Universal Pictures has decided where Anne Hathaway will compete this awards season. The studio confirmed to Variety that Hathaway will run in the supporting actress race for her role as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ The choice ends months of guessing about her placement.
Awards watchers had spent weeks arguing over whether Hathaway belonged in lead or supporting. Her role as Penelope, Odysseus’ wife who governs Ithaca during his long absence, carries real weight in the story. That made the category call harder than usual. Universal weighed both options before settling on supporting.
The choice also avoids a category fraud debate. Many campaigns get criticized for placing a large role in a smaller category just to improve its odds. That won’t be an issue here, since Hathaway’s part fits comfortably within supporting actress norms.
Setting up a co-star showdown
The decision puts Hathaway in direct competition with her own co-star. Samantha Morton, who plays the sorceress Circe, has earned some of the loudest praise for the film. Both actresses will now compete in the same category.
This isn’t unusual for major ensemble films. Studios have pushed two actresses from the same movie into supporting actress dozens of times across Oscar history. If both land nominations, it would mark one of the strongest double pushes from a single film this season.
Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, will run in lead actor. That leaves him as the film’s only above-the-title acting contender. Universal is reportedly also building supporting actor campaigns around John Leguizamo and Robert Pattinson.
Chasing a rare piece of history
Hathaway already owns one Oscar. She won supporting actress in 2013 for playing Fantine in ‘Les Misérables.’ A second win here would put her in exclusive company.
Only two women have ever won supporting actress twice. Dianne Wiest took the award for ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ in 1986 and again for ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ in 1994. Shelley Winters won for ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ in 1959 and ‘A Patch of Blue’ in 1965. No repeat winner has emerged in either category since Wiest and Jessica Lange each collected a second acting Oscar the same year, three decades ago.
- Academy Awards
- Anne Hathaway
- Oscars
