Watch the Oscars Live with RT!

The Academy Awards are just a couple of nights away, and while we know you're busy ordering your hors d'oeuvres platters and sewing those last few sequins onto your hottest evening gown, we'd like to take a moment to invite you to a little RT Oscar shindig of our own.

On Sunday night, as James Franco and Anne Hathaway begin delivering their opening monologue, click on over to RT's Awards Tour HQ, where you'll find not only the live Twitter feed from our Editor-in-Chief, who will be tweeting about the goings on directly from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, but also a Facebook live chat module. The rest of the RT editors will be on hand, and if no one else shows up in the chat, the whole affair will devolve into a witless war of devastating insults and crass haiku. Please don't let that happen.

The Twitter feed and live Facebook chat modules will appear in the right side column on the Awards Tour HQ page at 4:30pm PST (in the US), just before the official festivities begin, and will remain active throughout the ceremony. So join us on Sunday, February 27, and we'll celebrate the best in 2010 cinema together, like the happy family we are.

RT's Awards Tour HQ

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Actors Who've Never Been Nominated for Oscars

Frankly, we're stunned. Shocked. Stupefied, even! Surely somewhere along the way, these men and women should have received an acknowledgement from the Academy Awards. Just once. But no. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

As you read the list of talented actors who were never nominated but totally should have been, try not to hurt your neck from all the head-shaking disbelief. Luckily, there's still time for the Academy to correct its mistakes; for now, though, these stars can at least take comfort in the fact that they're already winners in our eyes.

Kevin Bacon
No, 'Footloose,' 'Tremors' and 'The Hollow Man' don't scream Oscar, but Bacon's sizzled as an underrated character actor in biggies like 'JFK,' 'A Few Good Men' and 'Apollo 13.' Still, we could forgive the Academy overlooking his small roles, but to not recognize his brave, nuanced turn as a pedophile in '04's 'The Woodsman' is just ... criminal.
Matthew Broderick
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss the fact that the former Ferris has been quietly great (and all grown up) in movies like 'Glory,' 'Election' and 'You Can Count on Me.' He's got two Tony awards, so when will Oscar wise up and realize that Broderick's the real deal? Anyone? Anyone?
Steve Buscemi
When you need a lowlife, a loser, a guy who gets dumped into the wood chipper, who do you call? Buscemi, that's who. He's a brilliant actor, with a Globe nomination ('Ghost World') and two Indie Spirit Awards ('Ghost World,' 'Reservoir Dogs') to prove it. But will Oscar ever notice? Ignoring Buscemi's body of work like this, is tantamount to tossing DVDs of all his performances into a wood-chipper.
Jim Carrey
The over-caffeinated funnyman really can act his ass off, as he proved in the ahead-of-its-time satire 'The Truman Show,' as comic Andy Kaufman in 'Man on the Moon' and in the universally lauded 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.' Yet Carrey was snubbed for each -- if there's a silver lining, given his recent choices ('I Love You Phillip Morris' ), Carrey may still get another shot.
John Cusack
He was the dean of teen movies until he astonished everyone with his dark turn as a con artist in Stephen Frears' 'The Grifters.' After being snubbed again for 'Being John Malkovich,' it looked like his luck might change, with a heralded performance in 2007's moving 'Grace Is Gone.' Alas, it seems there is no 'Sure Thing' when it comes to the Oscars.
Jeff Daniels
Those of us who loved 'Squid and the Whale' are still reeling that Daniels wasn't recognized for a terrific performance that earned him his third Globe nomination (after 'Purple Rose of Cairo' and 'Something Wild'). Could it be the Academy won't forgive him for 'Dumb & Dumber'? Geez, you film one explosive diarrhea scene ...
Mia Farrow
Really? Not for 'Rosemary's Baby'? Not for any of her collaborations with then-husband Woody Allen (especially not for 'The Purple Rose of Cairo,' 'Alice' or 'Hannah and Her Sisters')? As her on-screen performances have gone fewer and farther between, due to her focus on family and humanitarian efforts, the chances of her getting an Oscar nom become slimmer and slimmer. If it's any consolation, she's too busy saving the world to probably even notice.
Richard Gere
Sure, he's done some drippy romances, but it's still surprising that the Academy's never looked his way -- not for 'American Gigolo,' not for 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' not even for 'Chicago' (which won him a Golden Globe). On the other hand, he's been named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive not once, but twice. Eat your heart out, De Niro.
Hugh Grant
The charming, usually snide Brit has a Golden Globe award for his breakout American role in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral,' and that's it. And while his biggest movies have been fairly straight-forward romantic comedies, Grant has always surprised audiences with a character turn -- from 'Bridget Jones's Diary' to 'About a Boy' -- that remind you there's a lot more to his range. But Grant doesn't regret his choices; he's gone on record to say that comedic performances are just as tough as dramatic roles.
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Leigh built up a career with emotionally draining roles in films like 'Rush,' 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' and most famously 'Single White Female,' racking up multiple critics' choice awards; she received a Golden Globe nom for her performance in 'Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle,' but no Oscar. The next year it looked like she was poised to finally get a nomination for her method turn as a drug-addicted singer in 'Georgia,' but it never came to pass. Maybe the Academy is still stuck on her "American girl" image from 'Ridgemont High.'
Steve Martin
Historically, Oscar doesn't look favorably upon comedy, so -- despite five Golden Globe nominations -- the guy who gave us one of the funniest performances ever in 'The Jerk' has a big fat goose egg in the Oscar nod column. Academy voters, wake up and smell the genius -- and please don't let 'Pink Panther' make you think less of him.
Ewan Macgregor
It may be in his contract that he must drop trou in every film, but that's not why we're such devoted McGregor fans (really!). He's not afraid to portray lowlifes ('Trainspotting,' 'Young Adam'), the lovelorn ('Moulin Rouge,' 'Big Fish') or Obi-Wan Kenobi. We just wish the Academy would find it in them to give him an invite to their party.
Gary Oldman
Oldman is probably one of the best actors alive, but he does it so effortlessly, everyone tends to forget that fact. That's the only way to explain how the Academy could completely fail to acknowledge roles as versatile as 'Sid & Nancy,' 'State of Grace,' 'JFK,' 'The Contender' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula.' And we'll even risk angering Batman fans by admitting that he deserved a nomination for his role in 'The Dark Knight' just as much as Heath Ledger.
Dennis Quaid
Quaid scored a Golden Globe nod and an Indie Spirit Award win for his portrayal of a closeted gay husband in 2002's 'Far From Heaven,' but the Academy didn't echo the kudos. As long as he keeps taking roles like 'Smart People', we bet he'll end up in good (read: Oscar-nominated) company someday.
Isabella Rossellini
With her model-perfect looks, Rossellini didn't have to say a word to entrance us. But with her film-legend pedigree (Mom is Ingrid Bergman; Dad is director Roberto Rossellini), it's no surprise she wowed us on screen: Her performance in 1986's 'Blue Velvet' gave us chills. Oscar was, alas, indifferent.
Meg Ryan
Thrice Golden-Globe-nominated for romantic comedies, Ryan never received props for her fine dramatic work as a heroic soldier in 'Courage Under Fire' or as an alcoholic mom in 'When a Man Loves a Woman.' Perhaps if she had, she wouldn't have delivered such an emotionally and, yes, physically naked turn in 'In the Cut.' You decide if that's a good thing.
Harry Dean Stanton
Being a character actor means you don't get to chance to steal the spotlight too often, so the 84-year-old Stanton has hadn't too many chances to get top billing. But that doesn't mean he can't control the screen whenever he appears. And even though we'll concede that 'Repo Man' never stood a chance, it is a downright injustice that he was never acknowledged for his haunting work in 'Paris, Texas,' one of the most praised and beloved films of the 1980s.
Donald Sutherland
Sutherland, you old dog. You've done 'M*A*S*H,' 'Klute,' 'The Day of the Locust,' 'Ordinary People,' all multiple-Oscar-nominated. And yet, for some reason, you've never made that exalted short list yourself. This sounds like a conspiracy worthy of Jack Bauer. Get him on it. We think you've got some pull there.
Bruce Willis
In our humble opinion, it's ludicrous that Willis didn't get a nod for 'Die Hard,' not to mention his Golden-Globe-nominated turn in 'In Country' and his underrated work in 'Sixth Sense.' But it's not like John McClane gives a crap about awards, anyway.
Jeffrey Wright
Still not a household name, Wright is one of the most exciting actors in the biz. He's chameleonic in films like 'Broken Flowers', 'The Manchurian Candidate', 'Quantum of Solace', 'W' and 'Cadillac Records.' But his best chance for Oscar glory, for a stout turn in 'Syriana,' was overshadowed by eventual winner George Clooney.
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Nominated, Never Won: Oscar's Biggest Losers

"It's an honor just to be nominated." That line that gets tossed around so much that most viewers of the Academy Awards telecast think the phrase is just a meaningless gesture. But for this unfortunate batch of talented actors and filmmakers, it really is the best they've done.

For whatever reason -- be it bad luck or some grand Machiavellian conspiracy to deny these artists of their just rewards -- a grand total of 82 nominations have been amassed without one single, solitary win between them. After you see this list of Oscars' biggest losers, featuring men and women regarded as some of the most talented in Hollywood history, you'll be shaking your head in astonishment that they never won.

JOAN ALLEN
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: Brilliant yet unheralded for years, the future 'Contender' nominee (2001) snagged her first Oscar nod in 1995 with a stunning turn as Pat Nixon in 'Nixon,' only to suffer the outrage of being upset by Mira Sorvino, future guest star on 'Will & Grace.'
ROBERT ALTMAN
Record: 0–5, 1 honorary
Most Crushing Loss: While Altman was a true contender with each nomination (and later recognized with an honorary Oscar), he probably should have won for his first nod, for 'M*A*S*H' in 1971. Instead he lost to one-time nominee Franklin J. Schaffner for a more "serious" take on war, 'Patton.'
ANNETTE BENING
Record: 0–3 (So Far)
Most Crushing Loss: 'American Beauty' won five Oscars in 2000, but none were Bening's; the honor went to Hilary Swank for 'Boys Don't Cry.' And in 2005, she got kudos for 'Being Julia' but lost to ... Hilary Swank. She's nominated again this year for 'The Kids Are All Right' -- luckily for her, Hilary Swank isn't even nominated; unlucky for her, Natalie Portman has been the clear favorite for her part in 'Black Swan.'
RICHARD BURTON
Record: 0–7
Most Crushing Loss: Burton had two more nominations than he did marriages, but like those relationships, all ended in heartbreak. Losing for 'Virginia Woolf' to Paul Scofield ('A Man for All Seasons') had to be painful, but probably not as much so as his second divorce from Elizabeth Taylor.
GLENN CLOSE
Record: 0–5
Most Crushing Loss: Although she was great in 'Dangerous Liaisons,' she couldn't have been too upset about losing Best Actress to Jodie Foster for 'The Accused.' But when her intense turn in 'Fatal Attraction' was trumped by Cher's in 'Moonstruck,' she probably boiled a few rabbits.
TOM CRUISE
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: While we dug him in 'Jerry Maguire,' Cruise's strongest shot at showing us the money (aka winning Best Actor) was as a Vietnam vet in 1989's 'Born on the Fourth of July.' Alas, Cruise lost to Daniel Day-Lewis, whose 'My Left Foot' kicked him in the groin (metaphorically).
JOHNNY DEPP
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: Once known as one of the most unsung versatile actors working today, Depp has lately become ... well, sung, nominated for his now-iconic jaunt as Capt. Jack Sparrow in 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' But it's his 'Finding Neverland' loss that has us hoping "never" isn't a word we'll have to associate with him for long.
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: At 30, he was the leading man in a Scorsese epic, 'The Aviator,' but he was up against critical darlings Cheadle, Eastwood and Depp. (They all wound up losing to Jamie Foxx for 'Ray.') And just think about the movies he hasn't been nominated for: 'The Departed,' 'Titanic,' 'The Departed.' Did we mention 'The Departed'?
ALBERT FINNEY
Record: 0–5
Most Crushing Loss: The veteran Brit has been nominated for Oscars for almost 20 percent of his major roles. Does that help quell the pain of losing the Best Actor race for classics like 'Tom Jones'? Yeah, probably. Finney's never appeared at an Oscar ceremony.
COLIN FIRTH
Record: 0–1 (So Far)
Most Crushing Loss: Firth lost last year's race to Jeff Bridges, who himself finally won after losing four times before that. And though 'A Single Man' marked his first Oscar nomination, Colin has long been a favorite of critics' choice lists and the BAFTA. If he doesn't win this year for 'The King's Speech' -- after being called the early front-runner, then somebody probably has it out for him.
ED HARRIS
Record: 0–4
Most Crushing Loss: Hollywood's sexiest bald guy, who got his first Best Actor nod for 'Pollock' in 2001, seemed like a lock in 1999 for his supporting role as God-like Christof in 'The Truman Show.' Alas, the award went to James Coburn. Guess the Academy must be atheist.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Record: 0–5, 1 honorary
Most Crushing Loss: Aside from an honorary trophy, Alfred freaking Hitchcock never won an Oscar -- seriously. Not for 'Psycho,' not for 'Spellbound,' not even for 'Rear Window' or 'Vertigo.' And while Hitchcock was up against some pretty killer competition for Best Director, we think the Academy is 'Psycho.'
DEBORAH KERR
Record: 0–6, 1 Honorary
Most Crushing Loss: We'll say 'From Here to Eternity,' just because that movie went on to win eight of its thirteen nominations. But unfortunately, the biggest slight against Kerr's career is her unfortunate distinction of being the woman with the most nominations for Best Actress -- without a single win. Luckily, the Academy fixed their mistake in 1994, with an Honorary Award "in appreciation for a full career's worth of elegant and beautifully crafted performances."
LAURA LINNEY
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: She made a big splash in a little film with 'You Can Count on Me'; she lost to another single mom (Julia Roberts as 'Erin Brockovich'). But after more great (and nominated) turns in 'Kinsey' and 'The Savages,' you can count on the fact that Linney will always be an actor to watch.
JULIANNE MOORE
Record: 0–4
Most Crushing Loss: In 2003, she was nominated for both Best Actress ('Far From Heaven') and Best Supporting Actress ('The Hours'), but lost in both categories. Catherine Zeta-Jones took the award for Supporting, while her 'Hours' castmate Nicole Kidman won for Best Actress. The only way we can explain this, is that the Academy clearly got mixed up by who was nominated for what award, and somehow Moore got lost in the shuffle.
PETER O'TOOLE
Record: 0–8, 1 honorary
Most Crushing Loss: The Academy gave him an honorary award in '03, but not a REAL Best Actor statue for 'Lawrence of Arabia' ('62) or 'Lion in Winter' ('68) or 'My Favorite Year.' ('83) His lousy streak held in '07, with another Best Actor loss for 'Venus.' At least he got to joke about it in the opening montage. ("Eight. Zilch.")
THELMA RITTER
Record: 0–6
Most Crushing Loss: Like Kerr, Ritter holds a dubious distinction of most nominations for a Best Supporting Actress Award, without a single win. It had to hit hardest with 'All About Eve,' which won Best Picture, racked up fourteen nominations and forced Ritter to compete in the same category as her co-star Celeste Holm, who had already won the award in 1947.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: Nominated for Best Actress ('Gorillas in the Mist') and Supporting ('Working Girl') in the same year, her truly stinging setback was her first Best Actress nod ('Aliens,' 1986) when she lost out to first-time actress Marlee Matlin ('Children of a Lesser God').
PETER WEIR
Record: 0–5
Most Crushing Loss: While there's no shame in losing to Sydney Pollack and Oliver Stone, the 'Dead Poet's Society' director came maddeningly close with 'The Truman Show' in 1999. The winner? Some guy named Spielberg. Aw, cheer up, Peter. They say sixth time's the charm.
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10 Movies the Oscars Made Famous

When this year's Oscar nominations were announced last month, all of the expected contenders and hit films were represented, with 'The King's Speech,' 'Black Swan,' 'The Social Network,' 'True Grit,' 'Toy Story 3' and 'Inception' each earning Best Picture nods.

But among those Goliaths was one movie that even many Oscar watchers had probably never seen: 'Winter's Bone,' an indie drama that has made a scant $6 million since its release last summer -- and which now, thanks to its four Academy Awards nominations, has suddenly lept from obscurity to gain instant nationwide attention.

Which got us thinking: what other deserving films has Oscar helped turn the spotlight on with unexpected nominations? Here's our list of some of the movies that might have remained forgotten but are now famous thanks to the Academy Awards:

'City of God' was little more than an afterthought for most Oscar watchers heading into the 2004 Academy Awards; after all, despite strong reviews, the Brasilian production was still a foreign language film, essentially, that mainstream America had hardly heard of. But four nominations, including Best Director for Fernando Meirelles, changed that in an instant for a movie that has since been hailed as one of the greatest of all time.

'Il Postino' is another foreign effort that received little attention until Oscar got his gold hands on it. But when the Academy saw fit to bestow five nominations on the Italian movie, in 1996, movie fans were treated not just to a great film -- among its accolades were nods for Best Picture and Best Director -- but also to the heartbreaking story of Best Actor nominee Massimo Troisi, who put off heart surgery in order to complete the film and died of a heart attack just a few hours after shooting the final scene.

'Once' was one of those little personal, arthouse films that didn't seem to have a chance at the kind of international fame and fortune that big studio releases receive. Then the Academy Awards presented stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova the 2007 Oscar for Best Original Song for their duet 'Falling Slowly.' Since then, the film has become recognized as one of the great romantic films of the past decade. To this day, we still listen to the soundtrack.

'Spirited Away' was undoubtedly the most successful and well-known movies on our list prior to enjoying Oscar recognition; after all, the 2001 animated feature broke the Japanese box office record previously held by 'Titanic.' But winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar was still a shock considering the category was considered to a lock for the stateside mega-hit 'Ice Age.' Suddenly, an entire continent was wondering just what all the fuss regarding 'Spirited Away' was about -- a buzz level that has continued for the work of director Hayao Miyazaki to this day.

'Slumdog Millionaire' is the ultimate underdog story -- and we're not talking about the movie's onscreen plot, but rather its offscreen drama. Just how unlikely was 'Slumdog Millionaire's' rise from unknown indie to eight-time Oscar winner in 2008? In the month leading up to its premiere, Warner Bors. was seriously considering a straight-to-DVD release. The decision to put the film in theaters after all paid off thanks to the Academy Awards; 'Slumdog Millionaire' jumped to number-one worldwide following its surprising string of victories.

'Crash' wasn't really expected to win the Academy Award for Best Picture back in 2006; 'Brokeback Mountain' had topped almost every critic's list and was the talk of Tinseltown -- and Everytown, USA. But that changed in an instant when 'Crash' became just the third movie to ever win Best Picture after not even being nominated at the Golden Globes; the ensemble drama's shocking victory turned it from a back page afterthought to a front page headliner overnight.

'The Pianist' seemed to have everything going against it when it was released in 2002: a pariah for a director (Roman Polanski), an unknown for a lead (Adrian Brody) and a morose subject (the Holocaust) that had the few weary filmgoers who had heard of it say "meh." Funny how seven Oscar nominations and three victories -- including shock wins in Best Actor and Best Director -- can change things. Out of nowhere, America had a new acting superstar in Brody, Polanski was back in Hollywood's good graces and 'The Pianist' was a household name.

'Life Is Beautiful' was one of the more prominent films to come out of Europe in 1998, which for your average American film fan is kind of like praising the best player in minor league baseball. But when Roberto Benigni became one of the few people in history to win a Best Actor award for a foreign film, everyone in the world instantly learned that 'Life is Beautiful' had made it to the big leagues.

'Chocolat' was a bit ahead of the curve when it arrived in 2000; while Johnny Depp was respected, he was viewed as more of a quirky cult figure than a true Hollywood leading man. And he might have gone on like that for the rest of his career if not for the massive media buzz that came along with 'Chocolat's' five surprising Oscar nominations. Curious crowds came for the Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche) and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench) nominees -- but they left singing the praises Depp, setting everything since in motion. Thanks, Oscar.

'The Hurt Locker' needs no introduction, but then again, that's why it closes out our list. After all, how many people would have bet that a war drama that earned barely $15 million would dominate last year's Oscars when the highest-grossing film in American history, 'Avatar,' was up for the same awards? But that's just what happened in one of the most surprising Oscars of all time, as 'The Hurt Locker' became the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in modern history. And instead of a critically acclaimed footnote, it's now one of the best-known films in the last few years.

And that's the power of Oscar.

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