Demian Bichir is just the latest in a long line of Oscar nominees who've bucked the trend, the traditional prestige movie awards often going against the grain of awards season and finding outside candidates to potentially come in and steal the show ahead of more considered illustrious names. Mexican Bichir finds himself up for the much coveted Best Actor category against heavyweights including George Clooney and Brad Pitt as well as 2012 awards season darling Jean Dujardin, who has captured hearts with his role in silent film 'The Artist.'
Bichir has gained his nominated for his role in 'A Better Life,' a film that follows the struggles of an undocumented Mexican day labourer in Los Angeles. The film until now had largely gone unnoticed, and indeed this is the first big push the 48 year-old has had outside of his native Mexico , being largely unknown to the global cinema public, previous roles largely being in Mexican speaking films - though he has appeared in the biopic of Latin revolutionary Che Guevara, 'Che.'
If he were to win, Bichir would probably be one of the biggest outsiders to have ever managed such a feat. Other great outside wins at The Oscars' include the film 'Crash' which upset the apple cart by beating the hotly tipped 'Brokeback Mountain' in 2004, whilst in 1993 11 year-old Anna Paquin took Best Supporting Actress, beating out the experienced Emma Thompson and Winona Ryder among others, for her role in 'The Piano.'