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Published Jan 31, 2026, 7:15 PM EST
They are a freelance list author for ScreenRant. They are passionate about introducing readers to lesser-known media, especially with a focus on representation. They're always scavenging for offbeat content that tells stories mainstream media won't, or that have been forgotten over time.
How many of the snubs and surprises among the 2026 Oscar nominations have you taken personally because they involved movies you were rooting for? Now, it is advisable not to become too personally invested in something so fickle as the Oscars, especially since it is infamous for delivering major upsets every year without fail, but the hype makes detachment difficult.
The Academy Awards' snub of Sorry, Baby, for instance, embittered me because of the powerful awards season narrative that was developing around Eva Victor, who even got a shout-out from Julia Roberts in my favorite moment at the Golden Globes. On the contrary, I seem to have taken F1's Best Picture Oscar nomination than many others in the film community.
2025 was an incredible year for movies, and it would always prove difficult for every deserving candidate to receive a nod from the Academy. Most of the more disappointing snubs wouldn't have happened if those nominees had competed with the Oscar nominees of the past few years. However, the Best Actor nominations have continued a frustrating trend with a snub.
Jesse Plemons Has Not Received An Oscar Nomination For Best Actor
The 2026 Best Actor Oscar is almost surely going to Timothée Chalamet after he gave his career-best performance in Marty Supreme, for which he also put up one of the most entertaining marketing campaigns in recent years. However, he faces stiff competition from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke, as well as Michael B. Jordan and Wagner Moura.
Yet, it is impossible not to feel that this incredibly stacked list is missing someone who deserved a spot just as much as the aforementioned five. Jesse Plemons plays a conspiracy theorist in Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia, which has been nominated in four categories, including Best Actor and Best Lead Actress. Plemons' performance is just as essential as Emma Stone's, though.
The uncanny coolheadedness of Plemons' character and his gradual descent into chaos, perfectly demonstrated by the composed and deliberate performance by the actor, are the most unsettling aspects of Bugonia. His awkward chemistry with Stone as a co-star is also what helps make the transactional dialogue feel as humorous as it does. Plemons' performance truly sells his character's villainous headspace.
Jesse Plemons Gave A Career-Best Performance In Bugonia
It is difficult to determine which of Jesse Plemons' many incredible performances stands out as his absolute best work, but his turn as a leading man in Lanthimos' latest film is undoubtedly among his best. The way his performance flirts with the line between unfazed and boiling over is highly commendable. Jesse Plemons' stage presence in Bugonia is truly terrifying.
A Best Actor Oscar nomination for Jesse Plemons would also break a weirdly consistent trend in the Academy's decision-making. While performances as grey characters have been rewarded in recent years as well, no actor has won Best Actor for playing a completely villainous character. Plemons' performance as a competent and passionate man with almost no conscience should've broken this streak.
Jesse Plemons Was Nominated By Other Major Award Shows
I believe that winning the Best Actor Academy Award would have proven impossible for Plemons, considering how strongly the odds are in favor of Chalamet, but not being nominated was also an unlikely outcome for the actor. He's not had this successful an awards season for a performance in a film before. Admittedly, all the nominees have had better campaigns.
Still, Plemons was most recently nominated for a BAFTA for his performance in Bugonia. This comes after a Golden Globe nomination. He's also a 2026 Actor Awards nominee. The consistent performance at major award shows, as well as Bugonia's multiple Oscar nominations, make his snub in the Best Actor Academy Award category particularly confounding.
Plemons Has Been A Dependable Actor In Both TV And Movies
Jesse Plemons reminds me of Roger Ebert's most famous words about the late actor Val Kilmer. Much like Kilmer, I believe Plemons is one of the most unsung actors of his generation. Plemons has yet to deliver a disappointing performance in a dozen years of working in films and TV. His consistency, since his Breaking Bad days, proves his versatility.
Jesse Plemons' name inadvertently comes up whenever I try remembering the best scene-stealing supporting actor performances in recent movies. It has been a joy to follow his transition from taking on small but memorable and impactful roles in TV to leading roles in feature films, and I believe that Jesse Plemons' craft deserves more recognition from the entire film community.
This Is Not The First Time Plemons Has Been Snubbed By The Oscars
Despite the immense competition in the Best Actor category at the 2026 Oscars, Plemons' snub feels extra disappointing because it confirms a pattern. Barring the 2022 Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for The Power of the Dog, the Oscars have regularly snubbed his work. Despite winning Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, he was also snubbed last year.
Critics love Jesse Plemons' work, as every review of Bugonia confirms, and this isn't a first-time occurrence, as his work is regularly critically acclaimed. From the Emmys and the Golden Globes to the Critics' Choice Awards and the BAFTAs, he also consistently receives more recognition from other award shows. I just hope the Academy will give him his due someday.
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