Will Smith King Richard	Benedict Cumberbatch The Power of the Dog	Clifton Collins Jr Jockey	Peter Dinklage Cyrano	Andrew Garfield Tick, Tick, Boom!
2 nominations	1 nomination	No nominations	No nominations	1 nomination
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	Character actor makes good is a tale as old as time and Collins won raves for his work as a complex horse jockey. Expect this one to stick	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	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
		ALTERNATIVES
Denzel Washington The Tragedy of Macbeth	Joaquin Phoenix C’mon C’mon	Michael B. Jordan A Journal for Jordan	Bradley Cooper Nightmare Alley	Oscar Isaac The Card Counter
8 nominations (for acting), 2 wins	4 nominations, 1 win	No nominations	4 nominations (for acting)	No nominations
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?	Mike Mills films can swing a nomination, but will the Joaquin afterglow still be there following his Joker win?	He seems too much of a movie star to not have a nomination. Maybe this Denzel-directed drama can be the one to do it	Weirdly, Nightmare Alley is one of the last films no one has laid eyes on and it’s probably to the film’s and Cooper’s detriment	It has to happen for Isaac eventually, but Schrader films are not usually the Academy’s cup of tea
		MORE ALTERNATIVES
Anthony Ramos In the Heights	Adam Driver House of Gucci	Leonardo DiCaprio Don’t Look Up	Mahershala Ali Swan Song	Jude Hill Belfast
No nominations	2 nominations	6 nominations, 1 win (for acting)	2 nominations, 2 wins	No nominations
The breakout star of a crowd-pleasing Best Picture contender will always be in consideration. The film might be viewed more as an ensemble than a showcase	From the looks of the trailer, his role is the quietest, so he’ll have to make quite the impression to rise above all the apparent overacting	Leo is always going to be in the conversation, but people are starting to cool on Adam McKay films	Nothing is known about the movie and so far no one has seen it. Time is running out to make an impression	In line for all the breakthrough awards. Young actors have a tough time breaking through to the Oscar lineup a la Jamie Bell