Oscars: When double exposure leads to the win

2023 was a miraculous year for German actress Sandra Huller. Not only did she receive critical acclaim for her riveting portrayal of a woman on trial for murdering her husband in France’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” she was also praised for her role as the wife of a Nazi commander in the United Kingdom’s German-language “The Zone of Interest.” Indeed, there was much interest in Huller and her two films. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for “Anatomy.” And both “Anatomy” and “Zone” landed slots for Best Picture, as well as Best Director bids for Justine Triet and Jonathan Glazer, respectively.

As I was speaking to academy members ahead of last Sunday’s ceremony, I detected a surprisingly robust amount of support for Huller. And many of those who had voted for her mentioned her work in “The Zone of Interest.” It really did seem like the double exposure in two of the academy’s favorite films might be enough to propel Huller to one of the biggest Oscar upsets in years.

Alas, Huller (and the Gold Derby odds leader Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon”) were unable to overcome Emma Stone in “Poor Things” to capture the Best Actress crown. However, appearing in two (or even three) Oscar-nominated projects in a single year has helped several contenders achieve Oscar success.

Here are five examples from the current century. Note that I’m excluding from this discussion any double nominees (Julianne Moore in 2002’s “Far from Heaven” and “The Hours,” Jamie Foxx in 2004’s “Ray” and “Collateral,” Cate Blanchett in 2007’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” and “I’m Not There,” and Scarlett Johansson in 2019’s “Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit.” Of those, only Foxx in “Ray” went home with the Oscar.) My focus is on those who were listed in only one place on the ballot, but whose presence in another Oscar-nominated film was in the minds of voters.

1. Jim Broadbent, 2001’s Best Supporting Actor for “Iris.”
Most observers expected Ian McKellen in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” to be the the lucky fellow. He had prevailed at the SAG Awards just weeks before the Oscars. He held an Oscar IOU for 1998’s heavenly “Gods and Monsters,” for which he had lost Best Actor to Roberto Benigni in “Life is Beautiful.” And the academy had showered “The Lord of the Rings” with a near-record 13 nominations. Despite the broad support for “Rings,” McKellen was unable to get past Broadbent at the Oscars. “Iris” had only three noms, 10 fewer than “The Lord of the Rings.” But in addition to Broadbent’s sympathetic portrayal of the husband of novelist Iris Murdoch (Best Actress nominee Judi Dench), he delivered a showier turn as the man behind the Moulin Rouge in Best Picture hopeful “Moulin Rouge!” and a quieter one as the father of Best Actress nominee Renee Zellweger in “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” It’s no wonder that Ian was unable to keep up with the Joneses — or at least with Jim and his rare triple threat.

2. Sean Penn, 2003’s Best Actor for “Mystic River.”
He faced stiff competition from both Bill Murray in “Lost in Translation” and Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” Those of us following the derby were very much cursing, as we truly didn’t know which man would come out ahead. In hindsight, Penn’s dramatic depiction of a troubled ex-convict in “Mystic River” was supplemented by his more subdued interpretation of a dying professor in “21 Grams.” The latter had scored Oscar nominations for Naomi Watts for Best Actress and Benicio Del Toro for Best Supporting Actor. It’s conceivable that the combined weight of “Mystic River” and “21 Grams” gave Penn the extra ounce that he needed to triumph in a close contest.

3. Kate Winslet, 2008’s Best Actress for “The Reader.”
She was cast as a female Nazi camp guard with a secret. And it was no secret that on her sixth attempt at the Oscar, she was seen as being overdue. Of course, two-time Oscar recipient Meryl Streep (1979’s Best Supporting Actress for “Kramer vs. Kramer” and 1982’s Best Actress for “Sophie’s Choice”) was on her then-record 15th nomination for “Doubt” and was also seen as being due for (another) Oscar. It must have been a tough choice for the academy. Fortunately for Winslet, her presentation of an unhappy Connecticut housewife in “Revolutionary Road” was equally heralded — and actually the film meant to drive her into the Best Actress race. (She had been campaigned as supporting for “The Reader.”) “Revolutionary Road” reaped bids for Michael Shannon for Best Supporting Actor plus Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. There’s little doubt that Winslet’s work in “Revolutionary Road” helped put her on the road to victory over Streep.

4. Alicia Vikander, 2015’s Best Supporting Actress for “The Danish Girl.”
In a strange twist of fate, Winslet was seeking a Supporting Oscar bookend for “Steve Jobs” that year. But she had a difficult job of getting past Vikander as the wife of a transgender artist (Best Actor nominee Eddie Redmayne) in “The Danish Girl.” To make things even more confusing, Vikander was also being touted for her role as a beautiful human android in “Ex Machina.” At the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards, she contended for Lead Actress for “The Danish Girl” and as Supporting Actress for “Ex Machina.” She lost to Brie Larsen in “Room” for the former and to Winslet for the latter. But at the Critics’Choice and SAG Awards, Vikander was classified as supporting for “The Danish Girl” and defeated Winslet both times. It was the same outcome at the Oscars, though “Ex Machina” did produce a surprise win for Visual Effects along with a nom for Best Adapted Screenplay. Vikander’s visibility in both “The Danish Girl” and “Ex Machina” might have allowed her to edge past Winslet to claim the Oscar.

5. Mahershala Ali, 2016’s Best Supporting Actor for “Moonlight.”
He actually got off to a rough start that season, losing to Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Nocturnal Animals” at the Golden Globes and later to Dev Patel in “Lion” at the BAFTAs. Ali did take the Critics Choice and SAG trophies, but the academy’s choice still looked unclear. Ali did have a hidden (or not-so-hidden) advantage. Along with his role as a kind drug dealer in ultimate Best Picture “Moonlight,” he was featured as a charming military officer in another Best Picture entry, “Hidden Figures.” In a tough battle, Ali pounced the Oscar away from Patel in “Lion.” “Moonlight” allowed Ali to shine, but “Hidden Figures” probably figured into the academy’s decision. Go figure.

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