The 2024 Oscars could see Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe take a place in Oscars history thanks to their roles in Poor Things. The 2023 movie from director Yorgos Lanthimos is coming out at the end of the year just in time to make a strong push during awards season. The initial reactions to the movie were quite strong and helped indicate that Lanthimos’ first movie since The Favourite could once again strongly contend at the Oscars. It is expected that this will especially come true for Emma Stone and the 2024 Oscars Best Actress nominees, but the movie also boasts strong performances from Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe.
The Poor Things acclaim has the potential to help position either Mark Ruffalo or Willem Dafoe as Oscar nominees for their work. There is even an outside chance that they could both receive nominations for their performances as Duncan Wedderburn and Dr. Godwin Baxter, respectively. Both actors have plenty of history with the Academy Awards, but neither have won a golden statue throughout the course of their careers. Even if that trend continues, getting nominated for Poor Things will be enough to have either or both Ruffalo and Dafoe join Oscars history.
![Two Actors Can Join Oscars History In 2024 & They Star In The Same Movie](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/emma-stone-standing-up-in-poor-things.jpg)
Where To Watch Poor Things: Showtimes & Streaming Status
Yorgos Lantimos and Emma Stone’s movie Poor Things has arrived, and there are different ways to watch the movie in theaters or on streaming.
Poor Things Could Help Mark Ruffalo Or Willem Dafoe Tie An Oscars Record
![Mark Ruffalo hugging Emma Stone in Poor Things](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/mark-ruffalo-hugging-emma-stone-in-poor-things.jpg)
Any nomination that comes to Mark Ruffalo or Willem Dafoe will be part of the 2024 Oscars’ Best Supporting Actor race. This would be the fourth such nomination in each of their careers. Dafoe has previously received Best Supporting Actor nominations for Platoon, Shadow of the Vampire, and The Florida Project. Meanwhile, Ruffalo has received his three previous nominations for The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher, and Spotlight. If either of them secures a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination in 2024, they will tie the record for the most nominations in this category.
There are currently seven actors who have received four Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominations, and no actor has ever amassed more than four in this category. Ruffalo and Dafoe are currently among the 15 actors who have received three nominations for Best Supporting Actor. Either actor can join the much rarer list of actors that are tied for this specific Oscars record. In doing so, they’ll be put in the same breath as some of cinema’s greatest performers.
Actors With Four Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominations | |
---|---|
Actor | Nominated Movies |
Walter Brennan | Come and Get It (1936), Kentucky (1938), The Westerner (1940), Sergeant York (1941) |
Jeff Bridges | The Last Picture Show (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), The Contender (2000), Hell or High Water (2016) |
Robert Duvall | The Godfather (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), A Civil Action (1998), The Judge (2014) |
Arthur Kennedy | Champion (1949), Trial (1955), Peyton Place (1957), Some Came Running (1958) |
Jack Nicholson | Easy Rider (1969), Reds (1981), Terms of Endearment (1983), A Few Good Men (1992) |
Al Pacino | The Godfather (1972), Dick Tracy (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), The Irishman (2019) |
Claude Rains | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Casablanca (1943), Mr. Skeffington (1944), Notorious (1946) |
Mark Ruffalo vs Willem Dafoe’s Oscars 2024 Chances Explained
![Willem Dafoe as Dr. Godwin Baxter in Poor Things](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/willem-dafoe-as-dr-godwin-baxter-in-poor-things.jpg)
Although there is still some time to go until the 2024 Oscars nominations are announced, the early consensus is that Mark Ruffalo is more likely to receive his fourth Best Supporting Actor nomination than Willem Dafoe. Ruffalo’s performance has been more praised early on during the race. The “return” narrative of Mark Ruffalo in a major Oscar contender could help his chances. After spending much of his time playing Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Poor Things was a chance to remind viewers what he’s capable of with more dramatic material, but Dafoe has been doing that routinely over the years.
Poor Things
- Release Date:
- 2023-09-08
- Director:
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Cast:
- Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott
- Rating:
- R
- Runtime:
- 141 Minutes
- Genres:
- Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
- Writers:
- Tony McNamara
- Story By:
- Alasdair Gray
- Studio(s):
- Film4, TSG Entertainment, Element Pictures
- Distributor(s):
- Searchlight Pictures