Entertainment

20 Awesome Actors Who've Earned Major Award Noms But Never Won (PHOTOS)

EntertainmentPublished Jan 15, 2016
By Laura Anastasia
featured-img-of-post-194816

What's that saying? Always an award nominee, never an award winner? Okay, that might not be exactly the way most people remember that saying, but it sure rings true for Johhny Depp and 19 other super talented actors. Sure they've won a People's Choice Award or two, but they have yet to score any of the three major awards. The stars behind some of our favorite characters have gone win-less at major acting award ceremonies time and time again, despite receiving multiple nominations. 

Which actors are still waiting for their Emmy, Golden Globe, or Oscar? Grab your popcorn and find out. (Bonus: no awkward opening monologue to sit through!) 

Image via Splash News/Splash News/Corbis

1/20
Jennifer Garner-placeholder
Jennifer Garner
Janet Mayer/Splash News/Corbis

Jennifer Garner

Garner kicked some serious butt playing Sydney Bristow on Alias, but she never managed to score an Emmy. She was nominated every year from 2002 to 2005 for the role, but went home Emmy-less each time.

2/20
Johnny Depp-placeholder
Johnny Depp
Splash News/Splash News/Corbis

Johnny Depp

Depp's done everything from pirates to Willy Wonka, but his amazing transformations haven't scored him a golden statue. The actor has received three nods from the Academy, most recently for 2008's Sweeney Todd, though he has yet to claim the prize.

3/20
Leonardo DiCaprio-placeholder
Leonardo DiCaprio
@Parisa/Splash News/Corbis

Leonardo DiCaprio

Say it ain't so, Leo! DiCaprio has received five acting nominations from the Academy since 1994 -- including his current nod for The Revenant -- but he's never gotten to give an Oscars acceptance speech.

4/20
Michael C. Hall-placeholder
Michael C. Hall
KCS Presse/Splash News/Corbis

Michael C. Hall

Who does a guy have to kill to get an Emmy around here? Hall nabbed five nominations for lead actor in a drama series for Dexter, plus a nomimnation for Six Feet Under in the same category. Total wins? Zero. 

More from The Stir: 10 Best Dressed Stars on the 2015 American Music Awards Red Carpet (PHOTOS)

5/20
Connie Britton-placeholder
Connie Britton
Roger Wong/INFphoto.com/Corbis

Connie Britton

Fifth time's a charm? Fan favorite Britton's gotten her hopes for an Emmy win dashed four times. She's had two nominations for Friday Night Lights, one for American Horror Story, and one for Nashville.

6/20
Tom Cruise-placeholder
Tom Cruise
Aflo/Splash News/Corbis

Tom Cruise

Cruise has headlined more than his fair share of Hollywood blockbusters, but he has yet to take home an Oscar. The longtime star has received three acting nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

7/20
Joaquin Phoenix-placeholder
Joaquin Phoenix
Russ Einhorn/Splash News/Corbis

Joaquin Phoenix

Phoenix walked the line at the Academy Awards three times -- in 2001, 2006, and 2013 -- but hasn't won an Oscar. Surprised?

8/20
Kim Cattrall-placeholder
Kim Cattrall
SartorialPhoto/Splash News/Corbis

Kim Cattrall

Cattrall may have left our jaws hanging open more than once as Samantha Jones on Sex and the City, but she apparently didn't wow Emmy voters enough. She was nominated five years in a row for the SATC role, but never won. Costars Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon both scored Emmys in 2004 for their performances. (Poor Kristin Davis only got one Emmy nod.) 

More from The Stir: 11 Latina Actresses Who Broke Barriers & Won Major Awards (PHOTOS)

9/20
Steve Carell-placeholder
Steve Carell
KCS Presse/Splash News/Corbis

Steve Carell

All smiles aside, Carell's Emmy status is no laughing matter. The star of The Office was nominated for lead actor in a comedy series for six years straight, from 2006 to 2011, and didn't win a single time.

10/20
Hugh Laurie-placeholder
Hugh Laurie
WUF/Splash News/Corbis

Hugh Laurie

He was grumpy, he was brilliant, he was ... House. Despite carrying the hit show for eight seasons -- and receiving six nominations for lead actor in a drama series -- Laurie is still Emmy-less.

11/20
Cynthia Nixon-placeholder
Cynthia Nixon
Splash News/Splash News/Corbis

Cynthia Nixon

Nixon's performance as Miranda Hobbes on Sex and the City was enough to earn her Golden Globe nominations four years in a row, from 2000 to 2004. It wasn't, however, enough to clinch a win.

12/20
Laura Linney-placeholder
Laura Linney
Britta Pedersen/dpa/Corbis

Laura Linney

One thing Linney can't count on? An Oscar win. The talented actress has been nominated three times since 2001, for The Savages, Kinsey, and You Can Count on Me.

More from The Stir: 18 Black Actresses Who Broke Barriers & Won Major Awards (PHOTOS)

13/20
Jerry Seinfeld-placeholder
Jerry Seinfeld
Jared Milgrim/The Photo Access/The World Access/Corbis

Jerry Seinfeld

Seinfeld starred in one of TV's most memorable shows, and yet he never took home an Emmy for playing himself? All five of his nods for lead actor in a comedy series were unfruitful. He did win a shared Emmy for outstanding comedy series for Seinfeld in 1993.

14/20
Peter O'Toole-placeholder
Peter O'Toole
2003 Phil Ramey AGENCY/RameyPix/Corbis

Peter O'Toole

O'Toole, who passed away in 2013 at age 81, holds the record for most Oscar nominations without a win -- he got a whopping eight nods. The legendary actor received his first nomination in 1963 for Lawrence of Arabia and his last in 2007 for Venus. O'Toole did accept an honorary award from the Academy in 2003.

15/20
Glenn Close-placeholder
Glenn Close
PictureLux/Splash News/Corbis

Glenn Close

Close RSVPed to more than her fair share of Academy Awards ceremonies back in the '80s. The Hollywood legend was nominated for five Oscars from 1983 to 1989, including for Fatal Attraction and Dangerous Liaisons. Her sixth nod came in 2012, for Albert Nobbs. Here's hoping for lucky number seven!

16/20
Sigourney Weaver-placeholder
Sigourney Weaver
Splash News/Splash News/Corbis

Sigourney Weaver

With 78 acting credits to her name, Weaver is no stranger to the silver screen. The prolific actress has three Academy Award nominations to show for her work, but no Oscar. Two of her nominations came in the same year, when she was nominated for best actress for Working Girl and for Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey in 1989.

More from The Stir: 17 Latino Actors Who Broke Barriers & Won Major Awards (PHOTOS)

17/20
Marilu Henner-placeholder
Marilu Henner
@Parisa/Splash News/Corbis

Marilu Henner

Henner was nominated for a Golden Globe for five of the six years that her popular show Taxi was on the air. She stalled at the ceremony again and again, losing five times between 1979 and 1983.

18/20
Penny Marshall-placeholder
Penny Marshall
Derek Storm/Splash News/Corbis

Penny Marshall

As everyone's favorite bestie on '70s hit Laverne & Shirley, Marshall received best actress Golden Globe nominations three years in a row. She lost every time, but still did better than costar Cindy Williams, who was only nominated once.

19/20
Angela Lansbury-placeholder
Angela Lansbury
Jenna Blake/Corbis

Angela Lansbury

Here's a mystery for one of TV's favorite detectives: How did Lansbury get nominated for 18 Emmys over the course of her extensive career and not win a single one? Thirteen of the nods were for her performance as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote in the '80s and '90s.

20/20
Rhea Perlman-placeholder
Rhea Perlman
@Parisa/Splash News/Corbis

Rhea Perlman

Perlman was nominated for six Golden Globes between 1985 and 1992 for her role as Carla on Cheers -- and she lost every time. Costar Shelley Long fared better, winning two of three times she was nominated for the show. 

More from The Stir: Our 11 Favorite Looks from the 2016 People's Choice Awards (PHOTOS)

celebrities
Cafemom Logo
This is motherhood #nofilter

AboutTermsContactPrivacyPRIVACY SETTINGSSUBMIT A STORY
© 2024 WILD SKY MEDIA.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA
| FAMILY & PARENTING
CAFEMOMMAMÁSLATINAS
LITTLETHINGSMOM.COM
This site is owned and operated by Bright Mountain Media, Inc., a publicly owned company trading with the symbol: BMTM.