Bob Yari Productions
Regardless if you love watching the Oscars or love to hate-watch it, the highlight is always when there’s an upset winner.
With months of being told why a person or film is going to win, there’s nothing like watching the genuine surprise and spontaneous, authentic reaction when someone seems to steal away Hollywood’s biggest prize. That can range from Roberto Benigni standing on his seat after winning best actor in 1999 to Adrien Brody planting a big kiss on presenter Halle Berry when he won the award in 2003. And let’s not forget the way "Moonlight" shocked the world in 2017.
This year’s Oscars, airing February 24, could also bring a shock or two. The supporting actress race (made up of Regina King, Amy Adams, Maria de Tavira, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz) is wide open, and so is the biggest prize of the night, best picture.
While we await what surprises this year’s show has in store, here we’ve ranked the 21 biggest upsets in Oscar history:
21. Marcia Gay Harden wins best supporting actress for "Pollock" (2001)
Sony Pictures Classics
A big indicator of who will win on Oscar night comes from the nominations and wins before that night, which is what makes Harden’s win so shocking. Her performance as Lee Krasner did not get recognized at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, or BAFTAs. But her name was called on the biggest night.
20. Anna Paquin wins best supporting actress for "The Piano" (1994)
AP
Rarely does the Academy award children, but at 11 years old Paquin took the award, beating out Emma Thompson ("In the Name of the Father"), Winona Ryder ("The Age of Innocence"), Rosie Perez ("Fearless"), and Holly Hunter ("The Firm"), who was also nominated in the best actress category for playing opposite Paquin in "The Piano." She won in that category.
19. "The King’s Speech" wins best picture (2011)
The Weinstein Company
What was thought to be a film that would showcase Colin Firth’s talents to earn him an Oscar (and it did), the movie shocked the likes of nominees "The Social Network," "The Fighter," and "127 Hours" to win the top prize.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- The 23 actors who have gotten the most Oscar nominations without winning one
- 14 Hollywood stars who didn’t accept their Oscars or boycotted the ceremony
- The last 15 best-picture Oscar winners prove how out of touch Hollywood’s biggest night is with general audiences
SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 10 worst movies to win the best picture Oscar — and what should have won
Source: Business Insider – jguerrasio@businessinsider.com (Jason Guerrasio)