Best actor Oscar winners throughout history

Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck accepts the Oscar statuette for Best Actor (for his performance in the 2016 film "Manchester by the Sea") during the 89th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 26, 2017.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio accepts the Oscar statuette for Best Actor (for his role in the 2015 film "The Revenant") during the 88th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 28, 2016.

Eddie Redmayne

Eddie Redmayne, accepting the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in the 2014 film "The Theory of Everything" at the 87th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, 2015.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey accepts the Oscar statuette for Best Actor for his role in the 2013 film "Dallas Buyers Club" at the 86th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 2, 2014.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis, portraying Abraham Lincoln in the 2012 film "Lincoln," a DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox release. Daniel Day-Lewis won the 2013 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jean Dujardin

Jean Dujardin, in a scene from the 2011 film "The Artist." Dujardin won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Colin Firth

Colin Firth, starring as King George VI in the 2010 film "The King's Speech." He won the 2011 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges, in a scene from the 2009 film "Crazy Heart." Bridges won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn, portraying Harvey Milk in the 2008 film "Milk." Penn won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Daniel Day Lewis

Daniel Day Lewis as "Daniel Plainview," in the 2007 film "There Will Be Blood." He won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker, portraying Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film "The Last King of Scotland." Whitaker won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor for the performance.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman, portraying Truman Capote in the 2005 film "Capote." He won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx, portraying Ray Charles in a scene from the 2004 film "Ray." He won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn, in a scene from the 2003 film "Mystic River." He won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Adrien Brody

Actor Adrien Brody stars in Roman Polanski's "The Pianist." He won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Denzel Washington

Actor Denzel Washington is seen in character in the 2001 film "Training Day." He won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe, starring as a gladiator named "Maximus" in the 2000 film "Gladiator," directed by Ridley Scott. Crowe won the 2001 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey portrays "Lester Burnham" in the film 1999 "American Beauty." He won the 2000 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Roberto Benigni

Roberto Benigni in a scene from the film 1998 "Life Is Beautiful" (La Vita E Bella"). He won the 1999 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson, playing "Melvin Udall" in a scene from the 1997 movie "As Good As It Gets." Nicholson won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Geoffrey Rush

Geoffrey Rush, playing "David Helfgott" in a scene from the 1996 film "Shine." Rush won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage accepts the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1995 film "Leaving Las Vegas" at the 68th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Monday, March 25, 1996.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks, pictured in a scene from the 1994 film "Forrest Gump." He won the 1995 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks, in a scene from the 1993 movie " Philadelphia." He won the 1994 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Al Pacino

Al Pacino (left), in a scene from the movie "Scent of a Woman." Pacino won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role.

Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins, starring as "Dr. Hannibal Lecter" in a scene from the 1991 film "The Silence of the Lambs." He won the 1992 Academy award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jeremy Irons

Actor Jeremy Irons, holding the Oscar statuette he received for Best Actor (for his role in the 1990 movie "Reversal of Fortune") at the 63rd annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Shrine Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles on Monday, March 25, 1991.

Daniel Day Lewis

Actor Daniel Day Lewis holds his Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in the 1989 movie "My Left Foot" at the 62nd annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Monday, March 26, 1990.

Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman poses with his Oscar statuette backstage at the 61st annual Academy Awards ceremony (held at the Shrine Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 29, 1989) after he was named the 1989 Best Actor for his performance in the 1988 film "Rain Man."

Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas, in a scene from the 1987 film "Wall Street." Douglas won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Paul Newman

Paul Newman, in a scene from the 1986 film "The Color of Money.'' Newman received the 1987 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

William Hurt

Actor William Hurt, giving his acceptance speech after winning the 1986 Academy Award for Best Actor on Monday, March 24, 1986, his Oscar statuette earned for his performance in the 1985 film "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

F. Murray Abraham

(L-R:) Milos Forman, F. Murray Abraham and Saul Zaentz, posing for the camera at the 57th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Monday, March 25, 1985. Abraham won the 1985 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1984 film "Amadeus."

Robert Duvall

Actors Robert Duvall and Shirley MacLaine, posing backstage with their Oscar statuettes at the 56th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Monday, April 9, 1984. Duvall was honored with the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1983 film "Tender Mercies."

Ben Kingsley

Actor Ben Kingsley, posing with his Oscar statuette at the 55th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Monday, April 11, 1983. Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title role in the 1982 movie "Gandhi."

Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn, in a scene from the 1981 film "On Golden Pond." Fonda won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro, portraying boxer Jake La Motta in a scene from the 1980 film "Raging Bull." He won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman (left) and Justin Henry, in a scene from the 1979 film "Kramer vs. Kramer." Hoffman won the 1980 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jon Voight

Actors Jon Voight and Jane Fonda, posing with their Oscar statuettes following the 51st annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Monday, April 9, 1979. Voight won the 1979 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the 1978 film "Coming Home."

Richard Dreyfuss

Richard Dreyfuss, in a scene from the 1977 film "The Goodbye Girl." Dreyfuss won the 1978 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Peter Finch

Peter Finch in a scene from the 1976 film "Network." He won the 1977 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson, shown in a scene from the 1975 film "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." Nicholson won the 1976 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Art Carney

Art Carney, shown holding the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in the 1974 film "Harry and Tonto," following the 47th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 8, 1975.

Jack Lemmon

Actor Jack Lemmon, shown displaying his Oscar statuette, awarded for Best Actor for his role in the 1973 film "Save the Tiger" at the 46th annual Academy Awards, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 2, 1974.

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando, appearing as "Vito Corleone" in the 1972 film "The Godfather." Brando won the 1973 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman, portraying the character "Jimmy Doyle" in a scene from the 1971 film "The French Connection." Hackman won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

George C. Scott

George C. Scott, in a scene from the 1970 movie "Patton." Scott won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

John Wayne

John Wayne, in a scene from the movie 1969 "True Grit." Wayne won the 1970 Academy Aware for Best Actor for his performance.

Cliff Robertson

Cliff Robertson (left) and Claire Bloom, in a scene from the 1968 film "Charly." Robertson received the 1969 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Rod Steiger

Rod Steiger (right) and Sidney Poitier (left), , in a scene from the 1967 movie "In the Heat of the Night." Steiger won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Paul Scofield

Paul Scofield, in a scene from the the 1966 film "A Man for All Seasons." Scofield won the 1967 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role.

Lee Marvin

Actor Lee Marvin poses with his Oscar statuette at the 38th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA on Monday, April 18, 1966. Marvin won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1965 film "Cat Ballou."

Rex Harrison

(L-R:) Jack Warner, Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison and George Cukor, at the 37th Academy Awards, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA on Monday, April 5, 1965. Harrison won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in the 1964 film "My Fair Lady."

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier (left) and Lilia Skala (right) in a scene from the 1963 film "Lillies of the Field." Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie.

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck (center), in a scene from the 1962 film "To Kill A Mockingbird." Peck won the 1963 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Maximillian Schell

Maximillian Schell (left) and Richard Widmark (right) in a scene from the 1961 film "Judgment at Nuremberg." Schell won the 1962 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Burt Lancaster

Actors Elizabeth Taylor (left) and Burt Lancaster (right), posing with their Oscar statuettes at the 1961 Academy Awards presentation at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA on Monday, April 17, 1961. Lancaster won the award for Best Actor for the 1960 film "Elmer Gantry."

Charlton Heston

Actors Simone Signoret and Charlton Heston, posing with their Oscar statuettes during the 32nd annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, April 4, 1960. Heston won the Academy Award for Best Actor for her performance in the 1959 film "Ben-Hur."

David Niven

Actor David Niven, shown holding the 1959 Academy Award for Best Actor. He won the Oscar statuette for his work in the 1958 film "Separate Tables."

Alec Guinness

Sir Alec Guinness, in a scene from the 1957 movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai." He won the 1958 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Yul Brynner

Yul Brynner (right) and Deborah Kerr (left), in a scene from the 1956 film "The King and I." Brynner won the 1957 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Earnest Borgnine

Earnest Borgnine (right) starred with Betsy Blair (left) in the 1955 film "Marty." Borgnine won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando, in a scene from the 1954 film "On the Waterfront." He won the 1955 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

William Holden

William Holden, in a scene from the 1953 film "Stalag 17." Holden won the 1954 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp.

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper in a scene from the 1952 film "High Noon." He won the 1953 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart in a scene from the 1951 film "The African Queen." He won the 1952 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jose Ferrer

Actor Jose Ferrer, in a scene from the 1950 "Cyrano De Bergerac." Ferrer won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal.

Broderick Crawford

Oscar winners pose with their statuettes at the 22nd annual Academy Awards presentation at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on March 23, 1950. Standing from left to right are, Broderick Crawford (Best Actor in "All the King's Men"), Olivia de Havilland (Best Actress in "The Heiress"), Robert Rossen (the producer of the Best Motion Picture-winning film, "All The King's Men"), Mercedes McCambridge (Best Supporting Actress in "All the King's Men") and Dean Jagger (Best Supporting Actor in "Twelve O'Clock High").

Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier starred in and directed 1949's Best Motion Picture, "Hamlet," for which he also received the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Ronald Colman

Winners of awards from the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association for the top motion picture performances during 1947 hold trophies given the a banquet in Hollywood on March 10, 1948. Left to right: Walt Disney, winner of a special award; Rosalind Russell, best actress; Darryl F. Zanuck, whose studio made "Gentleman's Agreement"; and Ronald Colman, best actor. Colman won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in "A Double Life."

Fredric March

Myrna Loy and Fredric March, appearing in a scene from the 1946 movie "The Best Years of Our Lives." March won the 1947 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.

Ray Milland

Ray Milland and Jane Wyman in a scene from the 1945 film "The Lost Weekend." Milland won the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman, holding the Oscar statuettes they received during the 17th annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 15, 1945. Crosby won the Best Actor award for his role in the 1944 film "Going My Way."

James Cagney

James Cagney (center), rehearsing a dance routine for the 1942 movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Cagney won the 1943 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper, center, is shown in the title role with other cast members in a scene in from the 1941 movie "Sergeant York." Cooper won the 1942 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rogers, at the 13th Academy Awards ceremony, held in the Biltmore Bowl of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on TThursday, February 27, 1941. Stewart won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1940 movie "The Philadelphia Story."

Robert Donat

Robert Donat and Glynis Johns, arriving at the Carlton Theater in London, England, on November 13, 1947. Donat won the 1940 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the 1939 movie "Goodbye, Mr. Chips."

Spencer Tracy

(L-R:) Mickey Rooney, Frankie Thomas and Spencer Tracy, in a scene from the 1938 film "Boys Town." Tracy won the 1939 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Spencer Tracy

Actor Spencer Tracy, right, is shown with his wife Louise Tracy while holding the 1938 Academy Award for Best Actor (earned for his work in the 1937 film "Captains Courageous") on March 28, 1938.

Oscar winners Paul Muni (holding statuette), Louise Rainer (center) and Frank Capra are shown during the ninth annual Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Biltmore Bowl of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 4, 1937. Muni won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1936 movie "The Story of Louis Pasteur."

Bette Davis and Victor McLaglen are shown at the after winning their Oscars at the 1936 Academy Awards ceremony, held in the Biltmore Bowl of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 5, 1936. McLaglen won the Best Actor award for his performance in the 1935 movie "The Informer."

Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, in a scene from the 1934 film "It Happened One Night." Gable won the 1935 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Charles Laughton as Henry VIII in a scene from the 1933 film "The Private Life of Henry VIII." He won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Fredric March, acknowledging applause during the fifth annual Academy Awards ceremony, held in the Fiesta Room of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on Friday, November 18, 1932. March tied for the 1933 Academy Award for Best Actor (for his work in the 1931 film "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde") with Wallace Beery (not shown), who also won the Best Actor Oscar for the 1931 film "The Champ."

Marie Dressler, left, and Lionel Barrymore pose with their Oscar statuettes at the 1932 Academy Awards ceremony, held in the Sala D'Oro ballroom in the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 10, 1931. Barrymore was honored for his role in the 1931 film "A Free Soul."

George Arliss, in a scene from the 1929 film "Disraeli." Arlis won the 1931 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role performance.

Emil Jannings, winner of the 1929 Academy Award for Best Actor, the honor due to his work in the films "The Way of All Flesh" (1927) and "The Last Command" (1928).