Oscar comebacks: Actors with a huge gap between Academy Award nominations
At last night’s Academy Awards, Michael B. Jordon won his first Oscar as Best Actor for his work in ‘Sinners’ … and it was his first nomination. Also, Jessie Buckley won her first Oscar for Best Actress in ‘Hamnet’. As we know, stars rise fast, and can fade just as quickly into obscurity. Many great performances go unnoticed in the flood of new releases, while others may be outshined in a particularly competitive year.
Read: Inspiring stories from GenX and Boomers
Of the 993 actors who have been nominated for an Academy Award, only about one-third have received two or more nominations. While critical praise tends to happen in quick succession – most multi-nominated actors wait fewer than 10 years for their second nomination – some older actors manage to defy Hollywood’s short memory, staging huge Oscar comebacks after decades waiting in the wings. The late Diane Keaton, for example, waited 15 years between her acting nominations for Reds in 1981 and Marvin’s Room in 1996. Other actors have waited more than twice as long to return to Academy recognition.
To determine the older actors that made huge Oscar nomination comebacks, Nifty 50+ reviewed data on acting nominations from the Academy Awards Database of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Actors were ranked based on the gap in years between receiving nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress. Honorary or special lifetime achievement awards were not considered.
25. Anthony Hopkins
– Gap between nominations: 22 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Two Popes” (2019)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Amistad” (1997)
– Total career acting nominations: 6 (2 wins)
24. Max von Sydow
– Gap between nominations: 23 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” (2011)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor, “Pelle the Conqueror” (1988)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
23. Laura Dern
– Gap between nominations: 23 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actress, “Wild” (2014)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress, “Rambling Rose” (1991)
– Total career acting nominations: 3 (1 win)
22. William Holden
– Gap between nominations: 23 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actor, “Network” (1976)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor (won), “Stalag 17” (1953)
– Total career acting nominations: 3 (1 win)
21. Mickey Rooney
– Gap between nominations: 23 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Black Stallion” (1979)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Bold and the Brave” (1956)
– Total career acting nominations: 4 (0 wins)
20. Glenn Close
– Gap between nominations: 23 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actress, “Albert Nobbs” (2011)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress, “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988)
– Total career acting nominations: 8 (0 wins)
19. Christopher Walken
– Gap between nominations: 24 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Catch Me If You Can” (2002)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor (won), “The Deer Hunter” (1978)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (1 win)
18. Peter O’Toole
– Gap between nominations: 24 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actor, “Venus” (2006)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor, “My Favorite Year” (1982)
– Total career acting nominations: 8 (0 wins)
17. James Whitmore
– Gap between nominations: 26 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actor, “Give ’em Hell, Harry!” (1975)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Battleground” (1949)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
16. Julie Christie
– Gap between nominations: 26 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actress, “Afterglow” (1997)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress, “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” (1971)
– Total career acting nominations: 4 (1 win)
15. Richard Harris
– Gap between nominations: 27 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actor, “The Field” (1990)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor, “This Sporting Life” (1963)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
14. Al Pacino
– Gap between nominations: 27 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Irishman” (2019)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor (won), “Scent of a Woman” (1992)
– Total career acting nominations: 9 (1 win)
13. Paul Scofield
– Gap between nominations: 28 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Quiz Show” (1994)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor (won), “A Man for All Seasons” (1966)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (1 win)
12. Sally Field
– Gap between nominations: 28 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actress, “Lincoln” (2012)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress (won), “Places in the Heart” (1984)
– Total career acting nominations: 3 (2 wins)
11. Angela Bassett
– Gap between nominations: 29 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actress, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress, “What’s Love Got to Do with It” (1993)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
10. Joe Pesci
– Gap between nominations: 29 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Irishman” (2019)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor (won), “Goodfellas” (1990)
– Total career acting nominations: 3 (1 win)
9. Lynn Redgrave
– Gap between nominations: 32 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actress, “Gods and Monsters” (1998)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress, “Georgy Girl” (1966)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
8. Bruce Dern
– Gap between nominations: 35 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actor, “Nebraska” (2013)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Coming Home” (1978)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
7. Ralph Richardson
– Gap between nominations: 35 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes” (1984)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Heiress” (1949)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
6. Helen Hayes
– Gap between nominations: 38 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actress (won), “Airport” (1970)
– Previous nomination: Best Actress (won), “The Sin of Madelon Claudet” (1931)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (2 wins)
5. Jack Palance
– Gap between nominations: 38 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor (won), “City Slickers” (1991)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Shane” (1953)
– Total career acting nominations: 3 (1 win)
4. Alan Arkin
– Gap between nominations: 38 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor (won), “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor, “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” (1968)
– Total career acting nominations: 4 (1 win)
3. Sylvester Stallone
– Gap between nominations: 39 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Creed” (2015)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor, “Rocky” (1976)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
2. Henry Fonda
– Gap between nominations: 41 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Actor (won), “On Golden Pond” (1981)
– Previous nomination: Best Actor, “The Grapes of Wrath” (1940)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (1 win)
1. Judd Hirsch
– Gap between nominations: 42 years
– Comeback nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “The Fabelmans” (2022)
– Previous nomination: Best Supporting Actor, “Ordinary People” (1980)
– Total career acting nominations: 2 (0 wins)
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