Some actors are so ubiquitous in Hollywood that we assume they've already gotten the acclaim they deserve on the awards circuit. But surprisingly, a lot of A-listers β even those who've been around for decades β have yet to nab a coveted Academy Award. While some have been nominated for Oscars again and again, others have been skipped over entirely on more than one occasion. Winning an Oscar is a huge deal for a reason: It's not easy to achieve! No matter how great an actor's catalog of films, it really all depends on the competition.
Since the Oscars have a cut-off date for consideration each year, any given actor can deliver a top-notch performance in the best film they've ever worked on, but if another did the exact same that year, it's anybody's game. There are, after all, only so many Academy Awards categories for acting.
It's still surprising, though, that some of the biggest names in Hollywood have yet to clinch an Oscar. Some have been acting for decades and delivered some truly incredible and beyond memorable performances. Here, we're paying homage to 19 truly talented actors who have quite shockingly never won an Academy Award. Hopefully they all still have a shot in the coming years, but for now none of these A-listers have gotten that coveted golden statue.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close, who has starred in such major films as Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, and Hillbilly Elegy, has been nominated for an Oscar β count them β eight times, and never won. But it seems she's OK with it.
"Who in that category is a loser?" Glenn told the Associated Press in 2021. "You're there, you're five people honored for the work you've done by your peers. What's better than that? And I honestly feel that the press likes to have winners and losers. And then they say, 'Who is the worst dressed?' And, you know, 'Who made the worst speech?' Forget it. It's not what it's about."
Samuel L. Jackson
OK, so despite being a mainstay in the movies for almost five decades, Samuel L. Jackson has never been an Academy Award winner. He's been in so many movies, it doesn't even make sense. We suppose that's why in 2021, the Academy announced that it would be giving him a consolation prize. Samuel was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2022.
Robert Downey Jr.
This one is truly unbelievable. Robert Downey Jr. has been a huge celebrity for most of his life. While these days, he's mostly associated with the Avengers franchise, there's no denying he has serious acting chops. But get this: He actually turned down the opportunity for the award. He told Howard Stern that when his team mentioned putting his name forward for consideration, he flat out told them not to.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal seems to have a knack for picking films that should be perfect Oscars fodder, but he's only ever nabbed one nomination. He didn't win the best supporting actor award for 2006's Brokeback Mountain, and wasn't even nominated for his standout performances in films including Southpaw, End of Watch, and Jarhead.
Annette Bening
Annette Bening is a Hollywood icon, yet an Oscar has been elusive for her entire career. Annette is particularly discerning about the roles she takes on, which has garnered her four Oscar nominations, but she's never nabbed the win. Comedy, drama β¦ the woman can do it all, so we just don't get it.
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson's career has been a bit of a mixed bag, but he's starred in some seriously stellar films including Schindler's List and Kinsey, both of which got serious Oscars buzz when they were released. Liam was nominated for best actor for the former, but he lost the award to Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen seems way too distinguished not to have an Oscar in his pocket, doesn't he? He's been in a ton of movies, dating all the way back to the 1960s, and was nominated for an Oscar for 1998's Gods and Monsters and 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but he sadly didn't win either.
Stanley Tucci
We literally all adore Stanley Tucci and can't fathom how he's never won an Academy Award. He was nominated for the 2009 film adaptation of The Lovely Bones in 2009, but Christoph Waltz won the trophy for best supporting actor for his role in Inglourious Basterds, beating out Stanley.
Sigourney Weaver
Perhaps it's due to her penchant for sci-fi flicks, which don't typically get a lot of Oscars love, but Sigourney Weaver is another one who has never earned the honor. She has been nominated three times, though. Actually, she was nominated twice in 1989, for her roles in 1988's Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl.
Edward Norton
Although Edward Norton isn't quite as visible in Hollywood as he once was, he's starred in some pretty incredible films in the past. But none of them have earned him an Oscar. He has been nominated three times, though. Honestly, we're still shocked he didn't win for American History X.
Amy Adams
Amy Adams is an amazing actress, and she's been recognized for her incredible work many times over. Still, she's never won an Oscar. She's been nominated six times, for her parts in films including Doubt, The Fighter, and American Hustle, but she has yet to take home a golden statue.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is quirky and a little bit kooky, and he likes the characters he plays to be the same, but still, the man can seriously act. So it's definitely surprising that he has yet to win an Oscar. He's been nominated for best actor three times β and for the kind of movies that don't typically get Oscars attention, like Pirates of the Caribbean β but he's never won.
Ralph Fiennes
English actor Ralph Fiennes makes the kind of movies the Academy drools over, and while he's nabbed nominations for The English Patient and Schindler's List, he's never actually won an Oscar. He has several movies coming out in the next couple of years, so who knows, maybe he'll still get that win.
Bill Murray
Crazy, right? Bill Murray has never won an Oscar. Sure, he does a lot of comedy, but he also does a lot of artsy films like Lost in Translation (which he was actually nominated for), and The Grand Budapest Hotel, so it's still quite surprising that after being an A-lister for decades, he doesn't have an Oscar.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams is one of those actors who seems extremely selective about the roles she takes on, and it has served her well. She's slowly earned herself a reputation as a huge Hollywood talent, and has been nominated for an Oscar four times, including for her roles in Brokeback Mountain and Manchester by the Sea. But alas, she has yet to score one.
John Malkovich
John Malkovich is another actor who consistently makes the kinds of movies the Academy loves (though he does a bit of everything), but he still hasn't managed to win an Oscar. He's been nominated for best supporting actor twice, though, and he has a bunch of movies in the works, so maybe his name will be on one of those envelopes soon.
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise stands firmly in his action movie wheelhouse these days, but once upon a time, he delivered Oscar-worthy performances in movie after movie. The Top Gun actor has been nominated three times β for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia β but his awards collection is still missing an Oscar.
Michelle Pfieffer
Although Michelle Pfieffer has scored three nominations during her decades-long career βΒ for Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys, and Love Field, she still remains empty handed when it comes to that statuette. What gives?
Laura Linney
Sure, Laura Linney has won multiple Emmy awards (she kills in it Ozark), but when it comes to Oscars, she's striking out. She has been nominated for an Academy Award three times during her career, for her work in You Can Count on Me, Kinsey, and The Savages.
