Thursday Theoretical Oscar Category

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. In my love for everything Oscar, it’s always fun to speculate on who or what might have been included given different circumstances. Though there are twenty-four fields recognized on Oscar night, that still neglects a handful of key players. As a result, I’d like to take a look each week at imagined categories, and who or what might have benefited from their existence.

The category: Best Foreign Performance

Why it should exist: It’s rare that room is made for foreign actors to break into the acting races, usually no more than one or two per year, and it would be a great way to bestow an American award on an actor from another country.

Why it doesn’t exist: This is one category that would almost certainly have faces rather than names for the average viewer. Also, would eligible nominees have to be from submissions for Best Foreign Film (I’ve decided no below)? Also, could a nominee be recognized in this category as well as a regular acting race (I’ve said yes, since a Best Foreign Film nominee can also be nominated for Best Picture). Throwing all performers, no matter how significant to a film, into just one category could cause problems as well.

Who might have been nominated the past five years:
2011: Antonio Banderas (The Skin I Live In), Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Peyman Moaadi (A Separation), Michelle Yeoh (The Lady)
2010: Lubna Azabal (Incendies), Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Mikael Persbrandt (In a Better World), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Tilda Swinton (I Am Love)
2009: Penelope Cruz (Broken Embraces), Ricardo Darin (The Secret in their Eyes), Kim Hye-ja (Mother), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet), Catalina Saavedra (The Maid)
2008: François Bégaudeau (The Class), Ronit Elkabetz (The Band’s Visit), Sasson Gabai (The Band’s Visit), Bard Owe (O’Horten), Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
2007: Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Tony Leung (Lust, Caution), Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), Belen Rueda (The Orphanage), Tang Wei (Lust, Caution)