The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony isn’t slated to roll out until its new date of April 25, 2021. However, chatter has already begun on who might be up for a nomination. It was recently announced that streaming giant Netflix is gearing up to promote a nominee of their own for the distinctive award.
In a scoop given to Variety, Netflix revealed its decision to campaign actor Delroy Lindo, the star of Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” for lead actor in the upcoming Academy Awards. In the film, Lindo plays Paul, a Vietnam War veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who travels back to Vietnam to search for the remains of his fallen squad leader.
Lindo has been a pillar in film and television for four decades, with more than 40 screen credits. He has also had two career SAG nominations as part of a cast ensemble for his work in “Get Shorty” and “The Cider House Rules.” However, the 67-year-old is an unsung hero despite having standout roles in films like “Malcolm X.”
It may come as a surprise to some, but movies from streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime are still eligible for an Oscar. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to allow any film to be considered for an award as long as it had a minimum seven-day theatrical run in a Los Angeles theater.
However, critics and strategists have mixed feelings about where the actor should campaign for the Oscars. According to the report, many felt the film was more of an ensemble with no definitive lead. The film also stars Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and the late Chadwick Boseman. However, as the movie follows the soldiers on their journey back to the Southeast Asian country, Lindo’s character, Paul, takes center stage with more screen time than his co-stars as the focal point of the story.
Still, his race to an Oscar would be met with some stiff competition. Lindo would be facing off against other Hollywood veterans, including Anthony Hopkins for his role in “The Father,” and Gary Oldman for “Mank.” Both Hopkins and Oldman have taken home the trophy previously. Others are sure to enter the race in the coming months, seeing as preliminary voting doesn’t occur until Feb. 1, 2021.
