Oscar History Part 4: Best Actor

Best Actor is often associated with Best Picture.  27 films have won both and 54 times the Best Picture has been nominated for Best Actor.  While Best Picture once went 9 years without a Best Actress nomination (1966-1974), the longest stretch for Best Picture going without a Best Actor nomination has been 4 years (2005-2008). From 1957 to 1979, the only three Best Picture winners that failed to get a Best Actor nomination were musicals (Gigi, West Side Story, The Sound of Music).

11 films have earned two Best Actor nominations, with 4 of them winning Best Actor (Going My Way, Judgment at Nuremberg, Network, Amadeus).  Mutiny on the Bounty managed to get three nominations (splitting its support, with none of three actors winning).

Nine men have won two Best Actor Oscars; they are Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Sean Penn.  Tracy and Hanks were the only actors to win their awards in consecutive years.  If Day-Lewis wins this year for Lincoln, he will be the all-time leader with three Best Actor Oscars.

The only men to have won three competitive acting Oscars are Jack Nicholson (two for Best Actor, one for Best Supporting Actor) and Walter Brennan (all three for Supporting Actor).

The actors with the most Best Actor nominations are Spencer Tracy and Laurence Olivier, with nine each.  Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, and Peter O’Toole tie for third place with eight Best Actor nominations each.  It is worth noting that Nicholson also has four Supporting Actor nominations.

The “always a bridesmaid” nominee of this category is Peter O’Toole, with eight Best Actor nominations but no wins.  He will forever be “Lawrence of Arabia”, but he had the unfortunate luck in 1962 to be competing against Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, the literary hero in “To Kill a Mockingbird”.  A difficult choice.

There has been only one announced tie in the history of this category.  In 1932, Fredric March (“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”) received one more vote than Wallace Beery (“The Champ”).  Academy rules at the time considered such a close margin to be a tie, so both actors received the award.  Under current rules, dual awards are given only for exact ties.

Peter Finch (“Network”) is the only posthumous winner of the Best Actor award, though he was alive when his nomination was announced.  The only posthumously nominated performers for Best Actor were James Dean (“East of Eden”, “Giant”), Spencer Tracy (“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”), and Massimo Troisi (“Il Postino”).  James Dean is the only actor to be posthumously nominated twice for this category (in 1955 and 1956).

This category also has many examples of Oscars not really being awarded for the actual performance, including the makeup Oscar (James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Sean Penn’s 1^st win), the career Oscar (Humphrey Bogart, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Jeff Bridges), and the “He was good that one time?” Oscar (Art Carney).

The worst win in my mind is Art Carney in 1974. Against Jack Nicholson in Chinatown and Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II?  *shaking head* 

(blue won Best Picture, red was nominated for Best Picture and orange received no other nominations)

1928 AA: Emil Jannings in The Last Command / The Way of All Flesh

• Charlie Chaplin in The Circus
• Richard Barthelmess in The Noose / The Patent Leather Kid

me: Emil Jannings in The Last Command (also for Tartuffe)

• Charlie Chaplin in The Circus
• Conrad Veidt in The Man Who Laughs

1929 AA: Warner Baxter in In Old Arizona

• Paul Muni in The Valiant
• Lewis Stone in The Patriot
• Chester Morris in Alibi
• George Bancroft in Thunderbolt  

me: Max Schreck in Nosferatu (German release in 1922)

• Albert Dieudonne in Napoleon
• Erich Von Stroheim in The Wedding March
• Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill Jr.

1930 AA: George Arliss in Disraeli

• George Arliss in The Green Goddess – listed separately because this didn’t win
• Ronald Colman in Bulldog Drummond / Condemned
• Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade / The Big Pond
• Wallace Beery in The Big House
• Lawrence Tibbett in The Rogue Song

me: George Arliss in Disraeli

• Lew Ayres in All Quiet on the Western Front
• Erich Von Stroheim in The Great Gabbo  

1931 AA: Lionel Barrymore in A Free Soul

• Richard Dix in Cimarron
• Adolphe Menjou in The Front Page
• Jackie Cooper in Skippy
• Fredric March in The Royal Family of Broadway

me: Charlie Chaplin in City Lights

• James Cagney in The Public Enemy
• Bela Lugosi in Dracula
• Adolphe Menjou in The Front Page
• Lionel Barrymore in A Free Soul

1932 AA: Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (tied with Beery)

• Wallace Beery in The Champ – second winner, one vote behind March
• Alfred Lunt in The Guardsman

me: Paul Muni in Scarface

• Boris Karloff in Frankenstein
• Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• John Barrymore in Grand Hotel
• Wallace Beery in The Champ

1933 AA: Charles Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII

• Paul Muni in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
• Leslie Howard in Berkeley Square

me: Peter Lorre in M (German release in 1931)

• Paul Muni in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
• Groucho Marx in Duck Soup
• Claude Rains in The Invisible Man
• Charles Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII

1934 AA: Clark Gable in It Happened One Night

• William Powell in The Thin Man
• Frank Morgan in Affairs of Cellini

me: Clark Gable in It Happened One Night

• William Powell in The Thin Man
• Leslie Howard Of Human Bondage

1935 AA: Victor McLaglen in The Informer

• Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty
• Clark Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty
• Franchot Tone in Mutiny on the Bounty

me: Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty (also for Les Miserables)

• Victor McLaglen in The Informer
• Boris Karloff in Bride of Frankenstein
• Fred Astaire in Top Hat
• Errol Flynn in Captain Blood

1936 AA: Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur

• Gary Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
• Walter Huston in Dodsworth
• Spencer Tracy in San Francisco
• William Powell in My Man Godfrey

me: Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times

• Leslie Howard in The Petrified Forest
• Gary Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
• William Powell in My Man Godfrey

1937 AA: Spencer Tracy in Captains Courageous

• Paul Muni in The Life of Emile Zola
• Fredric March in A Star is Born
• Charles Boyer in Conquest
• Robert Montgomery in Night Must Fall

me: Fredric March in A Star is Born

• Cary Grant in The Awful Truth
• Ronald Colman in Lost Horizon
• Robert Montgomery in Night Must Fall
• Paul Muni in The Life of Emile Zola

1938 AA: Spencer Tracy in Boys Town

• Robert Donat in The Citadel
• Leslie Howard in Pygmalion
• Charles Boyer in Algiers
• James Cagney in Angels with Dirty Faces

me: Leslie Howard in Pygmalion

• Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby
• James Cagney in Angels with Dirty Faces
• Jean Gabin in Grand Illusion
• Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood

1939 AA: Robert Donat in Goodbye Mr. Chips

• Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind
• Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights
• James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms

me: James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

• Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights
• Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind
• Robert Donat in Goodbye Mr. Chips
• Jean Gabin in Port of Shadows

1940 AA: James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story

• Laurence Olivier in Rebecca
• Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator
• Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath
• Raymond Massey in Abe Lincoln in Illinois

me: Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath

• Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator
• Cary Grant in His Girl Friday
• Laurence Olivier in Rebecca
• James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (also for The Shop Around the Corner)

1941 AA: Gary Cooper in Sergeant York

• Robert Montgomery in Here Comes Mr. Jordan
• Orson Welles in Citizen Kane
• Walter Huston in The Devil and Daniel Webster
• Cary Grant in Penny Serenade

me: Orson Welles in Citizen Kane

• Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon
• Robert Montgomery in Here Comes Mr. Jordan
• Walter Huston in The Devil and Daniel Webster
• Gary Cooper in Sergeant York (also for Ball of Fire)

1942 AA: James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy

• Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver
• Ronald Colman in Random Harvest
• Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees
• Monty Woolley in The Pied Piper

me: James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy

• Joel McCrea in Sullivan’s Travels
• Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees
• Ronald Colman in Random Harvest
• Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver

1943 AA: Paul Lukas in Watch on the Rhine

• Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca
• Gary Cooper in For Whom the Bell Tolls
• Walter Pidgeon in Madame Curie
• Mickey Rooney in The Human Comedy

me: Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca

• Joseph Cotton in Shadow of a Doubt
• Gary Cooper in For Whom the Bell Tolls
• Henry Fonda in The Ox-Bow Incident
• Paul Lukas in Watch on the Rhine

1944 AA: Bing Crosby in Going My Way

• Charles Boyer in Gaslight
• Alexander Knox in Wilson
• Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way – won for Supporting Actor
• Cary Grant in None but the Lonely Heart

me: Charles Boyer in Gaslight

• Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity
• Eddie Bracken in Hail the Conquering Hero
• Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace
• Bing Crosby in Going My Way

1945 AA: Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend

• Bing Crosby in The Bells of St. Mary’s
• Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh
• Gregory Peck in The Keys of the Kingdom
• Cornel Wilde in A Song to Remember

me: Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend

• Roger Livesy in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
• Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not
• Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh
• Bing Crosby in The Bells of St. Mary’s

1946 AA: Fredric March in The Best Years of Our Lives

• Laurence Olivier in Henry V
• Gregory Peck in The Yearling
• James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life
• Larry Parks in The Jolson Story

me: James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life

• Fredric March in The Best Years of Our Lives
• Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep
• Laurence Olivier in Henry V
• Jean-Louis Barrault in Children of Paradise

1947 AA: Ronald Colman in A Double Life

• Gregory Peck in Gentleman’s Agreement
• John Garfield in Body and Soul
• William Powell in Life with Father
• Michael Redgrave in Mourning Becomes Electra

me: Gregory Peck in Gentleman’s Agreement

• Nicolai Cherkasov in Ivan the Terrible Part I 
• Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux
• Ronald Colman in A Double Life
• William Powell in Life with Father

1948 AA: Laurence Olivier in Hamlet

• Lew Ayres in Johnny Belinda
• Montgomery Clift in The Search
• Dan Dailey in When My Baby Smiles at Me
• Clifton Webb in Sitting Pretty

me: Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

• Laurence Olivier in Hamlet
• John Wayne in Red River
• James Stewart in Rope
• Lew Ayres in Johnny Belinda

1949 AA: Broderick Crawford in All the King’s Men

• Gregory Peck in 12 O’Clock High
• Kirk Douglas in Champion
• John Wayne in The Sands of Iwo Jima
• Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart

me: Broderick Crawford in All the King’s Men

• James Cagney in White Heat
• Kirk Douglas in Champion
• Ralph Richardson in The Fallen Idol
• Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart

1950 AA: Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac

• William Holden in Sunset Boulevard
• Spencer Tracy in Father of the Bride
• James Stewart in Harvey
• Louis Calhern in The Magnificent Yankee

me: William Holden in Sunset Boulevard

• Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets
• Richard Widmark in Night and the City
• Sterling Hayden in The Asphalt Jungle
• James Stewart in Harvey

1951 AA: Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen

• Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire
• Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun
• Fredric March in Death of a Salesman
• Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory

me: Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire

• Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train
• Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole (also for Detective Story)
• Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen
• Alec Guinness in Oliver Twist

1952 AA: Gary Cooper in High Noon

• Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge
• Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata
• Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful
• Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob

me: Gary Cooper in High Noon

• Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain
• Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful
• Alastair Sim in A Christmas Carol
• Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob

1953 AA: William Holden in Stalag 17

• Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity
• Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity
• Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar
• Richard Burton in The Robe

me: Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity

• William Holden in Stalag 17
• Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity
• David Niven in The Moon is Blue
• Richard Burton in The Robe

1954 AA: Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

• Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny
• Bing Crosby in The Country Girl
• James Mason in A Star is Born
• Dan O’Herlihy in Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

me: Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

• James Stewart in Rear Window
• Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny
• James Mason in A Star is Born
• Bing Crosby in The Country Girl

1955 AA: Ernest Borgnine in Marty

• James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me
• James Dean in East of Eden
• Frank Sinatra in The Man with the Golden Arm
• Spencer Tracy in Bad Day at Black Rock

me: James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (also for East of Eden)

• Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter
• Henry Fonda in Mr. Roberts
• Ernest Borgnine in Marty
• Frank Sinatra in The Man With the Golden Arm

1956 AA: Yul Brynner in The King and I

• James Dean in Giant
• Rock Hudson in Giant
• Kirk Douglas in Lust for Life
• Laurence Olivier in Richard III

me: Laurence Olivier in Richard III

• John Wayne in The Searchers
• Alec Guinness in The Ladykillers
• Karl Malden in Baby Doll
• Yul Brynner in The King and I

1957 AA: Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai

• Marlon Brando in Sayonara
• Charles Laughton in Witness for the Prosecution
• Anthony Quinn in Wild is the Wind
• Anthony Francoisa in A Hatful of Rain

me: Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai

• Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men
• Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success
• Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory
• Charles Laughton in Witness for the Prosecution

1958 AA: David Niven in Separate Tables

• Tony Curtis in The Defiant Ones
• Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
• Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones
• Spencer Tracy in The Old Man and the Sea

me: Orson Welles in Touch of Evil

• James Stewart in Vertigo
• Gunnar Bjornstrand in The Seventh Seal
• Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
• Alec Guinness in The Horse’s Mouth

1959 AA: Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur

• Laurence Harvey in Room at the Top
• James Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder
• Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot
• Paul Muni in The Last Angry Man

me: Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot

• Victor Sjostrom in Wild Strawberries
• James Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder
• Cary Grant in North by Northwest
• Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur

1960 AA: Burt Lancaster in Elmer Gantry

• Jack Lemmon in The Apartment
• Trevor Howard in Sons and Lovers
• Spencer Tracy in Inherit the Wind
• Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer

me: Jack Lemmon in The Apartment

• Takashi Shimura in Ikiru
• Anthony Perkins in Psycho
• Burt Lancaster in Elmer Gantry
• Kirk Douglas in Spartacus

1961 AA: Maximillian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg

• Paul Newman in The Hustler
• Spencer Tracy in Judgment at Nuremberg
• Charles Boyer in Fanny
• Stuart Whitman in The Mark

me: Paul Newman in The Hustler

• Maximillian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg
• Toshiro Mifune in Yojimbo (also for Throne of Blood)
• Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita
• Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun

1962 AA: Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird

• Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
• Burt Lancaster in Bird Man of Alcatraz
• Jack Lemmon in Days of Wine and Roses
• Marcello Mastroianni in Divorce – Italian Style

me: Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird

• Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
• Jack Lemmon in Days of Wine and Roses
• Gunnar Bjornstrand in Through a Glass Darkly
• Burt Lancaster in Bird Man of Alcatraz

1963 AA: Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field

• Albert Finney in Tom Jones
• Rex Harrison in Cleopatra
• Paul Newman in Hud
• Richard Harris in This Sporting Life

me: Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field

• Paul Newman in Hud
• Gunnar Bjornstrand in Winter Light
• Toshiro Mifune in Stray Dog
• Albert Finney in Tom Jones

1964 AA: Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady

• Richard Burton in Becket
• Peter O’Toole in Becket
• Anthony Quinn in Zorba the Greek
• Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove

me: Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove

• George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove
• Richard Burton in Night of the Iguana
• Tatsuya Nakadai in Harakiri
• Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady

1965 AA: Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou

• Oskar Werner in Ship of Fools
• Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
• Laurence Olivier in Othello
• Rod Steiger in The Pawnbroker

me: Rod Steiger in The Pawnbroker

• Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago
• Terrence Stamp in The Collector
• Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
• Laurence Olivier in Othello

1966 AA: Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons

• Alan Arkin in The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming
• Richard Burton in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
• Michael Caine in Alfie
• Steve McQueen in The Sand Pebbles

me: Richard Burton in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

• Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons
• Toshiro Mifune in Red Beard
• Michael Caine in Alfie
• Alan Arkin in The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming

1967 AA: Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night

• Warren Beatty in Bonnie and Clyde
• Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate
• Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
• Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

me: Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

• Sidney Poitier in In The Heat of the Night
• Warren Beatty in Bonnie and Clyde
• Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate 
• Orson Welles in Chimes at Midnight

1968 AA: Cliff Robertson in Charly

• Ron Moody in Oliver
• Peter O’Toole in The Lion in Winter
• Alan Arkin in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
• Alan Bates in The Fixer

me: Peter O’Toole in The Lion in Winter

• Zero Mostel in The Producers
• Max Von Sydow in Hour of the Wolf
• Alan Bates in The Fixer
• Alan Arkin in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

1969 AA: John Wayne in True Grit

• Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy
• Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy
• Richard Burton in Anne of the Thousand Days
• Peter O’Toole in Goodbye Mr. Chips

me: Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy

• Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy
• Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• William Holden in The Wild Bunch
• Richard Burton in Anne of the Thousand Days

1970 AA: George C. Scott in Patton

• Ryan O’Neal in Love Story
• Melvyn Douglas in I Never Sang for My Father
• James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope
• Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces

me: George C. Scott in Patton

• Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces
• James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope
• Donald Sutherland in M*A*S*H
• Melvyn Douglas in I Never Sang for My Father

1971 AA: Gene Hackman in The French Connection

• Topol in Fiddler on the Roof
• Peter Finch in Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Walter Matthau in Kotch
• George C. Scott in The Hospital

me: Gene Hackman in The French Connection

• Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange
• George C. Scott in The Hospital
• Peter Finch in Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Warren Beatty in McCabe and Mrs. Miller

1972 AA: Marlon Brando in The Godfather

• Michael Caine in Sleuth
• Laurence Olivier in Sleuth
• Paul Winfield in Sounder
• Peter O’Toole in The Ruling Class

me: Marlon Brando in The Godfather

• Charlie Chaplin in Limelight
• Michael Caine in Sleuth
• Laurence Olivier in Sleuth
• Burt Reynolds in Deliverance

1973 AA: Jack Lemmon in Save the Tiger

• Robert Redford in The Sting
• Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris
• Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail
• Al Pacino in Serpico

me: Al Pacino in Serpico

• Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris
• Jack Lemmon in Save the Tiger
• Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail
• Paul Newman in The Sting

1974 AA: Art Carney in Harry and Tonto

• Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II
• Dustin Hoffman in Lenny
• Jack Nicholson in Chinatown
• Albert Finney in Murder on the Orient Express

me: Jack Nicholson in Chinatown

• Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II
• Erland Josephson in Scenes from a Marriage
• Gene Hackman in The Conversation
• Dustin Hoffman in Lenny

1975 AA: Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

• Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon
• Walther Matthau in The Sunshine Boys
• Maximillian Schell in Man in the Glass Booth
• James Whitmore in Give Em Hell Harry

me: Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

• Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon
• Robert Shaw in Jaws
• Walter Matthau in The Sunshine Boys
• Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King

1976 AA: Peter Finch in Network

• Sylvester Stallone in Rocky
• Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver
• William Holden in Network
• Giancarlo Giannini in Seven Beauties

me: Peter Finch in Network

• Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver
• William Holden in Network
• Dustin Hoffman in All the President’s Men
• Robert Redford in All the President’s Men

1977 AA: Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl

• Woody Allen in Annie Hall
• Richard Burton in Equus
• Marcello Mastroianni in A Special Day
• John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

me: Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl (also for Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

• Klaus Kinski in Aguirre, the Wrath of God
• Woody Allen in Annie Hall
• Richard Burton in Equus
• John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

1978 AA: Jon Voight in Coming Home

• Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter
• Warren Beatty in Heaven Can Wait
• Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story
• Laurence Olivier in The Boys from Brazil

me: Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter

• Jon Voight in Coming Home
• Warren Beatty in Heaven Can Wait
• Laurence Olivier in The Boys from Brazil
• Anthony Hopkins in Magic

1979 AA: Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer

• Roy Scheider in All That Jazz
• Jack Lemmon in The China Syndrome
• Al Pacino in And Justice for All
• Peter Sellers in Being There

me: the same, except I give the award to Sellers
 


1980 AA: Robert De Niro in Raging Bull

• John Hurt in The Elephant Man
• Robert Duvall in The Great Santini
• Peter O’Toole in The Stunt Man
• Jack Lemmon in Tribute

me: Robert De Niro in Raging Bull

• John Hurt in The Elephant Man
• Tatsuya Nakadai in Kagemusha
• Donald Sutherland in Ordinary People
• Jack Nicholson in The Shining

1981 AA: Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond

• Warren Beatty in Reds
• Burt Lancaster in Atlantic City
• Dudley Moore in Arthur
• Paul Newman in Absence of Malice

me: Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark

• Warren Beatty in Reds
• Burt Lancaster in Atlantic City
• Paul Newman in Absence of Malice
• Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond

1982 AA: Ben Kingsley in Gandhi

• Paul Newman in The Verdict
• Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie
• Jack Lemmon in Missing
• Peter O’Toole in My Favorite Year

me: Paul Newman in The Verdict

• Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie
• Jack Lemmon in Missing
• Harrison Ford in Blade Runner
• Ben Kingsley in Gandhi

1983 AA: Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies

• Tom Courtenay in The Dresser
• Albert Finney in The Dresser
• Michael Caine in Educating Rita
• Tom Conti in Reuben Reuben

me: Michael Caine in Educating Rita

• Robert De Niro in The King of Comedy
• Albert Finney in The Dresser
• Tom Courtenay in The Dresser
• Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies

1984 AA: F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus

• Tom Hulce in Amadeus
• Sam Waterston in The Killing Fields
• Albert Finney in Under the Volcano
• Jeff Bridges in Starman

me: Tom Hulce in Amadeus

• F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus
• Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas
• Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America
• Sam Waterston in The Killing Fields

1985 AA: William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman

• Harrison Ford in Witness
• Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor
• James Garner in Murphy’s Romance
• Jon Voight in Runaway Train

me: William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman

• Tatsuya Nakadai in Ran
• Harrison Ford in Witness
• M. Emmett Walsh in Blood Simple
• Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor

1986 AA: Paul Newman in The Color of Money

• William Hurt in Children of a Lesser God
• Dexter Gordon in ‘Round Midnight
• James Woods in Salvador
• Bob Hoskins in Mona Lisa

me: Bob Hoskins in Mona Lisa

• William Hurt in Children of a Lesser God
• James Woods in Salvador
• Paul Newman in The Color of Money
• Robert De Niro in The Mission

1987 AA: Michael Douglas in Wall Street

• William Hurt in Broadcast News
• Jack Nicholson in Ironweed
• Marcello Mastroianni in Dark Eyes
• Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam

me: William Hurt in Broadcast News

• Michael Douglas in Wall Street
• Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam
• Steve Martin in Roxanne
• Jack Nicholson in Ironweed

1988 AA: Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man

• Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning
• Tom Hanks in Big
• Max Von Sydow in Pelle the Conqueror
• Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver

me: Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers

• Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man
• Forest Whitaker in Bird
• Kevin Costner in Bull Durham
• Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning

1989 AA: Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot

• Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy
• Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July
• Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society
• Kenneth Branagh in Henry V

me: Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot

• Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July
• James Spader in sex, lies, and videotape
• Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society
• Kenneth Branagh in Henry V

1990 AA: Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune

• Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves
• Robert De Niro in Awakenings
• Gerard Depardieu in Cyrano de Bergerac
• Richard Harris in The Field

me: Ray Liotta in GoodFellas

• Robert De Niro in GoodFellas
• Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune
• Harrison Ford in Presumed Innocent
• Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves

1991 AA: Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs

• Warren Beatty in Bugsy
• Nick Nolte in The Prince of Tides
• Robert De Niro in Cape Fear
• Robin Williams in The Fisher King

me: Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs

• Robert De Niro in Cape Fear
• Robin Williams in The Fisher King
• River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho
• Nick Nolte in The Prince of Tides

1992 AA: Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman

• Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven
• Stephen Rea in The Crying Game
• Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin
• Denzel Washington in Malcolm X

me: Denzel Washington in Malcolm X

• Tim Robbins in The Player
• Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven
• Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross
• Stephen Rea in The Crying Game

1993 AA: Tom Hanks in Philadelphia

• Liam Neeson in Schindler’s List
• Daniel Day-Lewis in In the Name of the Father
• Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of the Day
• Laurence Fishburne in What’s Love Got to Do With It

me: Tom Hanks in Philadelphia

• Liam Neeson in Schindler’s List
• Daniel Day-Lewis in In the Name of the Father (also for The Age of Innocence)
• Anthony Hopkins in Shadowlands (also for The Remains of the Day)
• Denzel Washington in Philadelphia

1994 AA: Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump

• Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption
• John Travolta in Pulp Fiction
• Nigel Hawthorne in The Madness of King George
• Paul Newman in Nobody’s Fool

me: Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption

• Johnny Depp in Ed Wood
• Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption
• Paul Newman in Nobody’s Fool
• John Travolta in Pulp Fiction

1995 AA: Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas

• Massimo Troisi in Il Postino
• Anthony Hopkins in Nixon
• Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking
• Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland’s Opus

me: Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas

• Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking
• Robert De Niro in Heat
• Massimo Troisi in Il Postino
• Anthony Hopkins in Nixon

1996 AA: Geoffrey Rush in Shine

• Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient
• Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire
• Woody Harrelson in The People vs Larry Flynt
• Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade

me: Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire

• Chris Cooper in Lone Star
• Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet
• Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient
• Daniel Day-Lewis in The Crucible

1997 AA: Jack Nicholson in As Good as It Gets

• Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting
• Dustin Hoffman in Wag the Dog
• Robert Duvall in The Apostle
• Peter Fonda in Ulee’s Gold

me: Dustin Hoffman in Wag the Dog

• Ian Holm in The Sweet Hereafter
• Russell Crowe in L.A. Confidential
• Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting
• Jack Nicholson in As Good as It Gets

1998 AA: Roberto Benigni in Life is Beautiful

• Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan
• Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters
• Nick Nolte in Affliction
• Edward Norton in American History X

me: Jim Carrey in The Truman Show

• Edward Norton in American History X
• Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters
• Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski
• Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan

1999 AA: Kevin Spacey in American Beauty

• Russell Crowe in The Insider
• Sean Penn in Sweet and Lowdown
• Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story
• Denzel Washington in The Hurricane

me: Kevin Spacey in American Beauty

• Russell Crowe in The Insider
• Sean Penn in Sweet and Lowdown
• Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story
• George Clooney in Three Kings

2000 AA: Russell Crowe in Gladiator

• Tom Hanks in Cast Away
• Ed Harris in Pollock
• Geoffrey Rush in Quills
• Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls

me: Michael Douglas in Wonder Boys (also for Traffic)

• John Cusack in High Fidelity
• Tom Hanks in Cast Away
• Christian Bale in American Psycho
• Geoffrey Rush in Quills  

2001 AA: Denzel Washington in Training Day

• Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind
• Tom Wilkinson in In the Bedroom
• Will Smith in Ali
• Sean Penn in I Am Sam

me: Tom Wilkinson in In the Bedroom

• Billy Bob Thornton in The Man Who Wasn’t There (also for Monster’s Ball)
• Guy Pearce in Memento
• Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums
• Will Smith in Ali

2002 AA: Adrian Brody in The Pianist

• Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York
• Nicholas Cage in Adaptation
• Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt
• Michael Caine in The Quiet American

me: Adrien Brody in The Pianist

• Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York
• Nicholas Cage in Adaptation
• Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition
• Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt

2003 AA: Sean Penn in Mystic River

• Bill Murray in Lost in Translation
• Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of Black Pearl
• Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog
• Jude Law in Cold Mountain

me: Bill Murray in Lost in Translation

• Sean Penn in Mystic River (also for 21 Grams)
• Paul Giamatti in American Splendor
• Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog

2004 AA: Jamie Foxx in Ray

• Clint Eastwood in Million Dollar Baby
• Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland
• Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator
• Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda

me: Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator

• Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda
• Paul Giamatti in Sideways
• Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Liam Neeson in Kinsey

2005 AA: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote

• Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
• David Strathairn in Good Night and Good Luck
• Terrence Howard in Hustle and Flow
• Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line

me: Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain

• Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote
• David Strathairn in Good Night and Good Luck
• Viggo Mortensen in A History of Violence
• Ralph Fiennes in The Constant Gardener

2006 AA: Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland

• Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond
• Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson
• Peter O’Toole in Venus
• Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness

me: Forest Whitaker in Last King of Scotland

• Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed
• Ken Watanabe in Letters from Iwo Jima
• Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson
• Clive Owen in Children of Men

2007 AA: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood

• George Clooney in Michael Clayton
• Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd
• Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah
• Viggo Mortensen Eastern Promises

me: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood

• George Clooney in Michael Clayton
• Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
• Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn
• Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah

2008 AA: Sean Penn in Milk

• Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
• Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
• Richard Jenkins in The Visitor

me:  Sean Penn in Milk

• Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
• Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
• Benicio del Toro in Che
• Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road 

2009 AA: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

• Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
• George Clooney in Up in the Air
• Morgan Freeman in Invictus
• Colin Firth in A Single Man

me:  Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

• Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo
• Viggo Mortensen in The Road
• Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man
• George Clooney in Up in the Air

2010 AA: Colin Firth in The King’s Speech

• Jeff Bridges in True Grit
• Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
• James Franco in 127 Hours
• Javier Bardem in Biutiful

me:  Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine

• Edgar Ramirez in Carlos
• James Franco in 127 Hours
• Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
• Jeff Bridges in True Grit

2011 AA: Jean Dujardin in The Artist

• George Clooney in The Descendants
• Brad Pitt in Moneyball
• Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• Demian Bichir in A Better Life

me:  Michael Fassbender in Shame

• Michael Shannon in Take Shelter
• Ryan Gosling in Drive
• Jean Dujardin in The Artist
• George Clooney in The Descendants

2012 AA: ?

• Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook
• Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
• Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables
• Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
• Denzel Washington in Flight

me:  ?