SubscribeHambone or filet? Meryl Streep as Julia Child, Benicio del Toro as Che, Sean Penn as Harvey Milk
Some Oscar champs never get their fill! Meryl Streep already has two golden boys — or, OK, maybe just one and a half if you discount that one in supporting for "Kramer vs. Kramer". Now she's cooking up two recipes for more. In the flick she's shooting right now, "Julie and Julia," she portrays a real person (gourmet diva Julia Child), but — uh, oh — it looks like Amy Adams might have more on her plate in terms of role size, thus pushing Meryl back down to supporting, the poor dear. JustJared has more info plus these photos.
If voters grow tired of again checking off the famous-person-plays-another-famous-person option, they might try their other fave trick: giving Oscars to roles that win Tony Awards earlier on Broadway. In that case, Meryl Streep might score in lead (whew) in the part that earned Cherry Jones a Tony — as Sister Aloysius, a nun who accuses a priest of molesting a boy in "Doubt," which comes out later this year. If she loses in lead again, Meryl might not be so fussy about nabbing the alternative in supporting in 2009 when "Julia" takes a bow.
Meantime, Benicio del Toro would be happy with just one Oscar in lead, I betcha. All he's got now is that lowly statuette in supporting for "Traffic," which must feel like a gyp since he won in lead at SAG for the same role. Later this month he debuts at the Cannes Film Festival in Steven Soderbergh's "Che," which is actually two flicks: "The Argentine" and "Guerrilla." Check out the Cannes rundown HERE.
Last time Sean Penn won a chunk of academy gold it was for a fictitious part in the lead race ("Mystic River"). Next he could be nommed as martyred gay leader Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant's "Milk" due out this November. EW has more dish.
(Photos: JustJared / Wild Bunch)
Well said, Ted M. Saying Meryl has only 1.5 Oscars because she won in the supporting category for "Kramer vs. Kramer" is ridiculous. Same with saying Benicio must be clamoring for an award as a lead, as if the prize for his amazing performance in "Traffic" is somehow not valuable enough. Let's be honest, often it's harder to get a nomination, let alone victory, in the supporting category, where there are way more performances qualifying than as leads. This is less true of the Oscars than the Emmys and the Tonys, I suppose, but it always amazes me when this site posts predictions for nominees and winners for the "major" categories and doesn't include the supporting contenders. I suspect it's because often there's much more variety and it's a harder race to call. Still, it always bugs me, especially since as many great actors have won for great supporting performances as leading roles.
Posted by: CR | May 12, 2008 at 11:48 AM
for more info on Benicio Del Toro and the Che films, visit: www.beniciodeltoro.ca
Posted by: FriendOfYours | May 11, 2008 at 05:50 PM
Can someone please explain WHY winning a supporting Oscar is considered unworthy? People act like they don't count or something. I remember all the fuss about Denzel Washington the year he was up for "Training Day". It was like he had never won before. Same thing with Kevin Spacey. What's up with this?
Posted by: TedM | May 11, 2008 at 05:31 PM