Top 10 Award-Winning Roles You Forgot About

Before winning her second Oscar for Million Dollar Baby, Hilary Swank first earned acclaim for her transformative role as Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry. The film told the true story of a transgender man navigating love, identity, and violence in rural America, and Swank’s fearless performance brought authenticity and empathy to a groundbreaking subject.

Her commitment was extraordinary—she lived as a man for weeks before filming to fully inhabit the role. Critics praised her ability to capture both the joy and tragedy of Brandon’s life, earning her recognition as one of the most powerful performances of the 1990s.

Despite its historic significance, the role is sometimes forgotten outside academic or film enthusiast circles, overshadowed by later milestones in LGBTQ+ representation. Yet Swank’s award-winning portrayal in Boys Don’t Cry remains a watershed moment in film history, opening conversations about gender, identity, and empathy. It is a performance that continues to resonate decades later.

Benicio Del Toro’s Oscar-winning performance in Traffic is a masterclass in understated intensity. Playing Javier Rodríguez, a Mexican police officer caught in the crossfire of the drug trade, Del Toro conveyed a sense of quiet determination and moral struggle.

His role was particularly striking because much of it was performed in Spanish, highlighting the authenticity of his character and the global scope of the drug war. Del Toro’s nuanced portrayal won praise for grounding Steven Soderbergh’s multi-narrative film with a deeply human perspective.

Over time, this role has been overshadowed by Del Toro’s later performances in films like Sicario or 21 Grams. Yet his award-winning turn in Traffic remains a defining moment in his career, showcasing how subtle, language-rich performances can transcend cultural boundaries and resonate with audiences worldwide.

While Julianne Moore’s career is filled with acclaimed performances, many forget that she finally won her Oscar for Still Alice, a heartbreaking drama about a linguistics professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Moore’s performance is devastating in its subtlety, showing the gradual erosion of memory and identity with grace and humanity.

Critics praised her restraint, avoiding melodrama in favor of quiet authenticity. Audiences were moved by her ability to convey both the fear and resilience of someone facing cognitive decline. The role also drew attention to the emotional toll the disease takes on families, adding social importance to her victory.

Despite the acclaim at the time, the film has since slipped into relative obscurity compared to Moore’s other roles. Yet her award-winning performance in Still Alice remains one of the most empathetic and powerful portrayals of illness in recent cinema. It is a reminder of how great acting can create awareness and emotional connection around important issues.

When people think of Christoph Waltz’s award-winning roles, many recall his terrifying Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds. Yet his second Oscar, for playing Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained, is less frequently remembered despite being equally captivating.

Waltz’s Schultz is a bounty hunter with a sharp wit, moral compass, and charmingly eccentric demeanor. His chemistry with Jamie Foxx elevated the film, providing both comic relief and emotional grounding. The role demonstrated Waltz’s ability to shift from villainy to heroism while maintaining his signature charisma.

This performance often gets overshadowed because it came so soon after his first Oscar, but his award-winning portrayal of Dr. King Schultz is one of Quentin Tarantino’s most nuanced characters. Combining humor, intelligence, and a sense of justice, Waltz gave audiences a character worth celebrating as much as his more infamous roles.

Before becoming known for blockbuster roles in The Mummy or Marvel’s Black Widow, Rachel Weisz earned an Oscar for her performance as Tessa Quayle in The Constant Gardener. Playing a passionate activist investigating pharmaceutical corruption in Africa, Weisz combined emotional intensity with moral conviction.

Her character’s dedication to uncovering the truth drives the film’s narrative, even after her untimely death sets the plot in motion. Critics praised Weisz for bringing both fire and tenderness to Tessa, portraying her as both fearless and deeply human. The performance was as much about emotional authenticity as it was about political relevance.

While the film was well-received, it is not often revisited in mainstream conversation, making Weisz’s victory one of those forgotten award-winning performances. Yet her role remains a highlight of socially conscious cinema, proving that compelling acting can illuminate global issues while delivering unforgettable storytelling.

While cinephiles remember The Piano for its artistry, many casual moviegoers forget that Holly Hunter won the Oscar for her haunting portrayal of Ada McGrath, a mute woman sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage. Hunter communicated the character’s emotions almost entirely through facial expressions, gestures, and the music she played on her piano.

The performance was groundbreaking in its subtlety. Without dialogue, Hunter created a fully realized character whose strength, vulnerability, and passion resonated deeply with audiences. Critics praised her ability to convey complex emotions through silence, calling it one of the finest examples of non-verbal acting in modern cinema.

Although The Piano remains a critical favorite, Hunter’s win often fades from memory when discussions turn to iconic Best Actress roles. Yet her award-winning silent performance demonstrates the transformative power of restraint and physical expression in cinema. For actors, it remains a benchmark of how to communicate without words, and for audiences, it is a reminder of how film can transcend language.

In the realm of comedy, it is rare for actors to win Academy Awards, yet Kevin Kline broke the mold with his outrageous turn as Otto in A Fish Called Wanda. Playing a dim-witted but arrogant ex-CIA operative, Kline delivered one of the most unhinged, laugh-out-loud performances to ever earn Oscar recognition.

His portrayal worked because he fully committed to the absurdity while still grounding Otto with a distinct personality. From his jealousy-fueled tantrums to his philosophical ramblings about Nietzsche, Kline created a character as unpredictable as he was hilarious. The role proved that comedic performances could be award-worthy when executed with depth and precision.

Although the film was a box office success, over time Kline’s win has become one of the more forgotten Oscar moments, overshadowed by his later dramatic roles and stage work. Still, his award-winning comedic performance remains a masterclass in timing, physicality, and character development. For those who think the Academy only rewards heavy drama, Kline’s Otto serves as proof that bold, fearless comedy can claim its place in film history.

Before becoming widely associated with Thelma & Louise and A League of Their Own, Geena Davis won an Oscar for her role in The Accidental Tourist. Playing Muriel Pritchett, a quirky dog trainer who disrupts the structured life of William Hurt’s grieving travel writer, Davis delivered a performance full of warmth and eccentricity.

Her portrayal stood out for its emotional honesty. Muriel was unconventional, funny, and deeply empathetic, bringing a sense of light and spontaneity into a story centered on loss and healing. Critics praised how Davis elevated a character that could have easily slipped into cliché, turning her into the emotional anchor of the film.

Despite the win, this performance is often overlooked because Davis’s later career produced more mainstream cultural touchstones. Yet her Oscar-winning role in a character-driven drama remains a testament to her range and ability to embody characters that break molds. Revisiting The Accidental Tourist shows how Davis helped redefine supporting roles in the late 1980s with her charm and authenticity.

The phrase “Show me the money!” is etched into pop culture, yet many forget that it came from Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Oscar-winning role as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire. Playing a charismatic but underappreciated football player, Gooding infused the character with humor, swagger, and heart, creating an unforgettable dynamic opposite Tom Cruise.

His high-energy performance balanced comedy with depth, showing both the frustrations of an athlete overlooked by his industry and the joy of eventually receiving recognition. Gooding’s chemistry with Cruise made the film a commercial and critical success, and his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards became almost as iconic as the role itself.

Over time, this performance faded in public memory, partly because Gooding’s later career did not always match the same level of acclaim. Still, his award-winning portrayal of Rod Tidwell remains one of the rare instances where a comedic, high-energy performance captured the Academy’s attention. It serves as a reminder that unforgettable characters often emerge from films that blend heart with humor, and Gooding’s role continues to shine on rewatch.

Many movie fans remember My Cousin Vinny as a quirky courtroom comedy, but fewer recall that Marisa Tomei’s award-winning performance as Mona Lisa Vito secured her an Oscar. Playing the sharp, hilarious, and unexpectedly knowledgeable girlfriend of Joe Pesci’s character, Tomei turned what could have been a one-note role into a scene-stealing triumph.

Her courtroom testimony about cars remains one of the most memorable comedic moments in modern film, balancing charm with authority. Critics praised how Tomei infused the character with both humor and intelligence, defying the stereotype of the ditzy girlfriend. At the time, her victory was seen as surprising, as comedies rarely won in major acting categories.

What makes this role easy to forget is that Tomei later built a career filled with strong supporting performances, from indie dramas to her more recent turn as Aunt May in Marvel’s Spider-Man films. Yet her Oscar-winning comedic role remains a reminder of how versatile acting can redefine a film. Rewatching it today reveals just how fresh and engaging her performance still feels, proving that comedy can hold just as much weight as drama in award recognition.