This year’s best actor race is a competitive one as any.
Christian Bale (“Vice”), Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), and Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”) will go head-to-head during the Oscars ceremony on Feb. 24. After last Sunday’s SAG Awards, Malek seems like the clear frontrunner. Though “Bohemian Rhapsody” wasn’t as much a hit with critics as it was at the box office, Malek’s performance has been universally praised, and the Academy loves a transformation.
Speaking of transformations, Bale turned into Dick Cheney for Adam McKay’s “Vice,” and it’s possible that his work into the role — including a more than 40 pound weight gain — could earn him the trophy. Cooper, meanwhile, broke hearts as a fading rockstar in “A Star Is Born,” and after snubbing him in the director category, the Academy could instead reward his acting chops with his first Oscar.
Don’t count out Mortensen, though. Despite controversy throughout its Oscar campaign, “Green Book” has emerged as a solid contender, with Mortensen leading the film. And Dafoe managed to snag a fairly unexpected nomination for his role as Vincent van Gogh in “At Eternity’s Gate” — will he surprise at the ceremony too?
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