The Oscars are less than 10 days away. To prepare for the big night, my friend, colleague, and fellow Oscar nerd Antonio Elefano and I share our predictions for each of the eight biggest categories.
The Short Takes:
Antonio
Will Win: Ke Huy Quan
Should Win: Ke Huy Quan
I'm so happy Barry Keoghan won at the BAFTAs; his was the second-best performance in Banshees, but Ke Huy Quan was the heart and soul of Everything Everywhere. He will win and should win.
Jen
Will Win: Ke Huy Quan
Should Win: Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan has the comeback narrative, the precursor wins, and great speeches. Never have I seen a more sincere campaign. His vulnerability and sweetness in EEAAO is pure magic.
Image Credit: Deadline
The Long Take:
Best Supporting Actor:
Antonio:
Judd Hirsch had one scene in The Fabelmans. I didn’t care for the movie, but if one had to nominate anyone from it, Paul Dano would have been the right choice. Brian Tyree Henry was reliably excellent in Causeway, a small movie with good performances elevating a mediocre script. Brendan Gleeson was stingingly funny in The Banshees of Inisherin, but Barry Keoghan’s trickier performance in the same movie broke my heart. Speaking of broken hearts, who can see Everything Everywhere All at Once and not feel for Ke Huy Quan’s loving, put-upon husband and dad? He’ll give a hell of an acceptance speech.
Jen:
He will! It has been amazing to see Ke Huy Quan go on this awards season journey. He has a big, warm comeback narrative. Instead of eschewing his past as a child actor, famous for the Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, he has leaned into it, thanking Steven Spielberg for giving him his start and openly discussing how he left acting because there were so few opportunities for Asian actors. He’s workin’ it, joyously taking selfies with every celebrity he meets. His speeches have all been heartfelt, moving auditions for an Oscars acceptance. Matt Neglia on The Next Best Picture Podcast astutely observed that while the themes of his precursor speeches have been consistent, each individual speech has been fresh and new. We’ve got this, folks. Ke Huy Quan deserves everything, everywhere, and he’s going to get it.
Listen to the audio recording of our full conversation about this and seven other major Oscar categories here.