The Oscars are considered the highest honor for an actor. However, there are certain names in Hollywood who, despite having tremendously successful careers, have never won an Oscar. From legends like Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise to relatively newer stars, here’s a list of the distinguished non-winners of the Oscar.
Amy Adams
The six-time Oscar-nominated actress has never won an Oscar. Five of her nods have been for Best Supporting Actress, for ‘Junebug’ (2005), ‘Doubt’ (2008), ‘The Fighter’ (2010), ‘The Master’ (2012), and ‘Vice’ (2018), losing to Rachel Weisz, Penélope Cruz, Melissa Leo, Anne Hathaway, and Regina King, respectively. After 2013’s ‘American Hustle’ earned Adams her first nomination for Best Actress, Cate Blanchett took home the prize over her.
Tom Cruise
While Tom Cruise‘s hit ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ managed to land him a Best Picture nomination at the 2023 Oscars, it had been a total of 24 years since the actor was last nominated for an Oscar, for ‘Magnolia’, considered by many film critics to be his finest role to date. He was on a hot streak earlier in his career with a string of well-received successes, like ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and ‘Jerry Maguire.’ Despite his action-packed career pivot, it’s still hard to believe he doesn’t have an Oscar on his mantle.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams has given us consistently gut-wrenching performances over the years, from ‘Brokeback Mountain’ to ‘Manchester by the Sea.’ Over the years, she’s stacked five Best Actress nominations in multiple roles, including for ‘The Fabelmans’ in 2023, but has yet to become an Oscar winner.
Harrison Ford
Han Solo from ‘Star Wars’ or Indiana Jones, these roles gained him lifetime popularity, but Ford’s only nomination came from his role as an undercover cop in 1985’s Witness.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has embodied some memorable roles over the years (from Captain Jack Sparrow to Willy Wonka) and has yet to receive an Oscar for them. Depp has been nominated three times over the years for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ in 2004, ‘Finding Neverland’ in 2005, and ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ in 2008.
Liam Neeson
Among the highlights are Liam Neeson’s roles in Schindler’s List and Kinsey. In 1994, he received his first and only nomination for ‘Schindler’s List’ but ended up losing to Tom Hanks in ‘Philadelphia.’
