Most recently, Gwyneth Paltrow won the best Actress as the Bard's muse in “Shakespeare in Love” (1998). Paltrow gave a lively, sexy performance, which impressed her director and the Academy voters.

The great Bette Davis specialized in portraying suffering actresses, the Oscar's favorite role for women. Four out of Davis' ten nominations were for such roles, including Dangerous and All About Eve.

Until recently, mainstream roles rooted in dominant culture had better chances to receive Academy recognition than rebellious or anti-establishment roles. Take Dustin Hoffman's career, with its seven nominations and two Oscars. It was only when Hoffman was cast in a mainstream role in Kramer vs. Kramer, as a self-absorbed executive who's forced to learn how to become an affectionate and responsible father, that he won a long overdue Oscar.

Despite a strong international dimension, periodically, the Academy is charged with "chauvinism," or with favoring American over foreign artists. The question of just how distinctly American the Oscar is, compared with other prestigious prizes, (such as the New York Film Critics Awards), is therefore an intriguing one.