Summary
- The best male actors working today demonstrate their versatility and the ability to disappear into a role.
- Some of the best actors have received impressive accolades, like Denzel Washington being Academy Award nominated in five different decades.
- Actors like Leonardo DiCaprio have impressive teamups with directors like Martin Scorsese.
While there are fantastic movie talents across the history of the industry, the best male actors working today have provided audiences with some of the most memorable performances and moments in recent memory. From television to movies, there are always standout performances that make a huge impact and introduce new talents to the audience or perhaps remind them of their talents. There are actors working now that always inspire confidence in the audience thanks to their reputation for delivering stellar performances and establishing themselves among the very best male actors.
Some of these actors are now veterans of the industry while others have only come to prominence in the 21st century. Some won audiences over with big franchises before showing their acting chops in other roles while others disappeared into their versatile roles with each new project. While it can be hard to narrow such a collection of actors down, these modern actors are certainly the best in the business.
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Notable Performances: Get Out, Widows, Judas And The Black Messiah
Daniel Kaluuya gained attention with his powerhouse performance in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits," though he had been working long before that. One of his early roles was in the British drama series The Fades, but the show was canceled after its first season. He then proceeded to stand out in smaller roles in Sicario and Black Panther but fully stepped into the spotlight with his complex and raw Oscar-nominated performance in Get Out. Kaluuya was essential to that movie's success, grounding the intense and bizarre concepts with a sympathetic character.
Even voice acting roles in projects like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse stole the show and showcased Kaluuya's talent.
He further stunned audiences with a heel-turn role as a chilling villain in Widows. Kaluuya won an Oscar for his performance in Judas and the Black Messiah, combining charisma and strength that further showed his astonishing range. Even voice acting roles in projects like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse stole the show and showcased Kaluuya's talent.
11 Hugh Jackman
Notable Performances: Logan, Les Misérables, Prisoners
Australian actor Hugh Jackman is most well known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men movie series, a role Jackman will be returning to in Deadpool 3. Action roles, however, were not his bread-and-butter before appearing in X-Men. He was first an accomplished stage performer and is an actor who also regularly stars on Broadway.
Many hear Hugh Jackman and think "action hero" and while he played his fair share of action roles besides Wolverine, his musical work is where he has found the most acclaim. He won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for his leading role in Les Misérables, and received Tony and Grammy awards for The Boy from Oz and The Greatest Showman respectively. His charisma and talent truly shine through in his musical performances, which often allow him to show off both his comedic and dramatic chops in addition to his vocal range.
10 Tom Hanks
Notable Performances: Cast Away, Forrest Gump, Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks has been one of the most beloved American actors for decades now, going back to his first Oscar-nominated role in the body-swap comedy Big. Since then, Hanks has amassed several other dramatic accolades, including back-to-back Oscar wins for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. He plays relatable heroes in movies like Saving Private Ryan and Apollo 13 while charming audiences in rom-com favorites like Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail.
In the 21st century, Hanks continues to blend immense charisma with "everyman" relatability including his raw performance in Captain Phillips. Even for divisive performances like in Elvis, which earned him a Razzie nomination, there were plenty who praised its brilliance. He's also always game to play comforting characters for audiences, like Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.
9 Gary Oldman
Notable Performances: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Darkest Hour, Mank
Gary Oldman is renowned for his versatility. His ability to inhabit roles, from villains to down-and-out heroes, has made him one of the most prolific actors working today. He embraces theatricality in roles like Dracula, but then can play internal performances like George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. In 2017, he transformed to play Winston Churchill in Joe Wright's Darkest Hour, winning Best Actor at the Oscars.
He has been given acclaimed roles in huge franchises like Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy and Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movie series. It's that ability to go from larger-than-life roles to supporting characters that quietly reinforce the hero's narrative that makes him such an interesting actor. He was especially a fan-favorite for Harry Potter fans. Oldman always knows exactly how to make a role his own.
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Notable Performances: Moonlight, Green Book, Swan Song
Mahershala Ali was a dependable character actor for many years, working with acclaimed filmmakers like David Fincher and Derek Cianfrance, but his presence on screen didn't make huge waves for audiences. However, like many great actors, as soon as he was given the right roles, his incredible talent became undeniable. The first of those roles came with Barry Jenkins' Best Picture winner Moonlight. Despite having a small role, Ali commanded the movie and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Only two years later, he won his second Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Green Book. He also hugely impressed audiences of Marvel's Luke Cage with his part as the villain Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes. Ali has immense talent and will likely reach movie star status with his role in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Blade movie.
7 Samuel L. Jackson
Notable Performances: The Avengers. Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained
Samuel L. Jackson is one of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors (via Ticket Source) with franchises ranging from Star Wars to the MCU to Jurassic Park. Of course, the money attached to his name is not the reason Jackson is a great actor, but rather a reminder of how the biggest projects want his screen presence. Few actors can command the screen the same way Jackson does.
When Jackson is on the screen, he has the audience's full attention and it has been that way for decades.
Jackson's two separate deliveries of the famous Ezekiel 25:17 speech in Pulp Fiction show how he owns the scene, playing both boisterous and reserved equally well. He's been a grounding force in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nick Fury from the beginning, even when the stories are outlandish. From leading roles to ensembles to cameos, when Jackson is on the screen, he has the audience's full attention, and it has been that way for decades.
6 Robert Downey Jr.
Notable Performances: Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, Oppenheimer
Robert Downey Jr. has had a rollercoaster of a career, from teen movie star to cautionary tale to playing fan-favorite Iron Man in the MCU. Downey's funny and energetic performance set the tone for the MCU and is a big reason it got off the ground at all. He is also a fearless performer, as seen with his Oscar-nominated role in Tropic Thunder.
Even in huge blockbusters, he brings a sense of humanity that can be overlooked but is essential. As much as fans love him as Iron Man, many are thrilled to see him return to a variety of roles including his role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer which won him a Golden Globe. Downey is also expected to reprise his fan-favorite role as Sherlock Holmes in a third movie in Guy Ritchie's tales of the character.
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Notable Performances: Fight Club, Inglourious Basterds, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Pitt has always been willing to take on daring projects that aren't the typical safe choices for an A-lister.
Transitioning from heartthrob to serious actor, Brad Pitt is certainly a true movie star. Yet with his good looks and popularity among fans, Pitt has always been willing to take on daring projects that aren't the typical safe choices for an A-lister. For example, collaborations with David Fincher, like Fight Club and Se7en, deliberately challenge audiences and allow Pitt to keep himself from being typecast
Pitt is not afraid of embracing his goofiness, as in Burn After Reading and Inglourious Basterds, but he can also be effortlessly cool as in his Oscar-winning role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Pitt is also perfectly comfortable as a member of a large ensemble, like in the Ocean's 11 trilogy of movies. His career has only gotten more impressive because he refuses to play it safe.
4 Christian Bale
Notable Performances: The Dark Knight, The Fighter, Vice
Christian Bale's commitment to his roles is legendary. Despite becoming a household name after playing Batman in the Dark Knight franchise, Bale is still able to disappear into a character with shocking effectiveness. The fact that he could play both Patrick Bateman and Batman is a small sign of his versatility. Bale's body transformations are well-known going from extremes like The Machinist to Vice.
However, simply looking at that aspect of his acting does a disservice to the performances themselves. He doesn't have to transform his body to full embody a role. He's also done voice work in animated projects like the English dubbing of The Boy and the Heron. Bale also won his first Oscar for The Fighter, showing off his humorous side while still creating a layered and complex character. He has received three more Oscar nominations in the decade or so since that first victory.
3 Joaquin Phoenix
Notable Performances: Walk The Line, Her, The Joker
Joaquin Phoenix has been an intense and riveting actor for many years with committed and exhilarating performances. As a young actor, his roles were credited under the name Leaf Phoenix, but he returned to Joaquin in the '90s. Ever since his Oscar-nominated role in Gladiator, Phoenix has been a sought-after actor by some of the hottest directors in Hollywood, including Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Jonze, and Lynne Ramsay.
His transformative performance as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line showed how much he could disappear into a role while his Oscar-winning turn as Arthur Fleck in Joker was seen as a defining performance. Though Phoenix rarely does sequels so that he can continue playing new roles, he's returning to play Arthur Fleck opposite Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. Phoenix is the rare actor whose involvement in any movie immediately makes it a must-see.
2 Leonardo DiCaprio
Notable Performances: The Aviator, The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Revenant
Leonardo DiCaprio has cemented his place in history as one of the greatest actors ever. DiCaprio earned his first Academy Award nomination at 19 for his role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and became a household name for his role in the romantic tragedy Titanic. While the actor is also known for starring in biopics, DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese's collaborations have produced some of his best movies, including The Wolf of Wall Street and The Departed. The two are rumored to be working on a Frank Sinatra biopic with DiCaprio in front of the camera and Scorsese behind it.
Their latest collaboration with Killers of the Flower Moon is another acclaimed project featuring a wildly different performance from the actor. DiCaprio's talents have attracted the likes of acclaimed directors Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Steven Spielberg.
1 Denzel Washington
Notable Performances: Glory Malcolm X, Training Day
A veteran of stage and screen, Denzel Washington is one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood history and stands in rarified air as one of only eight actors to be nominated for an Academy Award in five different decades. (Meryl Streep, Michael Caine, and Frances McDormand are some of the others.) Washington's range is something to behold, as his ability to be funny, cruel, and charming all at once truly sets him apart.
Washington's role in Training Day is a perfect example of the peak of his powers and earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. His movie adaptions of plays have also been a showcase for Washington, who shines in leading roles in Fences and The Tragedy of Macbeth, further proving his impressive versatility. Most recently, he's returned to action and sequels with The Equalizer 3, showing that even the most versatile actors aren't afraid to play the same role more than once.