Stellan Skarsgård ('Sentimental Value')

It is quite impressive (and a fair bit unfair) that this is the first Oscar nomination for Stellan Skarsgård, the 1951 Swedish actor who has truly made European and American film history. From "The Hunt for Red October" to "The Waves of Destiny" and even appearances in the recent "Dune" saga, the important roles in his career are uncountable and he deserves an Oscar for Joachim Trier's film. The only problem? He also deserves it from his main contender Sean Penn for "One Battle After Another".