HOLLYWOOD, CA—As the winning name for Actor in a Leading Role was called at the Academy Awards this evening, actor Kirk Cameron held his breath and uttered a prayer, having been snubbed for the award for decades.
But to the shock of the crowd, Cameron’s name wasn’t called after all. A gasp emanated from the actors, directors, and film industry elites as Cameron was passed over yet again. It was a competitive field this year, with Bradley Cooper, Viggo Mortensen, Rami Malek, Willem Dafoe, and Christian Bale all facing off against Kirk Cameron for the award. But all industry insiders thought Cameron was “a shoe-in.”
To his credit, though Cameron was visibly disappointed for a split second, he put on a happy face and graciously applauded for the winner, even appearing to say a prayer of blessing for the actor under his breath.
Many speculated this would be the big year for Cameron as he starred in Fireproof Tres: El Fuego, a shot-for-shot remake of Fireproof but set in Mexico. Critics praised the Christian actor’s over-the-top performance, the realism of his fake mustache, his pronunciation of Spanish words like “fuego” and “biblioteca,” and “how hard he rocked his sombrero” throughout the film. The film itself was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, while praise for Cameron’s role was nearly universal among critics and audiences alike.
In years past, Cameron has been considered for his work in Saving Christmas, Left Behind, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, and Left Behind III: Everybody’s Gotta Be Dead by Now. Though all these films won awards for their cinematography, directing, costume design, sound, scores, and more, Cameron was snubbed for a best actor award in all of them. And it looks like that trend is going to continue for at least one more awards season.
Maybe next year, Kirk!
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