On Sunday night, Hollywood will celebrate and present the 87th Academy Awards. The nominees this year have given some of the best performances of their careers, but today I want to focus on their accomplishments as Shakespearean actors! Find out which of the acting nominees have Shakespeare included in their bodies of work below!
Michael Keaton (Actor in a Leading Role, Birdman)
Appeared in:
- Much Ado About Nothing (1993) as Dogberry
Eddie Redmayne (Actor in a Leading Role, The Theory of Everything)
Appeared in:
- Twelfth Night (2002, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre) as Viola
- Richard III (2011, Donmar Warehouse) as Richard III
Benedict Cumberbatch (Actor in a Leading Role, The Imitation Game)
Appeared in:
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2001, Open Air Theatre) as Demetrius
- Love’s labour’s Lost (2001, Open Air Theatre) as King of Navarre
- Romeo and Juliet (2002, Open Air Theatre) as Benvolio
- As You Like It (2002, Open Air Theatre) as Orlando
- The Hollow Crown- Richard III (2016, TV mini-series) as Richard III
- The Hollow Crown- Henry VI Park 2 (2016, TV mini-series) as Richard III
Marion Cotillard (Actress in a Leading Role, Two Days, One Night)
Appearing in:
- Macbeth (2015) as Lady Macbeth
Felicity Jones (Actress in a Leading Role, The Theory of Everything)
Appeared in:
- The Tempest (2010) as Miranda
Ethan Hawke (Actor in a Supporting Role, Boyhood)
Appeared in:
- Hamlet (2000) as Hamlet
- Henry IV (2004, Lincoln Center Theater) as Hotspur
- The Winter’s Tale (2009 Stage Production)
- Macbeth (2013, Lincoln Center Theater) as Macbeth
Meryl Streep (Actress in a Supporting Role, Into the Woods)
Appeared in:
- The Taming of the Shrew (1978, Shakespeare in the Park) as Katherine
- Romeo and Juliet (2012, Shakespeare in the Park Staged Reading) as Juliet
*BONUS- Neil Patrick Harris (The host this year!)
Appeared in:
- Romeo and Juliet (1998, Old Globe Theatre) as Romeo
Did I miss someone? Which of these roles is your favorite? Who do you think will walk away a winner on Sunday? Leave a comment and let us know!