Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond

My latest addition of Best Actor Winners

Year: 1981
Actor: Henry Fonda
Film: On Golden Pond
Director: Mark Rydell
Role: Norman Thayer

Other Nominees:
Warren Beatty - Reds
Burt Lancaster - Atlantic City
Dudley Moore - Arthur
Paul Newman - Absence of Malice

On Golden Pond is most notable for the pairing two of Hollywood's most beloved stars in their final roles.  For Henry Fonda this was his final role, which combined with the fact he had never won an Oscar likely contributed him winning for a rather average performance.  That's not to say Henry Fonda wasn't a great actor, but his performance essentially required him to be an old man.  His co-star Hepburn gave a more nuanced performance (she also won) of an aging woman embracing her silver years.  

Oddly enough Fonda's only other acting nomination came in The Grapes of Wrath, which itself was a fine performance.  However, he was overlooked for one of his best roles in 12 Angry Men.  Fonda's greatest performance in Once Upon a Time in the West has grown in stature over the years, so his snub is a bit more forgivable.  Instead we're left with somewhat of a lackluster win.  On Golden Pond is an average schmaltzy movie, whose appeal was a result of the two legendary leads playing a loving elderly couple.

Other Awards and Nominations:

Best Actor Nomination: BAFTA
Best Actor Drama: Golden Globes
Best Actor: National Board of Review