Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008).

More than 2,300 community members responded to the challenge, and we’ve pulled the five most popular submissions.

Here they are:

1. In first place, with 2,100 votes, was the role played by William H. Macy in “Fargo” (1996) “The way it makes you feel sorry for a deranged loser whose wife is kidnapped is brilliant,” wrote the person who suggested it. Incidentally, Macy was nominated for an Oscar for the role. The actor’s talent has also been rewarded, in time, with two prestigious Emmy Awards.

2. Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) came in second place with 1,700 votes. Fans noted the emotional roller-coaster ride the character went through, who had perhaps more to do with getting the ring to the volcano in Mordor than Frodo.

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3. The podium is completed by Jake Gyllenhaal in “Nightcrawler” (2014). The film tells the story of a freelance journalist who searches at night for sensational stories to film and then sell to news broadcasters.

4. In fourth place, with 869 votes at the time of writing, we have three roles: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac in “Ex Machina” (2014). “I remember when I first saw the movie and was simply blown away,” wrote the user who made the suggestion.

5. Sam Rockwell in several films, including Moon (2009) and Jojo Rabbit (2019). This proposal was supported by 717 members of the r/movies community.

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