Marilyn Monroe
She might be an international superstar whose style influence can still be felt to this day but screen queen Marilyn Monroe was never even nominated for an Academy Award.
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Judy Garland
Coming head to head with the Wicked Witch of the West wasn’t enough to get The Wizard of Oz screen legend Judy Garland the Oscar gold. The actress wasn’t even nominated for her work in the film, though she did collect two Academy Award nominations throughout her career.
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Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder charmed audiences for more than five decades in everything from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to Bonnie and Clyde but never snagged an Oscar and was only nominated twice.
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Viola Davis
Somehow the Academy has gotten away with not awarding Viola Davis a trophy despite being nominated for her highly acclaimed work in both Doubt and The Help. It can redeem itself by handing over the Best Supporting Actress statue (for her work in Fences) come Oscar night!
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Lauren Bacall
Perhaps the only thing more shocking than the fact Lauren Bacall has never won an Oscar is that she only received a single nomination—for The Mirror Has Two Faces—throughout her 70-year (!) film career.
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James Dean
When you think brooding, handsome, classic male movie star, there’s a good chance James Dean comes to mind. But the Rebel Without a Cause actor never managed to win an Oscar and earned only two nods during his brief but powerful movie star's life.
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Tom Cruise
Before he became known for jumping on sofas, Tom Cruise was a legit movie star whose bankable talents earned him three career Oscar nods—the last was for Magnolia in 2000—but not a single win.
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Amy Adams
Despite racking up a staggering five Oscar nominations in 11 years starting with her breakout role in the indie film Junebug, Adams has yet to win the elusive award. Here’s hoping the Academy doesn’t continue to pull a Leo on the super-talented actress.
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Spike Lee
Despite being considered one of cinema’s most prolific directors, Spike Lee has never even been nominated for a Best Director Academy Award. He did earn a Best Original Screenplay nod in 1990 for Do the Right Thing and a Best Documentary Feature nomination in 1998 for Four Little Girls but didn’t win either.
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Debbie Reynolds
The late legend never managed to win an Oscar and she was only ever given a single chance with her 1965 Best Actress nomination for The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
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Harrison Ford
Indiana Jones himself has only ever received one Oscar nomination (spoiler: he didn’t win) in 1968 for the film Witness.
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