Year from the Hunk: How George Clooney, Kaira Pitt Could Save the Academy awards

This story initially made an appearance within the 12 ,. 9 problem from the Hollywood Reporter. our editor recommendsHow to become an Academy awards Champion: Dress Like One in the Golden GlobesWhy 'Tintin' and 'Rango' Stick Out Among The 2010 Animated Honours Challengers (Opinion)Does Kaira Pitt's Beane in 'Moneyball' = Gregory Peck's Finch in 'Mockingbird'?THR Actor Roundtable: George Clooney's Worst Job, Nick Nolte's Ideas On Dying, and That Has 'Rage' IssuesMichael Fassbender on Sexual Deviance in 'A Harmful Method' and 'Shame' (Video) At 84, Oscar may no more be considered a stud, but he still dangles out witha pretty studly crew. A minimum of that may be this season if, because the bloggerati are predicting, an especially handsome selection of leading males is nominated for the best actor. Which, consequently, may help the Oscar broadcast's efforts to battle further rankings decline. VIDEOS: THR's Honours Season Stars Roundtable The competition is fluid -- nominations won't be introduced until Jan.24 -- however the consensus has George Clooney, for his unhappy father within the Descendants, and Leonardo DiCaprio, for his embittered FBI director in J. Edgar, towards the top of their email list. Kaira Pitt is really a strong contender for that casual ease that he steps in to the footwear of baseball GM Billy Beane in Moneyball. And a few relative beginners have grown to be early faves: Germany-born, London-based Michael Fassbender, who fearlessly allows everything spend time within the NC-17 Shame, and French matinee idol Jean Dujardin, who flows around the charm like a diminishing star within the quiet movie The Artist. PHOTOS: Oscar Stories on Oscar It's a selection straight from the GQ Males of the season Honours by means of People's Most sexy Guy Alive cover-- Clooney and Pitt are two-time titleholders. (There's even an outdoors chance fellow SMA Matt Damon could join them for We Purchased a Zoo.) It's not really a typical Academy roundup if perhaps since the Academy awards often underrate the job of many of the best-searching leading males. Large-screen shakes, they makes it look too easy they frequently come in action films or romantic comedies that aren't considered honours-worthy and stay away from the flashy changes the Academy favors. That's one reason DiCaprio, who had been overlooked for his clean-cut earnestness in Titanic, has become being congratulated for putting on everything aging makeup in J. Edgar. It's even more impressive that Clooney and Pitt are now being given serious attention this season because neither switches into a thick accent or funny mustache to experience his part. PHOTOS: Oscar Show Moments Now all that would certainly be something for fan sites to gush over whether it also didn't have rankings implications. The Academy may have breathed a sigh of relief when Billy Very decided to emcee the show within the wake of Eddie Murphy's departure. But Very, who hasn't located since 2004, is 63, making them the 2nd-earliest solo host since a 74-year-old Bob Hope fronted the show in 1978. Which's not will make the youthful women swoon. There's additionally a question of methods common the benefit of the films nominated for the best picture is going to be once the show is broadcast February.26. When noms were introduced last honours season, there have been two mega-grossers: Toy Story 3 ($415 million domestic) and Beginning ($293 million). But this season, with only five nominees guaranteed, it's a wide open wonder if 2011's top-grossing movie, Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows Part2, can make the cut. The nearest factor to some popular nominee at this time may be the all-girl The Assistance, that has collected $168 million locally. PHOTOS: Oscar Hosts Over time But when the very best-picture nominees are short on crowd-pleasers, a posse of hot stars could provide rankings insurance. Certainly, it might assist the surrounding media industry that feeds in to the Academy awards. "It's a thrilling possibility that George Clooney, Kaira Pitt and Matt Damon, the males in the Sea's movies, could be around the red-colored carpet together competing for the best actor," states Entertainment Tonight executive producer Linda Bell Blue. "Plus they all play strong males with backbone, that is what female moviegoers are searching for." GOLDEN BOYS: Dishy leading males need to wait to find the gold Cary Grant: Two nominations before his Honorary Oscar in 1970 Paul Newman: 10 noms, victory for that Colour of Money, an Honorary in 1986 Robert Redford: 1 acting nom, 1 pointing win, then an Honorary in 2002 Warren Beatty: 4 acting noms, 1 pointing win, then your Thalberg in 2000 PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Academy awards 2012: The First Signals Related Subjects Kaira Pitt George Clooney Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon Michael Fassbender Moneyball The Descendants Shame Honours Season Preview