# 10 iconic 1970s performances that should have been Oscar-nominated

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/10-iconic-1970s-performances-that-should-have-been-oscar-nominated/
- Published: 2026-11-02T00:07:54+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-1970s-performances-should-have-been-oscar-nominated/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- The 1970s Oscars recognised many strong performances, but some were overlooked.
- Vanessa Redgrave’s role in *The Devils* is cited as a striking snub.
- Warren Beatty and Robert Redford also had performances the article says deserved recognition.

## Summary

The article argues that, despite the Academy’s strong record of recognising 1970s acting, the decade’s wealth of excellent films still left notable performances without Oscar nominations. It presents these omissions as examples of work whose value became clearer over time, including roles that challenged actors’ familiar screen personas.

Among the examples discussed are Warren Beatty’s vulnerable, image-subverting role in a Robert Altman film, Vanessa Redgrave’s darkly comic and unsettling performance in Ken Russell’s *The Devils*, and Robert Redford’s portrayal of a lawyer turned political candidate in *The Candidate*. The article also notes that Redford won Best Picture and Best Director for *Ordinary People*, but received only one acting nomination in his career, for *The Sting*.

## Coverage

- [Far Out: 10 iconic 1970s performances that should have been Oscar-nominated](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-1970s-performances-should-have-been-oscar-nominated/)
- [Far Out: 10 iconic 2000s performances that should have been Oscar-nominated](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-performances-2000s-snubbed-by-the-oscars/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.