Even more difficult to predict than the lead categories at this very early stage is that of supporting actor and actress. This is not just down to so many films having yet to premiere but also not knowing in which category actors will be campaigned.
Two performances that have been seen and have garnered early acclaim are Jesse Plemons and Kieran Culkin in “Kind of Kindness” and “A Real Pain” respectively. However, there may be an argument come award season that the pair may be campaigned in the less competitive supporting actor category, despite Plemons recently winning Best Actor at Cannes.
The real contenders appear to be the supporting performers in “Sing Sing” which premiered at TIFF in 2023 and is scheduled for release this coming August. However, they may be fighting an uphill battle as it is looking likely that Samuel L. Jackson may finally win his first ever Academy Award for his performance in “The Piano Lesson”. Jackson is reprising his award pinning stage performance for the big screen and with such a strong legacy and narrative behind him seems unstoppable at this point unless the film itself is panned upon release.
Full list of Supporting Actor predictions – June 2024:
Strong Contenders
- Samuel L. Jackson “The Piano Lesson”
- Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing”
- Paul Raci “Sing Sing”
- Jeremy Strong “The Apprentice”
- Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain”
Possible Contenders
- Stanley Tucci “Conclave”
- Drew Starkey “Queer”
- Denzel Washington “Gladiator II”
- Harris Dickinson “Blitz”
- John Lithgow “Conclave”
Outsiders
- Jesse Plemons “Kinds of Kindness”
- Austin Butler “Dune: Part Two”
- Bryan Tyree Henry “The Fire Inside”
- Josh O’Connor “Challengers”
- Jacob Elordi “Frankenstein”
Check out my Movie Reviews and other way-too-early Oscar Predictions via the links below.
Dan Loves Film 
Great predictions for best supporting actor. All of these actors sound promising to me, but the standout is definitely Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is a legendary actor that has been delivering excellent performances for decades, but never won an Oscar. Whether it’s crime dramas, romance or historical epics, Jackson has proven that he can excel in any genre. I believe that he should have won an Oscar several years ago for his extraordinary performance in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”. Obviously, at this point it’s too early to tell which actor will win. I haven’t even seen any of these movies yet. However, it seems to me that Jackson has the strongest chance. The Academy often rewards actors which are overdue, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to recognize a legendary performer.
Here’s why I loved Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic performance in “Pulp Fiction”:
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