Oscars: Amy Adams and the 15 best actresses who have yet to win an Oscar
By Wesley Lara
11: Janelle Monae
Oscar nomination(s) – 0
Janelle Monae’s justification for being on a list like this can be explained quite simply by her musical and film persona. A musician in every sense of the word, Janelle’s focus has mainly been on releasing experimental and groundbreaking takes on pop and R&B music, all while maintaining her strange persona as a being seemingly not from Earth.
Not only is Janelle Monae used to delivering dreamy and tightly-filmed music videos, but her natural charisma has translated well to the world of film. Monae has been directed by the likes of Barry Jenkins and Robert Zemeckis in some high-profile films, all of which she played an important role quite well. There’s her role in Moonlight, where she graces the screen opposite Mahershala Ali with a warm and comforting presence that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough from the Best Picture winner.
Not only that, but her fiery and bright performance in that same year’s Hidden Figures showed the world just how well Monae can adapt to the world of film without having to use her musical talents. Monae can just as easily play a grounded and humanistic role as she can perform as her larger-than-life self onstage at a concert. Either way, Monae is someone who has a bright future in the world of film and the Oscars.