Helen Mirren Wins Best Actress (2006)/ Daniel Day-Lewis Wins Best Actor (2007)
One of the biggest problems with the Academy Awards is how predictable many of the categories are. Last year, many columnists and writers betting on the Oscars got more than 80% of their predictions correct – as did this journalist for We Got This Covered. With so many early ceremonies indicating the trends for the actors and creators that will capture the hearts and minds of Academy voters, many of the main categories tend to have very few surprises.
On that note, it surprised absolutely nobody when Helen Mirren and Daniel Day-Lewis’s names were announced for their remarkable portrayals in The Queen and There Will Be Blood, respectively. Prior to her Oscar victory, Mirren had won a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild award, BAFTA prize, National Society of Film Critics honor, National Board of Review award and a prize from the Venice Film Festival for her performance. Prior to his arrival on the Academy stage, Day-Lewis had all of the aforementioned prizes as well, save accolades from Venice and the National Board of Review.
However, to spread the wealth would have been inappropriate given the depth of their portrayals for those films, which they will likely never top. Mirren’s resemblance to Queen Elizabeth was almost uncanny, but the actor brought tremendous feeling, strength and vulnerability to a living monarch. Day-Lewis’ searing depiction of a power-hungry oil baron, meanwhile, is one of the most indelible turns any actor has ever given. These were two prolific actors working at the top of their game, and it was only fitting that the Academy drank their milkshake.