Will Smith King Richard	Benedict Cumberbatch The Power of the Dog	Andrew Garfield Tick, Tick, Boom!	Denzel Washington The Tragedy of Macbeth	Peter Dinklage Cyrano
2 nominations	1 nomination	1 nomination	8 nominations (for acting), 2 wins	No nominations
Smith’s public life has surpassed his work in recent years, but a high-profile role as the father of the Williams sisters could set the stage for a critical comeback	The role in Campion’s film is supposed to be the juiciest, but Cumberbatch can go a bit too big. The cast could also overshadow his efforts	His career has been more on the indie side lately, but with Lin Manuel Miranda behind the camera, a La La Land reception could get Garfield his second nomination	The most reliable of Oscar’s favorite men, Denzel always delivers, but how does that work when it a Coen is involved and they have Shakespeare to deal with?	Being beloved by the Emmys doesn’t always translate to Oscar, but if the film hits, expect Dinklage to jump to the top of a lot of lists
		ALTERNATIVES
Leonardo DiCaprio Don’t Look Up	Joaquin Phoenix C’mon C’mon	Nicolas Cage Pig	Clifton Collins Jr Jockey	Simon Rex Red Rocket
6 nominations, 1 win (for acting)	4 nominations, 1 win	2 nominations, 1 win	No nominations	No nominations
Never doubt Leo in a Best Actor race. The film is divisive (to say the least), but you never know	Mike Mills films can swing a nomination, but will the Joaquin afterglow still be there following his Joker win?	age has gotten some of the best reviews of his career, but how many people have passion for the film that was released in the summer?	As great as he is, not many are seeing the film. Would be a welcome surprise, but not to be expected at this point	Small films with unsympathetic leads are a tough sell when the star is a movie star, but Rex is not. Rave reviews, but would be a real stretch.
		MORE ALTERNATIVES
Bradley Cooper Nightmare Alley	Jude Hill Belfast	Oscar Isaac The Card Counter	Anthony Ramos In the Heights	Mahershala Ali Swan Song
4 nominations (for acting)	No nominations	No nominations	No nominations	2 nominations, 2 wins
Cooper has gotten great and mixed reviews for the film, but his movie stardom could win out	Inline for all the breakthrough awards. Young actors have a tough time breaking through to the Oscar lineup a la Jamie Bell	It has to happen for Isaac eventually, but Schrader films are not usually the Academy’s cup of tea	Should have been more in the conversation, but the film just couldn’t gain the momentum	The movie landed with a quiet response, despite the Golden Globe nomination