It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the Academy Award predictions are beginning to roll in. Hotly debated this year is who will win the Best Supporting Actress category, which includes Angela Bassett, Jessie Buckley, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nina Hoss, Stephanie Hsu, and Gabrielle Union, as well as Variety's current favorite pick, Dolly De Leon of Triangle of Sadness.
According to Variety, De Leon is quickly becoming a top contender in the Best Actress category. The official prediction reads:
There’s momentum for Neon’s “Triangle of Sadness,” which won the Palme d’Or from the Cannes Film Festival. For her powerful turn as the toilet manager Abigail, relative unknown Dolly De Leon picked up a Golden Globe nod, which bodes well for her campaign. If she can sneak into the SAG lineup, the single mother of four children would be well on her way to the Dolby Theatre as an attendee. In addition, she’s one of the heartwarming stories of the season, not without some history being made as the first Filipina ever nominated. However, De Leon isn’t the only newcomer/unknown in the running.
Non-Binary Actors Call for Gender-Neutral Acting Categories
Non-binary actor Emma Corrin recently spoke about the gendered acting categories at the Oscars and other award shows. The actor argues that it's time for award shows to merge the Best Actor and Best Actress categories into a single, genderless category to better match actors' identities and be more inclusive.
Corrin has impressed critics with their performance playing Diana, Princess of Wales, in The Crown, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress for the role, as well as getting nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress category at the Emmy Awards. But the recognition is bittersweet for the non-binary actor, who recently spoke out about the issue of gender-neutral award categories, saying:
I hope for a future in which that happens. I don't think the categories are inclusive enough at the moment. It's about everyone being able to feel acknowledged and represented. It's difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories.
With the Grammy Awards being gender-neutral for years and news that both BAFTA and the Academy Awards are considering a switch to gender-neutral categories, Corrin's wish for a more inclusive award show is a real possibility. And if these changes are made in one category, they will be made across the board, impacting the Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor categories as well.