Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Let's hope a bunch of old Academy members didn't award Paquin the Oscar for her body.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Maybe they were time-traveling True Blood fans?

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

But that accent though.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Not for nothing but Bogart's best performance by a good bit was as Dixon Steele in Nick Ray's In A Lonely Place a year earlier than African Queen. It's a performance I WOULD put up against Brando in Streetcar.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

you may be partially right. But theres no way he'd have won an Oscar for "The Verdict 2" a film he made 4 years earlier. In fact I'd say the list of movies is pretty short when it comes to Newman winning an Oscar for reprising an earlier role.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

More importantly, Connery didn't have a huge, Oscar-worthy body of work that he'd been overlooked for. The Wind and the Lion, The Man Who Would Be King, and Robin and Marian are the only ones you could even make a case for, and it wouldn't be a strong case.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

maybe not a huge "Oscar worthy" body of work but definitely a big Sandra Bullock/Julia Roberts movie star, big box office, body of work.

He won it for the same reason Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts did. While both are decent actors, neither has a great body of work, but their body of work is definitely why they got their Oscars. The performances and movies weren't spectacular but they were both huge stars with very high grossing filmographies. Neither deserved their Oscars and Julia Roberts winning out over Ellen Burstyn is the closest the Oscars have come to commiting a felony.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Actually he got the award for Bela Lugosi's body of work.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Forgot about that one. Haven't seen it in almost 20 year, but remember liking it a lot. Need to revisit.

:up::up::up:

"Bela Lugosi's dead" - Peter Murphy

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Patrick Stewart for Wolverine III.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

I disagree about Newman in the Color of Money. I think he really deserved to win for that movie as he was exceptional in it. Sure he had been in a number of movies prior that were Oscar Worthy as well, but i don't think he was given the award simply to make up for it here.

Connery certainly did get the award for his body of work, and whilst he was fine in the movie i didn't think it was Oscar worthy. Looking at his competition that year though is interesting. Denzel for Cry Freedom (too early in his career i think to win), Morgan Freeman for Streetsmart (Excellent in the movie, but not the kind of character the Academy would probably like to award), Albert Brooks for Broadcast News (Good movie, but not his best role...he should have won for Drive), and Vincent Gardenia for Moonstruck (Meh!!!). So looking at his competition i would say it was probably one of the most obvious wins ever.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

The ultimate answer to this question : Helen Hayes for Best Supporting Actress in Airport (1970).
- she was The First Lady of American Theater and one of 12 EGOT winners, but winning an Oscar for about eight minutes as a little old lady on an airplane was kind of embarrassing. Do you even remember her? I don't. (She'd won the Best Actress Oscar in 1932 previously). She didn't even bother to attend the ceremony and lived another 20 years.

Along the same lines : Ingrid Bergman for Best Supporting Actress in Murder on the Orient Express (1974). She was an all-time great, obviously, and had won twice previously. Even she didn't think she deserved this one and was embarrassed to win, apologizing to Day For Night's Valentina Cortese for winning during her acceptance speech.
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Liz Taylor won for Butterfield 8 (1960) and most people think it's the worst lead performance to ever win an Oscar. I forget the details, but she had been very sick and it was more of an Oscar for living than for the work in that dreadful film. Thankfully, she won a deriving Oscar in 1966 for Who's Afraid of Viginia Woolf?.


I'd also add Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. Sure she's the best, has a record number of nominations and had won twice previously, but there was a sentiment that she was passed over several times in the previous 25-30 years because everyone just knows how great she is and this one kind of felt like a make-up Oscar since it wasn't near her best work. She should have won for Devil Wears Prada and for Adaptation instead.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

BTW : It's not always the worst thing to win an Oscar for a career's work either. I was DELIGHTED when Paul Newman finally won his acting Oscar. He was way past due. If his buddy Robert Redford wins Best Supporting Actor next year for Truth (it would only be the second acting nomination of his entire career), I'll be smiling ear-to-ear.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Don't forget that Voight and Hoffman were both nominated for best Actor that year, and probably split the votes of those who preferred Midnight Cowboy. These days, studios are more strategic about nominees, and Hoffmann would have been placed in the Supporting Actor category.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Redford i think is truly a great actor and its a shame that he does not get the award recognition he deserves.

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Dame Judi Dench for her cameo in Shakespeare in Love

Re: Acting Oscars that were really awarded because of a body of work
 

Yeah, that's what they call a sympathy vote. And, yeah, it's a terrible movie, but very funny if you see it with the right audience.