As a film genre, Science fiction has a difficult time getting attention at the Academy Awards. Occasionally, a performance in a sci-fi movie will be recognized with an Oscar nomination, such as Sigourney Weaver in Aliens (1979) and Jeff Bridges in Starman (1984). But more often than not, great performances by actors in sci-fi movies go unrecognized at awards season each year; yet that doesn’t mean that there have not been deserving performances over the years. Here are 10 Oscar-worthy sci-fi performances that should have, at the very least, garnered these actors a nomination at the Academy Awards.
10. Jeff Goldblum – The Fly (1986)
Jeff Goldblum got a lot of critical applause for his portrayal of scientist Seth Brundle in director David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly. The movie is a combination of sci-fi and horror, as Goldblum’s character has his DNA fused with that of a housefly during a teleportation mishap and slowly disintegrates into a larger than life insect. The special effects are gruesome and gross, but Goldblum’s grounded performance makes the far-fetched situation seem strangely plausible, as he manages to make audiences care about his character becoming consumed by and transformed into a fly. In the hands of a lesser actor, the performance and movie could have descended into farce, but in Jeff Goldblum’s hands, it all works incredibly well. He holds the movie together through the sheer force of his actions and turns in an Oscar-worthy performance.
Source: Screenshot via 20th Century Fox