Joker‘s Joaquin Phoenix is the Best Actor favorite at the Academy Awards, according to one betting site. Released at the start of October 2019, Joker has remained in the spotlight ever since, having received praise from numerous sources. Recently, Phoenix took home a Best Actor award at the Golden Globes.
At this point, it goes without saying Joker was one of the most unique releases of 2019. Few could have foreseen its box office success, and even before counting international numbers. It is the first R-rated film to cross $1 billion worldwide, completely shattering expectations. The director of Joker, Todd Phillips, credits the resonating story as the reason for the film’s popularity. Even those who criticized Joker had good things to say about Phoenix’s performance, and there is no denying Phoenix delivered a passionate, raw depiction of a man pushed to insanity by society. Now, it looks like the actor could be the recipient of one of the most prestigious awards of the season.
The 92nd Academy Awards will air next month, and this Monday the nominees for the various categories will be revealed. According to the odds-makers at SportsBettingDime, Joaquin Phoenix is the favorite for the Best Actor category. The other nominees, according to the website, are predicted to be Adam Driver, Taron Egerton, Leonardo Dicaprio, Robert De Niro, and Eddie Murphy.
With Phoenix winning the Golden Globe and seeing praise from numerous sources, it seems like good odds he will be nominated and take home the Oscar. However, the other potential nominees have also been highly acclaimed. Critics applauded Adam Driver’s performance in Marriage Story, as well as Robert De Niro’s in The Irishman. Fans will know the nominees for sure on Monday, and then the true debates can begin.
If Phoenix lands the Best Actor award, that will be a notable accomplishment. Historically, it is rare for performances in comic book films to be recognized at the Academy Awards. The last one, ironically, was another Joker performance: the late Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor in 2008 for his role in The Dark Knight. It would be another notable accomplishment if Joker took home the Best Picture award. The only comic book movie to be nominated for Best Picture, so far, has been Black Panther. Of course, nothing is confirmed yet, since these are simply betting odds and not actual nominations, and Joker might not even be nominated for Best Actor or Best Picture. Although, based on everything up to this point, it seems likely at least Phoenix will be given a nomination.
