For every heavily campaigned frontrunner and sentimental favorite, there’s the rare, glorious Oscar night upset—the kind that sends shockwaves through Hollywood and leaves audiences cheering in disbelief. These are the moments that remind us how the Academy Awards, for all their politics and patterns, still have room for genuine surprise. And frankly, that’s what makes the ceremonies so thrilling (because who likes a predictable boring night)?
From child prodigies and overlooked character actors, to those who outshone even the greatest titans of the industry—these performances prove that talent and truth can still defy the odds. It isn’t just the unexpected underdog movie win, the actors themselves have the power to turn the ceremony on its head.
7
Anna Paquin
‘The Piano’ (1993)
Before she was the mutant in X-Menor the halfling in True Blood, Anna Paquin famously made one of the most extraordinary debuts in film history with Jane Campion‘s The Piano. As Flora, the daughter and emotional interpreter of a mute mother, Paquin commanded the screen, perfectly balancing innocence, intelligence, and raw emotion with uncanny maturity. Every glare, giggle, and outburst felt spontaneous yet deeply felt—a performance so natural it hardly seemed acted at all.
By the time awards season arrived, Paquin was a critical darling but still an unlikely contender. Just a child and completely unknown, she was competing against veterans like Winona Ryder and Rosie Perez. And while The Piano garnered acclaim, few believed it would dominate the acting categories. Nevertheless, Paquin’s name was called, stunning the audience (and herself). At just 11-years-old, she became the second-youngest Oscar winner of all time, proving that sometimes, instinct and honesty can outshine decades of experience.
6
Joel Grey
‘Cabaret’ (1972)
Liza Minnelli may have headlined Cabaret, but Joel Grey was the film’s ghostly heartbeat. As the Master of Ceremonies, he ruled the Kit Kat Klub with devilish charm—part seducer, part moral commentator. Through song, dance, and knowing glances, he mirrored the creeping decay of pre-war Berlin, turning every performance into both spectacle and warning. Many have even argued his magnetic mix of vaudville flair and quiet menace is what earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and rightly so.
What no one expected, however, was for Grey to actually win. He was up against titans from The Godfather—Al Pacino, James Caan, and Robert Duvall—in what looked like a three-way battle among cinema’s next great icons. Yet the Academy went with the theater-trained underdog, honoring a performance that was pure theatrical mastery. Honestly, we can’t blame them when it continues to be one of the greatest performances in one of the best musical movies of all time.
5
Marcia Gay Harden
‘Pollock’ (2000)
Portraying Lee Krasner in Pollock, Marcia Gay Harden delivered a quietly devastating performance as the painter, partner, and emotional anchor to the mercurial Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris). Imbuing Krasner with both tenderness and steel, Harden managed to paint her not as a muse, but as a woman whose own artistic ambitions were often eclipsed by the men around her. It was a performance brimming with subtle tension, grounding a film otherwise dominated by artistic chaos.
But Harden’s Oscar win was nothing short of shocking. Not only was she not nominated for most of the precursor awards, but her indie drama barely registered in a season dominated by the likes of Almost Famous, Traffic, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Many assumed Kate Hudson or Judi Dench had the Best Supporting Actress category locked. Yet, Harden’s name was called, proving that even without campaign machinery or hype, raw craft and emotional precision can sometimes cut through the noise.
4
Adrien Brody
‘The Pianist’ (2002)
In The Pianist, Adrien Brody gives a harrowing performance as Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist trying to survive the horrors of Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Starving, alone, and stripped of dignity, Brody’s physical and emotional transformation was total as an unflinching portrait of resilience and despair. His final scene alone remains to be one of the most haunting moments in modern cinema.
Fast-forward to the Oscars and at just 29, Brody became the youngest person to ever win Best Actor, despite the odds being stacked against him. Prior to the ceremony, Brody had not won any of the precursor awards as he faced acting titans like Daniel Day-Lewis and Jack Nicholson—each of whom was considered a virtual lock. Nevertheless, Brody’s name was called out, leaving his stunned acceptance speech (and infamous surprise kiss with Halle Berry) to be etched in Oscar history.
3
Marisa Tomei
‘My Cousin Vinny’ (1992)
As Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny, Marisa Tomei took what could’ve been a disposable comic role and turned it into a star-making showcase. Fast-talking, sharp as a whip, and endlessly charismatic, she stole every scene from Joe Pesci with effortless comedic timing. Her now iconic courtroom monologue remains a masterclass in delivery and confidence—a true iconic moment for the 90s comedic scene.
But while everyone loved Tomei’s performance, no one could’ve expected her to win the Oscar. Who could’ve she when she wasn’t even nominated for any other precursor award? Competing against acting legends like Vanessa Redgrave and Dame Joan Plowright, Tomei was easily the outsider. In fact, the shock was so great that some even floated conspiracy theories that the presenter had read the wrong name. Regardless, Tomei’s win stood as proof that comedy, when executed with precision and heart, deserves a place alongside cinema’s most lauded achievements, just as much as the tragic dramas.
2
Anthony Hopkins
‘The Father’ (2020)
In The Father, Anthony Hopkins gives one of the most soul-stirring performances of his coveted career as an elderly man slipping into dementia. Through his eyes, the world became an unreliable maze where faces blurred, rooms shift, and time loses meaning. Hopkins masterfully captured the confusion, anger, and the fleeting dignity of a man fighting to hold onto himself, crafting a portrayal so immersive it pulled audiences directly into his disorientation.
Yet when heading into the Oscars, the category of Best Actor was expected to go to Chadwick Boseman, whose towering performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom had already swept nearly every major award. Hopkins had already won once before, and many assumed the Academy would favor sentiment and legacy. But in a twist that stunned viewers (and seemingly Hopkins himself, who didn’t even attend the ceremony), the veteran triumphed again.
1
Olivia Colman
‘The Favourite’ (2018)
As Queen Anne in The Favourite, Olivia Colman delivers a performance of contradictions: hilarious, fragile, and heartbreakingly human. Constantly teetering between royal authority and childlike insecurity, she anchors Yorgos Lanthimos‘ dark period comedy with both absurd humor and devastating emotion. Her portrayal of the lonely monarch offers a masterclass in tonal balance—something that isn’t so surprising given how versatile she is as an actor.
But heading into Oscar night, the Best Actress race was presumed to belong to Glenn Close for The Wife, whose long career without an Oscar made her the sentimental favorite. Colman, though having won a couple of awards, was still seen as a quirky outlier from an eccentric British film. Yet in one of the most joyous Oscar upsets in recent memory, Colman snagged the gold statue and gave one of the funniest and most endearing acceptance speeches of all time, cementing herself as one of the most beloved performers of her generation.
The Favourite
- Release Date
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November 23, 2018
- Runtime
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120 minutes
- Writers
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Tony McNamara, Deborah Davis
