Oscar Track Record: Never Nominated
I found myself watching Vanilla Sky (2001) today and seeing that back in the early 2000s, Cameron Diaz was up near the front of the line of someone aching for an Oscar nomination. After impressing critics years prior in There’s Something About Mary (1998) and surprising with a win from the New York Film Critics Award and a Golden Globe nominations, Diaz was in her prime. She followed up with a brilliant performance in Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich (1999) which she received both Golden Globe and SAG nominations for. When it came time for Oscar, co-star Catherine Keener only managed a nomination from the Academy. Diaz also co-starred opposite Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York (2002), a performance that received mixed reviews from critics.
Since then, Diaz has virtually fallen off Oscar’s radar. Her closest dance was in Curtis Hanson’s In Her Shoes (2005) as a dyslexic adult who finds her estranged grandmother. Her performance received decent reviews but co-stars Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine reaped any awards traction.
Since her star has faded, she has appeared in poor paycheck roles like The Green Hornet and The Box, two films pulverized by critics. Perhaps an Affleck-career rejuvenation could propel her back into good graces. Diaz will next be seen in Ridley Scott’s The Counselor starring Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Penelope Cruz. A HUGE step in the right direction. She also set to star with Kristen Wiig in The Other Woman sometime next year.
Advice: Playing your hand in things like What to Expect When You’re Expecting and Bad Teacher are not the way to go. Not to mention that there have been rumors flying around for years that partying might have something to do with your poor choice in roles. Get serious about the craft again. Look for art, not the paycheck.
Verdict: O’TOOLE
Divya
January 9, 2013 at 1:04 pm
She needs to take the same direction that Marisa Tomei and Penelope Cruz took with their careers. And see where they are now. She needs to take up roles that will seriously test her skills as an actress. This sounds harsh but I get the feeling she’s in the industry only for the money. Putting her in the same breath as O’Toole is a huge insult to the great actor. Let her get nominated at least once. Then we’ll see further.
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GL
January 9, 2013 at 2:39 pm
Lol Marisa Tomei had an Oscar at the beginning of her career. And Penelope Cruz was discovered by Pedro Almodovar and has maintained an Academy presence for quite some time now. Diaz career is her own. She doesn’t need to emulate it on anyone else. She is one of a kind and I can see her later on, with the right project at the right time, pulling a Sandra Bullock. These articles are starting to sound more and more like obituaries.
GL(Quote) (Reply)
Rohit Ramachandran
January 9, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Having read the script of The Counselor, I can safely say that Cameron Diaz’s got the best role in the film. I don’t think I should give much on it but it’s a stand-out character. If she pulls it off, she’ll probably win an Oscar. If she doesn’t she’ll probably win a Razzie. That’s how risky the character is. She’s perfectly cast, though. Would love to see how it turns out.
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Genadijus
January 9, 2013 at 2:18 pm
Agree, she has the part in “The Counselor”, and I totaly imagine her taking the 1st Oscar nomination.
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josh
January 9, 2013 at 3:17 pm
An underrated actress. she often manages to give decent performances even in mediocre films (she was really great in Bad Teacher) She doesn’t seem to care that much about awards anyway !
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