Being up for the Best Actor Academy Award would be a nerve-racking thing at the best of times, but when they call out the other nominations and one of them is Tom Hanks, it makes it that bit worse. Up there with the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis and Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks is one of the most nominated actors ever, having been up for the award in 1989 for Big, 1999 for Saving Private Ryan and 2001 for Cast Away, not to mention the two times he's actually gone on to win, in 1994 for Philadelphia and then again in 1995 for Forrest Gump.

What makes this year's Oscar race that little bit more complicated is the fact that Nice Guy Tom could potentially be competing against himself. Here are his two upcoming movies, both of which are potential Oscar-magnets:

SAVING MR. BANKS

Release Date: 17th December 2013 (USA), 17th January 2014 (Ireland)

Director: John Lee Hancock, director of Oscar-winning The Blind Side

What Makes It So Oscar-y?: Tom Hanks is playing none other than Walt Disney himself, that's what! Now while this doesn't look to be a very insightful look into the life of the big man himself (but whoever decides to take that on will win all of the Oscars), more so his dealings with the author of Mary Poppins and how his charm eventually wins her over. And if anyone knows how to lay on the charm, it's Tom.

Entertainment.ie's Oscar Prediction: It's kinda funny that his co-star in this movie is Emma Thompson, an actress who is not unknown in Oscar circles, having won two herself. But back in 1994, Thompson was nominated for two acting Oscars for her roles in The Remains Of The Day and In The Name Of The Father, and ended up winning neither. Having not seen the movie yet, it's difficult to say just how much screen-time his character has, but perhaps the smart thing to do here would be to let Tom run for Best Supporting Actor for this role.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS


Release Date: 11th October 2013 (USA), 18th October 2013 (Ireland)

Director: Paul Greengrass, director of Oscar-nominated United 93

What Makes It So Oscar-y?: Another based-on-a-true-story tale, but instead of the sweetness and light and rose tinted glasses of his other movie, this time round Hanks is all about a man on the edge, forced to endure and survive a truly horrendous situation. Director Greengrass is best known for his two Bourne movies, and while his last movie Green Zone smacked a little of trying too hard, Captain Phillips looks like it's putting him firmly back in the nail-biting tension of real life that he brought to United 93.

Entertainment.ie's Oscar Prediction: From the trailer alone, this looks like it's a bit more of a workout for Hanks than Saving Mr. Banks, as he's putting on something of an accent and he seems to be put under some extreme physical and psychological duress. With no other big actors to distract from his performance, this is very much the Tom Hanks show, and we'd be very surprised if he didn't at least get nominated.

Check out our previous Oscar 2014 article here, and be sure to check in with entertainment.ie leading up to awards season as we pit more movies, actors and directors against each other.