This year, like every year, will see another hotly-contested Best Actor race at the Academy Awards. The top acting gong has been given out every year since the Oscars began and it honours the male actor with the best performance in a film released that year.
In 2023, five fresh nominees have stepped up to the plate.
Academy Award for Best Actor
Who are the Best Actor nominees in 2023?
It’s a competitive year in 2023 with some stunning performances across the board. Here are the Best Actor nominees this year:
- Austin Butler – Elvis
- Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Brendan Fraser – The Whale
- Paul Mescal – Aftersun
- Bill Nighy – Living
Austin Butler and Colin Farrell won Best Actor awards in their respective Comedy and Drama categories at the Golden Globes this year, however, Brendan Fraser took home the Critics Choice award, so it’s anyone’s game at this point.
Who are the Best Supporting Actor nominees in 2023?
It’s a similarly competitive race in the Best Supporting Actor category with these five nominees:
- Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Brian Tyree Henry – Causeway
- Judd Hirsch – The Fabelmans
- Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Ke Huy Quan is currently the favourite to win this one after his long-awaited comeback in the excellent Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Who won Best Actor last year?
Will Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. In an emotional speech, Smith spoke about the significance of this win for him, and how it helps shine a light on people who deserve to be better seen. He also touched on the power of his journey as an actor, telling audiences, “I am being called on in my life to love people and protect people”.
Before wrapping up, he joked about a tense moment with Chris Rock earlier in the evening, apologising to the Academy and saying, “I hope the Academy invites me back.”
Shockingly, only four Black men have won the Best Actor Oscar after all these years. Smith’s win brings that number up to five.
Who won Best Supporting Actor last year?
In a historic win, Troy Kotsur took home the award for Best Supporting Actor in CODA in 2022. Kotsur was the first deaf man to win the Best Supporting Oscar award. In a touching moment, Youn Yuh-jung (Minari) paused and began signing as she announced Kotsur’s win.
Historic Best Actor wins over the years
Adrien Brody – Youngest winner
At the 75th Academy Awards in 2002 Adrien Brody became the youngest winner of the Best Actor award. At just 29 years of age, Brody took home the gold for his role as Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist.
Twenty years later, Brody remains the youngest winner of the award.
Anthony Hopkins – Oldest winner of the award
Anthony Hopkins is no stranger to the Academy Awards, having been nominated six times in total for his work in The Silence of the Lambs, The Remains of the Day, Nixon, Amistad and The Two Popes. But it was his win for The Father that made history.
At 83 years of age, Hopkins’ 2021 Best Actor win for his role in The Father makes him the oldest winner of the award to date.
Sidney Poitier – First Black man to win Best Actor
The world has been mourning iconic actor Sidney Poitier since his tragic passing in January 2022. Poitier’s Best Actor win in 1963 made him the first Black actor and first Bahamian to win the award.
While Poitier’s win at the Academy Awards was just one of his many successes, it marked a much-needed win for diversity at the Oscars.
Daniel Day-Lewis – Most award wins
Daniel Day-Lewis’ status as the winner of three Academy Awards has helped him earn his place as one of the most revered actors of our time.
Day-Lewis first won for My Left Foot in 1990, followed by another win in 2008 for There Will Be Blood. His most recent win for Lincoln in 2013 pushed him to the top as the actor with the highest number of Best Actor Oscar Awards.
Day-Lewis announced his retirement from acting in 2017 so it’s unlikely, but not impossible, that he’ll win more than his current three.
If you’re interested in reading more about the Academy Awards for 2022, we’ve rounded up all the details you need to know about this year’s ceremony, as well as a write-up on the Best Actress performances.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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