‘And the nomination for Best Actor doesn’t go to...’

For whatever reason, some stars get snubbed by the Academy voters time and time again. Greg Evans ranks those whose pristine body of work never got the Oscar love it deserved

- Greg Evans

What do Jared Leto, Dan Ackroyd, Rami Malek, Jennifer Hudson and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov all have in common? They've all been nominated for an acting Oscar - and in some cases won. In contrast, what do Donald Sutherland, Martin Sheen and Mia Farrow all have in common? They’ve not received a single nomination between them from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Actors can try for most of their careers to get some recognition from the Academy. Matthew McConaughey, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Bridges are three examples of great actors who toiled away for decades before a late-career renaissance story finally bagged the big one.

The year 2025 has produced a few resurgences too, with Guy Pearce, Isabella Rossellini and Demi Moore – all actors who have definitely deserved recognition before – landing elusive Oscar nominations.

Every year, there are debates about which acclaimed performances were snubbed by the Academy; while those discussions are always worthwhile, it’s worth sparing a thought for the many superb actors who have never even made it to the dance.

Here are 27 of the best actors to have never been nominated for an Oscar.

27. Zendaya

At just 28, Zendaya still has plenty of time on her side to eventually bag an Oscar nomination. However, when her Dune co-star Timothee Chalamet is already on two nods, you can’t help but feel that she’s being snubbed, especially when she’s turning in cerebral performances like she delivered in Challengers.

26. Adam Sandler