Oscars by the Numbers: The Most Appealing Best Actress Nominees
Best actress Oscar nominees ranked by their appeal.
Best actress Oscar nominees ranked by their appeal.
1.
SANDRA BULLOCK, “THE BLIND SIDE”
Bullock, whose first major role was in the thriller “Speed” (1994) opposite Keanu Reeves, has gained popularity for romantic comedies. She received her first Oscar nomination for playing a more challenging character — Leigh Anne Tuohy — a Southern spitfire. “The Blind Side” is the true story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher, who was rescued from neglect and poverty by the Tuohy family. Bullock has become one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses.
2.
HELEN MIRREN, “THE LAST STATION”
Dame Helen won the best actress Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen” (2006). She was nominated for best supporting actress Oscars for “The Madness of King George” (1994) and “Gosford Park” (2001). Her latest recognition comes from portraying Leo Tolstoy’s wife in “The Last Station,” costarring Christopher Plummer. This year, Mirren will star in “Love Ranch,” a drama about the couple who opened the first legal brothel in Nevada. The film is directed by her husband, Taylor Hackford.
3.
MERYL STREEP, “JULIE & JULIA”
Streep, considered by many to be the greatest film actress, holds the record for the most Oscar nominations — 16. She has won twice (best supporting actress for “Kramer vs. Kramer” in 1979 and best actress for “Sophie’s Choice” in 1982). In “Julie & Julia,” she played chef Julia Child at the start of her career, a story intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s efforts to cook all 524 recipes contained in Child’s first book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
4.
GABOUREY SIDIBE, “PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE”
Sidibe was an unknown when director Lee Daniels cast her in the title role of this wrenching film. In her breakout performance, Sidibe played Claireece “Precious” Jones, an illiterate and overweight 16-year-old pregnant with her second child who has been raped by her father and abused by her mother. Sidibe, who was raised in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, is to star next in “Yelling to the Sky.”
5.
CAREY MULLIGAN, “AN EDUCATION”
Mulligan isn’t a household name yet, but the star of the British film “An Education” has been compared with movie icon Audrey Hepburn. Mulligan earned her Oscar nod for portraying a rebellious teenager in the Sixties who becomes wrapped up in an affair with an older man. Last year she also costarred with Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire in “Brothers.”