This year’s “Best Supporting Actor” nominees include Christian Bale for The Big Short, Tom Hardy for The Revenant, Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight, Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies and Sylvester Stallone for Creed.
Analysis: For actors Mark Ruffalo and Mark Rylance, the nomination in this category is the reward. A previous Academy Award winner, Christian Bale garnered a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nomination for his role in The Big Short, but failed to be in the running for a Golden Globe. This category is most likely a two man race between Tom Hardy and Sylvester Stallone, with the latter having the edge. Stallone, in addition to his veteran status as an actor, gives one of the best acting performances of his career in Creed, and having won the Golden Globe works in his favor.
