The 94th Academy Awards ceremony is set to air on March 27, 2022, celebrating an outstanding year in movies. However, it's usually the case with an awards season that some notable films and performances are left out of the conversation. Sometimes this is due to scandals or controversies, but sometimes it's just plain confusing.

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Over the years, there have been many iconic performances in film that weren't recognized by the Academy. Not every performance in every year can win the big award, but some performances don't even get nominated. These five actors and five actresses are examples of those who deserved recognition from the Oscars.

10 Meg Ryan – When Harry Met Sally

Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally"

When Harry Met Sally released in 1989, featuring two firework performances by Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. At the time, it's possible audiences didn't understand how the Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy would be a game-changer for the genre. However, it's hard to believe that the Academy didn't recognize the film's main talents.

While most people remember her iconic Katz' Delicatessen scene, Meg Ryan should've earned more respect for her portrayal of a heartbroken woman. She also improvised some great comedic moments with the brilliant-as-always Billy Crystal. However, it's comforting to know that Nora Ephron's script received a nomination.

9 John Goodman – Barton Fink

John Goodman as Charlie Meadows in "Barton Fink"

The 1991 Coen Brothers film Barton Fink earned three nominations at the Academy Awards. However, none of those three were for the film's star, John Turturro, or its stand-out performer, John Goodman. In fact, John Goodman has yet to receive any acting nomination at the Oscars, despite a long career giving amazing performances.

While many point to The Big Lebowski and 10 Cloverfield Lane as among Goodman's best roles, none hold a candle to Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink. Goodman imbues the story with the charming, warm personality from his sitcom days. However, that doesn't last long, as Goodman also gets to flex psychotic rage near the film's end.

8 Jim Carrey – Man On The Moon

Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman playing bongos

The late 90s and early 2000s were a golden age for comedic icon Jim Carrey. During that time, he stretched his acting chops in both goofball comedies like Liar Liar, and heart-wrenching dramas like The Truman Show. However, his role as Andy Kaufman in the biopic Man on the Moon should've been an easy award to steal.

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The 1999 film tells the life story of the controversial comedian, and Carrey's performance won him a Golden Globe. There's even a documentary titled Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, covering Carrey's method acting as Kaufman behind-the-scenes. Even Kaufman's former co-stars felt as if they were acting alongside their friend again.

7 Naomi Watts – Mulholland Drive

Naomi Watts as Diane sitting in a diner in "Mulholland Drive"

Naomi Watts has been nominated for Best Actress twice, for 21 Grams and The Impossible. However, her best performance was in David Lynch's 2001 film Mulholland Drive, which earned Best Director at that year's Oscar ceremony. The film is notoriously hard to interpret, but its biggest mystery is the lack of nomination for Watts.

In the film, Watts plays a naive aspiring actress named Betty, imbuing her with an almost absurd level of optimism and determination. However, as the film unravels, viewers get to know the woman truly underneath Betty. The bitterness of Watts' character later in the film is essentially a masterclass in acting in a David Lynch film.

6 Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis

Oscar Isaac as Llewyn Davis performing with a guitar

Oscar Isaac has churned out many great performances in blockbuster franchises like Star Wars and Dune. He's also put the work in smaller, indie art-house films like Ex Machina and At Eternity's Gate. However, his breakthrough role in the Coen Brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis was a missed opportunity for Oscar voters.

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Portraying a fictional folk singer, Isaac flexes both his comedic and dramatic chops, as is the case with a Coen Brothers movie. Isaac also shows off his musical ability, performing everything in the film live. While the film was nominated in Sound categories at the Oscars, Isaac's tremendous performance also deserved some credit.

5 Amy Adams – Arrival

Amy Adams standing in a field in "Arrival"

To this date, Amy Adams has been nominated for an Academy Award six times, mostly in the Best Supporting Actress category. Many film fans thought her moment to shine would come with her starring role in 2016's sci-fi drama Arrival. However, Adams was surprisingly passed up for a nomination she could've easily won altogether.

Arrival stars Adams as a United States Army linguistics expert who discovers how to communicate with aliens. To put it simply, Adams crushes this role as always, fitting in the film's tense atmosphere while also being incredibly empathetic and warm. Hopefully, the actress is able to win her well-deserved Oscar sooner rather than later.

4 Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers

Jennifer Lopez as Ramona talking to Lili Reinhart's Annabelle in "Hustlers"

When Hustlers first premiered in 2019, critics were quick to label Jennifer Lopez as a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actress. In the film, Lopez plays Ramona Vega, a veteran stripper who lures her fellow strippers into a scheme where they scam rich men at bars. Despite her head-turning performance, J-Lo was passed up for a nomination that year.

Alongside the film itself, Lopez's lack of a nomination was disappointing for many film fans hoping to see her take home the Oscar. Lopez balanced her role with emotional gravitas and quick wit and looked good doing it. Hopefully, Lopez is able to wow audiences again with a role that's made of an equal amount of fireworks.

3 Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner sitting in his jewelry store in "Uncut Gems"

Adam Sandler is a wildly underrated actor by the Academy's standards. Despite sticking mostly to screwball comedies, Sandler has turned in some incredible dramatic performances, such as Punch-Drunk Love or Funny People. However, his role in Uncut Gems might be one of the biggest Oscar snubs in recent history.

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While Sandler walked home with an Independent Spirit Award for his role as Howard Ratner, the Academy completely ignored the bone-rattling crime thriller. In the film, Sandler beautifully portrays a jeweler whose gambling addiction leads him to put his life on the line. It's funny, tragic, and exciting all at once, which is rare for any actor.

2 Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods

Delroy Lindo as Paul standing behind a tree in "Da 5 Bloods"

There are countless amounts of actors who gave Oscar-worthy performances in one of Spike Lee's films. The most recent one to get snubbed by the Academy, however, is Delroy Lindo. In Lee's 2020 film Da 5 Bloods, Lindo plays Paul, a war veteran who travels back to Vietnam with his former soldiers to locate the remains of one they lost.

Lindo's performance in this film deserved a showering of awards, though many of the most mainstream ceremonies neglected to nominate him. For any cinema fans with a Netflix account, it's worth it to give Da 5 Bloods a watch. If not to see Lee's excellent directing, then to see Lindo's masterful monologue (you'll know it when you see it).

1 Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza

Alana Haim as Alana Kane in "Licorice Pizza"

Perhaps one of the biggest snubs of 2022's upcoming Oscar ceremony is Alana Haim's starring role in Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza. Alana is mostly known for being one-third of the LA-based rock group HAIM. However, her messy yet charming acting debut (written just for her by PTA) wowed audiences globally.

While many long-time actors get snubbed of Oscars every year, it's rare for a brilliant performance to appear out of thin air. Yet, that's what it felt like to movie fans and critics who saw Alana Haim expertly drive an out-of-gas truck backward. Hopefully, the future of the Academy Awards will have incredible debut performances like this more often.

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