Discussion
These are my picks for second place based on both critics’ choices and personal opinions.
• 2000 - Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream
• 2001 - Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge!
• 2002 - Renée Zellweger in Chicago
• 2003 - Naomi Watts in 21 Grams
• 2004 - Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake
• 2005 - Felicity Huffman in Transamerica
• 2006 - Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
• 2007 - Julie Christie in Away from Her
• 2008 - Meryl Streep in Doubt
• 2009 - Carey Mulligan in An Education
• 2010 - Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
• 2011 - Viola Davis in The Help
• 2012 - Emmanuelle Riva in Amour
• 2013 - Sandra Bullock in Gravity
• 2014 - Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
• 2015 - Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years
• 2016- Isabelle Huppert in Elle
• 2017 - Margot Robbie in I, Tonya
• 2018 - Glenn Close in The Wife
• 2019 - Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story
• 2020 - Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman
• 2021 - Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos
• 2022 - Cate Blanchett in Tár
• 2023 - Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall
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Q&A
I would've said Cruz or Stewart in 2nd place for 2021.
Yes, I would’ve chosen Penélope Cruz for both 2006 (Volver) and 2021 (Parallel Mothers); however, Nicole was the one that was being predicted as the winner when the awards season began in 2022. Many thought that she could’ve won her second Oscar. I’m happy she didn’t because most people would’ve considered her as one of the worst winners. She deserves a second Oscar for a great performance. On the other hand, no one was beating Helen in 2006, but many thought Meryl was the only one that could have.
2002 is definitely Reneé Zellweger for Chicago.
Yes, you’re definitely right. She won the Golden Globe and the SAG. That year was between Nicole and Renée with Julianne in third place.
I mostly agree, however I diverge in the following:
2004 - Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
2012 - Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
2015 - Cate Blanchett (Carol) or Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
2017 - Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
2021 - Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)
2023 - Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) was fantastic, but she wasn’t second or even third place that year. Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) was a lock. Other precursor awards that year were won by both Annette Bening (Being Julia) and Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake). Imelda’s performance was much better received than Annette’s and that’s why I chose her. Kate was my second favorite that year, though.
Imelda had a really controversial role though.
I went with Winslet because she was an Academy darling that was in her fourth nomination.
I was very young, but I remember well that Imelda was the one that the critics thought could’ve beat Hilary Swank at the time. Kate’s role has aged incredibly well, though, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) is universally loved. Jim Carey should’ve definitely been nominated for this role. In fact, this should’ve been his third Best Actor nomination after The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999).