Tom Hanks Best Actor Bid For ‘Captain Phillips’ Challenged By By Chiwetel Ejiafor For '12 Years A Slave'

Tom Hanks is receiving massive Oscar Buzz for "Captain Phillips" but he will face stiff competition from Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays the title role for "12 Years A Slave."

Tom Hanks is a two-time Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role Winner. He won in 1993 for "Philadelphia" and 1994 for "Forrest Gump." He received his first nomination for "Big" and was also nominated for "Cast Away" and "Saving Private Ryan."

Critics are raving that his Captain Phillips performance is his best. His Director, Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum/Supremacy) comments: "I think Tom is absolutely fantastic in this film. He's right there in some of the best films he's done and it's Tom Hanks doing what he does best. He gives an incredibly powerful, brilliant, performance about an ordinary man facing the most intense peril.  I think, everyone who worked on this film knew they had witnessed such a very, very special performance over the 12 weeks we made the film."

Ejiafor doesn't have the same stellar resume but he was first noticed in "Children of Men" which is considered as a modern classic. He is perfect for the role of Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped from an affluent family in Africa to be sold as a slave. He is considered the frontrunner for the Oscars, on a collision course with Hanks.

Indiewire reviews Ejiafor's performance: "The actor's expression alone conveys a wholly unique set of emotions, blending exasperation, fear and rage that intensify with each scene." Awards Daily declared placed him in Pole position after a "performance (that) you can't turn away from and one that haunts you long after the film ends."

The race will be tougher as more films will be released in the last quarter of the year, but these two are shoo-ins for nominations, at least.