Top 10 Actors Who Won Oscars for the Shortest Amount of Screen Time

A small role can go a long way. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at actors who weren’t on screen for long, but left a strong enough impression to take home the Academy Award. Our countdown includes “Shakespeare in Love," "Reds," “City Slickers,” and more! What small role would YOU award an Oscar? Let us know in the comments!
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#Oscars #AcademyAwards #Actors #Awards #Shortest

[@MsMojo]

What small role would YOU award an Oscar? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 10 Youngest Oscar Nominees of All Time - kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3rQnJJthLqjaKs

[@ChristoAbrie]

not that it "deserves" an Oscar, but Cher's arrival in Mamma Mia 2. The movie was a massive improvement on the first one, but Cher's very last minute arrival and phenomenal covers of Fernando and Super Trouper were a magnificent addition to the movie.

[@karengreenfield7773]

There was an Australian actor who once said that the best role he had was one where they talked about his character for most of the first part of the movie, then he came onscreen for about 5 mins and the they talked about him for the rest of the movie. He didn’t have too much screen time but everyone remembered who he was.

[@trinaq]

Beatrice Straight blew me away in her major scene in "Network." I was initially confused as to why she won the Oscar with only five minutes of screen time, but the scene where she confronts her cheating husband really solified her win.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

At least she got her husband back in the end.

[@frankbudde1441]

For me, these five minutes are one of the highest level of acting art. So many emotions in such a short period of time. Sensational!

[@ms13909]

@@frankbudde1441couldn’t agree more. The range she shows in those five minutes is masterful. Really goes to show you there are no small parts.

[@elizabethfeuerbach5006]

Anne Hathaway was in Les Mis for 15 minutes. And she won an Oscar for it.

[@trinaq]

Agreed, she definitely stole the show in just 15 minutes.

[@eddiejoewalt7746]

SO DID Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs!

[@eleazarmazer2331]

Anthony Hopkins did that in the category of Best Actor, not supporting actor

[@christydethlefs9850]

Loved her in Les Mis!!

[@RobertPagano226]

Having a song like the one JHud performed, one of the most iconic songs written, certainly helped!

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

Love this list! That explosive scene from Straight is a masterclass in acting.

[@jimc6054]

Toni Collette was fantastic in her 5 minute scene in “The Hours”.

[@jenniferclark9170]

Judi Dench, one of the all time greats! She absolutely deserved her Oscar.

[@eddiejoewalt7746]

she got help from WEINSTEIN!

[@denisefreitas6727]

Beatrice Straight was amazing in Network!

[@German8964]

I remember Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest also short.

[@patriciarichter7634]

I don't know the length of time, but Paul Giamatti's turn as the slave trader in 12 Years a Slave was about the most chilling stretch of cinema I've ever seen.

[@batgurrl]

This was an excellent list. Judi Dench LIT UP THE SCENE every second she was seen. I think she deserved it. I saw Network in the theater when it came out, Excellent in every way, Beatrice Straight POPPED every second she was on screen.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

Lynne Redgrave in "Gods and Monsters" turned in the best performance that year. Not to take anything away from Dench but, if it hadn't been for Weinstein, Redgrave would have won, and should have.

[@batgurrl]

@@hectorsmommy1717 I never even saw that movie and had no idea who was in it. There was all kind of petty jealousy that year saying Weinstein stole those awards. Did he go from house to house to make them vote for miramax. Your personal opinion doesn’t prove anything. Did you see how many votes each got?

[@hectorsmommy1717]

@@batgurrl You really should see it. Ian McKellan, Brendan Fraser, and Lynn Redgrave all turned in great performances. McKellan was also nominated as best actor but lost to Roberto Begnini in what was also considered an upset. Regarding Weinstein. He actually bribed influential people to vote for certain people and movies both financially and by threatening their careers. At the time he had the clout to ruin people, and did. He wasn't just a sexual predator even though that is what sent him to jail. Even Dench said she didn't deserve it for that movie.

[@cethomas324]

But they're not proper SUPPORTING performances in terms of being substantial enough to SUPPORT the film, IMHO. I wish there could be a third acting category for cameos/scene stealers. And on the other end of the spectrum, Juliette Binoche won for Supporting Actress when she played a leading role in The English Patient, Brendan Gleeson had a leading role in Banshees of Inisherin, and Downey Jr. has a leading role in Oppenheimer, even if he doesn't play the title role. Those performances should have been nominated in the ACTOR or ACTRESS category.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

@@cethomas324 "Supporting" roles have always been defined as characters that support other characters, not roles that support the film, which is why screen time doesn't always enter into it.

[@samuelcollantes1175]

Congratulations to all these pics. And to you, Kirsten, have a happy tuesday morning as well. Take care and God bless you. And greetings from Colombia.

[@tobipradasri4089]

Laura Dern in Marriage story was epic! Her monologue was brilliant and she had delivered it so masterfully

[@vic5015]

Gonna be hard to top Dame Judy Dench winning an Oscar for what was basically a glorified cameo in Shakespeare in Love.

[@MrS98VAC]

Judi's win was basically the Academy's apology for Mrs. Brown!

[@jasonbean2764]

Jack Palance was a treasure.:)

[@hakeemfullerton8645]

Honorable mention to Anthony Quinn for his role in the film 'Lust For Life" where he won an award for only 8 minutes of screen time

[@greeneyes66]

Ingrid Bergmann is definitely missing here. In Murder on the Orient Express (1974) she has 14 min of screen time - mostly in shots where others are leading the scene. It was a 5min interrogation scene (a oneshot to boot!) that convinced the Oscar voters on its own!

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

A very weak winning in the best supporting actress and she even recognized when she accepted the Oscar

[@thewriterstuff]

Viola Davis in Doubt.

[@MorganKing95]

She didn't win until "Fences"

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

That’s very insane to hear!

[@Buggy-su4oy]

Aaron Eckhart as Two Face.

[@madpsych78]

Do a top ten about the longest amount of screen time for a supporting role

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

That would be fun

[@MrGabeanator]

Here’s one for ya heath ledger in the dark knight the joker is only on screen for 20 minutes but I’ll be dammed if he doesn’t leave an impact on you I mean why so serious it just sucks that he didn’t live to reap the benefits

[@justineves3588]

Very very great epic list I like it a lot very very great job mis mojo one of my absolute favorite list ever 😊❤

[@lonellfletcher]

All of these performances show that screentime does not determine quality.

[@waittillfamewtf2385]

Youn Yuh Jung - "Minari" (2020)

[@bloody_outlaw8000]

I honestly believe Cate blanchet deserved an oscar in the fellowship as galadriel

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

She's always fantastic. What a talent! And, yes. She played Galadriel sublimely.

[@notbuddha3982]

Absolutely- she completely deserved to win! At least she was nominated- unlike Margo Robbie 🤦‍♂️-seriously ??????? 🤷‍♂️

[@CodyFairlessLee]

I love SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.

[@盧璘壽로인수]

too bad the one who made it is human trash

[@BlenderStudy]

Thank you for the update, MsMojo..!! Amazing information to learn. I would have not learned of this, unless I watched MsMojo..!! 🤣

[@galaxiedance3135]

Knowing what I know about the Music Industry and Hollywood as I do now... Who can imagine what those actors had to do to get those awards!

[@NIEBIESKIERĘKAWICZKI]

Wonderful ❤

[@seangates900]

Betty Gabriel in "Get Out" BLEW my ever-loving mind with frightening emotional complexity. She was predominantly in one scene which was two and a half minutes long. Everything else was glances and fading into the background.

[@jewel65]

Jason Robards has 1 of the best voices

[@Chrisratata]

Viola Davis was only in "2" scenes (maybe 15 minutes or so) in Doubt and her performance it's exquisite, with its layers and trajectory

[@nossenos16]

What about Ingrid Bergman in Murder on the Orient Express?

[@jenniferacrey2940]

Judi Dench got that Shakespeare In Love award to make up for not giving the Oscar for Mrs. Brown.

[@RobertPagano226]

True, she should've won for Mrs. Brown

[@jimc6054]

Hermione Badderly (sp?) nominated for less than 3 minutes for “Room at the Top”. Great performance.

[@drizzle8482]

What about Ingrid Bergman in "Murder On the Orient Express" ???

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

She was more than 14 minutes

[@zaphodbeeblebrox6627]

Simone Signoret as Elsa Fennan in The Deadly Affair (1967) And absolutely standout performance in the two acts she does with James Mason. I believe she was put forward for a BAFTA for the part, but could easily have been put up for an OSCAR as a supporting actress she was that good.

[@fulanoletal123]

Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood

[@OSB313]

Congrats who ever this early

[@49ers_red_and_gold2]

I hate people 😤

[@OSB313]

@@49ers_red_and_gold2 same 😩

[@TheVinchi69]

I hate peanuts

[@jimbo9208]

no one cares

[@EleyReiHer]

4:41 Ryan Gosling as Jason Robards

[@vermont741]

Lol 🤣😅😂

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

At 7:58, Ellie said "Balsam" (Martin) instead of "Johnson" (Ben). Editing, people!

[@majesticprimate]

At 7:57 you refer to Johnson as Balsam.

[@RobertPagano226]

Interesting that most of these wins were in Supporting. If you think about it, they were valid, however Lead should be in at least 75% or more of the total running time for that movie. The academy needs to change the rules. This is why I think Lily G. will lose this coming Oscar night for KILLERS OF.... because she's only in maybe a third of the film.

[@stvp68]

At the hairdressers during the Oscars? What time was the ceremony???

[@ddmaul]

Roberta Maxwell, "Brokeback Mountain"

[@facusilva5841]

Anthony Quinn in "Lust for life"

[@jamespellicore9982]

Patricia Neal did not deserve her Oscar for such a short performance. Natalie Wood richly deserved it for her performance in “Love with the proper stranger”. She was truly cheated. She also should have won in 1961 for Splendor in the Grass. In fact that same year she gave a wonderful performance in “West side story”. One of our greatest actresses of all time. She was taken from us to soon.

[@106andie]

She wasn’t even the lead, I agree with Natalie Wood FTW

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

Leslie Caron should have won for the L-shaped room, she was better than the other four nominees.

[@jamesacoffey9006]

Sorry to disagree I love both Wood and Caron but Neal's performance in Hud deserved the Oscar.

[@baxtersmom279]

Was it just me or was the Hannibal Lecter scene spliced in the middle of Jack Palance??

[@RobertPagano226]

I caught that 2! Editing??!!

[@mussoihelena8228]

Would you do one about those who were nominated, but did not win?

[@stephenpenrice1230]

Also nominated in 1976 was Jane Alexander for All The President’s Men, where she was on screen for about three and a half minutes.

[@jox667]

Bradley Cooper in Licorice Pizza was brilliant besides he is not in the movie that much.

[@ianlove1215]

Peter Finch's performance at the start of Network where rants at the camera was the idea of the opening of the short lived series Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Judd Hirsch does the rant in that.

[@kriscynical]

As phenomenal as Dame Judi Dench is, she absolutely did NOT deserve that Oscar for _Shakespeare in Love._ Anybody could have played the Queen in the exact same curt, clipped way. And all of that is strictly my opinion, ofc, not fact by any means. I know there are plenty of people who wholeheartedly disagree with me, but I was flummoxed when she won. I love the film itself and have lost count of how many times I've watched it.

[@wojtek1765]

The academy was definitely bullied into it because Harvey lead a notorious aggressive marketing push for Shakespeare in love people. also say it was fixed for Gwen Paltrow to win best actress

[@hectorsmommy1717]

Lynn Redgrave should have won for "Gods and Monsters"

[@brownroach8618]

Judi Dench probably also benefited from having lost the Best Actress award the previous year for "Mrs. Brown". She'd gotten a Golden Globe, BAFTA and a number of critics' awards for that performance. Her Oscar win for SIL was a compensation of sorts, maybe.

[@Leahonomatopia]

Has there ever been a list of actor with most on-screen deaths?

[@katriarjava658]

Sean Bean must be high on that.

[@Leahonomatopia]

And yet, not as high as you'd think! 😆

[@EwanChung]

Shelley Winters. 😁

[@DevonParascovia]

Dame Judie dench Deserve that Oscar Unlike Patrowl

[@MeyaRoseGirl]

You might as well call this video "Proof that the Oscars are just a bunch of rich people patting themselves on the back for the least amount of work done."

[@KenTrosper]

These are all supporting roles so there time is always going to be limited.

[@danhollanda]

Ingrid Bergman in the Murder on the Orient Express, Best Supporting Actress, appearance less than 5 minutes

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

Her main scene is her interrogation, but she has others scene in the movie

[@plushmakerfan8444]

Don’t forget Shark tale

[@jimbo9208]

what about it

[@plushmakerfan8444]

@@jimbo9208 it won for a Oscar

[@jimbo9208]

@@plushmakerfan8444 yes but what dose that have to do with anything here

[@plushmakerfan8444]

@@jimbo9208 it’s called won Oscar’s

[@blackguyofthesouth2161]

It didn't win anything troll

[@cerka27]

Andrew Garfield in No Way Home should have won an Oscar for his performance. He may have been on screen for a short amount of time, but he really sold that role.

[@ElizabethMcCormick-s2n]

It's not as if they didn't completely deserve to win!

[@gabbyb7347]

That isn't Judi's best performance but it's rightful that she is an Oscar winner.

[@christianaguilera1469]

Judi Dench's oscar is a joke

[@joshuaroberts6937]

I love Judi, but Lynn Redgrave should have won that year. Judi should have won the year before, for "Mrs. Brown."

[@signergirl1]

She played a queen and by golly she played it well!

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

​@@signergirl1🤭 I see what you did there

[@mayaharrison3138]

cooool

[@rmeso3987]

America Ferrera in Barbie

[@MorganKing95]

We haven't reached the ceremony yet

[@giovannyespinoza6013]

But she's more than 20 minutes on screen. Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer is less than Ferrera

[@dsscam]

Further proving how DUMB the Oscars are

[@JacQues58]

I am disillusioned with Dench, all her roles are redundant. Hopkins should have been nominated for supporting actor, not best actor.

[@hakeemfullerton8645]

Honorable mention to Anthony Quinn for his role in the film 'Lust For Life" where he won an award for only 8 minutes of screen time