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The 90th Academy Awards are fast approaching and those actors and actresses nominated for awards are eagerly awaiting March 4 to see if their dreams will come true. Best Actor and Best Actress are some of the most highly contested categories at the awards, so it’s a bit of a toss-up who will win. From most likely to least likely, here are The Post’s rankings for who will take home statues the night of the ceremony.
Best Actress
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri — After winning acting awards at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes, McDormand is a shoe-in for the Academy Award. Her portrayal of Mildred Hayes, a no-nonsense mom who undergoes unimaginable trauma definitely makes her worthy of the highest acting awards.
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya — Robbie comes in a close second with her spot on portrayal of infamous figure skater Tonya Harding. Robbie had the entire look and attitude that made I, Tonya such a captivating film. However, the nature of the mockumentary film is a little too obscure and might not be enough for her to win the award.
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird — Ronan is a three-time Academy Award nominee at the age of 23, and it’s obvious she is deserving of any acting award. She won the Globe for Best Actress, Musical or Comedy, but Lady Bird is sure to lose some steam as it heads into final voting. The Best Actress category is the toughest this year, and Ronan is definitely in the running.
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water — Although Hawkins undoubtedly had a strange role in The Shape of Water, she probably will not come out with a win in this category. Her work just did not stack up with the other contenders in the category despite the movie’s widespread success.
Meryl Streep, The Post — Streep’s name and status will not be enough for her to snag a win in this category. Her character in The Post was just not as complex as the other female leads in the category.
Best Actor
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour — Oldman completely embodied Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which is why he deserves to win the highest acting award. He was harsh, yet powerful and really showed the multifaceted sides to Churchill. When he gave some of the prime minister’s most powerful speeches, he sounded as if he wrote them himself.
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread — Phantom Thread picked up significant buzz from the time the Golden Globes aired to the Oscar nominations. With it being Day-Lewis’ final performance as an actor, he is the only person in the category who has a real chance of beating Oldman.
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out — Despite the fact Get Out hit theaters in February 2017, Kaluuya and the movie has remained in the spotlight throughout the duration of awards season. Kaluuya’s performance was captivating and should be rewarded, but with seasoned veterans as his competition, he will go home empty-handed.
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name — Chalamet gave a very convincing and emotional performance in Call Me By Your Name, but compared to everyone else in the category, he just doesn't match up. It’s also his first nomination, so the likelihood of him winning is slim to none.
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. — Washington is good in every movie, so another good performance won’t be rewarded. If he didn’t win for Fences, he won’t win for this movie.
