“You’re a man now,” Jessica Tandy said as she handed Jeremy Irons his Best Actor Oscar for 1990’s Reversal of Fortune. One of the greats, he also has a Tony and an Emmy. His performance in the Stephen Frears classic is mesmerizing. Surprisingly, it’s his only career nomination. But I would have also nominated him for playing creepy twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers.

This article is part of a special year-long series of anecdotes, reflections and thoughts about the Academy Awards.