Washington Post names Liam Neeson as one of 37 living actors robbed of an Oscar
Liam Neeson has been named as one of 37 living actors who were famously deprived of an Oscar.
The Ballymena star is among legendary company – including actors Peter O'Toole, Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant - when it comes to never winning an Academy Award.
Neeson was included in a new list compiled by the Washington Post of just over three dozen actors deprived of a gong — and the performances that deserved one.
The American publication names Schindler’s List as “one of the true masterpieces of our time”.
And they say this is great credit to its Irish star.
His brilliance comes from portraying Schindler not as a pure-hearted hero but as the conniving swindler he was, a lustful gambling boozehound who originally employed Jews because they were cheaper and ends up with a commitment to save them.
“Never does he say any of this, but after 184 minutes, there’s no questioning it.”
Neeson was nominated in 1994 but it was a hotly contested field full of heavyweight acting performances.
Tom Hanks picked up the best actor award for Philadelphia while Daniel Day-Lewis was also in the mix for In the Name of the Father and Laurence Fishbourne as in contention for What’s Love Got to Do With It.
Meanwhile Brad Pitt was also among the 37 living actor deprived of the ultimate acting gong for his performance in Fight Club.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were also called out for failing to give Harrison Ford a gong for Blade Runner.
Eddie Murphy performance in Dreamgirls was also said to be Oscar worthy along with Meg Ryan for When Harry Met Sally.
The Washington Post also made a strong case for Tom Cruise for deserving an Academy aware for Mission: Impossible — Fallout in 2018.
“The academy historically rewards great physical feats so why doesn’t Tom Cruise have an Oscar?”, said the publication.
They listed off his near-inhuman feats he personally performed for the Mission: Impossible movies which include holding his breath underwater through a 6½ -minute sequence, dangling from the side of an Airbus in take-off and scaling Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower.
“What’s he gotta do to win an Oscar — learn to pilot a spacecraft? That’s probably on tap for the next movie, to be honest”, said the publication.
