Best Actor

Will Smith
King Richard		Benedict Cumberbatch
The Power of the Dog		Andrew Garfield
Tick, Tick, Boom!		Denzel Washington
The Tragedy of Macbeth		Nicolas Cage
Pig
2 nominations1 nomination1 nomination8 nominations (for acting),
2 wins		2 nominations, 1 win
Will Smith pictured on set of Serena Williams father biopic King Richard | London Evening Standard | Evening StandardNew Period Drama: 'The Power of the Dog' from Jane Campion | Benedict cumberbatch, Benedict cumberbatch sherlock, BenedictOscarPredict-GarfieldDenzel Washington - Rotten TomatoesIf You Kidnap Nic Cage's Truffle Pig, He Will Come For You | Bon Appétit
In contention for the win. Expect some backlashRunaway precursor champ. Locked inLocked and loadedMacbeth hit at the right time and he is undeniable at this pointIf Cage gets a nod, he can thank his wonderful performance, but the timing of the Hulu release certainly didn’t hurt
ALTERNATIVES
Peter Dinklage
Cyrano		Simon Rex
Red Rocket		Leonardo DiCaprio
Don’t Look Up		Clifton Collins Jr
Jockey		Joaquin Phoenix
C’mon C’mon
No nominationsNo nominations6 nominations, 1 win (for acting)No nominations4 nominations, 1 win
Peter Dinklage | Biography, Movies, & Facts | BritannicaSimon Rex Is Sensational in 'Red Rocket' | Vanity FairLeonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are hardly recognisable on the set of 'Don't Look Up' | Photogallery - ETimesOscarPredict-CollinsJoaquin Phoenix C'mon C'mon Jacket Hoodie - Jackets Creator
A travesty of release mis-management. He should be a shoe-in, but I would be shocked at this pointSmall 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.Never doubt Leo in a Best Actor race. The film is divisive (to say the least), but you never knowAs great as he is, not many are seeing the film. Would be a welcome surprise, but not to be expected at this pointMike Mills films can swing a nomination, but will the Joaquin afterglow still be there following his Joker win?
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 nominationsNo nominationsNo nominations2 nominations, 2 wins
Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara and Guillermo del Toro arrive to film Nightmare Alley in Buffalo, NY | Daily Mail OnlineJude Hill - IMDbOscarPredict-IsaacRamos-IntheHeightsMahershala Ali Is on the 2019 TIME 100 List | Time.com
Cooper has gotten great and mixed reviews for the film, but his movie stardom could win outInline for all the breakthrough awards. Young actors have a tough time breaking through to the Oscar lineup a la Jamie BellIt has to happen for Isaac eventually, but Schrader films are not usually the Academy’s cup of teaShould have been more in the conversation, but the film just couldn’t gain the momentumThe movie landed with a quiet response, despite the Golden Globe nomination