Best Actor Oscar Winners

Congratulations to Cillian Murphy for his Best Actor Oscar win for Oppenheimer
Congratulations to Cillian Murphy for his Best Actor Oscar win for Oppenheimer

Want to know the best Best Actor Oscar Winners?  How about the worst Best Actor Oscar Winners?  Curious about Best Actor Oscar Winners box office grosses or which Best Actor Oscar Winners picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Best Actor Oscar Winners Movies got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which one got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place …. because we have all of that information.

Since 1927, there have been 97 Best Actor Oscar Winners. This page will rank all 97 movies from Best to Worst in five different sortable columns of information.  If you use the sort and search buttons the massive table becomes very interactive.

Table Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In The Table Below

The really cool thing about ther table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort by the winners
  • Sort by actual domestic box office grosses (in millions)
  • Sort by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort by critic reviews and audiences voting.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
  • Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins
  • Sort Best Actor Oscar Winners by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score.  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.  The ceiling to earn points for box office is $200 million…once a movie passes that mark it stops earning points in that category.
 
Charlton Heston in 1959's Ben-Hur
Charlton Heston in 1959’s Ben-Hur

Some possibly interesting stats from the above table:

  1. These movies combined for 570 Oscar® nominations and 264 Oscar® wins.
  2. 63 of these movies earned more than $100 million in adjusted box office gross.
  3. The combined average when looking at critic/audience rating was 71.59%

Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.

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79 thoughts on “Best Actor Oscar Winners”

  1. A few weeks ago, I posted a list of my personal picks for the Best Actress Oscar Winners, I now offer up my list of Best Actor Oscar Winner personal picks. The list covers the years 1933 to 1973. I originally wrote this list in the mid 1970s when I was the movie critic for The Colerain High School newspaper THE CARDINAL QUILL. My choices are as follows:

    1.) BEST ACTOR 1933: Charles Laughton, “Private Lives Of Henry VIII”
    2.) BEST ACTOR 1934: William Powell, “The Thin Man”
    3.) BEST ACTOR 1935: Clark Gable, “Mutiny On The Bounty”
    4.) BEST ACTOR 1936: Spencer Tracy, “San Francisco”
    5.) BEST ACTOR 1937: Paul Muni, “Life Of Emile Zola”
    6.) BEST ACTOR 1938: Cary Grant, “Bringing Up Baby”
    7.) BEST ACTOR 1939: Laurence Olivier, “Wuthering Heights”
    8.) BEST ACTOR 1940: Henry Fonda, “The Grapes Of Wrath”
    9.) BEST ACTOR 1941: Tie between Humphrey Bogart, “The Maltese Falcon” and Tyrone Power, “A Yank In The RAF”
    10.) BEST ACTOR 1942: Gary Cooper, “Pride Of The Yankees”
    11.) BEST ACTOR 1943: Humphrey Bogart, “Casablanca”
    12.) BEST ACTOR 1944: Dick Powell, “Murder, My Sweet”
    13.) BEST ACTOR 1945: James Mason, “The Seventh Veil”
    14.) BEST ACTOR 1946: Fredric March, “The Best Years Of Our Lives”
    15.) BEST ACTOR 1947: Gregory Peck, “Gentlemen’s Agreement”
    16.) BEST ACTOR 1948: Rex Harrison, “Unfaithfully Yours”
    17.) BEST ACTOR 1949: James Cagney, “White Heat”
    18.) BEST ACTOR 1950: John Garfield, “The Breaking Point”
    19.) BEST ACTOR 1951: Robert Walker, “Strangers On A Train”
    20.) BEST ACTOR 1952: Gene Kelly, “Singin’ In The Rain”
    21.) BEST ACTOR 1953: Montgomery Clift, “From Here To Eternity”
    22.) BEST ACTOR 1954: Anthony Quinn, “La Strada”
    23.) BEST ACTOR 1955: Robert Mitchum, “Night Of The Hunter”
    24.) BEST ACTOR 1956: John Wayne, “The Searchers”
    25.) BEST ACTOR 1957: Kirk Douglas, “Paths Of Glory”
    26.) BEST ACTOR 1958: Sidney Poitier, “The Defiant Ones”
    27.) BEST ACTOR 1959: James Stewart, “Anatomy Of A Murder”
    28.) BEST ACTOR 1960: Laurence Olivier, “The Entertainer”
    29.) BEST ACTOR 1961: Spencer Tracy, “Judgement At Nuremberg”
    30.) BEST ACTOR 1962: Burt Lancaster, “Bird Man Of Alcatraz”
    31.) BEST ACTOR 1963: Paul Newman, “Hud”
    32.) BEST ACTOR 1964: Peter Sellers, “Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb”
    33.) BEST ACTOR 1965: Richard Burton, “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”
    34.) BEST ACTOR 1966: Alan Arkin, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming”
    35.) BEST ACTOR 1967: Dustin Hoffman, “The Graduate”
    36.) BEST ACTOR 1968: Steve McQueen, “Bullitt”
    37.) BEST ACTOR 1969: James Garner, “Support Your Local Sheriff”
    38.) BEST ACTOR 1970: James Earl Jones, “The Great White Hope”
    39.) BEST ACTOR 1971: Gene Hackman, “The French Connection”
    40.) BEST ACTOR 1972: Micheal Caine, “Sleuth”
    41.) BEST ACTOR 1973: Jack Lemmon, “Save The Tiger”.

    Reply

    1. First is your pick…second is Danny Peary’s
      1933: Laughton, “Private Lives Of Henry VIII” – Laughton – A Match
      1934: Powell, “The Thin Man” – John Barrymore – 20th Century
      1935: Gable, “Mutiny On The Bounty” – W.C. Fields – Man on Flying Trapeze
      1936: Tracy, “San Francisco” – Charles Chaplin – Modern Times
      1937: Muni, “Life Of Emile Zola” – Cary Grant – The Awful Truth
      1938 Grant, “Bringing Up Baby” – James Cagney – Angel With Dirty Faces
      1939 Olivier, “Wuthering Heights” – Robert Donat – Goodbye Mr. Chips
      1940: Fonda, “The Grapes Of Wrath” – Fonda – Match #2
      1941 Tie between Bogart, “The Maltese Falcon” & Power, “A Yank In The RAF” – Cooper – Ball Of Fire
      1942: Cooper, “Pride Of The Yankees” – James Cagney – Yankee Doodle Dandy
      1943: Bogart, “Casablanca” – Bogart – Match #3
      1944: Powell, “Murder, My Sweet” – Charles Boyer – Gaslight
      1945: Mason, “The Seventh Veil” – Boris Karloff – The Body Snatcher
      1946: March, “The Best Years Of Our Lives” – James Stewart – It’s A Wonderful Life
      1947: Peck, “Gentlemen’s Agreement” – Charlie Chaplin – Monsieur Verdoux
      1948: Harrison, “Unfaithfully Yours” – Humphrey Bogart – Treasure of Sierre Madre
      1949: Cagney, “White Heat” – Kirk Douglas – Champion
      1950: Garfield, “The Breaking Point” – Spencer Tracy – Father of the Bride
      1951: Walker, “Strangers On A Train” – Walker – Match #4 plus he has Alastair Sim in a tie for his role in A Christmas Carol
      1952: Kelly, “Singin’ In The Rain” – John Wayne in The Quiet Man
      1953: Clift, “From Here To Eternity” – Clift – Match #5
      1954: Quinn, “La Strada” – Marlon Brando – On The Waterfront
      1955: Mitchum, “Night Of The Hunter” – James Dean – Rebel Without A Cause
      1956: Wayne, “The Searchers” – Laurence Olivier – Richard III
      1957: Douglas, “Paths Of Glory” – Andy Grifffith – A Face In The Crowd
      1958: Poitier, “The Defiant Ones” – Alec Guinness – The Horse’s Mouth
      1959: Stewart, “Anatomy Of A Murder” – Jack Lemmon – Some Like It Hot
      1960: Olivier, “The Entertainer” – Anthony Perkins – Psycho
      1961: Tracy, “Judgement At Nuremberg” – Paul Newman – The Hustler
      1962: Lancaster, “Bird Man Of Alcatraz” – Peter O’Toole – Lawrence of Arabia
      1963: Newman, “Hud” – Jerry Lewis – The Nutty Professor
      1964: Sellers, “Dr. Strangelove: – Sellers Match #6
      1965: Burton, “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” – Sean Connery – The Hill
      1966: Arkin, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” – Richard Burton – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?
      1967: Hoffman, “The Graduate” – Orson Welles – Chimes at Falsaff
      1968: McQueen, “Bullitt” – McQueen Match #7
      1969: Garner, “Support Your Local Sheriff” – Jon Voight – Midnight Cowboy
      1970: Jones, “The Great White Hope” – Jack Nicholson – Five Easy Pieces
      1971: Hackman, “The French Connection” – Malcolm McDowell – A Clockwork Orange
      1972: Caine, “Sleuth” – Woody Allen – Play It Again, Sam
      1973: Lemmon, “Save The Tiger”. – Marlon Brando – Last Tango in Paris

      I know you have the book now….but thought I would compared both picks.
      Thanks for sharing your picks…very interesting.

      Reply

      1. My thoughts on the above picks.
        1. I like Greg’s pick of Michael Caine….love Sleuth…..and love Caine’s performances…..but Brando is awesome in The Godfather….in a perfect world…Brando would have won Best Supporting Actor…with Caine winning Best Actor.
        2. Not many comedy performances from either Greg, Perry or the Academy…..but a few sneak in here….with Chaplin, Lewis, Arkin, Garner and Sellers getting some notice.
        3. Two performances mentioned by Peary….are still….years later….unknown to me….Alec Guinness in A Horse’s Mouth and Orson Welles in Chimes At Falstaff….other than their mention in Peary’s Alternative Oscar book…never heard anybody else talk about their greatness.
        4. 7 Matches is pretty good between Greg and Peary….especially since of the 7…only Laughton’s performance in The Private Lives of Henry VIII actually won the Oscar.
        5. Glad to see Peary name Peter O’Toole as Best Actor….his performance as Lawrence is one of the greatest ever….so it certainly had to be the best that year.
        This was fun!

        Reply

        1. Hey Bruce!!!

          1.) Thanks for your replies to my post. I am rather enjoying reading Mr. Peary’s book. While I obviously don’t agree with all the choices he made in the book, I can still understand his reasons why as well as the logic he used for the choices that he made.

          2.) Haven’t seen Alec Guinness’ performance in “A Horse’s Mouth” but I did see Chimes At Falstaff when I was kid back in the 1960s. Orson Welles gives a good performance in the movie but, for the most part, I think the movie as a whole is just okay. My All Time Favorite Orson Welles movie is “The Third Man”.

          3.) Love Peter O’Toole but, for my money at the box office, I think he gave his best performance in “Becket”. However, I think I need to watch “Lawrence Of Arabia” one more time since you and Danny Peary give O’Toole’s performance in the film such high praise. 🙂

          4.) Glad you like the Micheal Caine in “Sleuth” pick.

          5.) Once again, you’re right!!! This was fun!!! I am now officially ready for this year’s round of Oscar parties that are being held at the local neighborhood bars in my hometown and/or being thrown by one of my movie watching buddies at their homes thus I am looking forward to winning either a six pack and/or a couple of fifths of one of my favorite adult beverages. This year I’m hoping to win either some Amaretto or a fifth of Apricot Brandy!!! LOL!!!!

          Reply

          1. Hey Greg
            1. Really glad you are enjoying Alternate Oscars.
            2. I do not always agree with him either….but I like his writing style and his logic. In this Cult Movies books he lists 200 Cult Movies….I have tracked down and watched about 180 of them….many times I have thought….”that was a horrible movie”…..but many times I have become fans of that movie.
            3. Hopefully you got it for a good price….my last copy bought was only about 4 bucks.
            4. Welles is awesome in The Third Man….though barely in the movie.
            5. As for O’Toole……he gave so many memorable performances in the 1960s…that I can see your Beckett argument….as well as others Lion in the Winter…..and my Lawrence argument….all are great performances.
            6. Not afraid to admit….I am a huge Caine fan…lol.
            7. Yep your comments, and the Golden Globes….have me itching for January 23rd….when the nominations come out.
            Good stuff.

      2. Greg, Bruce,
        I agree these are some very interesting selections for Best Actors winners, though there are a number of actors who I think truly deserved their Oscars during these years – Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend, William Holden in Stalag 17, Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront and Godfather, Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai, Maximilian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg, Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mocking Bird, Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night, Cliff Robertson in Charly, etc.
        Some of Greg’s picks that I think are particularly good or interesting are: Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath, Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter, Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones, James Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder, Spencer Tracy Judgement at Nuremberg (though I still think Schell slightly tops it), Burt Lancaster in Birdman of Alcatraz, Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove, and, most surprisingly, James Garner in Support Your Local Sheriff. I have never heard that Garner should have been considered for an Oscar for that film, but I think he was very much underrated until later in his career. I do agree he was great in Sheriff and am glad he is getting some recognition here 🙂

        Reply

        1. Hey PhilHoF17…..glad you enjoyed Greg’s Alternate Oscar picks. I have often thought….that I should do the same thing….but my lack of watching classic movies makes me feel unworthy to pick….as I would be more influenced by what I have read versus what I saw. For movies today….I feel comfortable listing my picks….as I have seen most of the top contenders and most of the average movies and most of the turkeys. I usually do a Oscar Nominations Prediction page…..normally hit on about 80% of the nominations…maybe this year I will list the ones I think deserve it.

          Good picks on the ones that Greg picked and that won the Oscar….hard to argue against most of them..though I am sure I could nit pick the Cliff Robertson pick. I agree that of the non-Oscar winning Greg picks….the James Garner one is the most surprising….it is a fun movie……but it is a western comedy….those movies do not get much Oscar love….but Garner is excellent in the movie.

          Good feedback!

          Reply

        2. Hey Phil,

          Thanks for your reply and feedback on my Best Actor post. I’m glad to know that you considered some of my picks to be good and/or interesting. Personally, I rather surprised that James Garner didn’t get an Oscar nomination for “Support Your Local Sheriff” especially since the movie was named one of the top ten movies of the year in 1969 by the National Board Of Review plus several major American movie critics had the film on their year end top ten lists as well, if memory serves me. Furthermore, I also feel Mr. Garner deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance in 1964’s “The Americanization Of Emily”. He and Julie Andrews worked well with each other in their movies together. James Garner, like Robert Mitchum and Doris Day, had a more understated and natural approach when it came to acting which was often overlooked by members of the Academy back in the day. At least, Garner was able to get proper recognition during the latter years of his career because there was no way he would have lasted in show business as long as he did if he didn’t have the talent to back it up. Enough Said.

          Reply

          1. Hey Greg….I would have loved if James Garner had more than the one Oscar nomination he received. I feel he was labeled a television actor…..and got so little respect from the Oscar voters. Good information on James Garner…..who has always been one of my favorite actors.

    2. Greg, great share. I hope you return to UMR. I must try this exercise myself. easy to do with UMR’s yearly pages.

      Reply

  2. Hey Cogerson, looking at the list of best actor Oscar winners, I see there are still a few major stars missing their own pages on your site – Alec Guiness, Rex Harrison, Rod Steiger, Kevin Spacey – I suppose these will have their day eventually and I know you’ve been doing an extraordinary amount of work on these pages. However, another best actor you may want to consider at some point is Cliff Roberston (Charly). Though he was not a major star, Roberston was an interesting leading man from the late 50s to the late 70s and remained active until shortly his before his death in 2011, notably as Spiderman’s uncle. Among his achievements other than Charly, Robertson was selected by President Kennedy to play his younger self in PT 109 and became famous for blowing the lid over the misappropriation of funds that led to so-called Hollywoodgate in the late 70s. I liked him in particular in Picnic, The Best Man, The Honey Pot, Too Late the Hero and The Great Northfield Minnessota Raid, among others, and of course his work in Charly is exceptional. Considering that several of his films in the 90s and early 2000s are insignificant B-features and need not be included, I note that your database already has about half of his main feature films already…so you already have half of your work cut out for you 😉

    Reply

  3. Hi

    Leo has just won the Bafta for Best Actor and The Revenant won for Best Film. Quite a lot of Bafta members are also Oscar members, so I think it’s a shoo in.

    Reply

    1. Hey Chris….I agree with you 100%….I could probably add Leo’s name to this list. Right now he would be in 36th place….right behind James Stewart and right before Spencer Tracy….pretty good neighbors!

      Reply

  4. Excellent page! Among my favorite Best Actor performances are Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird, Sean Penn for Mystic River, Jack Nicholson for Cuckoo’s Nest, Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood, and James Cagney for Yankee Doodle Dandy.

    Reply

    1. Hey thatmovieguy…..thanks for stopping by and listing your Top 5….I think Peck and Nicholson in Cuckoo’s Nest would be in Top 5 as well…with Brando in The Godfather, Bogart in The African Queen, and Newman in The Verdict(if he would have won)….I appreciate the visit and the comment.

      Reply

  5. You know, I think Best Directors would be good to do before the supporting acting categories. Time for a page on classic era directors soon…maybe not next, but sooner than later

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the suggestions Flora….I actually have been thinking about doing one on Howard Hawks…as he is one of my favorites. I have yet to do Best Actress winners as well but I am sure Best Director winners will be done before supporting winners….it seems as the holidays get closer…it is getting much more difficult to find the time to write pages.

      Reply

      1. Yes! I have my Festival Chorus Christmas concerts the first weekend of December and an opera the next weekend. Rehearsals take up much of my evenings.

        Reply

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