Oscars 2014: Who Should Win The Best Actor Award - Brit Chiwetel Ejiofor Takes On Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio

OSCARS 2014: Who Should Win The Award For Best Actor?
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The Oscars are coming! The little gold statuettes are being polished as we speak, ready to be handed out on Sunday evening in Los Angeles.

Each day this week, we'll be asking who should be collecting one of the prized gongs in each of the acting categories, and then finally wondering who'll be walking off with the big one - Best Film.

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Leonardo DiCaprio pulled out all the stops for 'Wolf of Wall Street'

We've already discussed whether anyone can beat Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor, and whether it'll be Lupita Nyong'o, Jennifer Lawrence or even Julia Roberts to win Best Supporting Actress.

Today... arguably the most tight field of all, that for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

The sentimental vote says: Well, actually even that vote is split, because obviously it would be lovely to see Bruce Dern walk off with an Oscar at the age of 77. But then, Leonardo DiCaprio has tried VERY hard for years to win some Academy love, and he no doubt thought this could be his year. And, as for Matthew McConaughey's efforts to transform himself... oh dear, let's say Bruce. The others can come around again with even more good karma on their side.

The critics say: They're split! Chiwetel Ejiofor walked off with the BAFTA, where Matthew didn't even get a nomination. Leonardo has been universally praised, but Matthew sneaked home the Screen Actors' Guild trophy last month. It's one of those unusual years, where every nominee is deserving - what a ripe bunch!

The bookies say: Matthew currently a shoo-in with odds of around 1/6 or 2/11, with Leo running in second place, and Chiwetel third. The outsider, surprisingly, is Christian Bale - worth a punt with odds of between 50 and 100 to 1?

What do YOU say?

Stay turned for all our live Academy Awards coverage from late Sunday evening and all through the night.

Oscars 2014 Nominees
Best Picture — "American Hustle"(01 of44)
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Best Picture — "Captain Phillips"(02 of44)
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Best Picture — "Dallas Buyers Club"(03 of44)
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Best Picture — "Gravity"(04 of44)
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Best Picture — "Her"(05 of44)
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Best Picture — "Nebraska"(06 of44)
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Best Picture — "Philomena"(07 of44)
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Best Picture — "12 Years a Slave"(08 of44)
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Best Picture — "The Wolf of Wall Street"(09 of44)
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Best Actor — Christian Bale, "American Hustle"(10 of44)
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(credit:AP)
Best Actor — Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"(11 of44)
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Best Actor — Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street"(12 of44)
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Best Actor — Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"(13 of44)
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Best Actor — Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"(14 of44)
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Best Actress — Amy Adams, "American Hustle"(15 of44)
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Best Actress — Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"(16 of44)
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Best Actress — Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"(17 of44)
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Best Actress — Judi Dench, "Philomena"(18 of44)
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Best Actress — Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County"(19 of44)
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Best Supporting Actor — Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"(20 of44)
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Best Supporting Actor — Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"(21 of44)
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Best Supporting Actor — Michael Fassbender, "12 Years a Slave"(22 of44)
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Best Supporting Actor — Jonah Hill, "The Wolf of Wall Street"(23 of44)
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Best Supporting Actor — Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"(24 of44)
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Best Supporting Actress — Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine"(25 of44)
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Best Supporting Actress — Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"(26 of44)
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(credit:AP)
Best Supporting Actress — Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"(27 of44)
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Best Supporting Actress — Julia Roberts, "August: Osage County"(28 of44)
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Best Supporting Actress — June Squibb, "Nebraska"(29 of44)
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Best Animated Feature — "The Croods"(30 of44)
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Best Animated Feature — "Despicable Me 2"(31 of44)
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Best Animated Feature — "Ernest and Celestine"(32 of44)
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Best Animated Feature — "Frozen"(33 of44)
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Best Animated Feature — "The Wind Rises"(34 of44)
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Best Director — David O. Russell, "American Hustle"(35 of44)
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Best Director — Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity"(36 of44)
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Best Director — Alexander Payne, "Nebraska"(37 of44)
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Best Director — Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"(38 of44)
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Best Director — Martin Scorsese, "The Wolf of Wall Street"(39 of44)
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Best Foreign Language Film — "The Broken Circle Breakdown" (Belgium)(40 of44)
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Best Foreign Language Film — "The Great Beauty" (Italy)(41 of44)
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Best Foreign Language Film — "The Hunt" (Denmark)(42 of44)
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Best Foreign Language Film — "The Missing Picture" (Cambodia)(43 of44)
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Best Foreign Language Film — "Omar" (Palestine)(44 of44)
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