Oscars 2025: 25 Surprising Stars Who've Still Never Won An Academy Award
The 2024 Academy Awards gave us first-time victories for stars like Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr and filmmaker Christopher Nolan – but sadly, there's only space for one winner per category each year, meaning there are still many deserving actors who've missed out, time and time again.
Here are 25 of the Hollywood stars still working today who, somehow, still have an Oscar-shaped space on their mantelpiece (including a few of this year's big contenders)…
Considered by many to be 'the new Leonardo DiCaprio' when it comes to the Oscars, Amy Adams has been nominated for six Academy Awards, most recently in 2019, only to leave empty-handed every year.
The good news for Amy is that Leo got his win on his sixth nomination, so if she really is following in his footsteps, she shouldn't have to wait too much longer.
Glenn Close holds the dubious distinction of being the living actor who has the most Oscar nominations without a win.
As of 2025, the esteemed performer has been nominated for an Academy Award a whopping eight times, but has never come out on top.
Her most recent nomination came in 2021, with a nod in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the divisive Netflix offering Hillbilly Elegy – a role that also landed the Fatal Attraction star a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress.
Despite over 50 years (!!!) in the entertainment industry, Samuel L Jackson has landed just one Oscar nomination in his career.
Back in 1994, he was on the Best Supporting Actor shortlist for playing Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. He lost out to Martin Landau on the night, and hasn't been nominated again since.
However, it's worth pointing out that he did win an Honorary Academy Award in 2021, after being recognised as a 'cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide'.
Between acting, directing, producing and screenwriting, Bradley Cooper has scored a whopping 12 nominations – including two as recently as last year for his work on Maestro.
When it comes to just his on-screen performances, he's been recognised for his roles in American Hustle, American Sniper, A Star Is Born and the aforementioned Leonard Bernstein biopic.
Lost In Translation star Scarlett Johansson is similarly yet to be awarded by the Motion Picture Academy, although she does have two Oscar nominations to her name – both of which came in the same year.
In 2020, Scarlett was nominated in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories for her roles in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, but was pipped to the win by Renée Zellweger and Laura Dern, respectively.
As if the fact Angela Bassett has never won an Oscar isn't galling enough – she'd actually only been nominated once until 2023.
Angela's sole nomination came in 1993, following her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What's Love Got To Do With It?.
Thirty years later, she made history when she became the first star to receive an Oscar nomination for a performance in a Marvel film. Sadly, though, this resulted in a second loss, although she did pick up an honorary Oscar in 2025.
Jake Gyllenhaal is another A-list actor we're surprised to hear has been given only a small amount of love by the Oscars.
In fact, it's been 20 years since Jake last bagged an Academy Award nomination, earning his first and only nod for his supporting role in Brokeback Mountain.
The Oscars' lack of recognition for David Oyelowo's performance as Martin Luther King Jr Selma is one of the biggest snubs in recent history, sparking a major backlash at the time.
Despite a number of critically-acclaimed performances to his name, the British star is yet to be nominated for an Academy Award. Seriously, Oscars. Sort. It. Out.
Off the top of our head, we can probably come up with six or seven Toni Collette performances that would have been deserving an Oscar win – and yet, the Australian star has just one nomination under her belt (for The Sixth Sense, if you're wondering).
As one of the most versatile actors in the game, we're confident that Toni's time is coming... and when it does, it will be long overdue.
He might have Oliviers coming out of his ears (seven in total), but Sir Ian McKellen is yet to be awarded the biggest honour in the film industry.
The British acting legend does have two Oscar nominations, but neither of them translated to a win. He hasn't fared any better on his home soil, either, with neither of his four previous Bafta nominations resulting in him taking home an award.
Roles in acclaimed films like Dreamgirls and Cadillac Records led many fans to think that Beyoncé was setting her sights on Oscars glory.
Although neither ended in so much as a nomination, when she signed up to voice Nala in The Lion King (contributing a new song to the beloved soundtrack), it was thought she might get her win in the form of a Best Original Song victory. Sadly, this didn't end up landing her a nomination, either.
We reckon she probably doesn't need to lose sleep about that, though, as 2023 saw her becoming the most-awarded person in Grammys history.
In 2022, she finally landed her first ever nomination for her contribution to the King Richard soundtrack, although the award went to Billie Eilish for her James Bond theme No Time To Die.
Like many musicians before her, Dolly Parton has made the transition into acting with roles in films like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and, of course, 9 To 5.
While the Academy never recognised Dolly's acting (the Golden Globes did, though!), she does have two Best Original Song nominations to her name.
In recent years, Dolly has continued contributing new music to films like Dumplin' and the Netflix festive film Christmas On The Square, though, so a win could well be on the horizon if she keeps it up.
Since 2006, Michelle Williams has earned Oscar nominations for her performances in Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week With Marilyn, Manchester By The Sea and, more recently, The Fabelmans.
In 2019, she did win an Emmy on her first nomination for Fosse/Verdon, so we reckon it won't be long until the Academy catches up.
In a career spanning more than three decades, Michelle Pfeiffer has been nominated for an Oscar on three different occasions, but so far, the Academy Award has always eluded her.
Sadly, none of these nominations were for Grease 2, which we can only describe as a huge oversight.
Tom Cruise has been nominated for three Oscars over the course of his career (although it has been more than two decades since his last nod), but he's never come out on top in his category.
In 2023, there was speculation he could pick up a fourth acting nomination for his role in the Top Gear sequel Maverick. While this didn't materalise in the end, the film itself was recognised in the Best Picture category, meaning Tom is technically now a four-time nominee thanks to his producing role on the film.
Sigourney Weaver has racked up three nominations over the years but sadly, the win has eluded her each time.
At the 1989 ceremony, she was up for both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress prizes, but lost out to Jodie Foster and Geena Davis, respectively.
'Is this the year Michael Keaton finally wins his Oscar?' Vanity Fair asked, hopefully, in 2016.
Sadly, it was not and, in fact, he didn't even score a nomination for the movie sparking the question, The Founder.
His 2014 nomination, earned for his star turn in Birdman, remains Michael's only Oscar-nominated role.
Annette Bening's performances in The Kids Are Alright, Being Julia, American Beauty and The Grifters have all made the Academy's shortlist – but she was pipped to the post each time.
In 2024, she was a somewhat surprising inclusion on the Best Actress shortlist, where she's facing stiff competition from Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone, Sandra Hüller and Carey Mulligan.
Still, she's continuing to win praise for recent films like 20th Century Women, Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool and The Report, so even if she doesn't manage it this year, a future Oscar win is definitely not out of the question for Annette.
The British star is known for her quirky and offbeat roles, but despite Helena Bonham Carter's bold choices when it comes to acting, the Academy is yet to reward her efforts with a win.
She does have two nominations, though, for The Wings Of The Dove and The King's Speech.
In recent years, Hugh Jackman has been at the centre of Oscar buzz for films like The Front Runner, Bad Education and even The Greatest Showman, although none of them led to an actual nomination.
The Australian star did receive a nod back once, though, following his leading performance in Les Misérables in 2013.
Are we ever going to get over the total snub that happened in 2017, when Taraji P Henson was missing from the Best Actress category?
Probably not, no.
The Hidden Figures star does one have Oscar nomination under her belt, thanks to her role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.
For those not familiar with Diane Warren, she's the songwriter behind hit movie soundtrack tunes like Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, There You'll Be and I Don't Want To Miss A Thing.
Remarkably, she's now been nominated for an Oscar 15 times without a win – and true to form, she's in the running in 2024, so this could well be her year.
It was more than 40 years into Demi Moore's on-screen career that she even landed her first Oscar, thanks to her performance in the body horror movie The Substance (a rare feat for a horror movie to be recognised by the Academy at all!).
Heading into the 2025 ceremony, it looks like this could be Demi's year, after she pretty much cleaned up at every preceding awards show.
HuffPost favourite John Travolta has become something of an Oscars staple in recent years, thanks to iconic moments like his 'Adele Dazeem' gaffe, his after-party dance-off with Lady Gaga, his awkward pose with Scarlett Johansson and the fact he was the one to give Will Smith his award after the slap seen around the world.
John does have two Oscar nominations of his own, one for Saturday Night Fever and a second for Pulp Fiction, although neither ended up in a win for him.
But while he may not have any trophies to show for it, we'd still argue no one has won at the Oscars more times than Mr Travolta...
26 Iconic Oscars Moments From Past Years That Still Live In Our Minds Rent-Free
Here's The Full List Of Actors And Films Nominated For Awards At This Year's Oscars
11 Biggest Oscar Snubs: From Denzel Washington To Daniel Craig, Here's Who Got Overlooked
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USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Charlize Theron is turning 50 soon. The 'Old Guard 2' star can't wait.
Charlize Theron is staring down 50 in just about a month. And 50 should be scared. The Oscar-winning actress ("Monster"), who reprises her butt-kicking, comic-book inspired role of Andromache of Scythia, or Andy, in "The Old Guard 2" (streaming July 2 on Netflix), simply has no time for society's judgmental ageist critiques. As long as Charlize thinks Charlize is hot, all is well. "Listen," she says with a smile as she peppers her comments with expletives. "I wore fishnets last night because I felt awesome in them, and that's where I'm heading right now, it's like, I don't give a ..." well, you know what. "I have limited time left, and I'm going to do it up the way I want to do it up, and that's it," she says, contrasting her feelings today with half a lifetime ago when she felt her on-screen sexuality was her stock-in-trade. "I have no more time to pretend to live my life for other people." Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Not that Theron doesn't sizzle in "Old Guard 2," where she and a bevy of other seductive and powerful women − including Uma Thurman as Discord and KiKi Layne as Nile Freeman − battle immortal figures who are bent on humanity's destruction. A highlight and hallmark of the sequel is bringing together talented female actors under the direction of Victoria Mahoney, who made a name for herself as second-unit director on 2018's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," a first for a woman on that series. "When I started my career, I never saw a woman in such positions," Theron says of Mahoney, adding that many of the producers and crew on "Old Guard 2" were women. "Early on as an actor, if I heard that Gwyneth (Paltrow) or Cameron (Diaz) or any of my generation got cast, I didn't even bother to look at the script again because I figured the one role was taken," she says. "We still have a long way to go. There are so many talented women, but so few opportunities. But that said, it feels better these days, more inclusive. It feels like you're not alone out there, that's the best way I can put it." Charlize Theron's daughters are not impressed with mom's superhero exploits Theron is a doting mom to daughters Jackson, 12, and August, 9. The girls, however, are not impressed by Theron's on-screen exploits; the actress told Jimmy Kimmel her kids were far more dazzled by Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" stunts than her own in "Old Guard 2." Theron adopted the girls from South Africa, a country in which she continues to invest time and money. Just a few days ago, she hosted another block party to raise money for the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, which helps community-based organizations that provide health, education and other support for young people in need. "Women in South Africa are facing femicide at a high rate and it's something nobody is talking about," Theron says. "So we do our small part, partnering with organizations in the trenches, coming up with answers and not waiting around for policy changes. And that's not a Black or white thing, we don't look at people's needs in that way. But it just so happens, though, that minorities of color are the others that usually fall between the cracks." Theron has a lot of irons in the fire. Her production companies, Denver and Delilah Productions (named after her dogs) and Secret Menu, are busy pursuing a range of projects with a particular focus on her favorite genre, documentaries. Secret Menu announced it would produce a new film on the Alexander brothers, real estate moguls who have been accused of serial sexual abuse. Next up for Charlize Theron: Battling another bad guy in the wilds of Australia But she's also just wrapped filming another movie for Netflix that will find her buff and taking no guff. In "Apex," Theron plays a rock climber who loses her husband (played by Eric Bana) and goes to Australia to deal with her loss. "She heads into nature to let it beat her up a bit," Theron says. "She meets a man who looks like someone who can help her, but he turns out to be a serial killer (Taron Egerton) and he hunts her through the outback wilderness." Let's just say in Hollywood's not-so-distant past, 50-year-old women were not cast doing battle with serial killers. If Theron has her way, she will be entertaining us with such gritty turns well into her Social Security years. And it seems she's got her mother, Gerda, to thank for that. "My mom is − well, we're not 100% sure how old she is, she's from a small town in South Africa and the records were written in pencil, I think − but she's maybe 74 or 72," she says with a big laugh. "I told my mom that I was looking forward to 50, and she said, 'Oh, honey, it gets so much better when you hit your 70s.' So, yeah, I feel like I got lucky with good genes. I think life's going to be OK for me from here on out."


Digital Trends
41 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
The Old Guard 2 cast chooses iconic movie moments to witness for the first time
Internet culture in the Digital Age moves at the snap of a finger. Thanks to the social media algorithm, what's popular today might not be talked about tomorrow. Five years feels like a lifetime. That's how long it's been since The Old Guard premiered on Netflix. It's fitting that a follow-up to a movie about a team of immortals would take its time before hitting the service. Mortals, rejoice. The wait is over. The Old Guard 2 is now available to stream on Netflix. Charlize Theron returns for the action-packed sequel as Andy, the leader of a team of immortal mercenaries who serve as protectors of the world. The team consists of immortals Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), along with a mortal, James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Speaking of finite creatures, Andy now copes with her mortality, which affects every decision, knowing she can finally die. Andy and her team will be tested with the arrival of Discord (Uma Thurman), the very first immortal with a sinister plan that threatens the universe. To defeat Discord, Andy seeks the help of an old friend, Tuah (Henry Golding), who may hold the secrets of immortality. Recommended Videos Ahead, the trio of Golding, Kenzari, and Ejiofor discuss character development and if some struggled to slip back into their parts. The group debates immortality and the movie scenes they would have loved to witness if they could go anywhere in time. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Digital Trends: This movie is about immortality and living through moments in history. They've [the immortals] been around for so long. And I start to think if I were immortal, I could live through movie moments in history. Imagine if I were on the set of Goodfellas watching [Martin] Scorsese do the one-shot, or if I were with Michael Mann watching the diner scene in Heat. For all of you, what is a movie moment you would have loved to see filmed live? Henry Golding: That is a great question. Marwan Kenzari: Let's start with The Goonies. [Pauses] Can't go wrong there. Chiwetel Ejiofor: [Laughs] That was it? No explanation? No furthering. No elaborating. Just The Goonies, right in there. The whole movie. Ejiofor: I think I'd love to be around at the end of Do the Right Thing. Spike Lee's character throws the trash can through the window. It set off, at the time, all of this conversation. All of the dynamics of that film are fascinating. I'd love to have been there and just watch that being filmed and watch Spike in his element in that way. I think that would have been amazing. Golding: Maybe a short time on Armageddon, with all the history. Oh, no. Sorry, not Armageddon. Apocalypse Now. [Laughs] Great movie. Golding: [Laughs] Armageddon's great. Yeah, up in space with Bruce [Willis]. No, Apocalypse Now. Sorry. It's in Vietnam, very different movies. Kenzari: You said Armageddon. Golding: All right! Ejiofor: At this point, I think you should just go with Armageddon. Golding: I just want to be a driller who gets sent to space. [Laughs] The idea of Apocalypse Now being so gonzo in how they filmed it with the craziness that was on set, being lost in that creativeness and world, almost becomes Stockholm Syndrome. You're living out this reality. That would have been fun. Ejiofor: Nobody believes you. Golding: [Laughs] I just want to be on that oil rig. Ejiofor: Everyone knows that you want to be in Armageddon. Kenzari: Nothing wrong with that. Armageddon was a great movie, and the fact that a meteorite can hit the Earth… Golding: Luckily, we got those blue-collar guys ready to go to space. Teaching oil drillers to be astronauts instead of astronauts to be oil drillers. Golding: [Laughs] Exactly. Chiwetel and Marwan, you were both stars in the first movie. I'm curious about returning to characters for a second time. Is it easy to get back into character? Was there anything specific you left out the first time [acting in The Old Guard] that you wanted to implement this time? Ejiofor: I mean, I do enjoy revisiting characters. Characters, for me, never go away entirely. If I'm reading something and it reminds me of a character that I've played, I find myself feeling, chemically, a little bit like that character for a moment, sitting in that space for a second. I feel like all of those characters are kind of in me somewhere. It's actually kind of nice to be able to re-explore something because you always think, 'Oh, I wonder if I'm going to be able to feel how I felt before.' Then inevitably, you begin the process, and it suddenly happens. You start to feel that chemical shift. I think that's an enjoyable part of it. I think it does give you the opportunity to add a certain layering to a character, to go a little bit deeper, because you have to consider what's happened in the interim period to this person. That definitionally informs or changes some of the past of the character as well. I think it's just a really interesting, creative process. Kenzari: I'm a big fan of Ricky Gervais. I always hear him say, 'Never in character. That's a guy with a whiteboard standing there and holding a microphone. How can you be in character?' But no, it was not complicated at all. It's as if we left each other a day before, not three or four years before. That's how easily we would just slip right back into the way we joke around. Nobody really takes him or herself that seriously. Obviously, that adds to the tone and the energy on set. Nobody has an ego or anything that's complicated. It was quite easy to start back up. Henry, you're joining the team this time. What are you trying to bring with your character, Tuah, to this franchise? Golding: I think Tuah adds another level of lore with who the Old Guards are. I think he reveals a lot of history and the implications that each character has with each other, but also with the civilizations of the world. He's been scurrying away in his tomb writing, observing, and following the adventures of this lot. For him to come out and finally be part of it, I think, has great meaning to him. He's locked himself away for too long, so he's been yearning for a chance to come back to reality in a weird way. I think if you imagine a life of eternity on your own, it can be very depressing in a weird way. I think he needs to talk to somebody. He has this amazing group that really welcomes him into something, and they're working towards a greater good, which he wants to be a part of. I was going to ask you if you had a 'Welcome to the Old Guard' moment, like a rookie going to a veteran team. Golding: [Laughs] I was discussing this earlier. I was waiting for the initiation process, like five shots and a slap on the bum with a paddle, but it never came. I was hoping for it, but these guys are far too… Ejiofor: We decided against it in the end. [Laughs] Kenzari: You did get two takes, though. Two takes, and that was it. Golding: It was like, 'Do the work, Henry.' No, they were so welcoming. Like Marwan was saying, not a single person wasn't welcoming. It made it so easy to integrate into a group of actors who are just as giving as each other. We're just able to have fun and play with these layered characters. How's your back doing? I believe you threw it out. Golding: Yeah, I had a little tweak. It happens pretty much in everything. It happened on Snake Eyes. It happened in another film that I did, and in this film. It's always during the choreography process of revising the movements without the tension of your body being in that moment. It's never anything like a misstep or a hinge of the hips that is completely wrong. Then, you're out for two weeks. It's challenging wearing a brace and trying to do all of this choreography, but we managed it. The Old Guard 2 is now streaming on Netflix.


Geek Tyrant
an hour ago
- Geek Tyrant
SQUID GAME Creator Still Torn on Season 3 Finale, but the Cast Says It's a Wild Ride — GeekTyrant
With Squid Game Season 3 marking the end of Netflix's biggest series, fans were met with a conclusion that will no doubt spark conversations. But, the show's creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, admits he's still wrestling with how he feels about the final moments. He said: 'Even when I was writing season 3, I had to make a big decision at the end of the season. Because it's a finale of the whole series, the whole show. 'That decision was so difficult to make. I'm still thinking whether it's good or not, but the audience, the viewers will see. I cannot spoil that.' That's not exactly a confidence boost, but not all the voices involved are as uncertain. Series lead Lee Jung-jae, who plays Seong Gi-hun, believes Hwang landed exactly where he needed to. 'I thought that director Hwang's decision that he had made, he was very determined, and he knew what he was doing, but I'm sure that he went through a lot of internal debate and struggles.' Lee pointed out the unique challenge of ending a cultural phenomenon like Squid Game , especially with a character as layered as Gi-hun. 'Because, as we all know, it's just a hugely successful series. So when it's a story that big, how do you bring that to closure as director, writer, and creator? And especially for a character like Gi-hun, where do you leave his journey?' He also revealed that Hwang didn't make that call in a vacuum. 'He listened to a lot of other people's ideas as well. We would have discussions among ourselves, among the cast. He would also discuss it with me and the crew as well. 'But I believe that director Hwang came up with the most adequate, the most unpredictable, the most meaningful, and the most intriguing and entertaining ending possible. 'So personally, I am very happy with the finale, and you all are going to be able to see where it all ends soon, but I can guarantee you it's not going to be what you think.' And then there's Lee Byung-hun, who plays the mysterious Front Man, adding: 'Director Hwang keeps saying it's a finale, but when I first read it, I felt it could be a finale, [but] at the same time, it could be a new start. I'm not sure about that, it's my personal opinion, but if the audience's love and support increases, we never know what happens.' Whether it's truly the end or just the beginning of something else, Squid Game Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. If you watched it, what did you think about the end?