The Undisputed Winner At This Year's Oscars | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Undisputed Winner At This Year's Oscars

Why Leonardo DiCaprio has earned this award multiple times over.

42
The Undisputed Winner At This Year's Oscars

Ah... Leonardo DiCaprio, the dreamy, multi-talented, recent forerunner in UN global affairs, Hollywood poster boy for the past 20 years, is up for an Oscar; and its that time of the year again, ladies and gentlemen, it's Oscar season, and the main event: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, subtitle: will the sad Leo memes continue?


We've seen it happen before, people, and each time, the stakes seem to be heightened. Six times has Leo been nominated, and six times we've watched with sinking hearts, this giant of cinema, this actor of the ages, fall just short... but not this year, not this time and I'll tell you why.

But first, how Leo hasn't won the Oscar is a mystery to most, and an outrage to some. Before we look at this year's road to the actors' promised land, let's go way back 22 years, when we first fell in love with him.

Leonardo DiCaprio's first Oscar-worthy performance was the masterful, tear-wrenching, portrayal of Arnie, the autistic youngster with a heart of gold in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." (And he was just 19 during this performance!)

From this first Oscar-nominated performance, Hollywood knew it had a phenom on its hands, and the success would continue. We watched him soar as the high flying, high octane Howard Hughes in "The Aviator." We saw a gritty, raw depiction of a South African mercenary in "Blood Diamond" and a psychotic, perspicacious rendition of a Wall Street tycoon in "The Wolf of Wall Street." All these movies heralded Leonardo a nomination, but never a win, and after being snubbed in 2014, people perhaps began to wonder if Leo's chances were up. Would he be one of the greats to go down in history never having won?

No, this time, is different. Most recently, an Oscar nomination was awarded to DiCaprio for the character of Hugh Glass in Alejandro Innaritu's drama, "The Revenant," which proved Leo's toughest challenge yet, physically, mentally and emotionally.


"Was there ever a moment when you thought, 'Why did I do this?" DiCaprio was asked during an NBC News interview.

"Literally everyone felt that a few times a week, yes." He responded. "(Laughing)I'm not gonna lie, it was one of the—it was the hardest, you know, film, professional thing that I've ever done. For sure."

With the pain, comes pleasure. With this, Leonardo won his third award in this year's annual Golden Globes, and this time, it really is different: being mauled by a bear, sleeping inside an actual carcass, eating pieces of bison liver and last but not least, activism. DiCaprio seems to be merging his United Nations peace work with his work as Hugh Glass in "The Revenant." Leo's acceptance speech at the 2016 Golden Globes really accented his activism and leadership by acknowledging and attributing his victory to the indeginous people of this land and the world; an achievement on multiple fronts, and in all aspects, a winner. But it's not only my opinion on his performance this year that has me convinced, the statistics below don't lie.

The Good News:Statistically in the past 10 years, 90 percent of the winners in the Best Actor category at the Golden Globes have gone on to win the Oscar. OK, one down, Leo, but the cat's not in the bag just yet.

The Bad News: Leo had already won two previous Golden Globes (and we all know how that went so far). What he hadn't accomplished, though, was snagging a SAG award along with it. You're golden, buddy.

The Better News: On its own, winning the SAG award in the Best Actor category is just as promising as the Golden Globe in terms of Oscar contention. Combing the two is a near recipe for the perfect score, and he's got 'em both.

Let's face it, these films are an example of Leo's skill, finesse and passion for his undisputed gift, with "The Revenant" taking the cake. Leonardo DiCaprio's ability to display various difficult accents (and languages), including a Boston accent in "The Departed" and South African in "Blood Diamond," (and having to learn two Native American languages for "The Revenant"), are second to none. DiCaprio constantly portrays real life characters in order to tell important and compelling stories, and for purposes such as making Americans aware of the rights and respect the indigenous people of this land deserve. Leonardo DiCaprio is a master actor, a revered person, beloved by audiences and critics alike. Not only has he been nominated for the prestigious Oscar award more times than most actors dream of, he's worked with a plethora of millennial directors and co-stars including Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, Tom Hardy, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and many more. Leo's ability to be in fantastic films is simply unsurpassed, and his contribution to the art of film should be justly rewarded.

So, unless the Academy is prepared to commit a travesty and fight another Oscar boycott if this goes wrong, Leonardo will add an award he's perhaps wished for the most: The Oscar. He is the best actor of the year, he is one of the best ever.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

191832
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15811
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458564
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26999
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments