Celebrities Speak Out About Never Getting An Oscar

Some people consider an Oscar Award one of the highest honors that an actor can receive. It is awarded to the best and most talented artists who are part of a film’s production. However, some of Hollywood’s most prominent names have yet to receive the coveted award. Read on to see find out who still had not been awarded with an Academy Award.

Viola Davis is a prominent stage, television, and film actress. She first gained fame when she starred in the stage production Everybody’s Ruby, which earned her an Obie Award. She went on to appear in several films and television shows but her breakout role was in the 2008 film Doubt. She later appeared in 2011’s The Help, which earned her nominations for a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and an Oscar for Best Actress. She has been nominated for a total of three Academy Awards. David currently stars on TV show How To Get Away With Murder. John Travolta first gained prominence for starring in TV series Welcome Back, Kotter and later appeared in the films Saturday Night Fever and musical Grease, which launched him into the spotlight. His career began to decline but it a resurgence in the 90’s when he starred in Pulp Fiction. He then went on to appear in Face/Off, Swordfish, Hairspray, and Wild Hogs. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award, once for Saturday Night Fever and also for Pulp Fiction. Will Smith began his career as a rapper as a part of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince with his childhood friend Jeffrey Townes. While they enjoyed success from their music career, Smith seemed to enjoy his success too much and ended up taking the role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air just so he could get himself out of bankruptcy. The success of the show launched his acting career, and after starring in countless films, Smith has also been nominated for two Academy Awards. Sigourney Weaver first appeared in Woody Allen’s film Annie Hall in a minor role, which led to her breakout role in the Alien film series as Ellen Ripley. Her work in the first Alien film earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She also starred in Ghostbusters and its sequel, Avatar, Galaxy Quest, Futurama, Wall-E, Paul, The Cabin in the Woods, Finding Dory, and A Monster Calls. She has also been nominated for a Golden Globe seven times, winning two of those nominations. Ian McKellan is one of the most respected actors in the industry. BCC has stated that his “performances have guaranteed him a place in the canon of English stage and film actors,” and is often regarded as a British cultural icon. Although his career has spanned over several decades, he is most recently best known for his role as the wizard Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises, as well as Magneto in the X-Men series. Despite being nominated twice, McKellan has not yet won an Oscar Award. Jon Hamm is best known for his role as the stoic Don Draper on TV drama Mad Men. He has also appeared in many featured films, beginning in the mid-90’s when he starred in What About Brian, Providence, The Division, and Related. He later starred in films such as Stolen, The Town, Sucker Punch, and Bridesmaids. Although he never received an Oscar, he did accumulate an impressive 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work in shows Mad Men, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and 30 Rock. Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has had an illustrious film career. He first rose to prominence in British television show Lipstick on Your Collar, which later led to his casting the film Trainspotting. He starred as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel films of the Star Wars series and then went on to star in a lead role in the musical film Moulin Rouge. McGregor was twice nominated for Golden Globe Awards, but did not win either. He has yet to be nominated for an Oscar Award. Ian McKellan is one of the most respected actors in the industry. BCC has stated that his “performances have guaranteed him a place in the canon of English stage and film actors,” and is often regarded as a British cultural icon. Although his career has spanned over several decades, he is most recently best known for his role as the wizard Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises, as well as Magneto in the X-Men series. Despite being nominated twice, McKellan has not yet won an Oscar Award. Robert Downey, Jr. has been acting for over four decades, having made his acting debut when he was five years old. He mainly appeared in his father’s films as a child before getting his breakout roles in films Tuff Turf and Weird Science. Downey, Jr. is now best known for his role as Iron Man. He first appeared as the super hero in 2008, appearing in several films as Iron Man as the main character and later reprising this role for The Avengers film series. Bradley Cooper’s first appearance in a film was in 2001’s Wet Hot American Summer and later went on to star in TV show Alias for five years before appearing in a minor role in Wedding Crashers. He finally found fame and recognition when he was cast in The Hangover as a main character, and later starred in the film’s two sequels. Since then, Cooper has appeared in many critically-acclaimed films such as Limitless, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American Sniper. Tim Burton is an accomplished film director and also producer, artist, writer, and animator. He is best known for his gothic and quirky movies and for working with many of the same actors in his films, such as Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Some of his best known films include Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Batman, Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, and Alice in Wonderland. Steve Carell is an actor and comedian who has also worked as a director, producer, and as a writer. He first found fame when he appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart but his breakout role was as Michael Scott on the U.S. version of comedy series The Office. He also wrote and directed occasionally for The Office. He later went on to star in leading roles in films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Get Smart, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Evan Almighty, Over the Hedge, and Despicable Me. Bruce Willis has been in the entertainment industry since the mid 80’s, when his first notable role was in Moonlighting as David Addison. He later became known for his role as John McClane in the action-film series Die Hard. He has appeared in many films throughout his career, which include Striking Distance, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Sin City, Red, The Expendables 2, and also Looper. Though he won an Emmy Award for guest starring on Friends and several other awards throughout his career, he has never won an Oscar Award. Angela Lansbury has had one of the most prolific acting careers of all time. She is best known for her work on stage in shows such as Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, and The King and I. She has also appeared in many films, which include Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Beauty and the Beast, and Nanny McPhee. Lansbury also played the lead role in television series Murder, She Wrote. Although she has amassed many awards throughout her career, none of them include an Oscar Award. Prolific actor Ed Harris began his career on stage but quickly moved on to appearing in films. His breakout role was in the 1980 film Borderline and he went on to appear in countless films ever since. Harris has appeared in films such as Nixon, The Rock, A Beautiful Mind, Radio, Gone Baby Gone, The Way Back, Man on a Ledge, Gravity, Snowpiercer, Pollock, and Run All Night. His most recent work is in HBO sci-fi series Westworld. He has been nominated for an Academy Award three times. Irish actor Liam Neeson has starred in many critically acclaimed films throughout his career, beginning with 1981’s Excaliber. He later moved on to films such as The Bounty, The Mission, and Next of Kin. Neeson’s most notable role was in the critically successful film Schindler’s List and has since starred in many more films that include Les Miserables, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Love Actually, Clash of the Titans, and The Chronicles of Narnia. He has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his work in Schindler’s List. Gary Oldman is a versatile English actor who has appeared in theater, television, and film. He first starred in the film Meantime in 1983 and was also a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in many films including Hamlet, Sid and Nancy, The Firm, and Rosencrantz & Guilenstern Are Dead. He went on to star as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film series and as James Gordon in the Dark Knight Triology. He won an Emmy Award for his guest role appearance in sitcom Friends. Gene Wilder is best known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, however he had a prolific career as an actor, screenwriter, author, director, and producer as well. His first appearance was in 1967’s Bonnie and  Clyde, but his first major role came in The Producers, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in films such as Blazing Saddles, Stir Crazy, Another You, and The Woman in Red. Glenn Close’s acting career has spanned over four decades and her diverse roles throughout the years have exemplified her versatility as an actress. She began her acting career on stage and then moved on to acting in films in the 1980’s. She first appeared in the film The World According to Garp, and went on to star in The Big Chill, The Natural, Fatal Attraction, Hamlet, 101 Dalmatians, Paradise Road, and Guardians of the Galaxy. She is a six time Oscar Award nominee. Mia Farrow first became famous for her role in the soap opera Peyton Place as Allison MacKenzie. Her breakout role was as Rosemary in the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby and she later appeared in John and Mary, Follow Me!, The Great Gatsby, and also Death on the Nile. Throughout her career, she appeared in over 50 films, many of which were Woody Allen films, as the two were in a relationship for nearly twenty years. Farrow is also an activist and is highly involved with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador. Joaquin Phoenix has been nominated for three Oscars and has received both a Grammy Award and a Golden Globe Award. His career began early on in his life when he appeared in TV shows with his siblings River Phoenix and Rain Phoenix. His first film appearance was in 1989’s Parenthood, and he went on to star in Gladiator, Walk the Line as Johnny Cash, The Master, Buffalo Soldiers, Two Lovers, Signs, Hotel Rwanda,  The Village, The Immigrant, and Inherent Vice. Mark Wahlberg began his career in the entertainment industry as the frontman of music group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and later moved on to acting. He appeared in films such as Boogie Nights, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, Planet of the Apes, The Italian Job, The Departed, Ted, and Transformers: Age of Extinction.Wahlberg then moved on to becoming the executive producer of four HBO television series: Entourage, How to Make It in America, Ballers, and Boardwalk Empire. Bill Murray first became famous for his role on late night comedy skit show Saturday Night Live. After winning an Emmy Award for his performance on the show, he went on to star in comedy films such as Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, Tootsie, Ghostbusters and its sequel Ghostbusters II, Scrooged, What About Bob?, and also Groundhog Day. He later went on to star in drama Lost in Translation, for which he won a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award, and also earned a nomination for an Oscar for Best Oscar. Bette Midler can do it all: she is a singer, actress, songwriter, comedian, and film producer. She began her on-screen acting career in 1979 when she first appeared in the film The Rose and later went on to star in films such as Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Outrageous Fortune, Beaches, The First Wives Club, The Stepford Wives, For the Boys, Gypsy, and Hocus Pocus. As a singer, she has released fourteen studio albums and has earned three Grammy Awards. Amy Adams is one of the highest paid actresses in the world and has also been named in the top 100 most influential people in Time magazine in 2014. She has been nominated for an Oscar Award five times throughout her career. Adams first began her acting career on stage before her breakthrough role in 2002’s Catch Me If You Can. She then starred in her first major role in Junebug, and later appeared as the main character in Disney’s 2007 musical Enchanted. Ralph Fiennes is an English actor who first got his start in stage productions at the Royal National Theater. He later moved on to appearing in films, and had a notable performance in Schindler’s List, which earned him an Oscar Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He has also appeared in other films such as Strange Days, In Bruges, Clash of the Titans, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and also starred as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series. Michelle Williams first became known for her role in The WB series Dawson’s Creek as Jen Lindley from 1998 until 2003. She then starred in her breakout film role in the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain. For her work in the film, she was nominated for a SAG, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She then starred in films Shutter Island, Wendy and Lucy, Blue Valentine, My Week with Marilyn, and most recently Manchester By the Sea.  Harrison Ford is best known for appearing in the Star Wars series as Han Solo, as well as Indiana Jones in the film series of the same name. Another prominent role he played was Rich Deckard in The Blade Runner. Ford also starred in the 1985 thriller film Witness. His work in that film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Other films that Ford has starred in include Patriot Games, Apocalypse Now, The Fugitive, American Graffiti, and The Conversation. Laurence Fishburne is best known for his work in The Matrix trilogy portraying Morpheus. He is also known for his roles in films Boyz n the Hood and Apocalypse Now. He made history by becoming the first African American to play Othello in a film adaptation by a major film studio when he starred in the 1995 adaptation of the Shakespeare play by Oliver Parks. He later starred in films What’s Love Got To Do With It, Two Trains Running, Man of Steel, and its sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Laura Linney began her career on stage when she appeared in the 2002 revival of The Crucible and later appeared in Sight Unseen, and Time Stands Still. She then moved to film, debuting in Lorenzo’s Oil and then starring in other films such as You Can Count on Me, Kinsey, The Savages, Primal Fear, The Truman Show, Mystic River, Love Actually, and The Squid and the Whale. She has been nominated for an Academy Award three times but has yet to win. James Dean was an actor whose untimely death lead to him to be remembered as a cultural icon. He appeared in 1955’s Rebel Without A Cause, which represented the teenage disillusionment of the time. He also starred in noteworthy roles in films East of Eden and Giant. He sadly passed away after being involved in a car crash, and received a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He later became the only actor to have received two posthumous nominations for the award. Early in her career, Courteney Cox appeared in Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video in 1984. She starred in guest roles on several TV shows in the 80’s such as Misfits of Science and Family Ties. She then appeared in films such as Masters of the Universe, Cocoon: The Return, and I’ll Be Home For Christmas before landing her career-defining role as Monica Geller on the hit TV show Friends. She also starred in Cougar Town and guest starred in Lisa Kudrow’s show Web Therapy. John Malkovich has starred in over 70 films throughout his career. In addition to acting, Malkovich also directs and produces. Some of his work includes roles in films such as Empire of the Sun, The Killing Fields, Shadow of the Vampire, Being John Malkovich, Ripley’s Game, Of Mice and Men, Dangerous Liaisons, Warm Bodies, Juno, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has been nominated for Academy Awards for his work in the films Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire. Although Tom Cruise has won three Golden Globe Awards, he has never received an Oscar Award. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award, however. He was nominated for the first time in 1990 for Best Actor in Born on the Fourth of July, for a second time for Best Actor in 1997 for Jerry Maguire, and another time for Best Supporting Actor in Magnolia. Interestingly, the three Golden Globe Awards he did win were for those three films. Hugh Laurie is best known to American audiences as Dr. House from the hit TV show, House, but he was a very prominent actor in the U.K. before he played the sarcastic doctor. He starred in British shows A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster, and Blackadder throughout the 80’s and 90’s. He is a highly respected actor, known for his capabilities as both a comedic and dramatic actor, however he has never won an Academy Award to date. Edward Norton is an American actor, activist, and filmmaker. He has appeared in many prominent films and is best known for his role in the film Fight Club. Other films he has appeared in include Everyone Says I Love You, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Kingdom of Heaven, 25th Hour, Red Dragon, The Illusionist, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. He received Academy Award nominations for his acting work in the films Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman. Johnny Depp began his career in the television show 21 Jump Street, which led him to become a teen idol. He quickly moved on to acting on the big screen, starring in a supporting role in 1986’s Platoon and then landing the lead role in Edward Scissorhands. Depp then starred in box office hits such as Sleepy Hollow and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Since then, Depp has starred in countless box office hits, but has yet to win an Oscar Award. Samuel L. Jackson rose to prominence in the 90’s when he starred in films such as Jungle Fever, Patriot Games, Jurassic Park, Amos & Andrew, and True Romance. He is also known for his many collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino in films like Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, and Django Unchained. Jackson has appeared in over 100 films throughout his career, which include box office hits such as Snakes On A Plane, Star Wars, and The Avengers series, but has yet to receive an Academy Award. Michelle Pfeiffer started out her film career in the sequel to the musical film Grease, appearing as Stephanie Zinone in Grease 2, but later gained fame for her breakout role in 1983’s Scarface, in which she starred alongside Al Pacino. She later starred in Batman Returns, What Lies Beneath, Dangerous Minds, and Hairspray. She has been nominated for three Oscars: one for her role in Dangerous Liaisons, one for The Fabulous Baker Boys, and another for Love Field.  Richard Burton was a Welsh actor who was nominated for an Academy Award seven times, but ultimately never won an Oscar. His career began with work mostly in the Shakespearean realm, most notably with his performance in Hamlet. He often starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor, whom he was married to. The two had a very turbulent relationship that was rarely out of the news. With her, Burton starred in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Taming of the Shrew, Cleopatra, Boom!, Doctor Faustus, The Comedians, amongst others. Alan Rickman had a prominent career both on stage and in films, beginning his career as a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He became a household name for his role as Professor Severus Snape in the eight Harry Potter films, and also for his work on Die Hard as Hans Gruber. He has also starred in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sense and Sensibility, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Alice Through the Looking Glass.