Andrew Scott, Carrie Coon Target First Oscar Nods — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- "Elsinore" (Focus) stars Andrew Scott as "Chariots of Fire" actor Ian Charleson, who starred as Hamlet at The National in 1989 while HIV-positive during the London AIDS crisis, with Olivia Colman as his reluctant physician and Johnny Flynn as his director
- Andrew Scott's Palm screening drew a tearful audience response, with the review calling him "charming, funny, dogged, and moving" and praising the performance as "catnip to Oscar voters"
- "The Liberation" (Bleecker) stars Carrie Coon as Rita Cooper, a Holocaust survivor inspired by director Guy Nattiv's grandmother who leaves her family in the 1980s to join an all-women cult led by Lily James, with Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young, and Tracy Letts (Coon's real-life spouse) co-starring
- Carrie Coon is best known for Emmy-nominated TV work in "The Gilded Age" and "The White Lotus," while her film turns in "The Nest" and "His Three Daughters" were under-seen
- The Best Actor race is described as "stacked this year," while Best Actress has "wriggle room"—meaning Coon's path is arguably easier, though both actors would likely represent sole nominations for their respective films
- Bleecker will platform a qualifying run for "The Liberation" before broadening in January, while Scott's Oscar hopes hinge on the film entering the Best Picture conversation
Why it matters: In a "stacked" Best Actor field, Scott faces a tougher climb than Coon, who benefits from a less-crowded Best Actress race—but both films depend entirely on their lead performances since neither is positioned for Best Picture. Bleecker's qualifying-then-broaden January release strategy for "The Liberation" means early 2026 box office will determine whether festival buzz converts into actual nominations or fades.
Ask SkimNews
