The 97th Academy Awards are happening this Sunday, March 2, and one of the award categories I am personally most excited about is Best Actress in a Leading Role. There are tons of talented women who are up for this category who all deserve the award. Let’s take a look at each film and actress who is nominated for the Oscar in this category.
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Erivo’s performance in Wicked was everything and more. She completely shined in her role as Elphaba, showing every emotion that she felt. Her vocals were unmatched, hitting some of the hardest notes during Gravity and left theaters full of musical-loving fans in tears (I was one of them). I think she has a good chance of winning this award. This is the second time Erivo has been nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. She was previously nominated for her role in Harriet Tubman back in 2020.
Streaming: Fans can stream Wicked on Amazon Prime Video and AppleTV, which both offer free trials to new subscribers.
Karla SofÃa Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Gascón is the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role. However, her chances at winning could potentially be jeopardized as the actress has stirred up controversy online after deleted posts from the actress resurfaced where she made comments about Muslims, George Floyd, and diversity at the Oscars.
Gascón issued an apology through Netflix, per NBC News, stating, “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt.”
“As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness,” she added.
We’ll have to tune into the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, to see if this will affect the actress’s chance of winning this award.
Streaming: Fans can stream Emilia Pérez on Netflix.
Mikey Madison – Anora
This is the first time Madison has been nominated for an Oscar. The actress portrayed Ani in Anora, which was released on October 18, 2024. When speaking with Jennifer Hudson, Madison explained that she had to do a lot to prepare for the role. “I had to speak Russian in the film, which wasn’t a language that I previously spoke, so I had to quickly try to learn that,” she said. Madison also noted that she had to teach herself how to have a Brooklyn accent and learn how to dance. Given everything she had to train herself for to play this role, I’d say she deserves the Academy Award.
Streaming: Fans can stream Anora on AppleTV, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Demi Moore – The Substance
Speaking of first-time nominees, Moore secured her first Oscar nomination at 62 years old for her role as Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance. Moore won a Golden Globe for her transformative performance in this film, so it’s only right that she also scored her first Academy Award as well.
Streaming: Fans can stream The Substance on Amazon Prime Video, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Torres gave a breathtakingly beautiful performance in I’m Still Here. She portrayed Eunice Paiva, a wife whose husband disappeared. She fights to find the former PTB Deputy, all while trying to keep her family together. She also won a Golden Globe for her performance in the film.
Streaming: Fans can stream I’m Still Here on AppleTV, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Published: Feb 26, 2025 04:05 am