Michael B. Jordan (and Sylvester Stallone) in Creed.

Each year at Oscar time, I remind myself that all too often the Oscar isn’t bestowed for an actor’s superior skills but for his (or her) endurance and durability. There are occasions that the Oscar is something of an Academy Reward for services rendered,

It seems the case that this year Sylvester Stallone will win supporting actor honors for his role as Rocky Balboa in Ryan Coogler’s excellent film, Creed, while Stallone’s co-star, the formidable Michael B. Jordan, was not cited as lead actor. Is this a case of #OscarsSoWhite? I think there’s something else that’s a factor, and I write about it here.

From Bette Davis, who was belatedly honored for a blustering performance in Of Human Bondage with an Oscar the following year for her work in the underwhelming Dangerous to Denzel Washington, belatedly honored for terrific performances in Malcolm X and The Hurricane with an Oscar for Training Day, the Academy Reward has a long history in Hollywood. Your thoughts?