No Man Born After 1990 Has Won an Acting Oscar. Could This Be the Year That Changes?

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Baby Boomers and Generation X have garnered numerous Oscar awards, which may serve as a validation for their entire generations through those iconic golden statuettes.

People born around the 1980s, often referred to as older millennials, have had a consistent streak of Oscar wins over the years. For example, Emma Stone has amassed an impressive total of 4,353 Oscars.

In this rephrased version, I’ve aimed to make it more straightforward and clear by breaking down the original sentence into simpler parts and providing additional context for terms like “older millennials” and “Oscars run”.

However, younger millennials, specifically those born in the 1990s, haven’t yet significantly impacted the Oscars. Despite the fact that the oldest among them will reach 35 this year, no actor born after 1990 has ever received an acting Oscar, while only two women have won and none of them were born after 1991. It’s not surprising then, that they might question the credibility of these awards.

But get ready for all that to change this year.

Maybe.

A generational clash is shaping up at the Oscars. On the surface, it may appear as a contest between architects from the Brutalist era and witches with a wicked streak, exotic dancers named Anora and former crime bosses turned reformed characters. However, let’s not be misled: At its core, this is a conflict between different generations – those who were known for saying “I don’t listen to you” and those who find themselves puzzled by the conversation.

Just a thought, if you believe younger and older millennials have no significant differences, it’s worth reconsidering that notion. Older millennials can recall life before smartphones, lived through the events of 9/11, and were part of history as they contributed to America electing its first Black president (with a 2-to-1 ratio in 2008). In contrast, younger millennials have mainly learned about these experiences primarily through social media platforms like TikTok.

Today’s youth, who were still students when shows like “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Victorious” ruled the airwaves, are now ready to step onto the Oscar stage. Interestingly, they are set to do so with actors who were once part of these very shows.

Born in 1992, Selena Gomez, born in 1993 Ariana Grande, and Margaret Qualley, who was also born in 1994, are all strong candidates for the award for best supporting actress; they are competing together.

Timothée Chalamet (born in 1995) is highly favored to receive the award for Best Actor, mainly due to his portrayal of a cultural icon from the Baby Boomer era. On the other hand, Mikey Madison (born in 1999, potentially belonging to Generation Z) has strong chances to win Best Actress.

90’s-born actors, like Yura Borisov (b. 1992), are giving established supporting actors a run for their money: he is a strong contender. There’s a chance, though the Academy might intervene, that performers born in the ’90s could sweep all four acting awards this year.

Yura Borisov (b. 1992) and his contemporaries from the ’90s generation are making waves as strong contenders for established supporting roles. It’s theoretically possible — but the Academy may have other plans — that actors born in the ’90s will win all four acting awards this year.

People seem to have consistently shown disfavor towards individuals who view mail as not needing an envelope, and this group did not receive any recognition at the awards. For instance, Paul Mescal (born in 1996) was not honored for his work in Aftersun, nor was Austin Butler (born in 1991) praised for his portrayal of Elvis Presley.

They did not bestow recognition upon Kristen Stewart born in 1990, for her portrayal of Lady Di, nor to Stephanie Hsu also born in 1990, for her exceptional performance that stood out in the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” where she placed it all on a bagel.

Speaking of Saoirse Ronan, born in 1994, she was nominated an impressive total of four times from 2008 to 2020, yet she’s yet to take home the award.

Among those born in the 1990s who have received acting Oscars, only Jennifer Lawrence and Ariana DeBose were born within the initial thirteen months of the decade. Ariana DeBose, in fact, was born during the opening week of the Gulf War, which was its first occurrence.

Well, here’s hoping the Oscars won’t follow in the footsteps of the Golden Globes from January 5th, which seemed to overlook us ’90s kids entirely. The only time something youthful got a moment in the limelight was when they zoomed in on Timothée Chalamet’s mustache. So let’s keep our fingers crossed for more representation this year!

Funny enough, it’s often my fellow Gen Xers who seem to be putting up roadblocks for the younger millennials. You know, the ones who haven’t quite mastered the art of creating viral memes yet – a skill that even some of the older generations have managed!

Not only Gen Xers, but particularly renowned ones. Among Madison’s major rivals are Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman, who, if they epitomized their generation any further, might have spent their rebellious years in Seattle.

Chalamet’s main competition is Adrien Brody, ditto.

In truth, Brody – fresh off a Golden Globe victory – embodies the melancholic ’70s youth so profoundly that he has achieved an unprecedented feat: He is the first Generation X actor to win best actor. Is there a more fitting symbol of Gen X’ers tenacious grasp on acclaim? Chalamet and his followers are on their way, challenging them for this position. And Brody and his peers casually respond with, “Behold us now, amuse us.

It seems like the Academy doesn’t necessarily favor experienced actors, but interestingly, the average age of the Best Actor winners in the 80s was 44 years old. One might expect that age to decrease with the Academy’s emphasis on youth voting. However, that assumption is incorrect. Since 2010, the median age has actually risen to 46, and no actor under the age of 45 has won an award this decade.

In a simpler and more conversational manner:
It’s not just about favoring veteran actors, as Demi Moore’s Golden Globes speech demonstrated. Over time, older actors build a larger network of contacts and collaborate with many others, which can influence voting. Moreover, the notable winners this decade, such as Will Smith, Anthony Hopkins, Cillian Murphy, and Brendan Fraser, are all exceptionally talented.

Nonetheless, individuals who grew up in the ’90s are shaping the future of acting, and they delivered exceptional performances this year. Observe Grande gracefully portray Glinda; marvel at Gomez as she navigates under her privileged role. Listen to Chalamet’s versatile performance; watch Madison assert her power.

When Academy members question why fewer young viewers aren’t tuning into their program, they could also ponder why they aren’t featuring more young talents instead.

Brody holds the record as the youngest individual to receive the Best Actor award, having been 29 years and 343 days old when he triumphed for “The Pianist” in 2003. If Chalamet were to win, he would be 29 years and 65 days old, making him both the first millennial winner below the age of 30 and the youngest male winner in history. It seems times are certainly evolving.

Maybe. 

You can find this tale in the January 9th edition of The Hollywood Reporter periodical. To stay updated with their content, consider subscribing.

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2025-01-09 21:26