30 Best Actors Of All Time

Through unforgettable performances, several actors have established themselves as the greatest of all time. After more than a century of cinematic history, there have been myriad actors and actresses who have enjoyed their fair share of the spotlight. A long list of stars from the industry’s past and present, ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Clint Eastwood, have achieved reputations as movie legends.

The diverse list of movie genres lends itself well to the massive pool of movie stars whom audiences have followed over the years. Some developed a mastery over a certain medium, with actors like John Wayne and James Cagney becoming synonymous with Westerns and gangster films respectively. Others tried to showcase their versatility by appearing in all sorts of different films. In one way or another, numerous actors have made enough contributions to movie history to earn their place among the best.

30

Morgan Freeman

Notable Movies: The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, Million Dollar Baby

Any movie looking to add gravitas to the production need only cast Morgan Freeman in a role. The actor is known for his commanding voice, which has made him a favorite narrator in umpteen projects, but his on-screen presence is even more impressive, as he has played everything from a convict to the President of the United States of America to God himself.

After starting out on the children’s program The Electric Company, Freeman got his big break and his first Oscar nomination in the crime drama Street Smart. Freeman earned four other Oscar nominations in his career for performances in The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, Invictus, and Million Dollar Baby, the latter of which won him his first Oscar. Freeman has also shown him powerful range and elevated characters with his nuanced approach in movies like Unforgiven, Se7en, and Glory.

29

Gene Hackman

Notable Movies: The French Connection, Superman, Unforgiven

Though he has been retired for a number of years, Gene Hackman’s performances have stayed with audiences and left a lasting legacy as one of the greatest and most compelling actors in Hollywood history. Hackman emerged out of the auteur-driven era of Hollywood in the late 1960s and 1970s, which saw more complex and morally grey protagonists leading movies. Hackman had the skill and boldness to take on such challenging roles.

After earning his first Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Bonnie & Clyde, Hackman became a leading man with his Academy Award-winning turn as the determined but unethical New York City detective Popeye Doyle in The French Connection. Hackman won his second Oscar for his chilling villainous turn as another brutal lawman in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. As well-known as he was for his intense roles, Hackman also had great comedic skills, seen in movies like Superman, Young Frankenstein, and The Royal Tenenbaums.

28

Frances McDormand

Notable Movies: Fargo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Nomadland

Frances McDormand is an actor who has remained a critical favorite throughout her career, earning at least one Oscar nomination in every decade since the 1980s. She is also one of the most awarded actors of all time with three Best Actress Oscars, a record only bested by Katharine Hepburn. McDormand first gained attention starring in the Coen Brothers’ debut movie, Blood Simple, and starting a long and fruitful collaboration with them (including marrying Joel Coen).

Each of McDormand’s Oscar wins showcases her incredible versatility as the lead of a story. In Fargo, McDormand is hilarious and heartwarming as the caring yet determined police officer following a bloody trail of violence. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, she is aggressive, rageful, and heartbroken as a mourning mother pushed to drastic action. Nomadland finds her playing a quieter and nuanced character as a woman looking for her place in the world. They are stunning showcases of an actor who continues to wow the audience.

27

Humphrey Bogart

Notable Movies: The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Humphrey Bogart is a perfect example of the marriage between a talented actor and a movie star. He is one of the most influential figures of the classic Hollywood tradition while also starring in several movies that are considered among the greatest of all time. He started out in supporting roles, usually playing gangsters, but he used that tough guy persona to his advantage, eventually leading to his breakout role in what is considered one of the greatest noir movies of all time, The Maltese Falcon.

Bogart’s easy and suave performance instantly made him an icon and became a persona he would lean on throughout his career. However, he was also not afraid to play around with the audience’s perception of him, adding in a romantic angle with his legendary role in Casablanca, playing more comedic in his Oscar-winning turn in The African Queen, and challenging heroic antics altogether with his role in the classic Western, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

26

Anthony Hopkins

Notable Movies: The Silence Of The Lambs, The Remains Of The Day, The Father

Anthony Hopkins remains a prolific and acclaimed actor despite having started his career in the theater back in the 1960s. He made his movie debut alongside acting legends like Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter, proving himself worthy of sharing the screen with acting royalty. After notable roles in movies like The Elephant Man and A Bridge Too Far, Hopkins became renowned with his Oscar-winning role as one of the greatest movie villains of all time, Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Hopkins delivers an iconic performance as the cannibal serial killer, but fans need only look to his next nominated role to understand the versatility of the actor. He followed the chilling performance by playing the reserved and quiet butler in The Remains of the Day, making an astonishing transformation. While many other peers have since retired or slowed down in their careers, Hopkins won his second Oscar in 2021 for The Father, becoming the oldest person to win an acting Oscar at the age of 83.

25

Viola Davis

Notable Movies: Doubt, The Help, Fences

While Viola Davis has been working steadily in Hollywood for decades now, it has only been in the last 15 years that she has really started to be recognized as one of the best actors working today. After years of supporting roles in which she delivered compelling performances, Davis earned her first Oscar nomination for her one-scene appearance in Doubt, in which she stole the entire scene from Meryl Streep — no easy task.

That powerful performance led to her starring role in The Help, for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Five years later, Davis once again proved that she could hold her own and steal scenes from some of the best actors in the world, acting opposite Denzel Washington in Fences, for which she won her first Oscar. Davis continues to show new signs of her talents in movies like Widows and The Woman King. Outside of movies, she is just as impressive, becoming an EGOT winner.

24

Jack Nicholson

Notable Movies: Chinatown, Batman, Once Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Jack Nicholson holds the record as the male actor with the most Oscar nominations in his career — 12 nods with three wins. The level of stardom that Nicholson reached is even more impressive given the fact that he began his career in low-budget B-movies. However, that primed him to be part of the New Hollywood movement in the late 1960s as he emerged as a new kind of leading man who wasn’t interested in being stoic or likable, but rather only focused on delivering memorable performances.

Nicholson’s breakthrough role came in Easy Rider, where his irreverent and wild performance added to the counter-culture reputation of the film. He received his first Oscar nomination for that movie and followed it up with his amazing leading performance in Five Easy Pieces. Nicholson excelled at playing complex and flawed protagonists, such as in Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but later in his career, he had a lot of fun with villain performances, such as in Batman and A Few Good Men. Though retired now, Nicholson has left behind an unforgettable career.

23

Nicole Kidman

Notable Movies: Moulin Rouge!, The Hours, Babygirl

While Nicole Kidman’s career has largely been focused on prestige television shows in recent years, for which she has delivered some of her best work, she continues to prove herself both a movie star and a brilliant character actor. Kidman’s breakthrough role came in the 1989 Australian thriller Dead Calm, which helped to launch her Hollywood career. With beauty and grace, Kidman balanced flashy movies with some that allowed her to show off her skills, including To Die For. This made for a busy and successful era of the ’90s for Kidman, but her talents shone in the early 2000s.

Kidman earned her first Oscar nomination while also showcasing her musical talents in Moulin Rouge! Since then, she has earned five Oscar nominations in total, with her latest for Being the Ricardos coming two decades after that first nomination. With her incredibly varied roles, including her Oscar-winning turn as Virginia Woolf in The Hours, Kidman showcases the wide range of her talents she lends to projects both big and small.

22

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Notable Movies: Capote, Boogie Nights, The Master

Few actors embodied the archetype of a character actor as effectively as Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was an actor who could disappear into any role, take on a character of any size, and play characters audiences could love or hate, and he would always be the most interesting part of the movie. Even with his career tragically cut short, Hoffman earned four Oscar nominations, showcasing his incredible versatility.

Hoffman won the Oscar for his performance as Truman Capote in Capote, completely transforming into the iconic writer. However, he can then take on a role like in Charlie Wilson’s War, playing a boisterous and volatile character, then turn around and give a reserved, compelling performance in Moneyball. Hoffman’s work on several movies with Paul Thomas Anderson is a perfect display of the fact that there was nothing he could not do and how his mere presence elevated a movie.

21

Robert De Niro

Notable Movies: The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull

Along with being one of the best actors of all time, Robert De Niro is also one of the most influential. In an era of intense method actors taking on challenging roles in acclaimed movies, De Niro was seen as the pinnacle of American acting in the 1970s. He scored his first Oscar win in one of his earliest and most daunting roles, taking over the part of Don Vito Corleone from Marlon Brando in The Godfather Part II.

Of course, it is impossible to talk about De Niro’s career without discussing his work in Martin Scorsese movies. The actor-director pair made 11 movies to date, many being regarded among the best of all time, such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull, the latter of which earned him a second Oscar. Though De Niro has focused more on comedic and supporting roles later in his career, movies like The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon are a reminder of his amazing talents.

20

Cate Blanchett

Notable Movies: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, The Aviator, Blue Jasmine

One of the most impressive things about Cate Blanchett’s career is how much she’s accomplished in such a short length of time. Despite only being active since 1990, the 55-year-old actress can already be counted as one of Hollywood’s best, and not just in the current era. Her breakthrough performance was the role of Elizabeth I in the 1999 biopic, Elizabeth. Less than a decade later, Blanchett set a noteworthy record that continues to hold by reprising the role in Elizabeth: The Golden Rule.

Not only did her depiction of Elizabeth earn her an Oscar nomination, but her second turn as the queen of England managed the same. To date, Blanchett has been nominated for eight Oscars and won twice for roles that show her incredible range and willingness to take on intimidating roles. This includes starring as another Hollywood legend, Katharine Hepburn, in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, bringing complexity to the role of an abuser in Notes on a Scandal, and playing a version of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There.

19

Christian Bale

Notable Movies: The Dark Knight, American Psycho, Vice

In the 2000s, Christian Bale was a rising name in Hollywood due to his growing status as an action star, as well as for American Psycho. Playing Batman did much for his image, but it’s important to note that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was more than just a slew of superhero-themed action vehicles; aided by Bale’s performance, the three films succeeded in providing a nuanced look at what makes the Caped Crusader tick.

Since then, Bale’s profile has grown beyond Batman, with the actor garnering critical acclaim for movies outside the action genre. Part of this was due to his onscreen performances, but a great deal of it also comes from the extreme effort he puts into becoming his characters. One of the most noteworthy examples of this is the very real physical transformation Christian Bale underwent to play Dick Cheney in Vice. The Machinist, American Hustle, The Fighter, and other roles highlight a commitment to his performances that draws the audience in.

18

Al Pacino

Notable Movies: The Godfather, The Irishman, Scarface

Although Al Pacino only landed one Oscar win, the range of his nominations says a lot about his career’s significance to Hollywood. Between 1973 and 2020, Pacino racked up nine nominations, including his win for Scent of a Woman in 1993. He can play inspiring heroes like in Serpico, over-the-top and comedic villains such as his turn in Dick Tracy, and complex characters who challenge the audience such as in Dog Day Afternoon.

Pacino made his first mark on the industry with his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, a film justifiably lauded as one of the best movies ever made. In fact, it’s often cited as the greatest of them all, and that’s due in no small part to what Pacino brought to the Michael Corleone role with how he crafted the character’s gradual transformation into a crime lord. Likewise, his portrayal of Tony Montana in Scarface made for one of the most iconic movie characters of all time and his performance alone makes it a classic movie.

17

Harrison Ford

Notable Movies: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner

Few stars walk the line between action hero and dramatic actor better than Harrison Ford. His importance to action movies is underscored by the notion that two of the biggest action icons ever — Han Solo and Indiana Jones — are credited to him. Ford’s charisma has helped immensely in making Star Wars‘ Han Solo and Indiana Jones endearing favorites to multiple generations.

Also among Harrison Ford’s best movies are Blade Runner, The Fugitive, and Witness. With the latter, Ford won his first and only Academy Award. The others were also supported by Ford’s performances, as it’s hard to imagine Blade Runner being hailed one of the best sci-fi movies of all time with another actor in the lead role. Ford can sometimes be viewed more as a movie star than a serious actor, but even in his most popular roles, he brings depth and nuance to the characters, building icons that would inspire countless action heroes to come.

16

Marlon Brando

Notable Movies: The Godfather, Apocalypse Now!, Last Tango In Paris

The Godfather’s legacy being what it is today can be attributed at least partially to its cast being headlined by not one, but two of Hollywood’s most talented actors of any generation. Marlon Brando memorably portrayed Vito Corleone, taking viewers through his personal journey and adding various edges to the role. With Corleone being just one example of this, Brando excelled in playing jaded and charismatic characters, as evidenced by his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and Apocalypse Now.

His distinct approach to his performances helped change movie acting in America forever. His breakout role in The Wild Ones was an electrifying glimpse at something new with a withdrawn and captivating performance. Crucial to his approach was his well-known implementation of method acting, which grew more common thanks to Brando. Brando forced the audience to lean in close and become involved in his performance.

15

Kate Winslet

Notable Movies: The Reader, Titanic, Mare Of Easttown

Not unlike Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet has accrued many major accolades in her career, enough to be deemed one of Hollywood’s greatest actors. Along with Leonardo DiCaprio, Winslet used her performance and chemistry with her co-star to help make the love story in Titanic one of the most famous big-screen romances. But while Titanic has emerged as a timeless classic, it’s ultimately just one of Kate Winslet’s best movies.

It shares good company with Sense and Sensibility, The Reader, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Little Children, which were all lifted up by Winslet’s acting. The high Rotten Tomatoes scores of each film do well to illustrate the value Winslet brings to a movie’s cast and story. This is further reflected by her seven Academy Award nominations, including one win, which was for The Reader.

14

Toshirō Mifune

Notable Movies: Yojimbo, The Samurai Trilogy, Seven Samurai

It’s no coincidence that several of the best Japanese movies of all time feature Toshirō Mifune as the lead actor. In his distinguished career, Mifune headlined a multitude of now-iconic movies, including Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Rashomon. His ability to play a cold and calculated warrior in Akira Kurosawa’s samurai movies even provided the inspiration for Clint Eastwood’s The Man With No Name. It’s not hard to see why; he could skillfully play a character with a quiet and measured demeanor that hid a powerful and fearsome spirit.

While his collaborations with Kurosawa show why the director is one of the greatest of all time, these movies would never be as effective without Mifune’s performances to anchor them. The actor shows his incredible range in these roles, with wild and entertaining performances as well as reserved and haunting roles. He can play the detestable bandit in Rashomon just as effectively as he played the stoic hero in Yojimbo. Perhaps his best performance is his nuanced turn as a village doctor in Red Beard, which won him the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival.

13

Olivia De Havilland

Notable Movies: The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Heiress, The Snake Pit

Between playing the love interest in a string of Errol Flynn movies and her performances in movies like Gone with the Wind, Olivia de Havilland carved out a legacy for herself. Early in her career, her roles leaned heavily on her characters’ charming and innocent appeal, but other movies demonstrated that there were multiple layers to the actress.

De Havilland seemed to effortlessly steal the show in films such as Snake Pit, Hold Back the Dawn, and The Heiress, all of which were films that highlighted her emotional range. Two of her performances were recognized with well-deserved wins for Best Actress. She rose to fame in an era in which the roles for women were not as substantial as the male actors received. However, her talents helped to change that and force the kind of roles that would highlight her versatility.

Olivia De Havilland’s Academy Award-winning performances were in To Each Their Own and The Heiress.

12

Glenn Ford

Notable Movies: The Blackboard Jungle, 3:10 To Yuma, Gilda

Several film genres count at least one Glenn Ford movie as one of the best examples of what they have to offer. That’s the case with Westerns (3:10 to Yuma), film noir (Gilda), comedy (Pocketful of Miracles), and war movies (Midway). Even 1978’s Superman, arguably the most popular superhero movie before the 21st century, was made better by a Glenn Ford appearance. His empathetic portrayal of Jonathan Kent was vital to Superman.

This thoughtful, caring side of Ford contributed much to his likability, but it’s worth noting that there were other shades of him as well. Movies like White Heat and Gilda show that he could also convincingly play darker, crueler characters, which can be equally entertaining to watch. This sort of balance went hand-in-hand with his numerous Western roles, which often called for him to play characters whose morals weren’t necessarily in black and white.

11

James Stewart

Notable Movies: Vertigo, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Man Who Knew Too Much

Whereas several acting legends have earned their reputations due to being able to play both heroes and villains, James Stewart doesn’t have the same level of experience. But while his history of playing flawed protagonists is limited, that detracts nothing from the actor’s legacy. Stewart made a career out of playing soft-spoken, well-meaning characters whose likable qualities made him instantly relatable and easy to root for in movies like Harvey and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.

Of course, the characters in James Stewart’s best movies weren’t without nuance. His haunting performance as a man who discovered that his life had been erased from existence in It’s a Wonderful Life is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the actor’s career. Something similar can be said for his roles in Rear Window and Winchester ’73, to name a few.