Of course, an Oscar nod isn’t always the most important thing for an actor’s career. For instance, Amanda Seyfried—who was also snubbed for her performance in The Testament of Ann Lee—recently admitted that an Oscar win wasn’t on her list of priorities.
“I’m going to jump between genres as much as I can, and jump between indies and studios,” Amanda, 40, explained in an interview with The New Yorker published Jan. 18. “So I’ve gotten this far without an Oscar. Why would I need one now?”
As she put it, “I feel I’m already proven.”
Meanwhile, other stars have emphasized what a nomination, and win, means to them—no matter the ceremony. For Timothée Chalamet—who earned his third Oscar nomination for his performance in Marty Supreme—winning a Golden Globe earlier this month prompted a heartfelt speech about hard work paying off.
“Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart,” Timothée said after accepting the Golden Globe Jan. 11. “I’m in a category with many greats. This category is stacked, I look up to all of you.”
The 30-year-old went on to express that he felt gratitude for all of his past nominations, but felt the gravity of finally taking home a trophy.
“My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up,” he explained. “Always be grateful for what you have. It’s allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty-handed with my head held high, grateful just to be here. But I would be lying if I didn’t say those moments make this moment that much sweeter.”
For stars who are feeling the sweetness of a surprise nod, or a snub that will only contribute to their future success, keep reading…
SNUB: Ariana Grande
Although Ariana scored a nomination for her performance in the original Wicked, as well as this year for the Golden Globes and Actor Awards, she missed out for her second Oscar nod for Glinda the Good.
SURPRISE: Jacob Elordi
Although Jacob's performance in Frankenstein was worth the hype, his first-time nomination comes as a surprise among a stacked Best Supporting Actor race.
SNUB: Adam Sandler
Despite his worthy performance alongside George Clooney in Jay Kelly, the comedian did not score a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
SNUB: Regina Hall
Despite her worthy Best Supporting Actress performance in One Battle After Another, Regina was snubbed.
SNUB: Paul Mescal
Paul's performance as William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet was worth a Supporting Actor nod for Golden Globes and the Actor Awards, but he didn't score the Oscar recognition.
SURPRISE: F1
Despite its absence among other major awards, F1 scored big for the Oscar nominations, including a Best Picture nod.
SNUB: Miley Cyrus
Although Miley held a worthy campaign for Best Original Song, Avatar's "Dream As One" did not score a nomination.
SURPRISE: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
The Sentimental Value actress scored a well-deserved, but surprising, nod for her performance as Agnes.
SNUB: Wicked: For Good
The original Wicked movie scored big in nominations last year, but its sequel was snubbed in all major categories, including Best Picture.
SNUB: Chase Infiniti
While One Battle After Another was present in plenty of other Oscar categories, Chase did not earn the recognition for her lead actress role.
SNUB: Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer's performance in Die, My Love earned plenty of Oscar buzz throughout the season, but she was ultimately snubbed from Oscar recognition.
SURPRISE: Delroy Lindo
While Delroy missed out on a nod for the Golden Globes and Actor Awards, his performance as Delta Slim earned him a deserved—and first ever—Oscar nod.
SNUB: Odessa A'Zion
The Marty Supreme actress scored a nod for the Actor Awards, but she was snubbed for her performance in the Best Supporting Actress category a the Oscars.
SNUB: Amanda Seyfried
The Testament of Anne Lee put Amanda in the running for Best Actress, but she ultimately lost out for a nomination.
SURPRISE: Kate Hudson
The Best Actress category was stacked, so Kate's nomination for Song Sung Blue was a pleasant surprise.
