Decades of fame, zero Oscars: Hollywood legends still without an Academy Award

The Academy Awards, often called the Oscars, are widely considered the most prestigious honors in the global film industry. Winning an Oscar can elevate an actor’s career and cement their place in cinema history. However, many globally recognized performers with decades of acclaimed work have surprisingly never won a competitive Academy Award, despite multiple nominations and enormous influence in Hollywood.

Tom Cruise

One of Hollywood’s biggest box-office stars, Tom Cruise has starred in numerous blockbuster films including the Mission: Impossible franchise and Top Gun. Despite his global success and decades-long career, Cruise has never won a competitive Oscar. He has received multiple nominations, including Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Jerry Maguire (1996) and Best Supporting Actor for Magnolia (1999). He was also nominated as a producer for Top Gun: Maverick.

Johnny Depp

Known for his transformative performances and eccentric characters, Johnny Depp has built one of the most recognizable film careers in Hollywood. He received three Oscar nominations for Best Actor, including for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Despite these acclaimed performances, the actor has never taken home the award.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is widely regarded as one of cinema’s most iconic leading men, famous for portraying characters such as Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Yet the actor has received only one Academy Award nomination, for Witness (1985), and has never won an Oscar.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has appeared in more than 150 films and is known for memorable roles in movies such as Pulp Fiction and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Pulp Fiction (1994) but did not win. Although he later received an honorary Oscar recognizing his career contributions, he has never won a competitive Academy Award.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close is considered one of the most respected actors in Hollywood history. She holds the record for the most acting nominations without a win, having received eight Academy Award nominations for films including Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, and The Wife. Despite critical acclaim spanning decades, the Oscar statuette has remained elusive.

Amy Adams

Amy Adams has delivered acclaimed performances in films such as Doubt, The Fighter, and Vice. She has been nominated for the Academy Award six times, yet has never won, making her another high-profile example of Oscar recognition without victory.

Willem Dafoe

Known for his intense performances and wide range, Willem Dafoe has earned four Oscar nominations but has never won. His nominations include Platoon (1986), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), The Florida Project (2017), and At Eternity’s Gate (2018). Dafoe’s prolific career spans more than four decades and over 150 roles, making his lack of an Oscar one of Hollywood’s most notable award gaps.