It just doesn’t get any easier and this list of 34 contenders for Best Supporting Actor at the 2014 Oscars is certain to change considering I don’t have any names from films such as The Monuments Men, The Butler, Inside Llewyn Davis or Blue Jasmine included since I don’t know how big the roles are in each film and there are simply too many to choose from to include them all. However, when you’re predicting the Oscars this early, you’re not really predicting who is going to win as much as you’re setting up a baseline starting point. But I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that…
Keeping that in mind, I think we have a good starting five when it comes to this category and plenty of names below the bubble line to consider with the excitement of plenty more to come. So let’s run down one through five and I’ll send you over to contemplate the rest after that.
1.) Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) – I assume most will early predictions will include Mark Ruffalo in their top five for his upcoming role in Bennett Miller‘s Foxcatcher. Ruffalo has only been nominated for an Oscar once before (The Kids Are All Right), but not having read the script and considering the nature of the story, I’m not sure how large his role will be here.
2.) Josh Brolin (Labor Day) – It’s unclear whether Josh Brolin‘s role in Jason Reitman‘s Labor Day will be considered lead or supporting, but for the time being I’m going supporting as he plays an escaped convict, shacking up with a mother (Kate Winslet) and her 13-year-old son.
3.) Benedict Cumberbatch (August: Osage County) – Benedict Cumberbatch is going to receive a lot of exposure this year. He plays the chief antagonist in Star Trek Into Darkness, plays the lead role in the Wikileaks feature The Fifth Estate, voices Smaug in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, has a small role in Steve McQueen‘s 12 Years a Slave and will chew up some screen time opposite Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in the adaptation of Tracy Letts‘ August: Osage County. Depending on how each picture works out, it all could lead to a lot of Oscar love.
4.) Michael Fassbender (Twelve Years a Slave) – I’ve heard a few things about Steve McQueen‘s latest and “bleak” is one of them as well as praise for several of the performances. This is Fassbender’s third straight film with the prolific director and after two previous great performances and no Oscar nods will the third time be the charm?
5.) Ben Foster (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) – The love for Ain’t Them Bodies Saints coming out of Sundance was palpable and while Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck were given their share of the credit, I noticed a lot of love for Ben Foster‘s performance. IFC ended up with distribution rights for the film and it’s going to prove to be a big test to see if they can get the cast any kind of awards love on their limited For Your Consideration budget.
As I said, I have 29 more contenders listed and you can find the full, ranked list right here. There’s plenty to consider from Colin Farrell in Saving Mr. Banks, Matthew McConaughey and more in The Wolf of Wall Street and why not Michael Shannon as General Zod in Man of Steel?
Consider them all right here and leave your thoughts and contenders for the category in the comments below.
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