Category: All Time

The 50 Best Male Actors of All Time

1. Robert de Niro

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. Raging BullMartin Scorsese1980
2. Taxi DriverMartin Scorsese1976
3. The Godfather Part IIFrancis Ford Coppola1974
4. The Deer HunterMichael Cimino1978
5. HeatMichael Mann1995
Raging Bull (1980). De Niro possesses raw acting talent, an astounding depth to his filmography, and two of the best three performances in cinema history. From the 70s to the 90s in particular, his dedication to morally complex characters saw him combine intense physical transformations with authentic, subtle improvisations.

2. Marlon Brando

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. On the WaterfrontElia Kazan1954
2. The GodfatherFrancis Ford Coppola1972
3. A Streetcar Named DesireElia Kazan1951
4. Last Tango in ParisBernardo Bertolucci1972
5. Apocalypse NowFrancis Ford Coppola1979
On the Waterfront (1954). Brando led the way for naturalism in screen acting, breaking away from the theatricality of cinema’s past to infuse his characters with raw, emotional grit, honesty, and unpredictability.

3. Al Pacino

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. The Godfather Part IIFrancis Ford Coppola1974
2. The GodfatherFrancis Ford Coppola1972
3. Dog Day AfternoonSidney Lumet1975
4. ScarfaceBrian de Palma1983
5. The IrishmanMartin Scorsese2019
The Godfather Part II (1974). Pacino’s emotional range transcends the fiery, larger-than-life outbursts he is known for, effortlessly shifting into the simmering introspection of The Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon’s highly-strung anxiety.

4. James Stewart

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. VertigoAlfred Hitchcock1958
2. It’s a Wonderful LifeFrank Capra1946
3. Mr. Smith Goes to WashingtonFrank Capra1939
4. Anatomy of a MurderOtto Preminger1959
5. Rear WindowAlfred Hitchcock1954
Vertigo (1958). The original everyman of Golden Age Hollywood, Stewart could project warmth, sincerity, and vulnerability – and then mix that in with intense psychological obsession through his brilliant Hitchcock collaborations.

5. Jack Nicholson

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestMiloš Forman1975
2. ChinatownRoman Polanski1974
3. The ShiningStanley Kubrick1980
4. The PassengerMichelangelo Antonioni1975
5. Five Easy PiecesBob Rafelson1970
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). Beneath Nicholson’s mad grin, bombastic energy, and irreverent charm, there are layers of complexity – men with a streak of chaos desperately rebelling against authority and order.

6. Toshirô Mifune

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. Seven SamuraiAkira Kurosawa1954
2. YojimboAkira Kurosawa1961
3. RashomonAkira Kurosawa1950
4. Throne of BloodAkira Kurosawa1957
5. High and LowAkira Kurosawa1963
Seven Samurai (1974). Mifune possesses a raw energy and fierce physicality in his earlier screen performances, often playing bandits, leaders, and samurais throughout Japanese history, though his commanding screen presence also persists through the quiet intensity of his later roles.

7. Daniel Day-Lewis

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. There Will Be BloodPaul Thomas Anderson2007
2. Gangs of New YorkMartin Scorsese2002
3. LincolnSteven Spielberg2012
4. Phantom ThreadPaul Thomas Anderson2017
5. The Last of the MohicansMichael Mann1992
There Will Be Blood (2007). Day-Lewis is one of cinema’s greatest method actors, committing deeply to physical transformations, studied voice work, and psychological complexities of characters undergoing extreme personal struggles.

8. Humphrey Bogart

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. The Treasure of the Sierra MadreJohn Huston1948
2. CasablancaMichael Curtiz1942
3. The Maltese FalconJohn Huston1941
4. The Big SleepHowards Hawks1946
5. In a Lonely PlaceNicholas Ray1950
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). Bogart was one of Hollywood’s most reliable leading men, projecting a cool, tough demeanour in his husky voice, sharp line deliveries, and moral ambiguity that occasionally teeters on the edge of madness.

9. Leonardo DiCaprio

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. The RevenantAlejandro Iñárritu2015
2. The AviatorMartin Scorsese2004
3. The Wolf of Wall StreetMartin Scorsese2013
4. The DepartedMartin Scorsese2006
5. Once Upon a Time in HollywoodQuentin Tarantino2019
The Revenant (2015). DiCaprio does not have one great performance standing above the rest, but has a consistency, charisma, and versatility that sets him apart, committing to emotionally complex characters in Westerns, thrillers, dramas, biopics, sci-fis, romances – and so on.

10. Henry Fonda

Top 5 Performances
FilmDirectorYear
1. The Grapes of WrathJohn Ford1940
2. Once Upon a Time in the WestSergio Leone1968
3. The Lady EvePreston Sturges1941
4. My Darling ClementineJohn Ford1946
5. 12 Angry MenSidney Lumet1957
The Grapes of Wrath (1940). Fonda was subtle, restrained, and sincere, portraying morally upright heroes who lead with calm authority and personal conviction – though his villainous turn in Leone’s epic western is also a terrifyingly dark subversion of that image.
ActorTop 3 Performances
11. Tony Leung1. In the Mood for Love (2000)
2. 2046 (2004)
3. Happy Together (1997)
12. Brad Pitt1. Fight Club (1999)
2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
13. Marcello Mastroianni1. 8 1/2 (1963)
2. La Dolce Vita (1960)
3. La Notte (1961)
14. Cary Grant1. North by Northwest (1959)
2. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
3. His Girl Friday (1940)
15. Charlie Chaplin1. The Gold Rush (1925)
2. City Lights (1931)
3. Modern Times (1936)
16. John Wayne1. The Searchers (1956)
2. Red River (1948)
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
17. Joaquin Phoenix1. The Master (2012)
2. Joker (2019)
3. Beau is Afraid (2023)
18. Max von Sydow1. The Seventh Seal (1957)
2. Hour of the Wolf (1968)
3. The Virgin Spring (1960
19. Philip Seymour Hoffman1. The Master (2012)
2. Synecdoche, New York (2008)
3. Capote (2005)
20. Gene Hackman1. The French Connection (1972)
2. The Conversation (1974)
3. Unforgiven (1992)
21. Paul Newman1. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
2. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
3. Hud (1963)
22. Christian Bale1. American Psycho (2000)
2. The Fighter (2010)
3. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
23. Klaus Kinski1. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
2. Fitzcarraldo (1982)
3. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
24. Dustin Hoffman1. The Graduate (1967)
2. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
3. Lenny (1974)
25. Takashi Shimura1. Ikiru (1952)
2. Seven Samurai (1954)
3. Rashomon (1950)
26. Ralph Fiennes1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
2. Schindler’s List (1993)
3. Spider (2002)
27. Burt Lancaster1. The Leopard (1963)
2. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
3. The Killers (1946)
28. Bill Murray1. Lost in Translation (2003)
2. Groundhog Day (1993)
3. Rushmore (1998)
29. Joe Pesci1. Goodfellas (1990)
2. Casino (1995)
3. Raging Bull (1980)
30. Gunnar Björnstrand1. Winter Light (1963)
2. The Seventh Seal (1957)
3. Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
31. Tatsuya Nakadai1. The Human Condition (1959-61)
2. Harakiri (1962)
3. Ran (1985)
32. Jean-Paul Belmondo1. Breathless (1960)
2. Pierrot le Fou (1965)
3. Le Doulos (1962)
33. Michael Fassbender1. Shame (2011)
2. Hunger (2008)
3. The Killer (2023)
34. Clint Eastwood1. Unforgiven (1992)
2. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966)
3. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
35. Willem Dafoe1. The Lighthouse (2019)
2. Wild at Heart (1990)
3. Light Sleeper (1992)
36. William Holden1. Network (1976)
2. The Wild Bunch (1969)
3. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
37. Orson Welles1. Touch of Evil (1958)
2. Citizen Kane (1941)
3. Chimes at Midnight (1965)
38. Buster Keaton1. The General (1926)
2. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
3. Our Hospitality (1923)
39. Edward Norton1. 25th Hour (2002)
2. American History X (1998)
3. Fight Club (1999)
40. Alain Delon1. Le Samouraï (1967)
2. Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
3. Purple Noon (1960)
41. Jean-Pierre Léaud1. The 400 Blows (1959)
2. The Mother and the Whore (1973)
3. Two English Girls (1971)
42. Tom Cruise1. Magnolia (1999)
2. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
3. Collateral (2004)
43. Jean Gabin1. La Bête Humaine (1938)
2. La Grande Illusion (1937)
3. Le Jour se Leve (1939)
44. Robert Mitchum1. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
2. Track of the Cat (1954)
3. Out of the Past (1947)
45. Chishû Ryû1. There Was a Father (1942)
2. Late Spring (1949)
3. Tokyo Story (1953)
46. Emil Jannings1. The Last Laugh (1924)
2. The Blue Angel (1930)
3. The Last Command (1928)
47. Jean-Louis Trintignant1. The Conformist (1970)
2. My Night at Maud’s (1969)
3. Three Colours: Red (1994)
48. Denzel Washington1. Malcolm X (1992)
2. The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
3. Training Day (2001)
49. Harrison Ford1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
3. Star Wars (1977)
50. Kirk Douglas1. Paths of Glory (1957)
2. Detective Story (1951)
3. Ace in the Hole (1951)

The 100 Best Male Performances of All Time

Films from the last 10 years have not been included on this list, and will be eligible in future updates when the moratorium has passed.

FilmActorYear
1. Raging BullRobert de Niro1980
2. There Will Be BloodDaniel Day-Lewis2007
3. Taxi DriverRobert de Niro1976
4. The Godfather Part IIAl Pacino1974
5. On the WaterfrontMarlon Brando1954
6. Lawrence of ArabiaPeter O’Toole1962
7. Seven SamuraiToshirô Mifune1954
8. The GodfatherMarlon Brando1972
9. Malcolm XDenzel Washington1992
10. 8 1/2Marcello Mastroianni1961
11. The MasterJoaquin Phoenix2012
12. The GodfatherAl Pacino1972
13. IkiruTakashi Shimura1952
14. The Dark KnightHeath Ledger2007
15. Aguirre, the Wrath of GodKlaus Kinski1972
16. A Clockwork OrangeMalcolm McDowell1971
17. VertigoJames Stewart1958
18. BreathlessJean-Paul Belmondo1960
19. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestJack Nicholson1975
20. A Streetcar Named DesireMarlon Brando1952
21. The SearchersJohn Wayne1956
22. The Grapes of WrathHenry Fonda1940
23. In The Mood For LoveTony Leung2000
24. The GraduateDustin Hoffman1967
25. GoodfellasJoe Pesci1990
26. NakedDavid Thewlis1993
27. The Treasure of the Sierra MadreHumphrey Bogart1948
28. The Gold RushCharlie Chaplin1925
29. La Dolce VitaMarcello Mastroianni1960
30. Winter LightGunnar Björnstrand1963
31. Last Tango in ParisMarlon Brando1972
32. The Last LaughEmil Jannings1924
33. CasablancaHumphrey Bogart1942
34. The Godfather: Part IIRobert de Niro1974
35. ShameMichael Fassbender2011
36. Dead RingersJeremy Irons1988
37. The Human ConditionTatsuya Nakadai1959-61
38. Cool Hand LukePaul Newman1967
39. White HeatJames Cagney1949
40. It’s a Wonderful LifeJames Stewart1946
41. Inside Llewyn DavisOscar Isaac2013
42. The MasterPhilip Seymour Hoffman2012
43. The Big LebowskiJeff Bridges1998
44. Gone with the WindClark Gable1939
45. MPeter Lorre1931
46. Inglourious BasterdsChristoph Waltz2009
47. Once Upon a Time in the WestHenry Fonda1968
48. The Seventh SealMax von Sydow1957
49. American PsychoChristian Bale2000
50. The Night of the HunterRobert Mitchum1955
51. Dog Day AfternoonAl Pacino1975
52. The Silence of the LambsAnthony Hopkins1991
53. Blade RunnerRutger Hauer1982
54. The LeopardBurt Lancaster1963
55. City LightsCharlie Chaplin1931
56. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her LoverMichael Gambon1989
57. Andrei RublevAnatoliy Solonitsyn1966
58. The Grand Budapest HotelRalph Fiennes2014
59. Dr. StrangelovePeter Sellers1964
60. Sweet Smell of SuccessBurt Lancaster1957
61. MagnoliaTom Cruise1999
62. Umberto D.Carlo Battisti1952
63. Lost in TranslationBill Murray2003
64. Blue VelvetDennis Hopper1986
65. The ConformistJean-Louis Trintignant1970
66. PsychoAnthony Perkins1960
67. Touch of EvilOrson Welles1958
68. The Blue AngelEmil Jannings1930
69. Paths of GloryKirk Douglas1957
70. Gangs of New YorkDaniel Day-Lewis2002
71. The RevenantLeonardo DiCaprio2015
72. The 400 BlowsJean-Pierre Léaud1959
73. YojimboToshirô Mifune1961
74. Modern TimesCharlie Chaplin1936
75. Punch-Drunk LoveAdam Sandler2002
76. The French ConnectionGene Hackman1971
77. Bicycle ThievesLamberto Maggiorani1948
78. Raiders of the Lost ArkHarrison Ford1981
79. The SacrificeErland Josephson1986
80. GoodfellasRay Liotta1990
81. BirdmanMichael Keaton2014
82. UnforgivenClint Eastwood1992
83. North by NorthwestCary Grant1959
84. 2046Tony Leung2004
85. Bad LieutenantHarvey Keitel1992
86. Apocalypse NowMartin Sheen1979
87. ChinatownJack Nicholson1974
88. RashomonToshirô Mifune1950
89. Pulp FictionSamuel L. Jackson1994
90. Rebel Without a CauseJames Dean1955
91. The Social NetworkJesse Eisenberg2010
92. Brokeback MountainHeath Ledger2005
93. The Godfather: Part IIJohn Cazale1974
94. Le SamouraïAlain Delon1967
95. FitzcarraldoKlaus Kinski1982
96. Synecdoche, New YorkPhilip Seymour Hoffman2007
97. Pierrot Le FouJean-Paul Belmondo1965
98. Rocco and his BrothersAlain Delon1960
99. Red RiverJohn Wayne1948
100. BrazilJonathan Pryce1985
Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007).