Winning an Oscar is not solely about an actor’s performance. Over the years, the Academy Awards have demonstrated certain recurring trends and strategies that are too loud to go unnoticed. Whether it is a specific type of role, theme, release window, or campaign strategy, the chances of taking a gold statuette home depend on many rules that are not official, but seem to provide a real edge to the nominees, increasing the odds of victory. 

When clever and consistent trends pick a winner, these 7 unspoken rules take over the winning mechanisms at play during the Oscars. 

1. Playing a real person (Biopics get noticed)

The Academy Awards have always had a soft spot for actors who embody real-life magnanimous individuals, especially historical or public figures on screen. Bagging an Oscar for the best actor or film looks foreseeable whenever a biopic stuns the theatres and/or box office alike, for instance, the cases of Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004), Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), or Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017).

Biopic roles tend to be rife with cultural significance, socio-political commentaries, and public awareness, putting forth the movie into the pop cultural map, helping the actor get noticed. They carry a potential to herald change vocally, physically, and emotionally, hence making the films Oscar-worthy.

2. Physical transformation helps

When an actor bodily transforms the way they appear, move, or sound, Oscars tend to sit up and pay attention. Charlize Theron in Monster (2003), Christian Bale in The Fighter (2010), and most recently Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022) all demonstrate that noticeable physical change for a role.

Incredible makeup, high-end costuming, weight loss or gain, and prosthetics are the pillars of complete dedication in the eyes of the Academy, which they appreciate.

3. Roles involving illness or disability are often rewarded

Playing physical or mental illness or disability has a tendency to command powerful performances, and frequently, get noticed by Academy voters as they communicate awareness, dedication, and the emotional range and sensitivity they require. Consider Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (1989), and Julianne Moore in Still Alice (2014). These roles often require emotional depth and technical accuracy in tandem, praised by the Academy often.

4. Timing matters – release films late in the year

It is a big help to open a movie in October, November, or December, i.e., Oscar season, the reason behind it being that these films land fresh in voters’ minds. Studios strategize for maximum exposure at the end of the year so the film’s still fresh and audiences abuzz when nominations are on the table. This has been the case with many winners such as 12 Years a Slave (October), The Revenant (December), and Nomadland (December).

5. Emotional drama over comedy

Historically, dramatic performances win more Oscars than pure comedies. Straight, emotionally charged performances are what typically sweep major Oscar categories for acting. Comedies hardly ever win, as the last overtly comedic Best Actor victory for a comedic performance was Roberto Benigni in Life Is Beautiful (1998). However, tragicomedies or dark comedies like Birdman and Silver Linings Playbook also find their breakthrough, though rarely.

6. Playing a Character Who Suffers or Overcomes Trauma

The Academy appears particularly attracted to actors who sustain suffering, social, physical, emotional, and who end up prevailing or surviving that resonant anguish. Cases in point: Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave, Adrien Brody in The Pianist, and Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. 

7. Campaigning (And studio backing) is crucial

What goes on behind the scenes matters, as back-room campaigns, aggressive marketing, and politics play a crucial role in performance outcomes. For Your Consideration ads, festival openings, special screenings, and press interviews enhance the visibility of the actors and the movies. A notable example would be Miramax’s aggressive Oscar campaigns in the ’90s, which landed top prizes for Shakespeare in Love and The English Patient.

Official academy rules: What you must do to be eligible

While there are no guarantees, certain trends can improve the odds of winning an Oscar. A presumable formula to be an Oscar contender, then, would revolve around real person roles, physical transformation, emotional suffering, or a December release and a strategic campaign. However, official rules do exist to ascertain fair game play.

To be eligible for Oscar consideration, a film has to meet some formal requirements, such as being a feature-length film of more than 40 minutes, meeting a qualifying theatrical run within a commercial theater, and having a minimum of three daily showings. All the technical specs have to be to Academy standards, and submission forms, credit information, and any inclusion or representation forms (for Best Picture) have to be submitted by the respective deadlines.

What do you think about these unspoken rules? Let us know in the comments below!