Andrew Scott arrived at the Telluride Film Festival as the star of Simon Stone’s Elsinore, positioning himself as a front-runner for the best actor Oscar, The Irish Times reported. The film centers on Ian Charleson, the Scottish actor best known from Chariots of Fire, as he prepares to take over from Daniel Day-Lewis in Richard Eyre’s 1989 staging of Hamlet at the National Theatre in London.
Andrew Scott emerges as awards frontrunner
Reviewers offered warm praise for Scott’s performance in the mortality-focused drama. Dave Calhoun wrote in Screen Daily that Andrew Scott triumphs as Ian Charleson,
while Variety stated he delivered an astonishingly layered and moving performance.
Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter revised his hypothesis following the world premiere in Telluride, moving away from John Malkovich, star of Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, as the clear front-runner. Bookmakers currently list Malkovich and Scott as joint favorites at 11/8, and awards site Next Best Picture shows nine contributors favoring Malkovich and six backing Scott.
Actor critiques media terminology during awards season
Scott, born in 1976, made his screen debut in Cathal Black’s 1995 film Korea and gained worldwide attention in the BBC series Sherlock in 2010. During the 2024 Oscar season, Scott remarked on media terminology, stating, I’m going to make a pitch for getting rid of the phrase ‘openly gay’,
adding that it is an expression heard only in the media. Publications including The Guardian and The Independent subsequently discussed historical milestones regarding potential acting winners.
Questions About the Upcoming Ceremony
Who are the current joint favorites for the best actor Oscar?
John Malkovich for Wild Horse Nine and Andrew Scott for Elsinore share joint odds at 11/8 according to bookmakers following festival premieres.
How many performances did Ian Charleson complete in the 1989 National Theatre production?
Ian Charleson managed 24 hugely praised performances in Richard Eyre’s staging of Hamlet before illness from AIDS overcame him.
When was Andrew Scott’s screen debut?
Scott made his screen debut in Cathal Black’s 1995 film Korea, establishing a career spanning a quarter of a century before his casting in Elsinore.
The most common practice over the years has been for the previous year’s winner of best actress to present that ceremony’s best-actor award, which could involve Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet star Jessie Buckley passing the statuette.