A Look at the Oscar Race for Best Actor: The Nominees, Who Should Win and Who Will Win

As part of Popculturology's Oscar Week, we're going to be breaking down the Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress characters. Today, we're going to look at the race for Best Actor.

If one Oscar race is a lock, it's the race for Best Actor. Not only has Daniel Day-Lewis been the wire-to-wire favorite to take home a record-setting third Oscar for Best Actor, he's pretty much been the favorite since it was announced that he would be playing Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's film. The other nominees gave performances worthy of recognition, but Day-Lewis was playing on a completely different level with Lincoln.

Head past the jump to check out all the nominees for Best Actor, including their Oscar histories, who should win and who will win.

The Nominees for Best Actor
Bradley Cooper
Pat Solitano (Silver Linings Playbook)
Oscar history: First nomination

Daniel Day-Lewis
Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln)
Oscar history: My Left Foot (1989, won for Best Actor), In the Name of the Father (1993, nominated for Best Actor), Gangs of New York (2002, nominated for Best Actor), There Will Be Blood (2007, won for Best Actor)

Hugh Jackman
Jean Valjean (Les Miserables)
Oscar history: First nomination

Joaquin Phoenix
Freddie Quell (The Master)
Oscar history: Gladiator (2000, nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Walk the Line (2005, nominated for Best Actor)

Denzel Washington
Whip Whitaker (Flight)
Oscar history: Cry Freedom (1987, nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Glory (1989, won for Best Supporting Actor), Malcolm X (1992, nominated for Best Actor), The Hurricane (1999, nominated for Best Actor), Training Day (2001, won for Best Actor)

Who Should Win
Daniel Day-Lewis. There are some very good names in this group, but Day-Lewis blows them all away. I can't think of the last time an actor disappeared into a role as seamlessly or as powerfully as Day-Lewis did in Lincoln. He became the sixteenth president, shattered the version of Lincoln that Americans had long held in their mind and replaced it with one of a flawed yet brilliant politician, negotiator and storyteller.

Who Will Win
Daniel Day-Lewis. The only thing standing between Day-Lewis and his record-setting third Best Actor Oscar is whether or not the Academy wants to crown him with such an honor at only 55. There are some actors who have turned in great performances for their entire careers but never won an Oscar. If enough members of the Academy think Day-Lewis should wait a few years before claiming the record, you could see someone else win. How likely is this scenario? Expect to see Lindsay Lohan claim an honorary Oscar this year before anyone but Day-Lewis wins for Best Actor.