It is the best but also the most infuriating time of the year. It’s award season. As March is coming closer, so is the date of the most prestigious award in the movie industry, theOscars. On March 3, the winners of the various categories for the Academy Awards will be announced, but the more important thing right now is the nominees for each category.
On January 23, all the nominees were announced, and one of the most exciting categories left some in shock. The best supporting actress nominations include some impressive names, but someone is missing, and that’sMargaret Qualley. Margaret Qualley’s supporting actress Oscar snub forThe Substanceis arguably among some of the most infuriating entertainment news in 2025, and here’s why.
The Substance
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The Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominations in 2025
With 10 nominations, the epic period dramaThe Brutalisthas made its way into a notable number of categories, and Felicity Jones, who portrays the supporting role of Erzsébet Tóth, is in one of them. Monica Barbaro from the biographical musicalA Complete Unknownand Isabella Rossellini, who stars in the political thrillerConclave, are also Oscar nominees for best supporting actress. Considering what a worldwide success and phenomenon the musical fantasy movieWickedis, it was rather obvious that Ariana Grande would be announced as one of the nominees.
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Furthermore, sinceEmilia Pérezhas scored the most Oscar nominations with an incredible number of 13, it arguably doesn’t come as a surprise that Zoe Saldaña is nominated for her performance as Rita Mora Castro. The high number of Oscar nominations for this movie has caused an uproar sinceEmilia Pérez’scontroversial endinghas initiated a heated discussion, andthe fact that an outstanding performance like Margaret Qualley’s inThe Substancedidn’t receive the recognition that was deserved adds even more fuel to the fire.
Margaret Qualley’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar Snub
Who doesn’t want to see Margaret Qualley’s bubbly personality and big, bright smile on stage at the Academy Awards receiving an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress or at least her name being mentioned as one of the nominees? No matter how huge the desire is, unfortunately, it simply isn’t going to happen. And it is infuriating, to say the least.
Margaret Qualley has been a part of Hollywood for many years now. Being considered a nepo baby, since she is the daughter of Andie MacDowell, it almost feels like a full circle thatthe 2021 drama miniseriesMaid, in which MacDowell and Qualley play the roles of a mother and daughter, was her breakthrough show.Even though 2021 was already a huge year for her, 2024 was an absolute game-changer. As a part ofKinds of Kindness,Drive-Away Dolls, andThe Substance, Qualley showcased her stellar range of acting skills within one year. While all three of the projects are unique,The Substance, which even led toDemi Moore’s first-ever Oscar nomination, certainly stands out.
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Qualley embodies the role of Sue inThe Substance, who is fundamentally a younger version of the main character, Elizabeth. SinceThe Substanceexplores the toxic beauty standards within society and tackles the never-ending chase after youth, having Sue and Elizabeth in juxtaposition causes some intense issues between them. Qualley’s Sue is perfect in the eyes of society, which undoubtedly puts even more pressure on Elizabeth, whose world seems to crumble and, well, age.
Despite the heavy subject matter, Qualley succeeds in delivering a nuanced performance that captures each fiber of this very challenging and equally important narrative. It’s far from easy to bring such real issues to the screen in an authentic and beautiful way while also adding much-needed intensity to it in order to ensure that the underlying message is thoroughly received. Qualley undoubtedly ensures that the viewers are drawn into her character’s world, leaving them in awe of her talent.
‘The Substance’ Scores Five Oscar Nominations
In hopes that this might feel like a plaster on a wound, it is worth a try to mention that Coralie Fargeat’s body horror movieThe Substancescored five Oscar nominations. This certainly doesn’t take away from the fact that Margaret Qualley was robbed of the chance of winning an Oscar, but it is a notable achievement. With nominations in the categories of Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Actress, and Best Director,The Substanceis an impressive Oscar contender.
The success of the movie and the numerous Oscar nominations evoke the hope that there might be aThe Substancesequelat some point in the future. It would definitely be a disturbing yet also enjoyable ride through the even deeper depths of society’s beauty standards. Apart from this, it is soothing to know that Margaret Qualley’s mesmerizing performance inThe Substancehas made her one of the most remarkable actors of her generation, and she really is here to stay.The Substanceis available to stream onMubi.
