MovieChat Forums > The Departed (2006) Discussion > How was Mark Wahlberg the only Oscar nom...

How was Mark Wahlberg the only Oscar nominee?!

posted 9 years ago by Hunter_Logan
17 replies | jump to latest

I just watched the film for the first time, and of course I thought it was fantastic. My big question, however, is how and why Wahlberg was the only one to receive an Oscar nomination for his performance. The acting is top notch all around, and I think DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson all deserved nominations as well, with Wahlberg being a distant fourth among these. Wahlberg just isn't in the movie enough, and when he is, he just swears and insults people a lot - don't get me wrong, he gives a good performance, but it's just nowhere as good or memorable as the other three. And that's not all; he's easily the least liked actor out of the four, at least by the Academy's terms. Nicholson is a legend who has the most nominations of any male in history, DiCaprio is everyone's favorite actor and a multiple nominee himself, and Damon was already an Oscar winner and multiple nominee when the film came out. And since the film won Best Picture, you know the Academy loved it, so why couldn't they have made room for AT LEAST Nicholson? DiCaprio and Nicholson's Golden Globe nominations only add to the argument!
The only reason I can make for DiCaprio is that he had another Oscar worthy performance that same year (Blood Diamond), for which he was nominated for. Damon and Nicholson still stand.

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[–] GavinHeisenberg 9 years ago

Exactly I never understood why he was nominated and Jack and Damon were snubbed

Mark's nomination is up there with Rachel McAdams nomination for Spotlight. One big "Why was that person nominated?"

[–] RynoII 9 years ago

I'm guessing it's because Mark Walhberg has hardly ever done any big epic drama movies, so when he finally does do one, such as this, the Oscar voters were just really overwhelmed by him, because of it, maybe?

And maybe the voters see Jack, Matt and Leo, as more regulars in comparison?

[–] GreenGoblinsOckVenom86 8 years ago

I'm guessing it's because Mark Walhberg has hardly ever done any big epic drama movies, so when he finally does do one, such as this, the Oscar voters were just really overwhelmed by him, because of it, maybe?

Funny you should say that because before this movie was made I'd never even heard of Mark Wahlburg.

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[–] Burk48917 (11356) 6 years ago

Boogie nights

[–] ringgiants 9 years ago

I came on here to ask the same question!

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] moondawg_32304 8 years ago

The answer is in the trivia section. The wanted it to be considered an ensemble piece where no one was put above anyone else.

[–] hubcap18 8 years ago

DiCaprio was nominated for Blood Diamond in the same year, so he got his nomination.

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[–] wilson24 (62) 7 years ago

The studio wanted to push everyone in the supporting category, including DiCaprio, which he refused to do since he is in no way a supporting character. So he refused to campaign at all, and the studio never tried to get him in the lead category. Which I admire him for, because if he had agreed to go supporting he definitely gets in, but takes a nomination away from Mark who was truly supporting. Plus, he was nominated lead for Blood Diamond, so voters just picked that role over this one.

Damon, while great, had a much less showy role. So he was never getting in since Leo, Jack, and Mark all had much louder, showier roles that get more attention.

Jack's performance is actually not universally praised. Lots of people think he was great, but some think his acting was too over the top and not the best of the year.

So Mark just got lucky. This was just the perfect role for him. Playing a wisecracking hard ass, using his hometown accent, lots of one liners and scenes that are comic relief...everything just worked out good for him.

[–] atd8vii (592) 6 years ago

He's Jewish, and the others aren't.

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[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Actually, Wahlberg is better in this movie than DiCaprio or Damon. Those guys have a very common acting style. Wahlberg's was more naturalistic. I'm guessing that's why he was singled out for an award.

[–] noveltylibrary65 (200) 5 years ago

I totally agree. Damon and DiCaprio bug me, I always detect an 'I'm acting' style. Marky Mark (as he will always be known to me) is much more natural imo.

[–] ace2 (570) 6 years ago

Note: Wahlberg was the only one NOT to receive a nom for The Fighter. As the main actor, that had to sting. The universe is in perfect balance.

[–] ecarle (14979) 2 years ago

SPOILERS:

Oscar winner Jack Palance(Supporting; City Slickers) said something that I have come to believe matters the most about Oscar wins AND nominations: "The acting doesn't win, the CHARACTER wins."

And Mark Wahlberg has the best character in The Departed.

Both Leo and Matt have to spend much of the movie being "very very serious"(and downright hysterical in the case of Leo's mole with the mob.) I thought Jack Nicholson was great and central in his role, but not all critics agreed.

This left Marky Mark supposedly "giving a great performance" when actually he was simply given a great character to play: insulting everybody (including great lines like "I'm the guy who's doing his job, you must be the other guy"), "mean" to our hero Leo, figuring out that Matt is the mole FROM the mob, and ultimately being the only one from the main cast to survive AND to avenge Leo.

A great role. But they don't always make it all the way to the win. Wahlberg didn't with this one. You have to pay more dues. Like Sir John Gielgud in Arthur(great character, WIN.) Or Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood(great character, WIN.)

[–] Biggs111Mr (247) a year ago

So so true about the Dignam guy but he was soooo mean u know. I didn't like him at all but his character was a realistic prick so I guess they had to nod him & all other things u mentioned.