10 Oscar winning actors who nailed a supporting role 

Rather than by the amount of screen time, great performances are made memorable by the impression they leave on the viewer. Some of the most impactful performances in the realm of cinema are indeed by actors in supporting roles whose performances were of such power that they sometimes stole the show.

From chilling villains to heartbreaking figures and charming scene-stealers, these performances stand as a reminder of the genuine potential of the supporting role. Whether it be Heath Ledger as a hauntingly unpredictable Joker in The Dark Knight or Viola Davis’s poignant and powerful Fences performance, these actors gave the film not only an artistic soul but a beating heart.

Through intensity, emotional depth, or uncanny transformation, these actors supporting performances were defining moments of their careers. Here is a list of ten Oscar-winning characters who displayed that sometimes the most gripping performances do not need stage time to become memorable.

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1. Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight (2008)

Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is still one of the most memorable performances in cinema history. Famous for his complete dedication to the role, Ledger spent himself fully into the character, maintaining a diary to hone the Joker's unnerving state of mind. As rumors circulated about the effect the role had on his health, his family made it clear that he was extremely proud of what he did. His posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar win made him the second actor, after death, to receive that award, making him etched in history as one of the greatest supporting performances of all time.

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2. Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men (2007)

Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh is one of those performances that revolutionize cinematic villains. His demeanor is calm and unpredictable; his bowl haircut is eerie and unforgettable. Each scene featuring Chigurh feels like a slow-burning nightmare enhanced by Bardem's strangely calibrated performance. The randomness of his killing, aided by his coin-toss philosophy, made it very fearful for the audience to see what he would do next. Some psychologists have even looked at him as a nearly perfect representation of a psychopath.

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3. Mahershala Ali – Moonlight (2016)

The performance of Mahershala Ali is felt in Moonlight as a nurturing drug dealer named Juan, who also serves as the mentor of the main character, the protagonist, in the film. Ali's acting might be short on time, but it creates an emotional core on which the film is built. The performance shows complete nuance and humanity, breaking one of the stereotypical images of drug dealers cinematically. Ali's win made history as he became the first Muslim actor to receive an Academy Award.

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4. Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds (2009)

With his funny criss-cross tones between charm and menace, Christoph Waltz was praised and loathed alike during his role as Colonel Hans Landa. With great fluidity and reality-woven expressionism, he switched between German, English, French, and Italian. He has even put quite a sinister and psychotic twist into Waltz's polite and gentlemanly manner that made him one of Quentin Tarantino's most memorable villains.

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5. Viola Davis – Fences (2016)

Viola Davis's embodying of Rose Maxson was a whirlwind of emotion. She played the part on stage and injected her intense energy into the film. This unceremonious confrontation with Denzel Washington is one of the most poignant moments in the modern canon. Originally, she was a Best Actress contender, but ended up in the Supporting category, where she won her first Academy Award by a significant margin.

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6. Joe Pesci – Goodfellas (1990)

Joe Pesci's performance of Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas is nothing if not unpredictable. His explosive temper and caustic sense of humor make him simultaneously terrifying and delightfully entertaining. The famous "Funny how?" scene was partly improvised, illustrating Pesci's ability to switch from charm to menace on a dime. That tour de force was awarded an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He confirmed his status as a leading man when he reunited with Martin Scorsese for The Irishman (2019).

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7. Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables (2012)

Anne Hathaway’s heart-wrenching portrayal as Fantine in Les Misérables was short, but it made a tremendous and everlasting impact. In the painstaking effort to assume the physicality of her sufferings, Anne Hathaway appears to have dropped a significant amount of weight and shaved her hair right in front of the camera. The rendition of I Dreamed a Dream was filmed in one take in a much more spontaneous manner.

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8. Morgan Freeman – Million Dollar Baby (2004)

The enactment of Eddie "Scrap" Dupris by Morgan Freeman has always been a finer and understatedly moving one. The mentorly wise figure to Clint Eastwood's boxing trainer, he brought warmth and quiet strength to the film. His narration and subtle performance could make him be seen as the emotional backbone of the story. Morgan Freeman not only deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor long overdue but was also recognized for exceptional talent and screen presence.

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9. Lupita Nyong’o - 12 Years a Slave (2013)

In 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'o hauntingly portrayed Patsey with all the sensitivity and strength that define her character. In a deeply tragic performance for her debut feature, she created an unforgettable impression. Nyong'o, an unafraid actress whose raw performances evoke pity as well as admiration, won not only an Oscar but also the history of being the first Kenyan and the first Mexican actress to have received the award.

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10. Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

There was an easy coolness in the portrayal of Cliff Booth by Brad Pitt that was tempered by nuance. Humor was offset against quiet intensity, rendering charm and some mystery to the character. Pitt had an easy depth in his character that resonated with the audience. After years of nominations, this was only the first win for Pitt with an acting Oscar, for Quentin Tarantino's movie, for Best Supporting Actor, and sometimes indeed less is more.