Snubbed? 24 multiple Oscar nominees who never won: Hollywood’s Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix made it fourth time lucky, but Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams are still waiting

Apr 23 , 2021

Will Bradley Cooper, Michelle Williams or Saoirse Ronan ever win an Oscar? They’ve all been nominated four times or more each, and no luck so far. Photos: Warner Bros, Alliance Vivafilm, Sony

Each year, deserving performances necessarily lose out in the Oscars’ best-acting categories. But there are a handful of great actors that the Academy has repeatedly nominated and neglected.

This year, Glenn Close is nominated an eighth time for her role in Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy. If she loses again, she’ll be tied with Peter O’Toole as the actor with the most Oscar nominations without a win (though O’Toole won an honorary Oscar).

Haley Bennett, Glenn Close and Owen Asztalos in Hillbilly Elegy. Photo: Netflix

Close was nominated two years ago in the lead actress category for The Wife and was the perceived front runner – until she lost to Olivia Colman.

Joaquin Phoenix and Brad Pitt turned their luck around last year. They both scored their first acting wins on their fourth nomination, Phoenix for lead actor for Joker and Pitt for supporting actor for Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.

Brad Pitt accepts the actor in a supporting role award for Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre in February 2020 in Hollywood, California. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Others haven’t been so lucky.

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Here are 24 actors who have been nominated for at least four acting Oscars without winning once:

Saoirse Ronan – 4 nominations

Saoirse Ronan and Domhnall Gleeson in Brooklyn. Photo: handout

Best actress: Brooklyn (2015), Lady Bird (2017), Little Women (2019)

Best supporting actress: Atonement (2007)

Bradley Cooper – 4 nominations

Bradley Cooper in American Sniper directed by Clint Eastwood. Photo: Warner Bros

Best actor: Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Sniper (2014), A Star Is Born (2018)

Best supporting actor: American Hustle (2013)

Willem Dafoe – 4 nominations

Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh in a still from At Eternity’s Gate. Photo: CBS Films

Best actor: At Eternity’s Gate (2018)

Best supporting actor: Platoon (1986), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), The Florida Project (2017)

Michelle Williams – 4 nominations

Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn. Photo: EPA

Best actress: Blue Valentine (2010), My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best supporting actress: Brokeback Mountain (2005), Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Barbara Stanwyck – 4 nominations

Best actress: Stella Dallas (1937), Ball of Fire (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

Stanwyck received the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 1981.

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Rosalind Russell – 4 nominations

Best actress: My Sister Eileen (1942), Sister Kenny (1946), Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), Auntie Mame (1958)

Mickey Rooney – 4 nominations

Mickey Rooney and co-star Judy Garland in Babes in Arms. Photo: handout

Best actor: Babe in Arms (1939), The Human Comedy (1943)

Best supporting actor: The Bold and the Brave (1956), The Black Stallion (1979)

Rooney received the since-discontinued Academy Juvenile Award in 1938 and the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 1982.

Claude Rains – 4 nominations

Best supporting actor: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Casablanca (1942), Mr. Skeffington (1944), Notorious (1946)

Ed Harris – 4 nominations

Ed Harris in Pollock. Photo: AFP Photo/Sony Pictures Classics

Best actor: Pollock (2000)

Best supporting actor: Apollo 13 (1995), The Truman Show (1998), The Hours (2002)

Agnes Moorehead – 4 nominations

Best supporting actress: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Mrs. Parkington (1944), Johnny Belinda (1948), Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

Marsha Mason – 4 nominations

Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl. Photo: Warner Bros

Best actress: Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Goodbye Girl (1977), Chapter Two (1979), Only When I Laugh (1981)

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Montgomery Clift – 4 nominations

Best actor: The Search (1948), A Place in the Sun (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953)

Best supporting actor: Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Charles Boyer – 4 nominations

Best actor nominations: Conquest (1937), Algiers (1938), Gaslight (1944), Fanny (1961)

Annette Bening – 4 nominations

Best actress: American Beauty (1999), Being Julia (2004), The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Best supporting actress: The Grifters (1990)

Jane Alexander – 4 nominations

Jane Alexander poses for a portrait in March 1998. Photo: AP Photo

Best actress: The Great White Hope (1970), Testament (1983)

Best supporting actress: All the President’s Men (1976), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Arthur Kennedy – 5 nominations

Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory. Photo: Universal Pictures

Best actor: Bright Victory (1951)

Best supporting actor: Champion (1949), Trial (1955), Peyton Place (1957), Some Came Running (1958)

Albert Finney – 5 nominations

Albert Finney in Murder on the Orient Express. Photo: handout

Best actor: Tom Jones (1963), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Dresser (1983), Under the Volcano (1984)

Best supporting actor: Erin Brockovich (2000)

Irene Dunne – 5 nominations

Best actress: Cimarron (1931), Theodora Goes Wild (1936), The Awful Truth (1937), Love Affair (1939), I Remember Mama (1948)

Amy Adams – 6 nominations

Amy Adams and Christian Bale in American Hustle. Photo: handout

Best actress: American Hustle (2013)

Best supporting actress nominations: Junebug (2005), Doubt (2008), The Fighter (2010), The Master (2012), Vice (2018)

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Thelma Ritter – 6 nominations

Best supporting actress: All About Eve (1950), The Mating Season (1951), With a Song in My Heart (1952), Pickup on South Street (1953), Pillow Talk (1959), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

Deborah Kerr – 6 nominations

Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity. Photo: handout

Best actress: Edward, My Son (1949), From Here to Eternity (1953), The King and I (1956), Heaven Knows, Mr Allison (1957), Separate Tables (1958), The Sundowners (1960)

Kerr received the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 1994.

Richard Burton – 7 nominations

Michael Hordern and Richard Burton in the movie The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Photo: handout

Best actor: The Robe (1953), Becket (1964), The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), Equus (1977)

Best supporting actor: My Cousin Rachel (1952)

Glenn Close – 8 nominations

A still from The Wife featuring Glenn Close. Photo: handout

Best actress: Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Albert Nobbs (2011), The Wife (2018)

Best supporting actress: The World According to Garp (1982), The Big Chill (1983), The Natural (1984), Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

Peter O’Toole – 8 nominations

Peter O’Toole in Becket. Photo: AP Photo

Best actor: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Becket (1964), The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favorite Year (1982), Venus (2006)

O’Toole received the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement in 2002.

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This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

Academy Awards

Glenn Close earned her ninth Academy Award nod for Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy – if she loses she’ll be tied with Peter O’Toole for most nominations without a win
Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix both scored their first wins in 2020 for Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood and Joker, after four unsuccessful earlier outings