The Academy Awards have been handing out a Best Actor trophy since the very first ceremony in 1928. Emil Jannings for a combo of “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh” was the first recipient for his leading roles. The most recent champ was Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker.”
Since then, only one man has won the category three times: Daniel Day-Lewis for “My Left Foot,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Lincoln.” The only two times with back-to-back victories were for Spencer Tracy (“Captains Courageous” and “Boys Town”) and Tom Hanks (“Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump”).
Beyond those two actors, the ones with two lead wins have included Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Dustin Hoffman, Fredric March, Jack Nicholson and Sean Penn. Tracy and Laurence Olivier are the ones with the most nominations at nine.
The oldest winner was Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) at age 83, followed by Henry Fonda (“On Golden Pond”) at age 76. The youngest winner was Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”) at age 29. The youngest nominee was Jackie Cooper (“Skippy”) at age 9.
Click through our updated photo gallery of every Academy Award-winning Best Actor, from the most recent Oscar winner to the very first champion. Gallery updated March 2023.
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Brendan Fraser
Image Credit: A24 “The Whale” (2022)
Fraser makes his big-screen comeback as Charlie, a 600-pound man living alone in his apartment who’s cared for by a family friend, Liz (Oscar nominee Hong Chau). Despite his dire predicament, Charlie still has a hopeful outlook on life and finds there is beauty in the world.
2022 Best Actor nominees:
Austin Butler (“Elvis”)
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”)
Bill Nighy (“Living”) -
Will Smith
Image Credit: Chiabella James/Warner Bros “King Richard” (2021)
2021 Best Actor nominees:
Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)
Andrew Garfield (“tick, tick… Boom!”)
Will Smith (“King Richard”)
Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”) -
Anthony Hopkins
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics “The Father” (2020)
Hopkins won his third Oscar, and second in the Best Actor category, for his role as an aging father who begins to doubt his daughter and his own reality as he succumbs to dementia.
2020 Best Actor nominees:
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)
Riz Ahmed (“The Sound of Metal”)
Steven Yeun (“Minari”)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”) -
Joaquin Phoenix
Image Credit: Warner Bros “Joker” (2019)
Phoenix swept the precursors on his way to a career-first victory for playing Arthur Fleck, a troubled loner who becomes the killer clown known as Joker.
2019 Best Actor nominees:
Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)
Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”) -
Rami Malek
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018)
Malek swept the precursors on his way to a career-first Oscar victory for playing Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in this biographical drama.
2018 Best Actor Nominees:
Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book” -
Gary Oldman
Image Credit: Focus Features “Darkest Hour” (2017)
Oldman’s first career Oscar for his transformative performance as Winston Churchill, put his name on an expansive list of actors who have won awards hardware for playing the British Prime Minister.
2017 Best Actor Nominees:
Timothee Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” -
Casey Affleck
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Manchester by the Sea” (2016)
Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a man forced to come to terms with his troubled past when he is made guardian of his nephew in Kenneth Lonergan’s heart-wrenching domestic drama.
2016 Best Actor Nominees:
Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington, “Fences” -
Leonardo Dicaprio
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox “The Revenant” (2015)
Dicaprio portrays Hugh Glass, a frontiersman who gets left for dead after a bear attack in this epic directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
2015 Best Actor Nominees:
Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo”
Matt Damon, “The Martian”
Leonardo Dicaprio, “The Revenant”
Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Danish Girl” -
Eddie Redmayne
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “The Theory of Everything” (2014)
Redmayne plays renowned scientist Stephen Hawking in this biopic that focuses on Hawking’s relationship with his ex-wife Jane (played by Best Actress nominee Felicity Jones).
2014 Best Actor Nominees:
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything” -
Matthew McConaughey
Image Credit: Voltage Pictures “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013)
McConaughey won for his role as AIDS victim Ron Woodroof, who attempts to bypass the system to get unapproved medication into the United States.
2013 Best Actor Nominees:
Christian Bale, “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Leonardo Dicaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club” -
Daniel Day-Lewis
Image Credit: Dreamworks “Lincoln” (2012)
Day-Lewis won his third Best Actor trophy — the first actor to achieve that feat — for inhabiting the 16th President in Steven Spielberg’s biopic.
2012 Best Actor Nominees:
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”
Denzel Washington, “Flight” -
Jean Dujardin
Image Credit: The Weinstein Company “The Artist” (2011)
Dujardin plays silent film star George Valentin in this black-and-white homage to old Hollywood which also won Oscars for Best Picture and Director.
2011 Best Actor Nominees:
Demian Bechir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” -
Colin Firth
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The King’s Speech” (2010)
Firth stars as King George VI, the reluctant British monarch struggling with a stuttering problem, in this Best Picture Oscar winner.
2010 Best Actor Nominees:
Javier Bardem, “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”
Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”
Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”
James Franco, “127 Hours” -
Jeff Bridges
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight “Crazy Heart” (2009)
After four previous nominations, Bridges won his first Oscar as a troubled, alcoholic, Country singer seeking redemption.
2009 Best Actor Nominees:
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker” -
Sean Penn
Image Credit: Focus Features “Milk” (2008)
Penn earned his second Oscar for portraying the pioneering gay rights activist in this biopic from director Gus Van Sant.
2008 Best Actor Nominees:
Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn, “Milk”
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” -
Daniel Day-Lewis
Image Credit: Paramount “There Will Be Blood” (2007)
The role of Daniel Plainveiw, a misanthropic oil tycoon looking for wealth the early 20th century, earned Day-Lewis his second Best Actor Oscar.
2007 Best Actor Nominees:
George Clooney, “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Johnny Depp, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Tommy Lee Jones, “In the Valley of Elah”
Viggo Mortensen, “Eastern Promises” -
Forest Whitaker
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight “The Last King of Scotland” (2006)
Whitaker won his Oscar for playing the bloodthirsty and maniacal Ugandan president, Idi Amin.
2006 Best Actor Nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Blood Diamond”
Ryan Gosling, “Half Nelson”
Peter O’Toole, “Venus”
Will Smith, “The Pursuit of Happyness”
Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland” -
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics “Capote” (2005)
Hoffman, who passed away in 2014, won his Oscar for playing the larger-than-life author as he struggles to complete the now classic true-crime novel, “In Cold Blood.”
2005 Best Actor Nominees:
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Capote”
Terence Howard, “Hustle and Flow”
Heath Ledger, “Brokeback Mountain”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Walk the Line”
David Strathairn, “Good Night and Good Luck” -
Jamie Foxx
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “Ray” (2004)
Foxx dominated the awards derby for his intense performance as the legendary R&B singer in Taylor Hackford’s Oscar-nominated biopic.
2004 Best Actor Nominees:
Don Cheadle, “Hotel Rwanda”
Leonard DiCaprio, “The Aviator”
Johnny Depp, “Finding Neverland”
Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby”
Jamie Foxx, “Ray” -
Sean Penn
Image Credit: Warner Bros “Mystic River” (2003)
Penn won his first Oscar in this drama, directed by Clint Eastwood, about an ex-con driven to drastic measures after his daughter is murdered.
2003 Best Actor Nominees:
Johnny Depp, “Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”
Ben Kingsley, “House of Sand and Fog”
Jude Law, “Cold Mountain”
Bill Murray, “Lost in Translation”
Sean Penn, “Mystic River” -
Adrien Brody
Image Credit: Focus Features “The Pianist” (2002)
Brody was a surpise winner for his role as Władysław Szpilman, a Jewish musician forced into hiding during the Holocaust, in this historical drama directed by Roman Polanksi, who also won the Oscar for Directing. Brody holds the record as being the youngest actor to ever win in this category.
2002 Best Actor Nominees:
Adrien Brody, “The Pianist”
Nicolas Cage, “Adaptation”
Michael Caine, “The Quiet American”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Gangs of New York”
Jack Nicholson, “About Schmidt” -
Denzel Washington
Image Credit: Warner Bros “Training Day” (2001)
After winning a Supporting Actor statue for “Glory” in 1989, Washington won his first Best Actor prize playing a corrupt Los Angeles narcotics officer.
2001 Best Actor Nominees:
Russell Crowe, “A Beautiful Mind”
Sean Penn, “I Am Sam”
Will Smith, “Ali”
Denzel Washington, “Training Day”
Tom Wilkinson, “In the Bedroom” -
Russell Crowe
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “Gladiator” (2000)
Crowe won his Oscar playing a vengeful soldier in Ridley Scott’s epic, which won four other Oscars including Best Picture.
2000 Best Actor Nominees:
Javier Bardem, “Before Night Falls”
Russell Crowe, “Gladiator”
Tom Hanks, “Cast Away”
Ed Harris, “Pollock”
Geoffrey Rush, “Quills” -
Kevin Spacey
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “American Beauty” (1999)
Spacey plays Lester Burnham, an advertising executive experiencing a midlife crisis in this Best Pitcure Oscar winner.
1999 Best Actor Nominees:
Russell Crowe, “The Insider”
Richard Farnsworth, “The Straight Story”
Sean Penn, “Sweet and Lowdown”
Kevin Spacey, “American Beauty”
Denzel Washington, “The Hurricane” -
Roberto Benigni
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Life is Beautiful” (1998)
The Italian actor, who also wrote and directed the film, takes on the role of a Jewish Italian who uses humor to protect his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. Benigni’s joyous reaction upon winning made him a media sensation, as well as the first male actor to win for a non-English speaking role.
1998 Best Actor Nominees:
Roberto Benigni, “Life is Beautiful”
Tom Hanks, “Saving Private Ryan”
Ian McKellan, “Gods and Monsters”
Nick Nolte, “Affliction”
Edward Norton, “American History X” -
Jack Nicholson
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “As Good As It Gets” (1997)
Nicholson won his third Oscar playing a misanthropic, obsessive-complusive novelist struggling to forge a relationship with a waitress played by Helen Hunt, who also won an Oscar the same year.
1997 Best Actor Nominees:
Matt Damon, “Good Will Hunting”
Robert Duvall, “The Apostle”
Peter Fonda, “Ulee’s Gold”
Dustin Hoffman, “Wag the Dog”
Jack Nicholson, “As Good As It Gets” -
Geoffrey Rush
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Shine” (1996)
Rush earned his Oscar playing David Helfgott, an Austrailian concert pianist living with severe mental illness who struggles to reconnect with his music.
1996 Best Actor Nominees:
Tom Cruise, “Jerry Maguire”
Ralph Fiennes, “The English Patient”
Woody Harrelson, “The People vs. Larry Flynt”
Geoffrey Rush, “Shine”
Billy Bob Thornton, “Sling Blade” -
Nicolas Cage
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995)
Cage plays Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic determined to drink himself to death, but manages to develop a relationship with a prostitute, played by Best Actress nominee Elisabeth Shue.
1995 Best Actor Nominees:
Nicolas Cage, “Leaving Las Vegas”
Richard Dreyfuss, “Mr. Holland’s Opus”
Anthony Hopkins, “Nixon”
Sean Penn, “Dead Man Walking”
Massimo Troisi, “Il Postino” -
Tom Hanks
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures “Forrest Gump” (1994)
Hanks became the first actor since Spencer Tracy (1937, 1938) to win consecutive Best Actor trophies. This award was for playing the good-hearted title character who finds himself involved in some of the defining moments of the 1960s and 1970s.
1994 Best Actor Nominees:
Morgan Freeman, “The Shawshank Redemption”
Tom Hanks, “Forrest Gump”
Nigel Hawthorne, “The Madness of King George”
Paul Newman, “Nobody’s Fool”
John Travolta, “Pulp Fiction” -
Tom Hanks
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection “Philadelphia” (1993)
Hanks won his first of two consecutive Best Actor Oscars for playing a gay lawyer suffering from AIDS who sues his employers for wrongful termination.
1993 Best Actor Nominees:
Daniel Day-Lewis, “In the Name of the Father”
Laurence Fishburne, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
Tom Hanks, “Philadelphia”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Remains of the Day”
Liam Neeson, “Schindler’s List” -
Al Pacino
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “Scent of a Woman” (1992)
After eight nominations, Pacino finally won his first Oscar for taking on the role of a blind, alcoholic former colonel looking for one final adventure before committing suicide.
1992 Best Actor Nominees:
Robert Downey Jr., “Chaplin”
Clint Eastwood, “Unforgiven”
Al Pacino, “Scent of a Woman”
Stephen Rea, “The Crying Game”
Denzel Washington, “Malcolm X” -
Anthony Hopkins
Image Credit: MGM “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
With only 16 minutes of screen time, Hopkins created one of the great screen villains of all time in Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter. The film is one of only three to win Oscars for Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay.
1991 Best Actor Nominees:
Warren Beatty, “Bugsy”
Robert De Niro, “Cape Fear”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Silence of the Lambs”
Nick Nolte, “The Prince of Tides”
Robin Williams, “The Fisher King” -
Jeremy Irons
Image Credit: Warner Bros. “Reversal of Fortune” (1990)
Irons won for portraying Claus von Bulow, the controversial British socialite who may or may not have attempted to murder his wife.
1990 Best Actor Nominees:
Kevin Costner, “Dances with Wolves”
Robert De Niro, “Awakenings”
Gerard Depardieu, “Cyrano de Bergerac”
Richard Harris, “The Field”
Jeremy Irons, “Reversal of Fortune” -
Daniel Day Lewis
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “My Left Foot” (1989)
Day-Lewis won his first Oscar and received a standing ovation for his portrayal of Christy Brown, an Irish-born writer and painter with Cerebral Palsy who did all of his artistic work using the toes on his left foot.
1989 Best Actor Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh, “Henry V”
Tom Cruise, “Born on the Fourth of July”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “My Left Foot”
Morgan Freeman, “Driving Miss Daisy”
Robin Williams, “Dead Poets Society” -
Dustin Hoffman
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Rain Man” (1988)
Hoffman won his second Best Actor trophy for his portrayal of Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant who is kidnapped by his estranged brother (Tom Cruise). The film went on to win Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay.
1988 Best Actor Nominees:
Gene Hackman, “Mississippi Burning”
Tom Hanks, “Big”
Dustin Hoffman, “Rain Man”
Edward James Olmos, “Stand and Deliver”
Max von Sydow, “Pelle the Conqueror” -
Michael Douglas
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Wall Street” (1987)
After winning an Oscar as a producer “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Douglas won his first acting Oscar for playing the sleazy Wall Street broker Gordon Gecko and popularized the phrase, “Greed is Good.”
1987 Best Actor Nominees:
Michael Douglas, “Wall Street”
William Hurt, “Broadcast News”
Marcello Mastroianni, “Dark Eyes”
Jack Nicholson, “Ironweed”
Robin Williams, “Good Morning, Vietnam” -
Paul Newman
Image Credit: Touchstone “The Color of Money” (1986)
A year after earning an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, Newman won his first acting Oscar for reprising his role as pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson in Martin Scorsese’s follow-up to 1961’s “The Hustler.”
1986 Best Actor Nominees:
Dexter Gordon, “Round Midnight”
Bob Hoskins, “Mona Lisa”
William Hurt, “Children of a Lesser God”
Paul Newman, “The Color of Money”
James Woods, “Salvador” -
William Hurt
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1985)
Hurt’s Oscar came for his performance as Molina, a gay man in a Brazilian prison who passes his time fantasizing about one of his favorite films.
1985 Best Actor Nominees:
Harrison Ford, “Witness”
James Garner, “Murphy’s Romance”
William Hurt, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”
Jack Nicholson, “Prizzi’s Honor”
Jon Voight, “Runaway Train” -
F. Murray Abraham
Image Credit: Saul Zaentz Company “Amadeus” (1984)
The relatively unknown actor won his Oscar playing Antonio Salieri, the court composer who both admires and envies the young composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The film won eight Oscars including Best Picture, and is the most recent film to have two performers nominated for Best Actor.
1984 Best Actor Nominees:
F. Murray Abraham, “Amadeus”
Jeff Bridges, “Starman”
Albert Finney, “Under the Volcano”
Tom Hulce, “Amadeus”
Sam Waterston, “The Killing Fields” -
Robert Duvall
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Tender Mercies” (1983)
After three previous nominations, Duvall won for playing an alcoholic Country singer looking to find a second chance at life when he meets a young widow and her son.
1983 Best Actor Nominees:
Michael Caine, “Educating Rita”
Tom Conti, “Reuben, Reuben”
Tom Courtenay, “The Dresser”
Robert Duvall, “Tender Mercies”
Albert Finney, “The Dresser” -
Ben Kingsley
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Gandhi” (1982)
Kingsley earned his Oscar for taking on the role as the iconic leader of India’s fight for independence from Great Britain. The film won eight Oscars that year including Best Picture, Director and Screenplay.
1982 Best Actor Nominees:
Dustin Hoffman, “Tootsie”
Ben Kingsley, “Gandhi”
Jack Lemmon, “Missing”
Paul Newman, “The Verdict”
Peter O’Toole, “My Favorite Year” -
Henry Fonda
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “On Golden Pond” (1981)
Fonda remains the oldest actor to win in this category, for his portrayal of Norman Thayer, an emotionally distant man nearing the end of his life. The veteran actor, who died just months after winning, was too ill to attend the ceremony, and the award was accepted by his daughter, Oscar winner Jane Fonda.
1981 Best Actor Nominees:
Warren Beatty, “Reds”
Henry Fonda, “On Golden Pond”
Burt Lancaster, “Atlantic City”
Dudley Moore, “Arthur”
Paul Newman, “Absence of Malice” -
Robert De Niro
Image Credit: United Artists “Raging Bull” (1980)
Six years after winning Best Supporting Actor, De Niro triumphed in this category for his performance as boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese’s classic film. De Niro famously gained sixty pounds to play LaMotta in his later years.
1980 Best Actor Nominees:
Robert De Niro, “Raging Bull”
Robert Duvall, “The Great Santini”
John Hurt, “The Elephant Man”
Jack Lemmon, “Tribute”
Peter O’Toole, “The Stunt Man” -
Dustin Hoffman
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979)
Hoffman won his first Oscar as a divorced father fighting for custody of his young son in this drama which also won Oscars for Picture, Director, Screenplay and Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep).
1979 Best Actor Nominees:
Dustin Hoffman, “Kramer vs. Kramer”
Jack Lemmon, “The China Syndrome”
Al Pacino, “…And Justice for All”
Roy Scheider, “All That Jazz”
Peter Sellers, “Being There” -
Jon Voight
Image Credit: United Artists “Coming Home” (1978)
Voight’s Oscar was for his role as a crippled and angry Vietnam veteran who finds comfort in the arms of a military wife played by Jane Fonda, who won the Best Actress award that year for her role.
1978 Best Actor Nominees:
Warren Beatty, “Heaven Can Wait”
Gary Busey, “The Buddy Holly Story”
Robert De Niro, “The Deer Hunter”
Laurence Olivier, “The Boys from Brazil”
Jon Voight, “Coming Home” -
Richard Dreyfuss
Image Credit: MGM “The Goodbye Girl” (1977)
Dreyfuss won his Oscar for his role as a struggling New York actor who shares an apartment with a woman and her young daughter in this romantic comedy written by Neil Simon. At the time, Dreyfuss was the youngest actor to win in this category.
1977 Best Actor Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Annie Hall”
Richard Burton, “Equus”
Richard Dreyfuss, “The Goodbye Girl”
Marcello Mastroianni, “A Special Day”
John Travolta, “Saturday Night Fever” -
Peter Finch
Image Credit: United Artists “Network” (1976)
Finch’s Oscar was for his performance as “mad prophet of the airwaves,” Howard Beale in this satire of television news. Finch died of a heart attack two months before the ceremony, making him the first actor to ever win a posthumous Oscar.
1976 Best Actor Nominees:
Robert De Niro, “Taxi Driver”
Peter Finch, “Network”
Giancarlo Giannini, “Seven Beauties”
William Holden, “Network”
Sylvester Stallone, “Rocky” -
Jack Nicholson
Image Credit: United Artists/Fantasy Films “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)
After several nominations in this category, Nicholson won playing the rebellious Randle Patrick McMurphy in this adaptation of Ken Kesey’s classic novel. The film is one of only three to win Oscars for Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay.
1975 Best Actor Nominees:
Walter Matthau, “The Sunshine Boys”
Jack Nicholson, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Al Pacino, “Dog Day Afternoon”
Maximilian Schell, “The Man in the Glass Booth”
James Whitmore, “Give ‘em Hell, Harry!” -
Art Carney
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Harry and Tonto” (1974)
The television legend and six-time Emmy recipient was a surprise winner for his role as an elderly man forced out of his apartment who decides to travel across America accompanied by his pet cat.
1974 Best Actor Nominees:
Art Carney, “Harry and Tonto”
Albert Finney, “Murder on the Orient Express”
Dustin Hoffman, “Lenny”
Jack Nicholson, “Chinatown”
Al Pacino, “The Godfather Part II” -
Jack Lemmon
Image Credit: Paramount “Save the Tiger” (1973)
After winning in the Supporting category for “Mister Roberts,” Lemmon won his first Best Actor statue for playing a middle-aged clothing executive in the midst of an existential crisis as he longs for a simpler time.
1973 Best Actor Nominees:
Marlon Brando, “Last Tango in Paris”
Jack Lemmon, “Save the Tiger”
Jack Nicholson, “The Last Detail”
Al Pacino, “Serpico”
Robert Redford, “The Sting” -
Marlon Brando
Image Credit: Paramount “The Godfather” (1972)
Brando refused to accept his Oscar for his iconic role as mob boss Vito “Don” Corleone due to his disapproval of the manner in which Native Americans were portrayed by Hollywood. Instead, he sent Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather to make an onstage statement, which prompted the Academy to end its longstanding tradition of proxy acceptance speeches.
1972 Best Actor Nominees:
Marlon Brando, “The Godfather”
Michael Caine, “Sleuth”
Laurence Olivier, “Sleuth”
Peter O’Toole, “The Ruling Class”
Paul Winfield, “Sounder” -
Gene Hackman
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The French Connection” (1971)
Hackman’s first Oscar was for his role as the unstable narcotics detective Popeye Doyle, who fights to take down a French drug syndicate in William Friedkin’s Best Picture Oscar winner.
1971 Best Actor Nominees:
Peter Finch, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
Gene Hackman, “The French Connection”
Walter Matthau, “Kotch”
George C. Scott, “The Hospital”
Topol, “Fiddler on the Roof” -
George C. Scott
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Patton” (1970)
Scott refused to accept his Oscar for playing the larger-than-life World War II general, claiming that the Oscars were an unseemly affair and calling the entire ceremony a “goddamn meat parade.”
1970 Best Actor Nominees:
Melvyn Douglas, “I Never Sang for My Father”
James Earl Jones, “The Great White Hope”
Jack Nicholson, “Five Easy Pieces”
Ryan O’Neal, “Love Story”
George C. Scott, “Patton” -
John Wayne
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “True Grit” (1969)
The Duke won his Oscar playing Rooster Cogburn, an aging U.S. Marshal hired by a young girl to bring in her father’s killer. The film was remade in 2010 by the Coen Brothers with Jeff Bridges earning an Oscar nomination for playing Cogburn.
1969 Best Actor Nominees:
Richard Burton, “Anne of a Thousand Days”
Dustin Hoffman, “Midnight Cowboy”
Peter O’Toole, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”
Jon Voight, “Midnight Cowboy”
John Wayne, “True Grit” -
Cliff Robertson
Image Credit: Selmur/Cinema Rel.Corp. “Charly” (1968)
Robertson’s Oscar was for his role as a mentally disabled man whose IQ is tripled after a series of scientific experiments. The win was controversial, prompting Time magazine to single out Robertson’s win as an example of the power of “outright excessive and vulgar solicitation of votes.”
1968 Best Actor Nominees:
Alan Arkin, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”
Alan Bates, “The Fixer”
Ron Moody, “Oliver”
Peter O’Toole, “The Lion in Winter”
Cliff Robertson, “Charly” -
Rod Steiger
Image Credit: United Artists “In The Heat of the Night” (1967)
Steiger came out the winner in one of the strongest Best Actor categories in history for his performance as a small-town police chief who teams with an African-American officer (Sidney Poitier) to solve a local murder.
1967 Best Actor Nominees:
Warren Beatty, “Bonnie and Clyde”
Dustin Hoffman, “The Graduate”
Paul Newman, “Cool Hand Luke”
Rod Steiger, “In the Head of the Night”
Spencer Tracy, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” -
Paul Scofield
Image Credit: Columbia “A Man for All Seasons” (1966)
The British thespian won his Oscar reprising his Tony-winning role as Sir Thomas More, the English philosopher who refuses to support a proposal made by Henry VIII to separate England from the Catholic Church. The film won a total of six Oscars including Picture and Director.
1966 Best Actor Nominees:
Alan Arkin, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming”
Richard Burton, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”
Michael Caine, “Alfie”
Steve McQueen, “The Sand Pebbles”
Paul Scofield, “A Man for All Seasons” -
Lee Marvin
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Cat Ballou” (1965)
Marvin won for playing a dual role of an alcoholic gunslinger and a noseless criminal in this comedy-western.
1965 Best Actor Nominees:
Richard Burton, “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”
Lee Marvin, “Cat Ballou”
Laurence Olivier, “Othello”
Rod Steiger, “The Pawnbroker”
Oskar Werner, “Ship of Fools” -
Rex Harrison
Image Credit: Warner Bros “My Fair Lady” (1964)
Harrison won for reprising his Tony-winning role as Professor Henry Higgins, the erudite phonetics professor, in the film adaptation of the classic Lerner and Loewe stage musical.
1964 Best Actor Nominees:
Richard Burton, “Becket”
Rex Harrison, “My Fair Lady”
Peter O’Toole, “Becket”
Anthony Quinn, “Zorba the Greek”
Peter Sellers, “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” -
Sidney Poitier
Image Credit: United Artists “Lilies of the Field” (1963)
Poitier plays Homer Smith, a gentle handyman who assists a group of German nuns with building a chapel. Poitier was the first black actor to win an Oscar in this category, and only the second to win in any competitive Oscar race.
1963 Best Actor Nominees:
Albert Finney, “Tom Jones”
Richard Harris, “This Sporting Life”
Rex Harrison, “Cleopatra”
Paul Newman, “Hud”
Sidney Poitier, “Lilies of the Field” -
Gregory Peck
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962)
Peck’s Oscar was for his performance as virtuous lawyer and loving father, Atticus Finch, in this adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel.
1962 Best Actor Nominees:
Burt Lancaster, “Birdman of Alcatraz”
Jack Lemmon, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Marcello Mastroianni, “Divorce, Italian Style”
Peter O’Toole, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Gregory Peck, “To Kill a Mockingbird” -
Maximilian Schell
Image Credit: United Artists “Judgement at Nuremberg” (1961)
The German actor was the standout of an all-star cast, winning for his performance as a German lawyer defending an alleged Nazi war criminal at the famous Nuremberg Trials.
1961 Best Actor Nominees:
Charles Boyer, “Fanny”
Paul Newman, “The Hustler”
Maximilian Schell, “Judgement at Nuremberg”
Spencer Tracy, “Judgement at Nuremberg”
Stuart Whitman, “The Mark” -
Burt Lancaster
Image Credit: United Artists “Elmer Gantry” (1960)
Lancaster won for his portrayal of the title character, an alcoholic con artist who uses fire-and-brimstone sermons to bilk money from small town communities.
1960 Best Actor Nominees:
Trevor Howard, “Sons and Lovers”
Burt Lancaster, “Elmer Gantry”
Jack Lemmon, “The Apartment”
Laurence Olivier, “The Entertainer”
Spencer Tracy, “Inherit the Wind” -
Charlton Heston
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Ben-Hur” (1959)
Heston’s win for playing the title role of a prince sold into slavery was one of 11 Oscar wins for the epic drama.
1959 Best Actor Nominees:
Laurence Harvey, “Room at the Top”
Charlton Heston, “Ben-Hur”
Jack Lemmon, “Some Like It Hot”
Paul Muni, “The Last Angry Man”
James Stewart, “Anatomy of a Murder” -
David Niven
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Separate Tables” (1958)
With just under 16 minutes of screen time, Niven’s win for playing a British Major hiding from his past was one of the briefest performances to ever win in the Lead Actor category.
1958 Best Actor Nominees:
Tony Curtis, “The Defiant Ones”
Paul Newman, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”
David Niven, “Separate Tables”
Sidney Poitier, “The Defiant Ones”
Spencer Tracy, “The Old Man and the Sea” -
Alec Guinness
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957)
The great British actor won his Oscar for his portrayal of a British soldier attempting to maintain morale while he and his soldiers are held captive by the Japanese during World War II. The film won seven Oscars, including Picture, Director and Screenplay.
1957 Best Actor Nominees:
Marlon Brando, “Sayonara”
Anthony Franciosa, “A Hatful of Rain”
Alec Guinness, “The Bridge on the River Kwai”
Charles Laughton, “Witness for the Prosecution”
Anthony Quinn, “Wild is the Wind” -
Yul Brynner
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox “The King and I” (1956)
Brynner won for reprising his Tony-winning role as the proud King of Siam in this Oscar-winning adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic musical.
1956 Best Actor Nominees:
Yul Brynner, “The King and I”
James Dean, “Giant”
Kirk Douglas, “Lust for Life”
Rock Hudson, “Giant”
Laurence Olivier, “Richard III” -
Ernest Borgnine
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Marty” (1955)
Borgnine’s Oscar was for his performance as a socially awkward butcher looking for romance in this Best Picture winner.
1955 Best Actor Nominees:
Ernest Borgnine, “Marty”
James Cagney, “Love Me or Leave Me”
James Dean, “East of Eden”
Frank Sinatra, “The Man with the Golden Arm”
Spencer Tracy, “Bad Day at Black Rock” -
Marlon Brando
Image Credit: Columbia “On The Waterfront” (1954)
Brando’s first Oscar was for his role as a former prizefighter working on the docks who stands up to corrupt union bosses in this Oscar-winning Best Picture.
1954 Best Actor Nominees:
Humphrey Bogart, “The Caine Mutiny”
Marlon Brando, “On the Waterfront”
Bing Crosby, “The Country Girl”
James Mason, “A Star is Born”
Dan O’Herlihy, Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” -
William Holden
Image Credit: Paramount “Stalag 17” (1953)
Holden won for his portrayal of a cynical American soldier looking for a way to escape a POW camp in 1940s Germany. Holden’s acceptance speech was among the shortest in history, consisting of merely a mumbled, “Thank you.”
1953 Best Actor Nominees:
Marlon Brando, “Julius Caesar”
Richard Burton, “The Robe”
Montgomery Clift, “From Here to Eternity”
William Holden, “Stalag 17”
Burt Lancaster, “From Here to Eternity” -
Gary Cooper
Image Credit: United Artist “High Noon” (1952)
Cooper’s second Oscar was for his role as a town marshal forced to single-handedly defeat a group of outlaws.
1952 Best Actor Nominees:
Marlon Brando, “Viva Zapata!”
Gary Cooper, “High Noon”
Kirk Douglas, “The Bad and the Beautiful”
Jose Ferrer, “Moulin Rouge”
Alec Guinness, “The Lavender Hill Mob” -
Humphrey Bogart
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The African Queen” (1951)
“Bogie” won his only Oscar for his role as the captain of a small riverboat who teams up with a missionary (Katherine Hepburn) to attack a German gunboat during World War I.
1951 Best Actor Nominees:
Humphrey Bogart, “The African Queen”
Marlon Brando, “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Montgomery Clift, “A Place in the Sun”
Arthur Kennedy, “Bright Victory”
Frederic March, “Death of a Salesman” -
Jose Ferrer
Image Credit: United Artists “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950)
Ferrer reprised his Tony-winning role of the large-nosed swordsman, winning an Oscar and becoming the first Hispanic actor to win the award.
1950 Best Actor Nominees:
Louis Calhern, “The Magnificent Yankee”
Jose Ferrer, “Cyrano de Bergerac”
William Holden, “Sunset Boulevard”
James Stewart, “Harvey”
Spencer Tracy, “Father of the Bride” -
Broderick Crawford
Image Credit: Columbia “All the King’s Men” (1949)
Crawford’s Oscar was for his portrayal of Willie Stark, a rural politician who ruthlessly claws his way up the political ladder, eventually becoming governor of his state in this Oscar winner for Best Picture.
1949 Best Actor Nominees:
Broderick Crawford, “All the King’s Men”
Kirk Douglas, “Champion”
Gregory Peck, “Twelve O’Clock High”
Richard Todd, “The Hasty Heart”
John Wayne, “Sands of Iwo Jima” -
Ronald Colman
Image Credit: Universal Pictures “A Double Life” (1947)
Colman won his Oscar for playing a Shakespearean actor who becomes consumed by the character he plays.
1947 Best Actor Nominees:
Ronald Colman, “A Double Life”
John Garfield, “Body and Soul”
Gregory Peck, “Gentleman’s Agreement”
William Powell, “Life with Father”
Michael Redgrave, “Mourning Becomes Electra” -
Laurence Olivier
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Hamlet” (1948)
Olivier directed, produced, and played the title role in this adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, which also won the award for Best Picture.
1948 Best Actor Nominees:
Lew Ayers, “Johnny Belinda”
Montgomery Clift, “The Search”
Dan Dailey, When My Baby Smiles at Me”
Laurence Olivier, “Hamlet”
Clifton Webb, “Sitting Pretty” -
Fredric March
Image Credit: Goldwyn/RKO “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)
March won his second Oscar for his portrayal of a serviceman adjusting to life at home following his service in World War II. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
1946 Best Actor Nominees:
Fredric March, “The Best Years of Our Lives”
Laurence Olivier, “Henry V”
Larry Parks, “The Jolson Story”
Gregory Peck, “The Yearling”
James Stewart, “It’s a Wonderful Life” -
Ray Milland
Image Credit: Everett Collection “The Lost Weekend” (1945)
Milland won for his role in this Oscar winner for Best Picture about an alcoholic writer who goes on a drinking bender to numb his personal pain.
1945 Best Actor Nominees:
Bing Crosby, “The Bells of St. Mary’s”
Gene Kelly, “Anchors Aweigh”
Ray Milland, “The Lost Weekend”
Gregory Peck, “The Keys to the Kingdom”
Cornel Wilde, “A Song to Remember” -
Bing Crosby
Image Credit: Paramount “Going My Way” (1944)
The legendary crooner won his Oscar for his role as an uncoventional priest in this Best Picture champ.
1944 Best Actor Nominee:
Charles Boyer, “Gaslight”
Bing Crosby, “Going My Way”
Barry Fitzgerald, “Going My Way”
Cary Grant, “None but the Lonely Heart”
Alexander Knox, “Wilson” -
Paul Lukas
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Watch the Rhine” (1943)
Lukas won his Oscar for his role as a German man who sneaks his family into America while still a part of a resistance movement trying to overthrow the Nazis.
1943 Best Actor Nominees:
Humphrey Bogart, “Casablanca”
Gary Cooper, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
Paul Lukas, “Watch the Rhine”
Walter Pidgeon, “Madame Curie”
Mickey Rooney, “The Human Comedy” -
James Cagney
Image Credit: Warner Bros “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1942)
Cagney won his Oscar for his performance in this biographical music about the legendary Broadway producer and entertainer, George M. Cohan.
1942 Best Actor Nominees:
James Cagney, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”
Ronald Colman, “Random Harvest”
Gary Cooper, “The Pride of the Yankees”
Walter Pidgeon, “Mrs. Miniver”
Monty Woolley, “The Pied Piper” -
Gary Cooper
Image Credit: Warner Bros “Sergeant York” (1941)
Cooper’s first Oscar came for his role as a highly decorated World War I combat veteran in this biographical film.
1941 Best Actor Nominees:
Gary Cooper, “Sergeant York”
Cary Grant, “Penny Serenade”
Walter Huston, “The Devil and Daniel Webster”
Robert Montgomery, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan”
Orson Welles, “Citizen Kane” -
James Stewart
Image Credit: MGM “The Philadelphia Story” (1940)
Stewart plays Mike Connor, a tabloid journalist who romances a wealthy socialite. The win was seen by many as a consolation prize for Stewart losing the previous year for “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Stewart himself believed that his Oscar should have gone to Henry Fonda for “The Grapes of Wrath.”
1940 Best Actor Nominees:
Charlie Chaplin, “The Great Dictator”
Henry Fonda, “The Grapes of Wrath”
Raymond Massey, “Abe Lincoln in Illinois”
Laurence Olivier, “Rebecca”
James Stewart, “The Philadelphia Story” -
Robert Donat
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Goodbye Mr. Chips” (1939)
Donat portrays an aging school headmaster who relives his entire career in his mind and realizes the impact he has had on his students.
1939 Best Actor Nomnees:
Robert Donat, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”
Clark Gable, “Gone with the Wind”
Laurence Olivier, “Wuthering Heights”
Mickey Rooney, “Babes in Arms”
James Stewart, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” -
Spencer Tracy
Image Credit: MGM “Boys Town” (1938)
Tracy won his second consecutive Oscar in this category for his role as Father Flanagan, a good-hearted priest who works to help a group of orphans.
1938 Best Actor Nominees:
Charles Boyer, “Algiers”
James Cagney, “Angels with Dirty Faces”
Robert Donat, “The Citadel”
Leslie Howard, “Pygmalion”
Spencer Tracy, “Boys Town” -
Spencer Tracy
Image Credit: MGM “Captains Courageous” (1937)
Tracy’s first Oscar was for his role as a Portuguese fisherman who rescues the son of wealthy business tycoon.
1937 Best Actor Nominees:
Charles Boyer, “Conquest”
Fredric March, “A Star is Born”
Robert Montgomery, “Night Must Fall”
Paul Muni, “The Life of Emile Zola”
Spencer Tracy, “Captains Courageous” -
Paul Muni
Image Credit: Warner Bros “The Story of Louis Pasteur” (1936)
Muni won for his portrayal of the renowned 19th century scientist who made significant advances in agriculture and microbiology.
1936 Best Actor Nominees:
Gary Cooper, “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”
Walter Houston, “Dodsworth”
Paul Muni, “The Story of Louis Pasteur”
William Powell, My Man Godfrey”
Spencer Tracy, “San Francisco” -
Victor McLaglen
Image Credit: RKO “The Informer” (1935)
McLaglen won for his performance as a former IRA soldier seeking redemption in this drama, which also won the Oscar for John Ford’s direction.
1935 Best Actor Nominees:
Clark Gable, “Mutiny on the Bounty”
Charles Laughton, “Mutiny on the Bounty”
Victor McLaglen, “The Informer”
Paul Muni, “Black Fury”
Franchot Tone, “Mutiny on the Bounty” -
Clark Gable
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures “It Happened One Night” (1934)
Gable won his Oscar for playing a rougish reporter who falls in love with a spoiled socialite. The film is one of three films to win Oscars for Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay.
1934 Best Actor Nominees:
Clark Gable, “It Happened One Night”
Frank Morgan, “The Affairs of Cellini”
William Powell, “The Thin Man” -
Charles Laughton
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Private Life of Henry VII” (1933)
Laughton won for his performance as the zaftig British monarch who goes through multiple wives.
1933 Best Actor Nominees:
Leslie Howard, “Berkeley Square”
Charles Laughton, “The Private Life of Henry VII”
Paul Muni, “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang” -
Wallace Beery/Fredric March
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Champ”/”Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1932)
One of the rare ties in an acting category actually wasn’t a tie at all. March’s performance as the title characters in the film adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel actually earned one vote more than Beery’s performance as a washed-up boxer. But Academy rules at the time dictated that such a close margin would be ruled a tie.
1932 Best Actor Nominees:
Wallace Beery, “The Champ”
Alfred Lunt, “The Guardsman”
Fredric March, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” -
Lionel Barrymore
Image Credit: MGM “A Free Soul” (1931)
The patriarch of the famed acting dynasty won his performance as a defense attorney who must defend his daughter’s ex-boyfriend who is accused of murdering a mobster.
1931 Best Actor Nominees:
Lionel Barrymore, “A Free Soul”
Jackie Cooper, “Skippy”
Richard Dix, “Cimarron”
Fredric March, “The Royal Family of Broadway”
Adolphe Menjou, “The Front Page” -
George Arliss
Image Credit: MGM “Disraeli” (1930)
At the time, Academy rules allowed actors to be nominated for more than one role in the same category. Arliss was nominated for two different performances, winning for playing the British Prime Minister negotiating terms of building the Suez Canal.
1930 Best Actor Nominees:
George Arliss, “Disraeli”
George Arliss, “The Green Goddess”
Wallace Beery, “The Big House”
Maurice Chevalier, “The Big Pond;” “The Love Parade”
Ronald Colman, “Big Dog Drummond;” “Condemned”
Lawrence Tibbett, “The Rogue Song” -
Warner Baxter
Image Credit: Fox “In Old Arizona” (1929)
Baxter won his Oscar for playing The Cisco Kid in the first Hollywood western made with sound.
1929 Best Actor Nominees:
George Bancroft, “Thunderbolt”
Warner Baxter, “In Old Arizona”
Chester Morris, “Alibi”
Paul Muni, “The Valiant”
Lewis Stone, “The Patriot” -
Emil Jannings
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Last Command”/”The Way of All Flesh” (1928)
At the first Oscar ceremony, Jannings won two performances. In “The Last Command,” Jannings plays a former Russian general who ends up as a Hollywood extra. And in “The Way of All Flesh,” he takes on the role of a bank clerk who is separated from his family for over two decades.
1928 Best Oscar Nominees:
Emil Jannings, “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh”
Richard Barthelmess, “The Noose” and “The Patent Leather Kid” -
More Oscar Photo Galleries
Image Credit: AMPAS Every Oscar winner for Best Picture
Every Oscar winner for Best Director
Every Oscar winner for Best Actor
Every Oscar winner for Best Actress
Every Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor
Every Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress
Musicals that won Best Picture
Westerns that won Best Picture
Tom O’Neil: My Top 25 Oscar Best Picture Winners of All Time
