Despite the strong competition, Zoe Saldaña’s name towers above the rest. There’s little doubt she’s poised to succeed Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the next winner. A victory all but sealed before the ceremony.
Four Oscar newcomers and one actress returning for a second shot at the coveted statuette. This category has historically honored seasoned careers (which could be the case for Isabella Rossellini) or propelled rising stars to industry prominence. That’s the case for Zoe Saldaña, Ariana Grande, and Monica Barbaro. This is the most likely category for Emilia Pérez, the most-nominated film this year, to secure an acting Oscar.
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Singer and actress Ariana Grande earns a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Glinda in a new musical from the Wizard of Oz universe—the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway hit Wicked. Grande first rose to fame as an actress on Nickelodeon’s teen series Victorious before launching a wildly successful music career in 2013. The second installment of Wicked is set for release next year.
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The British actress in the lineup is the only one who has previously competed for an Oscar. She was nominated for Best Actress for The Theory of Everything, where she portrayed Stephen Hawking’s wife. Her breakout role came in 2011’s Sundance hit Like Crazy. Now, she returns to the Oscars for her performance as the wife of Hungarian architect László Toth (played by Adrien Brody). She also had a pivotal role in J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls.
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The Italian actress and model comes from Hollywood royalty—she’s the daughter of legendary filmmaker Roberto Rossellini and screen icon Ingrid Bergman. Cinema runs in her veins. This nomination allows her to match her father, who was an Oscar nominee in 1950 for Paisà. Her mother won three Academy Awards. A true chameleon, she delivered her most iconic performance in Blue Velvet, directed by the late David Lynch, with whom she had a romantic relationship. She was also married to Martin Scorsese.
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James Mangold’s knack for directing actors has helped propel this young actress to her first Oscar nomination after also securing recognition from the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Awards. She shines as Joan Baez. Though her career is still young, she previously stood out as Lieutenant Phoenix in the spectacular Top Gun: Maverick.
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James Cameron’s Avatar franchise launched her to worldwide fame. She later expanded her sci-fi repertoire with Star Trek and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films. She won Best Actress at Cannes along with the entire female ensemble of Emilia Pérez. And her schedule is booked through 2031—she’s set to appear in the next three installments of Cameron’s Avatar saga: Avatar 3 (2025), Avatar 4 (2029), and Avatar 5 (2031).
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Zoe Saldaña is the undisputed frontrunner. Her performance as Rita in the genre-bending Emilia Pérez has captivated both critics and audiences alike. She is simply flawless. The actress, whose mother is Puerto Rican and father is Dominican, is a box office powerhouse. She has shattered records with her starring roles in both Avatar films to date, as well as the Avengers franchise. In each, she’s a lead. A record-breaking force.
