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Best Actor Non-Winners Trivia Quiz

Each year there can only be one winner of the Best Actor Oscar. But every year there are great performances that don't win the prize. Here are 15 questions about performances that were nominated for Best Actor, but didn't take the trophy.

A multiple-choice quiz by Misregistered. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Misregistered

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
152,919

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
11 / 15

Plays
7071

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 35 (13/15), shorthumbz (14/15), Johnmcmanners (15/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Denzel Washington was considered a front-runner for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ruben Carter in which 1999 movie? Hint

The Bone Collector

The Hurricane

The Seige

Remember the Titans

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Question 2 of 15

2. Sean Penn was nominated for the 1995 Best Actor Oscar for his fantastic performance as a death row inmate in which film?

Answer: (Three Words)

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Question 3 of 15

3. 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption" was full of great performances, but only one man received an Oscar nomination for his role in the film; who was it?

Answer: (Two words, Full name, or just surname)

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Question 4 of 15

4. "Henry V" saw which performer nominated for Best Actor in 1989? Hint

Danny Aiello

Kenneth Branagh

Martin Landau

Max Von Sydow

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Question 5 of 15

5. Oscar perennial Jack Nicholson was up for the 1985 Best Actor award for his role as an underworld character in which film? Hint

Hoffa

Ironweed

Heartburn

Prizzi's Honor

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Question 6 of 15

6. Jeff Bridges, who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor several times, received his first Best Actor nomination for his role in which 1984 sci-fi film? Hint

Tron

Starman

The Last Unicorn

8 Million Ways to Die

7. Paul Newman received a Best Actor nomination in 1982 for his role as the alcoholic lawyer in "The Verdict", and again failed to win. Including this nomination, how many Best Actor nominations had he received by that point in his career? Hint

Three

Five

Six

Four

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Question 8 of 15

8. Richard Burton received his final Oscar nomination for his part in what 1977 movie? Hint

The Wild Geese

Circle of Two

The Gathering Storm

Equus

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Question 9 of 15

9. Marlon Brando was nominated for Best Actor in 1973, becoming the third person ever nominated for an Oscar for a role in an X-rated movie; which movie was he nominated for that year?

Answer: (Four Words)

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Question 10 of 15

10. James Earl Jones received his only Oscar nomination as turn-of-the-century heavyweight champion (heavily based on Jack Johnson) in which 1970 movie? Hint

Deadly Hero

End of the Road

The Great White Hope

The Man

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Question 11 of 15

11. In 1967, Warren Beatty was nominated for Best Actor for his role in what 'shoot-em-up' bank robber film? Hint

Kaleidoscope

Dollars

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Bonnie and Clyde

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Question 12 of 15

12. Peter O'Toole made himself a major star with his 1962 Best Actor nomination for which epic movie? Hint

Lawrence of Arabia

The Savage Innocents

What's New Pussycat?

Kidnapped

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Question 13 of 15

13. Both Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier were nominated for Best Actor for which 'jailbreak' movie in 1958?

Answer: (Three Words)

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Question 14 of 15

14. Both James Dean and Rock Hudson received Best Actor nominations for what 1956 film, which would turn out to be Dean's last movie? Hint

Giant

Rebel Without a Cause

East of Eden

Come Back to the Five and Dime...

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Question 15 of 15

15. Marlon Brando received a Best Actor nomination in 1951 for which movie based on a Tennessee Williams play? Hint

Viva Zapata!

A Streetcar Named Desire

On The Waterfront

Julius Caesar

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Most Recent Scores

Oct 30 2024 : Guest 35: 13/15
Oct 26 2024 : shorthumbz: 14/15
Oct 11 2024 : Johnmcmanners: 15/15
Sep 30 2024 : Guest 172: 13/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Denzel Washington was considered a front-runner for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ruben Carter in which 1999 movie?

Answer: The Hurricane

"The Hurricane" was based on Ruben Carter's book "The 16th Round" where he told the story of his lengthy imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit.

2. Sean Penn was nominated for the 1995 Best Actor Oscar for his fantastic performance as a death row inmate in which film?

Answer: Dead Man Walking

Penn was wonderful in his chilling role as a murderer who attempts to make peace with his life before his execution, with the help of Sister Helen Prejean, played by Susan Sarandon.

3. 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption" was full of great performances, but only one man received an Oscar nomination for his role in the film; who was it?

Answer: Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman lost the Best Actor award that year to Tom Hanks for his role as Forrest Gump.

4. "Henry V" saw which performer nominated for Best Actor in 1989?

Answer: Kenneth Branagh

Branagh also received a nomination for Best Director for "Henry V", but failed to win that one as well.

5. Oscar perennial Jack Nicholson was up for the 1985 Best Actor award for his role as an underworld character in which film?

Answer: Prizzi's Honor

Nicholson starred in all these movies, and did receive an Oscar nomination for "Ironweed", but it was "Prizzi's Honor" where he was an underworld character.

6. Jeff Bridges, who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor several times, received his first Best Actor nomination for his role in which 1984 sci-fi film?

Answer: Starman

Bridges played the alien in "Starman" in such a way that the character was touching, innocent and hilariously funny. A great performance, but he lost the trophy to F. Murray Abraham's wonderful turn as Salieri in "Amadeus".

Answer: Six

"The Verdict" marked Newman's 6th Best Actor Nomination, the previous ones having been for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in 1958, "The Hustler" in 1961, "Hud" in 1963, "Cool Hand Luke" in 1967 and "Absense of Malice" in 1981. Number seven would be the charm for Newman, as the next time he was nominated, for "The Color of Money" in 1986, he'd finally win the prize.

8. Richard Burton received his final Oscar nomination for his part in what 1977 movie?

Answer: Equus

Burton lost the Oscar to Richard Dreyfuss's beautiful and hilarious turn in "The Goodbye Girl".

9. Marlon Brando was nominated for Best Actor in 1973, becoming the third person ever nominated for an Oscar for a role in an X-rated movie; which movie was he nominated for that year?

Answer: Last Tango in Paris

Talk about stiff competition! Brando's fellow nominees that year were Jack Nicholson for "The Last Detail", Al Pacino for "Serpico", Robert Redford in "The Sting", and eventual winner Jack Lemmon for "Save the Tiger". Incidentally, the first two men nominated for Best Actor for an X-rated movie were Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voigt, both for Midnight Cowboy in 1969.

10. James Earl Jones received his only Oscar nomination as turn-of-the-century heavyweight champion (heavily based on Jack Johnson) in which 1970 movie?

Answer: The Great White Hope

A great performance and movie, the title of which referred to the white contenders continually trying to beat the first black heavyweight champion.

11. In 1967, Warren Beatty was nominated for Best Actor for his role in what 'shoot-em-up' bank robber film?

Answer: Bonnie and Clyde

Rod Steiger won the Oscar that year for his role in "In the Heat of the Night".

12. Peter O'Toole made himself a major star with his 1962 Best Actor nomination for which epic movie?

Answer: Lawrence of Arabia

O'Toole lost the Oscar to Gregory Peck for his lead role in "To Kill A Mockingbird".

13. Both Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier were nominated for Best Actor for which 'jailbreak' movie in 1958?

Answer: The Defiant Ones

David Niven won the Oscar that year.

14. Both James Dean and Rock Hudson received Best Actor nominations for what 1956 film, which would turn out to be Dean's last movie?

Answer: Giant

Dean only made three movies in his entire career. The "Come Back to the Five and Dime" answer came from an early 80s Cher movie about three friends who were big James Dean fans. Yul Brenner's performance in "The King And I" ended up taking the prize that year.

15. Marlon Brando received a Best Actor nomination in 1951 for which movie based on a Tennessee Williams play?

Answer: A Streetcar Named Desire

Who could ever forget Brando standing in the rain screaming, "Stellaaaaa!"? But the Academy preferred Bogie's performance in "The African Queen" more, and he won the Oscar.

Source: Author Misregistered

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rj211 before going online.
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