Oscars 2024 Best Actor nominees: who are the five candidates for the Academy Awards?
In this category, Cillian Murphy is the clear favorite, alongside other big names such as Paul Giamatti and Bradley Cooper.
March 10 marks the return of the film industry’s most special night: the dazzling 2024 Oscars ceremony, taking place once again at the Dolby Theatre, with the biggest roster imaginable of major stars.
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Among these celebrities are nominees for the coveted statuettes across various categories. Here, we shine a spotlight Best Actor, featuring a roster of huge names such as Cillian Murphy and Paul Giamatti.
Cillian Murphy for ‘Oppenheimer’
Cillian Murphy stands out as a frontrunner to clinch his first Oscar for his compelling portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in the film named after him. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the three-hour epic delves deep into the life of one of the 20th century’s most important physicists, the ‘father of the atomic bomb’. This role could earn the Irish actor an Oscar, especially considering ‘Oppenheimer’s’ success at other award ceremonies like the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes.
Paul Giamatti for ‘The Holdovers’
Paul Giamatti is one of the critic’s favorite to take home the award for his performance in ‘The Holdovers’, where he plays a somewhat grumpy and cantankerous professor who reveals a big heart.
Many of his fans hope this role will finally earn him the Oscar he is said to deserve, after narrowly missing out in 2005 with ‘Cinderella Man’.
Bradley Cooper for ‘Maestro’
Bradley Cooper, the perennially charismatic contender, also stands out for his work in ‘Maestro’, where he excels not only as the director but also as the lead actor. He immerses himself in the role of Leonard Bernstein, the orchestra conductor known for composing the music for ‘West Side Story’.
Cooper is hoping for an Oscar win after four individual nominations and five collective ones, including those as a producer. Notably, he is also nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Colman Domingo for ‘Rustin’
Colman Domingo makes the list of nominees for his role in ‘Rustin’, portraying Bayard Rustin, one of the most notable activists in U.S. history, taking viewers back to Washington in 1963.
Jeffrey Wright for ‘American Fiction’
Rounding out the list is Jeffrey Wright, who portrays Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, an English professor and writer, in ‘American Fiction’. Frustrated with the publishing industry’s hypocrisy, he chooses to write a satirical novel under a pseudonym to expose this issue.