The Biggest Oscar Robberies: When the Academy Played Us All
Welcome back, GEERDS! Reaper is back with his rambling,,,uh, I mean blog! These days a lot of robberies have been taking place in my locality. Well not jewellery and stuff but hearts. There’s this new hottie in the town and everyone’s losing their mind over her…everyone but your very own SIGMA(loser) REAPER! Because well, all I’ve been doing is plan new articles for y’all also a new project(Spoiler: I’m not telling you what…yet!) Anyway!
The Oscars: that one night a year when Hollywood pats itself on the back, and Twitter (sorry, X) erupts into chaos. While the Academy loves to pretend they’re all about cinematic excellence, sometimes they hand out awards like they’re picking raffle tickets. Over the years, we’ve seen actors absolutely destroy their roles, only to get left in the dust by someone who just had a better Oscar campaign (side-eyes the Academy). Let’s take a stroll through some of the most unhinged moments when actors were basically robbed of their well-deserved Oscars.
Glenn Close – The Wife (2017): The Oscars Said “Not Today” (Again)
At this point, Glenn Close needs to put “8-time Oscar nominee, 0-time winner” in her Instagram bio. Everyone knew this was her year. She gave an absolute masterclass in The Wife, playing a woman who spent years in the shadow of her egotistical husband. The hype was real. Even Olivia Colman, who actually won for The Favourite, was like, “Uhh, sorry, Glenn.” And yet, the Academy ghosted her again.
Bradley Cooper – A Star is Born (2018): “Just Wanna Take Another Look at You” (Winning an Oscar, That Is)
Bradley Cooper gave everything in A Star is Born—acting, singing, directing, looking like a tragic yet hot rock star. People were convinced this was his moment. But nah, the Academy decided Rami Malek lip-syncing as Freddie Mercury (no shade, but also, a little shade) in Bohemian Rhapsody was the move. Bradley was so done, he didn’t even get nominated for Best Director. Hollywood, explain yourselves.
Amy Adams – American Hustle (2013): The Academy’s Favorite “Always a Bridesmaid” Actress
Amy Adams could literally cure diseases on-screen, and the Academy would still be like, “Eh, not this year.” Her performance in American Hustle was chef’s kiss—deceptive, magnetic, and just the right amount of unhinged. The girl was working. But instead of finally giving her an Oscar, they handed it to Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine. Like, Cate was amazing, sure, but Amy Adams is out here stacking nominations like Infinity Stones with no payoff. Justice for Amy.
Peter O’Toole – Lawrence of Arabia (1962): When the Academy Decided Excellence Was Overrated
Peter O’Toole was Lawrence of Arabia. No, really. His performance was so good that people were convinced he actually was T.E. Lawrence in real life. But did the Academy give him an Oscar? Nope. Instead, they gave it to Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird. Now, don’t get me wrong, Atticus Finch supremacy forever, but how do you snub one of the greatest performances in cinema history? O’Toole ended his career with eight nominations and zero wins. The disrespect is astronomical.
Marlee Matlin – CODA (2021): The Academy Forgot She Existed, Apparently
CODA won Best Picture, which is great and all, but where was Marlee Matlin’s nomination? Like, did the Academy just forget she was in the movie? She already made history as the first (and only) deaf actor to win an Oscar back in the ’80s, but when she delivered yet another stunning performance in CODA, they just… ignored her? Make it make sense.
So, Why Does This Keep Happening?
The Oscars aren’t just about talent (which is already a red flag). Sometimes, it’s about who has the better campaign, which studio has more money to push their film, or which actor Hollywood feels like rewarding that year. Other times, it’s just plain chaos—like when La La Land won Best Picture for two minutes before the Academy was like, “JK, it’s Moonlight.” The truth is, winning an Oscar is a mix of politics, luck, and whether or not the Academy voters had enough coffee before filling out their ballots.
At the end of the day, some of the greatest actors in history have walked away from the Oscars empty-handed. But you know what? Twitter (again, sorry, X) will never let us forget these robberies. And honestly, isn’t that the real award? No? Okay, fine.
So, dear Academy, do better. And give Glenn Close her damn Oscar.
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