Bill Murray is one of the greatest comedic performers of all time and his performance in Groundhog Day is arguably his best. This is a comedic performance of the highest caliber with Murray at his acerbic best, but what really sells the performance is the roller coaster of an emotional journey that the performer takes us through. Not only does Murray deliver consistent laughs in whatever state his character is in (irritation, ego-mania, depression, selflessness), but he also pulls at your heart strings because underneath the laughs we see a real human being in a real struggle with heavy themes of existentialism, mortality, suicide, God complexes and proper communication in a romantic relationship, all on his absurd course to genuine enlightenment.

Had he been nominated for Best Actor in 1994 he would have competed against the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, and Tom Hanks (who won for his first prominent dramatic role as a lovable lawyer dying of AIDS in Philadelphia), so even if Murray had been nominated he probably wouldn't have stood a chance.

Groundhog Day

Lost in Translation

Ironically, Murray beat Tom Hanks for the lead in. Murray has been nominated once since: for his perfect, subtle turn in. And despite being considered a front runner, lost to Sean Penn... another comedic actor turned deadly serious.