Biopics have always been a good source for Academy Award nominations. They are typically made with respect, and those playing the lead characters usually earn acclaim for their transformative performances.
The reasons for this are many, but it likely comes down to the fact that critics have a reference point for their performance. They know what the real person was like, and they are easily able to judge an actor's performance based on their body language, mannerisms, and speech. It's certainly not rare for actors to win Oscars for playing real people and these are just a few of many instances.
Rami Malek
Bohemian Rhapsody got many things wrong about Queen, and it was somewhat criticized for its historical inaccuracy, among other things. But what did earn consistent acclaim was Rami Malek's lead performance as legendary frontman Freddie Mercury.
Malek nailed virtually every aspect about the late entertainer, and he certainly looked the part, as well. His performance generated much awards season buzz, and he walked away with the Best Actor trophy at the 91st Academy Awards.
Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger has earned four Oscar nominations and two wins throughout her career. The first was for the epic war drama Cold Mountain, and the second was for the biopic Judy.
Physically transformed to embody the role, Zellweger played the legendary Judy Garland, who is primarily known for playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Zellweger won Best Actress at the 92nd Academy Awards, beating out the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Saoirse Ronan.
Gary Oldman
War dramas are a particular favorite of the Academy, and one of Gary Oldman's best movies is 2017's Darkest Hour. A movie about Winston Churchill's leadership throughout World War II, a virtually unrecognizable Oldman plays the iconic Prime Minister and earned an Academy Award for his efforts.
While the movie earned some criticism for its story and screenplay, Oldman's performance earned universal praise and many other industry awards, including the Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is one of the most recognized actresses in the history of cinema and has been nominated for a staggering 21 Academy Awards. This is a current world record, and she is in a distant first place over Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, both of whom have earned 12 nominations.
Streep won three of those 21 nominations, but only one has been for a biopic. That was 2011's The Iron Lady, in which she plays famed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher.
Eddie Redmayne
Eddie Redmayne has earned two Oscar nominations and one win throughout his career. His win was for 2014's The Theory of Everything, in which he plays legendary physicist Stephen Hawking.
The movie earned a considerable amount of criticism for its screenplay, which tended to focus on the love story between Hawking and Jane Wilde, rather than Hawking's breathtaking bravery, health concerns, and scientific achievements. But Redmayne's performance helped elevate the movie past its rocky screenplay, and he was awarded an Oscar for his efforts.
Helen Mirren
The recipient of the legendary Triple Crown of Acting (an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy), Helen Mirren has enjoyed a long and illustrious career and she's easily one of the best female actors in movie history.
Mirren's best work arguably came in 2006's The Queen, in which she played Queen Elizabeth II amidst the death of Princess Diana. Mirren was showered with awards for her performance, and she became the recipient of the Oscar, BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe.
Matthew McConaughey
Throughout much of the 2000s, Matthew McConaughey was thought of as little more than a rom-com actor. He starred in many mediocre rom-coms throughout that time period, and it seemed like his once-promising career was going down the drain.
However, that all changed at the turn of the 2010s, and he earned the Best Actor trophy for his work in Dallas Buyers Club. He played Ron Woodroof, the founder of the titular club. Woodroof passed away from HIV complications in 1992 at the age of 42.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon rose to prominence playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and she quickly proved herself a legitimate acting talent. Her best work is arguably seen in 2005's Walk the Line, in which she plays country singer June Carter.
The movie details her rocky personal relationship with Johnny Cash and her attempts to get him off drugs. It was the most recognized performance of the year, and Witherspoon won virtually every major acting award - including the Oscar.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis often took method acting to the extreme, but it resulted in a legendary career and the title of being one of the greatest male actors of all time. Day-Lewis was nominated for six Oscars throughout his career, despite appearing in just 21 movies.
That is an extraordinary hit rate, and of those six nominations, three became winners. And of those three wins, two were for playing real people - Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Abraham Lincoln in Spielberg's Lincoln.
Charlize Theron
It's not often that a true-crime movie gets major award recognition, but Monster proves the exception. The movie is about the crime spree of Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer who killed seven men while working as a sex worker. She was executed in October of 2002.
Just over one year later, a literally unrecognizable Charlize Theron played her in Monster and was rewarded with numerous award nominations. The role earned Theron her only Best Actress win to date, although she has been nominated two other times.