Back in October 2020, Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh told Entertainment Weekly that she “went straight from the Midsommar set to do my hair and make-up tests for Little Women,” a remark that illustrates the relentless pace of a breakthrough year. Pugh’s rise in 2019 was driven by striking performances across a variety of films — Fighting With My Family, Midsommar and her Academy Award–nominated turn as Amy March in Little Women — and her experience highlights an often overlooked truth: acting can be emotionally and physically exhausting, particularly for performers who are rapidly building star status rather than already established as megastars.
Despite the widespread acclaim for her work in Midsommar, the Academy nominated Pugh for Little Women alone. This is a familiar pattern: when an actor delivers multiple outstanding performances in one year, awards bodies often recognize a single role rather than the full scope of that year’s work. With only five slots per acting category, tough choices must be made, and occasional anomalies occur — for example, Scarlett Johansson appearing in both Supporting and Lead Actress categories in the same year. But as film histories show, many actors regularly deliver multiple powerful performances across different films in the same year — Michael Stuhlbarg in Call Me By Your Name and The Shape of Water, or Alessandro Nivola in You Were Never Really Here and Disobedience, for instance — so it’s worth considering whether awards could better honor an actor’s overall output in a single year.
With that idea in mind, this article nominates five actors — male and female — who might have been contenders for a hypothetical “Most Extraordinary Overall Output” award at the 2020 Oscars. The list judges performers on the quality and variety of their film work throughout the 2019 calendar year.
Vote for the actor you think should win this hypothetical award in the comments at the end of the article, and tell us who else deserves consideration.
1. Florence Pugh
Movies: Fighting With My Family; Midsommar; Little Women
Florence Pugh’s 2019 was a dramatic breakout. After earlier buzz for Lady Macbeth (2016) and Outlaw King (2018), she captured mainstream attention in Fighting With My Family, bringing warmth and comic timing to a true-life story. Her summer performance in Ari Aster’s psychological horror Midsommar revealed an even wider range: vulnerability, fragile innocence and a terrifying inner strength that anchored the film. In Little Women she delivered a sharply observed Amy March, blending youthful naiveté with a quietly resolute center in a scene-stealing confrontation with Timothée Chalamet’s Laurie.
Across comedy, drama and horror, Pugh demonstrated versatility and emotional precision, making 2019 an unmistakably Oscar-worthy year for an actor who seemed equally comfortable in very different cinematic worlds.
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2. Robert Pattinson
Movies: High Life; The King; The Lighthouse
Once best known for the Twilight franchise, Robert Pattinson has spent the past decade reinventing himself through auteur-driven projects. In 2019 he reached a notable peak. Claire Denis’ High Life showcased Pattinson as an inward, volatile presence in a demanding sci‑fi drama, while Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse found him opposite Willem Dafoe in a visceral, expressionistic thriller where he matched the film’s intensity. His role in Netflix’s The King divided audiences, but together these films underscore a rare evolution: Pattinson consistently choosing complex, risky projects and delivering performances that broaden his range and critical reputation.
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3. Sam Rockwell
Movies: Jojo Rabbit; The Best of Enemies; Richard Jewell
Sam Rockwell has long been a reliably inventive performer, and 2019 continued that streak. His portrayal in Richard Jewell was quietly authoritative, and though the film itself drew controversy, Rockwell’s work remained a highlight. In Jojo Rabbit he balanced comedy and pathos as a conflicted, sympathetic figure, while The Best of Enemies saw him embodying a complex character capable of change. Rockwell’s ability to engender empathy for flawed or unsympathetic figures remains one of his signature strengths.
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4. Scarlett Johansson
Movies: Marriage Story; Avengers: Endgame; Jojo Rabbit
Scarlett Johansson’s 2019 arguably marked a turning point. Her raw, heartbreaking lead in Marriage Story captured the nuances of a dissolving relationship and showcased her dramatic range opposite Adam Driver. In Jojo Rabbit she revealed a softer, more comedic side as a grieving, loving mother, and even in the massive ensemble of Avengers: Endgame she contributed emotional weight—especially in the film’s opening moments, which established the stakes for the entire franchise arc. Johansson’s performances across such different films demonstrate both range and depth.
Honourable mentions:
– Adam Driver: Marriage Story; The Report
– Tracy Letts: Ford v Ferrari; Little Women
– Jonathan Pryce: The Two Popes; The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
– Margot Robbie: Bombshell; Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
– Tilda Swinton: The Souvenir; The Dead Don’t Die; The Personal History of David Copperfield
5. Shia LaBeouf
Movies: The Peanut Butter Falcon; Honey Boy
After a period away from the spotlight, Shia LaBeouf returned in 2019 with two emotionally affecting performances. In The Peanut Butter Falcon he played a gruff but compassionate presence, bringing authenticity and tenderness to a road movie built on human connection. Honey Boy, which LaBeouf wrote based on his own childhood, offered a raw, cathartic performance as his father — a role that doubled as personal reckoning and artistic exorcism. The vulnerability and honesty of his work made LaBeouf’s 2019 a compelling artistic comeback.
These five actors represent a hypothetical set of nominees for an award honoring extraordinary overall output in 2019. Who would you vote for? Which other performers should be included? Share your thoughts in the comments below.