When nominations for the 84th annual Academy Awards are announced tomorrow, many will be curious as to which leading ladies will secure nods for Best Actress. Perennial nominee Meryl Streep will almost certainly earn what will be her 14th nomination in the category for her role in The Iron Lady. Viola Davis, Streep's co-star from 2007's Doubt, is a good bet to be recognized for her performance in The Help. Rooney Mara (The Girl with the the Dragon Tattoo), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), and Glenn Close (Albert Knobbs) could also make the short list.
But despite Streep being the early frontrunner, the actress and performance to keep an eye on is Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn. Over the past ten years, Williams has slowly built a reputation as one of the best and most interesting young actress making movies today. After moving on to the big screen (after her run on TV's Dawson's Creek) Williams has graduated from lightweight fare like 1999's Dick, to high profile roles in Brokeback Mountain and Shutter Island. Williams has been even better served by parts in smaller, independent films that have earned her both rave reviews and critical awards. Previous work with highly respected filmmakers -- including Wim Wenders in Land of Plenty and Charlie Kaufman in Synecdoche, New York -- has given Williams tremendous credibility as a serious actress who is always improving in her craft and very discriminating in the roles she chooses.
Along the way, the 31 year old has been rewarded with nominations for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress (Wendy and Lucy), the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress (Brokeback Mountain), and BAFTA's Rising Star Award. And just last year, Williams broke through with an Oscar nomination for Blue Valentine, in which she delivers an emotionally intense performance as Cindy, one-half of a young couple whose marriage is slowly disintegrating.
It was just the kind of performance Williams has been steadily earning her stripes with. In a career similar to that of 90s indie darling Jennifer Jason Leigh, Williams was been praised for both her intense, uninhibited performances and the raw sexuality she brings to the screen. The latter quality served Williams well in My Week with Marilyn, as she disappears into the persona of America's greatest sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe.
Williams' age will also likely play in her favor on Oscar night. Since 2000, Helen Mirren and Sandra Bullock are the only over-40 actresses to win the Best Actress Award.
A third Oscar nomination for Williams tomorrow will, in the minds of many, elevate her past the likes of Theron, Amy Adams and Anne Hathaway, and put her on par with Kate Winslet as THE top young actress in Hollywood. At the least, her increasingly impressive resume, along with her beauty, and a well-timed marketing push (check out her spread in GQ magazine) have Michelle Williams feeling like the odds-on favorite to upset Streep and take home the Best Actress statuette.
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