Everyone remembers when someone finally wins that elusive Oscar.

Martin Scorcese said it best after winning for directing The Departed: “Can you check the ballot?” We all remember, too, when Leo finally took home an Academy Award for his performance in The Revenant.

There are still countless actors today who have yet to take home acting’s most prestigious award. Here are the actors and actresses long overdue to win an Oscar.

Willem Dafoe

Dafoe has enjoyed a storied career spanning decades. To most people my age, he’s one of the best comic book movie villains of all time, and seeing him return for Spider-Man: No Way Home was an absolute delight.

Dafoe has been nominated on several occasions, most notably for his performance in Platoon.

Demi Moore

Is it finally her time?

Demi Moore has enjoyed a storied career over the years, but believe it or not, her performance in The Substance led to her first ever Academy Award nomination.

She’s already won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, so she’s already on her way.

Bradley Cooper

Remarkably, Bradley Cooper has yet to take home an Academy Award despite the odds being in his favor twice: once for Silver Linings Playbook and a second time for Maestro.

Both times, however, he ran into stiff competition. There’s no denying his talent, though, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s on stage accepting an award.

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Paul Giamatti

It felt like Giamatti was a shoo-in for Best Actor last year for his performance in The Holdovers. Unfortunately, just like Cooper, he ran into Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer.

Giamatti’s resume is arguably stronger than Cooper’s, with the acclaimed actor showcasing his range for over 40 years.

However, he’ll always have that iconic picture with his Golden Globe at In-N-Out Burger.

Amy Adams

Adams has been nominated an impressive six times but has always been the bridesmaid and never the bride, despite taking home two Golden Globes.

She was nominated back-to-back in 2014 and 2015 for American Hustle and Big Eyes.

American Hustle was her best bet, but she came up short against Cate Blanchette in Blue Jasmine.

Ian McKellen

Despite a prestigious career, Sir Ian McKellen has only been nominated for an Oscar twice: 2002 for Fellowship of the Ring and 1999 for Gods and Monsters.

You’d figure his best chance would have been when Return of the King was a clean sweep, but he wasn’t even nominated.

Ryan Gosling

Gosling has had several excellent chances for an Oscar, most notably for his performance in La La Land and, believe it or not, as Ken in Barbie.

With an impressive filmography that has improved over time, it feels like a matter of when, not if, for Gosling to earn an Academy Award.

Glenn Close

There have been eight nominations across 40 years for Close, but unfortunately, she has struck out every time.

Her most recent nomination was in 2021 for Hillbilly Elegy, but her best chance, and honestly the one that should have earned her an Oscar, was her performance in Fatal Attraction. However, she lost to Cher.

Jake Gyllenhaal

After bursting onto the scene in the cult classic Donnie Darko, Gyllenhaal has established himself as one of the most esteemed actors of our generation.

His biggest snub is undoubtedly Brokeback Mountain, though I’m partial to his performance in Nightcrawler.

Saoirse Ronan

Given her already impressive filmography, it’s hard to believe that Ronan is only 30.

By the time she saw mainstream success with 2018’s Lady Bird, she already had two nominations under her belt. Following Lady Bird and 2019’s Little Woman, that makes four nominations with no win.

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