Best Supporting Actor/Actress 2016
(SoN = Streaming on Netflix // SoA = Streaming on Amazon // SoH = Streaming on HBO)
Frankly, 2016 was a HUGE disappointment when it came to Supporting Actors and Actresses. In the over 125 movies I watched, I came across a whopping nine performances that really wowed me hence the combination of the two categories this year into one blog post and the Supporting Actor category failing to even warrant a numbered, ordered list. And just so my few readers are aware, I keep an ongoing list of awards worthy performances throughout the year as I watch movies. So it's not like I simply forgot some of the best supporting roles here...these were legitimately all I found truly awards worthy throughout the year.
Best Supporting Actor
Honorable Mentions
(in alphabetical order)
Timothée Chalamet - Miss Stevens
The role as a troubled high school student is slightly underdeveloped, but Chalamet has a powerful moment in which he presents a powerfully potent soliloquy at a drama competition that was perhaps an indication that the young actor had potential as his 2017 Oscar nomination proves. (SoN)
Alden Ehrenreich - Hail, Caesar!
An absolutely heinous movie, but the one bright spot is Alden Ehrenreich who steals the show as an "aw shucks" Roy Rogers-esque singer who is desperately trying to make it in Hollywood.
Farid Sajjadi Hosseini - The Salesman
As a beleaguered, worn-down, elderly man, Hosseini has some emotionally wrenching scenes toward the end of this foreign flick that prove to be incredibly moving and impactful. (SoA)
Dev Patel - Lion
Anchoring the second half of the film, Dev Patel is giving his best performance by far in Lion. Patel does a fantastic job conveying his character's guilt for being adopted which gives a layered performance that we've yet to see from the actor. (SoN)
Kevin Spacey - Elvis & Nixon
Yes, I know it's uncouth to even mention the name of Kevin Spacey and I completely understand if his presence makes you have no desire to see this film. However, Spacey's performance as Richard Nixon is spot-on and engaging. (SoA)
Best Supporting Actress
#4 - Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea
In a very small role, Michelle Williams not only creates a well-rounded and emotionally resonant character herself, but also manages to add depth and gravitas to the characters that surround her. (SoA)
#3 - Toni Collette - Glassland
The film itself is a bit of a misfire, but Toni Collette's performance as an alcoholic is nearly worth the price of admission (or bandwidth since it's streaming on Netflix). She embodies the harrowing downfall of an addict with such painful earnestness that it's almost difficult to watch sometimes. (SoN)
#2 - Viola Davis - Fences
Ms. Davis as a put-upon housewife plays fantastically off of her costar Denzel Washington and together their intense portrayals are equally ferocious. She won an Oscar for this performance and I can't deny her talent, but I think she was just slightly edged out by the performance at the top of this list. (SoA)
#1 - Molly Shannon - Other People
Molly Shannon is obviously well known for being a comedienne, but this film gives her ample opportunity to display her dramatic chops to great effect. The film creates a sense of melancholy from the get-go, but Shannon -- as a mother struggling with a cancer diagnosis -- is able to deftly mix in humor amidst the quieter, more dramatic moments when the heaviness of her situation rears its ugly head. Kudos to Ms. Shannon as she shows us a completely different side to her talent which I hope we get to see more of in the future. (SoN)
Previous Supporting Actor Winners
Previous Supporting Actress Winners
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