Oscar Nominated Actresses in Nude Scenes: Who Has and Hasn't Done Them?

Do the Oscars award actresses that have done nude scenes or not? Well, I'd almost argue that for 2010 nude scenes aren't in, seeing as how an actress known for doing nude scenes, Julianne Moore, wasn't nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her phenomenal performance in 'A Single Man', but, then again, quite a few actresses known for doing nude scenes were nominated this year. And of course plenty of actresses that have done nude scenes in the past have won Oscars (Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, and Kate Winslet come to mind), but I always wonder if nude scenes help or hurt actresses' chances at winning Oscars in certain cases, and if the feeling about nude scenes changes from year to year. So how do 2010's actresses nominated in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Oscar categories stack up when it comes to nude scenes, and could nude scenes help or hurt them? Here's a look at the actresses and their bodies of work:

Actresses Nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar

Penélope Cruz in 'Nine' - Penelope Cruz has done nude scenes multiple times in her career, most recently in 'Elegy' and 'Broken Embraces', both decent movies. However, she does no nude scenes in 'Nine', despite playing an ultra-sexy mistress. Having won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar just last year, I don't think this is Penelope Cruz's year to shine, despite stepping out of her comfort zone to sing and dance in 'Nine'. But here's some interesting trivia when it comes to Penelope Cruz's past nude scenes and the Oscars: in the movie she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona', she does no nude scenes, nor does she in the film that she earned her Oscar for Best Actress nomination for, 'Volver'. Therefore, despite a long history of doing nude scenes, Penelope Cruz has only been nominated for movies in which she has none.

Vera Farmiga in 'Up in the Air' - Vera Farmiga is another of the actresses on this list that has done multiple nude scenes in the past without doing any in her 2010 film (except a quick one from the back that's possibly a body double). But do her past nude scenes help or hurt her? Well, I have no previous Oscar nominations or wins to base the way the Academy feels about her doing nude scenes on, however I'm going to guess that she and her costar from 'Up in the Air' cancel each other out when it comes to their Oscar chances. Plus, unlike Penelope Cruz, her past movies with or without nude scenes haven't gotten her critical acclaim, so I'm pretty sure in this case they would hurt her more than help her.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in 'Crazy Heart' - Yet another of the actresses here that hasn't shied away from doing nude scenes in the past, Maggie Gyllenhaal has none in 'Crazy Heart', and despite solid performances in movies in which she does have nude scenes like 'SherryBaby' and 'Secretary', this is her first Oscar nomination in either the Best Supporting Actress or Best Actress catgory. In her case, I feel like her leaving roles like those behind might have helped her in the Academy's eyes, and the lack of nude scenes in 'Crazy Heart' made her seem like more of a serious actress. That being said, I really think Julianne Moore should be on this list in her stead, and I really don't think she has a chance at winning the Oscar this time.

Anna Kendrick in 'Up in the Air' - There are some actresses out there I don't picture ever doing nude scenes, and Anna Kendrick is one of them. She stars in the 'Twilight' movies and plays a character in 'Up in the Air' that seems much to prudish to ever get naked, so I see her sticking to less provocative roles like these and don't believe her doing nude scenes would ever help her Oscar chances. I loved her performance in 'Up in the Air' (she was incredibly convincing), and even if she can't snag the Oscar this year, I think this younger actress has a good shot in the future.

Mo'Nique in 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire' - And Mo'Nique is another of the actresses here I don't see ever doing nude scenes; for the role in this movie, she bared her soul rather than her body. When it comes to the Best Supporting Actress Oscar category this year, I honestly don't think the issue of nude scenes matters; Mo'Nique was so convincing here, no one in the Academy really cares what the other actresses have done in the past. She herself has a past that the Academy would more oft than not scoff at, being a talk show host and sitcom star, and she's overcome a lot more than a few gratuitious nude scenes in subpar movies to get in the position she's in, and I just know she'll score an Oscar win.

Actresses Nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar

Sandra Bullock in 'The Blind Side' - Sandra Bullock is one of those actresses whose name comes up quite often when it comes to what actresses have and haven't done nude scenes, thanks to a quick nude scene before she became famous in 'Fire on the Amazon' and a highly-hyped but virtually nonexistent one in more recent movie 'The Proposal'. However, Sandra Bullock has more to worry about than past nude scenes this year; earning a Razzie nomination in 'All About Steve' could slightly damage her Oscar street cred. But even with her few quick nude scenes, Sandra Bullock is America's sweetheart, and I'm pretty sure her transformation into a blonde housewife will win her Oscar gold. In this instance, I don't think nude scenes affected her Oscar shot at all, seeing as hers have been so small. Instead I think other movie decisions could hurt her: those that involve bad writing, not bad nude scenes.

Helen Mirren in 'The Last Station' - Helen Mirren is one of those actresses that could get an Oscar nomination for just about everything she touches, and 'The Last Station' is no exception (obviously). She's become our favorite older actress (besides Betty White, of course), and Helen Mirren is no stranger to nude scenes, with a portfolio that trumps that of Kate Winslet and Julianne Moore combined (She was in 'Caligula', after all). But with older actresses, I don't think the rules of nude scenes apply, because we now see Helen Mirren as an older, wiser "Dame", not some tart taking her clothes off in just any old trashy movie. But as great as her performances are, she just hasn't been getting the buzz that other actresses have this year; perhaps doing nude scenes in an upcoming project would shock enough to help her future chances at an Oscar win?

Carey Mulligan in 'An Education' - Out of all of the actresses here, I think Carey Mulligan has the best shot at taking down Sandra Bullock. Like Sandra Bullock, her only nude scenes have been very quick (in 2005's 'When Did You Last See Your Father'), and this adorable actress has "America's sweetheart" written all over her (although she's British). Playing a teen girl that gets educated by a playboy twice her age, Carey Mulligan does a fantastic job at capturing that coming-of-age feeling in a situation most teenagers will never find themselves in. She's another of the actresses here who is a newcomer when it comes to Oscar nominations, so I think her lack of nude scenes helps her by making her seem more serious (and she's way to cute to pull nude scenes off!).

Gabourey Sidibe in 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire' - Like costar Mo'Nique, Gabourey Sidibe never has and probably never will do nude scenes, but she also seems to share her costar's ability to bare her soul onscreen. The best actress category this year is looking really tough, and while she's not my frontrunner, Gabourey Sidibe has no past nude scenes, bad movie roles, or other non-award-worthy gigs marring her perfect movie record.

Meryl Streep in 'Julie & Julia' - Meryl Streep is one of those actresses that seems like they've never done nude scenes, however she had some quick ones early on in her career in 1983's 'Silkwood'. As always, she's got a shot at winning Oscar gold, and as much as we all love her, I kind of hope someone else snags the award for a change. In this instance, I'd say Meryl Streep is a prime example of a lack of nude scenes helping her reputation as a serious actress.

So what's the conclusion here? Well, it looks like nude scenes and the actresses that do them seem less popular this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean Hollywood is getting more conservative (Kate Winslet just didn't have a movie in 2009). And when I think it comes to the way the Academy feels about nude scenes, it depends a lot on the actresses doing them. I really think if the actress is being too sexy in the scene, it hurts her chances, while doing something more artistic or non-gratuitous could help (it just depends on how the actress handles doing nude scenes). And I don't think nude scenes were unpopular this year; they were just unpopular in movies contending for awards. I'm not sure exactly why it seems to be this way (except that maybe all the movies contending just really had no need for nude scenes), but by next year, every actress nominated for an Oscar could do nude scenes in her film. (I just hope we don't see the day when a remake of an awful 80's movie loaded with gratuitous nudity snags an Oscar, with Megan Fox starring and getting to give an acceptance speech.)

SOURCES:
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html
www.wikipedia.com
www.imdb.com