Here we go people, time to award the MAJOR Award for Best Actor. The actor in a leading role who gave us the best performance in 2012!
The nominees are: Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”, Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”, Hugh Jackman, “Les Misérables”, Ewan McGregor, “The Impossible”, and Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”.
Click through to see which of these fine actors took home the Leg Lamp!
Daniel Day Lewis, “Lincoln”
Spitting image of Abraham Lincoln isn’t he? No known recordings of Lincoln exist… but I swear, that’s exactly what he sounded like. Yes, as far as I’m concerned… and I haven’t heard anyone disagree yet… Daniel Day-Lewis absolutely brought Abraham Lincoln to life onscreen. He sounded exactly like him, looked exactly like him and acted exactly like him. Even though we have little to actually compare this performance to, everyone who’s seen it would swear, “Yeah, that’s exactly him”.
But it’s not just the amazing accuracy of his impersonation that makes his performance so astonishing. It’s that during the course of this amazing biographical portrayal he puts on an amazing performance. While he’s pretending to be someone we all already have a vision of, he’s also putting on an incredible performance on top of keeping the persona in place. His Lincoln is weary, but resolute. Funny. Soft spoken… most of the time. He’s a charismatic leader, but he’s also worn from the turmoil of his time in office. He’s driven by ideals, but grounded in the reality of what needs to be done.
Daniel Day-Lewis makes sure we get all of that, and he makes it seem effortless.
The others were great as well. Cooper portrayed a genuinely off-balanced character, who managed to get us cheering for him anyways. Hugh Jackman sings his heart out and puts his all into the classic character of Jean Valjean, to great results. Ewan McGregor convincingly portrays a man who’s been put through an overwhelming ordeal and survived, only to face the horror of possibly having lost his family. And Joaquin Phoenix brings Freddie Quell into being… a character so unique, bizarre and off-kilter that anyone who watches “The Master” will likely never forget him.
But none of them compared to Daniel Day-Lewis, who took our collective vision of a historical personage and brought it to life in a completely believable way in “Lincoln”.
Daniel Day-Lewis, the FMR MAJOR Award winner for Best Actor, 2012
Fogs' Movie Reviews 
Fogs, from the movies I saw this year, Daniel Day-Lewis was the right choice. He dominates every scene, but in such a subtle way. He doesn’t speak up very often, so when he does, people listen. It’s an intriguing performance because playing the legend known as “Lincoln” seems impossible, yet he pulls it off.
Yeah, exactly Dan. No scenery chewing here at all. He plays the part perfectly.
I think the reason he “dominates every scene” is because his performance is si damn riveting, you can’t take your eyes off of him! 🙂
Seems like a shoo-in for Oscar. He’ll be the only male actor to have won three. He’s currently the only non-American to have won two. The others well, Actors in a musical are rare. If you don’t count Crazy Heart, then you have to go back to the 60’s. Bradley Cooper plays a wacko and Joaquin is one. Kinda eliminate each other. I thought you might of liked Ewan for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen? But not many saw that one. DDL is a genuine stand out this year. Good pick going with the favorite!
I haven’t seen “Salmon Fishing”… Just to be on same page, I had McGregor up for “The Impossible”. He was great there, but Day-Lewis was legendary.
Meanwhile, I’m sure DDL is a lock for the Oscar this year. Just like Harhaway, I’d be really really shocked if the statuette goes to anyone else!
I was expecting this result man. I remember you praising him very highly a short time ago. Nice one
Thanks Mark. Yeah, it’s hard to deny he was the best this year, thus it was hard to keep it on the down low that he’d be the one winning here. 😉
Yep! 100% agree! Well played old chap!
Ha! Lol… I’m not that old… 😉
Glad you agree Keith, I think we saw a lot of the same things, acting wise… There’s a lot of similarities to our awards posts in this regard. 🙂
He was good but when he wins it will be so boring. I love it when someone unexpected wins hence I’m rooting for Cooper who was so awesome in SLP.
Hah!!! You’re right, it WILL be safe and predictable…
But if you’re rooting against safe and predictable, why not go all the way and root for Joaquin Phoenix? I mean, who knows what that whack-a-do would do? Lol 😀 😮
The obvious choice but the right one! I’ve not seen all of the others you nominated but DDL was unbelievable. Fully expect him to pick up the Oscar, I think it’ll be a huge shock if he doesn’t.
Yeah, it would be an injustice, for sure.
I didn’t WANT to make the safe play, but it’s plainly the right call. DDL made it crystal clear who was this years best.
The other noms are good, but Lewis IS Lincoln. Easy choice; nice.
Yup. A slam dunk. I cant make up my mind if I’d like more no-brainers like this each year or less of them. Let’s me off the hook, but on the other hand, doesn’t feel like a lot of work. LOL
Exactly what I came to expect after hearing people discussing Lincoln! It’s not long now until I will have a chance to actually judge him for myself 🙂
Cool. Hope we didnt all raise your expectations so much that you’ll hate it now! LOL 😉 Nah just kidding, DDL is great, you’ll see.
I think the sheer volume of positive reviews suggest that I will enjoy it! Haha.
I didn’t see it because it turned out to be less ‘history’ history or personal history and mostly political history about a certain political event. This translates to ‘boring’ in my brain. But I admit that DDL was the perfect casting for the part. He almost looks more like Lincoln than Lincoln did, if you get my meaning.
You’re pretty far off on the “boring” part. Kudos to Spielberg for keeping it light AND intriguing. It has an unexpected amount of humor, plus it’s pratty riveting for a movie that could very easily be stuffy, boring debates, history lessons etc.
Great flick, you should give it a chance!
Good as everyone else was, Day-Lewis really was in a whole different league all his own. Definitely the best performance of the year.
Seriously, I almost felt bad for the other actors… The first person I though of after leaving Lincoln was Joaquin Phoenix… how he must have saw that and thought *%$&!! LOL. Although, he doesnt care about awards right? LOL. Sure…
Nice pick. DDL is one of my favorite actors and I would say this is one of his strongest performances. The only other performance as good as his this year is Joaquin Phoenix’s in The Master.
Yeah, I’m thinking that as of right now at least, this might go down as DDL’s “Signature Role”. Not to say its his best (thats another debate), but it may just become his most remembered.
Not much to say other than “Fantastic Choice!”
I know. Imagine a bizarro world where DDL stars in “That’s My Boy” and Sandler stars in “Lincoln.” (Shutters).
Ohhh! My God! What is WRONG with you man?
LOL, although I did just picture Lincoln with a bad Boston accent, and “That’s my Boy” becoming a dramatic movie with legitimate heft. 😀 Funny, man.
What can I say, I’m a sick man.
Fah scah and seven yars agah….
😀 HA! Still sick, but definitely funny.
Great choice. Looks like he’ll pick up his 3rd Oscar in Feb.
Yeah, I cant see anything standing in his way.
Another excellent choice.
Thanks dude. Appreciate the support!
Well-deserved! Cooper was fascinating as well.
Yeah, they were all really good. I mean, if we took DDL out of the equation, I’d still have a tough time picking. It would be down to Phoenix probably for the Master, for me, but I thought McGregor was incredible in “The Impossible”, too!
Good man.
LOL. Had to, right? It was the only way to go. 😉
Hail to the chief! A great and appropriate choice. I am so glad u loved this one so much. He was amazing and you are right, he sounded exactly like that!
LOL. As if any of us would know, right?
But yeah, I think he did too. 🙂
Yep, DDL is the man to beat here. Will be great to see him be the first 3-time Best Actor winner next month.
I think he’s a lock too. Makes me feel a bit sad for the other four… who all put forth award calibre performances this year, as well. One day we’re going to look back and be like “How the hell did Joaquin Phoenix NOT wind best actor for “The Master”? Then we’re going to imdb the awards that year and think, Oh. LOL
I am sorry but I would have to disagree. I think Joaquin Phoenix gave the best performance by an actor in the last 20 years. It’s easier for people to identify with the character of Lincoln that DDL portrays because practically everyone has been conditioned to have some fond emotional response to the character subconsciously. I mean all the history books and media basically portray president lincoln as some sort of hero (which he was…kind of) who stood up for human equality. It’s not so hard to see why then critics and moviegoers have a bias towards the character of president
lincoln before they even watch the movie which then they project onto Daniel day Lewis. That’s not to say that Daniel Day Lewis does not deserve the praise (he was outstanding). However when you compare that to Joaquin Phoenix’s character portrayal of Freddy Quell in the Master, he was not likeable and had little character redemption arc. In the end of the film he has not changed. I guess people prefer to jump on the hype bandwagon with DDL performance instead of looking at the who does the best acting.
Wellllll, now Pete. You ended that a little unfailry, didn’t you? I mean, I had Phoenix nominated, so obviously I saw his role in “The Master” and put him up for consideration here.
Dont you think I thought about him and weighed his performance against Day-Lewis’?
Little offended by the fact you think I just jumped on the “hype bandwagon”…
Oh no I did not mean you specifically, please don’t take it as a attack on your choice. I like that you put him for consideration on your list unlike the snub by the SAG awards.
No problem Pete, I gotcha. 😉