List of Academy Award winners for Best Actor over the years

Last Modified Feb 28, 2025 09:09 EST
Best Actor Oscar Winner
The Oscar Stage (Source: Oscars)


The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) presents the Academy Award for Best Actor every year. Since the first Academy Awards, it has been given to an actor who has performed very well in a major role in a movie that came out that year.


Traditionally, the Best Actress winner from the preceding year presents the award. But in recent years, the Best Actor winners from previous years have begun to present it. 86 actors have received the Best Actor award 97 times throughout the years.


Best Actor Oscar Winner


Here is a list of all the award recipients for the Best Actor category in the Academy Awards:



YearWinnerFilmRole
1927/28Emil JanningsThe Last Command / The Way of All FleshGeneral Dolgorucki / August Schilling
1928/29Warner BaxterIn Old ArizonaThe Cisco Kid
1929/30George ArlissDisraeliBenjamin Disraeli
1930/31Lionel BarrymoreA Free SoulStephen Ashe
1931/32Wallace Beery / Fredric MarchThe Champ / Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeChamp / Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
1932/33Charles LaughtonThe Private Life of Henry VIIIHenry VIII
1934Clark GableIt Happened One NightPeter Warne
1935Victor McLaglenThe InformerGypo Nolan
1936Paul MuniThe Story of Louis PasteurLouis Pasteur
1937Spencer TracyCaptains CourageousManuel
1938Spencer TracyBoys TownFather Flanagan
1939Robert DonatGoodbye, Mr. ChipsMr. Chips
1940James StewartThe Philadelphia StoryMike Connor
1941Gary CooperSergeant YorkAlvin C. York
1942James CagneyYankee Doodle DandyGeorge M. Cohan
1943Paul LukasWatch on the RhineKurt Muller
1944Bing CrosbyGoing My WayFather O'Malley
1945Ray MillandThe Lost WeekendDon Birnam
1946Fredric MarchThe Best Years of Our LivesAl Stephenson
1947Ronald ColmanA Double LifeAnthony John
1948Laurence OlivierHamletHamlet
1949Broderick CrawfordAll the King's MenWillie Stark
1950José FerrerCyrano de BergeracCyrano de Bergerac
1951Humphrey BogartThe African QueenCharlie Allnut
1952Gary CooperHigh NoonWill Kane
1953William HoldenStalag 17Sefton
1954Marlon BrandoOn the WaterfrontTerry Malloy
1955Ernest BorgnineMartyMarty Pilletti
1956Yul BrynnerThe King and IThe King
1957Alec GuinnessThe Bridge on the River KwaiColonel Nicholson
1958David NivenSeparate TablesMajor Pollock
1959Charlton HestonBen-HurJudah Ben-Hur
1960Burt LancasterElmer GantryElmer Gantry
1961Maximilian SchellJudgment at NurembergHans Rolfe
1962Gregory PeckTo Kill a MockingbirdAtticus Finch
1963Sidney PoitierLilies of the FieldHomer Smith
1964Rex HarrisonMy Fair LadyProfessor Henry Higgins
1965Lee MarvinCat BallouKid Shelleen / Tim Strawn
1966Paul ScofieldA Man for All SeasonsSir Thomas More
1967Rod SteigerIn the Heat of the NightPolice Chief Bill Gillespie
1968Cliff RobertsonCharlyCharly Gordon
1969John WayneTrue GritRooster Cogburn
1970George C. ScottPattonGeneral George S. Patton Jr.
1971Gene HackmanThe French ConnectionJimmy 'Popeye' Doyle
1972Marlon BrandoThe GodfatherDon Vito Corleone
1973Jack LemmonSave the TigerHarry Stoner
1974Art CarneyHarry and TontoHarry
1975Jack NicholsonOne Flew over the Cuckoo's NestRandle Patrick McMurphy
1976Peter FinchNetworkHoward Beale
1977Richard DreyfussThe Goodbye GirlElliot Garfield
1978Jon VoightComing HomeLuke Martin
1979Dustin HoffmanKramer vs. KramerTed Kramer
1980Robert De NiroRaging BullJake LaMotta
1981Henry FondaOn Golden PondNorman Thayer Jr.
1982Ben KingsleyGandhiMahatma Gandhi
1983Robert DuvallTender MerciesMac Sledge
1984F. Murray AbrahamAmadeusAntonio Salieri
1985William HurtKiss of the Spider WomanLuis Molina
1986Paul NewmanThe Color of MoneyEddie Felson
1987Michael DouglasWall StreetGordon Gekko
1988Dustin HoffmanRain ManRaymond Babbitt
1989Daniel Day-LewisMy Left FootChristy Brown
1990Jeremy IronsReversal of FortuneClaus Von Bulow
1991Anthony HopkinsThe Silence of the LambsDr. Hannibal Lecter
1992Al PacinoScent of a WomanLt. Col. Frank Slade
1993Tom HanksPhiladelphiaAndrew Beckett
1994Tom HanksForrest GumpForrest Gump
1995Nicolas CageLeaving Las VegasBen Sanderson
1996Geoffrey RushShineDavid Helfgott
1997Jack NicholsonAs Good as It GetsMelvin Udall
1998Roberto BenigniLife Is BeautifulGuido
1999Kevin SpaceyAmerican BeautyLester Burnham
2000Russell CroweGladiatorMaximus Decimus Meridius
2001Denzel WashingtonTraining DayAlonzo
2002Adrien BrodyThe PianistWladyslaw Szpilman
2003Sean PennMystic RiverJimmy Markum
2004Jamie FoxxRayRay Charles
2005Philip Seymour HoffmanCapoteTruman Capote
2006Forest WhitakerThe Last King of ScotlandIdi Amin
2007Daniel Day-LewisThere Will Be BloodDaniel Plainview
2008Sean PennMilkHarvey Milk
2009Jeff BridgesCrazy HeartBad Blake
2010Colin FirthThe King's SpeechKing George VI
2011Jean DujardinThe ArtistGeorge Valentin
2012Daniel Day-LewisLincolnAbraham Lincoln
2013Matthew McConaugheyDallas Buyers ClubRon Woodroof
2014Eddie RedmayneThe Theory of EverythingStephen Hawking
2015Leonardo DiCaprioThe RevenantHugh Glass
2016Casey AffleckManchester by the SeaLee Chandler
2017Gary OldmanDarkest HourWinston Churchill
2018Rami MalekBohemian RhapsodyFreddie Mercury
2019Joaquin PhoenixJokerArthur Fleck
2020Anthony HopkinsThe FatherAnthony
2021Will SmithKing RichardRichard Williams
2022Brendan FraserThe WhaleCharlie
2023Cillian MurphyOppenheimerJ. Robert Oppenheimer


Read More: Best Director Oscar winners

FAQs about the Oscars

Daniel Day-Lewis currently holds the record, winning three Academy Awards at the Oscars.


Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor for Oppenheimer in 2024.


Timothée Chalamet is the youngest actor to receive a Best Actor award at the Oscars at the age of 29.


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