The Academy Awards love actors that play evildoers.

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There is a long list of good actors and actresses who have taken home the Oscar for playing mean, despicable or just downright awful people.

For example:

• Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs”

• Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in “Misery”

• Heath Ledger as Joker in “The Dark Knight”

There is a debate right now on the web about whether Joaquin Phoenix, who is one of the best actors of his generation, will win the big award for also playing Joker, whose greasepaint alone is evil-in appearance with nefarious deeds to back it up.

Several sports betting sites are offering odds on the chances he’ll be nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and if he is, whether he will win. The answer will be announced on February 9, 2020.

“Joker” is a origin story for Batman’s arch nemesis, a man’s descent into becoming a murderous psychopath, while toeing the line of the DC Extended Universe.

And though moviegoers have embraced the film and Phoenix’s performance, assured to pass the $900 million in worldwide gross, firming its place as the highest-ever grossing R-rate movie. Oscar voters however have noted in industry publications that the movie’s violence has them more inclined to not support the film as best picture and reserving judgment on Phoenix as a Best Actor winner.

His competition will be stiff. Among the other favorites: Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), Eddie Murphy (“Dolemite is My Name”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Jonathan Pryce (“Two Popes”), Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”), and Robert De Niro (“The Irishman”).

Early in the Oscar season, Phoenix presented as the actor to beat, now there’s chatter he might not make the cut for nomination.

If he doesn’t get a Best Actor nomination, he’ll join a list of other actors that excelled an being bad – but were possibly “too evil” for Oscar.

Such as:

Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in “Psycho” (1960) – Perkins might have won multiple Oscars if he had been nominated for playing the knife wielding slasher, the good son, the caretaker or the bad mom in the forever scary, Alfred Hitchcock thriller “Psycho.” Competition was tough that year including Spencer Tracy, Laurence Olivier, Jack Lemmon and eventual winner Burt Lancaster for “Elmer Gantry.”

Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence in “The Shining” (1980) – Nicholson was fierce in this horror movie best know for the actor busting through a hole in a door where he declared “Here’s Johnny.” So soon after amusement comes terror. This is the year Robert De Niro won for “Raging Bull” and Timothy Hutton took the Oscar as supporting actor for “Ordinary People.” Jack already had one Oscar for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and would win too more.

Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in “Blue Velvet” (1986) – ’86 was a very good year for Hopper who was nominated for Oscar for his role as Shooter in “Hoosiers.” The same year he played that misfit basketball loving outsider he played the sadistic baddie in the David Lynch mental brain twister that is still playing with our psyche. Pass the nitrous. Best Actor that year was Paul Newman for “The Color of Money” and Michael Caine in “Hannah and Her Sisters.” We would have given Hopper the award for “Hoosiers.”

Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus in “Gladiator” (2000) — Phoenix was very convincing as newbie emperor, who killed his dad to get the job, who found pleasure in the blood sport of the gladiator fighting. A mere thumb’s down would send men to his death, but he was vexed by the man he could not beat – Oscar winner Russell Crowe as Maximus. Phoenix lost the Academy Award to Benicio del Toro in “Traffic.”

Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho” (2000) – This was a very good year for twisted men wreaking bloody havoc. Case in point, Bales who wasn’t nominated for his over-the-top portrayal of narcissistic, violent banker and his ever-increasing bloodlust that made him a serial killer. Some of his actions were so absurd you had to laugh to keep your gag reflex in check.

For the record, we think Phoenix will make the cut for Oscar but Driver may be in the driver’s seat for the award.

See you in February.