When Sylvester Stallone won the Golden Globe last month for playing Rocky Balboa in the “Rocky” reboot “Creed,” the ballroom erupted in cheers. The 69-year-old actor received a standing ovation that was long, loud and heartfelt.
So why didn’t Stallone win the supporting actor Oscar on Sunday?
It could be a case where the academy’s small, serious East Coast contingent scored a win over its Hollywood counterparts.
OSCARS 2016: List of nominees | Red carpet arrivals | Best and worst dressed
Mark Rylance, who won the Oscar for his subtle, superb turn as a Soviet agent in “Bridge of Spies,” is a well-respected theater actor. He owns three Tony Awards, winning for “Boeing Boeing” in 2008, “Jerusalem” in 2011 and “Twelfth Night” in 2014. He received rave reviews last year for playing Thomas Cromwell in the BBC Two miniseries “Wolf Hall,” earning an Emmy nomination.
Rylance also served as the first artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe in London, from 1995 to 2005.
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Mark Rylance, left, Brie Larson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Alicia Vikander in the winners room.
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Songwriter Jimmy Napes, left, and singer Sam Smith won the original song Oscar for “Writing’s on the Wall” for the film “Spectre.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3/22
Brie Larson with her Oscar for lead actress for the film “Room.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 4/22
Alejandro G. Inarritu with his Oscar for directing for the film “The Revenant.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5/22
Alicia Vikander won the supporting actress Oscar for her role in “The Danish Girl.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6/22
Leonardo DiCaprio with his lead actor Oscar for “The Revenant.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7/22
Production designers Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson celebrate winning the production design Oscar for their work on “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 8/22
Ennio Morricone, 87, won the Oscar for original score for “The Hateful Eight.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 9/22
Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes won the Oscar for foreign language film for “Son of Saul.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10/22
Mark Rylance displays his Academy Award for his supporting role in “Bridge of Spies.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11/22
Directors James Gay-Rees, left, and Asif Kapadia take home an Academy Award for their documentary feature “Amy” about late singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12/22
Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy holds her Oscar for documentary short subject. Her winning film, “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,” is about honor killings in Pakistan.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13/22
Gabriel Osorio, left, and Pato Escala win the Academy Award for animated short film for their film “Bear Story.” Their win is the first win for their country, Chile.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 14/22
Emmanuel Lubezki wins the Academy Award for cinematography for this work in “The Revenant.” He is photographed with the presenter of the award, actress Rachel McAdams.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 15/22
“Inside Out” producer Jonas Rivera, left, and director Pete Docter take home the Oscar for animated feature.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 16/22
Margaret Sixel holds her Oscar for film editing for her work in “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17/22
The winning visual effects team for “Ex Machina,” from left, Mark Ardington, Paul Norris, Sara Bennett and Andrew Whitehurst.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 18/22
Winning “Mad Max: Fury Road” sound editors Mark Mangini, left, and David White, right, pose with actor Chris Evans, who presented the award.
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“Mad Max: Fury Road” makeup and hairstyling winners Damian Martin, second from left, Lesley Vanderwalt and Elka Wardega stand with the awards presenters, actors Margot Robbie and Jared Leto.
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“Mad Max: Fury Road” costume designer Jenny Beavan holds her Academy Award. She is photographed with Cate Blanchett, who presented the award.
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“The Big Short’s” writers Adam McKay, left, and writer Charles Randolph win the adapted screenplay category. McKay also directed the film.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 22/22
“Spotlight” writers Josh Singer, left, and Tom McCarthy win for original screenplay. McCarthy also directed.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) In other words, the 56-year-old actor has an impeccable résumé that appeals to those serious about their craft.
Stallone, meanwhile, is seen more as a movie star than an actor’s actor. Academy members often expressed reservations about voting for him this year, saying he was essentially playing the same character in yet another “Rocky” movie. He did it quite well. But the degree of difficulty wasn’t high.
Rylance meanwhile used restraint and silence to great effect in his portrayal of a Soviet mole in “Bridge of Spies,” taking a character that could have been unsympathetic and turning it into one of the movie year’s most memorable movie creations.
OSCARS 2016: Show highlights | Backstage | Winners room
“I try to avoid judging the characters I play, even an out-and-out bad guy like Richard III,” Rylance told The Times in an October interview. “I just try to figure out what they need and play that. I don’t know exactly what he was doing. I didn’t set out to make him charming.
“I think being charming was the last thing he’d be concerned about.”
Backstage after accepting the Oscar, Rylance said he didn’t take the win too seriously, noting the quality of his fellow nominees.
“I feel more like I’m a spokesman when I win,” Rylance said.
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Jennifer Lawrence
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 2/49
“The Martian” actor Matt Damon
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Actress Priyanka Chopra
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Taylor Kinney, left, and Lady Gaga arrive at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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“Titanic” costars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite on the red carpet.
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Amy Poehler and Michael Keaton
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Charlize Theron
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The Weeknd and Common
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Oscar nominees Cate Blanchett (“Carol”) and Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”).
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 10/49
Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams (supporting actress, “Spotlight”).
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 11/49
From left, actress Margot Robbie, best actor nominee Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”) and actress Jennifer Garner.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times; Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) 12/49
People protest the all-white slate of acting Oscar nominees and lack of diversity in the industry near the 88th Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center.
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Taylor Kinney, left, and Lady Gaga
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“Director Ridley Scott and Giannina Facio, left, and supporting actor nominee Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”) with Charlotte Riley.
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Supporting actor nominee Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”) with actress Charlotte Riley.
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Best actress nominee Cate Blanchett (“Carol”).
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 17/49
Nominees and former costars Kate Winslet (supporting actress, “Steve Jobs”) and Leonardo DiCaprio (best actor, “The Revenant”).
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Leonardo DiCaprio
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Actor Christian Bale with wife Sibi Blazic.
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Reese Witherspoon
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Model Heidi Klum
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Model Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend
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Kerry Washington
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Supporting actress winner Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”).
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Naomi Watts, Olivia Munn, Priyanka Chopra
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Cinematographer Ed Lachman, Spirit Award winner and Oscar nominee for “Carol.”
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Mindy Kaling
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Jordan’s foreign-language nominee “Theeb” is represented by, from left, director Naji Abu Nowar and actors Jacir Eid and Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh.
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Sofia Vergara, costar of ABC’s “Modern Family,” on the red carpet.
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Actor Byung-hun Lee.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31/49
Governors Ball chef Wolfgang Puck.
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From left, model Heidi Klum, best actress nominee Saorise Ronan (“Brooklyn”) and last year’s supporting actress winner Patricia Arquette (“Boyhood”).
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“Room’s” young actor Jacob Tremblay shares a stretch of red carpet with “Modern Family’s” Sofia Vergara.
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Original song nominees Jimmy Napes, left, and Sam Smith (“Writing’s on the Wall,” “Spectre”).
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Nominated film editor Hank Corwin (“The Big Short”) and wife Nancy arrive at the 88th Academy Awards.
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Actor Orlando Jones during the arrivals.
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Tobias Lindholm, center, director of Denmark’s foreign-language nominee “A War,” arrives with the film’s lead actor Pilou Asbæk, right.
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“Beasts of No Nation” actor Abraham Attah.
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Morning show host and former NFL player Michael Strahan addresses the media on the red carpet.
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“Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts.
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Composer Carter Burwell, nominated for original score for “Carol.”
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Model Dorith Mous on the red carpet.
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Members of the nominated live-action short feature “Shok” arrive on the red carpet for the 88th Academy Awards.
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Sofia Vergara at the 88th Academy Awards.
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“Beasts of No Nation” costar Abraham Attah arrives at the 88th Academy Awards.
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Orlando Jones arrives for the 88th Academy Awards.
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TV personality Stephanie Bauer on the Oscars red carpet.
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TV personality Giuliana Rancic at the 88th Academy Awards.
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TV personality Maria Menounos at the 88th Academy Awards.
( Ethan Miller/Getty Images, left, Jason Merritt/Getty Images, right) Not that he wasn’t savoring the victory and the glamour of a trip from New York to Hollywood for the Oscars.
“It’s very exciting. You feel very grand being driven from a small theater in Brooklyn in a black car and then flown in this incredibly powerful jet with big windows. It’s a trippy experience,” he said. “And then you arrive here and have so many people you don’t know say nice things to you. “I quite recommend it.”
Times staff writers Jessica Gelt and Rebecca Keegan contributed to this report.
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