--- title: Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor | TIME description: J. K. Simmons is considered the overwhelming favorite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his performance in Whiplash, and it's thanks to many factors. But one factor elevates him, perhaps, above the rest: He's a villain. canonical: https://time.com/video/64DvZ5t4/ og:title: Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor og:description: J. K. Simmons is considered the overwhelming favorite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his performance in Whiplash, and it's thanks to many factors. But one factor elevates him, perhaps, above the rest: He's a villain. og:url: https://time.com/video/64DvZ5t4/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/64DvZ5t4/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor twitter:description: J. K. Simmons is considered the overwhelming favorite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his performance in Whiplash, and it's thanks to many factors. But one factor elevates him, perhaps, above the rest: He's a villain. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/64DvZ5t4/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor [Watch (HLS stream): Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/64DvZ5t4.m3u8) (2:56)  _Published 2015-02-20. J. K. Simmons is considered the overwhelming favorite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his performance in Whiplash, and it's thanks to many factors. But one factor elevates him, perhaps, above the rest: He's a villain._ --- Jul 27, 2023 5:57 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [5 Darkly Rich Villains](/video/EqEPtU6a/) ### 5 Darkly Rich Villains [Oscars 2015: J. K. Simmons' Acceptance Speech](/video/kGz31KVg/) ### Oscars 2015: J. K. Simmons' Acceptance Speech [“Whiplash” Star J.K. Simmons Hosts Saturday Night Live](/video/fWqOyrke/) ### “Whiplash” Star J.K. Simmons Hosts Saturday Night Live --- ## Transcript Sorry I missed my- I asked why you stopped playing, and your version of an answer was to turn into a wind- up monkey. At the upcoming Academy Awards, J. K. Simmons is considered the overwhelming front runner to win the best supporting actor trophy for his role in Whiplash. Double time swing. It's a great performance and one that's certainly worthy of an Academy Award. But it's also part of a recent tradition of awarding villanous or anti- heroic roles. The best supporting actor trophy. [ MUSIC ] In 2008 Javier Bardem won the best supporting actor trophy for his murderous role in No Country For Old Men. The following year Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his role in The Dark Knight as the Joker. And then the next year, Christoph Waltz won the first of his two Oscars for playing a Nazi in Inglorious Basterds. So naturally, I worked for the Nazis finding people and yes, some of them were Jews, but Jew hunter? Bah. These three consecutive villain roles. Set a template that Simmons would seem to be fulfilling. Someone who's entirely abusive, and yet still somewhat alluring. You are a worthless pansy ****, who's is now weeping and slobbering all over my drum set like a nine year- old girl. The past four Oscar ceremonies have moved away from rewarding villains. Lens in the Best Supporting Actor trophy, instead leaning towards entirely uncomplicated heroes. Think of Jared Leto last year in Dallas Buyers Club. He was practically playing a saint. With relatively limited screen time in a supporting role, the villain of the movie rises to the level of co- lead, even if he's not al. Always on the screen. The threat to you folks is always with the movie. And perhaps it's unfair to the other nominees. They didn't get nearly as much to play. Actors like Ethan Hawke in Boyhood and Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher simply get to be supportive. They have to be kind, helpful, subtly making their mark. On movies, in ways that are less obviously actorly. Simmons' wild insults, and violence towards his students played by Miles Keller, just beg for awards recognition. Of course, a good villain is hard to find. Last year, Jonah Hill played a comic villain of sorts. In the Wolf of Wall Street. He wasn't necessarily an anti- hero, but he certainly had somewhat nasty things to do. He was beaten by Jared Leto. In order to beat out the good guys, you really have to be an iconic villain. Oopsie- daisy. Forgot my jacket. [ MUSIC ] ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Why J. K. Simmons Will Be the Latest Villain to Win Best Supporting Actor","description":"J. K. Simmons is considered the overwhelming favorite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year for his performance in Whiplash, and it's thanks to many factors. 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