Also Nominated: Charles Durning, John Lithgow, Sam Shepard, Rip Torn<\/b><\/p>
Jack's role as astronaut Garrett Breedlove was originally written for Burt Reynolds, but when he passed it was offered to James Garner. When he quarrelled with director James L. Brooks, it was offered to Harrison Ford, who felt he was too young to play opposite Shirley MacLaine. <\/p>
Finally Nicholson took it, and the applause that greeted his name at the Awards justified the Academy's voting and Brooks' eventual casting. His nervous, yet very amusing speech was a highlight of the night.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Terms-Of-Endearement-22.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Terms Of Endearement 22"},{"captionHeading":"1985 - Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields","caption":"
Also Nominated: Adolph Caesar, John Malkovich, Noriyuki Pat Morita, Ralph Richardson<\/b><\/p>
Possibly the most deserved award in the history of the Academy, Haing S. Ngor was no actor when he took the part of real-life Khmer Rouge regime survivor, Dith Pran. He was perfectly suited to the part because he too was a survivor of a regime that murdered a 1.5m people. <\/p>
Ngor was tragically murdered in 1996 when he apparenly refused to give a thief the locket that hung around his neck - it was his late wife's, who died while a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge. <\/p>
When The Killing Fields was released, Ngor told a reporter from the New York Times; \"If I die from now on, okay. This film will go on for another hundred years.\"<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Killing-Fields-06.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Killing Fields 06"},{"captionHeading":"1986 - Don Ameche (second from right) in Cocoon","caption":"
Also Nominated: Klaus Maria Brandauer, William Hickey, Robert Loggia, Eric Roberts<\/b><\/p>
He was in a cast featuring some of the best actors of his generation, but Don Ameche somehow managed to garner more attention and earn himself an Oscar nod for his role as one of the rejunivated OAPs in Ron Howards Sci-Fi drama.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Cocoon-06.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Cocoon 06"},{"captionHeading":"1987 - Michael Caine in Hannah And Her Sisters","caption":"
Also Nominated: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Denholm Elliott, Dennis Hopper <\/b><\/p>
Michael Caine was rarely recognised as a leading acting talent, yet he changed that perception with his turn in Woody Allen's classic story about relationships and affairs. <\/p>
It would be 12 years before Caine would win again, but then again he did spend that time making Mr Destiny and Blue Ice.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/13/Hannah-and-Her-Sisters-05-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Hannah and Her Sisters 05"},{"captionHeading":"1988 - Sean Connery in The Untouchables","caption":"
Also Nominated: Albert Brooks, Morgan Freeman, Vincent Gardenia, Denzel Washington<\/b><\/p>
The Americans are easily confused when it comes to the British Isles. Cast as a Spaniard in Highlander, and an Englishman in The Rock (where a bad guy asks him \"Did I ever tell you my father was Irish.\"), Connery won the Oscar in '87 for his performance as a grizzled Irish street cop. It wasn't his best performance of all time, but it was the first time the Academy recognised his talents.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Untocuhables-01.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Untocuhables 01"},{"captionHeading":"1989 - Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda","caption":"
Also Nominated: Alec Guinness, Martin Landau, River Phoenix, Dean Stockwell<\/b> <\/p>
Despite competition from some outstanding actors, Kline was always the favourite for the Supporting Oscar, given the critical and commercial popularity of A Fish Called Wanda. <\/p>
\"I've never felt completely satisfied with what I've done,\" he said after winning. \"I tend to see things too critically. I'm trying to get over that. I've got the Jewish guilt and the Irish shame and it's a hell of a job distinguishing which is which.\"<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/A-Fish-Called-Wanda-01.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"A Fish Called Wanda 01"},{"captionHeading":"1990 - Denzel Washington in Glory","caption":"
Also Nominated: Danny Aiello, Dan Aykroyd, Marlon Brando, Martin Landau<\/b><\/p>
These days it seems hard for Denzel to play any part other than a mouthy cop, but in 1989 he was stunning as Pvt. Trip. His over-the-top turn in Training Day over a decade later was as much of a surprise as the award for Glory was a shoe-in. None of the other nominees stood any chance of standing between Denzel and his own glory.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Glory-06.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Glory 06"},{"captionHeading":"1991 - Joe Pesci in Goodfellas","caption":"
Also Nominated: Bruce Davison, Andy García, Graham Greene, Al Pacino<\/b> <\/p>
Goodfellas failure to win a leading award was one of the most unpopular Oscar decisions in recent memory, but it was made somewhat more bearable when Pesci was recognised for his performance as the pscyotic Tommy DeVito.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/13/Goodfellas-16-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Goodfellas 16"},{"captionHeading":"1992 - Jack Palance in City Slickers","caption":"
Also Nominated: Tommy Lee Jones, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Michael Lerner <\/b> <\/p>
Bugsy's immense popularity with critics made Jack Palance a very surprising choice for Best Supporting Actor ahead of Keitel and Kingsley. Even Lerner (Barton Fink) and Lee Jones (JFK) were more obvious choices for the gong. <\/p>
But Palance's turn as a gnarled old cowboy in the Billy Crystal vehicle, City Slickers, pipped them all.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/City-Slickers-13.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"City Slickers 13"},{"captionHeading":"1993 - Gene Hackman in Unforgiven","caption":"
Also Nominated: Jaye Davidson, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, David Paymer<\/b><\/p>
Watch Unforgiven once and you'll see a Western with some very nasty (and occasionally nice) people doing very questionable things. Watch it again, and you realise nothing is straight forward, least of all Hackman's Sheriff, Little Bill Daggett. <\/p>
All Bill wanted was to keep the peace, although his methods were hardly pleasant, he had his town's best interests at heart. But, like most other things in the movie, Little Bill wasn't all he cracked himself up to be. <\/p>
Ultimately, he was utterly unlikeable, which only serves to endorse Hackman's performance that much more.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Unforgiven-12.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Unforgiven 12"},{"captionHeading":"1994 - Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive","caption":"
Also Nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ralph Fiennes, John Malkovich, Pete Postlethwaite<\/b><\/p>
A perfect example of tight, suspenseful storytelling, The Fugitive is a lean, action packed thriller underpinned by some very convincing performances. <\/p>
It's only recently that Tommy Lee Jones has tested himself, with the likes of No Country and Valley Of Elah, but in 1993 he played the part of Marshal Samuel Gerard so well, he not only picked up an Oscar, but managed to carve out a decade of roles based on that very performance.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Fugitive-14.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Fugitive 14"},{"captionHeading":"1995 - Martin Landau in Ed Wood","caption":"
Also Nominated: Samuel L. Jackson, Chazz Palminteri, Paul Scofield, Gary Sinise<\/b><\/p>
Tim Burton's ode to the worst filmmaker of all time was a fantastic piece of cinema, in complete contrast to the subject matter. <\/p>
While Johnny Depp would have been disappointed to be ignored - nominations for Pirates Of The Caribbean and Sweeney Todd rather than this is bizarre in the least - Martin Landau was a very deserving recipient for his part as the legendary Bela Lugosi.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Ed-Wood-13.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Ed Wood 13"},{"captionHeading":"1996 - Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects","caption":"
Also Nominated: James Cromwell, Ed Harris, Brad Pitt, Tim Roth <\/b><\/p>
For some, The Usual Suspects is the ultimate suspense movie with an incredible twist. For others, the ending isn't so much a clever twist, as, well, complete nonsense. Regardless of that, Kevin Spacey's Roger 'Verbal' Kint is a wonderful character, written as perfectly as he is played. Maybe he's Keyser Soze, maybe he isn't. Whoever he is, Spacey's performance was far more eye catching than his rivals for the award.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/13/The-Usual-Suspects-03-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Usual Suspects 03"},{"captionHeading":"1997 - Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire","caption":"
Also Nominated: William H. Macy, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Edward Norton, James Woods <\/b><\/p>
One good performance and CGJ was the next big thing. But since his part in Jerry Maguire, (as Tom Cruise's only, rather outspoken, client) brought him the plaudits, Gooding Jr. has done everything in his power to kill his career - Pearl Harbour, Rat Race and Boat Trip the most notable pieces of evidence. <\/p>
Frankly, William H. Macy should have won it for Fargo.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Jerry-Maguire-26.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Jerry Maguire 26"},{"captionHeading":"1998 - Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting","caption":"
Also Nominated: Robert Forster, Anthony Hopkins, Greg Kinnear, Burt Reynolds <\/b><\/p>
After a career spent snorting cocaine and gurning in front of the camera, Robin Williams finally realised that his acting talents stood up perfectly without the added complication of an impromptu, ad-libbed stand up session. <\/p>
He managed it in Dead Poets Society, but it wasn't until he played the restrained therapist in Good Will Hunting that he earned an award. He was a perfect foil to Matt Damon's angry maths whizz. A joy to watch, it's the best performance of his career.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/13/Good-Will-Hunting-22-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Good Will Hunting 22"},{"captionHeading":"1999 - James Coburn in Affliction","caption":"
Also Nominated: Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Geoffrey Rush, Billy Bob Thornton <\/b><\/p>
Not one of the most famous wins, James Coburn took the award for playing the part of Nick Nolte's father in the little-seen 'detective' movie, Affliction. He fended off competition from Nolte himself, as well as Billy Bob's excellent turn in A Simple Plan and Ed Harris' beautifully understated role as Christof in The Truman Show.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/19/james-Coburn-Affliction-1.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"james Coburn - Affliction"},{"captionHeading":"2000 - Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules","caption":"
Also Nominated: Tom Cruise, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jude Law, Haley Joel Osment <\/b> <\/p>
Caine came back to collect his second supporting Oscar (he's yet to win the main one, with The Swarm and Jaws: The Revenge being criminally overlooked) after playing the rather unethical doctor in the Cider House orphanage.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Cider-House-Rules-29.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Cider House Rules 29"},{"captionHeading":"2001 - Benicio Del Toro in Traffic","caption":"
Also Nominated: Jeff Bridges, Willem Dafoe, Albert Finney, Joaquin Phoenix<\/b> <\/p>
The intersecting drama became quite a popular approach in the last ten years, with Traffic being the market leader. Benicio Del Toro played the untrustworthy local Mexican cop who, in his own way, fights a drug battle related to various other big name actors. None of whom received an Oscar nom.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Traffic-01.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Traffic 01"},{"captionHeading":"2002 - Jim Broadbent in Iris ","caption":"
Also Nominated: Ethan Hawke, Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen, Jon Voight <\/b><\/p>
As the husband of novellist Iris Murdoch, Jim Broadbent was the very essence of understatement. In a career that's seen far more highs than lows, Brit character actor Broadbent finally received the recognition years of hard work deserved.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/13/Iris-24-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Iris 24"},{"captionHeading":"2003 - Chris Cooper in Adaptation","caption":"
Also Nominated: Ed Harris, Paul Newman, John C. Reilly, Christopher Walken<\/b><\/p>
Cooper is often typecast as a God-fearing, uptight father and family man. But his performance in the bizarre, the strangely watchable Adaptation was easily the best of his career. His character is the one the others need to write about, making him the most interesting person in the movie. Whether or not he should have beaten Ed Harris (The Hours) and Paul Newman (Road To Perdition) is still up for debate.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Adaptation-15.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Adaptation 15"},{"captionHeading":"2004 - Tim Robbins in Mystic River","caption":"
Also Nominated: Alec Baldwin, Benicio del Toro, Djimon Hounsou, Ken Watanabe<\/b><\/p>
Clint Eastwood has a habit of turning out Oscar winning pictures, whether the awards fall into his lap or someone elses. While Sean Penn took the lead award, Tim Robbins took the glory for supporting actor, having played the part of a disturbed man suspected of a brutal crime.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Mystic-River-11.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Mystic River 11"},{"captionHeading":"2005 - Morgan Freeman in Million Dollar Baby","caption":"
Also Nominated: Alan Alda, Thomas Haden Church, Jamie Foxx, Clive Owen<\/b> <\/p>
Morgan Freeman spends most of his career on cruise control, and Million Dollar Baby was no different. Yet the Academy really went for Clint's boxing drama with a (lame) twist. All of his rivals ought to still hold a grudge.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Million-Dollar-Baby-02.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Million Dollar Baby 02"},{"captionHeading":"2006 - George Clooney in Syriana","caption":"
Also Nominated: Matt Dillon, Paul Giamatti, Jake Gyllenhaal, William Hurt <\/b> <\/p>
Clooney knows how to mix it up. Sometimes he's in a big budget spectacular, then you'll see him in acting mode, which is exactly what happened with Syriana. As an ageing, disillusioned CIA spy, Clooney was awesome, piling on the pounds and facial hair for added gravitas. He might not beat this performance, but it will be immensely enjoyable to see him try.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Syriana-18.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Syriana 18"},{"captionHeading":"2007 - Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine","caption":"
Also Nominated: Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg <\/b><\/p>
Little Miss Sushine's Oscar success was expected to be larger than the two awards it received - it took a writing award as well - but nobody would begrudge Alan Arkin his Statuette for playing the maverick heroin-addicted Grandfather.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Little-Miss-Sunshine-03.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Little Miss Sunshine 03"},{"captionHeading":"2008 - Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men","caption":"
Also Nominated: Casey Affleck, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Holbrook, Tom Wilkinson <\/b><\/p>
In the world of movies, there's a million bad guys for every creepy villain. When it comes to Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh, there's a billion bad guys that do not compare. Pure, unadulterated evil, Chigurh is as mad as his hair cut. He wouldn't have been half as scary had Bardem not been so utterly convincing. Rarely will an award outcome be so predictable.<\/p>","url":"2008/10/10/No-Country-For-Old-Men-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"No Country For Old Men"}];