Real (Reel) People Win Oscars: 2013 Edition

When it comes to win an Academy Award, recent years have shown that not any bio-pic performance means a guaranteed nomination, but if you get nominated for your performance playing a real person, then there is a good chance you will win.

Of the past 10 years (20 Lead Actor/Actress winners), 12 of these winners have won for playing real life people. That's 60% of winners since the 2003 ceremony.

• In 2012 Daniel Day-Lewis played Abraham Lincoln and won the Best Actor award (his third Oscar win)
• In 2011 Meryl Streep played the well known British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and won the Best Actress prize (her third Oscar)
• In 2010 Colin Firth played King George VI, stuttering British royalty at the dawn of the radio era and won for Best Actor.
• In 2009 Sandra Bullock played a surprise hero as the Southern mother Leigh Ann Tuohy and won for Best Actress.
• In 2008 Sean Penn played controversial politician Harvey Milk and won the Oscar for Best Actor.
• In 2007 Marion Cotillard played French singer Ediath Piaf and won the Oscar for Best Actress.
• In 2006 Helen Mirren played Queen Elizabeth II and won the Oscar for Best Actress.
• In 2006 Forrest Whitaker played Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and won the Oscar for Best Actor
• In 2005 Reese Witherspoon played country music celeb June Carter and won the Oscar for Best Actress.
• In 2005 Philip Seymour Hoffman played author Truman Capote and won the Oscar for Best Actor.
• In 2004 Jamie Foxx played musician Ray Charles and won the Oscar for Best Actor.
• In 2003 Charlize Theron played prostitute/serial killer Aileen Wuornos and won the Best Actress Oscar.

The non-biopic winners from the past 10 years: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Lining Playbook), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Kate Winslet (The Reader), Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), Sean Penn (Mystic River).

I wouldn't expect 2013 to be different. As a result we can almost plan on either Best Actor Oscar winner or Best Actress winner going to a performer who played in a biographical film as a "Real (Reel) Person."

2013 Real (Reel) People Performances:

• Reel People: Chadwick Boseman is Jackie Robinson
• Reel People: Steve Carrell is John du Pont
• Reel People: George Clooney is George Stout
• Reel People: Benedict Cumberbatch is Julian Assange
• Reel People: Matt Damon is James Rorimer
• Reel People: Judi Dench is Philomena Lee
• Reel People: Leonardo DiCaprio is Jordan Belfort
• Reel People: Chiwetel Ejiofor is Solomon Northup
• Reel People: Idris Elba is Nelson Mandela
• Reel People: Dakota Fanning is Effie Gray
• Reel People: Tom Hanks is Captain Phillips
• Reel People: Tom Hanks is Walt Disney
• Reel People: Chris Hemsworth is James Hunt
• Reel People: Felicity Jones is Nelly Ternan
• Reel People: Michael B. Jordan is Oscar Grant III
• Reel People: Ashton Kutcher is Steve Jobs
• Reel People: Matthew McConaughey is Ron Woodroof
• Reel People: Sean Penn is Mickey Cohen
• Reel People: Daniel Radcliffe is Allen Ginsberg
• Reel People: Channing Tatum is Mark Schultz
• Reel People: Emma Thompson is P.L. Travers

Click the following links to see the previous Real (Reel) People projects from 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007. Or check the reel people archive.