Our Biggest Oscar Snubs

Hector Elizondo, Pretty Woman

Hector Elizondo’s immensely likeable performance in the classic rom-com, Pretty Woman (1990) totaled just 10 minutes, but it was so endearing that it earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Unfortunately his memorable performance as Barney Thompson, the uptight hotel manager with a heart of gold, didn’t make the cut that year at the Oscars. Some argued that Elizondo didn’t have enough screen time to be nominated, but a quick examination of Oscar history proves otherwise. Judi Dench won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her eight-minute performance in Shakespeare in Love (1998), while Beatrice Straight’s six minutes in Network (1976) and Anthony Quinn’s nine-minute turn in Lust for Life (1956), won them both Oscars. And then there was the legendary Ruby Dee, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for her four minutes in American Gangster. Certainly there was room for Elizondo!