<p id=”par-1_63″>The biggest night in Hollywood is here. Yes, it’s finally time for the 2024 <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/academy-awards/”>Academy Awards</a>. As the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-harry-meghan-markle-risk-lot-going-oscars-even-skip-awards-show-expert.html/”>red carpet starts filling up with familiar faces</a> and the ceremony gets underway, here’s a look at the five stars nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, from <em>Oppenheimer</em>’s Cillian Murphy to <em>Rustin</em>’s Colman Domingo. Hint: They’re all no more than 11 years apart. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-best-actor-nominee-bradley-cooper-is-49-years-old”>Best actor nominee Bradley Cooper is 49 years old</h2>
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<p id=”par-2_32″>First up is <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/bradley-cooper/”>Bradley Cooper</a>, who is nominated for his portrayal of composer Leonard Bernstein in <em>Maestro</em>. The multihyphenate — he’s an actor, director, writer, and producer — is 49 years old. </p>
<p id=”par-3_48″>Born on Jan. 5, 1975, Cooper celebrated his birthday almost two months to the day before the 96th Academy Awards. He also takes the no. 3 spot on the list of the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/oscar-nominee-highest-net-worth-year.html/”>2024 Oscar nominees with the highest net worth</a> with an estimated fortune valued at $120 million. </p>
<p id=”par-4_45″>Cooper’s no stranger to being in the Oscars’ best actor category. He’s been up for the award three times. First for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/bradley-cooper-asked-jessica-biel-silver-linings-playbook.html/”><em>Silver Linings Playbook</em></a> in 2012. Then 2014’s <em>American Sniper,</em> followed most recently by 2018’s <em>A Star Is Born</em>, which he also produced and directed. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-2024-academy-award-best-actor-nominee-colman-domingo-is-54″>2024 Academy Award best actor nominee Colman Domingo is 54</h2>
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<p id=”par-5_39″>Next is Domingo, who is 54 years old. The actor-producer-director is up for best actor at the Oscars following his performance in <em>Rustin</em>. The Netflix original film, which centers around civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, debuted in November 2023. </p>
<p id=”par-6_45″>While this is Domingo’s first Academy Award nomination it’s not his first-ever major award nomination. He also received nods in the best actor category for his <em>Rustin</em> performance at the BAFTA Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards (via <a href=”https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231458/awards/?ref_=nm_awd” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>IMDb</a>). </p>
<p id=”par-7_18″>Domingo previously <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/emmys-2022-winners.html/”>won a 2022 Emmy</a> for a guest-starring role on <em>Euphoria</em>. (<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/colman-domingo-cried-learned-emmy-nomination.html/”>The nomination brought him to tears</a>). </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-best-actor-nominee-paul-giamatti-is-56-years-old”>Best actor nominee Paul Giamatti is 56 years old</h2>
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<p id=”par-8_26″>The nominees in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category continue with Paul Giamatti. Born on June 6, 1967, the actor-producer-director is 56 years old. </p>
<p id=”par-9_28″>He is nominated for his performance in Alexander Payne’s <em>The Holdovers</em>. In it, Giamatti plays a grumpy high school teacher Paul Hunham stuck spending the holidays with students. </p>
<p id=”par-10_21″>This is Giamatti’s first Oscar nomination since 2005 when he received a nod in the supporting actor category for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/russell-crowe-shared-starring-cinderella-man-helped-control-temper.html/”><em>Cinderella Man</em></a>. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-academy-award-best-actor-nominee-cillian-murphy-is-47″>Academy Award best actor nominee Cillian Murphy is 47</h2>
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<p id=”par-11_48″>Born on May 25, 1976, Murphy is 47 years old. He’s nominated for his<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/robert-downey-jr-felt-cillian-murphy-looked-like-didnt-exist-oppenheimer.html/”> performance in Christopher Nolan’s <em>Oppenheimer</em></a>, which is <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/2024-oscars-celebrity-psychic-predicts-winners-losers.html/”>predicted to be a big winner</a>. The film has the most Oscar nominations at 13, with <em>Poor Things</em> and <em>Killers of the Flower Moon</em> following at 10. </p>
<p id=”par-12_36″>The <em>Peaky Blinders</em> alum has already won multiple awards for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer. Murphy’s already won in the best actor category not only at the SAG Awards but also at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. </p>
<p id=”par-13_18″>However, it will be his first Academy Award win if he takes home the Oscar for best actor. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-academy-award-best-actor-nominee-jeffrey-wright-is-58″>Academy Award best actor nominee Jeffrey Wright is 58</h2>
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<p id=”par-14_36″>Last but not least is <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jeffrey-wright-net-worth.html/”>Jeffrey Wright</a>. The actor-producer is 58 years old, meaning he is the oldest — by two years — in the best actor category. (The aforementioned Murphy is the youngest at 47).</p>
<p id=”par-15_27″>Wright’s nominated for his performance in <em>American Fiction</em> as Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, a frustrated novelist who jokingly writes a book only to see it become a success. </p>
<p id=”par-16_26″>The <em>Westworld</em> alum’s already received nominations and wins for <em>American Fiction</em>. However, if he takes home the Oscar, it will be his first Academy Award win. </p>
<p id=”par-17_13″>The Oscars air on ABC at 7 p.m. EST on March 10, 2024.</p>