I have been going to the movies across 6 decades and following the Oscars conscientiously since 1978. Some of my all-time favourite screen performances have been in the Supporting Actress category. Maggie Smith playing an Academy Award nominee in ‘California Suite’ preparing for the ceremony, but loses, is nothing short of sublime and of course I love the irony that Maggie ended up with the Oscar for it! Meryl Streep’s complex and heartbreaking career turning tour de force in ‘Kramer V Kramer’, Linda Hunt’s gender bending brilliance in ‘The Year of Living Dangerously’, Geena Davis’ quirky but moving turn in ‘The Accidental Tourist and Dianne Wiest’s hysterically funny bravura in Woody Allen’s ‘Bullets Over Broadway’. Just a few that indelibly affected me.
This category is a microcosm of what awards are all about; pure subjectivity but housing a wonderful mix of the beloved; the ingenue, the overdue career recognition and the simply spellbinding. First handed out at the 9th ceremony in 1937, Best Performance by An Actress in A Supporting Role has been awarded to some 84 different women; with only two recipients having won twice: Shelley Winters and the aforementioned Diane Wiest. Some of the most legendary figures have been honoured in that category. Helen Hays, Ingrid Bergman, Maureen Stapleton, Judi Dench, Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett just to name a few. Some were lesser known at the time of receiving their Academy Award such as Kim Hunter, Mary Steenburgen, Brenda Fricker, Mo’Nique and Alicia Vikander; and of course, others went on to bigger and greater success like Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange and Angelina Jolie.
‘Juveniles’ as they have often been termed have fared well in this category with child stars like Patty Duke (16), Tatum O’Neal (10) and Anna Paquin (11) prevailing, whilst Mary Badham (10), Jodie Foster (14), Quinn Cummings and Abigail Breslin both just 10 when nominated for Supporting Actress. Since 2010 only two under 18’s: Saoirse Ronan (13) and Hallee Steinfeld (14) have made the cut.
This category was historically the first to award a person of colour when Hattie McDaniel won for ‘Gone With The Wind’ in 1939 and only 7 others have succeeded her; with a whopping half a century, until Whoopi Goldberg’s victory for ‘Ghost’. Jennifer Hudson, Mo’Nique, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o and Regina King have also won. Myoshi Umeki in 1957 was the first actor of Asian origin to win, and it would be an extraordinary 63 years until Youn Yuh-jung would become the second. Actresses from France, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Russia, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Spain and South Korea are among the nationalities of the winners in this eclectic category.
Supporting Actress has also been the haven for prolifically including but so far, never rewarding acclaimed performers such as the late great Thelma Ritter who scored 6 unsuccessful nods, Amy Adams with 5, and Glenn Close and Agnes Moorehead (4). They say it is an honour just to be nominated but I’m sure those women would disagree with that sentiment.
So looking at this year’s crop of wonderful performances that have been selected by the Academy for Best Supporting Actress, there is a smorgasbord of the famous, the little known, the arguable career nomination and the quintessential nature of the category itself – a truly supporting performance.
Angela Bassett is one kickass actor; a firebrand who has more than four dozen feature film credits behind her including a career defining turn as the legendary Tina Turner, in ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Within her filmography is the complete panoply of genres – drama, comedy, horror, action, animation and science fiction. In 2023 she is nominated for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ reprising her role as Ramonda, here grieving the loss of her beloved T’Challa played in the original movie by the late great Chadwick Boseman. There is both an elegantly majestic grace to the way Ms Bassett steals every scene in which she appears as well as a steely determination to protect her family and her people. With a Golden Globe in tow, Angela is still in it to win it for this final part of the race.
Hong Chau has only been on the movie map since 2014, making only 9 films that have been released as of this nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but what an impact she has already made, thanks to her impressive appearances in ‘Downsizing’, ‘Driveways’, and in 2022, ‘The Menu’ and her acclaimed turn in Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’ for which she is recognized this year. Hong brings such humanity and warmth to every role; even if her character asks her to be less than sympathetic, there is a likability to her that has endeared Hong Chau to audiences and critics alike. I think the nomination will have to suffice for now, as there are heavier hitters in this category, but Hong Chau is here, and to stay.
Kerry Condon may not have been on too many people’s radar before Martin McDonagh’s blistering ‘Banshees Of Inisherin’ in 2022, but certainly is now, thanks to her brilliant performance as ‘Siobhan’, the sister to Colin Farrell’s ‘Padraic’. The Irish actor has been racking up screen credits for more than two decades but is now an overnight success due to her work in this dark and biting movie. Kerry Condon gives a truly supporting performance here, but she is no wilting flower in ‘Banshees’; far from it; the actor pulls focus from her fellow actors with her terrific timing and fire in the belly delivery. Condon plays skillfully and differently with her three co-stars; making her a central figure for the narrative. I think she is the dark horse in this race to take the prize having scored the BAFTA for her powerful work here.
Jamie Lee Curtis is Hollywood royalty, but a star standing in her own surety. In addition to being the child of legends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis has been gracing our screens since the late 1970’s thanks to her now iconic role as ‘Laurie Strode’ in the ‘Halloween’ series of features, beginning with the 1978 original. But there has always been more to Ms Curtis and over the 6 decades she has been a working actress, Jamie Lee Curtis has traversed comedy, drama, action, animation and of course horror. Quite the filmography especially for someone who has confessed she is not a fan of the genre that made her famous, Jamie Lee Curtis is much loved among her peers and the public for her body of work and accessible persona. Ostensibly the villain of her nominated film ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, Curtis imbues the role of ‘Deirdre’ (and the other iterations of her character) with a robust edge as well as heart. It is ‘Deidre’ who unwittingly triggers the sequence of events that ‘Evelyn’ (Michelle Yeoh) and ‘Waymond’ (Ke Huy Quan) find themselves submerged. In terms of the structure of the narrative, Jamie Lee’s performance is well and truly a support role and I do not rule her out of contention here; such is her profile and beloved status. Her freshly minted SAG award is proof positive of just how beloved this actress is.
Stephanie Hsu is the revelation among this year’s five nominated actresses. With the only high-profile credits behind her being an ongoing role in the Amazon television hit ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ and the mega movie ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, Ms Hsu simply radiates in the crucial role(s) of ‘Joy’ and ‘Jobu’ in the Daniels’ ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, and showcases considerable range. Stephanie’s performance is a core supporting role, as it allows the leading actress the pivot point for the soul search that ‘Evelyn’ played by Michelle Yeoh experiences on her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Perhaps Stephanie Hsu is this year’s ingenue (a recurring symbol in this category over the decades), or it could be she simply provides a fantastic performance in a movie that has been rewarded with 11 Academy Award nominations. I would be surprised if Stephanie emerges victorious, but it is fantastic to see this newcomer make the Top 5 Supporting performances of the year.
Some terrific actresses were inevitably left out of this category: like Carey Mulligan and any number of the amazing women from ‘She Said’, Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy among other great actresses in ‘Women Talking’, Nina Hoss for ‘Tar’, Dolly De Leon for ‘Triangle of Sadness’ and Janelle Monae in ‘Glass Onion’ to name just a few, but the five who did receive Oscar nominations are some exemplary women delivering great characters and were truly supporting the leading players in their respective films. Good luck to all for the ceremony in two weeks time.