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For every winner at the glitzy Academy Awards ceremony there’s a small group of disappointed nominees, smiling bravely and quietly putting their acceptance speech back in their pocket. And it’s surprising how many major stars have been nominated multiple times, but have never been winners.

Here are five actors who, despite being among Hollywood’s biggest talents, have never taken home an Oscar.

Sir Ian McKellen

Despite having starred in two of cinema’s most popular and financially successful franchises – as Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings films, and as Magneto in the X-Men movies – Sir Ian McKellen has never won an Academy Award.

He has had a couple of nominations though; in 1999 for his leading role as film director James Whale in biopic Gods And Monsters but he was pipped to the post by Italian Roberto Benigni for his role in Life Is Beautiful). Then in 2002 he was in the running for Best Supporting Actor for The Fellowship Of The Ring but, sadly for him, the award went to fellow Brit Jim Broadbent for his role in Iris Murdoch biopic Iris.

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver is one of cinema’s most successful actors, having made her mark in films such as Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) and its sequels, well-received dramas like The Ice Storm (1997), and hit comedies like the Ghostbusters movies. But, despite all her critically acclaimed roles, she’s never managed to snag an Oscar.

She was nominated for Best Actress for her part as Ripley in James Cameron’s Aliens in 1987, but missed out to Marlee Matlin for Children Of A Lesser God. Two years later she was nominated twice: for Best Actress for her role as naturalist Dian Fossey in Gorillas In The Mist and as Best Supporting Actress for Working Girl, but lost to Jodie Foster and Geena Davis.

Daniel Craig

Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised that Daniel Craig has yet to be even nominated for an Academy Award. Despite the enduring success of the superspy, no actor who has played James Bond has ever been nominated for playing that role. Still, he can at least take comfort in the BAFTA nomination he received for playing 007 in Casino Royale in 2007.

Glenn Close

You’ve got to feel for Glenn Close. She’s co-holder of the record for most Oscar nominations without a single win (along with the late Peter O’Toole) - so far at least. She was first nominated in 1983 for her role in The World According To Garp for Best Supporting Actress and snagged nominations in the same category in 1984 and 1985 for The Big Chill and The Natural.

She’s been nominated for Best Actress an impressive five times for movies including Dangerous Liaisons (in 1989) and The Wife (in 2019), as well as for her role as family matriarch Mamaw in director Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy (2021).

Amy Adams

Amy Adams has been nominated five times for Best Supporting Actress, and once for Best Actress, but so far hasn’t had the chance to make an acceptance speech. Her first nomination was in 2006 for her role in comedy Junebug (she lost to Rachel Weisz) and she was nominated in the same category in 2009, 2011 and 2013 for Doubt, The Fighter and The Master, losing to Penelope Cruz, Melissa Leo and Anne Hathaway respectively.

She got a Best Actress nomination in 2014 for American Hustle, but Cate Blanchett won. Most recently she was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for political drama Vice, in 2019, but was pipped to the post by Regina King.

This article was published in April 2021 and updated to reflect Will Smith's 2022 Oscar win.