The 2007 Academy Awards Part 5: Best Supporting Actor Hopefuls

The top contenders to currently be nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2007 Academy Awards:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Jack Nicholson in The Departed: I'd say this is pretty much set in stone at this point. Nicholson has everything going for him here. A huge star, Hollywood legend with 3 Oscars and 13 nominations to his name, in a showy supporting role in one of the biggest hits of the year. Nicholson is great in The Departed, letting his appearance go, putting on a thick Boston accent and playing one of his scariest, most cold-hearted roles. Hard to say whether or not he could be considered the frontrunner to win, the fact that he's already won three might work against him but his name will unquestionably be included in the list of nominees.

Eddie Murphy in Dream Girls: This is another one that I'd say is pretty much a lock. Murphy has been a very successful box office draw (for the most part) for several decades working almost exclusively in comedic roles but here he makes his first transition to drama and will likely receive a ton of hype for his performance. The Academy loves it when people play against type and Murphy not only does this with taking on a dramatic performance but playing a sleazy character and doing his own singing as well. Murphy could stand a legit shot at winning the Oscar if Dream Girls can perform well enough at the box office. It's the lifetime comic showing he's got dramatic acting chops and playing against type. It'll be hard for the Academy to resist.