I’ve officially compiled a list of every Oscar-nominated performance that I believe to be a case of category fraud.

As it stands, there are 122 (out of the 1661 performances nominated since the introduction of the supporting categories). I’ll be posting 1 per day in this thread.

NOTES:

1. Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Won S, belonged in L.

Screen time: 34.21%

He has nearly as much screen time as Leonardo DiCaprio (only 3.7% less), and his story is equally as prominent. They exist independently from each other and are co-leads.

2. Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 24.18%

Kayla and Megyn’s stories are given equal attention throughout the film, culminating in an overlap during which each character affects the other’s arc. Furthermore, Theron only has 10% more screen time.

3. Emma Stone (The Favourite)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 48.03%

No need to explain this one. The role ticks ALL the boxes on the list of what it means to be a lead, and its supporting placement makes zero sense outside of studio greed.

4. Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 35.90%

Simply put, the film has three leads. Despite having the least screen time, Weisz has plenty, and her Sarah controls the narrative just as much as Abigail, and moreso than Anne.

2018 - 2019 recap

(Wherein I discuss performances that are sometimes or often cited as category fraud but I actually think were placed where they belonged.)

5. Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 29.55%

This isn’t just Moonee’s story. It’s the story of a makeshift family, and the two parental figures are given more than enough narrative focus to be considered leads. (Further explanation attached.)

6. Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 33.73%

Dixon is an undeniably dynamic and independent character with relatively high amounts of screen time and narrative focus (which, in the second half, are equal to Mildred’s).

7. Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 33.88%

There’s only one lead in most cat and mouse films, but here (where the true antagonist is nonhuman) the cat is just as prominent and emotionally complex as the mice, and we root for both sides.

8. Dev Patel (Lion)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 36.37%

If a lead role is split up, category placement depends on plot structure and performance length. Patel and Pawar each carry one of the film’s two acts and have almost equal screen time, making them both lead actors.

2016 - 2017 recap

Only one performance to discuss this time, but it’s an important one!

9. Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 31.40%

Compared to the other characters, Mike’s amounts of screen time and narrative focus don’t support an ensemble argument. Most importantly, he’s the emotional center of the film and his role is never passive.

I also examined the numbers closely in this case and found that Mike spends 35% of his scenes away from the Spotlight team (compared to Robbie’s 23% and Sacha’s 14%).

10. Rooney Mara (Carol)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 59.67%

Placing Mara and Blanchett in separate categories was clearly no more than a ploy for awards, because there is no narrative explanation for it. The story is every bit as much Therese’s as it is Carol’s.

11. Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 49.88%

Like Felicity Jones the previous year, Vikander rises above the supportive wife role and embodies a three-dimensional character with nearly as much narrative point of view as her spouse.

2014 - 2015 recap

As you may have noticed, 2014 is the most recent “fraud-free” year, which means I agree with all 20 of the category placements.

12. Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 33.11%

The 3 narrators here are all dynamic characters, each with their own objective. The whole point is that everyone thinks they’re in charge, and the attention given to each is equitable (see chart).

13. Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 46.55%

Of all the film’s characters, Barbara has the most screen time and most dominant POV. She is essentially the vessel through which viewers experience the dysfunction of the Weston family.

14. Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 40.12%

I’ve seen this argument used too liberally, but it needs to be said about Schultz: There is no story without him, mainly because he leads a great deal more of the action than Django himself.

15. Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 39.66%

I ended up putting a lot of thought into this one, so I’ve had to attach my explanation separately:

2012 - 2013 recap

Only one performance to discuss this time, but I had a lot to say!

16. Bérénice Bejo (The Artist)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 29.57%

As George’s love interest, Peppy’s role is smaller by comparison, yet still more than prominent enough to warrant lead placement. The plot is, after all, centered on their rising star/falling star dynamic.

17. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 54.76%

Though Rooster is a lead character, Mattie is even more of one (with 10% more screen time). Far too often, children are forced to go supporting just because they’re children, and it simply isn’t right.

I should clarify: It’s Steinfeld who has 10% more screen time than Bridges. Mattie the character has 14% more than Rooster.

2010 - 2011 recap

18. Matt Damon (Invictus)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 29.45%

With their respective screen times being so close (5.3% difference) and the narrative focus on each of their characters being practically equal, Damon and Freeman should undoubtedly be considered co-leads.

19. Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 33.09%

Placement-wise, there’s no logical reason to separate Tolstoy & Sofya. Their relationship (and each of their relationships with Valentin) being so integral to the plot classifies them as leads.

2008 - 2009 recap

Yes, 2008 is another fraud-free year!

20. Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 39.29%

No explanation needed. Ford is clearly a leading role and Affleck was only placed in supporting because he had a more famous male co-star.

21. Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 23.66%

What makes this antagonist a lead? He has more scene presence than either protagonist and consistent individual POV throughout the film. And, Moss isn’t exactly an honorable protagonist anyway.

22. Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 40.73%

Though he has less screen time than Archer, Vandy holds his own with plenty of narrative focus. Of the two, he is the one who more appropriately fits the traditional description of a protagonist.

23. Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 56.24%

Dench’s (4 minute longer) role as narrator is truly no more prominent when Blanchett’s scenes away from Dench, and her own arc, are factored in. They are co-leads here, pure and simple.

24. Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 33.52%

I know it’s an uncommon idea, but I’m of the opinion that this film has five leads. (Please read the attached detailed explanation.)

25. Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 39.60%

Effie and Deena have equal screen time and equally important roles. The film’s first half is centered on Effie, with large portions of the second also consistently devoted to her narrative.

26. Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)

Won L, belonged in S

Screen time: 34.63%

(Please read the attached explanation.)

27. Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 26.22%

Though more like Terence Fletcher than Idi Amin in that she isn’t purely villainous, Miranda is another antagonistic mentor with too little POV and presence compared to Andy to be a co-lead.

2006 - 2007 recap

28. George Clooney (Syriana)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 21.83%

By my criteria, I conclude that this 4-storyline film has 3 leads. All 3 main storylines take up enough of the runtime, are comparatively equitable, and each actor has enough leading presence within his own.

29. Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 43.29%

Before Jack’s not-even-early exit, the narrative follows both his and Ennis’s individual lives equally, and the entire film is focused on their shared love story.

30. Jamie Foxx (Collateral)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 53.60%

Double acting nominations don’t mean much when fraud is involved, especially when it’s this blatant. At least Foxx won for the correctly placed performance.

31. Clive Owen (Closer)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 35.91%

This film clearly has four leads. They’re not half lead/half supporting. They’re not all supporting. They’re all lead roles of equal importance.

32. Natalie Portman (Closer)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 36.94%

(See explanation for # 31.)

2004 - 2005 recap

33. Benicio Del Toro (21 Grams)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 23.35%

This film focuses on its three main characters equitably as they share the same complex story. They are all full-fledged leading roles.

34. Tim Robbins (Mystic River)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 24.40%

Their equitable amounts of POV, narrative attention, and screen time (average: 30%) support the classification of Jimmy, Sean, and Dave as leading roles.

35. Julianne Moore (The Hours)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 24.14%

This film has three lead characters, each of whom single-handedly leads her own equally prominent storyline. Placing Moore in supporting benefitted both her and the film, but was totally unethical.

36. Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 28.82%

Yet another antagonistic mentor role that is, like almost every other, supporting. Bill is a flashy, attention-grabbing character, but this isn’t his story.

2002 - 2003 recap

37. Jim Broadbent (Iris)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 42.60%

As characters, Iris and John have high and nearly equal amounts of screen time (73% / 65%). More importantly, the film is entirely focused on their relationship, with equal attention afforded to each of them.

38. Ethan Hawke (Training Day)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 61.05%

This film’s protagonist and antagonist are exact co-leads, and the actors should have been campaigned that way. Hawke would have missed the nom, but this outrageous case of fraud would have been avoided.

39. Benicio Del Toro (Traffic)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 17.70%

SAG had it right. This is another 3-storyline film, with Del Toro and Douglas as the respective leads of the Mexico and D.C. ones, while no actor in the L.A. one has enough presence to be placed in lead.

2000 - 2001 recap

40. Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 44.14%

Cole more than holds his own against Malcolm as a co-lead, with his own powerful arc, plenty of POV, and, in fact, more screen time and more solo scene time.

41. Rachel Griffiths (Hilary and Jackie)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 36.10%

The role of Hilary may be shorter and more understated than that of Jackie, but, in narrative terms, the two roles are equally important.

42. Meryl Streep (One True Thing)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 34.09%

The only lead character here is Ellen, whose evolving relationships with each of her parents (seen from her POV) form the basis of the plot. The way the story is told, Kate doesn’t exist independently.

1998 - 1999 recap

43. William H. Macy (Fargo)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 27.66%

Jerry and Marge’s roles are equal in terms of screen time and narrative prominence, and categorizing either one of them as supporting makes no logical sense.

44. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 42.78%

Given their equal amounts of screen time and POV, this is just as much Hortense’s story as Cynthia’s, if not more so.

45. Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 29.48%

Although the flashbacks make up 56% of the film’s runtime, Katharine plays a secondary love interest role to Almásy, the constant protagonist.

1996 - 1997 recap

46. Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 34.84%

Even before the twist, Verbal’s POV clearly dominates the story. He spends most of his time in the present, leading us through the flashbacks, wherein he’s rightfully known as the man with the plan.

47. Kate Winslet (Sense and Sensibility)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 43.73%

This story was originally written (down to the title) as a coming-of-age romance focused on two sisters equally, and this faithful adaptation maintains that structure.

48. Sharon Stone (Casino)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 29.17%

Ginger doesn’t play a truly active role until the final third of the film, and even then, it’s a supporting, antagonistic role in Ace’s already firmly established story.

49. Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 25.53%

Vincent leads Vincent Vega & Marsellus Wallace’s Wife. Butch leads The Gold Watch. Jules leads The Bonnie Situation.

1994 - 1995 recap

50. Al Pacino (Glengarry Glen Ross)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 34.27%

Not only is Roma’s point of view just as narratively important as Levene’s, but the film’s fundamental themes are informed by their starkly different modi operandi.

51. Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 28.47%

Gabe (of course) has the most screen time, but, by design, the narrative follows all four main characters equitably and each has their own arc.

1992 - 1993 recap

1993 is the fourth fraud-free year so far.

52. Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs)

Won L, belonged in S

Screen time: 21.00%

A character being integral to a film’s plot doesn’t make them a lead. It’s Starling’s arc we follow as Lecter plays the static role of her adviser (not her partner or even her antagonist.)

53. Annette Bening (The Grifters)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 31.26%

Don’t be deceived by Myra’s “early” exit. When broken down, Lilly’s role isn’t much more prominent, and they both have the same amount of influence on Roy.

(See scene presence chart.)

1990 - 1991 recap

54. Martin Landau (Crimes and Misdemeanors)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 42.08%

The film is equally divided into just two tales, each led by just one actor, and it makes no sense for either of them to be placed in supporting.

55. Dianne Wiest (Parenthood)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 19.77%

Helen is a bonafide secondary lead, and, under the binary system, I say she belongs in the leading category. (Further explanation attached.)

56. Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 26.16%

Sure, Keating’s role as teacher allows him to “lead” several scenes, and he gets a bit of POV, but, the bottom line is, the story isn’t his. He just serves in the role of “magnanimous mentor”.

57. River Phoenix (Running on Empty)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 56.12%

This is one of the most confounding examples of fraud, since the film is primarily Danny’s coming-of-age story wherein he struggles to find a life beyond the past mistakes of his parents.

1988 - 1989 recap

58. Albert Brooks (Broadcast News)

Nom S, belonged in L

Screen time: 32.93%

The simple fact is that all three members of this film’s love triangle are leads, with Jane getting the most narrative focus, but Aaron and Tom getting more than enough of their own.

59. Michael Douglas (Wall Street)

Won L, belonged in S

Screen time: 32.18%

Another antagonistic mentor, another supporting character posing as a lead.

60. Meryl Streep (Ironweed)

Nom L, belonged in S

Screen time: 31.83%

Helen sings a song and gets some time to herself in the third quarter, but it isn’t enough to justify leading status. Francis’s narrative dominates, and Helen supports it.

61. Michael Caine (Hannah and Her Sisters)

Won S, belonged in L

Screen time: 22.83%

Use the ensemble argument if you like, but it doesn’t make sense to call Elliot a supporting role when he never plays one. (See attached explanation.)