If the Best Actor race is just trying to find five worthy nominees, the Best Actress Oscar class for 2025 is a potential bloodbath. And, no, we’re not just talking about potential “The Substance” nominee Demi Moore. At this date, the only guaranteed nom, in theory, is “Anora’s” Mikey Madison. Beyond that, there are a slew of former winners and nominees attempting to make the field.
READ MORE: Best Picture Contenders and Predictions for 2025
Beyond Moore, who will have to campaign from coast to coast like her life depends on it to get members to watch the Cannes favorite, the field also features Venice Best Actress winner and former winner Nicole Kidman for the sexy thriller “Babygirl.” Marianne Jean-Baptiste is looking for her first nomination in 28 years for a spectacular turn in “Hard Truths.” “Maria’s” Angelina Jolie won Supporting Actress in 2000 and is hoping to be Pablo Larrain‘s third Best Actress nominee out of his last four films. Fan favorite Amy Adams could earn her seventh nomination for “Nightbitch” while Saoirse Ronan is going for number five with “The Outrun” (she could also earn it for “Blitz” in the Supporting Actress category). And that leaves us with the “Emilia Perez” quandary.
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Netflix doesn’t want to hear it, but they have a potential category problem on their hands. Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the title character, doesn’t turn up consistently into a good third of the movie. Still, the Best Actress qualification is believable, considering how she is integral to the second half of the film. Zoe Saldana, on the other hand, is in the movie from the beginning. Not only that but a good chunk of the movie is dominated by her perspective. And we’ve already heard feedback from numerous AMPAS members (unprompted, mind you) that Saldana is lead in their eyes. The filmmakers, actresses, and Netflix have decided to race Saldana Supporting, and, as in other years, it may work. But it also may not. And “Emilia” could have two Best Actress nominees or just one. Sometimes, the Actors Branch plays along with the categories actors campaign with. Other times, they do not. It will be curious to see if Netflix can convince them that Saldana, who is the best performance in the movie, in our opinion, is not lead.
But, wait, there’s more.
Waiting in the wings, if they choose to campaign, are industry-respected turns from “Civil War’s” Kirsten Dunst and “Challengers” star Zendaya. There is also former winner Tilda Swinton in “The Room Next Door,” as well as longshots such as “The Last Showgirl’s” Pamela Anderson, “I’m Not Here’s” Fernanda Torres, “We Live In Time’s” Florence Pugh” and 94-year-old underdog contender June Squibb in the art-house hit “Thelma.” In theory, many of these secondary players will fall by the wayside, but to make the five? We’re looking at least nine legit contenders for five slots. Prepare yourselves now. [Posted October 2]

Frontrunners
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Almost There
Nicole Kidman, “Babygirl”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Perez”
Zoe Saldana, “Emilia Perez”**
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Angelina Jolie, “Maria”
Amy Adams, “Nightbitch”
Saoirse Ronan, “The Outrun”
In The Mix
Kirsten Dunst, “Civil War”
Zendaya, “Challengers”
Tilda Swinton, “The Room Next Door”
Longshots
Florence Pugh, “We Live In Time”
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Not Here”
Pamela Anderson, “The Last Showgirl”
June Squibb, “Thelma”
Lily-Rose Depp, “Nosferatu”*
Ryan Destiny, “The Fire Inside”
Kate Winslet, “Lee”
Robin Wright, “Here”*
*Not screened for industry or media by publication
** Potential AMPAS branch category vote