BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented each year by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a movie.
Winners and nominees
From 1952 to 1967, there were two Best Actor awards: one for a British actor and another for a foreign actor. In 1968, the two prizes of British and Foreign actor were combined to create a single Best Actor award. Its current title, for Best Actor in a Leading Role, has been used since 1995.
1950s
- 1952
- Best British Actor – Ralph Richardson – The Sound Barrier
- Laurence Olivier – Carrie
- Alastair Sim – Folly to Be Wise
- Jack Hawkins – Mandy
- James Hayter – The Pickwick Papers
- Nigel Patrick – The Sound Barrier
- Best Foreign Actor – Marlon Brando – Viva Zapata!
- Best British Actor – Ralph Richardson – The Sound Barrier
- 1953
- Best British Actor – John Gielgud – Julius Caesar
- Best Foreign Actor – Marlon Brando – Julius Caesar
- 1954
- Best British Actor– Kenneth More – Doctor in the House
- Best Foreign Actor – Marlon Brando – On the Waterfront
- 1955
- Best British Actor – Laurence Olivier – Richard III
- Best Foreign Actor – Ernest Borgnine – Marty
- James Dean – East of Eden
- Jack Lemmon – Mister Roberts
- Frank Sinatra – Not as a Stranger
- Toshirô Mifune – Shichinin no samurai
- Takashi Shimura – Shichinin no samurai
- 1956
- Best British Actor – Peter Finch – A Town Like Alice
- Best Foreign Actor – François Périer – Gervaise
- 1957
- Best British Actor – Alec Guinness – The Bridge on the River Kwai
- Best Foreign Actor – Henry Fonda – 12 Angry Men
- 1958
- Best British Actor – Trevor Howard – The Key
- I.S. Johar – Harry Black
- Anthony Quayle – Ice Cold in Alex
- Laurence Harvey – Room at the Top
- Donald Wolfit – Room at the Top
- Michael Craig – Sea of Sand
- Terry-Thomas – tom thumb
- Best Foreign Actor – Sidney Poitier – The Defiant Ones
- Paul Newman – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- Tony Curtis – The Defiant Ones
- Curd Jürgens – The Enemy Below
- Curd Jürgens – The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
- Spencer Tracy – The Last Hurrah
- Glenn Ford – The Sheepman
- Victor Sjöström – Smultronstället
- Charles Laughton – Witness for the Prosecution
- Marlon Brando – The Young Lions
- Best British Actor – Trevor Howard – The Key
- 1959
- Best British Actor – Peter Sellers – I'm All Right Jack
- Best Foreign Actor – Jack Lemmon – Some Like It Hot
- James Stewart – Anatomy of a Murder
- Takashi Shimura – Ikiru
- Jean Desailly – Maigret tend un piège
- Jean Gabin – Maigret tend un piège
- Zbigniew Cybulski – Popiól i diament
1960s
- 1960
- Best British Actor – Peter Finch – The Trials of Oscar Wilde
- Best Foreign Actor – Jack Lemmon – The Apartment
- George Hamilton – Crime & Punishment
- Burt Lancaster – Elmer Gantry
- Fredric March – Inherit the Wind
- Spencer Tracy – Inherit the Wind
- 1961
- Best British Actor – Peter Finch – No Love for Johnnie
- Best Foreign Actor – Paul Newman – The Hustler
- Vladimir Ivashov – Ballada o soldate
- Alberto Sordi – The Best of Enemies
- Montgomery Clift – Judgment at Nuremberg
- Maximilian Schell – Judgment at Nuremberg
- Sidney Poitier – A Raisin in the Sun
- Philippe Leroy – Le Trou
- 1962
- Best British Actor – Peter O'Toole – Lawrence of Arabia
- Best Foreign Actor – Burt Lancaster – Birdman of Alcatraz
- 1963
- Best British Actor – Dirk Bogarde – The Servant
- Tom Courtenay – Billy Liar
- Richard Harris – This Sporting Life
- Albert Finney – Tom Jones
- Hugh Griffith – Tom Jones
- Best Foreign Actor – Marcello Mastroianni – Divorzio all'italiana
- Best British Actor – Dirk Bogarde – The Servant
- 1964
- Best British Actor – Richard Attenborough – Guns at Batasi and Seance on a Wet Afternoon
- Best Foreign Actor – Marcello Mastroianni – Ieri, oggi, domani
- 1965
- Best British Actor – Dirk Bogarde – Darling
- Best Foreign Actor – Lee Marvin – Cat Ballou and The Killers
- 1966
- Best British Actor – Richard Burton – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Michael Caine – Alfie
- Ralph Richardson – Doctor Zhivago
- Ralph Richardson – Khartoum
- Ralph Richardson – The Wrong Box
- David Warner – Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment
- Best Foreign Actor – Rod Steiger – The Pawnbroker
- Sidney Poitier – A Patch of Blue
- Jean-Paul Belmondo – Pierrot le fou
- Oskar Werner – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
- Best British Actor – Richard Burton – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- 1967
- Best British Actor – Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons
- Best Foreign Actor – Rod Steiger – In the Heat of the Night
- 1968 – Spencer Tracy – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner as Matt Drayton
- 1969 – Dustin Hoffman – John and Mary as John, and Midnight Cowboy as Enrico 'Ratso' Rizzo
1970s
- 1970 – Robert Redford – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as the Sundance Kid, Downhill Racer as David Chappellet, and Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here as Deputy Sheriff Christopher Cooper
- Paul Newman – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- George C. Scott – Patton
- Elliott Gould – MASH
- Elliott Gould – Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
- 1971 – Peter Finch – Sunday Bloody Sunday as Dr. Daniel Hirsh
- 1972 – Gene Hackman – The French Connection as Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, and The Poseidon Adventure as Reverend Frank Scott
- Marlon Brando – The Godfather
- Marlon Brando – The Nightcomers
- George C. Scott – The Hospital
- George C. Scott – They Might Be Giants
- Robert Shaw – Young Winston
- 1973 – Walter Matthau – Charley Varrick as Charley Varrick, and Pete 'n' Tillie as Pete
- Marlon Brando – Ultimo tango a Parigi
- Donald Sutherland – Steelyard Blues
- Donald Sutherland – Don't Look Now
- Laurence Olivier – Sleuth
- 1974 – Jack Nicholson – Chinatown as J.J. 'Jake' Gittes, and The Last Detail as Billy Buddusky
- 1975 – Al Pacino – The Godfather Part II as Michael Corleone, and Dog Day Afternoon as Sonny Wortzik
- Richard Dreyfuss – Jaws
- Gene Hackman – French Connection II
- Gene Hackman – Night Moves
- Dustin Hoffman – Lenny
- 1976 – Jack Nicholson – One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as Randle McMurphy
- Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver
- Dustin Hoffman – All the President's Men
- Dustin Hoffman – Marathon Man
- Walter Matthau – The Bad News Bears
- Walter Matthau – The Sunshine Boys
- 1977 – Peter Finch – Network as Howard Beale
- 1978 – Richard Dreyfuss – The Goodbye Girl as Elliot Garfield
- 1979 – Jack Lemmon – The China Syndrome as Jack Godell
1980s
- 1980 – John Hurt – The Elephant Man as John Merrick
- 1981 – Burt Lancaster – Atlantic City as Lou Pascal
- 1982 – Ben Kingsley – Gandhi as Mahatma Gandhi
- 1983 – Michael Caine – Educating Rita as Dr. Frank Bryant and Dustin Hoffman – Tootsie as Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels
- 1984 – Haing S. Ngor – The Killing Fields as Dith Pran
- Sam Waterston – The Killing Fields
- Tom Courtenay – The Dresser
- Albert Finney – The Dresser
- 1985 – William Hurt – Kiss of the Spider Woman as Luis Molina
- 1986 – Bob Hoskins – Mona Lisa as George
- 1987 – Sean Connery – Der Name der Rose as William of Baskerville
- 1988 – John Cleese – A Fish Called Wanda as Archie Leach
- Kevin Kline – A Fish Called Wanda as Otto West
- Michael Douglas – Fatal Attraction as Dan Gallagher
- Robin Williams – Good Morning, Vietnam as Adrian Cronauer
- 1989 – Daniel Day-Lewis – My Left Foot as Christy Brown
- Dustin Hoffman – Rain Man as Raymond Babbit
- Robin Williams – Dead Poets Society as John Keating
- Kenneth Branagh – Henry V as Henry V
1990s
- 1990 – Philippe Noiret – Nuovo cinema Paradiso as Alfredo
- Robert De Niro – Goodfellas as Jimmy Conway
- Sean Connery – The Hunt for Red October as Captain Marko Ramius
- Tom Cruise – Born on the Fourth of July as Ron Kovic
- 1991 – Anthony Hopkins – The Silence of the Lambs as Dr. Hannibal Lecter
- Kevin Costner – Dances with Wolves as Lieutenant Dunbar
- Alan Rickman – Truly, Madly, Deeply as Jamie
- Gérard Depardieu – Cyrano de Bergerac as Cyrano de Bergerac
- 1992 – Robert Downey, Jr. – Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin
- Stephen Rea – The Crying Game as Fergus
- Tim Robbins – The Player as Griffin Mill
- Daniel Day-Lewis – The Last of the Mohicans as Nathaniel Poe
- 1993 – Anthony Hopkins – Shadowlands as C. S. Lewis
- Anthony Hopkins – The Remains of the Day as James Stevens
- Liam Neeson – Schindler's List as Oskar Schindler
- Daniel Day-Lewis – In the Name of the Father as Gerry Conlon
- 1994 – Hugh Grant – Four Weddings and a Funeral as Charles
- Tom Hanks – Forrest Gump as Forrest Gump
- Terence Stamp – The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert as Ralph / Bernadette Bassenger
- John Travolta – Pulp Fiction as Vincent Vega
- 1995 – Nigel Hawthorne – The Madness of King George as George III
- Jonathan Pryce – Carrington as Lytton Strachey
- Nicolas Cage – Leaving Las Vegas as Ben Sanderson
- Massimo Troisi – Il Postino as Mario Ruoppolo
- 1996 – Geoffrey Rush – Shine as David Helfgott
- Ralph Fiennes – The English Patient as Count Laszlo de Almásy
- Ian McKellen – Richard III as Richard III
- Timothy Spall – Secrets & Lies as Maurice Purley
- 1997 – Robert Carlyle – The Full Monty as Gaz
- Kevin Spacey – L.A. Confidential as Jack Vincennes
- Billy Connolly – Mrs Brown as John Brown
- Ray Winstone – Nil by Mouth as Ray
- 1998 – Roberto Benigni – Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) as Guido
- Michael Caine – Little Voice as Ray Say
- Tom Hanks – Saving Private Ryan as Captain John H. Miller
- Joseph Fiennes – Shakespeare in Love as William Shakespeare
- 1999 – Kevin Spacey – American Beauty as Lester Burnham
- Om Puri – East Is East as George Khan
- Ralph Fiennes – The End of the Affair as Maurice Bendrix
- Russell Crowe – The Insider as Jeffrey Wigand
- Jim Broadbent – Topsy-Turvy as W. S. Gilbert
2000s
- 2000 – Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot – Billy Elliot
- Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius – Gladiator
- Michael Douglas as Grady Tripp – Wonder Boys
- Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland – Cast Away
- Geoffrey Rush as Marquis de Sade – Quills
- 2001 – Russell Crowe as John Nash – A Beautiful Mind
- Jim Broadbent as John Bayley – Iris
- Ian McKellen as Gandalf – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- Kevin Spacey as Quoyle – The Shipping News
- Tom Wilkinson as Matt Fowler – In the Bedroom
- 2002 – Daniel Day-Lewis as William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting – Gangs of New York
- Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman – The Pianist
- Nicolas Cage as Charlie and Donald Kaufman – Adaptation.
- Michael Caine as Thomas Fowler – The Quiet American
- Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt – About Schmidt
- 2003 – Bill Murray as Bob Harris – Lost in Translation
- Benicio del Toro as Jack Jordan – 21 Grams
- Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- Jude Law as W. P. Inman – Cold Mountain
- Sean Penn as Paul Rivers – 21 Grams
- Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum – Mystic River
- 2004 – Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles – Ray
- 2005 – Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote – Capote
- Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle – The Constant Gardener
- Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar – Brokeback Mountain
- Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash – Walk the Line
- David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow – Good Night, and Good Luck
- 2006 – Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin – The Last King of Scotland
- Daniel Craig as James Bond – Casino Royale
- Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan – The Departed
- Richard Griffiths as Hector – The History Boys
- Peter O'Toole as Maurice – Venus
- 2007 – Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview – There Will Be Blood
- George Clooney as Michael Clayton – Michael Clayton
- James McAvoy as Robbie Turner – Atonement
- Viggo Mortensen as Nikolai – Eastern Promises
- Ulrich Mühe as Gerd Wiesler – The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) (Posthumous)
- 2008 – Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson – The Wrestler
- Frank Langella as Richard Nixon – Frost/Nixon
- Dev Patel as Jamal Malik – Slumdog Millionaire
- Sean Penn as Harvey Milk – Milk
- Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- 2009 – Colin Firth as George Falconer – A Single Man
- Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake – Crazy Heart
- George Clooney as Ryan Bingham – Up in the Air
- Jeremy Renner as SFC. William James – The Hurt Locker
- Andy Serkis as Ian Dury – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
2010s
- 2010 – Colin Firth as King George VI – The King's Speech
- Javier Bardem as Uxbal – Biutiful
- Jeff Bridges as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn – True Grit
- Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg – The Social Network
- James Franco as Aron Ralston – 127 Hours
- 2011 - Jean Dujardin as George Valentin – The Artist
- George Clooney as Matt King – The Descendants
- Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan – Shame
- Gary Oldman as George Smiley – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Brad Pitt as Billy Beane – Moneyball