Long gone are the days when the academy let an absentee winner designate someone to accept the Oscar on his or her behalf. No longer can a four-time Oscar bridesmaid like Rosalind Russell finally get her hands on a statuette like when she accepted for supporting actress winner Helen Hayes ("Airport"), who was appearing onstage in her native Washington, D.C. Or three-time nominee Angela Lansbury taking to the stage to pick up the prize for Peggy Ashcroft ("A Passage to India"). Or my favorite, sitcom staple Alice Ghostley ("Bewitched") stepping in for her pal and fellow "New Faces" alumna Maggie Smith when she won for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie."

This year, if Roderick Jaynes wins the editing award for "No Country for Old Men," there could be an awkward scene, considering he doesn't exist. The name is an invention of the Coen brothers, who also put his moniker on the ballot back in 1997 when "Fargo" was nominated in the same race. Therefore, technically, the Coens can't accept it on Jaynes' behalf but might anyway. Much uncertainty surrounds the situation. At a recent press conference, when Oscarcast producer Gil Cates was asked what would happen if Jaynes wins, he replied, "Let's see who comes up to accept it." However, back in 1997, when Variety asked academy executive director Bruce Davis if the Coens could accept for Jaynes, he replied, "The Oscar will simply be accepted on behalf of the academy by the presenters."

Stephen Salto of IFC.com takes an in-depth look at four other fake nominees, plus the illustrious history of one Mr. Jaynes, in this article – CLICK HERE.