The upcoming 2019 Oscars will be one to remember, with fans desperately trying to make sense of the winners and losers. In one of the biggest upsets in recent Oscars history, BAFTA award-winner Tom Holland took home the prize for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Ronald Hobbes McQueen, a disabled war veteran who struggles with his mental health and social barriers when adjusting to post-war living in 1960s England. The performance was widely praised, winning Holland the Best Actor trophy at the 91st Academy Awards on March 4th.
Meanwhile, Robert Pattinson, who was nominated for Best Actor for his role as an escaped convict in the thriller Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, didn’t win his big-budget prestige project, instead taking home the prize for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the titular character in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The decision was criticised by many, who said that Pattinson’s performance was overshadowed by actor and fellow nominee Robert De Niro’s brilliant portrayal of the tyrannical newspaper tycoon H.R. Hogg. But the accolade did make Pattinson an acting favorite, boosting his CV and putting him in front of a wider audience.
While these two iconic figures may have impressed with their award-winning performances this year, they are actually direct contrasts in almost every way. Where Holland is taciturn and unsocial, Pattison is loud and expansive. Where Holland is reserved, Pattinson is boisterous. Where Holland is intellectual, Pattinson is emotional. The only thing the two have in common is their name.
And, if recent box office results are anything to go by, America has clearly sided with the larger-than-life Pattinson, who has scored massive success with his portrayal of a character more often associated with heartache than heartwarming scenes. In fact, the most recent box office results suggest that Pattinson’s portrayal of the iconic Twilight character has even surpassed the audience numbers of the three films that made up the original Twilight Saga.
So, who will win the movie battle between the taciturn Holland and boisterous Pattinson? We think it’s pretty clear who will emerge on top in this particular contest. While we couldn’t predict with any certainty who would win the acting prize on the night of the Oscars, there are a number of factors that point to Holland as the overwhelming favourite.
Stature Vs. Personality
At six feet three inches, Holland is the biggest actor in the competition. Whether it’s leading men in contemporary films or classic Hollywood epics, Holland always stands out as the tallest actor in the room. His towering frame makes him a formidable presence on-screen and, at times, off-screen. Though he is naturally quiet, Holland has the presence of mind to let his acting do the talking.
On the other hand, at six feet one inch, Pattinson is the second-tallest actor in the competition. While his height isn’t the only thing that stands out about Pattinson, his expansive nature is on full display when compared to Holland’s more reserved acting style. As Scottie’s (Pattinson’s) girlfriend Lainey (Marley), put it in an interview, “He’s so gentle and sweet and modest… Tom Holland is so intimidating.”
Holland is a well-established star, while Pattinson is largely a newcomer to the big-screen. Aged 23 at the time he played Scottie, Pattinson has already racked up an impressive body of work, with roles in critically acclaimed films including The Favourite and Mulholland Drive.
Holland’s acting is admired for its realism, while Pattinson’s is hailed for its emotional heft. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Holland said of his craft, “I want my characters to live and breathe, and for the audience to feel something. Whatever it is, if I can get behind the scenes and find a way to connect with my characters, then I know we will have succeeded…I always want the audience to go home with a smile on their faces…I firmly believe that acting is a form of therapy, and it can be cathartic to shed your true self and dive into another character.”
The two have never played characters that are exact opposites, with each being a complete contrast to the other. It was clear from the outset that Holland and Pattinson would have dramatically different styles and that this would be showcased in their acting. While their characters are polar opposites, they have many things in common, such as the way they are perceived by others – especially when they first meet. In Robin Hood, for example, the archers who shoot at the Sheriff of Nottingham recognize him as a man of means, while Scottie witnesses Holland’s quiet nobility. This is something they share with William Talbot (Pattinson’s McQueen character), who is introduced to a room of guests as “the crown’s next worst nightmare.”
Talented Vs. Unfocused
Perhaps the most important factor that points to Holland as the overwhelming favorites is that he is much more talented than Pattinson. Although both actors have a wealth of experience, Holland’s track record is much more impressive. The actor has delivered critically acclaimed performances in several high-profile films, while Pattinson’s work has received less praise, with only one or two high-profile performances to his name.
It’s well-documented that the pair have very different acting methods. Known for his close-knit acting groups and extensive preparation, the 51-year-old Robert De Niro – who directed both Holland and Pattinson – has spoken often about the differences in their approaches. “With Tom, we did all the talking,” De Niro said of his experience with Holland, as quoted in Vanity Fair. “We didn’t have to say a word. He would just do the job.”
Pattinson has spoken about his preparation for McQueen, explaining that he read the script “a couple of times, maybe a third time. I went through it line by line, scene by scene, shot by shot, and basically memorized it.” He continued, “I wanted to find the humanity in the role, and all the characters that McQueen portrays, even the villains, have some humanity in them. So for me, this was a really nice challenge to play a character that is almost completely opposite of myself. And I think it made me a better actor, line by line, scene by scene, learning what not to do and how to do it differently.”
Holland has said of his preparation for McQueen, “I started watching documentaries about the Great Depression. I wanted to understand poverty and its intersection with mental illness – how they interact with each other and how they affect people.” The actor went on to cite Martin Luther King Jr. as his spiritual guidance, saying, “He showed me the value of understanding my own biases and prejudices. In a nutshell, he taught me to love my enemy, to embrace the ‘unwanted’ and to find the good in people.”
The preparation and attention to detail that both Holland and Pattinson put into their roles is remarkable, with De Niro dubbing the pair as “two great gunslingers.” The depth of their research and the respect they show for their roles is evident in everything from their physicality to their delivery. When asked about his portrayal of William Shakespeare in the 2005 film Shakespeare in Love, Pattinson said, “I tried to be as true to Shakespeare as possible; in some scenes, I had to take a page from his book…[but] I never claimed to be completely authentic.”
So, what does all this mean? Ultimately, it means that Holland is the overwhelming favorite to take home the Best Actor prize at the 91st Academy Awards. Though it might not be easy to predict which actor will walk away with the trophy on the night of the Oscars, it is clear that Holland has what it takes to dethrone Pattinson as King of the box office.