Awards season has officially begun, and the prestigious Oscars are approaching.
While a number of great actors have won a coveted statue, many of Hollywood’s highest regarded talents have missed out year after year.
From Will Smith to Emily Blunt – these underdog stars are yet to win an Academy Award.
Jim Carrey
Despite turning in critically acclaimed performances in films such as The Truman Show (for which he won the Best Actor Golden Globe), Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey has never even been nominated for an Oscar.
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson turned in a powerful performance as Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg’s moving 1993 epic Schindler’s List, but while he earned a Best Actor nod, he came up empty-handed on the night and has yet to win any others.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper has been nominated three times in a row for acting categories, for Silver Linings Playbook (2013), American Hustle (2014) and American Sniper (2015) but has yet to take home the gold.
Harrison Ford
He’s had a long career in the industry and is one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars, but to date Harrison Ford has only picked up one nomination for Best Actor in 1986 for Witness.
Hugh Grant
He was widely tipped to earn an Academy Award nomination for Florence Foster Jenkins this year, but despite co-star Meryl Streep gaining her 20th Oscar nod for her role in the film, Hugh came up empty-handed. The actor has yet to receive any Oscar nominations.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close has been in everything from Fatal Attraction to TV’s Damages, but the versatile actress has yet to pick up a coveted Oscar of her own. Over the years, she has been nominated three times for Best Actress (for Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons and Albert Nobbs) and three times for Best Supporting Actress (The World According to Garp, The Big Chill and The Natural).
John Travolta
John Travolta has been nominated for Best Actor twice in his career to date, for Saturday Night Fever in 1978 and Pulp Fiction in 1995, but the star has yet to clinch the gold.
Emily Blunt
Despite being praised for her turns in Sicario,Into the Woods, The Young Victoria and others, British actress Emily Blunt has yet to receive any Oscar nominations. She missed out again this year for The Girl On The Train.
Emily Blunt singing Into The Woods.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg counts two Oscar nominations to his name, one as a producer on The Fighter and one for Best Supporting Actor for The Departed, but lost out both times.
Meg Ryan
Her star power may have faded somewhat in recent years, but Meg Ryan turned in memorable performances in When Harry Met Sally and other classic romantic comedies. To date, however, the actress has yet to even receive a nomination at the Oscars.
Ewan McGregor
The Scottish actor has starred in everything from Star Wars to Trainspotting, and while not all of his films have been well reviewed, it seems unbelievable that he’s never even been nominated for an Academy Award.
Robert Downey Jr
Robert Downey Jr has seen some ups and downs over his time in Hollywood, but today the Iron Man actor is arguably one of Tinseltown’s brightest stars. And despite wowing critics in Zodiac, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Good Night, And Good Luck, he’s only picked up on Oscar nomination (for comedy Tropic Thunder in 2009).
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix has been nominated three times, once for Best Supporting Actor (Gladiator) and twice for Best Actor (Walk the Line and The Master), but has never won.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has been nominated in the category of Best Actor three times, for the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, Finding Neverland and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise picked up nominations for Born ont eh Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia but has yet to take home an Oscar of his own.
Richard Gere
The star of Pretty Woman, Primal Fear and Arbitrage has yet to be nominated for an Oscar.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer has been nominated for Best Actress twice, for Love Field in 1993 and The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1990. She was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Dangerous Liaisons in 1989, but has yet to win.
Will Smith
Will Smith is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but the charismatic actor has yet to win an Oscar. He has been nominated twice for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.
Amy Adams
With two critically praised movies under her belt this Oscar season (Nocturnal Animals and Arrival), many expected versatile actress Amy Adams to receive another nomination – but she was snubbed from the Best Actress list, meaning she’ll go yet another year without nabbing a golden statue for herself. Amy has previously gotten nods for American Hustle, The Master, The Fighter, Doubt and Junebug.
Arrival Trailer
Marilyn Monroe
Undoubtedly one of cinema’s most recognisable icons, Marilyn Monroe has surprisingly never been nominated for an Academy Award – despite delivering star turns in Some Like It Hot and The Misfits, among others.