Updated June 14, 2020
Emil Jannings was the first winner of this category for his roles in “The Last Command” (1928) and “The Way of All Flesh” (1927).
Note:
If you want to know more about the Oscars, please read my book:
Fredric March won two Best Actors, for his roles in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).
Clark Gable won for his performance in It Happened One Night (1934).
Paul Muni won for his portrayal of Louis Pasteur in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936).
Spencer Tracy was the first actor to win this award over two consecutive years for his roles in Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938) (and received seven other nominations).
James Stewart won for his performance in The Philadelphia Story (1940).
Gary Cooper won twice for his roles in Sergeant York (1941) and High Noon (1952).
James Cagney won for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
Bing Crosby won for his performance in Going My Way (1944).
Laurence Olivier won for his performance as the title role in Hamlet (1948), a film which he directed himself.
Humphrey Bogart won for his performance in The African Queen (1951).
William Holden won for his performance in Stalag 17 (1953).
Burt Lancaster won for his performance in Elmer Gantry (1960).
Gregory Peck won for his performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
Sidney Poitier won for his performance in Lilies of the Field (1963), becoming the first black actor to win this category.
John Wayne won for his performance as Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn in True Grit (1969).
Jack Lemmon was nominated seven times, winning for his performance in Save the Tiger (1973).
Jack Nicholson won twice from eight nominations for his roles in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and As Good as It Gets (1997).
Dustin Hoffman won twice from seven nominations for his roles in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988).
Robert De Niro won once from five nominations for his portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980).
Ben Kingsley won for his portrayal of the title role in Gandhi (1982).
Paul Newman won for his performance in The Color of Money (1986).
Daniel Day-Lewis is the first and only actor to win this award three times for his roles in My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012).
Anthony Hopkins won once from three nominations for his performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
Al Pacino won once from five nominations for his performance in Scent of a Woman (1992).
Tom Hanks won two consecutive times for his roles in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994) (and received three other nominations).
Geoffrey Rush won for his portrayal of David Helfgott in Shine (1996).
By virtue of his win for Life Is Beautiful (1998), Roberto Benigni became the second actor to win this award for a role in a film he directed himself (the first being Laurence Olivier).
Russell Crowe won for his performance in Gladiator (2000).
Denzel Washington won for his performance in Training Day (2001).
At age 29, Adrien Brody became the youngest actor to win this award for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in The Pianist (2002).
Sean Penn won twice from five nominations for his roles in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008).
Forest Whitaker won for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006).
Jeff Bridges won for his performance in Crazy Heart (2009).
Colin Firth won for his portrayal of King George VI in The King’s Speech (2010).
Jean Dujardin became the first French actor to win this award for his performance in The Artist (2011).
Eddie Redmayne won for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014).
Leonardo DiCaprio won for his portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant (2015).
Casey Affleck won for his performance in Manchester by the Sea (2016).
Gary Oldman won for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017).
Rami Malek won for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018); the first Arab to win the award.
1927/28 (1st)
Emil Jannings, Grand Duke Sergius, The Last Command, Alexander August Schilling, The Way of All Flesh
Richard Barthelmess, Nickie Elkins, The Noose, Patent Leather Kid, The Patent Leather Kid
1928/29 (2nd)
Warner Baxter, The Cisco Kid, In Old Arizona
George Bancroft, Thunderbolt Jim Lang, Thunderbolt
Chester Morris, Chick Williams, Alibi
Paul Muni, James Dyke, The Valiant
Lewis Stone, Count Pahlen, The Patriot
1929/30 (3rd)
George Arliss, Benjamin Disraeli, Disraeli; The Raja, The Green Goddess
Wallace Beery, Butch “Machine Gun” Schmidt, The Big House
Maurice Chevalier, Pierre Mirande, The Big Pond, Count Alfred Renard, The Love Parade
Ronald Colman, Capt. Hugh “Bulldog” Drummond, Bulldog Drummond; Michel, Condemned
Lawrence Tibbett, Yegor, The Rogue Song
1930/31 (4th)
Lionel Barrymore, Stephen Ashe, A Free Soul
Jackie Cooper, Skippy Skinner, Skippy
Richard Dix, Yancey Cravat, Cimarron
Fredric March, Tony Cavendish, The Royal Family of Broadway
Adolphe Menjou, Walter Burns, The Front Page
1931/32 (5th) Tie
Wallace Beery, Andy “Champ” Purcell, The Champ
Fredric March (TIE), Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Alfred Lunt, The Actor, The Guardsman
1932/33 (6th)
Charles Laughton, King Henry VIII of England, The Private Life of Henry VIII
Leslie Howard, Peter Standish, Berkeley Square
Paul Muni, James Allen. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1934 (7th)
Clark Gable. Peter Warne. It Happened One Night
Frank Morgan, Alessandro, Duke of Florence, The Affairs of Cellini
William Powell, Nick Charles, The Thin Man
1935 (8th)
Victor McLaglen, Gypo Nolan,The Informer
Clark Gable, Lieutenant Fletcher Christian. Mutiny on the Bounty
Charles Laughton, Captain William Bligh
Paul Muni, Joe Radek, Black Fury
Franchot Tone, Midshipman Roger Byam, Mutiny on the Bounty
1936 (9th)
Paul Muni, Louis Pasteur, The Story of Louis Pasteur
Gary Cooper, Longfellow Deeds, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Walter Huston, Sam Dodsworth, Dodsworth
William Powell, Godfrey Park, My Man Godfrey
Spencer Tracy, Father Tim Mullin, San Francisco
1937 (10th)
Spencer Tracy, Manuel Fidello, Captains Courageous
Charles Boyer, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Conquest
Fredric March, Norman Maine, A Star Is Born
Robert Montgomery, Danny, Night Must Fall
Paul Muni, Émile Zola, The Life of Emile Zola
1938 (11th)
Spencer Tracy, Father Flanagan, Boys Town
Charles Boyer, Pepe le Moko, Algiers
James Cagney, Rocky Sullivan, Angels with Dirty Faces
Robert Donat, Dr. Andrew Manson, The Citadel
Leslie Howard, Professor Henry Higgins. Pygmalion
1939 (12th)
Robert Donat, Charles Edward Chipping, Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Clark Gable, Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind
Laurence Olivier, Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights
Mickey Rooney, Mickey Moran, Babes in Arms
James Stewart, Jefferson Smith, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1940 (13th)
James Stewart, Macaulay “Mike” Connor, The Philadelphia Story
Charlie Chaplin, Adenoid Hynkel/The Barber, The Great Dictator
Henry Fonda, Tom Joad, The Grapes of Wrath
Raymond Massey, Abraham Lincoln, Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Laurence Olivier, Maximilian “Maxim” de Winter, Rebecca
1941 (14th)
Gary Cooper, Sgt. Alvin York, Sergeant York
Cary Grant, Roger Adams, Penny Serenade
Walter Huston, Mr. Scratch, The Devil and Daniel Webster
Robert Montgomery, Joe Pendleton, Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Orson Welles, Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane
1942 (15th)
James Cagney, George M. Cohan, Yankee Doodle Dandy
Ronald Colman, Charles Rainier, Random Harvest
Gary Cooper, Lou Gehrig, The Pride of the Yankees
Walter Pidgeon, Clem Miniver, Mrs. Miniver
Monty Woolley, Howard, The Pied Piper
1943 (16th)
Paul Lukas, Kurt Muller, Watch on the Rhine
Humphrey Bogart, Rick Blaine, Casablanca
Gary Cooper, Robert Jordan, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Walter Pidgeon, Pierre Curie, Madame Curie
Mickey Rooney, Homer Macauley, The Human Comedy
1944 (17th)
Bing Crosby, Father Chuck O’Malley, Going My Way
Charles Boyer, Gregory Anton, Gaslight
Barry Fitzgerald, Father Fitzgibbon, Going My Way
Cary Grant, Ernie Mott, None but the Lonely Heart
Alexander Knox, Woodrow Wilson, Wilson
1945 (18th)
Ray Milland, Don Birnam, The Lost Weekend
Bing Crosby, Father Chuck O’Malley, The Bells of St. Mary’s
Gene Kelly, Joseph Brady, Anchors Aweigh
Gregory Peck, Father Francis, The Keys of the Kingdom
Cornel Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, A Song to Remember
1946 (19th)
Fredric March, Platoon Sergeant Al Stephenson, The Best Years of Our Lives
Laurence Olivier, King Henry V of England, Henry V
Larry Parks, Al Jolson, The Jolson Story
Gregory Peck, Ezra “Penny” Baxter, The Yearling
James Stewart, George Bailey, It’s a Wonderful Life
1947 (20th)
Ronald Colman, Anthony John, A Double Life
John Garfield, Charlie Davis, Body and Soul
Gregory Peck, Philip Schuyler Green, Gentleman’s Agreement
William Powell, Clarence Day, Sr., Life with Father
Michael Redgrave, Orin Mannon, Mourning Becomes Electra
1948 (21st)
Laurence Olivier, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Hamlet
Lew Ayres, Dr. Robert Richardson, Johnny Belinda
Montgomery Clift, Ralph “Steve” Stevenson, The Search
Dan Dailey, “Skid” Johnson, When My Baby Smiles at Me
Clifton Webb, Lynn Aloysius Belvedere, Sitting Pretty
1949 (22nd)
Broderick Crawford, Willie Stark, All the King’s Men
Kirk Douglas, Michael “Midge” Kelly, Champion
Gregory Peck, Brig. General Frank Savage, Twelve O’Clock High
Richard Todd, Cpl. Lachlan “Lachie” MacLachlan, The Hasty Heart
John Wayne, Sergeant John M. Stryker, Sands of Iwo Jima
1950 (23rd)
José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano de Bergerac
Louis Calhern, Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Magnificent Yankee
William Holden, Joe Gillis, Sunset Boulevard
James Stewart, Elwood P. Dowd, Harvey
Spencer Tracy, Stanley T. Banks, Father of the Bride
1951 (24th)
Humphrey Bogart, Charlie Allnut, The African Queen
Marlon Brando, Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire
Montgomery Clift, George Eastman, A Place in the Sun
Arthur Kennedy, Larry Nevins, Bright Victory
Fredric March, Willy Loman, Death of a Salesman
1952 (25th)
Gary Cooper Marshal Will Kane, High Noon
Marlon Brando, Emiliano Zapata, Viva Zapata!
Kirk Douglas, Jonathan Shields, The Bad and the Beautiful
José Ferrer, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Alphonse de Toulouse-Lautrec
Moulin Rouge
Alec Guinness, Holland, The Lavender Hill Mob
1953 (26th)
William Holden, Sgt. J.J. Sefton, Stalag 17
Marlon Brando, Mark Antony, Julius Caesar
Richard Burton, Marcellus Gallio, The Robe
Montgomery Clift, Pvt. Robert E. Lee “Prew” Prewitt, From Here to Eternity
Burt Lancaster, 1st Sgt. Milton Warden, From Here to Eternity
1954 (27th)
Marlon Brando, Terry Malloy, On the Waterfront
Humphrey Bogart, Lt. Cmdr. Philip Francis Queeg, The Caine Mutiny
Bing Crosby, Frank Elgin, The Country Girl
James Mason, Norman Maine, A Star Is Born
Dan O’Herlihy, Robinson Crusoe, Robinson Crusoe
1955 (28th)
Ernest Borgnine, Marty Piletti, Marty
James Cagney, Martin Snyder, Love Me or Leave Me
James Dean, Cal Trask, East of Eden
Frank Sinatra, Frankie Machine, The Man with the Golden Arm
Spencer Tracy, John J. Macreedy, Bad Day at Black Rock
1956 (29th)
Yul Brynner, King Mongkut of Siam, The King and I
James Dean, Jett Rink, Giant
Kirk Douglas, Vincent van Gogh, Lust for Life
Rock Hudson, Jordan “Bick” Benedict Jr., Giant
Laurence Olivier, King Richard III of England, Richard III
1957 (30th)
Alec Guinness, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson, The Bridge on the River Kwai
Marlon Brando, Major Lloyd “Ace” Gruver, USAF, Sayonara
Anthony Franciosa, Polo Pope, A Hatful of Rain
Charles Laughton, Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Witness for the Prosecution
Anthony Quinn, Gino, Wild Is the Wind
1958 (31st)
David Niven, Major Angus Pollock. Separate Tables
Tony Curtis, John “Joker” Jackson, The Defiant Ones
Paul Newman, Brick Pollitt, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Sidney Poitier, Noah Cullen, The Defiant Ones
Spencer Tracy, The Old Man, The Old Man and the Sea
1959 (32nd)
Charlton Heston, Judah Ben-Hur, Ben-Hur
Laurence Harvey, Joe Lampton, Room at the Top
Jack Lemmon, Jerry/Daphne, Some Like It Hot
Paul Muni, Dr. Sam Abelman, The Last Angry Man
James Stewart, Paul Biegler, Anatomy of a Murder
1960 (33rd)
Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry, Elmer Gantry
Trevor Howard, Walter Morel, Sons and Lovers
Jack Lemmon, C. C. “Bud” Baxter, The Apartment
Laurence Olivier, Archie Rice, The Entertainer
Spencer Tracy, Henry Drummond, Inherit the Wind
1961 (34th)
Maximilian Schell, Hans Rolfe, Judgment at Nuremberg
Charles Boyer, Cesar, Fanny
Paul Newman, Eddie Felson, The Hustler
Spencer Tracy, Chief Judge Dan Haywood, Judgment at Nuremberg
Stuart Whitman, Jim Fuller, The Mark
1962 (35th)
Gregory Peck, Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
Burt Lancaster, Robert Stroud, Birdman of Alcatraz
Jack Lemmon, Joe Clay, Days of Wine and Roses
Marcello Mastroianni, Ferdinando Cefalù, Divorce Italian Style
Peter O’Toole, T. E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia
1963 (36th)
Sidney Poitier, Homer Smith, Lilies of the Field
Albert Finney, Tom Jones, Tom Jones
Richard Harris, Frank Machin, This Sporting Life
Rex Harrison, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra
Paul Newman, Hud Bannon, Hud
1964 (37th)
Rex Harrison, Professor Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady
Richard Burton, Thomas Becket, Becket
Peter O’Toole, King Henry II of England, Becket
Anthony Quinn, Alexis Zorba, Zorba the Greek
Peter Sellers, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake President Merkin Muffley Dr. Strangelove, Dr. Strangelove
1965 (38th)
Lee Marvin, Kid Shelleen/Tim Strawn, Cat Ballou
Richard Burton, Alec Leamas, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Laurence Olivier, Othello, Othello
Rod Steiger, Sol Nazerman, The Pawnbroker
Oskar Werner, Willie Schumann, Ship of Fools
1966 (39th)
Paul Scofield, Sir Thomas More, A Man for All Seasons
Alan Arkin, Lt. Rozanov, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming
Richard Burton, George, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Michael Caine, Alfie Elkins, Alfie
Steve McQueen, Jake Holman, The Sand Pebbles
1967 (40th)
Rod Steiger, Police Chief Bill Gillespie, In the Heat of the Night
Warren Beatty, Clyde Barrow, Bonnie and Clyde
Dustin Hoffman, Benjamin Braddock, The Graduate
Paul Newman, Lucas “Cool Hand Luke” Jackson, Cool Hand Luke
Spencer Tracy, Matt Drayton, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
1968 (41st)
Cliff Robertson, Charly Gordon, Charly
Alan Arkin, John Singer, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Alan Bates, Yakov Bok, The Fixer
Ron Moody, Fagin, Oliver!
Peter O’Toole, King Henry II of England, The Lion in Winter
1969 (42nd)
John Wayne, Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn, True Grit
Richard Burton, King Henry VIII of England, Anne of the Thousand Days
Dustin Hoffman, Enrico Salvatore “Ratso” “Rico” Rizzo Midnight Cowboy, Peter O’Toole, Arthur Chipping, Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Jon Voight, Joe Buck, Midnight Cowboy
1970 (43rd)
George C. Scott, General George S. Patton Jr., Patton
Melvyn Douglas, Tom Garrison, I Never Sang for My Father
James Earl Jones, Jack Jefferson, The Great White Hope
Jack Nicholson, Robert Eroica Dupea, Five Easy Pieces
Ryan O’Neal, Oliver Barrett IV, Love Story
1971 (44th)
Gene Hackman, Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, The French Connection
Peter Finch, Dr. Daniel Hirsh, Sunday Bloody Sunday
Walter Matthau, Joseph P. Kotcher, Kotch
George C. Scott, Dr. Herbert Bock, The Hospital
Topol, Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof
1972 (45th)
Marlon Brando, Vito Corleone, The Godfather
Michael Caine, Milo Tindle, Sleuth
Laurence Olivier, Andrew Wyke, Sleuth
Peter O’Toole, Jack Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney, The Ruling Class
Paul Winfield, Nathan Lee Morgan, Sounder
1973 (46th)
Jack Lemmon, Harry Stoner, Save the Tiger
Marlon Brando, Paul, Last Tango in Paris
Jack Nicholson, Signalman First Class Billy L. “Badass” Buddusky, The Last Detail
Al Pacino, Frank Serpico, Serpico
Robert Redford, Johnny “Kelly” Hooker, The Sting
1974 (47th)
Art Carney, Harry Coombes, Harry and Tonto
Albert Finney, Hercule Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express
Dustin Hoffman, Lenny Bruce, Lenny
Jack Nicholson, J. J. “Jake” Gittes, Chinatown
Al Pacino, Michael Corleone, The Godfather Part II
1975 (48th)
Jack Nicholson, Randle Patrick “Mac” McMurphy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Walter Matthau, Willy Clark, The Sunshine Boys
Al Pacino, Sonny Wortzik, Dog Day Afternoon
Maximilian Schell, Arthur Goldman, The Man in the Glass Booth
James Whitmore, Harry S. Truman, Give ’em Hell, Harry!
1976 (49th)
Peter Finch, Howard Beale, Network
Robert De Niro, Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver
Giancarlo Giannini, Pasqualino Frafuso. Seven Beauties
William Holden, Max Schumacher, Network
Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa, Rocky
1977 (50th)
Richard Dreyfuss, Elliot Garfield, The Goodbye Girl
Woody Allen, Alvy Singer, Annie Hall
Richard Burton, Martin Dysart, Equus
Marcello Mastroianni, Gabriele, A Special Day
John Travolta, Anthony “Tony” Manero, Saturday Night Fever
1978 (51st)
Jon Voight, Luke Martin, Coming Home
Warren Beatty, Joe Pendleton, Heaven Can Wait
Gary Busey, Buddy Holly, The Buddy Holly Story
Robert De Niro, Michael Vronsky, The Deer Hunter
Laurence Olivier, Ezra Lieberman, The Boys from Brazil
1979 (52nd)
Dustin Hoffman, Ted Kramer, Kramer vs. Kramer
Jack Lemmon, Jack Godell, The China Syndrome
Al Pacino, Arthur Kirkland …And Justice for All.
Roy Scheider, Joe Gideon, All That Jazz
Peter Sellers, Chance the Gardener, aka Chauncey Gardiner, Being There
1980 (53rd)
Robert De Niro, Jake LaMotta, Raging Bull
Robert Duvall, Lieutenant Colonel Wilbur “Bull” Meechum, The Great Santini
John Hurt, John Merrick, The Elephant Man
Jack Lemmon, Scottie Templeton, Tribute
Peter O’Toole, Eli Cross, The Stunt Man
1981 (54th)
Henry Fonda, Norman Thayer Jr., On Golden Pond
Warren Beatty, John Silas “Jack” Reed, Reds
Burt Lancaster, Lou Pascal, Atlantic City
Dudley Moore, Arthur Bach, Arthur
Paul Newman, Michael Colin Gallagher, Absence of Malice
1982 (55th)
Ben Kingsley, Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi
Dustin Hoffman, Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels, Tootsie
Jack Lemmon, Edmund Horman, Missing
Paul Newman, Frank Galvin, The Verdict
Peter O’Toole, Alan Swann, My Favorite Year
1983 (56th)
Robert Duvall, Mac Sledge, Tender Mercies
Michael Caine, Dr. Frank Bryant, Educating Rita
Tom Conti, Gowan McGland, Reuben, Reuben
Tom Courtenay, Norman, The Dresser
Albert Finney, Sir, The Dresser
1984 (57th)
F. Murray Abraham, Antonio Salieri, Amadeus
Jeff Bridges, Starman, Starman
Albert Finney, Geoffrey Firmin, Under the Volcano
Tom Hulce, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Amadeus
Sam Waterston, Sydney Schanberg, The Killing Fields
1985 (58th)
William Hurt, Luis Molina, Kiss of the Spider Woman
Harrison Ford, Detective Captain John Book, Witness
James Garner, Murphy Jones, Murphy’s Romance
Jack Nicholson, Charley Partanna, Prizzi’s Honor
Jon Voight, Oscar “Manny” Manheim, Runaway Train
1986 (59th)
Paul Newman, Fast Eddie Felson, The Color of Money
Dexter Gordon, Dale Turner, Round Midnight
Bob Hoskins, George, Mona Lisa
William Hurt, James Leeds, Children of a Lesser God
James Woods, Richard Boyle, Salvador
1987 (60th)
Michael Douglas, Gordon Gekko, Wall Street
William Hurt, Tom Grunick, Broadcast News
Marcello Mastroianni, Romano, Dark Eyes
Jack Nicholson, Francis Phelan, Ironweed
Robin Williams, Adrian Cronauer, Good Morning, Vietnam
1988 (61st)
Dustin Hoffman, Raymond Babbitt, Rain Man
Gene Hackman, Agent Rupert Anderson, Mississippi Burning
Tom Hanks, Josh Baskin, Big
Edward James Olmos, Jaime Escalante Stand and Deliver,
Max von Sydow, Lassefar, Pelle the Conqueror
1989 (62nd)
Daniel Day-Lewis, Christy Brown, My Left Foot
Kenneth Branagh, King Henry V of England, Henry V
Tom Cruise, Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July
Morgan Freeman, Hoke Colburn, Driving Miss Daisy
Robin Williams, John Charles “Keats” Keating, Dead Poets Society
1990 (63rd)
Jeremy Irons, Claus von Bülow, Reversal of Fortune
Kevin Costner, Lieutenant John J. Dunbar, Dances with Wolves
Robert De Niro, Leonard Lowe, Awakenings
Gérard Depardieu, Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano de Bergerac
Richard Harris, “Bull” McCabe, The Field
1991 (64th)
Anthony Hopkins, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs
Warren Beatty, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, Bugsy
Robert De Niro, Maximilian “Max” Cady, Cape Fear
Nick Nolte, Tom Wingo, The Prince of Tides
Robin Williams, Henry “Parry” Sagan, The Fisher King
1992 (65th)
Al Pacino, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
Robert Downey Jr. Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin
Clint Eastwood, William “Will” Munny, Unforgiven
Stephen Rea, Fergus, The Crying Game
Denzel Washington, Malcolm X, Malcolm X
1993 (66th)
Tom Hanks, Andrew Beckett, Philadelphia
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gerry Conlon, In the Name of the Father
Laurence Fishburne, Ike Turner, What’s Love Got to Do with It
Anthony Hopkins, James Stevens, The Remains of the Day
Liam Neeson, Oskar Schindler, Schindler’s List
1994 (67th)
Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump
Morgan Freeman, Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, The Shawshank Redemption
Nigel Hawthorne, King George III, The Madness of King George
Paul Newman, Donald “Sully” Sullivan, Nobody’s Fool
John Travolta, Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
1995 (68th)
Nicolas Cage, Ben Sanderson, Leaving Las Vegas
Richard Dreyfuss, Glenn Holland, Mr. Holland’s Opus
Anthony Hopkins, Richard Nixon, Nixon
Sean Penn, Matthew Poncelet, Dead Man Walking
Massimo Troisi, Mario Ruoppolo, Il Postino: The Postman
1996 (69th)
Geoffrey Rush, David Helfgott, Shine
Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire, Jerry Maguire
Ralph Fiennes, Count László de Almásy, The English Patient
Woody Harrelson, Larry Flynt, The People vs. Larry Flynt
Billy Bob Thornton, Karl Childers, Sling Blade
1997 (70th)
Jack Nicholson, Melvin Udall, As Good as It Gets
Matt Damon, Will Hunting, Good Will Hunting
Robert Duvall, Euliss “Sonny” Dewey, The Apostle
Peter Fonda, Ulysses “Ulee” Jackson, Ulee’s Gold
Dustin Hoffman, Stanley Motss, Wag the Dog
1998 (71st)
Roberto Benigni, Guido Orefice, Life Is Beautiful
Tom Hanks, Captain John H. Miller, Saving Private Ryan
Ian McKellen, James Whale, Gods and Monsters
Nick Nolte, Wade Whitehouse, Affliction
Edward Norton, Derek Vinyard, American History X
1999 (72nd)
Kevin Spacey, Lester Burnham, American Beauty
Russell Crowe, Jeffrey Wigand, The Insider
Richard Farnsworth, Alvin Straight, The Straight Story
Sean Penn, Emmet Ray, Sweet and Lowdown
Denzel Washington, Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter, The Hurricane
2000 (73rd)
Russell Crowe, Maximus Decimus Meridius, Gladiator
Javier Bardem, Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls
Tom Hanks, Chuck Noland, Cast Away
Ed Harris, Jackson Pollock, Pollock
Geoffrey Rush, Marquis de Sade, Quills
2001 (74th)
Denzel Washington, Detective Alonzo Harris, Training Day
Russell Crowe, John Forbes Nash Jr., A Beautiful Mind
Sean Penn, Sam Dawson, I Am Sam
Will Smith, Muhammad Ali, Ali
Tom Wilkinson, Dr. Matt Fowler, In the Bedroom
2002 (75th)
Adrien Brody, Władysław Szpilman, The Pianist
Nicolas Cage, Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman, Adaptation
Michael Caine, Thomas Fowler, The Quiet American
Daniel Day-Lewis, William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting, Gangs of New York
Jack Nicholson, Warren R. Schmidt, About Schmidt
2003 (76th)
Sean Penn, Jimmy Markum, Mystic River
Johnny Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,
Ben Kingsley, Colonel Massoud Amir Behrani, House of Sand and Fog
Jude Law, W. P. Inman, Cold Mountain
Bill Murray, Bob Harris, Lost in Translation
2004 (77th)
Jamie Foxx, Ray Charles, Ray
Don Cheadle, Paul Rusesabagina, Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp, J. M. Barrie, Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio, Howard Hughes, The Aviator
Clint Eastwood, Frankie Dunn, Million Dollar Baby
2005 (78th)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Truman Capote, Capote
Terrence Howard, Djay, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Ennis Del Mar, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Johnny Cash, Walk the Line
David Strathairn, Edward R. Murrow, Good Night, and Good Luck
2006 (79th)
Forest Whitaker, Idi Amin, The Last King of Scotland
Leonardo DiCaprio, Danny Archer, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Dan Dunne, Half Nelson
Peter O’Toole, Maurice Russell, Venus
Will Smith, Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness
2007 (80th)
Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood
George Clooney, Michael Clayton, Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd / Benjamin Barker, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones, Hank Deerfield, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Nikolai Luzhin, Eastern Promises
2008 (81st)
Sean Penn, Harvey Milk, Milk
Richard Jenkins, Walter Vale, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Richard Nixon, Frost/Nixon
Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, The Wrestler
2009 (82nd)
Jeff Bridges, Otis “Bad” Blake, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Ryan Bingham, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, George Falconer, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Nelson Mandela, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, SFC William James, The Hurt Locker
2010 (83rd)
Colin Firth, King George VI, The King’s Speech
Javier Bardem, Uxbal, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network
James Franco, Aron Ralston, 127 Hours
2011 (84th)
Jean Dujardin, George Valentin, The Artist
Demián Bichir, Carlos Galindo, A Better Life
George Clooney, Matthew King, The Descendants
Gary Oldman, George Smiley, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Billy Beane, Moneyball
2012 (85th)
Daniel Day-Lewis, Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln
Bradley Cooper, Patrizio “Pat” Solitano, Jr., Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Jean Valjean, Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix, Freddie Quell, The Master
Denzel Washington, William “Whip” Whitaker, Sr. Flight
2013 (86th)
Matthew McConaughey, Ron Woodroof, Dallas Buyers Club
Christian Bale, Irving Rosenfeld, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Woodrow “Woody” Grant, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Solomon Northup 12 Years a Slave
2014 (87th)
Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything
Steve Carell, John du Pont, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, Chris Kyle, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Turing, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Riggan Thomson, Birdman
2015 (88th)
Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Glass, The Revenant
Bryan Cranston, Dalton Trumbo, Trumbo
Matt Damon, Mark Watney, The Martian
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, Lili Elbe, The Danish Girl
2016 (89th)
Casey Affleck, Lee Chandler, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Desmond Doss, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, Sebastian Wilder, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Ben Cash, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Troy Maxson, Fences
2017 (90th)
Gary Oldman Winston Churchill, Darkest Hour
Timothée Chalamet, Elio Perlman, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Reynolds Woodcock, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Chris Washington, Get Out
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel Roman J. Israel, Esq.
2018 (91st)
Rami Malek, Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody
Christian Bale, Dick Cheney, Vice
Bradley Cooper, Jackson Maine, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, Vincent van Gogh, At Eternity’s Gate
Viggo Mortensen, Tony “Lip” Vallelonga, Green Book
2019 (92nd)
Joaquin Phoenix Arthur Fleck / Joker, Joker
Antonio Banderas, Salvador Mallo, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Rick Dalton, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Charlie Barber, Marriage Story
Jonathan Pryce, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, The Two Popes
Multiple awards and nominations
These individuals received two or more Best Actor awards:
3: Daniel Day-Lewis (out of 6 nominations)
2: Spencer Tracy (9 noms)
Jack Nicholson 8
Marlon Brando 7
Dustin Hoffman 7
Gary Cooper 7
5
Tom Hanks
Fredric March
Sean Penn
These individuals received four or more Best Actor nominations:
9
Laurence Olivier
Spencer Tracy
8
Paul Newman
Jack Nicholson
Peter O’Toole
7
Marlon Brando
Dustin Hoffman
Jack Lemmon
6
Richard Burton
Daniel Day-Lewis
Denzel Washington
5
Gary Cooper
Robert De Niro
Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hanks
Fredric March
Paul Muni
Al Pacino
Gregory Peck
Sean Penn
James Stewart
4
Warren Beatty
Charles Boyer
Michael Caine
Albert Finney
Burt Lancaster
Multiple character nominations character
Norman Maine, 1937, 1954
Cyrano de Bergerac
Vincent van Gogh
Richard Nixon
Henry V
Abraham Lincoln
Eddie Felson
Henry VIII
Henry II
Chuck O’Malley
Henry Higgins
Rooster Cogburn
Joe Pendleton
Arthur Chipping
Multiple nominations from the same film
Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Bing Crosby (winner) and Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way (1944)
Montgomery Clift and Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity (1953)
James Dean and Rock Hudson in Giant (1956)
Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
Maximilian Schell (winner) and Spencer Tracy in Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)
Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole in Becket (1964)
Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier in Sleuth (1972)
Peter Finch (winner) and William Holden in Network (1976)
Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney in The Dresser (1983)
F. Murray Abraham (winner) and Tom Hulce in Amadeus (1984)
Nominations for portraying multiple characters in the same film:
Charles Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel and “The Barber” in The Great Dictator
Jose Ferrer as Toulouse Lautrec and his father in Moulin Rouge
Peter Sellers as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley, and the title character in Dr. Strangelove
Lee Marvin (winner) as Kid Shelleen and Tim Strawn in Cat Ballou
Nicolas Cage as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation
Age Records
Oldest winner: Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond, 76
Oldest nominee: Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story, 79
Youngest winner: Adrien Brody, The Pianist, 29
Youngest nominee: Jackie Cooper, Skippy, 9
