17 Celebrities Who Have (Surprisingly) Never Won an Oscar
Over the course of her storied career, Close has been nominated a whopping eight times for her roles in films including The Big Chill (1983), Fatal Attraction (1987), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988), but she’s never taken an Oscar home. (Yuh-jung Youn spoiled her most recent bid in 2021.)
Bradley Cooper
In the running for best actor, best original screenplay, and best picture statuettes last year for his virtuosic work on Maestro, Cooper has now been nominated for an Oscar a jaw-dropping 12 times for his acting, writing, directing, and producing on a wide range of projects, from Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle to American Sniper, A Star is Born, Joker, and Nightmare Alley.
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes and Francesca Annis at the Oscars in 1997.Photo: Getty Images
Like his Schindler’s List co-star Liam Neeson, Fiennes was nominated for an Oscar in 1994, ultimately losing to Tommy Lee Jones. When he received a second nod, for his leading role in 1996’s The English Patient, he was shut out again, this time by Geoffrey Rush. This year, he’s back in contention with his masterful work in Conclave.
Ethan Hawke
Hawke’s filmography is legendary, ranging from indie and arthouse favorites (Reality Bites; the Before trilogy) to mainstream hits (Dead Poets Society, Gattaca). He’s been up for an acting Oscar twice—for Training Day in 2002 and Boyhood in 2015—and twice more for adapted screenplay (for Before Sunset and Before Midnight), but never won.
Isabelle Huppert
For all of her astonishing work with the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, Maurice Pialat, Michael Haneke, Claire Denis, and Hong Sang-soo over the last 50 years, Huppert has been nominated for an Academy Award just once, for her performance in Paul Verhoeven’s erotic thriller Elle (2016).
Ian McKellen
Academy Award nominee Sir Ian McKellen arrives for the annual Oscar nominees luncheon 08 March in Beverly Hills. McKellen is nominated for best actor for his role in the film “Gods and Monsters”. AFP PHOTO Vince BUCCI (Photo by VINCE BUCCI / AFP) (Photo by VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images)Vince Bucci/Getty Images
