For our thirteenth Rundown article, we look at Best Actor. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Actoras well as general commentary about the race. Tuesday, we’ll cover Best Visual Effects

Best Actor

Winner Predictions

• Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
• Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (WL O) (PP O) (TB O) (TL O)
• Anthony Hopkins – The Father
• Gary Oldman – Mank
• Steven Yeun – Minari

Runner-Up Predictions

• Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal (PP O)
• Anthony Hopkins – The Father (WL O) (TB O) (TL O)

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Wesley Lovell: Although BAFTA crowned a different winner, the rest of the televised precursors and even a large number of the non-televised ones, Chadwick Boseman is likely to take this one home without little effort. Boseman’s only real competition is from BAFTA winner Anthony Hopkins and Riz Ahmed, who won a number of the remaining precursors that Boseman didn’t collect.
Peter J. Patrick: Chadwick Boseman is likely to become the second posthumous winner in this category 45 years after Peter Finch won for Network. The most likely upset winner is Riz Ahmed with Anthony Hopkins right behind him.
Tripp Burton: Chadwick Boseman gave a monumental performance that would be a front runner in any year, but with the added heartache of his passing this year, he is a surefire winner here.
Thomas La Tourrette: This one is an absolute given. Chadwick Boseman will win for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It is a fine performance and he would have been in contention if he had not died so young. I am not certain that he would be a solid frontrunner otherwise, but he will win. Anthony Hopkins turned in a fantastic performance as an elderly man suffering from dementia in The Father. It might be his final chance to win a second Oscar, but it will not happen. Riz Ahmed turned in the performance of the year in Sound of Metal, but sadly will not be rewarded for it. In another year, Steven Yeun might have had a chance as the father who wants a new life in rural Arkansas in Minari. Gary Oldman never had a chance as Mank. Boseman’s widow gave a heartfelt acceptance at the Golden Globes, and she needs to be working on the encore for the Oscars.

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