On Monday 13 (PST), the nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced.
Among the big winners were Todd Phillips’ Joker (11 nominations), Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, Sam Mendes’ 1917 and Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite — all receiving 10 nominations a-piece.
And while all of these films are epic in themselves, it’s nothing compared to every single iconic name on the Best Actor in a Supporting role list — all of whom have already won an Oscar (or two).
Nominated for his role as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Tom Hanks leads the charge alongside, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, The Irishman’s Al Pacino and Joe Pesci and for The Two Popes, Anthony Hopkins.
Excuse us if we fall over in our chairs in absolute awe — because this list is truly one for the history books.
Let’s take a look at these incredible actors and their careers to date ahead of the 2020 Oscars.
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
Aside from being the nicest guy in Hollywood, Tom Hanks is the Golden Globe Cecil B De Mille 2020 recipient for Lifetime Achievement and a true icon.
The actor began his career in 1980 with roles in The Love Boat (1980), Family Ties (1983-4) and even had a one-episode storyline in Happy Days (1982), but it wasn’t until Ron Howard’s 1984 hit Splash that he truly began to make his mark.
Following his role as Allen Bauer in the film, Hanks starred in The Money Pit (1986), Big (1988) — which earned him his very first Oscar nomination for Best Actor — Turner and Hooch (1989), A League of Their Own (1992) (“Nobody cries in baseball!”) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993) — which in our opinion, is one of the most romantic comedies ever made.
Then, in 1993, Hanks starred in Philadelphia, a film that would earn him his very first Oscar for Best Actor.
Centered around a man named Andy Beckett who is fired by his law firm for having HIV, the story follows Beckett as he hires a homophobic small-time lawyer, the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Then, just one year after his first golden statue, Hanks won Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump.
In 1995, he starred in Apollo 13, uttering the iconic line “Houston, we have a problem,” and in that same year, the very first Toy Story was released by Disney Pixar, and one of his most famous characters to date, Woody, was born.
In 1996, Hanks acted, directed and wrote That Thing You Do, starring a very young Charlize Theron (who announced his Golden Globe Award in 2020), before playing Captain Miller in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) — which earned him another Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 1999.
Hanks then played opposite Meg Ryan once again in You’ve Got Mail (1998), reprised his role as Woody in Toy Story 2 (1999) and then played the supervisor of E Block, Paul Edgecomb, in The Green Mile (1999).
In 2000, Hanks played a FedEx exec who crash lands on a deserted island with only a volleyball, Wilson, to talk to. (“Wilsoooooooooooon!”). Hanks, not only acted in the film but served as a producer before being nominated for a fifth time as Best Actor at the Academy Awards.
In the following years, Hanks starred in Catch Me If You Can (2002) opposite Leonardo Di Caprio, The Terminal (2004), The Polar Express (2004), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Angels and Demons (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), Captain Phillips (2013), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Bridge of Spies (2015), Sully (2016), Toy Story 4 (2019) just to name a few.
This year, he has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
In total, he has been nominated for various awards 38 times and has won 16.
And on top of his impressive 91 film and television resume, Hanks has 59 producer, seven writer and eight director credits to his name — making him one busy man.
WATCH: The full Tom Hanks television and film reel at the Golden Globes 2020. Story continues…
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins, is most famous for his role as Dr Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.
But before he played one of the world’s most notorious movie serial killers, Hopkins was a star of the stage.
In 1965, film legend Laurence Olivier spotted a 28-year-old Hopkins, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre in London and become his understudy.
His first foray into film came in the 1964 film, Changes before his big break in 1968’s The Lion in Winter.
Over the next few decades, Hopkins would portray Charles Dickens in the BBC television film The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens (1970), War and Peace (1972), Young Winston (1972) and A Bridge Too Far (1977).
In 1980, he played opposite Anne Bancroft and John Hurt in the emotionally charged The Elephant Man as the English doctor Sir Frederick Treves, before starring in A Change of Seasons (1980) with Shirley MacClaine.
In 1991, Hopkins turn as Dr Hannibal Lecter (opposite “Hello, Clarice” — Jodie Foster), won him his very first Oscar nomination and subsequent win, for Best Actor (1992).
That same year, Hopkins portrayed Professor Van Helsing in Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and then in 1993, he starred apposite Emma Thompson in The Remains of the Day which gave him his second Oscar nomination, however, he lost out to fellow Best Supporting Actor nominee, Tom Hanks (Philadelphia).
Following films such as Shadowlands (1993) and Legends of the Fall (1994), he was honoured with yet another Best Actor Oscar nomination (1996) for his portrayal of Richard Nixon, in Nixon (1995).
In 1997, Hopkins played John Quincy Adams in Amistad, a film set in 1839, about the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship. He was once again nominated for an Oscar in 1998, this time for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting.
In 1998, following these films, Hopkins starred in The Mask of Zorro and then Meet Joe Black, starring his fellow Best Supporting Actor nominee, Brad Pitt.
Hopkins then went on to act in the sequel to The Silence of The Lambs — Hannibal (2001), Shortcut to Happiness (2003), Proof (2005), All the Kings Men (2006), Beowulf (2007), Thor (2011), Hitchcock (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), TV series Westworld (2016-17) to name a few.
Now, Hopkins is nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Pope Benedict in the Netflix Original, The Two Popes.
In total, he has been nominated for various awards a whopping 111 times and has won 51 of them – 49% of the total.
Hopkins has acted in 138 film and television roles and has five producing credits and three directing credits.
Legend status.
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Academy Award winner, Al Pacino, began his career in 1967 on a stage in Boston but it wasn’t until 1971, when his film career began with the film The Panic in Needle Park.
The following year, Pacino played ultimately his most famous role ever — Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) — and it was here that he was nominated for his first-ever Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1974, Pacino played the titular role in Serpico, which earnt him another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actor, however, he lost out to Jack Lemon (Save The Tiger).
In 1975 and 1976, he again was nominated for Best Actor for his roles in The Godfather II and Dog Day Afternoon (1975), however was unsuccessful both times.
After portraying Don Corleone a third time, in the TV mini-series The Godfather Saga (1977), he starred in And Justice For All (1979), which earnt him his fourth Best Actor Oscar nomination, and fifth overall — which he lost to Robert De Niro (Raging Bull).
In 1983, Pacino starred in another of his iconic roles as Tony Montana in Scarface, which was followed by films such as Sea of Love (1989) and Dick Tracy (1990), which he was nominated again for Best Supporting Actor. Unfortunately, Pacino was unsuccessful and lost out to Joe Pesci (a current fellow nominee) for his role in Goodfellas (1990).
Portraying Corleone once more in The Godfather: Part III in 1990, he then went on to star in Frankie and Johnny (1991) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), which earnt him another nomination for his sixth Oscar in 1993, which Gene Hackman won for Unforgiven.
Then, in 1992, Pacino portrayed Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman. This role would earn him his seventh Oscar nomination and finally a win for Best Actor.
Following this win, Pacino starred in titles such as Donnie Brasco (1997), The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Insomnia (2002), Gigli (2003), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), Jack and Jill (2011), Manglehorn (2014), The Pirates of Somalia (2017) and 11-time Academy Award nominated film, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood (2019).
In 2019, Pacino portrayed Jimmy Hoffa in the Netflix original film The Irishman, earning him his eighth Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In total, he has been nominated for various awards 43 times (nine of those Academy Awards) and has won 12 times.
Hopkins has acted in 61 film and television roles and has four producing credits and four directing credits.
Phew! Let’s hope he can bag another win.
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Academy Award winner, Joe Pesci, is probably most famous (to us, anyway) as criminal Harry in Home Alone, however, the 76-year-old has some serious acting chops.
Pesci’s film career started in 1976, as Joe in the film The Death Collector.
In 1980 Pesci played Joey in Raging Bull, earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1981. Unfortunately, Pesci lost out to Timothy Hutton who won for Ordinary People (1980).
Following this, he played Ruby Dennis is Dear Mrs Wonderful (1982), Mayakofsky in Eureka (1983), and Frankie in Once Upon a Time in America (1984).
Following this, he acted in a slew of films including Man on Fire (1987), Moonwalker (1988), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) and Betsy’s Wedding (1990).
Then, in 1990, Pesci played Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, a role which would earn him a 1991 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1990, Pesci played opposite Macauley Culkin in the cult Christmas flick Home Alone, followed by films such as JFK (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992), Jimmy Hollywood (1994), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), The Good Shepherd (2006) and now, the Netflix original film, The Irishman (2019) to name a few.
In total, he has been nominated for various awards 10 times and has won twice.
Pesci has acted in 40 film and television roles, but he will forever have our heart as Harry Lyme, accomplice of Marv Murchins, in Home Alone.
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood
Academy Award Winner, Brad Pitt, is most famous for being, well, Brad Pitt.
He is not only an actor but an acclaimed producer, having won many awards in both fields.
Pitt’s acting career started in 1987 in the aptly named film Hunk where he played “boy at the beach”, but it wasn’t until his breakout role as a cowboy hitchhiker in 1991’s Thelma and Louise that his star began to rise.
In the years following, Pitt starred in films such as Cool World (1992), A River Runs Through It (1992) and True Romance (1993), before his portrayal as Louis in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), and as Tristan in Legends of the Fall (1994).
In 1995, Pitt starred as Mills in Se7en, a film about a serial killer who targeted victims who committed the seven deadly sins, before a role in 12 Monkeys (1995) — a role which earned him his very first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 1996 Academy Awards. Unfortunately, he lost out to Kevin Spacey who won for The Usual Suspects.
Following this, Pitt starred in some of his most famous roles to date including Heinrich in Seven Years in Tibet (1997), the titular character in Meet Joe Black (1998), Tyler Durden in Fight Club (1999) and Mickey O’Neill in Snatch (2000).
Pitt then starred in more hits including Spy Game (2001) with Robert Redford, made a cameo on hit TV series Friends, Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Troy (2004), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Mr and Mrs Smith (2005), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), Burn After Reading (2008) to name a few.
Then, in 2008, Pitt starred a long side Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), which he earned his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Unfortunately, Pitt lost out to Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2008).
Following these films, he starred in Inglorious Basterds (2009) and Megamind (2010) before leading the charge in Moneyball in 2011.
In this film, he served as lead actor and producer of the film, earning him noms for Best Actor (which he lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln) and Best Picture — which went to The Artist (2011).
Pitt then starred in films such as Happy Feet Two (2011) and World War Z (2013), before featuring in 12 Years a Slave (2013). Pitt served as both actor and producer on this film, which earned him his first-ever golden statuette for Best Picture.
In 2015, he starred in and produced The Big Short which was nominated for Best Picture. Unfortunately, the film lost out to Spotlight (2014).
Pitt then starred in Allied (2016), War Machine (2017), and finally, in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood which earned him his sixth Oscar nomination.
In total, Pitt has been nominated for various awards 155 times and has won 65 times — that’s 41% total.
He has acted in 81 film and television roles and has produced 56 titles, including Oscar Winning film 12 Years A Slave.
Pitt is the epitome of a movie star. Handsome, funny and talented.
The Oscars will be held on February 10 2020 in Los Angeles.