Best Supporting Actor – 1976

Official Nominations: Jason Robards. Ned Beatty. Burgess Meredith. Laurence Olivier. Burt Young.

This is a horrible year in that it’s a horrible choice – anyone is a good winner. Hold on, that actually makes it good, not horrible. It’s difficult to decide though. I think we can drop Young because I prefer Meredith from Rocky. Robards and Beatty are great, but Beatty’s role is too small when viewed alongside the others – Robards picked up the official win for All The President’s Men. Finally, Laurence Olivier goes WAY against type in Marathon Man as a Nazi and a fan of the old ultra-torture. He is terrifying, and in any other year deserves the win. However, my love for Rocky means that Meredith gets my win.

My Winner: Burgess Meredith

My Nominations: Jason Robards. Ned Beatty. Burgess Meredith. Laurence Olivier. Burt Young. Darwin Joston. Carl Weathers. Harvey Keitel.

All the official nominees make it to my list so lets look at the extras. Now, if Burt Young and Burgess Meredith get nods for Rocky, then there’s no way my man Apollo Creed shouldn’t be there too, with Carl Weathers doing his very best impersonation of Ali, with a little more pizzazz. Harvey Keitel is another dirty piece in Scorsese’s grimy puzzle, playing a scumbag pimp who clashes with De Niro’s Taxi Driver – not quite reversing the roles from Mean Streets but definitely allowing Keitel to expand his horizons a little. Finally, making a large statement (but sadly one which he would never build upon) is Darwin Joston as Napoleon in Assault On Precinct 13 – the chain-smoking criminal who gets all the best lines and snarls and charms his way past cops, secretaries, and faceless goons alike.

My Winner: Burgess Meredith

Let us know who pick to be the Best Supporting Actor of 1976!