As for rewards, it often helps if voters want to give you a big hug; consider all heroic and Oscar-winning roles ranging from Gregory Peckfrom Atticus Finch to Sean Pennit is Harvey Milk. But sometimes you can win for breaking bad, especially if you’re a highly regarded entertainer who shows off your acting talent by performing against type. No one will look up if a comedian plays Macbeth, after all. Eddie Redmayne does this kind of transformation in “The good nurse.”

Redmayne won Best Actor at the Oscars for playing a likeable role, famed scientist Stephen Hawking, in “The Theory of Everything.” He was also likable in his next Oscar-nominated performance, as a trailblazing transgender woman in “The Danish Girl.” These are a far cry from her role in “The Good Nurse” as Charles Cullen, a nurse responsible for at least dozens of murders – possibly hundreds – during his medical career. Redmayne’s performances range from brilliant to chilling, showing how Cullen could fly under the radar for so long while giving us mysterious glimpses of the killer below.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time an actor has received awards for playing a monster. Flashing devil Hannibal Lecter won Anthony Hopkins his first Oscar. After playing heroes in “Malcolm X” and “The Hurricane”, Denzel Washington eventually won his first Best Actor trophy for playing a sociopathic corrupt cop in “Training Day.” Whitaker Forest won the Oscar as a dictator Idi Amine. health book and Joaquin Phoenix won as the comic book supervillain Joker in “The Dark Knight” and “Joker,” respectively. Javier Bardem won as the remorseless hitman in “No Country for Old Men.” And of course Christopher Waltz won as a literal Nazi in “Inglourious Basterds.”

Redmayne’s turn to the dark side has been described by critics as “stunning,” “imposing,” “a breathtaking showcase,” and “a terrifying and banal embodiment of evil.” Regarding the Expert journalists we interviewed for their Oscar predictions, four of them so far say a Best Supporting Actor nomination is in the cards, with Shawn Edward (WDAF-TV Fox) picking it to win. Do you agree? Make or update your own predictions here in our prediction center.

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