Oscar Photos

Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor)

Tilda Swinton (Best Supporting Actress)

Marion Cotillard (Best Actress)

Javier Bardem (Best Supporting Actor) 

2008

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Fun Shoots

For the past few years, Newsweek has done various interviews with possible Oscar nominees. Here are some of the shots from past Oscars Actors Roundtables. The Roundtables took place before Oscar nominations were announced for that particular year. These actors were asked to participate because they were all front-runners.

2007: Brad Pitt (Babel), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond), Helen Mirren (The Queen), Penelope Cruz (Volver), and Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)

*Pitt did not receive a nomination that year

*Whitaker and Mirren won Oscars that year

2008: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Ellen Page (Juno), Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), James McAvoy (Atonement), and George Clooney (Michael Clayton)

*McAvoy and Jolie did not receive nominations that year

*Day-Lewis and Cotillard won Oscars that year

2009: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)

Not pictured: Robert Downey, Jr.(Tropic Thunder), and Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)

*Hawkins did not receive a nomination that year

2010: Woody Harrelson (The Messanger), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Gaboruey Sidibe (Precious), Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Carey Mulligan (An Education), and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

*Bridges and Bullock won Oscars that year

2011: James Franco (127 Hours), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine), Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), and Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

*Firth and Portman won Oscars that year

2012: Michael Fassbender (Shame), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), George Clooney (The Descendants), and Viola Davis (The Help)

*Fassbender, Theron, and Swinton did not receive nominations that year

*Plummer won an Oscar that year

Biggest Oscar Snubs

Since the start of the SAG Awards in 1995, "The Big 4", as it's known here at SFH, have become the most sought-after awards in the business (these are the Golden Globe, the SAG, the BAFTA, and... of course, the Oscar). The Oscar nomination is the creme de la creme of film acting accolades. It's the end-all, be-all of Hollywood distinction... but, sometimes, a well-deserving actor is left out. Let's be serious... the word 'snub' is thrown around a lot during awards season, and often it's not truly earned (i.e. Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe, The Social Network's Justin Timberlake, and Black Swan's Mila Kunis). These few performers, however, were truly snubbed, when they were nominated for 3 of the Big 4.

1998

Jane Horrocks

Film: "Little Voice"

The Snub: Best Actress

It was a pitch-perfect role, in a little known film. Horrocks was outstanding as a meek lady, who comes out of her shell onstage.

The Thief: Julie Christie in "Afterglow"

Our Verdict: She was robbed. Her costar, Brenda Blethyn, scored a well-deserved nod, but somehow Horrocks missed the cut.

2000

Cameron Diaz

Film: "Being John Malkovich"

The Snub: Best Supporting Actress

"Ugly-ing" yourself up usually does the Oscar trick (see Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank), but it didn't do the deed this time.

The Thief: Toni Collette in "The Sixth Sense"

Our Verdict: We agreed with the Academy 100% when they ruled that Collette deserved the nod. Makeup and hair changes do not a great actress make.

2006

Ziyi Zhang

Film: "Memoirs of a Geisha"

The Snub: Best Actress

She was exceptional as a young girl who grows to be the most famous Geisha in Japan.

The Thief: Keira Knightley in "Pride & Prejudice"

Our Verdict: While we do believe Ziyi deserved the nod, we also think Knightley was worthy of the nom. We know this will be controversial, but we actually think the nod... and subsequently win for Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line"... was the mistake. Although she was good, the performance didn't stand up to the other nominees... or to Joaquin's stellar 'Johnny Cash'.

2009

Kate Winslet

Film: "Revolutionary Road"

The Snub: Best Actress

She was remarkable as a torn 50's housewife and her courage and horrible 3rd act mistake were heart-wrenching

The Thief: none other than Kate Winslet herself... in "The Reader"

Our Verdict: in the other races, she was actually nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her great work in "The Reader", but for some reason, her people decided to submit her name for Best Actress in the Oscar consideration race. Though two noms in the same category has happened twice before (Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo in 1931), it is highly unlikely. She managed to bump herself off. Good news though... she took home the Best Actress statue anyway.

2012

Tilda Swinton

Film: "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

The Snub: Best Actress

A gut-wrenching and wonderful performance by the queen of subtlety.

The Thief: Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Our Verdict: this is a tough one. Both Swinton and Mara were amazing. Also, all the other nominees were definitely Oscar-worthy. So, we're gonna have to agree with the Academy because, well... there were just too many great performances by leading actresses in 2011.

2013

Helen Mirren

Film: "Hitchcock"

The Snub: Best Actress

The always amazing Dame Helen Mirren did a marvelous job portraying the complex wife of legendary director, Alfred Hitchcock.

The Thief: Emmanuelle Riva in "Amour"

Our Verdict: It really was a toss-up. Riva was wonderful and Mirren is always outstanding. I'd give the edge to Riva because it's always nice to see newbies nominated (Mirren has been nominated four times with one Best Actress win)

Marion Cotillard

Film: "Rust and Bone"

The Snub: Best Actress

Marion is astounding as a whale trainer who loses both her legs during a show.

The Thief: Quvenzhané Wallis in "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Our Verdict: This is very difficult. Wallis is absolutely alluring, but Cotillard's performance is heartbreaking. In the end, I'm gonna lean towards Cotillard.

Fun Shoots

Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Christopher Plummer,

Tilda Swinton, George Clooney, and Viola Davis participate in

Newsweek's Oscars Roundtable, 2012

Ginger of the Week

Tilda Swinton is one of those rare, off-beat actors, who manages to amaze audiences with every unique, powerhouse performance. Her Oscar winning role in 2006's "Michael Clayton" was mesmerizing and her new turn in 2011's "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (for which she just won the NBR Best Actress Award) is on track to score her another Academy accolade. Born in London, she attended Cambridge University and then set out to try her hand at theater. It was her supporting role in 2000's "The Beach" that put her on the Hollywood map. Since then she has had roles in "Vanilla Sky", "The Deep End", "Adaptation", and "The Chronicles of Narnia". Up next: "Moonrise Kingdom" (with Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Edward Norton).

NBR Winners (2011 films)

Best Film: Hugo

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50

Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants

Best Animated Feature: Rango

Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy

Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call

Best Ensemble: The Help

Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)

NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime

NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation

Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise - A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film

Top Films
(in alphabetical order):

"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Drive"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Ides of March"
"J. Edgar"
"Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order):

"13 Assassins"
"Elite Squad: The Enemy Within"
"Footnote"
"Le Havre"
"Point Blank"

Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order):

"Born to be Wild"
"Buck"
"George Harrison: Living in the Material World"
"Project Nim"
"Senna"

Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order):

"50/50"
"Another Earth"
"Beginners"
"A Better Life"
"Cedar Rapids"
"Margin Call"
"Shame"
"Take Shelter"
"We Need To Talk About Kevin"
"Win Win"