Best Supporting Actress is one of those legendary categories where upsets abound and young actresses burst upon the scene. This year, we will get some of both. Who will be nominated for Best Supporting Actress when the Oscar nominees are revealed on January 24?
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
Jessica Chastain - The Help
When you think of the possible nominees in this category, one must keep in mind who has been nominated for The Screen Actors Guild Awards. Actors nominate actors for the Oscars, and many of the SAG voters also vote for the Oscars. Think of it as a political poll where you get to question potential voters to gain insight.
Woodley did not get a SAG nomination (that went to Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs). However, the entire Oscar campaign for Albert Nobbs and everyone associated with it has been completely mismanaged by Roadside Attractions and whatever PR firm it hired, while Woodley and Chastain have been racking up attention from critics' groups around the country and my own Critics' Choice Awards.
I was worried about choosing Jessica Chastain. She is an amazing actress, but she was so good in so many different movies (The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter and The Tree Of Life), I thought she might be competing too much against herself (Oscar voters must specify which performance from which movie) and splitting her own vote! However, The Help is one of those movies gaining attention and traction during the awards season, and she will benefit from that, as well as the people who want her to get some sort of nomination, and have started to put their support behind this performance.
Who is the frontrunner? Golden Globe winner Octavia Spencer is getting tons of buzz right now, so you have to consider her the favorite. However, watch out for Berenice Bejo. The Artist is the frontrunner for Best Picture, and more and more people are starting to see her performance, which was amazing.
I'll predict a winner when we get closer to Oscar night.
Tomorrow, I'll predict the nominees for Best Supporting Actor.
