WHAT’S IN A NAME? FOR OSCAR, IT’S A REAL ONE!

If Oscar history proves my theory correct, Nicole Kidman is likely going to be walking away with another gold statuette come March 27! And if not her, bet on Jessica Chastain or Kristen Stewart.

My theory, you ask? Simple: academy voters have a penchant, if not a downright OBSESSION, with awarding actors who portray real people – especially recently.

Let’s look at the facts. Two years ago, Renee Zellweger won for her portrayal of Judy Garland. The year before, Olivia Colman was the favourite for playing Queen Anne. Then there’s been Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher), Sandra Bullock (Leigh Anne Tuohy), Helen Mirren (Queen Elizabeth II), Marion Cotillard (Edith Piaf), Reese Witherspoon (June Carter Cash) and Charlize Theron (Aileen Wuornos). And of course, our Nicole won her first Oscar with the help of a fake nose playing Virginia Woolf.

Out of this year’s five nominees for Best Actress, THREE of them star in biopics: Nicole as Lucille Ball (Being the Ricardos), Kristen as Princess Diana (Spencer) and Jessica as evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (The Eyes of Tammy Faye). Coincidence? I think not!

Blokes are also often shoo-ins for filling some really huge shoes. In Best Actor, Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!), Will Smith (King Richard) and Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos) got noms for real-life roles. Will is the frontrunner for playing Serena and Venus Williams’ dad. If he aces the win, he’ll join a crowded club. Rami Malek, Gary Oldman, Eddie Redmayne, Daniel DayLewis and Colin Firth got gold for playing Freddie Mercury, Winston Churchill, Stephen Hawking, Abraham Lincoln and King George VI.

But Nicole shouldn’t just win because we loved her as Lucy. She’s made 40-odd films in the 20 years since she won for The Hours, yet this is only her fifth nomination! Add in her slew of producing and TV credits, and she’s possibly the hardest-working woman in showbiz. Case closed – hand her the trophy already!

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