Should have been Louis Gossett Jr.'s Second Oscar
He had already won an Oscar for his role in "An Officer and a Gentleman", but this role in "Enemy Mine" should have nabbed his second one.
I think it took a lot of talent to become an alien like that. He nailed it so perfectly. Especially since he was projecting his character so well from beneath all that makeup. Every Emotion shone through. Not many actors can do that.
However, I know that there's usually a bias when it comes to Science Fiction and Fantasy movies and that there aren't too many that are nominated for Oscars in terms of Acting, Direction and Film. Most of the time, Science Fiction falls into the categories of Special Effects, Makeup, Sound and other Technical Categories. Most in the Academy don't feel that it also takes great Acting to make these films too.
Louis Gossett Jr. got shorted in this one.