15 Underrated Best Actress Winners

Being on Film Twitter, reading Oscar forums and blogs, watching KZbin videos about the Oscars, listening to podcasts and so on and so forth, you get a feeling which Best Actress winners are certainly not the most popular choices among movie fans. And sometimes I agree, and sometimes I disagree. And that’s why I decided to make this list to highlight some underrated, or, to put it more distinctly, disliked Best Actress Winners that I personally like very much - or at least appreciate for what they tried to achieve.
01:01 Luis Rainer, The Great Ziegfeld
02:20 Luise Rainer, The Good Earth
03:32 Ginger Rogers, Kitty Foyle
04:27 Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette
05:28 Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday
06:39 Grace Kelly, The Country Girl
07:45 Anne Bancroft, The Miracle Worker
08:35 Glenda Jackson, A Touch of Class
09:47 Geraldine Page, The Trip to Bountiful
10:44 Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy
11:36 Helen Hunt, As Good as it Gets
12:25 Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love
13:27 Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
14:18 Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
15:25 Renée Zellweger, Judy
#Oscars #academyawards #LuiseRainer #geraldinepage #jenniferjones #gingerrogers #judyholliday #gracekelly #annebancroft #helenhunt #gwynethpaltrow #hilaryswank #glendajackson #jessicatandy #juliaroberts #renéezellweger

[@richardmcleod1930]

Judy Garland should have won the Academy Award for her role in "A Star is Born". What else can be said?

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

Fritz, could you confirm this, please? Apart from Julie Andrews and Emma Stone, no other actress has won Best Actress for a musical.

[@kinofan62]

Liza Minnelli in Cabaret@@andreiiliepopescu6393

[@B.Arthur]

@@andreiiliepopescu6393 ​Many performers have won Oscars for Musicals. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of winners for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Rita Moreno, West Side Story, 1961 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m32od6CMeJaJgMUsi=u-70Xd1ua_PrG7q8 Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl, 1969 (tied with Katharine Hepburn) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGbPqpKfdtJ4hacsi=SSDVmRvR84U-5LgV Liza Minnelli, Cabaret, 1973 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3fCppesl5uCedksi=pkR_qRykrGk5ldlo Catharine Zeta Jones, Chicago, 2003 Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls, 2007 Anne Hathaway, Les Mis, 2012 Many actresses were also nominated for musical performances, but did not win. A few that come to mind are: Dorothy Dandridge, Carmen Jones, 1954, kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3bFlqV3j82Nr5Ysi=mjsET-A5-Q63QSvJ Judy Garland, A Star is Born, 1954, kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHWliX6Ga7Fsn7ssi=uxMCLFY88EwV6a9N Deborah Kerr, The King and I, 1956, kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGfOq3aHa7iVrqcsi=kEpiDVaNAhS-WCLP Natalie Wood, West Side Story, 1961 Julie Andrews (nominated again after winning Best Actress the year before for Mary Poppins), The Sound of Music, 1966, kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn2YZ4tnhJl2prcsi=QpHIoqd2idR8g5Zj Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge, 2002, kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGWqp5iZe89_obcsi=fbSJRkwtJbyZ_WWs Queen Latifah, Chicago, 2003 Renee Zellweger, Chicago, 2003 Penelope Cruz, Nine, 2010 Lady Gaga, A Star is Born, 2019, m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXqYgqqNpc13g5o The number balloons as well if you include biopics about musicians that feature musical numbers - Renee Zellwegger, Sissy Spacek, etc. I would highly recommend all those films! This final video is also a wonderful breakdown of why we saw fewer movie musicals nominated / winning at the Oscars after the early 1960’s. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGnSaH-wfNaWaacsi=kGsv_kI_gQ_Je3zK

[@slc2466]

@@andreiiliepopescu6393 Somewhere right now, Barbra Streisand is throwing something at her computer screen.

[@sontagtwist714]

@@slc2466 And Lady Gaga will find him and beat him up for insulting another legend, Liza.

[@raulgama2579]

Júlia Roberts is Great in Erin, but to win over one of the best performances in history of cinema from Burstyn

[@christiansoto1367]

Ellen Burstyn had a supporting role

[@Andrea-Marie]

Great. Renee's performance in "Judy" was awesome. I believe she's a very good actress -> I loved her in "Chicago", too.

[@arjecc7365]

Jennifer Jones, Song/Bernadette Anne Bancroft, Miracle Worker Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love Renee Zellweger, Judy underrated performances I think deserved the award

[@Dave-hp7gd]

Thank you so much for this video. It is so refreshing. Yes, it is ok to like Grace Kelly and Luise Rainer and not fret about someone else being "robbed." I love The Country Girl and both of Luise Rainer's Oscar performances. I would also add that Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8 was really not that bad. I know Taylor herself did not like the film, but I found her performance glamorous and at the same time tragic and deeply moving. It is indeed possible to enjoy these fine performances within the context and times they were created. Great video

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much 🥰

[@jamesryan6008]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who enjoyed Butterfield 8. There were problems with the movie but Elizabeth Taylor's performance wasnt among them.

[@colorbychuck]

I really enjoy your work. Thank you for putting in all of this time for our enjoyment.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@Hubbell42]

Anne Bancroft deserved the Oscar for The Miracle Worker. Glenda Jackson did not for A Touch of Class. Pretty disgraceful to give the Oscar to her for that shit fest over nominees like Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist or Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were.

[@mnpollio]

I like Judy Holliday, but there is no defense for how she got that Oscar over Davis or Swanson. I also like Kelly, but that should have been Garland's year. Conversely, Hunt has always struck me as the most mundane and dull leading actress that we had to endure during the 1990s. Just do not see her appeal at all.

[@stuartmain9809]

I love this video. I particularly enjoy how you give context to the performer and the performance. Your video is honest. I've always struggled with Glenda Jackson. I believe she is a great actress but I wasn't a fan of "Women In Love", yet, "A Touch Of Class" was enjoyable and accessible. Kelly and Garland will be debated until the end of time. I'm a huge Judy fan, and yes, Judy should have won, but Kelly's performance is by no means the travesty that time has allowed us to believe it is. Well done. Thank you for putting together a very intelligent and entertaining video. I've seen all of the performances that you mentioned. 😊😊

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much for watching and your kind words!

[@countfosco1]

@stuartmain9809 Jackson always gave an intelligent, sharp performance, as she's not one to slip into maudlin sentimentality or melodrama. But I agree with you about Women in Love and A Touch of Class (although her delivery is witty) since, what she was much better in, is Sunday Bloody Sunday; Hedda, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

[@stuartmain9809]

@@countfosco1 I agree with you. Jackson was an excellent actress. I've loved most of her performances. "Women In Love" wasn't a particular favourite, however, she still gave a performance that is worthy of her numerous talents both as a stage and screen actress. I feel in this case it was poor direction to a point. There aren't too many actresses that can switch so effortlessly from drama to comedy. She was definitely committed to each of her roles. A very talented and gracious woman

[@countfosco1]

@@stuartmain9809 I was sad when she passed away; she was rare and fiercely intelligent. I kind of hoped she'd come out to Australia and do an Albee play (wishful thinking, I know, given her age). Her Elizabeth next to Vanessa Redgrave's Mary, Queen of Scots was one of the great highlights (and she did Morcambe and Wise as well; who else could claim that?). Yes, I agree with you about Women in Love. Too bad they didn't remake The Visit; she would have been superb as Claire.

[@indauroleal7953]

Louise Reiner reminds me of Meryl Streep, both physically and acting wise.

[@stevenpace1849]

Glenda Jackson was an incredible actress and I loved her both on stage and screen. But certainly not enough to say Gena Rowlands didn't deserve the Oscar that year for Woman Under the Influence. Gena Rowlands' performance is a master class in brilliance and I will never, ever forget it.

[@toobevr1244]

Glenda Jackson won in '73. Gena Rowlands actually lost the following year to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, when ironically enough, she should have beaten Jackson for The Exorcist.

[@danielpenafernandez946]

​@@toobevr1244it looked more like a consolation Óscar for Ellen after Jacksons second win

[@richardbocanegra5945]

Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were deserved the Oscar over Glenda Jackson. that's all.

[@genericyoutubecommentchann7418]

I just watched A Touch of Class for the first time in 2023, and I actually quite enjoyed it. I haven’t seen all the best actress performances that year, so I can’t really say if anyone got robbed, but I thought Jackson did a wonderful job in that role.

[@johnfulton4061]

That year was one of the least competitive yrs for best actress Tatum should have won in the lead actress category instead of supporting but that would have been too embarrassing for a 11 yr old to win the critics were predicting that she would be nominated in the Best Actress category 1973 overall was not a great year for movies

[@johnfulton4061]

Grace deserved the Oscar Judy was great but she was an entertainer playing an entertainer

[@jamesa.romano8500]

What I find interesting about The Good Earth is that its divisive even among those who love it - either they like Paul Muni as Wang Lung but hate Luise Rainer as O-Lan or vice versa. I tend to come down on the side of Luise Rainer, and I say this coming back to when I first saw the film as a kid and cringed when I saw Muni's China man impersonation but whenever Luise Rainer came on the screen I at least got a sense that she was conveying a sense of humanity and quiet strength to her character. Should it have happened at all? No. Would Anna May Wong have been 100% better? Absolutely. Were Greta Garbo or Barbara Stanwyck more deserving of a win that year? Yes. Was this even consistent with how Pearl Buck wrote the original character? Not really, as the book version had a greater sense of agency and bravery (for instance in the book O-Lan uses her stealth and familiarity with the palace to find the jewels and escape during the riot, rather than just coming across them and narrowly escaping by sheer luck). I think people too often evaluate her performance through the lens of the various complaints I just listed and while they're all 100% valid I think aesthetically Rainer's O-Lan was as good as it was going to get, and if she hadn't gotten the part some other white actress would have and we probably would have had another Katharine Hepburn in Dragon Seed. I also love Paul Muni but honestly near the late 30s he started buying into the hype and overly relying on makeup, costumes, accents, etc. to sell his performances. There's a reason that films of his like Fugitive from a Chain Gang or Scarface have aged better than films like Emile Zola or Louis Pasteur, which are fine for their time but just come off as more stagy and pretentious. Rant over lol

[@poetcomic1]

Jennifer Jones in Song of Bernadette is luminescent. There is no other word for it.

[@jamesryan6008]

Perfect word to describe Jennifer Jones' performance

[@Harringtonml54]

Meryl Streep once said seeing Jennifer Jones's performance in THE SONG OF BERNADETTE is what made her want to become as actress! I personally think it is a subtle, sublime performance, and it's my 2nd favorite Best Actress win in Oscar history.

[@countfosco1]

@@Harringtonml54A great transcendent performance and she is one of my favourite actresses.

[@poetcomic1]

@@countfosco1 Every moment of the film she is walking a tightrope - how easily she could have fallen into false simplicity or fake 'piety'. She doesn't fall, not once.

[@countfosco1]

@@poetcomic1You're spot on, she doesn't. Compare it with the film The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima which is awful and has that false piety that you speak of.

[@slc2466]

Love this somewhat change-of-pace video, Fritz! I think you nail the problem with some of these performances when discussing the Grace Kelly win. The fact say, Luise Rainer won over Garbo and Stanwyck for two of their greatest performances adds a large measure of barbs being thrown towards Rainer, even though her work is, IMO, very moving and deserves merit (un-PC casting be damned), if maybe not an Oscar win. Also, with Kelly, she was of course in "Rear Window" in 1954, which many would now place among the top performances by a lead that year (and "Dial "M" for Murder" also has its fans), so there's the question of a star doing work equal or better than the nominated role in the same year, and if that can factor in as a legit win (similarly, Ginger Rogers also had excellent work in "The Primrose Path" to her credit in 1940). In any case, I do agree Kelly is impressive in "The Country Girl," and now you have me wanting to check out Rainer in "The Great Ziegfeld" again (I admit I was anticipating that famous telephone call, and may not have focused enough on her lighter work in the film during my initial watch).

[@VTMCompany]

4:28 I wish she had won a few years later for "Duel in the Sun" instead. Jennifer was a rare beauty on film, sometimes giving the impression she was the most beautiful actress ever on the screen. Still at other times, she could appear in an almost ordinary look.

[@Harringtonml54]

Jennifer Jones was originally signed to play the female lead in THE COUNTRY GIRL but had to withdraw due to pregnancy. I believe she would have been wonderful as Georgie. You know who else would have been excellent in the role? Judy Garland.

[@jeffreywillstewart]

I would love for Fritz to do a post on the challenges Ann-Margret had losing against two actresses playing polar opposites to the glamorous Ann-Margret.

[@jiananlee5482]

Wait a minute, am I in heaven 😂 just finished 1962 video and here you are again uploading a new one. Thanks Fritz

[@FritzandtheOscars]

haha, thanks so much! I just thought I try something different before I get into my research for the next year

[@jiananlee5482]

@@FritzandtheOscars oh🙃, will there be any hint on what your next project is?

[@FritzandtheOscars]

I'm actually not 100% sure yet! But it will certainly be a couple of months before I start uploading content again, just as a warning :) @@jiananlee5482

[@jiananlee5482]

@@FritzandtheOscars that’s fine, happy to wait. Take it easy:)

[@richardmcleod1930]

Memories fade fast and especially so with Hollywood legends of the Silver Screen. The two most remembered Stars these days are Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley primarily because of advertising and selling the imagery Greta Garbo will be remembered as was Cleopatra due to her beauty and uniqueness as a human being. Garbo's movies will be forgotten but her face never will be forgotten. As Louis B. Mayer said there were 3 great Actors, Garbo, Louise Dressler and Spencer Tracy.

[@55hivealive3]

Ellen Burstyn hands down should have won for "Requiem For A Dream", Roberts performance was strong, but not even Oscar worthy, I've always felt the Oscars and especially Golden Globes are just a popularity contest

[@jimc6054]

Fritz, you mention Ingrid was not nominated for “Casablanca “ but she was nominated that same year in “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. I’d have preferred the nomination for “Casablanca “ but she did contend against Jones that year. I personally think Grace Kelly was way too young and miscast in “Country Girl”. Judy all the way there. But that’s why these videos are so great to watch. I get exposed to opinions and sides I may not have considered as I watch these films. Please keep these coming!

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks for your comment! Yes, Ingrid was of course nominated that year but I have not met anyone who actually likes her nod for For Whom the Bell tolls...today, everyone obviously would give her the win for Casablanca

[@michaelverbakel7632]

I finally saw For Whom the Bell Tolls a few years ago considering all of the hype when the film out in 1943. From the author Ernest Hemingway and starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, how could it fail, it did, I found the film slow and disappointing. It got quite a few Oscar nominations but got only one award, by the Greek born actress Miss Katina Paxinou for best supporting actress. I could see why though, Paxinou's performance dominated the movie even when she was not there for half the movie. She won the Oscar for that role and deserved it.

[@j.d.andrew-nv2oh]

Um....thanks for seeing the glass half full! Agrees: Judy Holliday; Jessica Tandy; Louise Rainer in Ziegfeld; Hilary Swank in "Million Dollar baby" Disagrees: either I haven't seen them or "If you can't say something nice" then...lol Also my mom watched a lot of TCM the last year of her life while bed ridden. She was deeply moved by Rainer in Good Earth, and to me that is at least a very personal testament of the performance's power. Don't hate on Rainer for the terrible social politics of the time! I also agree that Helen Hunt is charming and effective in "As Good as it gets." It's far from a poor performance. It's just that compared to almost anyone else nominated that year? "A Touch of Class" is the most early 70s of early 70s movies! Really kinda a hoot! Glenda Jackson was certainly a big part of whatever value one can find in it!

[@oscarman42]

I'm also in the minority on Jackson's second win (not a fan of the first one for Women in Love). I loved A Touch of Class (still do), and though her win was a shock, I can see why she did. I also thought Zellweger was great in Judy, but the film and performance were definitely divisive among fans. Just a thought...how about the 1965 contest (Julie vs. Julie)?

[@johnfulton4061]

There is actually a video on that close best actress race I've seen it here's a thought for you Audrey Hepburns casting in My Fair Lady gave both Julie's Oscar's Julie Andrew's winning for Mary Poppins the year before is one of the reasons Julie Christie won for Darling and she was also great in Dr Zhivago but if Julie Andrew's has lost for Mary Poppins the year before she would have definetly won for the Sound of Music

[@davidbjacobs3598]

I haven't seen most of these movies, but I waited the whole time to see if Renee Zellwegger's Judy performance would get some love, and I was not disappointed! Just that one scene, where she this entire one-take song with the most zonked and wide-eyed expression while she's drugged out of her mind yet still holding it together to deliver a beautiful song... that right there is cinema. I don't care what you think of the movie (I like it), that scene is fantastic and Zellwegger was a solid pick for the win. She was my favorite of the four nominees at least (I haven't seen Harriet so no comment there), don't remember if there was anyone I liked more overall.

[@davidbjacobs3598]

Ah yes, Lupita Nyong'o -- that was my favorite that year. She wasn't even nominated though (since the Oscars hate horror), so I'm happy with Zellweger.

[@markgardner4685]

Bette was HISTORIC as Margo, and was totally robbed!

[@sontagtwist714]

Love Judy Holliday and her absolutely gorgeous performance that year. She deserved this Oscar. Bette and Gloria were brilliant, but Judy's performance just feels different. It's inventive, witty, and surprisingly empathetic. She's also a glorious actor and entertainer, and it's good the Academy had the guts to honour comedy (for once). I also happen to like Helen Hunt's win. She delivered a wonderful performance in a charming film.

[@abelardojraranil7247]

No. Grace Kelly did not deserve that Oscar. Judy Garland WAS robbed.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

It's not about if she deserved the Oscar over Judy but simply that her performance is better than a lot of people say

[@countfosco1]

@abelardojraranil7247 Dorothy Dandridge was wonderful as well. Garland actually did have an Oscar for Wizard of Oz since they used to have a category for best juvenile screen performance, which they should bring back. Wonderful as she was in everything she appeared in, Garland's performance not only in A Star is Born (but in subsequent ones, such as in A Child is Waiting and Judgement at Nuremberg), are imbued with fluttering neurotic tics. It's not hard to see that A Star is Born is somewhat autobiographical (though it's rarely admitted), then, and that much of what we see is Garland's own pain (sublimated though it is via acting). It serves as a great reminder of the meat grinder that Hollywood is. The last thing the film industry at the time was going to do is acknowledge the part they played in her suffering.

[@jamesryan6008]

Luise Rainer deserved her Academy Award for The Great Ziegfeld. Her musical numbers were hugely enjoyable and dont get me started on the telephone scene.

[@hyperballadbradx6486]

Very good video, and allowed me to consider some thoughts outside of those entrenched reactions, probably made worse by otjer KZbin accounts haha

[@tiffanywitherspoon8722]

Do 15 most beloved Best Actress wins of all time.

[@kirkreid743]

Wins I love: Julia Roberts, Jessica Tandy, Geraldine Page, Renee Zellweger, and Anne Bancroft. Wins I like (but I wouldn't be mad if another actress had won): Judy Holliday, Helen Hunt, Hilary Swank Wins I hate: Luise Rainer, Grace Kelly, Ginger Rogers Performances I haven't seen: Jennifer Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenda Jackson

[@JohnJones-fg1dd]

Love Bette Davis, but I have understood the appeal of Baby Jane. In 37 it is amazing that either Garbo, Dunne, or Stanwyck didn't win over Rainer. Streisand should have won in 73.

[@edwardnashen5960]

Louise Rainer was a gifted actress and won 2 Oscars back to back. Her perforamnce in The Good Earth is exquisite. Geraldine Paige was a National treasure. Brilliant actress. One of the greatest. Long overdue Oscar!

[@rosemaryfranzese317]

I enjoyed this video very much. I am not a fan of the Oscars because l don’t believe it’s really about choosing the best performance. I haven’t seen all of the later films but l think overall these are good picks. I love Judy Holliday, she was totally unique but it seems sad that Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis didn’t win, it was a great year and l wish the Oscar could have been split because all three were just amazing. Oscars used to be about studio politics, now it’s more about the zeitgeist of the day. Lifetime achievement oscars have more value. The fact is you enjoy a film and a performance or you don’t, enough said. On the other hand, if there were no oscars we wouldn’t have your delightful videos which l love to watch.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

@@rosemaryfranzese317 thanks a lot! 😊

[@leightonbate7516]

Helen Hunt's win is under apprecaited I think mainly because of who she beat,the comedic nature of the role and the fact she mainly a TV star apart from the big blockbuster Twister and the sfx are the star of that film. Zellweger was amongst a weak line up but she's very good in the film. Jackson is sneered at for the same reason as Hunt except Glenda was more of a star. Roberts win is one of the all time best plus Burstyn had an Oscar though techinacally she's superior to Julia. Tandy and Page are veteran wins but both are very good in okay films. Swanson should have won over Holliday but again she's sweet funny and reveals depths to Billie. I haven't heard anyone say Bancroft is underrated though most people pick Bette Swank is great in a very sympathtic part but Imelda should have won,it's a one of the best ever nominees who didn't win. Paltrow is fine in SIL but the film isn't for me and the supporting cast outshine her. I'd add Reese Witherpoons win to the list as she's good not outstanding but the line up wasn't very good anyway. Sally Field in Place in the Heart she's always solid and it's unfair how maligned this performance is Kennifer Lawrence is Silver Linings Playbook she's too young for the role but she has some great moments probably shouldn't have beaten Riva. Katharine Hepburn she's always great the role demands little,It was the line up she won over which is stellar that have sullied this win.

[@davidmuller9938]

Sandra Bullock in The blind side. I really love her in that movie although lot of people bring it down.

[@adagiobreeze8493]

Jessica Lange in Blue Sky

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

That was a weak year, so anyone could have won and nobody would have been complaining. Although, Jessica Lange was the right winner

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

Sandra Bullock winning for The Blind Side is probably a disappointment. She should have got it for Gravity: it's so her. Sandra started her career in action films, so why not award her for one such film, or a romantic comedy? Damn Oscars ignoring such films because of stupid bias. Sandra gets an Oscar for another boring biopic/white saviour narrative. I still love Sandra Bullock.

[@jimc6054]

Cate in “Blue Jasmine” cleaned up in the precursor awards that year and was not going to lose the Oscar. To me she is among the most deserving winners of all time. Sandra is not in the same class as Cate. Not even close.

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

@@jimc6054 You're right, they're not in the same class, but they don't have to be. Sandra is not a theatre actress like Cate, who is not an action film/romantic comedy actor although she tried. I loved Cate's performance in Blue Jasmin, but I did see it as expected and the whole Blanche duBois number was a little unoriginal although very well done.

[@Jim-e4m]

Although I love Cher and believe she did a great job in "Moonstruck," the Oscar that year belonged to Glenn Close for "Fatal Attraction."

[@williamblakehall5566]

I am pleasantly shocked to report that I have no disagreements, although I simply don't know much about the earlier performers. The moment you mentioned Glenda Jackson, though, I felt a stirring in my heart that said "Yes!" It's as if people are embarrassed to admit that they enjoyed these performances and prefer to insist that they were "conned" somehow. Jackson, Page, Tandy, Hunt, Swank -- saw them all, enjoyed them all, plus Bancroft and Zellweger but in other movies. I think Roberts may be resented as "Pretty Woman" sliding by on charm, but that role was work. As for Paltrow, I have no idea how I would ever like her as a person -- but I have loved her in just about everything: Se7en, Sliding Doors, Proof, and yes, Shakespeare in Love and any movie featuring Iron Man. These wins are not absurd. What may be far more absurd is trying to pick an "objective best" in the first place.

[@maxfieldfulton]

Great idea, meticulous execution. You don’t waste one second. Agree with most of these, especially Page-one of the greatest performances of all time, a win people seem to complain about more than actually watch. I always interpreted Paltrow’s triumph as a win for her annus mirabilis of 1998. She starred in five films-an It girl if there ever was one.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks for commenting!

[@slc2466]

Yes, when Page won it seemed the popular opinion was it was a richly deserved victory, not just a career award. But now, there's a lot more blah, blah, blah about it. . .

[@rosemaryfranzese317]

This is an interesting video and l have to admit l have not seen some of the later Oscar winners. I agree with many of your views. I also liked Ginger Rogers performance in Kitty Foyle and feel she is an underrated actress. Luise Rainer’s performance in The Good Earth doesn’t fit in with the Zeitgeist of today but American audiences of that time wanted to see films with big stars, Rainer and Muni were big stars at the time and Hollywood which is the reason they were cast. I love Judy Holliday, she was totally unique and her performance was great in Born Yesterday but the film itself isn’t one l would choose to watch over and over again. Grace Kelly was terrific in the Country Girl and if Judy Garland had not been nominated, her win would be more appreciated. I haven’t seen a Touch of Class but Glenda Jackson did say her appearance on BBC’s Morecambe and Wise show appearing with one of the greatest comedy duos ever won her the part in that film because it revealed her comedy talent. Acting isn’t a science and it’s very subjective so it’s hard to judge. I don’t really take much notice of who wins oscars, it’s a bit of an ego trip and it always amuses me that actresses today insist on being referred to as actors but would be furious if best actress awards were scrapped and everyone had to compete for the best actor awards. However, everyone has different views on the Oscars and l do find your videos really well researched and extremely interesting.

[@christianaguilera1469]

You can't ignored yellow face. Luise's first Oscar may have been deserving. But the second one was not deserving.

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

Despite the yellowface, I think Luise Rainer gives a better performance in the good Earth than in the great Zigfield. She should have been nominated for best supporting actress for the great Ziegfeld, she hasn't a lot of screen time but she was the new big discovery of the year, she has the telephone scene and that was a very weak year for best actress. But in the good Earth she's so incredible and so quiet. Although I think she shouldn't have won because that year was stacked in the best actress category with much better performances.

[@zentraveler1834]

There’s never a time I have not enjoyed Driving Miss Daisy.

[@TheMrpiggy6666]

I remember disliking Renee's performance in Judy based on the trailer and wrote one of the few negative reviews of her performance when it was released...part of this are some very bad choices she made in scenes which had already appeared in Me and My Shadows.. comparing her 'phone' scene with Judy Davis finds her floundering, Judy Davis rightfully acts as if she hadnt slept for 30 years, Renee doesnt and this is one of a few basic errors of judgement or negligence that mar her performance..it wasnt a bad performance per se...it just didnt capture Judy, part of this is the lack of showing how Judy Garland became such a force, not Renee's fault of course but like many biopics it failed to convince us that this woman was one of the great performers of her time .... Jane Fonda once listed in the 70's Luise Rainer as her second favorite actress behind Vanessa Redgrave so you may have an ally there.... Though Whoopee was fine in Color Purple what we can say is that with Gerry being one of the great triumvirate of neurotic method queens along with Kim Stanley and Sandy Dennis, the reality is that despite their mannerisms they occasionally did things that other actresses couldn't, one only needs to examine what Sandy Dennis does in Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean to see this exemplified, I would argue Trip to Bountiful is Geraldine's similar moment, the complexity of what she does and the ease of access she has to momentary changes in emotion is a definitive template to what her teacher Uta Hagen was also known for, Goldberg in Color Purple seem very conventional by comparison... It was interesting that you mentioned Carole Lombard when looking at Glenda's work in Touch of Class as she was measured in more than a few reviews at the time against Carole in realm of romantic comedies and found to be a little heavy handed by comparison, though I think it depends how much one responds to Glenda's utilization of abrasive anger as a basic element to her acting and certainly no one else has managed to build a career on abrasion as significantly as she did..its true she isnt light and she doesnt breeze through this type of comic role in the way Lombard would have but that may be more forgivable if she didnt repeat the performance in House Calls, Hopscotch, Lost and Found etc..still...she always gave the impression of being 'expert' at what she does and her voice was a remarkable weapon

[@silviohidalgo7292]

I lived in Monte Carlo in 1982. I was in awe of Grace Kelly by then, Princess Grace. She was so sweet to me and everyone she met with her glorious smile. Of course every man in Hollywood fell in love with her!!!! She was kind, fun, beautifully dressed and gracious. I went to my first after party before they were called after parties in Monte Carlo in late August hosted by that great flamboyant Ricki di Portanova. He closed the Cafe Americaine at the Hotel de Paris and who starts the Conga line. The fabulous Princess Grace. She was such fun and wonderful. Tragically she died two weeks later in that horrible crash! I adored her! And I know everyone felt that Judy Garland should have won that year but let’s face it. Judy created her dreadful end! You can blame the studios and whatever they did to her. Many went through the same and did not end up a sad drug addict. But sadly she was her own undoing and Hollywood did not want her to win!!!!

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Wow, what a great story! Amazing that you saw her in person!

[@KrueMann1992]

Great video my friend

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

So fun to watch. Could you make a part two?

[@washkoskat]

Helen Hunt is breathtaking and she had won every award until the Oscar where she won.. i think people still has a bias against people who won accolades in TV

[@richardmcleod1930]

Lists are oftentimes misleading. The list of non-academy awards is as impressive (if not more-so) that the list of winners. By the way I love Luise Rainer in all of her roles. I was lucky enough to have met her on two of her visits to Los Angeles in the 1980's and 1990's. An Actor is a person that plays the part of another person, and that includes different races and skin colors. That is what acting is all about. To say Anna Mae Wong should have played Olan in "The Good Earth" is a joke, as again acting is supposed to reflect playing the part of another person. Jennifer Jones may have been forgotten these days, but so have the legends of Hollywood.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

Umm no there’s a difference between playing someone who has different personalities and characterizations than you VS someone who is an entirely different race of you, that’s not what acting is that’s just plain racism

[@richardmcleod1930]

Everything and every issue today if seen in anyway differently is always considered "racist". Always "racism" to the core with no allowances for any other point of view.@@Kevin-rg3yc

[@danielstanwyck2812]

@@Kevin-rg3yc nope, it ain't. it's called acting. if you're young and you play old, you put on makeup. you gray your hair, you give yourself jowls and wrinkles. streep plays polish or danish or witches. susan kohner plays light-skinned black. they're just acting. let the swedish actor warner oland play charlie chan. he was acting and he did a good job of it.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

@@danielstanwyck2812that’s not true luise rainer didn’t get the role bc she was a great actress she got the role bc she’s a white woman and there was a law that prohibited black/Asian woman from getting leading roles bc leading roles for women in Hollywood always revolves around a love interest idk why you and others want to downplay racism off of the idea of acting just being acting ridiculous

[@MrMcsia]

I agree, Luise Rainer is so underrated. Her acting style has definitely aged but she had such a fascinating charisma that she could easily have been the next Garbo if she hadn't left Hollywood so early.

[@MuhammadAhmad-oj6mf]

So, basically every performance that appears on "Worst of" lists.

[@kellicoffman8440]

I am with fritz that grace Kelly earned her Oscar playing against her usual glamorous style

[@huguihugh9803]

After putting Joan Fontaine in Suspicion as one of the worst winners. This has no sense. Miss Fontaine is one of the best winners ever (from winners that are not based on a play or biopic or have a great physical transformation)

[@FritzandtheOscars]

I'm happy you like her so much

[@huguihugh9803]

@@FritzandtheOscars most people (Oscar fans) likes her. If you make a poll, she will rank high. Between 15 to 40 place. She will never be number one because her character and film could not compete with for example Vivien Leigh Oscar wins. I hate Francés McDormand in Fargo, but for unknown reasons (maybe I never understand the movie) people loves. Im in a minority. I was expelled from several movies sites for post that. (Of course, I was not explicity expelled for that, but very negative opinions about beloved films, actors, directors, techitians) dont make friends. The reasons you hate Fontaine in Suspicion is maybe more or less the same that I hate McDormand.. for u is an actress with zero chemestry with Cary Grant in an insulse role. And for me McDormand is a woman who gave a prostetic womb, orinated and makes bad jokes. Why I like Fontaine performance because at that time was New and create a New kind of heroine for romantic melodramas. Also during her short reign, she proove that she could portray older (Suspicion) and younger roles (the Constant Nymph), roles around her age (Rebecca) and commedy (Susan Affair). Then she tried to makes everything and she failed. So in her last roles she was tupecast as the rich intelectual cougar. She was great in it. But there are trully difference between Serenade, Island of The Sun, A Certain Smile or Tender is the Night? In the 4 movies she steals the show (despite being a co-leading role at best and not the absolute leading like in the 40s). In this 4 movies (and probably all after her 36 birthday) was the villain or heroine, in one the suffering wife or promiscuos Lady all her last roles looks too similar.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

@huguihugh9803 there are different reasons I dislike Joan in Suspicion and I hope I made them clear in my review. But I do love almost all of her other work. Suspicion just feels like a misfire to me

[@huguihugh9803]

@@FritzandtheOscars Ive seen the movie several times. And totally understand your point of view. Just I don't agree with it. I consider one of the most mature performances delivered by a 23 year old actress. This is a Hitchcock/ Fontaine movie vehicle and not a Cary Grant one. Maybe If Ive seen several Cary Grant movies before this. I could agree more with you. But unfortunately, most of the Grant movies that I loved it where Hitchcock ones. Her character is much older. And she portrays too well in a very natural way. If we consider that's a melodrama. Reminds me for example with Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linning Playlist. Of course one is a thriller and the other a commedy. But both are young starlets portray someone at least 5 years older. I prefer Fontaine. But I like Lawrence there too, I think her Oscar win was deserved. Ok was a weak year, where her main competición was an eldery French Lady from a nihilstic and almost unwatchable drama. I dont like Chastain for ZDH. And i dont remember the other nominees.

[@jimc6054]

I’d prefer she won for “Rebecca”, a vastly superior film and performance. The “Suspicion “ Oscar seems an attempt to rectify that. I think similar was done for James Stewart when he won for “Philadelphia Story” the year after he lost for “Mr Smith”. Many seem to win for wrong film. Al Pacino for me was deserving for “Godfather II” but took another 18 years for his win.

[@reniasva]

I can agree with everything said.

[@scottkrause477]

Julianne Moore should have won for “Far From Heaven” should have bested Nicole Kidman for “The Hours”!

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

A Touch of Class is just sooooo funny? The bedroom scenes with George Segal are pure comedy gold. George should have been nominated as well. Glenda definitely had a more relevant role for 2020s in Sunday Bloody Sunday: a love triangle with a gay man, a straight woman and a young male bisexual. Fabulous. Such a grown-up film.

[@Slater-Poli]

Really respect your opinion

[@Chinoiserie9839]

I don't what people are saying that Kate Winslet deserved to win for Titanic. I've seen that movie for too many times so is As Good As It Gets. Helen is definitely the stronger contender between the two. She is superb in that movie especially how she is brave enough to put with Jack Nicholson's vapid character in the film. I love how she becomes domineering around him that no one would even dare and she delivered that superbly.

[@countfosco1]

@Chinoiserie9839 She comes across as a sitcom actress; the intervening years have not been kind to her. She was quite popular at the time.

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

My mother used to talk about Grace Kelly. Basically, she did COUNTRY GIRL, to get respect.

[@slc2466]

Yes, it was a typical de-glam role, beautifully timed right when Kelly was peaking, costarring two major male stars and with a late-in-the-year release date. The film was a major hit with great reviews, which also didn't hurt Kelly as Oscar nomination time came around, then of course her ultimate win, wherein again she looked untouchably glamorous and beautiful in a gown she wore for the cover of Life magazine right after her Oscar victory, ensuring everyone she still had allure in spades, thereafter ultilized in "To Catch A Thief," "High Society," and other films (she never went drab again onscreen). If you're only going to have three or four years as a major movie star, Grace is the blueprint to follow (a few enduring classics and one film ("Rear Window") featuring your signature role and performance that makes the "All Time Greatest Films" lists regularly, almost every movie released a big hit, placement among the top box-office stars, the Oscar win and another nomination, and a gold top ten hit record to boot).

[@countfosco1]

@@slc2466 Grace Kelly won for not being anything like herself (although she actually dressed down in real life) while Judy garland lost for portraying someone very much like herself (and according to Dirk Bogarde she dressed to the hilt).

[@slc2466]

@@countfosco1 Don't see Kelly pulling off what Garland does in "A Star is Born," but I can see Judy easily doing Grace's role in "Country Girl."

[@countfosco1]

@@slc2466That's comparing apples with pianos. Garland couldn't exactly do To catch a Thief either (I'll let you ponder why).

[@kellie-nd1yp]

Here's mine in chronlogical order 1.Claudette Colbert -she holds her own many praise Gable but she holds her own and then some. I think too it's a bit underrated because it's a romantic comedy 2.Judy Holliday -you summed it up but it's really a deft comedy and somewhat dramatic performance 3.Simone Signoret -Room At The Top she never hits a false note it feels so human and real but not many watched it either. 4.Sophia Loren -Two Women -maybe because not many have seen it and for some it's not in English and you have to watch closely but wow I was knocked sideways by her in this film such a firece mother protecting her kitten. That scene in the church and afterwards is shattering. 5. Anne Bancroft -The Miracle Worker -for the reason you said but reawtching it recently this is one of the greatest of all time. 6.Patricia Neal -Hud partly underrated because it's such a short amount of screentime for a lead performance but maybe it doesn't seem that important to the movies? Take her out I don't think it works as well and I think she add more to the role than another actress might have . 7.Glenda Jackson -A Touch of Class -She's really underrated here she makes the material work .Her sad moments are not too maudlin and her angry moments hit the right tone. The comedy she finds just the right level not weak but not too harsh either despite what some have said about it. 8.Ellen Burstyn -Alice doesn't Live Here Anymore . A strong decade for best actress despite it not being the best decade for films centering on women .Burstyn plays and ordiary woman better than almost anyone .It feels like one of the most real people roles that has won in this category. 9.Cher -Moonstruck -a romantic comedy that many think should win like ever but she also beat Glenn Close 10.Gwyneth Paltorw -well she beat Blanchett which some will never forgive any actress for doing but I agree it actually has aged well and I love the movie too. 11.Julia Roberts -yes for all the reasons you stated .She doesn't sufferer enough in the role but did Kathharine Hepburn in any of her wins? Julia Roberts is an example of the perfect actress for the role.I watched again recently and no one else could pull it off the way she did.Different types roles should be able to win. 12.Halle Berry -Monster's Ball because it was historic and beat out some strong contenders I think it's been underrated. She also has less focus than Billy Bob Thorton but she turn is a performance that has some many different feelings she has to show.She is abusive and depressed and desperate and sad and angry and needy it's a lot for a one movie 13.Julianne Moore -Still Alice .Moore gives such a nuanced performance of Alice .Moments of heistence and dispair of guilt she is passsing this one. I don't think it's a makeup Oscar in the sense it's not worthy of the award on it's own merit. 14.Renee Zelwegger -that momnet sheis with her younger kids and she tells she has to leave for a while it's just so memeorable .I love how she made a game of it instead of telling them to deal with it or cry herself .RZ gets a lot right here even if the movie isn't special or all the good itself. 15.Jessica Chastain -The Eyes of Tammy Faye .Even being one of my favorites I didn't think Chastain could make this work but she did .it's a bit like Renee it gets some unfair comparisons and critisisms .

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much for this list! Some wonderful picks here

[@kellie-nd1yp]

Thank you for acknowledging some underrated winners. It would be dull if everyone had the same favorites.

[@raulgama2579]

René has a Great scene in Judy, Scarjo is great all over Marriage Story

[@jimmyl324]

Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth for sure

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

Ex-Cath-o-lic here. Yes, SONG OF BERNADETTE.

[@josecal8081]

And Sandra Bullock??

[@wookong1723]

I loved Glenda Jackson's win too! What a fun performance

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

Actresses like Glenda Jackson and Hilary Swank really catch the Zeitgeist and unintentionally have great timing. Glenda did get nominated for more than the roles she won for, while Hilary won every time she was nominated.

[@countfosco1]

@@andreiiliepopescu6393Ach! But Annette Bening deserved it (does anyone remember Bening in an episode of Miami Vice?).

[@darylchin53]

Pretty much a fantastic video! As you noted (re: the NY Film Critics Circle decision to "revisit" 1962 because the newspaper strike of 1962 meant there were no awards) taking things out of the historical context puts too much emphasis on whatever has been built up in terms of history, and so it is with all the performances you mention. Some notes: Ingrid Bergman was not nominated for CASABLANCA because that year, she was nominated for FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. (At the Oscar dinner, when Jennifer Jones won, she apologized to Ingrid Bergman - they were sitting at the same table, the David O. Selznick table - and Bergman replied, They liked your Bernadette better than my Maria.) The idea that Anna May Wong should have played O-Lan has been around for decades, but was it even feasible in 1937? No. Also (and i say this as someone who loves Anna May Wong): why is it assumed that the role of O-Lan was within the range of Anna May Wong? She was used to playing smart (sometimes sinister) women, who were in control. Look at her performances in PICCADILLY, SHANGHAI EXPRESS, DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI, WHEN WERE YOU BORN? She's always smart and savvy, often educated. She'd never played a subservient peasant woman in her life! Why is it just assumed that, because she was Chinese, that she should play such a part (because it's a Chinese part)? That's like casting Katharine Hepburn as an illiterate hillbilly (which was done in 1934 with SPITFIRE): it's as much an atrocity as Hepburn playing a Chinese peasant in DRAGON SEED. I know Anna May Wong wanted to play the part because it was the only major part for a Chinese woman to come from a major studio, but we'll never know whether she could have actually played the part. I do think Luise Rainer was pretty amazing, and such a contrast to her performance in THE GREAT ZIEGFELD.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks a lot for your comment!

[@1923hl]

Thank you for this reply as I've always been similarly bothered by the Rainer vs. Wong controversy in the casting of The Good Earth. Yes, I agree that Wong was a terrific actress, but it has never been clear to me why it is now uncritically assumed she would have been great as O-Lan (aside from those who insist on seeing everything through a politically correct lens). There's no title in her long filmography which would lead one to think she was ideal for this part. Rainer, on the other hand, nailed O-Lan (a personal view which has been reinforced by recently reading the novel).

[@arnaldoiannotta2092]

I'd like to express my view with just one performance that seems underrated and very much loved by you. Gwyneth Paltrow. I start saying that i will never forgive her nor the Academy for robbing Cate Blanchett of what should have been her 1st. Two of the biggest mistake done by A.A. She won because is a nepo and having Spielberg as godfather has helped her even more. She did a good job but nothing in comparison with what Cate has given. Then i leave you with Statistics. The Baftas rightly so rewarded Cate...probably just that line: I Am my Father's Daughter!! Enough to convince them. Then what happened? Your favourite never to be nominated again, mine going to win her 1st because Americans realised the mistake and their way of offering apologies honouring her in a role that she was still good but not that powerful remarkable visceralable as in Elizabeth. I add here that she did not became Katherine exactly like Renee' for Judy but she gave her acceptable impression flavour of Kate. Then she went to bag 8 nominations to date, winning her 2nd to be the best Thespian of het generation. A bit of trivia she is the only actress to be nominated twice for same role. Gwyneth did absolutely nothing. Oh yes she started selling candles and going around saying that an al se x is good. Even her speech is top 5 worst, but some positive fact her dress top 5. That's it mate. Hope no offence no remorse either..in my eyes just fun and nothing to take too seriously. Liked the vid though. Nice n short....Marisa 2 long, but that's my preference with vid. Nice sweet short concise straight to the point. Ta 😉👍

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Gwyneth Paltrow is in no way my favorite actress, I only think her performance in SiL is underrated

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

What makes Julia Robert's distinct? Curious.

[@danielstanwyck2812]

Who knows? She utterly does not beguile me, nowhere near.

[@johnjones5424]

And Streisand should have won in "The Way We Were" in 73.

[@BrownsBacker]

I have always found it amusing that most people who dont like the Judy Holiday win say it is a too over the top performance of a dumb blond....yet, their preferred performance is either Bette Davis' or Gloria Swanson's....talk about over the top performances!!! Lolol....the truth is Judy mastered this performance on the stage and you can tell that with every nuanced look of pain or perfect comedic movement or tone of voice. I love both Davis' and Swanson's performances, but subtle they are not. I think if Judy's life and career hadnt been cut short, her performance may have more context...or, as in the case of Linda Hunt or Haing S Ngor, it's simply the lightning in the bottle performance of a lifetime where the one person perfect for the role got to play it and captured the adoration of the public and academy voters of that time.

[@danielstanwyck2812]

It's JUDY HOLIDAY. BILLIE HOLIDAY was a singer and one of the best. Not ever to be confused.

[@BrownsBacker]

@@danielstanwyck2812 I got her first name mixed up with the first name of her character in the movie, Billie Dawn. Yeah, I blew it, thanks. Lol. I'll edit it. At least I was thinking of both the actor and the proper character, not the singer.

[@countfosco1]

@BrownBacker Judy Holliday was a very clever actress, but she was better in Adam's Rib, as far as I'm concerned, although she was quite captivating in Born Yesterday too (you're right); I still prefer Gloria Swanson, though.

[@washkoskat]

Renée Zellweger and Hillary Swank both have 2 99.9% of the other winners don't seems like petty jealousy they deserve their wins

[@adilelnhaily6014]

Renee won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Hilary won 2 Best Actress

[@johnjones5424]

The best performance among the nominated in 62 is Katharine Hepburn.

[@DavidN369]

D'accord.

[@AlbertLavenziano]

A great Master Class in acting itself...

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

The only one I can’t wrap my head around is luise rainer I know people are gonna jump on me for focusing too much on identity politics for her casting but it’s hard to do so knowing the baggage that fuels under her performance idk why people love to downplay that, even taking away the blatant racism surrounding her casting, her performance has aged horribly I feel with her performance, she’s trying much to hard ti portray O-Lain’s emotions and she ends up looking like a zombie in alot of scenes. I just think the combo of her racist casting and just her acting aging like milk is why her performance is discredited

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Well, everyone reacts to a performance differently so I totally respect your opinion. It's a hard performance to judge and I can see why people would not like it (even if I love it)

[@gfgall]

Helen Hunt is the biggest joke here, bar none.

[@tiffanywitherspoon8722]

Great picks.

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

Interesting that Rainier was considered beautiful in her day.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

well, she is stunning

[@MrMcsia]

I consider Rainer beautiful even nowadays! Absolutely mesmerizing.

[@danielstanwyck2812]

that's because she was.

[@countfosco1]

@noneofurbusiness5223 Time to see the ophthalmologist, I think.

[@joshuavandyne7334]

First of A

[@singstreetcar5881]

No. I don't like Mrs paltrows performance at all.

[@gfgall]

Fernanda Montenegro was hands down the best that year, but she didn't have the Miramax publicity machine behind her.

[@derrionbrown3923]

Controversy 🤯

[@Historian212]

If you’re an Oscar winner you are, by definition, not “underrated.” FFS, find a new word.

[@edwardnashen5960]

It's all subjective and the POV of this particular critic. Anyone can be a film critic and acting connoisseur. Just give them the title. An old expression: "Those who cant do, teach"!

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Of course it's subjective

[@countfosco1]

@@FritzandtheOscars Love your analysis, Fritz, whether I agree or not. I love Grace Kelly's performance too; it's not showy but quiet and affecting (she doesn't play for sympathy).

[@johnfulton4061]

Louise Rainer is so forgettable not that pretty and at best a competent not a great actress just like Norma Shearer