Best Actor Oscar race expected to feature big names but just one clear favorite

Can anybody stop Daniel Day-Lewis?

The two-time Oscar winner has swept way through award season for his turn as the nation’s 16th President. The strength of Day-Lewis’ performance in “Lincoln” has not only made him the one man to beat but according to the Oscar experts at Gold Debry.com, he could very well help the film across the board.

Playing the Great Emancipator was no doubt a challenge as no video or audio recordings exist to show what Lincoln really sounded like during his life. However that hasn’t stopped Day-Lewis from creating what many feel to be an very accurate representation. It also a major reason why he may just have his third win all sewn up.

Filling out the other four slots will probably be actors who have entered the race before in Day-Lewis’ frontrunner seat and any other year could be the favorites themselves. According to the same poll results “The Master’s’ Joaquin Phoenix is considered to be among the most logical choices, but his past rant against the Oscars and the whole award season in general may have scared off supporters.

As a result those voters may go the more traditional route and looked to tap Bradley Cooper for “Silver Linings Playbook” and Hugh Jackman for “Les Miserables.” For both men this would be their first date with Oscar, but for Jackman it wouldn’t be his first time in starring role at the big show. The “X-Men” star has in the past hosted film’s biggest night and had breakout moments in subsequent years.

Award season veterans Denzel Washington and Anthony Hopkins could also make the cut for their roles in “Flight” and “Hitchcock.” Of the two, it’s likely only one would get the nod and at the moment the latest polls show Washington leading that race. Hopkins performance as Alfred Hitchcock has been well-received, but it hasn’t gotten the award season bounce many were expecting. Washington is a constant Oscar force and voters may decide to have Hopkins’ co-star Helen Mirren represent “Hitchcock” and have Washington get the nod for “Flight.”

Just as his “Winter Bone” co-star Jennifer Lawrence is likely to repeat in the Best Actress category, John Hawkes is also a favorite to repeat as a nominee as well. Hawkes and Jennifer Lawrence both broke through last year for “Winter’s Bone” and now with his performance in “The Sessions,” Hawkes could jump from the supporting to the lead actor race as his career continues to climb.

So what’s your take New York? Which actors do you think could get nominated? Hit the comments and let us know. Remember, don’t forget to subscribe to this column for all of the latest news about the 2013 award season.