Eddie Redmayne As Stephen Hawking
Eddie Redmayne has shown his natural acting talent in movies like My Week With Marilyn, Les Misérables and The Danish Girl. However, he left us all in awe after his brilliant portrayal of the genius physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biopic The Theory Of Everything. That role gave the young actor his first Academy Award for Best Actor, which he very much deserved.
Redmayne's performance was mesmerizing and touching. The movie taught us that nothing is impossible, even when your first enemy is your own body. The facial contortions and cramped muscles that the English actor pretended to have were amazing and not at all disrespectful. Also, the movie gave us the chance to understand how Hawking's mind worked and how he battled against his own illness.
James Cagney As George M. Cohan
Known as the “tough guy in Hollywood”, James Cagney is remembered for his roles in movies like The Public Enemy, Taxi!, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Roaring Twenties and White Heat. But Cagney decided he didn’t want to always be just the tough guy and decided to make his first steps into musicals and dancing movies.
Apparently, these types of films were his passion and he found a place where he could shine. In 1942, he was called by director Michael Curtiz to play the role of George M. Cohan in the musical film Yankee Doodle Dandy. Cagney gave a killer performance, which earned him his first received his first Academy Award. Nowadays, he’s considered one of the best actors of all time.
Jamie Foxx As Ray Charles
Nobody could've achieved a more touching portrayal of Ray Charles than Jamie Foxx. The American actor started his career in the stand-up world, but in the early 2000s he delved into acting. His big break as an actor came in 2004, when he was called for an audition to play the lead role in the biopic Ray. Foxx had to pass not one, but many auditions, including a piano lesson with Charles himself!
Foxx was able to successfully convey the singer and pianist's troubled past and he did honor to the musician's incredible talent. Foxx played the piano himself after taking several months of lessons and did a great lip-sync, which really made us believe we were watching the real Charles. The following year, Foxx won the Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor.
Ben Kingsley As Gandhi
The English actor Ben Kingsley has a long and prolific career in the acting industry. He has worked in films like Schindler’s List, Twelfth Night, Sexy Beast, Shutter Island and Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, but he'll always be remembered as the man who played Mohandas Gandhi in the 1982 drama biopic Gandhi.
It must've been difficult to embody such a powerful and influential political leader, but Kingsley managed it to perfection and the results were unbelievable. To begin with, he looked just like Gandhi himself, so thumbs up for the makeup artists! Secondly, Gandhi's spirituality was magnificently portrayed and his political strategy of non-violent disobedience to the British Government was accurately represented. Kingsley received an Academy Award for his performance... obviously!
Michael Douglas As Gordon Gekko
What can we say about Michael Douglas’ career that hasn't been said? I think it talks for itself! Douglas has been part of many films like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The China Syndrome, The American President or Avengers: Endgame. Not only is he a famous actor but also a famous producer, and he has won several awards for both.
In 1987, he portrayed Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street. In the company of Charlie Sheen and Daryl Hannah, Douglas’ slick and unscrupulous performance was acclaimed by the critics, and he even received an Oscar! His character Gordo Grekko has been the inspiration for many Depression-era films, including Scorcese's The Wolf Of Wall Street.
Denzel Washington As Det. Alonzo Harris
Denzel Washington is well-known for his roles in biopics and historical dramas, having portrayed real-life figures like the South-African anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom, the human rights activist and Muslim Minister Malcolm X in Malcolm X, and the poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters. He was a twice Academy-Award winner, having received his second statuette for his role as Detective Alonzo Harris in the 2001 drama film Training Day.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starred by Ethan Hawke and Scott Glenn, the film is meant to represent the tough reality of the gang-ridden neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Washington’s character is unique and seductive, but has its dark side too.
Laurence Olivier As Hamlet
Like many English actors of his generation, Laurence Olivier started his acting career in plays but he also made his place in the film industry by working in more than 50 films throughout his life. Olivier acted in many of Shakespeare’s plays in the historical English theater Old Vic, including Richard III, Sophocles’ Oedipus and Hamlet.
Olivier’s performance as Hamlet gave him the opportunity to bring the mythical character to the big screen. His performance was full of dramatism and eeriness and it helped catapult him to fame. Many critics said that this film adaptation of Shakespeare's novel was brilliant and that the actor's performance was sublime. Did you know it was the first non-silent film version of the play? The film also earned Olivier his first Academy Award for Best Actor.
Gene Hackman As Popeye Doyle
Gene Hackman’s most memorable classics include Bonnie And Clyde, I Never Sang For My Father, The Poseidon Adventure, The Conversation and The Royal Tenenbaums. However, the role that gave Hackman his only Oscar for Best Actor was that of Popeye Doyle in the 1971 crime film The French Connection.
The thriller film went around the NYPD detectives Popeye Doyle and Cloudy Russo, who must track down a French heroine smuggler, and these characters are based on the real-life detectives Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso.Hackman’s performance was truly dramatic, so an Academy Award was the least he deserved.
Sean Penn As Harvey Milk
Nowadays, we can’t imagine someone better for the role of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk than actor Sean Penn. At first, the casting directors had other names in mind for the lead role, but they ended up going for Penn, who proved his talent to the world once again. Before playing Milk, Penn had acted in other blockbusters such as Dead Man Walking, Sweet And Lowdown and I Am Sam.
Milk was released in 2008 and received 8 Academy Award nominations, winning an Award for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay. The film depicts the hardships that LGBTQ+ people faced back in the 70s as well as Milk's struggle for gay rights and justice. Penn sure managed to create a unique, dramatic, and tender version of Milk, and let's be honest: he nailed it!
Jeremy Irons As Claus von Bülow
English actor Jeremy Irons started his career on stage while studying at the Old Vic Theater School. His most memorable roles were in plays like The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing and The Real Thing. But Irons decided to aim high and took his first steps in the film industry in the 60s. You probably remember him from films like The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Moonlighting and The Mission.
Of course, we can’t forget about his magnificent yet terrifying portrayal of Claus Von Bulow in the 1983 film Betrayal, which earned him his first Oscar for Best Actor. The movie is based on a very famous criminal case from the ‘80s and Irons plays the role of an aloof aristocrat who was accused of murdering his wife. Irons started being known as "The prince of perversion" after his role.
Murray Abraham As Antonio Salieri
F. Murray Abraham has been in many films in leading and supporting roles, making him a well-known actor in Hollywood. Perhaps you remember him from movies like All The President’s Men, Scarface, The Name Of The Rose and The Grand Budapest Hotel. But still these days, everyone remembers his role as Antonio Salieri, the Italian composer from the XVIII Century in the 1984 film Amadeus.
Although we can say Amadeus is about the life of the classical composer Amadeus Mozart, in fact, is about the enmity and between two great composers and how one of them was left behind. Of course, we mean Antonio Salieri. During the film, Abraham’s performance can show us the frustration and envy that Salieri suffered his entire life and how it became like a poison that killed him slowly. For this role, the American actor received an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
Anthony Hopkins As Hannibal Lecter
If we had to think about one actor who always manages to scare us off and send shivers down our spine, it would definitely be Anthony Hopkins. Even though he's acted in several thriller films, he'll always be remembered for his role of Hannibal Lecter, the cannibalistic serial killer in The Silence Of The Lambs. Even though Hopkins didn’t have so many lines, his performance was exceptional and terrifying and it earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor.
Hopkins played the same character in the sequel Hannibal and the prequel Red Dragon, making the character his masterpiece. Many actors have Hopkins to thank, as he has taught the world how to portray a psychopath serial killer to perfection.
Clark Gable As Peter Warne
Clark Gable has long been considered “The King Of Hollywood” and his long and successful acting career explains why. Gable played the lead role in countless successful films, including Dance, Fools, Dance, Red Dust, Mutiny On The Bounty and Gone With The Wind. Gable's were often charming and witty and they would always hook up with the most beautiful women.
In the 1934 romantic comedy It Happened One Night, Gable played the role of Peter Wayne in the company of the talented actress Claudette Colbert. Back then, it wasn't at all common for actors to be nominated for roles in comedies, but the film proved to be a real record-breaker! It won 5 Oscars and received countless nominations, earning Gable his first Academy Award.
Philip Seymour Hoffman As Truman Capote
Perhaps Philip Seymour Hoffman and Truman Capote were destined for each other. Hoffman was already a well-known actor in Hollywood for his supporting roles in movies like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Along Came Polly, but his life changed when he was cast for the biopic of the famous writer.
Nowadays, we can’t imagine a better actor for the role of the novelist than Hoffman. If we compare the lives of the writer and the actor, we can see that both of them were looking for their place in the world. It's needless to say that Hoffman received an Oscar for Best Actor, among many other awards. Sadly, the actor died in 2014 at the age of 46.
Gregory Peck As Atticus Finch
Gregory Peck was a great actor who became very popular in the 1940s and 1950s. If you're a fan of Hollywood's Golden Age, then you've probably seen him in classics like The Keys Of The Kingdom, The Yearling, Gentleman’s Agreement, Twelve O’clock High and Moby Dick.
Peck’s performance as Atticus Finch in the acclaimed 1962 drama film How To Kill A Mockingbird put him into the spotlight, especially after receiving his first and only Academy Award for Best Actor. As the years went by, his talent and elegance turned him into a Hollywood legend.
Daniel Day-Lewis As Daniel Plainview
Another great actor on our list is Daniel Day-Lewis. He recently decided to retire from acting, but he left us with a great legacy. His long-lasting career includes numerous awards, not to mention his 3 Oscars! His most memorable films include A Room With a View, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being and The Last Of The Mohicans. Have you seen them?
In 2007, Day-Lewis portrayed Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson's period drama film There Will Be Blood. The movie was a major box office hit, apart from earning Day-Lewis an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and IFTA. He played the role of a greedy oilman who was always seeking treasures no matter the cost, and he nailed it!
Peter Finch As Howard Beale
Sometimes, recognition doesn’t come at the right time, and this was sadly the case for actor Peter Finch. The English-Australian actor died at his early 60s, but earned worldwide fame after his role as Howard Beale in the 1976 drama film Network, directed by Sidney Lumet.
Finch was in the role of the craziest and most bizarre television anchorman. Some moments of the film became iconic, like the time the actor started screaming live on TV: “I’m not going to take this anymore!”. In fact, it became so popular that the once used the slogan at a Tea Party! Finch tragically passed away of a heart attack while he was promoting the film and his wife received his posthumous Oscar.
Daniel Day-Lewis As Abraham Lincoln
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis is definitely one of the best actors of all time; otherwise, he wouldn't be the only actor appearing three times on our list! In 2012, he left the world baffled with his outstanding representation of the American president Abraham Lincoln. The film became a commercial success earning more than $275 million at the box office.
Lincoln is not the typical biopic we're all used to, let me tell you that! The film dramatically depicts the life of the legendary president during the troubled times of the Civil War, and Day-Lewis conveys the image of a brave yet haunted leader who tries to build a new nation. History lovers, this is definitely a must-watch!
Alec Guinness As Colonel Nicholson
Like many English actors of his generation, Alec Guinness started his career on stage. Guinness was part of the so-called Ealing Comedies, like The Ladykillers and Hearts And Coronets. The English actor worked with many talented directors in films like Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Lawrence Of Arabia and A Passage To India.
In the 1957 war-darma film The Bridge On The River, Guinness played the role of Colonel Nicholson. He plays a tough, pedant and chauvinistic military leader who even tortures Japanese POWs during World War II, and his performance is so believable, that you'll definitely be hating him towards the end of the movie!
Jack Nicholson As R.P. McMurphy
Jack Nicholson is definitely one of the most versatile actors out there and he can play any role he wants to, from heroes to maniacs, and even villains. Some of his most memorable hits include films like Five Easy Pieces, Carnal Knowledge, Terms Of Endearment, As Good As It Gets and Chinatown.
In 1975, he starred in the heart-wrenching drama film One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, directed by Milos Forman. His performance as Randle McMurphy, a patient at a mental institution, was kind of creepy yet magnificent, and it received great critical acclaim.
Marlon Brando As Vito Corleone
The history of Hollywood wouldn’t be the same without Marlon Brando. He worked in the film industry for more than 60 years and he’s considered one of the most influential cultural icons of the 20th century. Brando had actually decided to take a break from acting when Francis Ford Coppola offered him one of the lead roles in The Godfather. Little did Brando imagine that Vito Corleone would become his most famous role ever!
Brando played the patriarch of the Corleone family and his personification of the character is truly spine-chilling. The film became so popular that it's widely regarded as the best mafia film in history and a trademark in American-Italian culture. Also, the role earned him his second Academy Award for Best Actor.
George C. Scott As Gen. George Patton
Receiving an Academy Award is often the most important moment in any actor's life... or one would think! Surprisingly, this is not always the case. When American actor George C. Scott won the precious award for Best Actor after being in the role of General George S. Patton in the 1970 war film Patton, he chose not to show up at the Red Carpet. In fact, he became the first actor to refuse an Academy Award!
What was the reason behind this decision? Scott considered that the ceremony was nothing but a bizarre parade where actors and actresses were forced to compete with each other and he claimed that all the actors' and actresses' performances were equally unique. Although we understand his reasons against the ceremony, we are still convinced that he delivered an Oscar-worthy performance!
Daniel Day-Lewis As Christy Brown
It’s difficult to choose just one of Day-Lewis’ performances. Throughout his entire acting career, he has proven us his talent countless times, but we'll never forget the time he played the role of writer Christy Brown in the 1990 British drama film My Left Foot. Did you know this movie earned him his first Academy Award?
Day-Lewis’ performance is tender but strong, definitely one of his best! It must've been a really tough challenge, since his character suffered cerebral paralysis. Our favorite scenes are those where Lewis goes to the doctor (role played by Fiona Shaw) for rehabilitation.
Robert De Niro As Jake LaMotta
The American-Italian actor Robert De Niro is definitely one of the greatest actors of all time. He received many accolades during his career and we'll never forget some of his roles, like that of Vito Corleone in The Godfather II or as a lonely cab driver in *Taxi Driver. De Niro became close friends with the famous director Martin Scorsese and together they worked in the 1980 drama biopic Raging Bull.
In this film, De Niro took on the role of the popular boxer Jake LaMotta and he showed the Middleweight International Champion's dark side. The actor portrayed his aggressive, controlling, and self-destructive personality magnificently. Also, did you know De Niro had to put on 60 pounds for this role?
Marlon Brando As Terry Malloy
As we said before, Marlon Brando is considered one of the best actors of his generation. Brando is also known for introducing the Stanislavski system and the so-called Method Acting into Hollywood. If we had to pick only one of his performances, it would definitely have to be the role of Terry Malloy in the 1954 drama film On The Waterfront.
Directed by Elia Kazan, the film goes around the union violence and the corruption between longshoremen on the waterfronts of Hoboken, New Jersey. Brando’s character is a man of many regrets and he has to deal with many moral dilemmas throughout his political career. The American actor received an Oscar for his performance and the film won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.