1. George Clooney for The Descendants Born: 6th May, 1961 - Lexington, Kentucky, USA Previous Oscar acting recognition: 2006 - Best Supporting Actor for Syriana ( win ); 2008 - Best Leading Actor for Michael Clayton (nom); Best Leading Actor for Up In the Air (nom); Oscar snubed performance(s): none Oscar chances comment: Alexander Payne directed movies are always very good and they always feature great performances from their casts and The Descendants is no exception, serving as a marvelous acting showcase for George Clooney, who plays a father who tries to reborn from a family tragedy and start a new life. Seeing George Clooney playing a father for the first time made critics going crazy and audiences paying a ticket, but the truth is that he delivers the best performance of his career in this movie, deserving all the awards recognition and Oscar buzz he have been getting since last month. Hollywood and audiences just love Clooney and since he got a Golden Globe nomination