The Academy Awards are a few weeks ago and, as a result, “Tony’s Talking: Movies” will be presenting several Oscar-related posts in the weeks leading up to the awards.

Of the 20 acting-related nominees this year, four are first-time nominees or less than half the number of first-time nominees from last year. Generally, the number of first-time nominees fall somewhere between those two and, in hindsight, some signal the beginning of a great career and others are an odd footnote in a performer’s career. This year, one of the first-time nominees, Quvenzhané Wallis, was born in 2003 and was appearing in her first film. A second, Emmanuelle Riva, does not make English-language movies and, as a result, it is nearly impossible to get on the Academy’s radar. The other two Oscar virgins, though, present an interesting question and could perfectly bookend what a first Oscar nomination can do.

Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman have appeared in a lot of movies over the years and neither one has garnered much awards consideration prior to this year. Sure, Jackman was solid enough in “The Prestige” and “The Fountain,” although he certainly wasn’t irreplaceable. The same can be said for Cooper, who was almost exclusively a comedic actor prior to last year.

Because of their film history, whether it’s as Wolverine or the guy that made out with Michael Ian Black in “Wet Hot American Summer,” the expectations for both men tend to be closer to “Don’t make the film worse” than “We can’t make this movie without you.” However, this year, both men reached that second level and rightfully earned their first Oscar nominations, which begs the question of whether both men are truly capable of performing at such high levels or if every actor is capable of having that one career-defining performance.

While the answer to that question cannot be discerned now, as neither man has made another film since their nominated turns, historically, the odds are stacked against these men suddenly turning into Marlon Brando. The list of one-time nominees is huge and includes everyone from Kate Hudson (“Almost Famous”) to Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”) and that doesn’t even include the people who made their one random nomination really count, like F. Murray Abraham (“Amadeus”) and Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love”).

Based on that history, it would seem that these two men are likely to be regulated back to playing superheroes (Hugh Jackman really just can’t help himself anyway) and slapstick comedians in commercially huge but critically indifferent films and for the nearly 45-year-old, well-established Jackman, that will probably be the case. For the younger and much less established Cooper, however, it could be a very a different story, as his career may have the potential to follow another actor that garnered had worked primarily in comedy and earned his first Oscar nomination in his early-to-mid-30s for his role in a dramedy and that man went on to earn another four nominations, including back-to-back wins in 1994 and 1995.

While saying anyone is on their way to being the next (SURPISE!) Tom Hanks, it would not be impossible for Bradley Cooper to end up with a similar kind of legacy. There is an old expression about anyone that can master comedy is capable of mastering any kind of acting and if Cooper hasn’t mastered comedy, he is certainly enrolled in the graduate program.

His filmography includes “Wedding Crasher,” “The Hangover,” the aforementioned “Wet Hot American Summer,” and “He’s Just Not That Into You.” All four films are highly successful comedies and, even more impressively, are different styles of comedy. “The Hangover” is a classic raunchy comedy. “Wedding Crashers” is a raunchy comedy with a heart and Cooper plays the villain. “Wet Hot American Summer” is a prime example of absurdest humor and “He’s Just Not That Into You” is a class rom-com (or chick flick). Cooper performed admirably in all those roles.

The real test for Cooper will be his performance in his next film, “The PlaceBeyond the Pines,” which also stars the always dependable Ryan Gosling. If he takes another leap forward, we could be talking about Cooper as budding acting powerhouse and perennial Oscar nominee. If he falls flat out of the gate, though, at least he’ll always have “Silver Linings Playbook.”

How’d I do? Send me an email at afioriglio@timesherald.com or get at me on Twitter @TheTonyFiorigli.