Nominee David Oyelowo in "Selma" (Twitter/@CineplexMovies)

In this year’s “Best Actor In A Motion Picture, Drama” category, four of the five nominees had the burden of portraying a real person on the big screen, but none had a tougher task than David Oyelowo. Playing Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. during one of the biggest moments of his career, the success or failure of “Selma” was almost entirely on his shoulders and—given the film’s near-universal acclaim—he seems to have lived up to expectations.

READ MORE: Golden Globes 2015: Predicting 'Best Motion Picture, Drama'

Steve Carell is also nominated for his wonderfully creepy role in “Foxcatcher.” Best known for his comedic roles, Carell surprised and impressed critics and fans with his unrecognizable performance. His impressive display of range and bold departure from the expected might be enough for him to scoop up the win.

But the frontrunner is most certainly Eddie Redmayne and his complete transformation into physicist Stephen Hawking. Redmayne had the tough task of not only playing a character with a disability, but a living person able to examine and critique his performance. Rather than cracking under pressure, he turned out the best performance of his career. Redmayne’s career is undeniably on the rise and a win here wouldn’t just be for “The Theory of Everything,” but for his enormous potential as well.

The Nominees

David Oyelowo, “Selma”

Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”

Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”

Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”

Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”

Reach Film Editor Reid Nakamura here.