Although he’s been nominated thrice – Best Actor for ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and ‘Jerry Maguire’, and Best Supporting Actor for ‘Magnolia’ – Tom Cruise, arguably the most prominent movie star of the past two decades, has never secured an Oscar. What could be the reasons?

1. He’s ‘too mainstream’

The Oscars rarely coincide with the blockbuster sphere. While a few smash hits like ‘Titanic’, ‘Avatar’, ‘Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’, and ‘Forrest Gump’ received awards recognition, Tom Cruise, despite a diverse and intriguing filmography, epitomizes mainstream. People remember his roles in ‘Top Gun’, ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, and ‘The Firm’, but often overlook his collaborations with celebrated directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick.

2. Missed opportunity with ‘Magnolia’

Many believe that Cruise should have won for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Magnolia’, where he played a woman-hating pick-up artist with deep-rooted personal issues.

Cruise outshone stars like Julianne Moore, Jason Robards, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in this film.

However, he lost to Michael Caine’s less impactful performance in ‘The Cider House Rules’.

3. His best work goes unrecognized

Several of Cruise’s exceptional performances have gone unnoticed by the Academy.

Had another actor played roles like the hitman in ‘Collateral’, the confident Naval lawyer in ‘A Few Good Men’, or Lestat in ‘Interview With The Vampire’, they might have received awards recognition.

Cruise’s effectiveness as a leading man may contribute to this oversight.

4. His co-stars steal the spotlight

Playing the straight man can be more challenging than taking on a flashy role.

For instance, Cruise’s performance in ‘Rain Man’ could be considered more deserving of an Oscar than Dustin Hoffman’s attention-grabbing role.

In ‘Jerry Maguire’, Cuba Gooding Jr. took home the award, while Cruise’s comedic performance as Les Grossman in ‘Tropic Thunder’ was overshadowed by Robert Downey Jr.’s controversial role.

5. Personal life impacts perception

Despite his professionalism and dedication to fans, Cruise’s personal life may affect his awards chances.

Notable incidents, such as his couch-jumping episode on Oprah or his divorces from Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, have had repercussions on his career.

Additionally, Cruise’s high-profile involvement with Scientology might have tarnished his image among more conservative Oscar voters.

Cruise could become another iconic actor without awards recognition, joining the likes of Peter O’Toole and Harrison Ford.

However, as his blockbuster appeal fades with films like ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ underperforming, he may finally venture into character-driven roles that could lead to an Oscar win.