Top 10 Oscar-Winning Male Performances

Russell Crowe at the 2001 ceremony.

Again, I looked at both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor performances. Unlike the female performances list, two supporting performances made the cut.

10. Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter

Role: Nikonar "Nick" Chevotarevich

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

9. Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda

Role: Otto

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

8. Adrien Brody, The Pianist

Role: Wladyslaw Szpilman

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

7. F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus

Role: Antonio Salieri

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

6. Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger

Role: Harry Stoner

Oscar History: 2 wins, 8 nominations

5. Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot

Role: Christy Brown

Oscar History: 2 wins (to date), 5 nominations

4. Gene Hackman, The French Connection

Role: Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

Oscar History: 2 wins, 5 nominations

3. Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Role: R.P. McMurphy

Oscar History: 3 wins, 12 nominations

2. Robert De Niro, Raging Bull

Role: Jake LaMotta

Oscar History: 2 wins (to date), 7 nominations

1. Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront

Role: Terry Malloy

Oscar History: 2 wins, 8 nominations

Top 10 Oscar-Winning Female Performances

Juliette Binoche at the 1997 ceremony.

In compiling this list, I looked at both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress winners. No supporting ladies made the list, but performances by actresses like Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), and Mo'Nique (Precious) were in the running.

10. Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs

Role: Clarice Starling

Oscar History: 2 wins, 4 nominations

9. Holly Hunter, The Piano

Role: Ada McGrath

Oscar History: 1 win, 4 nominations

8. Sophia Loren, Two Women

Role: Cesira

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

 

7. Faye Dunaway, Network

Role: Diana Christensen

Oscar History: 1 win, 3 nominations

6. Charlize Theron, Monster

Role: Aileen Wuornos

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

5. Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry

Role: Brandon Teena/Teena Brandon

Oscar History: 2 wins, 2 nominations

4. Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire

Role: Blanche DuBois

Oscar History: 2 wins, 2 nominations

 

3. Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Role: Nina Sayers/The Swan Queen

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

2. Elizabeth Taylor, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Role: Martha

Oscar History: 2 wins, 5 nominations

1. Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Role: Edith Piaf

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

Top 10 Male Performances of All Time

Did either of these Oscar vets make my list?

Here's my other list. I would like to mention beforehand that one of these performances is driven mostly by effective voiceover work, but it never ceases to amaze me. Hope you like my list!

10. Russell Crowe, L.A. Confidential

Role: Wendell "Bud" White

Quote: "When I was twelve, my old man went after my mother with a bottle. I got in the way."

Recognition: Chlotrudis Award win and Satellite Award nom

9. Jack Lemmon, The Apartment

Role: C.C. Baxter

Quote: "That's the way it crumbles... cookie-wise."

Recognition: Oscar nom, BAFTA and Golden Globe wins
  

8. Robert De Niro, The Deer Hunter

Role: Michael

Quote: "This is this. From now on, you're on your own."

Recognition: Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe noms

7. Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon

Role: Sonny Wortzik

Quote: "Tell them to put their guns down!"

Recognition: BAFTA win, Oscar and Golden Globe noms

6. Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront

Role: Terry Malloy

Quote: "Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you."

Recognition: Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe wins

5. Mathieu Amalric, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Role: Jean-Dominique Bauby

Quote: "Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory."

Recognition: Cesar and Lumiere Award wins

4. Denis Lavant, Holy Motors

Role: Mr. Oscar and ten others

Quote: "I'm ready."

Recognition: Chicago International Film Festival win (so far)

3. Gunnar Björnstrand, Winter Light

Role: Tomas Ericsson

Quote: "Grant us peace."

Recognition: None

2. David Thewlis, Naked

Role: Johnny

Quote: "I've got an infinite number of places to go, the problem is where to stay."

Recognition: Cannes Film Festival and NYFCC wins

1. Richard Burton, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Role: George

Quote: "Did you really think I was going to kill you, Martha?"

Recognition: BAFTA win, Oscar and Golden Globe noms

Top 10 Female Performances of All Time

Did either Oscar vet make my list?

I don't know if I'll review anything this week or not, so here's a list. Updated Oscar predictions are coming in a day or two, and I might post my top 10 male performances list this week as well. Enjoy!

10. Ingrid Bergman, Notorious

Role: Alicia Huberman

Quote: "I guess I'm the girl nobody remembers."

Recognition: Bambi Award win and NYFCC runner-up

9. Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut

Role: Alice Hartford

Quote: "If you men only knew..."

Recognition: Satellite Award nom
  

8. Elizabeth Taylor, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Role: Martha

Quote: "I swear, if you existed, I'd divorce you. "

Recognition: Oscar and BAFTA wins, Golden Globe nom
  

7. Irene Jacob, Three Colors: Red

Role: Valentine

Quote: "I feel something important is happening around me. And it scares me."

Recognition: BAFTA and Cesar noms
  

6. Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Role: Edith Piaf

Quote: "I'm just 44. I'm not in the tomb yet."

Recognition: Oscar, BAFTA, Cesar, and Golden Globe wins
  

5. Liv Ullmann, Scenes from a Marriage

Role: Marianne

Quote: "Sometimes it's like husband and wife are talking on telephones that are out of order."

Recognition: BAFTA and Golden Globe noms
  

4. Emily Watson, Breaking the Waves

Role: Bess McNeill

Quote: "Everyone has something they're good at. I've always been stupid, but I'm good at this."

Recognition: Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe noms
  

3. Harriet Andersson, Through a Glass Darkly

Role: Karin

Quote: "It's so horrible to see your own confusion and understand it."

Recognition: BAFTA nom
  

2. Bibi Andersson, Persona

Role: Sister Alma

Quote: "I wonder whether your madness isn't the worst kind."

Recognition: BAFTA nom and NSFC Award win
  

1. Juliette Binoche, Three Colors: Blue

Role: Julie Vignon

Quote: "Now I have only one thing left to do: nothing."

Recognition: Cesar and Venice Film Festival wins, Golden Globe nom

Top 10 Nicole Kidman Performances

Here's a list for the LAMB Acting School on one of my favorite actresses. Note: My #1 and #2 are interchangeable.

10. The Portrait of a Lady

Role: Isabel Archer

Quote: "I love you but without hope."

Recognition: 3rd place for the NYFCC Award

9. The Hours

Role: Virginia Woolf

Quote: "Do you think I may one day escape?"

Recognition: Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe wins

8. Margot at the Wedding

Role: Margot

Quote: "Stop picking on me."

Recognition: Satellite Award nom

7. The Others

Role: Grace Stewart

Quote: "I'm beginning to feel totally cut off from the world."

Recognition: BAFTA and Golden Globe noms

6. Moulin Rouge!

Role: Satine

Quote: "You're going to be bad for business. I can tell."

Recognition: Oscar nom and Golden Globe win

5. Rabbit Hole

Role: Becca Corbett

Quote: "Somewhere out there I'm having a good time."

Recognition: Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG noms

4. Dogville

Role: Grace Margaret Mulligan

Quote: "I think the world would be better without Dogville."

Recognition: Bodil Award nom

3. Birth

Role: Anna

Quote: "You're hurting me."

Recognition: Golden Globe nom

2. To Die For

Role: Suzanne Stone

Quote: "You aren't really anybody in America if you're not on TV."

Recognition: Golden Globe win and BAFTA nom

1. Eyes Wide Shut

Role: Alice Hartford

Quote: "I do love you, and you know there is something very important we need to do as soon as possible…"

Recognition: Satellite Award nom