See Each Greatest Actor Winner within the Historical past of the Oscarstheinsiderinsight

And the Oscar goes to … 

Since 1929, the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences has honored considered one of filmmaking’s most important components: the performing. 5 actors are nominated annually for his or her main performances in among the earlier yr’s most acclaimed movies.

From Sidney Poitier making historical past as the primary Black man to win the title to Peter Finch changing into the one particular person to win the class posthumously, this is a listing of each Hollywood star who has ever taken house the golden statuette for Greatest Actor through the years.

2024: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy clinched his first-ever Oscar for portraying the titular physicist in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 historic drama Oppenheimer — a movie that dominated the night time with seven wins, together with Greatest Image.

2023: Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Following a decades-long break from the trade, Oscar winner Brendan Fraser made a triumphant return in 2022’s The Whale, which follows the story of a reclusive man making an attempt to restore his relationship along with his teen daughter (Sadie Sink).

2022: Will Smith, King Richard

Will Smith received his first Oscar for his efficiency as Richard Williams — father of tennis stars and sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams — within the 2021 sports activities drama King Richard. The second was overshadowed, although, because the actor slapped comic and presenter Chris Rock onstage earlier within the night time following a joke about Smith’s spouse, Jada Pinkett Smith.

2021: Anthony Hopkins, The Father

Anthony Hopkins grew to become the oldest star to win the Greatest Actor title when he nabbed the prize for his efficiency in 2020’s The Father at age 83.

2020: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Joaquin Phoenix received the award for his function because the titular villain. The actor was not nominated for his reprisal within the film’s 2024 sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux.

2019: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Rami Malek’s efficiency as Freddie Mercury within the 2018 biographical Bohemian Rhapsody — in regards to the band Queen’s rise to stardom — earned him the trophy on the 91st Oscars.

2018: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Gary Oldman took house the award for his function as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 2017’s Darkest Hour.

2017: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Casey Affleck received the Greatest Actor title on the 89th Academy Awards for his efficiency as Lee Chandler, a janitor residing with PTSD, within the 2016 drama Manchester by the Sea.

2016: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Greater than 20 years after his first Oscar nomination, Leonardo DiCaprio took house the award for Greatest Actor for his function as frontiersman Hugh Glass in The Revenant in 2016.

2015: Eddie Redmayne, The Idea of All the pieces

Eddie Redmayne clinched the award for his efficiency as theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in 2014’s The Idea of All the pieces alongside Felicity Jones.

2014: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Consumers Membership

In 2014, Matthew McConaughey received his first Oscar for his efficiency as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Consumers Membership. The movie was based mostly on Woodroof’s real-life story of being recognized with HIV and smuggling medication into Texas to provide to others residing with the illness.

2013: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis scored his third Oscar for Greatest Actor in 2013 for his efficiency as Abraham Lincoln — making him the winningest actor within the class’s historical past.

2012: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Within the silent, black-and-white movie The Artist, Jean Dujardin’s function as display star George Valentin received him the award in 2012.

2011: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Colin Firth was named Greatest Actor in 2011 for his efficiency as King George VI in The King’s Speech.

2010: Jeff Bridges, Loopy Coronary heart

Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of nation singer Otis “Unhealthy” Blake in Loopy Coronary heart earned the actor the award in 2010. Bridges additionally sang on the soundtrack for the movie, protecting Johnny Money’s 1963 hit “Ring of Hearth.”

2009: Sean Penn, Milk

Sean Penn’s efficiency as Harvey Milk — California’s first overtly homosexual elected official — received him his second Oscar for Greatest Actor in 2009.

2008: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Day-Lewis’ second Oscar got here in 2008 for embodying the function of oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.

2007: Forest Whitaker, The Final King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker’s portrayal of Uganda President Idi Amin in The Final King of Scotland earned him the award in 2007.

2006: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s first Oscar nomination additionally yielded his first and solely win in 2006 for his efficiency as novelist Truman Capote in Capote. The actor later died in 2014 on the age of 46.

2005: Jamie Foxx, Ray

Jamie Foxx received the award for portraying iconic musician Ray Charles within the 2005 biopic Ray in 2005.

2004: Sean Penn, Mystic River

Penn picked up his first Oscar for Greatest Actor in 2004 for his efficiency as ex-convict Jimmy Markum within the Clint Eastwood-directed movie Mystic River.

2003: Adrien Brody, The Pianist

Adrien Brody’s efficiency as Polish music composer Wladyslaw Szpilman within the autobiography adaptation, The Pianist, earned him the award in 2003.

2002: Denzel Washington, Coaching Day

Denzel Washington received his second Oscar in 2002 for his efficiency as police officer Alonzo Harris in Coaching Day. In 2022, he acquired his tenth Oscar nomination for his work in The Tragedy of Macbeth, extending his file because the most-nominated Black actor in Academy Awards historical past.

2001: Russell Crowe, Gladiator

Russell Crowe scored the award in 2001 for his function because the Roman normal, Maximus, in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

2000: Kevin Spacey, American Magnificence

Kevin Spacey’s efficiency as advert exec Lester Burnham in American Magnificence earned him the title in 2000.

1999: Roberto Benigni, Life Is Stunning

Italian actor and filmmaker Roberto Benigni each starred in and directed 1998’s Life Is Stunning, which received him the award for Greatest Actor in 1999.

1998: Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Will get

Jack Nicholson’s efficiency as romance novelist Melvin Udall in As Good As It Will get received him his second Greatest Actor award — and third general Oscar, together with Greatest Actor in a Supporting Function in 1984 for his efficiency in Phrases of Endearment.

1997: Geoffrey Rush, Shine

Geoffrey Rush took house the award in 1997 for his function as piano prodigy David Helfgott in Shine.

1996: Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas

Nicolas Cage received the award for Greatest Actor for his portrayal of Ben Sanderson — a Hollywood screenwriter with an alcohol downside — within the movie adaptation of the eponymous novel Leaving Las Vegas.

1995: Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump

Tom Hanks received back-to-back awards within the class, first for his function in 1993’s Philadelphia and second for his efficiency because the titular character in Forrest Gump.

1994: Tom Hanks, Philadelphia

Hanks took house his first Oscar in 1994 for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett — an affiliate legal professional residing with AIDS — in Philadelphia.

1993: Al Pacino, Scent of a Lady

Al Pacino received his sole Oscar in 1993 for his efficiency in Scent of a Lady as Lt. Col. Frank Slade, a blind veteran whose niece (Sally Murphy) hires a scholar (Chris O’Donnell) to be his caretaker throughout Thanksgiving weekend, which ends up in an sudden journey to New York Metropolis.

1992: Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs

Portraying the psychopathic killer Hannibal Lecter, Hopkins’ efficiency in The Silence of the Lambs earned him the award in 1992.

1991: Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune

Jeremy Irons’ starring function as British lawyer Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune received him the title in 1991.

1990: Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot

Day-Lewis took house his first Oscar in 1990 for his function as Christy Brown — a author and painter residing with cerebral palsy — in My Left Foot.

1989: Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man

Dustin Hoffman acquired his second Oscar in 1989 for his efficiency as autistic savant Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man, costarring Tom Cruise as his older brother, Charlie.

1988: Michael Douglas, Wall Avenue

Michael Douglas’ function within the first Wall Avenue movie as company raider Gordon Gekko received him the award for Greatest Actor in 1988. Douglas reprised the function over 20 years later within the 2010 sequel Wall Avenue: Cash By no means Sleeps.

1987: Paul Newman, The Colour of Cash

After many years within the trade, Paul Newman received his first aggressive Oscar in 1987 for his efficiency as pool participant Eddie Felson in The Colour of Cash. The yr prior, he received an honorary award for his profession.

1986: William Damage, Kiss of the Spider Lady

William Damage took house the coveted trophy in 1986 for his function as Brazilian prisoner Luis Molina in Kiss of the Spider Lady.

1985: F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus

White Lotus star F. Murray Abraham scored an Oscar in 1985 for his efficiency as composer Antonio Salieri — whose rival is none apart from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

1984: Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies

Robert Duvall’s portrayal of nation singer Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies received the actor the award in 1984.

1983: Ben Kingsley, Gandhi

Ben Kingsley acquired the Greatest Actor honor in 1983 for his efficiency because the titular Indian chief within the biographical movie.

1982: Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond

Although Henry Fonda was unable to attend the 1982 ceremony in individual, his daughter and actress, Jane Fonda, accepted the award on his behalf and delivered it to the actor for his function as Norman Thayer Jr. in On Golden Pond. On the time, the then-76-year-old actor was the oldest actor to have acquired the distinction.

1981: Robert De Niro, Raging Bull

Robert De Niro’s efficiency as skilled boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull received the actor the title in 1981.

1980: Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer

Hoffman took house the Greatest Actor Oscar in 1980 for his efficiency as N.Y.C. advert exec Ted Kramer in Kramer vs. Kramer. Meryl Streep additionally received Greatest Actress for her efficiency reverse Hoffman.

1979: Jon Voight, Coming Residence

Jon Voight was named Greatest Actor in 1979 for his function as Vietnam veteran Luke Martin in Coming Residence.

1978: Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Woman

Richard Dreyfuss was the Greatest Actor recipient in 1978 for his efficiency as aspiring actor Elliot Garfield in The Goodbye Woman.

1977: Peter Finch, Community

Two months earlier than he died at age 60, Finch received the award in 1977 for his function as anchorman Howard Beale in Community.

1976: Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Nicholson received his first Oscar in 1976 for his efficiency as psychiatric affected person Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

1975: Artwork Carney, Harry and Tonto

Artwork Carney received the award in 1975 for his function because the titular widower, Harry Coombes, in Harry and Tonto.

1974: Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger

Jack Lemmon’s portrayal of businessman Harry Stoner in Save the Tiger earned him the title in 1974.

1973: Marlon Brando, The Godfather

Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather famously appeared on Marlon Brando’s behalf in 1973 and refused to just accept the award for his efficiency as mafia boss Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather as a result of movie trade’s remedy of Native Individuals.

1972: Gene Hackman, The French Connection

Gene Hackman’s efficiency as detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection received him the award in 1972.

The prolific actor earned his second Oscar for Greatest Supporting Actor in 1993 for his function as Little Bill Daggett within the Eastwood-led Western movie Unforgiven. Hackman died on the age of 95 — alongside his spouse, Betsy Arakawa, and their canine — on Feb. 27, 2025.

1971: George C. Scott, Patton

George C. Scott nabbed the award in 1971 for his efficiency as Gen. George S. Patton in Patton.

1970: John Wayne, True Grit

John Wayne received the Oscar in 1970 for his efficiency as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn in True Grit.

1969: Cliff Robertson, Charly

Cliff Robertson’s portrayal of a person with an mental incapacity in Charly earned him the award for Greatest Actor in 1969.

1968: Rod Steiger, Within the Warmth of the Evening

Rod Steiger was named Greatest Actor in 1968 for his efficiency as police chief Invoice Gillespie in 1967’s In The Warmth of the Evening, costarring Poitier.

1967: Paul Scofield, A Man for All Seasons

Paul Scofield’s efficiency as Sir Thomas Moore — the Sixteenth-century Lord Chancellor of England — in A Man for All Seasons received him the award in 1967.

1966: Lee Marvin, Cat Ballou

Lee Marvin earned the award in 1966 for his efficiency as each of the principle gunslingers, Child Shelleen and Tim Strawn, in Cat Ballou.

1965: Rex Harrison, My Truthful Woman

Rex Harrison’s efficiency as Professor Henry Higgins alongside Audrey Hepburn in My Truthful Woman received the award in 1965.

1964: Sidney Poitier, Lilies of the Discipline

Poitier grew to become the primary Black man to win Greatest Actor in 1962 for his efficiency as Homer Smith — a handyman constructing a chapel within the desert — in Lilies of the Discipline.

1963: Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird

Gregory Peck’s efficiency as lawyer Atticus Finch within the display adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird received the award in 1963.

1962: Maximilian Schell, Judgement at Nuremberg

Maximilian Schell took house the award in 1962 for his portrayal of protection legal professional Hans Rolfe in Judgement at Nuremberg.

1961: Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry

Burt Lancaster’s efficiency because the titular con man in Elmer Gantry earned him the award in 1961.

1960: Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur

Charlton Heston’s efficiency as Judah Ben-Hur — a Jewish prince of Jerusalem — in Ben-Hur received him the award in 1960.

1959: David Niven, Separate Tables

In 1959, David Niven took house the statuette for Greatest Actor for his efficiency as veteran Main Angus Pollack in Separate Tables.

1958: Alec Guinness, The Bridge on the River Kwai

Alec Guinness received the award in 1958 for his efficiency as Colonel Nicholson — chief of British prisoners of struggle — within the struggle movie The Bridge on the River Kwai.

1957: Yul Brynner, The King and I

Yul Brynner’s portrayal of King Mongkut within the movie adaptation of the traditional Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I, earned him Greatest Actor in 1957.

1956: Ernest Borgnine, Marty

Ernest Borgnine’s efficiency because the titular N.Y.C. butcher within the romance movie, Marty, received the award in 1956.

1955: Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront

Brando’s function as former boxer Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront received the actor his first Oscar.

1954: William Holden, Stalag 17

William Holden received the Greatest Actor award in 1954 for his main function as Sgt. J.J. Sefton in Stalag 17.

1953: Gary Cooper, Excessive Midday

Gary Cooper’s efficiency as Hadleyville, N.M., marshal Will Kane in Excessive Midday — alongside Grace Kelly — received him the title in 1953.

1952: Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen

Humphrey Bogart’s function as courier Charlie Allnut in The African Queen earned him the award in 1952.

1951: José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac

José Ferrer took house the award in 1951 for his efficiency because the titular character within the movie adaption of the play of the identical title by Edmond Rostand.

1950: Broderick Crawford, All of the King’s Males

Broderick Crawford’s portrayal of corrupt politician Willie Stark in 1949’s All of the King’s Males received him the award the next yr.

1949: Laurence Olivier, Hamlet

Laurence Olivier’s efficiency because the titular character in Hamlet — which he additionally directed and wrote the screenplay for — received him the Oscar for Greatest Actor in a Main Function. The movie additionally received the award for Greatest Image.

1948: Ronald Colman, A Double Life

Ronald Colman received the award in 1948 for his function as stage actor Anthony John in A Double Life.

1947: Fredric March, The Greatest Years of Our Lives

Frederich March’s efficiency as U.S. Military sergeant Al Stephenson in The Greatest Years of Our Lives received him the Oscar in 1947.

1946: Ray Milland, The Misplaced Weekend

Ray Milland’s starring function as N.Y.C. author Don Birnam within the movie adaptation of the novel of the identical title earned the actor the award in 1946.

1945: Bing Crosby, Going My Means

Bing Crosby introduced house the award in 1945 for his efficiency as a younger priest, Father O’Malley, in Going My Means.

1944: Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine

Paul Lukas received the award for Greatest Actor for his efficiency as German engineer Kurt Muller in Watch on the Rhine.

1943: James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy

On the fifteenth Academy Awards, James Cagney received the title for his portrayal of George M. Cohan — a real-life composer, playwright and performer — in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

1942: Gary Cooper, Sergeant York

Cooper took house the award in 1942 for his function as American soldier Alvin C. York in Sergeant York.

1941: James Stewart, The Philadelphia Story

James Stewart’s efficiency as reporter Macaulay Connor in The Philadelphia Story alongside Katharine Hepburn received him the Oscar in 1941.

1940: Robert Donat, Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Robert Donat took house the award in 1940 for his function as public faculty trainer Arthur Chipping in Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

1939: Spencer Tracy, Boys City

Spencer Tracy received the award in 1939 for his efficiency as Irish priest Father Flanagan in Boys City.

1938: Spencer Tracy, Captains Brave

Tracy’s main function as fisherman Manuel Fidello in Captains Brave earned him the trophy in 1938.

1937: Paul Muni, The Story of Louis Pasteur

In 1937, Paul Muni took house the award for his starring function because the titular French chemist in The Story of Louis Pasteur.

1936: Victor McLaglen, The Informer

Victor McLaglen’s portrayal of Gypo Nolan, a disgraced member of the Irish Republican Military, in The Informer earned him the award in 1936.

1935: Clark Gable, It Occurred One Evening

Legendary actor Clark Gable took house his first and solely Oscar in 1935 for his efficiency as information reporter Peter Warne in It Occurred One Evening — the first movie to win in all 5 main classes.

1934: Charles Laughton, The Personal Lifetime of Henry VIII

Charles Laughton’s function because the titular king in The Personal Lifetime of Henry VIII received him the award in 1934.

1933: Wallace Beery, The Champ

Wallace Beery earned the award in 1933 for his efficiency as a former heavyweight champion, Andy “Champ” Purcell, in The Champ.

1932: Lionel Barrymore, A Free Soul

Lionel Barrymore acquired the distinction for his function as protection lawyer Stephen Ashe within the 1931 crime drama A Free Soul.

1931: George Arliss, Disraeli

George Arliss’ portrayal of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli received the actor the title in 1931.

1930: Warner Baxter, In Previous Arizona

Warner Baxter received the award for his efficiency because the Cisco Child within the Western In Previous Arizona.

1929: Emil Jannings, The Means of All Flesh and The Final Command

Emil Jannings received Greatest Actor in a Main Function for his performances in two movies: The Means of All Flesh and The Final Command. Following his win, which was introduced three months earlier than the primary annual ceremony, the German actor returned to his house nation and later starred in pro-Germany movies and campaigned for Hitler, according to The Hollywood Reporter.