FINAL 2019 Oscar Predictions: BEST ACTOR

Like Supporting Actor, the frontrunner in Best Actor has also jumped hurdles and through hoops to avoid the pitfalls of his problematic film to come out largely unscathed.

Back in the early fall there wasn’t much reason to think that Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) would make too big a splash other than maybe having some decent box office. Little did most of us know that the Queen bio film was going to be an $850M worldwide smash. The largely savage critical response definitely tricked me to put Malek’s Freddie Mercury, and the film, on the lower end of predictions for too long (to my own detriment) and even the controversy over fired director Bryan Singer’s continued sexual assault allegations hasn’t stopped the film from multiple earning guild wins, five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Malek the Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA Best Actor prizes.

It’s doubtful Christian Bale (Vice) can present any real chance of an upset, despite his film’s across the board nomination support. Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) should have been able to be an actual contender but fumbled his own campaign in hopes of a Best Director nomination that didn’t even transpire. Plus, the Oscars love biopics and real-life characters, even when they sidestep facts for fiction at nearly every opportunity.