Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2024 May 15

= May 15 =

Lead actor in a supporting role
Is it unusual for an actor in a leading role – listed first in the acting credits – to campaign for and be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for that role? This is in regard to the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. According to the article supporting actor there are no specific criteria for the difference between nominations for supporting or lead actor/actress roles at the Academy Awards and each case is considered individually. So I'm wondering if it's an unusual practice (and therefore possibly noteworthy). – Reidgreg (talk) 14:02, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
 * I would say that it's possibly noteworthy. For that matter, it's a relatively new thing for actors (broadest sense) to actively campaign openly for an award of any type. Campaigning has long been the norm, but there always was a sense of plausible deniability: so-and-so just happened to make the talk show rounds, "the studio" was pushing for it, etc. It would have been unseemly and self-aggrandizing to say (out loud) "Yeah, I think my performance was worthy of Oscar consideration..." To do so for a "lesser" award would add layers of intrigue. Matt Deres (talk) 15:59, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Unlikely. There are a few instances where it might have made sense. For example, Bette Davis and Anne Baxter were both nominated for best actress for All About Eve. If they had been worried about splitting the Eve votes, enabling someone else (Judy Holliday) to win, then the scenario could have played out ... if only Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter hadn't both been nominated for supporting actress for the same film! Clarityfiend (talk) 12:28, 16 May 2024 (UTC)