Tony-winner Stephen Dillane is an often under-sung acting king of both stage and screen (and probably best known for his work on HBO’s Game of Thrones). But perhaps his most memorable screen performance was as Virginia Woolf’s stoic husband Leonard, silently long-suffering as she deals with her mental illness in The Hours. Nicole Kidman won her Oscar as Virginia — but she didn’t get there by herself.

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