With a career spanning over 40 years, it came as a shocker that an actress of Jamie Lee Curtis' caliber never once got as measly as a single Oscar nomination before 2023. Her pure reaction to the announcement, while touching, reflects just how overdue the Academy is at recognizing how deserving she is of the Oscar statuette. At long last, Curtis is no longer snubbed this year, for she is now officially in the running for the Best Supporting Actress crown at the Academy Awards.
Curtis’ remarkably extensive filmography started all the way back in 1977, when she, like any other budding actresses, accepted an inconsequential role with dubs like “Girl in Dressing Room,” but got a monumental boost-up to prominence a year later by taking the part of Lt. Barbara Duran in Operation Petticoat. Riding on that fame, she went on to make her feature debut on Halloween and snagged the scream queen title at once on account of her sterling performance.
Afterward, she took on a string of horror films for several years. Yet it wasn’t until Trading Places did her acting skill become truly accredited by the major honorary organizations, one of which was the British Academy Film Awards. Nine years later, her accolades had a new addition since she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in the James Cameron-directed action comedy feature called True Lies.
Then, Curtis transcended to mainstream success with Freaky Friday and became even more established for the modern audience in Knives Out. To date, excluding the mentioned two, all the other prestigious awards like Screen Actors Guild, Critics’ Choice Awards, Emmy Awards, and even Grammy Awards have acknowledged her seasoned supremacy. It’s a relief Academy Awards decided to join the list at all because it’s about time.
Meet Her Finally Oscar-Acknowledged Performance
Widely acclaimed by critics, Curtis plays Deirdre Beaubeirdre, an aging woman donning a vivid yet not quite as radiant mustard turtleneck paired with light yellow sweater vests and gray slacks in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Now, that description alone may sound sufficient enough to label her as an instant icon among the audience. However, it’s not the costume that made Deirdre an unforgettable character; it’s her unique demeanor, which is skillfully enacted by Curtis.
The center premise of Everything Everywhere All at Once lies in the notion of a multiverse. Every character in one dimension is a different person in the other, including Deirdre, a supporting character with proportionally modest screen time that has a presence as strong as the lead. From the condescending IRS inspector to a loyal evil minion and a tender-hearted lady with bizarre hot dog fingers, Curtis has portrayed them all — flawlessly delivering each persona, be it in a comedic or dramatic way, with authenticity and flair, therefore making this particular performance an Oscar-worthy one. After all, what the actress successfully achieved is no easy feat as it only takes a true master level of acting to be able to fully embody a character as though they are one entity.
Meet Her Formidable Competitors
Seeing as how the Oscars are the most prestigious honor there is, it goes without saying that their chosen nominees are not to be taken lightly. This year’s lineup consists of Angela Bassett for portraying Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hong Chau for her brilliance in The Whale, Kerry Condon for her supremeness in The Banshees of Inisherin, Curtis, and Stephanie Hsu for playing not one, but two roles,Joy Wang and Jobu Tupaki, in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Bassett, Curtis’ peer in terms of age and experience, is clearly the most prominent contender as she has bagged nominations from the major associations for this very category, recently winning the Golden Globe and the Critics’ Choice Awards. However, despite so, the Academy is infamous for its reluctance to bestow its so-called Big 5 awards to entries that originate from superhero movies; just look at the defeat of Black Panther for Best Picture and The Incredibles for Best Original Screenplay. Yet, since there is a rare exception of Heath Ledger’s victory of Best Supporting Actor for playing Joker in The Dark Knight, the hope for Bassett’s win this year isn’t all lost.
There’s also Chau, who shouldn't be trifled with, for the critical response to her portrayal as Liz in The Whale, the protagonist’s best friend, has been overwhelmingly positive. At present, she’s awaiting results for her SAG and BAFTA nominations. The same goes for Condon, as her masterful acting in The Banshees of Inisherin is highly lauded by critics and professional reviewers alike. Coincidence or not, she, too, has an identical award waiting list as Chau. Furthermore, since both films fulfill the Oscars’ penchant for drama features, these two women are in the stable lane to secure the golden trophy.
Lastly, yet most definitely not least, Hsu is the dark horse of the race. Youngest of the five nominees, she has shown immense growth as an actress over her 13 years of career and reached new heights as she contends for the Best Supporting Actress against the three above and Curtis, her fellow co-star of the same picture. The way Hsu was able to shift identities in a snap and smoothly carry out the distinction between an angsty girl and a godly being is downright phenomenal and, without question, Oscar-worthy.
All in all, Curtis’ chance of landing the coveted Oscar is as great as the other nominees. However, given how skilled she was in executing her peculiar character and ultimately shining through the truly zaniest plot, she deserves the proper prize of the highest acting achievement in the industry. But of course, at the end of the day, may the best actress win.