List of Best Actor winners by age

This is a list of winners of the Academy Award of Merit for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. More popularly known as the Academy Award (or the Oscar) for Best Actor, this award was initially presented at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony for 1927 and 1928 and was most recently presented at the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony for 2009. Throughout the past 82 years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, AMPAS has presented a total of 83 Best Actor awards to 74 different actors. This list is current as of the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony held on March 7, 2010.

List of winners

#

Actor

Film

Date of birth

Date of award

Age upon
receiving award

Date of death

Lifespan

Notes

1

Jannings, EmilEmil Jannings

A aa aaa2 roles; see note

1884-07-23

44-297

1950-01-02

days ()

2

Baxter, WarnerWarner Baxter

In Old ArizonaIn Old Arizona

1889-03-29

41-005

1951-05-07

days ()

3

Arliss, GeorgeGeorge Arliss

DisraeliDisraeli

1868-04-10

62-209

1946-02-05

days ()

4

Barrymore, LionelLionel Barrymore

Free SoulA Free Soul

1878-04-12

53-212

1954-11-15

days ()

5

Beery, WallaceWallace Beery

ChampThe Champ

1885-04-01

47-231

1949-04-15

days ()

Tie

6

March, FredricFredric March

Dr Jekyll and Mr. HydeDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

1897-08-31

35-079

1975-04-14

days ()

Tie; 1st of 2

7

Laughton, CharlesCharles Laughton

Private Life Of Henry 8The Private Life of Henry VIII

1899-07-01

34-258

1962-12-15

days ()

8

Gable, ClarkClark Gable

It Happened One NightIt Happened One Night

1901-02-01

34-026

1960-11-16

days ()

9

Mclaglen, VictorVictor McLaglen

InformerThe Informer

1886-12-10

49-086

1959-11-07

days ()

10

Muni, PaulPaul Muni

Story Of Louis PasteurThe Story of Louis Pasteur

1895-09-22

41-163

1967-08-25

days ()

11

Tracy, SpencerSpencer Tracy

Captains CourageousCaptains Courageous

1900-04-05

37-339

1967-06-10

days ()

1st of 2

12

Tracy, SpencerSpencer Tracy

Boys TownBoys Town

1900-04-05

38-324

1967-06-10

days ()

2nd of 2

13

Donat, RobertRobert Donat

Goodbye Mr ChipsGoodbye, Mr. Chips

1905-03-18

34-348

1958-06-09

days ()

14

Stewart, JamesJames Stewart

Philadelphia StoryThe Philadelphia Story

1908-05-20

32-283

1997-07-02

days ()

15

Cooper, GaryGary Cooper

Sergeant YorkSergeant York

1901-05-07

40-295

1961-05-13

days ()

1st of 2

16

Cagney, JamesJames Cagney

Yankee Doodle DandyYankee Doodle Dandy

1899-07-17

43-230

1986-03-30

days ()

17

Lukas, PaulPaul Lukas

Watch On The RhineWatch on the Rhine

1895-05-26

48-281

1971-08-15

days ()

18

Crosby, BingBing Crosby

Going My WayGoing My Way

1903-05-03

41-316

1977-10-14

days ()

19

Milland, RayRay Milland

Lost WeekendThe Lost Weekend

1907-01-03

39-063

1986-03-10

days ()

20

March, FredricFredric March

Best Years Of Our LivesThe Best Years of Our Lives

1897-08-31

49-194

1975-04-14

days ()

2nd of 2

21

Colman, RonaldRonald Colman

Double LifeA Double Life

1891-02-09

57-040

1958-05-19

days ()

22

Olivier, LaurenceLaurence Olivier

HamletHamlet

1907-05-22

41-306

1989-07-11

days ()

23

Crawford, BroderickBroderick Crawford

All The Kings MenAll the King's Men

1911-12-09

38-104

1986-04-26

days ()

24

Ferrer, JoseJosé Ferrer

Cyrano De BergeracCyrano de Bergerac

1912-01-08

39-080

1992-01-26

days ()

25

Bogart, HumphreyHumphrey Bogart

African QueenThe African Queen

1899-12-25

52-096

1957-01-14

days ()

26

Cooper, GaryGary Cooper

High NoonHigh Noon

1901-05-07

51-316

1961-05-13

days ()

2nd of 2

27

Holden, WilliamWilliam Holden

Stalag 17Stalag 17

1918-04-17

35-342

1981-11-12

days ()

28

Brando, MarlonMarlon Brando

On The WaterfrontOn the Waterfront

1924-04-03

30-361

2004-07-01

days ()

1st of 2

29

Borgnine, ErnestErnest Borgnine

MartyMarty

1917-01-24

39-057

--

days ()

30

Brynner, YulYul Brynner

King And IThe King and I

1920-07-11

36-259

1985-10-10

days ()

31

Guinness, AlecAlec Guinness

Bridge On The River KwaiThe Bridge on the River Kwai

1914-04-02

43-358

2000-08-05

days ()

32

Niven, DavidDavid Niven

Separate TablesSeparate Tables

1910-03-01

49-036

1983-07-29

days ()

33

Heston, CharltonCharlton Heston

Ben-HurBen-Hur

1923-10-04

36-183

2008-04-05

days ()

34

Lancaster, BurtBurt Lancaster

Elmer GantryElmer Gantry

1913-11-02

47-166

1994-10-20

days ()

35

Schell, MaximilianMaximilian Schell

Judgment At NurembergJudgment at Nuremberg

1930-12-08

31-122

--

days ()

36

Peck, GregoryGregory Peck

To Kill A MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird

1916-04-05

47-003

2003-06-12

days ()

37

Poitier, SidneySidney Poitier

Lilies Of The FieldLilies of the Field

1927-02-20

37-053

--

days ()

38

Harrison, RexRex Harrison

My Fair LadyMy Fair Lady

1908-03-05

57-031

1990-06-02

days ()

39

Marvin, LeeLee Marvin

Cat BallouCat Ballou

1924-02-19

42-058

1987-08-29

days ()

40

Scofield, PaulPaul Scofield

Man For All SeasonsA Man for All Seasons

1922-01-21

45-079

2008-03-19

days ()

41

Steiger, RodRod Steiger

In The Heat Of The NightIn the Heat of the Night

1925-04-14

42-362

2002-07-09

days ()

42

Robertson, CliffCliff Robertson

CharlyCharly

1923-09-09

45-217

--

days ()

43

Wayne, JohnJohn Wayne

True GritTrue Grit

1907-05-26

62-316

1979-06-11

days ()

44

Scott, GeorgeGeorge C. Scott

PattonPatton

1927-10-18

43-179

1999-09-22

days ()

Refused

45

Hackman, GeneGene Hackman

French ConnectionThe French Connection

1930-01-30

42-071

--

days ()

46

Brando, MarlonMarlon Brando

GodfatherThe Godfather

1924-04-03

48-358

2004-07-01

days ()

Refused; 2nd of 2

47

Lemmon, JackJack Lemmon

Save The TigerSave the Tiger

1925-02-08

49-053

2001-06-27

days ()

48

Carney, ArtArt Carney

Harry And TontoHarry and Tonto

1918-11-04

56-155

2003-11-09

days ()

49

Nicholson, JackJack Nicholson

One Flew Over The Cuckoos NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1937-04-22

38-342

--

days ()

1st of 2

50

Finch, PeterPeter Finch

NetworkNetwork

1916-09-28

00-000N/A

1977-01-14

days ()

Posthumous

51

Dreyfuss, RichardRichard Dreyfuss

Goodbye GirlThe Goodbye Girl

1947-10-29

30-156

--

days ()

52

Voight, JonJon Voight

Coming HomeComing Home

1938-12-29

40-101

--

days ()

53

Hoffman, DustinDustin Hoffman

Kramer Vs KramerKramer vs. Kramer

1937-08-08

42-250

--

days ()

1st of 2

54

De Niro, RobertRobert De Niro

Raging BullRaging Bull

1943-08-17

37-226

--

days ()

55

Fonda, HenryHenry Fonda

On Golden PondOn Golden Pond

1905-05-16

76-317

1982-08-12

days ()

56

Kingsley, BenBen Kingsley

GandhiGandhi

1943-12-31

39-101

--

days ()

57

Duvall, RobertRobert Duvall

Tender MerciesTender Mercies

1931-01-05

53-095

--

days ()

58

Abraham, F.F. Murray Abraham

AmadeusAmadeus

1939-10-24

45-152

--

days ()

59

Hurt, WilliamWilliam Hurt

Kiss Of The Spider WomanKiss of the Spider Woman

1950-03-20

36-004

--

days ()

60

Newman, PaulPaul Newman

Color of MoneyThe Color of Money

1925-01-26

62-063

2008-09-26

days ()

61

Douglas, MichaelMichael Douglas

Wall StreetWall Street

1944-09-25

43-199

--

days ()

62

Hoffman, DustinDustin Hoffman

Rain ManRain Man

1937-08-08

51-231

--

days ()

2nd of 2

63

Day-Lewis, DanielDaniel Day-Lewis

My Left FootMy Left Foot

1957-04-29

32-331

--

days ()

1st of 2

64

Irons, JeremyJeremy Irons

Reversal Of FortuneReversal of Fortune

1948-09-19

42-187

--

days ()

65

Hopkins, AnthonyAnthony Hopkins

Silence Of The LambsThe Silence of the Lambs

1937-12-31

54-090

--

days ()

66

Pacino, AlAl Pacino

Scent Of A WomanScent of a Woman

1940-04-25

52-338

--

days ()

67

Hanks, TomTom Hanks

PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia

1956-07-09

37-255

--

days ()

1st of 2

68

Hanks, TomTom Hanks

Forrest GumpForrest Gump

1956-07-09

38-261

--

days ()

2nd of 2

69

Cage, NicolasNicolas Cage

Leaving Las VegasLeaving Las Vegas

1964-01-07

32-078

--

days ()

70

Rush, GeoffreyGeoffrey Rush

ShineShine

1951-07-06

45-261

--

days ()

71

Nicholson, JackJack Nicholson

As Good As It GetsAs Good as It Gets

1937-04-22

60-335

--

days ()

2nd of 2

72

Benigni, RobertoRoberto Benigni

Life Is BeautifulLife Is Beautiful

1952-10-27

46-145

--

days ()

73

Spacey, KevinKevin Spacey

American BeautyAmerican Beauty

1959-07-26

40-244

--

days ()

74

Crowe, RussellRussell Crowe

GladiatorGladiator

1964-04-07

36-352

--

days ()

75

Washington, DenzelDenzel Washington

Training DayTraining Day

1954-12-28

47-086

--

days ()

76

Brody, AdrienAdrien Brody

PianistThe Pianist

1973-04-14

29-343

--

days ()

77

Penn, SeanSean Penn

Mystic RiverMystic River

1960-08-17

43-196

--

days ()

1st of 2

78

Foxx, JamieJamie Foxx

RayRay

1967-12-13

37-076

--

days ()

79

Hoffman, PhilipPhilip Seymour Hoffman

CapoteCapote

1967-07-23

38-225

--

days ()

80

Whitaker, ForestForest Whitaker

Last King Of ScotlandThe Last King of Scotland

1961-07-15

45-225

--

days ()

81

Day-Lewis, DanielDaniel Day-Lewis

There Will Be BloodThere Will Be Blood

1957-04-29

50-301

--

days ()

2nd of 2

82

Penn, SeanSean Penn

MilkMilk

1960-08-17

48-189

--

days ()

2nd of 2

83

Bridges, JeffJeff Bridges

Crazy HeartCrazy Heart

1949-12-04

60-093

--

days ()

#

Actor

Film

Date of birth

Date of award

Age upon
receiving award

Date of death

Lifespan

Notes

See also

  • Academy Award for Best Actor
  • Academy Award for Best Actress
  • Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
  • Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
  • List of Best Actress winners by age at win
  • List of Best Supporting Actor winners by age at win
  • List of Best Supporting Actress winners by age at win

See Also

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