We want to see these queer woman take home some gold!
In the history of the Academy Awards, only one out queer woman has won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jodie Foster. The queer screen legend won the award twice, for both The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, but that was all the way back in 1989 and 1992 respectively. But that won't be true for long. Hollywood is absolutely filled with talented queer actresses who could easily become the next Foster -- all they need is the right role or the right campaign.
This year alone, the two leading Best Actress contenders are queer women, and another strong contender is too. You can't talk about the Academy Awards this year without mentioning Lady Gaga and Kristen Stewart, so it could be that this year is the year to break the curse!
Here are 11 queer actresses who we think have the best chance at becoming the next big winner of the Best Actress Oscar!
1. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is getting lots of Oscar hype for her role in the upcoming Ridley Scott film House of Gucci, and after coming close to winning for 2018's A Star Is Born (she did win the Oscar for Best Original Song, though), fans are dying to see her pick up the big award for her acting!
2. Kristen Stewart
Stewart, the first American actress to win a Cesar Award (the French equivalent of the Oscars), is the other leader in this year's Best Actress race for her frantic and evocative role as Princess Diana in Spencer. It's one of the best performances by any actress in years, and whether or not Stewart wins this year, she's sure to get plenty of nominations throughout her career.
3. Tessa Thompson
Gaga and Stewart aren't the only queer actresses who have a good chance at a nomination this awards season. Tessa Thompson is also garnering strong Oscar buzz for her role in the film Passing, about two childhood friends who reunite in adulthood in 1920s Harlem.
4. Angelina Jolie
Jolie has previously won a Best Supporting Actress award for Girl, Interrupted and was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Changeling. She's one of the most celebrated movie stars in Hollywood, and with her latest role in Marvel Studios' inclusive film Eternals, her career isn't slowing down any time soon.
5. Queen Latifah
Latifah was previously nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Chicago. She's currently starring in The Equalizer on CBS, but it's been a few years since she starred in a movie, so we'd love to see her get back into features.
6. Emma Corrin
Corrin won a Golden Globe for playing Princess Diana in The Crown, and she could definitely get some Oscar buzz for their upcoming film My Policeman. In that movie, Corrin plays the wife of a bisexual policeman played by Harry Styles. They're just at the beginning of their career, so Corrin will be one to watch for a long, long time.
7. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez
After becoming the first out trans actor to get a Lead Actress nomination at the 2021 Emmy Awards, Rodriguez is taking over the world. She's starring in Lin Manuel Miranda's film Tick, Tick... Boom!, and after that, the world is her oyster. Rodriguez can do anything, and that includes winning a Best Actress Oscar.
8. Samira Wiley
Wiley is a four-time Emmy nominee and was the winner in 2018 for Guest Actress in a Drama Series for playing Moira in The Handmaid's Tale. All she needs is the right project to lead, and she'll be a certified movie star. Someone get Wiley in an Oscar-worthy movie now!
9. Sarah Paulson
Paulson is another queer actress who's no stranger to the Emmys and Golden Globes. Could an Oscar be next? So far in her career, she's received seven Emmy nominations and five Golden Globe nominations, winning one of each. She's also been in several Oscar-winning films like 12 Years a Slave and Carol.
10. Evan Rachel Wood
Wood is one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation. She first got Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for her role in the drama Thirteen back in 2003, and since then, has been nominated for two more Golden Globes for her TV work, and three Emmys.
11. Janelle Monáe
Monae should've already gotten nominations for her roles in Moonlight and Hidden Figures, but the Academy ignored her. Next up, she's starring in Knives Out 2, so she could get a nomination for that, but even if she doesn't, she likely has one in her future.
