The Best Actor Winners of the 21st Century, Ranked from Worst to Best
With the Oscars coming up in early March I thought I'd dedicate a few articles taking a look back at the Oscars this century. Today I'll be examining the Best Actor winners from this century and ranking them from worst to best. Should be a fun exercise.
17. Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything'
When watching 'The Theory of Everything' and Eddie Redmayne's performance in general is fine. But, every time he's on screen it looks like he's trying so hard to really act and there is very little that is instinctive to his performances. It's like he's constantly thinking, "I need to have this tick or I must use this voice, for I am Eddie Redmayne. I am an actor." I've never been able to get over it and it's no shock that he landed at last in these rankings.
16. Jean Dujardin in 'The Artist'
Here is another performance that the academy just got carried away with. Yes, Dujardin is very charming and handsome. But, did he deserve best actor over guys like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Gary Oldman or even Demián Bechir? The easy answer is no. What Dujardin is able to accomplish in a silent film is rather impressive. But, does anyone want to watch his one note performance for two hours? It tends to feel pretty repetitive around the thirty minute mark. This was one of the Oscars biggest misses in terms of Best Actor awards.
15. Jeff Bridges in 'Crazy Heart'
This one was an award given due to a magnificent career showing great versatility and likability along the way. 'Crazy Heart' is a good vehicle for Bridges as he's able to play the surprisingly charming drunk far too easily. Most people had no problem with Jeff Bridges winning when he did, but it's far from his greatest performance. That will always be The Dude in this writers opinion. On a side note, Jeff Bridges really does seem like the best that Hollywood can offer. Someone needs to get his man more great roles. He deserves them.
14. Sean Penn in 'Milk'
It's odd watching Milk now and seeing such a compassionate version of Sean Penn, in a way it is almost off putting. Throughout his career Sean Penn has played primarily angry characters (both on-screen and off). So, Milk was a pleasant surprise at the time of it's release. It could've been the reboot that Sean Penn needed, but it appears as if that ship has sailed. Penn does nail the role of a man pushing himself and his community toward widespread acceptance. Here's to hoping Penn has another performance like this hidden in him somewhere.
13. Colin Firth in 'The King's Speech'
Colin Firth has made a wonderful career for himself by playing confident and charming men. So, I find it ironic that his finest moment was playing King George VI with such fear and lack of self confidence. 'The King's Speech' does a great job of leaning on Firth's performance and is the better film for it. It's a performance that has a big heart and one that sticks with you even if the film doesn't.
12. Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Revenant'
Leo is one of the great actors of his generation, if not the greatest actor of it. He turns in great performance after great performance and what does the Academy do? They wait until The Revenant (very average movie) to reward him. What a shame. Leo shows remarkable commitment to the role in this film and deserves recognition for that. Unfortunately, there was this "it's his time" narrative going on for months until Leo finally got his statue. The real issue I take with this is that the man has given numerous performances that I consider better. Here's a list: Revolutionary Road, Catch Me If You Can, The Wolf of Wall Street, Titanic (I'm serious), Blood Diamond, The Aviator, The Departed or even Django Unchained. They could've rewarded him so many times before! But, no. They had to wait until he ate raw bison liver in the frozen tundra to give him the trophy. It's nonsense I tell you. Nonsense.
11. Jamie Foxx in 'Ray'
This is where the list gets really tough for me to begin to judge. It's crazy to me that a performance as good as Jamie Foxx's in Ray could end up outside the top ten. But, here we are. 'Ray' is a movie that could've been very bad and quite boring. Kind of like, lets say 'The Imitation Game'. There is one reason 'Ray' doesn't fall into that biopic trap even though the story structure is rather bland. To put it simply, it's the brilliance of Jamie Foxx and his ability to inhabit Ray's persona completely. It's a magnificent performance in an otherwise okay movie and one that absolutely deserved the Best Actor award.
10. Matthew McConaughey in 'Dallas Buyers Club'
Few actors can claim to have the turn around Matthew McConaughey did around the time of this film. Known for his wit and lack of shirts, McConaughey did the unthinkable and completely rebooted his career. No longer taking roles in films like 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past or 'Failure to Launch', McConaughey was able to put himself back in the conversation for who our undeniably great actors are. 'Dallas Buyers Club' is a good movie from what I remember. Yet, one of the reasons this performance ranks at #10 compared to #6 is that I've never had the urge to watch it again. McConaughey and Leto both probably deserved the Oscars but their greatness far outweighed the greatness of the film itself. What a bummer.
9. Forest Whitaker in 'The Last King of Scotland'
Forest Whitaker is the type of actor that has carried around a level of sweetness with him in most roles over the years. In 'The Last King of Scotland' we see the complete opposite, Whitaker embodies an evil man who is seeking power wherever he can find it. It was a great role for Whitaker to take as he's able to balance the terrifying nature of his character with a man who shows personal warmth in trying times. That's a tricky thing to do when playing a warlord. In fact, maybe that's why most warlords you see in films could be interchangeable. The role of President Idi Amin is so complex and layered that at times you forget how repulsive the character is. Maybe that's all the proof you need to show how talented Forest Whitaker can be and why he was victorious.
8. Sean Penn in 'Mystic River'
I had a hard time placing this performance on here. It's features some of the best scenes Sean Penn has ever done and some of the most melodramatic he's done. But, it's a performance that I've never forgotten. I can hear Penn's voice yelling "Is that my daughter in there?!" or "We bury our sins here, Dave. We wash them clean." The fact that those lines have stuck around in my head with such clarity for the last decade means something. Penn's portrayal of grief is one of the best I've seen on screen and I use it in comparing others. That has to mean something is great about what Penn accomplishes here. There is a beautiful scene that takes place on the porch between Penn and Tim Robbins that I believe sealed the Oscars for both men. It's a scene that shows how powerful actors can be when they're simply left alone (way to go Clint).
7. Denzel Washington in 'Training Day'
I love 'Training Day' without shame. Denzel Washington gives one of the great charismatic performances we've seen this century. The confidence and swagger that he has couldn't be matched by another actor. 'Training Day' for me is also the movie that cemented Denzel as a movie star. He'd always been a respected actor capable of being funny, charming and commanding. With 'Training Day' Denzel twists his normal charm into something unpredictable and showed a side of Denzel we'd only kind of seen beforehand. Denzel has delivered a lot of great performances in his career and a few that would top this one in terms of nuance and complexity. But, rarely has Denzel exploded off the screen with such intensity and finesse. It's a hell of a performance.
6. Russell Crowe in 'Gladiator'
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."
This monologue alone could've won Russell Crowe the Oscar. What an easy choice they had that year.
5. Adrien Brody in 'The Pianist'
It's easy to forget that the majority of this movie is Adrien Brody hiding alone knowing there is a chance everyone he loves is dead. For an actor to get into that type of headspace and come across as genuinely torn apart as Adrien Brody is takes some serious talent. Not to mention the camera is on him for 75% of the film. A film like 'The Pianist' that is focused in on one man's journey through the Holocaust could've been something much different. Luckily, the team behind 'The Pianist' went for authenticity instead. Adrien Brody leading them in this department. Since 'The Pianist' Brody has never been able to match the type performance he gives here. But, who can blame him? It's an all-time great one in my book.
4. Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
Do you remember when this project was first announced and all of us realized how Daniel Day-Lewis was going to embody Abraham Lincoln for up to a year? Then everyone decided that he should win the Oscar. Well, for once they were right with the hype beginning when it did. Daniel Day-Lewis is perfect in bringing the humanity and influence of Abraham Lincoln to the screen. The absolute commitment from him to embody the President and even mimic his voice is something most actors couldn't come close to pulling off. Yet, Daniel Day-Lewis actually makes it look like just another day at the office. Spielberg is smart to let the camera linger on Lincoln because he knows Lewis will always be making some small gesture or facial expression. This was one of the few cases of a perfect casting decision and one where it couldn't have gone any other way.
3. Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea
Fun fact to start this one: originally Matt Damon was supposed to play Casey Affleck's character originally. Let's all be thankful that didn't happen. I like Matt Damon but this movie is much better with Affleck's knack for underplaying moments of grief rather than overplaying them. It takes a very talented actor to pull off this type of character. One who is divorced, has lost children, has lost his brother, has no money and now has a nephew to look over. It would be very easy for an actor to become focused in on just one of these aspects and let it take over. With Affleck this just isn't the case. We see each part of his life that has been a struggle and we see how it affects him, but Affleck never looks for the emotional breakthrough or breakdown moment. Instead we get a man just moving slowly through life as it continues to throw things in his way, we get a man dealing with grief in the only way he knows how to and we get an honest portrayal of what it looks like when nothing good seems to be happening to you.
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'Capote'
I should start this off by admitting that Philip Seymour Hoffman was my favorite actor and I'm writing this very biased. Hoffman was able to do what many strived to do with each of his performances and that was make each of them feel different and absolutely authentic. 'Capote' just might've been the peak for him. It's well known that Hoffman physically changed in preparation for the role as well as changing his voice. Hoffman also appeared to have understood Truman Capote more than the rest of us. Reading 'In True Blood' I wouldn't have been able to accurately paint the portrait of Capote the man. Hoffman was able to brilliantly. Capote begins as a successful writer stuck in a strange place looking for his next big story. Yet, by the end of the film Capote has completely taken on a new demeanor and one filled with care and love. Only Hoffman make the transition look so seamless. He was one of our great actors and maybe the best ever at showing genuine sadness on screen. If you watch his acceptance speech for 'Capote' now you see a man humbled by the position he's in. A man who understands people and just wants to thank his mom. It's really wonderful that he was able to get his Oscar before his unfortunate passing.
1. Daniel Day-Lewis in 'There Will Be Blood'
The perfect performance. One that has already been placed alongside Brando, Pacino and some of the other all-time greats. Daniel Plainview is actually quite a simple man. He's filled with ambition and will do anything it takes to make money and build his ego. Daniel Day-Lewis just happens to bring a willingness to become Daniel Plainview. Day-Lewis shows us Plainview's greed, hatred and commitment with such ferocity that one immediately buys into the character. It's interesting too that he's a predictable character in many ways, but could also snap at any second. It's a high-wire act watching Daniel Day-Lewis take over this film and maybe the most lopsided Best Actor victory ever.