In films, the leading actor is often referred to as the figure with the majority of screen time, and in most cases, they’re the one who gets the shot at the Best Actor accolade in major Award events. But there have been instances when this wasn’t the case.
For example, Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor for playing everyone’s favorite cannibal in The Silence of the Lambs, even though he appeared onscreen for a mere 24 minutes. However, in The Godfather‘s case, Marlon Brando nabbed the nod for Best Actor at the Oscars, even though Al Pacino fit that bracket on paper.
Ethan Hawke also found himself on a similar boat after starring opposite Denzel Washington in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day, which earned the latter an Oscar for Best Actor.
Ethan Hawke Missed out on the Best Actor Nod as Al Pacino Did Back in ‘72
Despite his screen time only adding up to 40 minutes of The Godfather‘s 175-minute runtime, Marlon Brando secured the lead billing, even though Al Pacino was onscreen for 66 minutes. While on paper, it makes little sense, considering Brando’s presence is felt throughout, thanks to his iconic performance as Vito Corleone, it makes sense why he was the heart of the film.
Another factor that plays a pivotal role is how the studios campaign for these categories, and given Brando’s star power, it’s easy to see why he was given the push for Best Lead instead of Pacino.
Similar seems to be the case with Ethan Hawke, who, despite having a longer screen time on Training Day, competed in the Best Supporting Actor category instead of Best Actor. And it’s not hard to see why, as apart from the legendary status of Denzel Washington, which obviously pushed the studio to campaign for him in the Best Actor race, Washington was the highlight of the film.
Ethan Hawke Recalled Denzel Washington’s Advice After He Lost the Oscar
Like Al Pacino, who failed to secure a win in the Best Supporting Actor category, Ethan Hawke, too, lost the accolade in 2002. Following his loss, Denzel Washington, who scored the win for Best Actor as Brando did for The Godfather, told the Before Sunrise star that it was better to lose. He stressed that Hawke doesn’t need an award to improve his status.
Hawke recalled:
You don’t want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award’s status. That’s the way he thinks.
Despite not getting his hand on the Golden Statue, Hawke wasn’t dispirited, as competing against Sir Ian McKellen and sitting next to his Training Day costar was already a win for him.
The Godfather is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Training Day is available to stream on Netflix.
