Top Five Not Nominated: Best Leading Actor

Many people have graced the screens of Hollywood, and most are recognized by a variety of important organizations in the film industry. These influential men...have not. Once again, here are the snubs for that Oscar gold that had people scratching their heads in amazement at the Academy's lack of recogniztion.  
==Number 5: Christian Bale- American Psycho (2000) ==
Considered by some as Bale's greatest performance, this decade-defining actor started the milenia with style. As Patrick Bateman, Bale defined his career with the role as the deranged, psychopathic, and well-groomed businessmen. Not only did Bale deliver an already amazing performance, but he got the chance to showcase his talent and range as an actor. Bale's portrayal bounces across all kinds of lines in terms of personality traits; going from creepy and insane from one side to relatable, tragic, and perhaps even funny. Even as a cult flick, Christian Bale's performance is an undeniable career best and deserved recogniztion from more mainstream critics.
==Number 4: Matt Damon- The Departed (2006) ==
So, let me get this straight; The Academy approaches Leonardo DiCaprio about nominating him for Best Actor. But then, Leo says Matt Damon did a better job. So why, then, was this Oscar-winning screenwriter and famed actor not get a nomination for one of his career bests? In The Departed, Damon plays the cocky, arrogant double agent for the Irish mob in the Boston police department. Colin Sullivan is someone we love to hate, and Damon's stellar acting ability lets him win his screentime with an ensemble cast consisting of Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Walhberg, and several others. Throw all these in, plus the fact that freaking Leonardo DiCaprio nominated him too, and you have a worthy nominee...that didn't appear.
==Number 3: Jake Gyllenhaal- Nightcrawler (2014) ==
I've never been one to stop complaining about the Oscars this year, but this is perhaps the biggest snub of 2014. In his career best, Jake Gyllenhaal creeps everyone out as Lou Bloom in Nightcrawler. He's explored devastating range over the years, from gay cowboys to marines to LAPD to mentally screwed up teens, but it's his performance as the late night professional stringer that really captures the attention. He demands the screen as much as his character, and it's ability to turn on a dime that makes this the best for a great actor. Charismatic as he is off-putting, volatile as well as versatile, and creepy but charming- Those are but a few words to describe the complicated character Jake Gyllenhaal plays in the neo-noir crime thriller. 
==Number 2: Anthony Perkins- Psycho (1960)==
In one of cinema's greatest achievements, Anthony Perkins became one of the most iconic and legendary film serial killers ever. In addition to Alfred Hitchcock's writing and directing, this is entirely due to Perkins' chilling and derailing performance as Norman Bates. The quiet, shy manager of a secluded hotel, Perkins created a character unlike any other shown in horror, and almost any afterwards. Bates is an instrumental part in Hitchcock's masterpiece, from the iconic shower scene to the infamous plot twist at the end, Perkins regularly steals the show at every grinding, suspenseful turn. 
==Honorable Mentions==
*Leonardo DiCaprio: Catch Me If You Can
*Johnny Depp: Edward Scissorhands
*Jim Carrey: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
*Ralph Fiennes: Grand Budapest Hotel 
*Casey Affleck: Gone Baby Gone 
*Martin Sheen: Apocalypse Now 
*Brad Pitt: Se7en 
*Matt Damon: The Talented Mr. Ripley
==Number 1: James Dean- Rebel Without A Cause (1955)==
 
In what is undoubtedly the greatest teen movie ever made, James Dean delivers the most motivational and empathetic performance of his tragically short career. Here, Dean plays the slick and cool kid you'd want to hang out with back in high school. But along with that, Dean shows off his acting mastery by portraying the same angst, despair, frustration, and tirade of emotions that come with the most difficult part of our lives. Coming from a troubled background while portraying the calm and collected image in public, Dean's character shows us a brutal social commentary on teenaged life then, and to an extent, now. The fact that this posthumous performance didn't get nominated, especially compared to the completely forgettable winner Ernest Bornigne, is robbery. Some performances may change a genre, but James Dean pretty much created one.