Kathleen Chalfant – a venerated stage actress with memorable turns in film and television – is officially entering the gauntlet for this year’s best actress prize.

Star of “The Affair” and “House of Cards,” Chalfant has been a recognizable favorite for decades. However, her turn in this year’s Venice Film Festival player “ Familiar Touch ” has piqued Academy members’ interest in recent weeks.

Chalfant, 80, plays Ruth, a retired chef grappling with cognitive decline, in the project from writer-director Sarah Friedland. Overwhelmingly positive reviews out of Venice praised Chalfant for a career-best performance, with critics finding her work as subtle as it was affecting.

“Chalfant’s performance never treats Ruth as either a stooge or a figure of tragedy,” said Guy Lodge in his Venice

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