Supporting Actress Oscar Survey: The Worst Runner-Ups

12. Ingrid Bergman - Murder on the Orient Express (9 points)



Even the divine Ingrid agrees; she proclaimed from the podium that the Oscar that year belonged to Valentina Cortese for DAY FOR NIGHT. She even begged Valentina to forgive her. Ingrid was right. – Tim Hedgepeth

I adore Bergman and I like "Murder on the Orient Express." But just watch it today and try to figure out why she was singled out for an award. Especially when Bergman already had two Oscars, and especially in that vital year of 1974 when so many other good films were contenders. – Jeffrey M. Anderson

I love Ingrid Bergman, but she wasn't even the best actress on that train. She had two Oscars already, so why a sentimental pick? If that's what they were after, it should have been Lauren Bacall's turn. – Edward Copeland.


12. Beatrice Straight – Network (9 points)



Don't blink or you'll miss her – Mike Savidge

The same complaint as Dench, but at least her character is given a bit to do in her brief appearance. – David Gaffen.


14. Gloria Grahame - The Bad and the Beautiful (8 points)



A compelling and intelligent performance --although I prefer her work in OKLAHOMA! and for starters how can this performance begin to compare with Jean Hagen's brilliant comic turn in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN? – Tim Hedgepeth

This is one of the more underrated films of the 1950s, and it should have won 10 Oscars, but can someone explain what Grahame does in this film that warrants any sort of award? – Tripp Burton.

Grahame was a great actress and probably deserved an Oscar somewhere in her career but how and why she won for this don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-her turn still puzzles me. – Edward Copeland.


14. Mira Sorvino - Mighty Aphrodite (8 points)



Though it took a while to find the bottom, we could tell Woody was already in trouble here and Mira is caught in the middle of it. – Matt Kilgore.


16. Diane Wiest - Bullets Over Broadway (7 points)

16. Estelle Parsons - Bonnie and Clyde (7 points)

18. Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago (6 points)



One of the most joyless musical performances of all time, she stiffly plods her way through the film without ever really understanding how Velma needs to work in the film. She has none of the pizzazz or comedic timing to carry the role. – Tripp Burton

Zeta-Jones wasn’t even the best supporting actress in Chicago, let alone 2002. – John Henry Roberts.


18. Teresa Wright – Mrs. Miniver (6 points)


A lovely performance in a shockingly overhyped piece of claptrap. Wright --along with fellow nominee Dame May Whitty -- might be the best thing about the movie, but she had no business taking the award from Agnes Moorehead for THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS. – Tim Hedgepeth


20. Shelley Winters – The Diary of Anne Frank (5 points)


Nice work here, and perhaps the least mannered actor in a surprisingly stagebound movie version of a pretty good play, but come on: this award belongs to Juanita Moore in IMITATION OF LIFE. Winters did plenty of great and award-worthy work in a remarkable career. This just wasn't one of the best. – Tim Hedgepeth

I just feel this is one of those "we just got to honor this movie and it's participants" awards that's not actually justified by the quality of the work. – Jan Baart.

21. Anna Paquin – The Piano (4 points)

21. Tatum O’Neal – Paper Moon (4 points)

21. Celeste Holm – A Gentleman’s Agreement (4 points)


Tepid Actress, tepid role – Mike Savidge


21. Donna Reed – From Here to Eternity (4 points)



Josh R is fond of referring to this performance as the purest hooker in the history of prostitution and I think that about sums it up. – Edward Copeland.


21. Cate Blanchett – The Aviator (4 points)



I could hardly stand her performance as Hepburn. She tried way too hard be her and missed the goal completely. Almost ruined the movie for me. She wasn't anything like Hepburn to me, neither as an actress nor as a private person. – Jan Baart.


26. Jane Darwell – The Grapes of Wrath (3 points)



She has some touching scenes that helped her nab the Big One, but her Ma Joad largely consists of a lot of cloying, one-dimensional acting. – Shawn.


26. Shirley Jones – Elmer Gantry (3 points)

26. Margaret Rutherford – The V.I.Ps (3 points)



I adore her and was looking forward to seeing the film just for this performance. It simply makes no sense that she won an Oscar for this. For Blithe Spirit certainly! – Robbie Kendall.


26. Mercedes Ruehl – The Fisher King (3 points)

26. Kim Basinger – L.A Confidential (3 points)



Let's give Kim Basinger an Oscar for looking like Barbara Stanwyck - JSC


31. Geena Davis – The Accidental Tourist (2 points)

31. Gale Sondergaard – Anthony Adverse (2 points)



The Supporting Actress category’s list of winners got off to a fairly undistinguished start, as Sondergaard also does a lot of showy one-note acting as the adverse villainess, Faith Paleologus. – Shawn.

Single Voters:

Lila Kedrova – Zorba the Greek



Proof that you can win the Oscar by doing nothing great at all. – Celso Oliveira.

Ruth Gordon – Rosemary’s Baby



She does play Ruth Gordon very well – Mike Savidge

Anjelica Huston – Prizzi’s Honour



A predictable performance that's a travesty to the Italian-American genre – Matt Kilgore.


Tune in soon for the best of the bests and worst of the worsts.