Best Actress

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1938 and the nominees are: 1. Luise Rainer - The Good Earth 2. Irene Donne - The Awful Truth 3. Greta Garbo - Camille 4. Janet Gaynor - A Star is Born 5. Barbara Stanwyck - Stella Dallas - In 1938 Luise Rainer became the first performer to win back-to-back Oscars as well as the first performer to have two Academy Awards. Her first Oscar was won the year prior for The Great Ziegfeld. If you weren’t aware, this is perhaps one of the most controversial Oscar wins because Luise Rainer, a German born woman, is portraying a Chinese woman in yellow face in The Good Earth. A big part of her win for this Oscar was the major financial support from the MGM studio she was represented by. The other nominees gave career standouts in their respective films but were freelance actors and couldn’t campaign to the same lengths as a major studio. Luise Rainer was only in Hollywood for a total of 3 years before eventually leaving as a result of the lack of interest in “the glam” of movie stardom. Regardless, she set an Oscar record that has only been repeated (in leading roles) by Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, and Tom Hanks. Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Chris as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 2023 and the nominees are: 1. Michelle Yeoh - Everything Everywhere All at Once 2. Cate Blanchett - Tár 3. Ana de Armas - Blonde 4. Andrea Riseborough 5. Michelle Williams - The Fabelmans - In 2023 Michelle Yeoh became the second woman of colour in the 95 year history of the Oscars to win Best Actress in a Leading Role for the critical smash hit, Everything Everywhere All at Once. This was one of the most exciting Best Actress Oscar races in recent memory. In my opinion it really came down to Yeoh, Blanchett, and Riseborough (the dark horse nominee of the century). I think a lot of people were expecting Riseborough to be the upset since her nomination shocked everyone, including the Academy, and called for a recount and investigation, which turned out to be above board. Blanchett as Tár is arguably one of Blanchett’s greatest performances on screen. Yeoh was utilizing all her skills in this powerhouse performance in EEAAO. It was a real nail biter! I think the correct winner was Yeoh however when it comes down to personal taste, I have my opinions. I’m sorry to say I don’t think Williams or de Armas had a real shot at this trophy. Not this year. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Cathryn Nailer as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1985 and the nominees are: 1. Sissy Spacek - The River 2. Vanessa Redgrave - The Bostonians 3. Jessica Lange - Country 4. Judy Davis - A Passage to India 5. Sally Field - Places in the Heart - In 1985 Sally Field won her second Oscar playing a widow struggling to save her farm in Places in the Heart. This was an odd year in that there were 2 other similarly nominated roles for both Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek. Each of films portrayed a woman trying to keep her family and farm from being foreclosed by the bank. Honestly these films began to blur together while viewing. Oh this is also the famous year when Field said the famously misquoted quote, “I can’t deny the fact that you like me! Right now! You like me!” Judy Davis became a first time nominee for the David Lean epic in A Passage to India. This was Lean’s return to screen after a 14 year hiatus following the negative reviews from critics for the film Ryan’s Daughter. Finally, Vanessa Redgrave plays a suffragette in the extremely queer coded The Bostonians. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Dylan Mahaney as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1959 and the nominees are: 1. Susan Hayward - I Want to Live! 2. Deborah Kerr - Separate Tables 3. Shirley MacLaine - Some Came Running 4. Rosalind Russell - Auntie Mama 5. Elizabeth Taylor - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - In 1959 Susan Hayward won the Oscar for her portrayal of alleged murder accomplice Barbara Graham and her eventual execution in a gas chamber. Hayward was known for delivering top shelf performances dealing with dark subject matter and she does not disappoint in, I Want to Live! Baby Shirley MacLaine received her first Oscar nomination for Some Came Running playing an uneducated naive girl from Chicago who falls in love with Frank Sinatra. Deborah Kerr gave a brief but memorable performance in Separate Tables, one of two films this year that had to be adjusted for the Hollywood Production code as to avoid discussing topics of homosexuality (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof being the second). Rosalind Russell delivers an amazing performance as the eccentric aunt (perhaps a precursor to Travels with my Aunt with Maggie Smith) known for her quirky lifestyle and outgoing personality. Finally, Elizabeth Taylor plays Paul Newman’s wife desperately trying to get him to love her again (even physically (same girl)) in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Joe Arsenal as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1945 and the nominees are: 1. Ingrid Bergman - Gaslight 2. Claudette Colbert - Since You Went Away 3. Bette Davis - Mr. Skeffington 4. Greer Garson - Mrs. Parkington 5. Barbara Stanwyck - Double Indemnity - In 1945 Ingrid Bergman won her first of three Oscars for a role that we currently use as a psychological term in Gaslight. Bergman plays a woman who becomes suspicious of goings-on in her home but is manipulated by her husband into doubting herself which leads her to question her own perceptions and behaviours; which we colourfully refer to these days as ‘gaslighting.’ I think her biggest competition this year came down to Claudette Colbert or Barbara Stanwyck. Stanwyck never won a competitive Oscar but Colbert had. Perhaps Stanwyck was the bigger competition. Each film was very enjoyable minus Mrs. Parkington. Of all the Garson performances this is not one of my fav’s. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Josh Murray as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1954 and the nominees are: 1. Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday 2. Leslie Caron - Lili 3. Ava Gardner - Mogambo 4. Deborah Kerr - From Here to Eternity 5. Maggie McNamara - The Moon is Blue - In 1954 Audrey Hepburn won the Oscar for Best Actress playing a princess going from ‘riches to rags for a day’ in the classic film, Roman Holiday. I’ve always wondered why she won the Oscar for this film and not for something like Breakfast at Tiffany’s or The Nun’s Story. Now having seen the other nominated performances, I get it. I wouldn’t say this was a weak year necessarily but I would say there were some odd choice of nominees. Deborah Kerr was incredible in From Here to Eternity but I don’t think we saw enough of her to warrant a win. Leslie Caron gets so many brownie points for having to sell those scene with those creepy ass puppets in Lili. Ava Gardner in Mogambo is the most confusing nominee in this category, as we discuss at length this episode. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Cathryn Naiker as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 2015 and the nominees are: 1. Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night 2. Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything 3. Julianne Moore - Still Alice 4. Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl 5. Reese Witherspoon - Wild - In 2015 Julianne Moore finally won her Oscar after her fifth nomination for arguably one of the most heartbreaking performances put to screen as a woman suffering from early on set Alzheimer’s disease. An incredibly powerful performance that won her the Golden Globe, SAG, Critics Choice, BAFTA, and Oscar - the “quintuple crown.” This year was nothing short of amazing performances from each nominee. Felicity Jones absolutely slays as Steven Hawkins life partner and caretaker in another heartbreaking performance in The Theory of Everything. Marion Cotillard received her second Oscar nomination playing a woman struggling with depression fighting for her job. Rosamund Pike delivers a ‘she’s fabulous but she’s evil’ performance in Gone Girl. Finally Reese Witherspoon gives one of her grossest (in the best possible way) performances of her career in Wild. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Robert Watson as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1956 and the nominees are: 1. Anna Magnani - The Rose Tattoo 2. Susan Hayward - I'll Cry Tomorrow 3. Katharine Hepburn - Summertime 4. Jennifer Jones - Love Is a Many Splendored Thing 5. Eleanor Parker - Interrupted Melody - Please note: My mic wasn't working and by default used my laptop mic to record. Apologies for sound quality - will be fixed for future episodes. In 1956 Anna Magnani became the first Italian - and first non-English speaking woman - to win an Oscar. Tennessee Williams became an admirer of her acting and wrote The Rose Tattoo specifically for her to star in. This was a very strong year of course for the exception of Jennifer Jones in full yellowface portraying a Chinese/European doctor in China. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Glenn Sumi as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1946 and the nominees are: 1. Joan Crawford - Mildred Pierce 2. Ingrid Bergman - The Bells of St. Mary's 3. Greer Garson - The Valley of Decision 4. Jennifer Jones - Love Letters 5. Gene Tierney - Leave Her to Heaven - In 1946 Joan Crawford won the Best Actress Oscar for Mildred Pierce in one of the greatest Hollywood comeback stories of all time. After being dropped by MGM Crawford signed with Warner Studios. She didn't work for years because she spent her time studying and learning what made a good script. Along comes Mildred Pierce and the rest is history. Some hits and misses this year. Really enjoyed Gene Tierney and Greer Garson in their respective films. Bergman is always a delight to watch but TBOSM isn't exactly a high stakes plot. Jennifer Jones was perhaps my least favourite of the group. These are just my thoughts! Tune in to this week's episode to hear more! Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Josh Murray as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1976 and the nominees are: Isabelle Adjani - The Story of Adele H. Ann-Margret - Tommy Louise Fletcher - One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Glenda Jackson - Hedda Carol Kane - Hester Street - In 1976 Louise Fletcher won Best Actress for playing one of the most iconic movie villains of all time, Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film became the first in 41 years to sweep the major categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. I would say Adjani was likely Fletcher’s biggest competition as she became the youngest nominee for Best Actress at that time at the age of 20. She won the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, and the New York Film Critics Circle awards for her work in The Story of Adele H. If you have never seen the movie musical Tommy, do yourself a favour, take some bong hits and enjoy. Ann-Margret’s performance as Nora is honestly one of the strangest (in a good way) things I have ever witnessed on this podcast. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Bryan Hatt as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1966 and the nominees are: Julie Andrews - The Sound of Music Julie Christie - Darling Samantha Eggar - The Collector Elizabeth Hartman - A Patch of Blue Simone Signoret - Ship of Fools - In 1966 Julie Christie won Best Actress for Darling playing a young London model who sleeps her way to the top (good for you girl). She famously beat Julie Andrews in what is considered her best work in The Sound of Music. Andrews had won the award for Best Actress the year prior so it made her win unlikely. However many feel if Andrews should have an Oscar, it should have been for this film. Ultimately this year comes down to Julie vs. Julie and it didn't disappoint. A lot of really interesting films and performances. Join host Kyle Brownrigg and he discusses with guest host Joe Arsenal.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1967 and the nominees are: 1) Elizabeth Taylor - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2) Anouk Aimée - A Man and a Woman 3) Ida Kaminska - The Shop on Main Street 4) Lynn Redgrave - Georgy Girl 5) Vanessa Redgrave - Morgan! - In 1967 Elizabeth Taylor won her second Oscar in a role that is regarded as one of the greatest screen performances ever in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Siblings Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave were also nominated (last time this happened was when Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland were nominated in 1942). There were also two foreign language film performances nominated each respectively for Ida Kaminska and Anouk Aimée. I have to say, one of the strangest Best Actress years we've done on this podcast. Tune in on this week's episode to find out why! Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Cathryn Naiker as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] NEW EPISODE ALERT - The year is 1963 and the nominees are: Anne Bancroft - The Miracle Worker Bette Davis - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Katharine Hepburn - Long Day’s Journey into Night Geraldine Page - Sweet Bird of Youth Lee Remick - Days of Wine and Roses - In 1963 Bette Davis was odds on favourite to win her third Oscar and become the first actor to have three for her performance in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. However on Oscar night Davis famously lost to Anne Bancroft for her physically demanding role playing Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker. To add salt in the wounds her on-screen (and allegedly off-screen) enemy Joan Crawford took to the podium to accept the award on Bancroft’s behalf. It was viewed as a petty act of revenge toward Davis and to the Academy for not being nominated for Jane. Crawford also allegedly actively campaigned against Davis to ensure her loss. This was definitively a juicy year! You can’t really talk about Bancroft’s win without talking about the infamous feud between Davis and Crawford. Others nominated were Katharine Hepburn, Geraldine Page, and Lee Remick. This year really came down to Davis vs. Bancroft in our opinion. Listen to our new episode as we discuss! Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Viza Decline as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1942 and the nominees are: 1) Joan Fontaine - Suspicion 2) Bette Davis - The Little Foxes 3) Olivia de Havilland - Hold Back the Dawn 4) Greer Garson - Blossoms in the Dust 5) Barbara Stanwyck - Ball of Fire - In 1942 Joan Fontaine won Best Actress for Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion (a movie title he allegedly hated). Many pundits think she won because she did not win the previous year when she was nominated for Rebecca (1940 (Ginger Rogers won FYI (deservedly))). There is a little bit of classic Hollywood drama this year as Olivia de Havilland (Fontaine’s sister) was also nominated and lost. Not a feud of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford proportions but one that is worth researching. Plenty of YouTube docs available on this subject! Bette Davis received her fourth Oscar nomination in a row for The Little Foxes. Greer Garson gives one of her best performances in Blossoms in the Dust. Finally Barbara Stanwyck gives a hilarious performance in Ball of Fire, a sort of Snow White & the Seven Dwarves meets the Big Bang Theory sort of film. A truly enjoyable year! Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Bobby Knauff as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1934 and the nominees are: Sophia Loren - Two Women Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany’s Piper Laurie - The Hustler Geraldine Page - Summer and Smoke Natalie Wood - Splendour in the Grass - In 1962 Sophia Loren became the first Best Actress winner to win for a performance in a foreign language film playing Cesira in Two Women. Two Women is the story of a widow (Loren) and her lonely daughter seeking distance between them and the horror of WWII. This was a very stacked year. Audrey Hepburn’s performance in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is arguably one of the most iconic films in movie history. Piper Laurie gives a devastating performance playing opposite Paul Newman in The Husler as an alcoholic struggling with mental health issues. Geraldine Page plays the very-conservative-girl-next-door in Summer and Smoke. Finally Natalie Wood is “obsessed” with Warren Beatty and her “urges” that eventually cause her to go insane (was a bit confused by this) in Splendor in the Grass. Wood gives a fine performance I just found the ultra-conservative plot/circumstance a bit confusing. Either way! Amazing year with amazing performances! Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Selena Vyle as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1934 and the nominees are: 1) Katharine Hepburn - Morning Glory 2) Diana Wynard - Cavalcade 3) May Robson - Lady for a Day - In 1934 Katharine Hepburn won her first of four Oscars playing Eva Lovelace, an aspiring actress who faces various career setbacks but ultimately makes it in show business. At this time in history there were only 3 nominees per category and there were was no category for supporting actor/actress. That did not happen until 1937 when Walter Brennan won for Come and Get It and Gale Sondergaard won for Anthony Adverse for supporting actor and actress (respectively). Diana Wynard and May Robson each give fantastic performances and frankly with 3 nominees it makes the Oscar race much more competitive. Frankly I think you could make an argument for any of these performances to win. I don’t think there was a clear front runner. Have you seen these films? If so who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Dan Dillabough as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1952 and the nominees are: 1. Kathryn Hepburn - The African Queen 2. Vivien Leigh - A Streetcar Named Desire 3. Eleanor Parker - Detective Story 4. Shelley Winters - A Place in the Sun 5. Jane Wyman - The Blue Veil - In 1952 Vivien Leigh won her second Oscar for A Streetcar Named Desire. This film swept the acting categories with Best Supporting Actress going to Kim Hunter, Best Supporting Actor going to Karl Malden, but a surprise loss in Lead Actor for Marlon Brando (he was truly robbed). Parker and Winters gave fine performances in their respective films but they were very brief and one could argue category fraud for supporting. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Cathryn Naiker as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] NEW EPISODE ALERT The year is 1969 and the nominees are: Katharine Hepburn - The Lion in Winter Barbra Streisand - Funny Girl Patricia Neal - The Subject Was Roses Vanessa Redgrave - Isadora Joanne Woodward - Rachel, Rachel - In 1969 Ingrid Bergman presented the Oscar for Best Actress and was stunned when she opened the envelope revealing a tie for Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. Up until this point in Academy history there had only ever been a tie twice. First in 1932 for Best Actor and a second in 1950 for Best Documentary Short Subject. In those days you could tie with a margin of difference of 3 votes. However in 1969 both Hepburn and Streisand had to have equal number of votes to win, and they did (allegedly (technically no way to prove they didn’t))! Two fantastic performances were rewarded that night but we don’t believe in ties on Best Actress Podcast! Tune in to find out who we think the Oscar should have gone to in 1969! Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Fiona O’Brien as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 1940 and the nominees are: Vivien Leigh - Gone with the Wind Bette Davis - Dark Victory Irene Dunne - Love Affair Greta Garbo - Ninotchka Greer Garson - Goodbye, Mr. Chips In 1940 Vivien Leigh won the Oscar for Best Actress and is regarded, by some, as the greatest Best Actress Oscar win of all time. A role which Bette Davis admitted as being furious for not being cast in. If you’ve seen ‘Feud’ they make a few funny jokes about this. Although Davis did not play Scarlett, she still was a nominee that year for Dark Victory, playing a woman with a terminal brain tumour. Irene Dunne and Greta Garbo give really fun rom-com performances in Love Affair and Ninotchka (you can watch these films on YouTube). Greer Garson became a first time nominee in a brief, but memorable, performance in Goodbye, Mr. Chips. It’s hard to imagine anyone but Leigh winning this Oscar but it’s fun watching these performances. Who do you think should have won? Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Joe Arsenal as they discuss.

[ For full episode catalogue please subscribe to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BestActress ] The year is 2021 and the nominees are: 1. Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday 2. Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman 3. Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman 4. Viola Davis - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 5. Frances McDormand - Nomadland - In 2021 Frances McDormand won her third Best Actress Oscar for Nomadland. McDormand currently has the second most Best Actress Oscars won to date with three (Katharine Hepburn has four). Nomadland stars McDormand as Fern, a woman who packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. Vanessa Kirby plays a woman who loses her child in a home birth. She has some amazing scenes with Ellen Burstyn (really thought she should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress). Carey Mulligan received her second Best Actress nomination for Pieces of a Woman (first for An Education). Andra Day made her screen debut in The US vs. Billie Holiday delivering an exceptional performance with incredible vocals. She could have won this Oscar but the movie/script really fails her. Viola Davis stars as Ma Rainey, famous blues singer, in a very well acted but terribly boring film (sorry not sorry) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Join host Kyle Brownrigg with guest host Ted Morris as they discuss.