If the 2024 Best Actor race is a fight for two slots, the Best Actress is a battle for four. At this point, the only guaranteed nominee and potential winner is Emma Stone for her celebrated turn in “Poor Things.” The remaining nominees will emerge from a pool of at least 10 genuine contenders. And, no, that’s not an exaggeration. This is an acting category showdown that will remind many of the 2015 Best Actor race where at least 3 career-best performances didn’t make the cut.
READ MORE: “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” are your 2024 Best Picture frontrunners…for now
Stone’s competition begins with a previous winner in this category Natalie Portman (“May December”). She’s joined by Cannes queen Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), pop culture doll Margot Robbie (“Barbie”), two-time nominee Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), the buzzworthy Fantasia Barrino (“The Color Purple”), and category flipper Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”).
Also hoping to crack the field are Greta Lee (“Past Lives”), four-time nominee Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“Origin”), and Venice Best Actress winner Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”).
Longshots that deserves serious consideration include Trace Lysette (“Monica”), Helen Mirren (“Golda”), and Jodie Comer (“The End We Start From”). [Updated Nov. 17]
LIKELY
Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
ALMOST THERE
Natalie Portman, “May December”
Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Margot Robbie, “Barbie”
Fantasia Barrino, “The Color Purple”
Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
POSSIBLE
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Annette Bening, “Nyad”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, “Origin”
Cailee Spaeny, “Priscilla”
LONGSHOTS
Helen Mirren, “Golda”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Phoebe Dynevor, “Fair Play”
Jodie Comer, “The End We Start From”
Eve Hewson, “Flora and Son”
Teyana Taylor, “A Thousand and One”
Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
