
A Century of Film
Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress
The Lists
Introduction
I have done two previous posts for A Century of Film, one on Best Actor and one on Best Supporting Actor. In those two posts, I discussed the history of each award and all the various groups that give out such awards. I also included all-time lists for points from each group based on my own point system.
The problem, as perhaps you can see, is that I discussed each award separately, yet many actors over the years have won or earned nominations in both categories. It wasn’t always like that, of course. Spencer Tracy earned all 10 of his Oscar nominations as a lead while Claude Rains and Walter Brennan were only ever competing in supporting. Walter Huston became the first person to earn back to back Oscar acting nominations in different categories in 1941 (Actor) and 1942 (Supporting Actor). In more recent years, of course, a star like Jack Nicholson can win an Oscar in lead then supporting then lead again while the likes of Al Pacino can earn nominations in both categories in one year.
So, this list is designed to combine the statistics from both groups. I again only use my point system rather than tally up nominations and awards (35 for a lead nomination, 30 for supporting, double that if they win). But I have included here the complete top results from all the awards groups tallying both male acting categories. To get an idea of how actors were appreciated by various awards groups, I have also included, for some of the longer lasting awards, top 5 results by decade as well as a “Progression of the #1 Spot”. That’s the running forward total of who is the all-time leader in points as the years progress.
Again, this is covering my Century of Film, which began, for the purposes of this project, in 1912 and ends in 2011. There will be a section at the end that covers the history since 2011.
The Academy Awards
Progression of the #1 Spot:
- 1928-30: Emil Jannings – 105
- 1931-32: Emil Jannings / George Arliss – 105
- 1933-34: Emil Jannings / George Arliss / Fredric March / Wallace Beery – 105
- 1935: Emil Jannings / George Arliss / Fredric March / Wallace Beery / Charles Laughton / Clark Gable – 105
- 1936: Paul Muni – 140
- 1937: Paul Muni – 175
- 1938-39: Paul Muni / Spencer Tracy – 175
- 1940: Walter Brennan – 180
- 1941-45: Walter Brennan – 210
- 1946-49: Walter Brennan / Fredric March – 210
- 1950: Walter Brennan / Fredric March / Spencer Tracy – 210
- 1951: Fredric March – 245
- 1952-54: Fredric March / Gary Cooper – 245
- 1955-57: Fredric March / Gary Cooper / Spencer Tracy – 245
- 1958-59: Spencer Tracy – 280
- 1960: Spencer Tracy – 315
- 1961-66: Spencer Tracy – 350
- 1967-91: Spencer Tracy – 385
- 1992-96: Jack Nicholson – 395
- 1997-01: Jack Nicholson – 465
- 2002-11: Jack Nicholson – 500
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 500
- Spencer Tracy – 385
- Laurence Olivier – 380
- Marlon Brando – 345
- Paul Newman – 345
- Jack Lemmon – 340
- Dustin Hoffman – 315
- Al Pacino – 300
- Peter O’Toole – 280
- Robert De Niro – 270
- Michael Caine – 260
- Fredric March – 245
- Gary Cooper – 245
- Tom Hanks – 245
- Sean Penn – 245
- Richard Burton – 240
- Robert Duvall – 230
- Denzel Washington – 230
- Jeff Bridges – 230
- Gene Hackman – 225
Top 5 Total Points: 1930-39
- Spencer Tracy – 175
- Paul Muni – 140
- Fredric March – 140
- Clark Gable – 140
- Walter Brennan – 120
Top 5 Total Points: 1940-49
- Gary Cooper – 140
- Laurence Olivier – 140
- Gregory Peck – 140
- Walter Huston – 125
- Charles Coburn – 120
Top 5 Total Points: 1950-59
- Marlon Brando – 210
- Anthony Quinn – 155
- Arthur Kennedy – 125
- Humphrey Bogart – 105
- Jose Ferrer / Spencer Tracy / Alec Guinness / William Holden – 105
Top 5 Total Points: 1960-69
- Richard Burton – 140
- Peter O’Toole – 140
- Peter Ustinov – 120
- Spencer Tracy – 105
- Paul Newman / Burt Lancaster / Rod Steiger / Rex Harrison – 105
Top 5 Total Points: 1970-79
- Jack Nicholson – 175
- Al Pacino – 170
- Robert De Niro – 130
- Jason Robards – 120
- Jack Lemmon / George C. Scott / Marlon Brando / Peter Finch / Dustin Hoffman – 105
Top 5 Total Points: 1980-89
- Jack Nicholson – 160
- Paul Newman – 140
- William Hurt – 140
- Dustin Hoffman – 105
- Robert Duvall – 105
Top 5 Total Points: 1990-99
- Tom Hanks – 175
- Anthony Hopkins – 170
- Al Pacino – 130
- Kevin Spacey – 130
- Jack Nicholson / Geoffrey Rush – 100
Top 5 Total Points: 2000-11
- Sean Penn – 175
- George Clooney – 165
- Jeff Bridges – 135
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 130
- Daniel Day-Lewis / Russell Crowe / Johnny Depp – 105
The Critics Awards
Note: The points here are the same, with one exception – they are weighted. Full points go to winners from the New York Film Critics and LA Film Critics. I count the points at 90% (63 for lead, 54 for supporting) for the National Society of Film Critics as well as the Boston and Chicago groups. For the National Board of Review, it’s 80% (56 for lead, 48 for supporting).
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 1372
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 955
- Robert De Niro – 702
- Gene Hackman – 639
- Bill Murray – 496
- Burt Lancaster – 406
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 404
- Robert Duvall – 389
- Martin Landau – 384
- Jeremy Irons – 378
- Nicolas Cage – 378
- Forest Whitaker – 378
- Joe Pesci – 372
- William Hurt – 363
- Anthony Hopkins – 354
- Jon Voight – 329
- Dustin Hoffman – 329
- Laurence Olivier – 322
- Sean Penn – 322
- Denzel Washington – 322
note: Though he doesn’t earn enough points to make the Top 20 list, Albert Finney is utterly unique among the critics winners. He won four critics awards over the course of his career (good enough for 36th place). What makes him unique is that all four of them were given by a different group and all four them were in different years because they were for different films. In 1960, he won the NBR for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, in 1963 he won the NYFC for Tom Jones, in 1984 he won the LAFC for Under the Volcano and in 1994 he won the BSFC for The Browning Version.
Top All-Time by Critics Group (not weighted):
- NYFC: Jack Nicholson – 400
- LAFC: Daniel Day-Lewis – 210
- NSFC: Jack Nicholson – 330
- BSFC: Daniel Day-Lewis – 210
- CFC: Daniel Day-Lewis / Jeremy Irons / Tom Hanks – 140
- NBR: Jack Nicholson – 320
note: For the record, Nicholson is a close second at the LAFC (200) and BSFC (190).
The BAFTAs
Progression of the #1 Spot:
- 1952: Ralph Richardson / Marlon Brando – 70
- 1953: Marlon Brando – 140
- 1954-57: Marlon Brando – 210
- 1958-60: Marlon Brando – 245
- 1961-68: Peter Finch – 280
- 1969-70: Laurence Olivier – 305
- 1971-76: Peter Finch – 350
- 1977-11: Peter Finch – 420
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Peter Finch – 420
- Jack Lemmon – 350
- Marlon Brando – 345
- Laurence Olivier – 340
- Jack Nicholson – 325
- Michael Caine – 310
- Denholm Elliott – 300
- Dustin Hoffman – 280
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 280
- Albert Finney – 270
- Geoffrey Rush – 255
- Sidney Poitier – 245
- Dirk Bogarde – 245
- Anthony Hopkins – 240
- Gene Hackman – 230
- John Hurt – 220
- John Gielgud – 220
- Spencer Tracy – 210
- Burt Lancaster – 205
- Paul Newman – 205
note: Because the Supporting Actor category wasn’t introduced until 1968, I am only including decade lists from the 70’s forward.
Top 5 Total Points: 1970-1979
- Gene Hackman – 170
- Peter Finch – 140
- Jack Nicholson – 140
- John Hurt – 120
- Edward Fox / Robert Duvall – 120
Top 5 Total Points: 1980-1989
- Denholm Elliott – 240
- Michael Caine – 140
- Bob Hoskins – 135
- Sean Connery – 130
- Ray McAnally – 120
Top 5 Total Points: 1990-1999
- Anthony Hopkins – 175
- Geoffrey Rush – 160
- Alan Rickman – 155
- Ralph Fiennes – 130
- Kevin Spacey – 105
Top 5 Total Points: 2000-2011
- Colin Firth – 170
- George Clooney – 165
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 160
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 140
- Russell Crowe – 105
The Golden Globes
One little tidbit to note here because there is nowhere else to really put it. There have been more individual actors nominated over the years in Actor – Comedy / Musical at the Globes than in Drama even though the latter category existed for seven more years. Also, there have been nearly as many people nominated in Supporting Actor (275) as in Actor (299) even though there are half as many nominees each year.
Progression of the #1 Spot
- 1943: Paul Lukas – 70
- 1944: Paul Lukas / Alexander Knox – 70
- 1945: Paul Lukas / Alexander Knox / Ray Milland – 70
- 1946: Lukas / Knox / Milland / Gregory Peck – 70
- 1947: Lukas / Knox / Milland / Peck / Ronald Colman – 70
- 1948: Lukas / Knox / Milland / Peck / Colman / Laurence Olivier – 70
- 1949: Lukas / Knox / Milland / Peck / Colman / Olivier / Broderick Crawford – 70
- 1950-56: Edmund Gwenn – 120
- 1957: Marlon Brando – 140
- 1958-61: Danny Kaye / David Niven – 175
- 1962: Danny Kaye / David Niven / Jack Lemmon – 175
- 1963-64: Jack Lemmon – 245
- 1965-67: Jack Lemmon – 280
- 1968-69: Jack Lemmon – 315
- 1970-71: Jack Lemmon – 350
- 1972: Jack Lemmon – 420
- 1973: Jack Lemmon – 455
- 1974-78: Jack Lemmon – 490
- 1979: Jack Lemmon – 525
- 1980-81: Jack Lemmon – 560
- 1982-85: Jack Lemmon – 595
- 1986-88: Jack Lemmon – 630
- 1989-01: Jack Lemmon – 665
- 2002: Jack Nicholson – 710
- 2003-05: Jack Nicholson – 745
- 2006-11: Jack Nicholson – 775
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 775
- Jack Lemmon – 665
- Al Pacino – 515
- Dustin Hoffman – 490
- Peter O’Toole – 385
- Tom Hanks – 385
- Johnny Depp – 385
- Robin Williams – 380
- Michael Caine – 375
- Gene Hackman – 370
- Tom Cruise – 335
- Walter Matthau – 315
- Robert De Niro – 315
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 310
- Jon Voight – 305
- Paul Newman – 305
- Warren Beatty – 280
- Jim Carrey – 280
- Marlon Brando – 275
- Albert Finney / Denzel Washington / George Clooney – 270
note: Paul Newman has nine Globe noms but never won.
Top 5 Total Points: 1943-1949:
- Paul Lukas – 70
- Alexander Knox – 70
- Ray Milland – 70
- Gregory Peck – 70
- Ronald Colman / Laurence Olivier / Broderick Crawford – 70
Top 5 Total Points: 1950-1959:
- Danny Kaye – 175
- David Niven – 175
- Marlon Brando – 140
- Frank Sinatra – 130
- Spencer Tracy / Fredric March / Gary Cooper / Kirk Douglas – 105
Top 5 Total Points: 1960-1969:
- Jack Lemmon – 245
- Peter O’Toole – 245
- Sidney Poitier – 175
- Rex Harrison – 175
- Paul Newman – 170
Top 5 Total Points: 1970-1979:
- Jack Nicholson – 245
- Al Pacino – 245
- Jack Lemmon – 210
- Walter Matthau – 175
- five actors – 140
Top 5 Total Points: 1980-1989:
- Jack Nicholson – 230
- Jack Lemmon – 140
- Dustin Hoffman – 140
- Dudley Moore – 140
- Robin Williams – 140
- Steve Martin – 140
Top 5 Total Points: 1990-1999:
- Robin Williams – 240
- Tom Hanks – 210
- Jim Carrey – 210
- Al Pacino – 165
- Tom Cruise – 165
Top 5 Total Points: 2000-2011:
- Johnny Depp – 280
- George Clooney – 270
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 245
- Russell Crowe – 175
- Philip Seymour Hoffman / Javier Bardem – 165
SAG
All-Time Top 10 Points:
- Russell Crowe – 175
- Sean Penn – 175
- Geoffrey Rush – 165
- Tom Hanks – 140
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 140
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 135
- Jeff Bridges – 135
- George Clooney – 135
- Robert Duvall – 130
- Morgan Freeman – 130
Broadcast Film Critics (Critic’s Choice)
Top 10 All-Time:
- Russell Crowe – 280
- Sean Penn – 175
- George Clooney – 170
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 140
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 140
- Ryan Gosling – 140
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 130
- Johnny Depp – 105
- Jeff Bridges – 105
- Colin Firth – 105
note: Crowe dominated early here – he had 280 points before any other actor had more than 105.
Consensus Awards
What I have done here is converted the Consensus percentage in each year to a straight point value. The advantage is that it equalizes the later years when there are far more awards. The disadvantage is that it leaves Actor and Supporting Actor as equal, it gives a bit too much weight to the first few years when there was only the Oscar (if I don’t count those years, it hurts those early actors) and that a performance that earned awards in both can be dinged depending on where the Academy placed it (for instance, Leonardo DiCaprio in 2006 – if the Oscars had considered him supporting in The Departed he could have earned points in both categories). But it does allow for an idea of how well appreciated each actor has been by awards groups since the awards began with the 1st Oscars. Because the Consensus really makes a big difference with wins, especially critics wins, this is why a great actor like Paul Newman (18 combined Oscar and Globe noms, 1 win and only three critics wins) is so low in the Top 50 in spite of years and years of great performances while Daniel Day-Lewis, who has only made 19 films through 2011, far, far below the others around him, is so high.
Progression of #1:
- 1927-31: Emil Jannings – 50
- 1932-34: Fredric March – 57
- 1935-36: Charles Laughton – 93
- 1937-40: Paul Muni – 105
- 1941-47: Walter Brennan – 116
- 1948-51: Laurence Olivier – 117
- 1952-55: Laurence Olivier – 121
- 1956: Laurence Olivier – 131
- 1957-58: Laurence Olivier – 134
- 1959: Laurence Olivier – 137
- 1960-61: Laurence Olivier – 145
- 1962-64: Laurence Olivier – 147
- 1965-68: Laurence Olivier – 150
- 1969-71: Laurence Olivier – 159
- 1972-75: Laurence Olivier – 178
- 1976-77: Laurence Olivier – 190
- 1978: Laurence Olivier – 199
- 1979-84: Laurence Olivier – 202
- 1985-86: Jack Nicholson – 227
- 1987-88: Jack Nicholson – 246
- 1989-91: Jack Nicholson – 251
- 1992-96: Jack Nicholson – 273
- 1997-01: Jack Nicholson – 297
- 2001-02: Jack Nicholson – 315
- 2003-05: Jack Nicholson – 317
- 2006-11: Jack Nicholson – 324
All-Time Top 50 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 324
- Laurence Olivier – 202
- Gene Hackman – 169
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 150
- Robert De Niro – 146
- Dustin Hoffman – 134
- Jack Lemmon – 131
- Spencer Tracy – 124
- Marlon Brando – 122
- Al Pacino – 122
- Fredric March – 118
- Walter Brennan – 116
- Walter Huston – 114
- Paul Muni – 108
- James Stewart – 104
- Robert Duvall – 104
- Gary Cooper – 103
- Charles Laughton – 103
- Jason Robards – 97
- Anthony Hopkins – 93
- James Cagney – 92
- George C. Scott – 91
- Paul Newman – 91
- Albert Finney – 91
- Michael Caine – 90
- Peter O’Toole – 90
- Tom Hanks – 88
- Gregory Peck – 87
- John Gielgud – 87
- Burt Lancaster – 86
- Geoffrey Rush – 85
- Ralph Richardson – 83
- Clark Gable – 81
- Peter Ustinov – 81
- Sean Penn – 76
- Kevin Spacey – 76
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 76
- Jon Voight – 75
- Russell Crowe – 74
- Morgan Freeman – 74
- Edmund Gwenn – 73
- Walter Matthau – 73
- Joe Pesci – 73
- Ben Kingsley – 73
- Denzel Washington – 73
- George Clooney – 73
- Martin Landau – 72
- Bing Crosby – 71
- Arthur Kennedy – 70
- Peter Finch / Melvyn Douglas / Alec Guinness – 70
note: A very similar list to Actress, with one person (modern) over 300, another (from studio era) just over 200 several above 100 though with no one close to #2 and the bottom of the list only having a 1 point differential.
Top 5 Points: 1930-1939
- Charles Laughton – 93
- Paul Muni – 88
- Clark Gable – 77
- Fredric March – 70
- Walter Brennan – 66
Top 5 Points: 1940-1949
- Laurence Olivier – 104
- Walter Huston – 76
- Gary Cooper – 74
- Gregory Peck – 65
- Ray Milland – 64
Top 5 Points: 1950-1959
- Marlon Brando – 68
- Arthur Kennedy – 60
- Frank Sinatra – 56
- Anthony Quinn – 47
- Alec Guinness – 46
Top 5 Points: 1960-1969
- Peter Ustinov – 45
- Peter O’Toole – 44
- Rod Steiger – 40
- Richard Burton – 39
- Paul Newman / Rex Harrison – 36
Top 5 Points: 1970-1979
- Jack Nicholson – 93
- Al Pacino – 81
- Jason Robards – 73
- Robert De Niro – 71
- Gene Hackman – 67
Top 5 Points: 1980-1989
- Jack Nicholson – 129
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 59
- John Gielgud – 51
- Robert De Niro – 49
- Bob Hoskins – 47
Top 5 Points: 1990-1999
- Anthony Hopkins – 82
- Kevin Spacey – 68
- Geoffrey Rush – 55
- Gene Hackman – 52
- Ralph Fiennes – 52
Top 5 Points: 2000-2011
- George Clooney – 73
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 71
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 68
- Sean Penn – 62
- Javier Bardem – 62
The Nighthawk Awards
Progression of #1 Spot:
- 1928: Lon Chaney – 205
- 1929-34: Lon Chaney – 240
- 1935-42: Charles Laughton – 255
- 1943: Claude Rains – 305
- 1944-45: Claude Rains – 335
- 1946-48: Claude Rains – 395
- 1949-50: Claude Rains – 425
- 1951-53: Humphrey Bogart – 440
- 1954-91: Humphrey Bogart – 475
- 1992-96: Jack Nicholson – 500
- 1997-05: Jack Nicholson – 535
- 2006-11: Jack Nicholson – 565
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 565
- Humphrey Bogart – 475
- Laurence Olivier – 470
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 445
- Robert De Niro – 430
- Claude Rains – 425
- Michael Caine – 395
- Alec Guinness – 390
- Paul Newman – 380
- Anthony Hopkins – 365
- Gene Hackman – 350
- Orson Welles – 340
- Kirk Douglas – 335
- Charles Laughton – 325
- James Stewart – 315
- Charlie Chaplin – 315
- George Clooney – 305
- Toshiro Mifune – 285
- Warren Beatty – 280
- Dustin Hoffman – 280
Top 5 Points: 1912-1929
- Lon Chaney – 240
- Emil Jannings – 140
- Conrad Veidt – 100
- Charlie Chaplin – 70
- Erich von Stroheim / Albert Dieudonne – 70
Top 5 Points: 1930-1939
- Charles Laughton – 245
- Fredric March – 210
- Leslie Howard – 210
- Claude Rains – 185
- Charlie Chaplin – 140
Top 5 Points: 1940-1949
- Humphrey Bogart – 280
- Claude Rains – 240
- Kirk Douglas – 160
- Walter Huston – 155
- James Stewart – 140
Top 5 Points: 1950-1959
- Alec Guinness – 235
- Kirk Douglas – 175
- William Holden – 170
- Orson Welles – 165
- Karl Malden – 155
Top 5 Points: 1960-1969
- Richard Burton – 175
- Toshiro Mifune – 165
- Paul Newman – 140
- Peter O’Toole – 140
- Rod Steiger / Takashi Shimura – 135
Top 5 Points: 1970-1979
- Robert De Niro – 290
- Jack Nicholson – 245
- Al Pacino – 200
- Gene Hackman – 195
- Michael Caine – 135
Top 5 Points: 1980-1989
- William Hurt – 205
- Jack Nicholson – 195
- Michael Caine – 160
- Paul Newman – 140
- Bob Hoskins – 140
Top 5 Points: 1990-1999
- Anthony Hopkins – 235
- Ralph Fiennes – 235
- Kevin Spacey – 190
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 175
- Ian McKellen – 135
Top 5 Points: 2000-2011
- George Clooney – 235
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 175
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 140
- Tom Wilkinson – 130
- Heath Ledger / Christian Bale – 130
The Nighthawk Drama Awards
Progression of #1 Spot:
- 1928: Lon Chaney – 170
- 1929-34: Lon Chaney – 205
- 1935-39: Charles Laughton – 255
- 1940-43: Charles Laughton – 290
- 1944-45: Claude Rains – 305
- 1946-47: Claude Rains – 365
- 1948-49: Humphrey Bogart – 400
- 1950: Humphrey Bogart – 435
- 1951-53: Humphrey Bogart – 470
- 1954-06: Humphrey Bogart – 505
- 2007-11: Daniel Day-Lewis – 515
Top 20 All-Time Points:
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 515
- Humphrey Bogart – 505
- Jack Nicholson – 495
- Laurence Olivier – 470
- Robert De Niro – 465
- Claude Rains – 425
- Anthony Hopkins – 400
- Paul Newman – 380
- Orson Welles – 375
- Gene Hackman – 355
- Toshiro Mifune – 350
- Ralph Fiennes – 340
- Kirk Douglas – 335
- Charles Laughton – 325
- James Stewart – 315
- Henry Fonda – 305
- Richard Burton – 305
- Alec Guinness – 290
- Fredric March – 280
- Marlon Brando – 280
Top 5 Points: 1912-1929
- Lon Chaney – 205
- Emil Jannings – 140
- Conrad Veidt – 100
- Erich von Stroheim – 70
- Albert Dieudonne – 70
Top 5 Points: 1930-1939
- Charles Laughton – 255
- Fredric March – 245
- Leslie Howard – 240
- Claude Rains – 185
- Clark Gable – 160
Top 5 Points: 1940-1949
- Humphrey Bogart – 280
- Claude Rains – 210
- Kirk Douglas – 160
- Orson Welles – 140
- Laurence Olivier – 135
Top 5 Points: 1950-1959
- Kirk Douglas – 175
- Marlon Brando – 175
- William Holden – 170
- Orson Welles – 165
- James Stewart – 140
Top 5 Points: 1960-1969
- Toshiro Mifune – 230
- Richard Burton – 175
- Peter O’Toole – 175
- Takashi Shimura – 165
- Paul Newman – 140
Top 5 Points: 1970-1979
- Robert De Niro – 290
- Jack Nicholson – 245
- Gene Hackman – 200
- Al Pacino – 200
- Robert Duvall – 150
Top 5 Points: 1980-1989
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 165
- Jack Nicholson – 160
- Robert De Niro – 140
- Paul Newman – 140
- Denzel Washington – 120
Top 5 Points: 1990-1999
- Ralph Fiennes – 270
- Anthony Hopkins – 235
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 210
- Kevin Spacey – 190
- Ian McKellen – 135
Top 5 Points: 2000-2011
- George Clooney – 195
- Sean Penn – 175
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 175
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 140
- Tom Wilkinson / Heath Ledger / Christian Bale – 130
The Nighthawk Comedy Awards
Progression of #1 Spot:
- 1928-30: Charlie Chaplin – 210
- 1931-35: Charlie Chaplin – 280
- 1936-39: Charlie Chaplin – 350
- 1940-46: Charlie Chaplin – 420
- 1947-71: Charlie Chaplin – 490
- 1972-11: Charlie Chaplin – 560
Top 20 Points All-Time:
- Charlie Chaplin – 560
- Cary Grant – 480
- James Cagney – 415
- Bill Murray – 395
- Alec Guinness – 340
- Woody Allen – 315
- Johnny Depp – 315
- Jack Lemmon – 305
- George Clooney – 280
- Peter Sellers – 270
- Walter Matthau – 270
- Dustin Hoffman – 270
- Fred Astaire – 245
- Gene Wilder – 225
- Michael Caine – 220
- Gene Kelly – 210
- James Stewart – 210
- Robert Redford – 210
- Jack Nicholson – 210
- Steve Martin – 205
Top 3 Points: 1912-1929
- Charlie Chaplin – 210
- Buster Keaton – 140
- Theodore Roberts – 60
- Mack Swain – 60
- Ernest Torrance – 60
Top 5 Points: 1930-1939
- Edward Everett Horton – 180
- Cary Grant – 175
- James Cagney – 175
- Charlie Chaplin – 140
- William Powell – 140
Top 5 Points: 1940-1949
- Cary Grant – 200
- William Demarest – 150
- Charlie Chaplin – 140
- Claude Rains – 130
- Spencer Tracy / James Stewart / Robert Montgomery – 105
Top 5 Points: 1950-1959
- Alec Guinness – 305
- Gene Kelly – 140
- Jack Lemmon – 130
- James Cagney – 100
- Maurice Chevalier – 90
Top 5 Points: 1960-1969
- Peter Sellers – 200
- Jack Lemmon – 140
- Dustin Hoffman – 105
- Albert Finney – 105
- Marcello Mastroianni – 105
Top 5 Points: 1970-1979
- Woody Allen – 175
- Gene Wilder – 165
- Robert Redford – 140
- Jack Warden – 120
- Walter Matthau / Richard Dreyfuss / Warren Beatty – 105
note: Ironically, Woody Allen leads with the same exact number of points that Diane Keaton had also leading in this decade.
note: All of Wilder’s points are from the same year (1974).
Top 5 Points: 1980-1989
- Steve Martin – 205
- William Hurt – 165
- Woody Allen – 140
- Michael Caine – 130
- Michael Palin – 125
Top 5 Points: 1990-1999
- Johnny Depp – 175
- Bill Murray – 165
- George Clooney – 140
- Robin Williams – 105
- Tim Robbins / Hugh Grant / Jeff Bridges – 105
Top 5 Points: 2000-2011
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 185
- Bill Murray – 165
- George Clooney – 140
- Johnny Depp – 140
- Paul Giamatti – 140
The Nighthawk Awards (Weighted)
note: This takes all 20 performances in Actress and Supporting Actress on my list from each year and weights them with 70 (or 60) for the #1 spot and 1 for the #20 spot. It makes for a much more nuanced list, both because it includes a lot more performances but also because they are weighted.
Progression of the #1 Spot:
- 1928: Lon Chaney – 277
- 1929-36: Lon Chaney – 326
- 1937-40: Fredric March – 377
- 1941-42: Fredric March – 386
- 1943: Claude Rains – 390
- 1944-45: Claude Rains – 425
- 1946-48: Claude Rains – 485
- 1949-50: Claude Rains – 520
- 1951-53: Humphrey Bogart – 551
- 1954-55: Humphrey Bogart – 605
- 1956-75: Humphrey Bogart – 611
- 1976-77: Laurence Olivier – 630
- 1978-91: Laurence Olivier – 674
- 1992-94: Jack Nicholson – 683
- 1995-96: Jack Nicholson – 696
- 1997-00: Jack Nicholson – 750
- 2001: Jack Nicholson – 773
- 2002: Jack Nicholson – 803
- 2003-05: Jack Nicholson – 809
- 2006-11: Jack Nicholson – 851
Top 20 All-Time Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 851
- Laurence Olivier – 674
- Paul Newman – 642
- Alec Guinness – 635
- Humphrey Bogart – 611
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 578
- Robert De Niro – 575
- Michael Caine – 550
- Claude Rains – 546
- Fredric March – 539
- Henry Fonda – 537
- James Stewart – 526
- Charles Laughton – 526
- Toshiro Mifune – 525
- Dustin Hoffman – 513
- Gene Hackman – 509
- Anthony Hopkins – 505
- James Cagney – 494
- Orson Welles – 483
- Burt Lancaster – 474
Top 5 Points: 1912-1929
- Lon Chaney – 326
- Emil Jannings – 193
- Conrad Veidt – 122
- Charlie Chaplin – 103
- Erich von Stroheim – 100
Top 5 Points: 1930-1939
- Fredric March – 377
- Leslie Howard – 346
- Charles Laughton – 331
- James Cagney – 227
- Claude Rains – 223
Top 5 Points: 1940-1949
- Humphrey Bogart – 334
- Claude Rains – 297
- Cary Grant – 258
- Laurence Olivier – 224
- James Stewart – 215
Top 5 Points: 1950-1959
- Alec Guinness – 357
- Kirk Douglas – 266
- William Holden – 262
- James Stewart – 218
- Marlon Brando – 213
Top 5 Points: 1960-1969
- Toshiro Mifune – 367
- Richard Burton – 245
- Paul Newman – 240
- Sidney Poitier – 212
- Peter O’Toole – 193
Top 5 Points: 1970-1979
- Robert De Niro – 297
- Jack Nicholson – 295
- Al Pacino – 274
- Gene Hackman – 273
- Robert Duvall – 200
Top 5 Points: 1980-1989
- Jack Nicholson – 292
- William Hurt – 278
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 191
- Bob Hoskins – 186
- Paul Newman – 178
Top 5 Points: 1990-1999
- Ralph Fiennes – 298
- Anthony Hopkins – 294
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 241
- Kevin Spacey – 206
- Ian McKellen – 188
Top 5 Points: 2000-2011
- George Clooney – 358
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 283
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 216
- Viggo Mortenson – 191
- Sean Penn – 167
note: There will be no lists for the Absolute Points that I also do, based on all performances that make my list and how I rate the performance. Why those lists are absent is the same reason they were absent for Actress.
Post 2011
note: For any of the awards groups that had a progressive leader listed up above, if there is no progressive leader listed here that’s because that leader has not changed.
note: These lists are complete through the 2018 awards season.
The Academy Awards
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 500
- Spencer Tracy – 385
- Laurence Olivier – 380
- Marlon Brando – 345
- Paul Newman – 345
- Jack Lemmon – 340
- Denzel Washington – 335
- Dustin Hoffman – 315
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 315
- Al Pacino – 300
- Robert De Niro – 300
- Peter O’Toole – 280
- Michael Caine – 260
- Robert Duvall – 260
- Jeff Bridges – 260
- Fredric March – 245
- Gary Cooper – 245
- Tom Hanks – 245
- Sean Penn – 245
- Richard Burton – 240
Top 5 Total Points: 2012-18
- Bradley Cooper – 135
- Denzel Washington – 105
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 105
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 105
- Eddie Redmayne – 105
The Critics Awards
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 1372
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 1207
- Robert De Niro – 702
- Gene Hackman – 639
- Bill Murray – 496
- Tom Hanks – 434
- Casey Affleck – 410
- Burt Lancaster – 406
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 404
- Robert Duvall – 389
- Martin Landau – 384
- Willem Dafoe – 384
- Jeremy Irons – 378
- Nicolas Cage – 378
- Forest Whitaker – 378
- Joe Pesci – 372
- William Hurt – 363
- Anthony Hopkins – 354
- Jon Voight – 329
- Dustin Hoffman – 329
Top All-Time by Critics Group (not weighted):
- NYFC: Jack Nicholson – 400
- LAFC: Daniel Day-Lewis – 210
- NSFC: Jack Nicholson – 330
- BSFC: Daniel Day-Lewis – 280
- CFC: Daniel Day-Lewis – 210
- NBR: Jack Nicholson – 320
BAFTAs
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Peter Finch – 420
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 385
- Jack Lemmon – 350
- Marlon Brando – 345
- Laurence Olivier – 340
- Jack Nicholson – 325
- Michael Caine – 310
- Denholm Elliott – 300
- Dustin Hoffman – 280
- Albert Finney – 270
- Geoffrey Rush – 255
- Sidney Poitier – 245
- Dirk Bogarde – 245
- Anthony Hopkins – 240
- Gene Hackman – 230
- John Hurt – 220
- John Gielgud – 220
- Spencer Tracy – 210
- Burt Lancaster – 205
- Paul Newman – 205
Top 5 Points: 2012-2018:
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 105
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 105
- Eddie Redmayne – 105
- Bradley Cooper – 100
- Christian Bale – 100
Golden Globes
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 775
- Jack Lemmon – 665
- Al Pacino – 550
- Dustin Hoffman – 490
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 480
- Tom Hanks – 455
- Peter O’Toole – 385
- Johnny Depp – 385
- Robin Williams – 380
- Michael Caine – 375
- Denzel Washington – 375
- Gene Hackman – 370
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 350
- Tom Cruise – 335
- Walter Matthau – 315
- Robert De Niro – 315
- Jon Voight – 305
- Paul Newman – 305
- Warren Beatty – 280
- Jim Carrey – 280
Golden Globes: 2012-2018:
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 170
- Christian Bale – 140
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 105
- Joaquin Phoenix – 105
- Denzel Washington / Hugh Jackman / Eddie Redmayne / Steve Carrell – 105
SAG
All-Time Top 10 Points:
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 210
- Denzel Washington – 210
- Russell Crowe – 175
- Sean Penn – 175
- Tom Hanks – 175
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 175
- Geoffrey Rush – 165
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 165
- Jeff Bridges – 165
- Robert Duvall – 160
BFCA
Top 10 All-Time:
- Russell Crowe – 280
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 245
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 210
- Ryan Gosling – 210
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 190
- Sean Penn – 175
- George Clooney – 170
- Christian Bale – 160
- Johnny Depp – 140
- Jeff Bridges – 135
Consensus Awards
All-Time Top 50 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 324
- Laurence Olivier – 202
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 196
- Gene Hackman – 169
- Robert De Niro – 153
- Dustin Hoffman – 134
- Jack Lemmon – 131
- Spencer Tracy – 124
- Marlon Brando – 122
- Al Pacino – 122
- Fredric March – 118
- Walter Brennan – 116
- Walter Huston – 114
- Robert Duvall – 113
- Paul Muni – 108
- Tom Hanks – 105
- James Stewart – 104
- Gary Cooper – 103
- Charles Laughton – 103
- Denzel Washington – 98
- Jason Robards – 97
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 95
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – 94
- Anthony Hopkins – 93
- James Cagney – 92
- George C. Scott – 91
- Paul Newman – 91
- Albert Finney – 91
- Michael Caine – 90
- Peter O’Toole – 90
- Gregory Peck – 87
- John Gielgud – 87
- Burt Lancaster – 86
- Geoffrey Rush – 85
- Ralph Richardson – 83
- Clark Gable – 81
- Peter Ustinov – 81
- Sean Penn – 76
- Kevin Spacey – 76
- Jon Voight – 75
- Russell Crowe – 74
- Morgan Freeman – 74
- Edmund Gwenn – 73
- Walter Matthau – 73
- Joe Pesci – 73
- Ben Kingsley – 73
- George Clooney – 73
- Martin Landau – 72
- Bing Crosby – 71
- Arthur Kennedy / Peter Finch / Melvyn Douglas / Alec Guinness – 70
Top 5 Points: 2012-2018:
- Mahershala Ali – 65
- Willem Dafoe – 48
- J.K. Simmons – 48
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 46
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 44
The Nighthawk Awards
All-Time Top 20 Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 565
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 550
- Humphrey Bogart – 475
- Laurence Olivier – 470
- Robert De Niro – 430
- Claude Rains – 425
- Michael Caine – 395
- Alec Guinness – 390
- Paul Newman – 380
- Anthony Hopkins – 365
- Gene Hackman – 350
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 345
- Orson Welles – 340
- Kirk Douglas – 335
- Charles Laughton – 325
- James Stewart – 315
- Charlie Chaplin – 315
- George Clooney – 305
- Ralph Fiennes – 305
- Toshiro Mifune – 285
Top 5 Points: 2012-2018
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 140
- Bradley Cooper – 135
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 105
- Christian Bale – 100
- Michael Fassbender – 95
The Nighthawk Drama Awards
Top 20 All-Time Points:
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 620
- Humphrey Bogart – 505
- Jack Nicholson – 495
- Laurence Olivier – 470
- Robert De Niro – 465
- Claude Rains – 425
- Anthony Hopkins – 400
- Paul Newman – 380
- Orson Welles – 375
- Gene Hackman – 355
- Toshiro Mifune – 350
- Ralph Fiennes – 340
- Kirk Douglas – 335
- Charles Laughton – 325
- James Stewart – 315
- Henry Fonda – 305
- Richard Burton – 305
- Alec Guinness – 290
- Fredric March – 280
- Marlon Brando – 280
Top 5 Points: 2012-2018
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 105
- Tom Hanks – 105
- Michael Fassbender – 95
- Willem Dafoe – 95
- Mark Rylance – 90
The Nighthawk Comedy Awards
Top 20 Points All-Time:
- Charlie Chaplin – 560
- Cary Grant – 480
- James Cagney – 415
- Bill Murray – 395
- Alec Guinness – 340
- Woody Allen – 315
- Johnny Depp – 315
- Jack Lemmon – 305
- George Clooney – 280
- Peter Sellers – 270
- Walter Matthau – 270
- Dustin Hoffman – 270
- Fred Astaire – 245
- Hugh Grant – 235
- Gene Wilder – 225
- Michael Caine – 220
- Gene Kelly – 210
- James Stewart – 210
- Robert Redford – 210
- Jack Nicholson – 210
Top 5 Points: 2012-2018
- Bradley Cooper – 165
- Hugh Jackman – 140
- Christian Bale – 130
- Ryan Gosling – 105
- Matt Damon – 105
The Nighthawk Awards (Weighted)
Top 20 All-Time Points:
- Jack Nicholson – 851
- Daniel Day-Lewis – 702
- Laurence Olivier – 674
- Paul Newman – 642
- Alec Guinness – 635
- Humphrey Bogart – 611
- Robert De Niro – 598
- Michael Caine – 575
- Claude Rains – 546
- Fredric March – 539
- Henry Fonda – 537
- James Stewart – 526
- Charles Laughton – 526
- Toshiro Mifune – 525
- Anthony Hopkins – 516
- Dustin Hoffman – 513
- Gene Hackman – 509
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 509
- James Cagney – 494
- Orson Welles / Ralph Fiennes – 483
Top 5 Points: 2012-2018
- Bradley Cooper – 167
- Leonardo DiCaprio – 166
- Christian Bale – 158
- Tom Hanks – 155
- Denzel Washington – 131
13 July, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Great post, as always!
Keep the good work, Erik.
Aways a pleasure to read your thoughts…