Hear Me Out: These 5 Lead Acting Oscar Nominees Should've Been in Supporting Instead

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Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter smiling sinisterly in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

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Oscar season is upon us, and we all know what that means: it's time to look back at nearly a century of Academy Awards history to both reminisce about the great movies and performances that have been honored and realize just how far we've come. One of the most infamous aspects of most Oscar seasons is the case of category fraud, when an actor competes in the wrong category to either secure the nomination or walk away with the victory.

In most cases, category fraud refers to a Lead performer who competes in Supporting, often to great success. In the last few years, we've seen it with actors like Alicia Vikander, Daniel Kaluuya, or Mahershala Ali, all of whom competed and won in the Supporting category when they should've 100% been in Lead. It's understandable why they did it, and you can't argue with the result — they all won, after all. However, category fraud can also be at the inverse, and you can have an actor contending in Lead when they should've most likely been in Supporting. The five cases on this list might be somewhat controversial, but if we look at the metrics of what makes a Lead performance beyond just screentime — having a distinct and clear POV, an independent character arc, and being a driving force in the narrative — then it's easy to see these five as clear examples of category fraud.

5 Anne Bancroft - 'The Graduate' (1967)

Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson and Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin lie in bed together in The Graduate.

The words "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me" have become ingrained in pop culture vocabulary thanks to Dustin Hoffman's clumsy delivery and, of course, Anne Bancroft's delighted response to them. In Mike Nichols' seminal comedy-drama, The Graduate, Hoffman plays Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate who enters into an affair with the much older Mrs. Robinson (Bancroft) before inadvertently falling in love with her daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross). In the now-famous ending, Benjamin and Elaine run away on her wedding day, only to realize their youthful enthusiasm has led them down an uncertain path.

To put it simply, Bancroft runs away with the movie. Mrs. Robinson is an irresistible, flashy role that commands every second of the screen whenever she's in it. It's hard to walk away from The Graduate without thinking of Anne Bancroft, but that doesn't mean she's a Lead Actress. The film is Benjamin's story entirely, and like most other entries on this list, we only ever see Mrs. Robinson from his POV. He's the one driving the narrative forward, and while she plays a major role in that, she firmly remains a featured player, never having the same impact as Benjamin. Moreover, her presence greatly diminishes in the second half once Elaine becomes more prominent in Benjamin's life. It's easy to see how such a charming and overpowering character would warrant a Lead placement, but the fact remains, if Ross was Supporting, then so is Bancroft.

4 Anthony Hopkins - 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)

Now we arrive at what is perhaps the most argued-about placement in Oscar history: Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs. Based on Thomas Harris' iconic novel, Jonathan Demme's movie stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee tasked with profiling the serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). To do so, Clarice consults the infamous but brilliant cannibal and serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins). As their visits continue, their bond grows more complex, with Lecter developing a fascination for Clarice.

Many will surely scoff at Hopkins' presence on this list. Indeed, I'll be the first to admit that Hannibal Lecter is a, uhm, meal of a role, and Hopkins devours (pun intended) not only the scenery but also a few of the characters. However, Lecter is once again a case of a flashy character casting such a large shadow over the plot that his presence is felt in every second after his introduction. In many ways, Lecter is driving the narrative forward, as his clues to Clarice point her in the right direction. And yet, to put it simply, Hannibal Lecter is simply not a lead in The Silence of the Lambs. It's Clarice's story through and through, and his involvement in the story is entirely tied to her journey towards Buffalo Bill. Moreover, most of the second half happens without his active involvement, including the climax, where Clarice takes full control of the plot. Yes, Lecter's presence is inescapable by design, but when looking at the big picture, The Silence of the Lambs is a spectacular horror film with one clear lead and many brilliant supporting characters.

3 John Travolta - 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)

Vincent Vega looking intently in Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino's seminal crime black comedy Pulp Fiction changed the landscape for independent cinema in the '90s, effectively revolutionizing cinema as a whole. This rich tapestry of interconnected stories in Los Angeles follows several characters, including two hitmen, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (John Travolta), as they perform a hit for mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), handle the accidental death of an informant, and deal with two thieves attempting to rob a diner. Vincent also must desperately try to save the life of Marsellus' wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), after she accidentally snorts heroin.

Because of its singular structure, you can either see Pulp Fiction as a movie with several lead characters or as what essentially is a troupe of players, each contributing something meaningful to this crime saga. Arguably, there are no true Leads in Pulp Fiction, except perhaps for Butch (Bruce Willis), the one character who has a clear and defined arc. Things get murkier when considering Vincent's role. The thing is, Vincent doesn't have an actual arc, and in the two vignettes where he appears most prominently, he's actually playing a major role in someone else's story, serving both Jules and Mia's arcs rather than leading his own. And yet, Thurman and Jackson contended in Supporting, while Travolta did so in Lead. It seems like a classic case of the bigger name receiving the Lead nomination, but under most metrics, Travolta should've either also been Supporting, or both Jackson and Thurman been Lead.

2 Daniel Day-Lewis - 'Gangs of New York' (2002)

Daniel Day Lewis as William Cutting under icicles in Gangs of New York

Perhaps the most controversial entry in this list, Daniel Day-Lewis is the primary antagonist in Martin Scorsese's 2002 epic historical drama Gangs of New York. Based on the 1928 novel The Gangs of New York, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon, a young Irish immigrant who returns to the Five Points slum in 1862 New York City seeking revenge against William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting (Day-Lewis), the man who killed his father. As the two men get to know each other, an uneasy bond grows between them.

Now, the case for Day-Lewis as a Lead Actor here is strong. He certainly has the screentime to back him up, and Bill the Butcher is the flashiest role in the movie; you can't walk away from Gangs of New York without thinking of him. In short, DDL steals the whole thing. However, it is undoubtedly Amsterdam's story; the character is the driving force of the narrative, and while most of Bill's scenes are with Amsterdam, it's not the same the other way around. Amsterdam has a defined story away from his conflict with Bill, ultimately amounting to a much more complete arc. In hindsight, it seems to be a case of people just placing Day-Lewis in Lead out of mere reputation; he is just the kind of actor who commands that sort of respect. It's interesting to ponder, because Day-Lewis would've effortlessly walked with the Supporting Actor Oscar and, today, he might be the only male actor with four Oscar wins. Oh, what could've been.

1 Kate Winslet - 'The Reader' (2008)

Kate Winslet as Hannah Schmitz looking ahead in The Reader

Out of the five entries on this list, I'd argue that Kate Winslet's category placement in The Reader is the most egregious. The Stephen Daldry drama stars Joseph Cross as Michael Berg, a 15-year-old who enters a sexual relationship with secretive 36-year-old tram conductor Hanna Schmitz. Their affair ends abruptly, only for him to find her again eight years later, as he, now a law student, witnesses a trial of former SS guards, Hannah among them. The Reader is not a particularly great film. Its treatment of the deep issues central to the narrative is clumsy, and Daldry's direction is uninspired. However, Winslet is superb in the role of Hanna Schmitz, a conflicted and hermetic woman holding on to a secret that haunts her.

Alas, as we've seen throughout this list, a great performance does not a Lead Actor make, and in The Reader, Winslet is supporting to a tee. Hanna has no proper arc, nor an individual POV: her actions are viewed entirely through Michael's perspective. We get no insight into her mind or conflict safe for a few brief scenes where she teaches herself to read. She doesn't drive the narrative, instead remaining a player, albeit a crucial one, in Michael's journey into his past. The Reader is entirely through Michael's recollection of events; we're literally seeing Hanna through his eyes, to the point where it's safe to say we, just like him, never actually know her. Guided by screentime, Winslet could perfectly qualify as a Lead, but from every other metric, she's Supporting through and through.