Entertainment desk
< January 24	<< Dec \| January \| Feb >>	Current desk >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

January 25

Oscar nomination process

Is the nomination process regarding actors and actresses actually separated by gender? Can only actresses nominate individuals for "Best Actress" and "Best Supporting Actress"? Our article describes a vote among the "actors branch" of the AMPAS, but without separation. Paragem (talk) 19:52, 25 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

No. And no. The word "actor" is used there to refer to actors of either sex, which is quite normal these days. Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:02, 26 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There is, of course, no reason why nominations for "best actress", for example, should be restricted to being made by women. That's like saying that only women can vote for the local Member of Parliament, who is female, in the next election (although since the party leader (male) is trying to get rid of her they might not get the chance) [1]. 2A00:23C7:9C86:4301:140E:5EAC:2D72:8A9E (talk) 13:29, 26 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Linda Hunt won Best Actress for portraying a male character. That could be a useful precedent. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:09, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

So, the Academy refers to all acting persons as "actors", yet when it comes to the awards they themselves present, "actor" applies only to males, while females have to be content with the word "actresses", which many such persons consider to be inappropriate or even offensive outside of that context. I'm befuddled. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:05, 26 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Equal awarding of the acting categories. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:59, 27 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

So logically there should be only one Oscar awarded for best actor. (I'm sure that would go over big in Hollywood.) Clarityfiend (talk) 08:51, 27 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

They're having it both ways, then. (Sounds like a porn movie.) -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:40, 27 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

We could also make it eight categories:

Best male actor portraying a male character voted on by male actors

Best male actor portraying a male character voted on by female actors

Best male actor portraying a female character voted on by male actors

(and so on)

Furthermore, some consideration must be given to non-binary identities. --Lambiam 19:45, 29 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

In an SNL weekend update segment, they suggested "Best Actor" and "Best Actor Who Got Paid Less". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:56, 29 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If Dustin Hoffman, nominated for Best Actor in Tootsie, had won the Oscar, it would have been for best actor portraying a male character portraying a female character.

I wonder what will happen if anyone makes a movie based on Samuel R Delany's Triton? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.205.103.187 (talk) 23:59, 30 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

And the opposite of Hoffman, Julie Andrews nominated for Victor/Victoria. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:29, 31 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I sometimes think of Tilda Swinton who only ever received an Oscar for "best supporting actress", even when she blows so many female actors out of the water. And in Suspiria, she played an elderly male psychiatrist. Paragem (talk) 13:25, 1 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the answer! Before that, I googled and googled and only found the rule work that didn't distinguish by gender. The current procedure quite illogical. Directors nominate directors, editors nominate editors, production designers nominate production designers, male actors should nominate male actors...

Funnily, I also asked ChatGPT for some comment. That thingy was 100% dead sure, even after many varying prompts, that only actresses nominate actresses, and only actors nominate actors... Paragem (talk) 18:38, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Actors (broad sense) nominate actors (broad sense). This is exactly like directors nominating directors. The difference is that 2 sets of awards are given to actors (broad sense) while directors only get one. --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 21:56, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, again! Paragem (talk) 13:17, 1 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]