Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor

Best Actor Award
Prix d'interprétation masculine (French)
2024 recipient: Jesse Plemons
Awarded forBest Performance by an Actor
Presented byCannes Film Festival
First awarded1946
Currently held byJesse Plemons
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Websitewww.festival-cannes.com/en/

The Best Actor Award (French: Prix d'interprétation masculine) is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in official competition slate at the festival.

At the 1st Cannes Film Festival held in 1946, Ray Milland was the first winner of this award for his performance in The Lost Weekend, and Jesse Plemons is the most recent winner in this category for his role in Kinds of Kindness at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

History

[edit]

The award was first presented in 1946. The prize was not awarded on five occasions (1947, 1953–54, 1956, and 1960). The festival was not held at all in 1948, 1950, and 2020. In 1968, no awards were given as the festival was called off mid-way due to the May 1968 events in France. The award can be for lead or supporting roles, with the exception of the period from 1979 to 1981, and in 1991, when the festival used to award a separate "Best Supporting Actor" prize. The jury also, on occasion, cites actors with a special citation that is separate from the main award.

On four occasions, the jury has awarded multiple men (more than 2) the prize for one film. The four films were: A Big Family (1955), Compulsion (1959), Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), and Days of Glory (2006).

Dean Stockwell, Jack Lemmon, and Marcello Mastroianni have won the most awards in this category, each winning twice.

Winners

[edit]
Table key
Indicates the Best Supporting Actor winner
Year Actor Role English title Original title Ref.
1940s
1946 Wales / United States Ray Milland Don Birnam The Lost Weekend [1]
1949 United States Edward G. Robinson Gino Monetti House of Strangers [2]
1950s
1951 England Michael Redgrave Andrew Crocker-Harris The Browning Version [3]
1952 United States Marlon Brando Emiliano Zapata Viva Zapata! [4]
1955
[A][B]
United States Spencer Tracy John J. Macreedy Bad Day at Black Rock [5]
Soviet Union Sergei Lukyanov Matvei Zhurbin A Big Family Большая семья
Soviet Union Boris Andreyev Ilya Matveyevich Zhurbin
Soviet Union Aleksey Batalov Aleksei Zhurbin
Soviet Union Sergei Kurilov Viktor Zhurbin
Soviet Union Vadim Medvedev Anton Zhurbin
Soviet Union Boris Bityukov Kostya Zhurbin
Soviet Union Nikolai Gritsenko Club Manager
Soviet Union Pavel Kadochnikov Skobolev
Soviet Union Boris Kokovkin Shipyard Director
Soviet Union Nikolay Sergeev Basmanov
1957 United States John Kitzmiller Sgt. Jim Valley of Peace [6]
1958 United States Paul Newman Ben Quick The Long, Hot Summer [7][8]
1959 United States Bradford Dillman Artie Strauss Compulsion [9]
United States Dean Stockwell Judd Steiner
United States Orson Welles Jonathan Wilk
1960s
1961 United States Anthony Perkins Philip Van Der Besh Goodbye Again [10]
1962 [C] England Murray Melvin Geoffrey Inghman A Taste of Honey [11]
[12]
England Ralph Richardson James Tyrone Sr. Long Day's Journey into Night
United States Jason Robards James Tyrone Jr.
United States Dean Stockwell Edmund Tyrone
1963 Republic of Ireland Richard Harris Frank Machin This Sporting Life [13]
1964 Hungary Antal Páger Vajkay Ákos Drama of the Lark Pacsirta [14]
Italy Saro Urzì Don Vincenzo Ascalone Seduced and Abandoned Sedotta e abbandonata
1965 England Terence Stamp Freddie Clegg The Collector [15]
1966 Sweden Per Oscarsson Pontus Hunger Sult [16]
1967 Israel Oded Kotler Eli Three Days and a Child שלושה ימים וילד [17]
1969 France Jean-Louis Trintignant The Examining Magistrate Z [18]
1970s
1970 Italy Marcello Mastroianni Oreste Nardi The Pizza Triangle Dramma della gelosia (tutti i particolari in cronaca) [19]
1971 Italy Riccardo Cucciolla Nicola Sacco Sacco & Vanzetti Sacco e Vanzetti [20]
1972 France Jean Yanne Jean We Won't Grow Old Together Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble [21]
1973 Italy Giancarlo Giannini Antonio Soffiantini Love and Anarchy Film d'amore e d'anarchia, ovvero: stamattina alle 10, in via dei Fiori, nella nota casa di tolleranza... [22]
1974 United States Jack Nicholson Billy L. Buddusky The Last Detail [23]
1975 Italy Vittorio Gassman Fausto Consolo Scent of a Woman Profumo di donna [24]
1976 Spain José Luis Gómez Pascual Duarte Pascual Duarte [25]
1977 Spain Fernando Rey Luis Elisa, vida mía [26]
1978 United States Jon Voight Luke Martin Coming Home [27]
1979 United States Jack Lemmon Jack Godell The China Syndrome [28]
[29]
Italy Stefano Madia Marco Millozza Dear Father Caro papà
1980s
1980 France Michel Piccoli Mauro Ponticelli A Leap in the Dark Salto nel vuoto [30]
[31]
Australia Jack Thompson Major J.F. Thomas Breaker Morant
1981 Italy Ugo Tognazzi Primo Spaggiari Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo [32]
[33]
England Ian Holm Sam Mussabini Chariots of Fire
1982 United States Jack Lemmon Edmund Horman Missing [34]
1983 Italy Gian Maria Volonté Bernard Fontana The Death of Mario Ricci La mort de Mario Ricci [35]
1984 Spain Alfredo Landa Paco el Bajo The Holy Innocents Los santos inocentes [36]
Spain Francisco Rabal Azarías
1985 United States William Hurt Luis Molina Kiss of the Spider Woman [37]
1986 France Michel Blanc Antoine Tenue de soirée [38]
England Bob Hoskins George Mona Lisa
1987 Italy Marcello Mastroianni Romano Dark Eyes Oci ciornie [39]
1988 United States Forest Whitaker Charlie "Bird" Parker Bird [40]
1989 United States James Spader Graham Dalton Sex, Lies, and Videotape [41]
1990s
1990 France Gérard Depardieu Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac [42]
1991 United States John Turturro Barton Fink Barton Fink [43]
United States Samuel L. Jackson Gator Purify Jungle Fever
1992 United States Tim Robbins Griffin Mill The Player [44]
1993 England David Thewlis Johnny Naked [45]
1994 China Ge You Xu Fugui To Live 活着 [46]
1995 Wales Jonathan Pryce Lytton Strachey Carrington [47]
1996 France Daniel Auteuil Harry The Eighth Day Le huitième jour [48]
Belgium Pascal Duquenne Georges
1997 United States Sean Penn Eddie Quinn She's So Lovely [49]
1998 Scotland Peter Mullan Joe Kavanagh My Name Is Joe [50]
1999 France Emmanuel Schotté Pharaon de Winter Humanité L'humanité [51]
2000s
2000 Hong Kong Tony Leung Chiu-wai Chow Mo-wan In the Mood for Love 花樣年華 [52]
2001 France Benoît Magimel Walter Klemmer The Piano Teacher La Pianiste [53]
2002 Belgium Olivier Gourmet Olivier The Son Le Fils [54]
2003 Turkey Muzaffer Özdemir Mahmut Uzak [55]
Turkey Mehmet Emin Toprak Yusuf
2004 Japan Yūya Yagira Akira Fukushima Nobody Knows 誰も知らない [56]
2005 United States Tommy Lee Jones Pete Perkins The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada [57]
2006 France / Morocco Roschdy Zem Messaoud Souni Days of Glory Indigènes [58]
France Bernard Blancan Sergent Roger Martinez
France / Morocco Jamel Debbouze Saïd Otmari
France / Algeria Samy Naceri Yassir
France / Tunisia Sami Bouajila Abdelkader
2007 Russia Konstantin Lavronenko Alex The Banishment Изгнание [59]
2008 Puerto Rico Benicio del Toro Ernesto "Che" Guevara Che [60]
2009 Austria / West Germany Christoph Waltz Col. Hans Landa Inglourious Basterds [61]
2010s
2010 Spain Javier Bardem Uxbal Biutiful [62]
Italy Elio Germano Claudio La nostra vita
2011 France Jean Dujardin George Valentin The Artist [63]
2012 Denmark Mads Mikkelsen Lucas The Hunt Jagten [64]
2013 United States Bruce Dern Woody Grant Nebraska [65]
2014 England Timothy Spall J. M. W. Turner Mr. Turner [66]
2015 France Vincent Lindon Thierry Taugourdeau The Measure of a Man La Loi du marché [67]
2016 Iran Shahab Hosseini Emad The Salesman فروشنده [68]
2017 United States Joaquin Phoenix Joe You Were Never Really Here [69]
2018 Italy Marcello Fonte Marcello Dogman [70]
2019 Spain Antonio Banderas Salvador Mallo Pain and Glory Dolor y gloria [71]
2020s
2021 United States Caleb Landry Jones Martin Bryant Nitram [72]
2022 South Korea Song Kang-ho Sang-hyeon Broker 브로커 [73]
2023 Japan Koji Yakusho Hirayama Perfect Days
2024 United States Jesse Plemons Robert / Daniel / Andrew Kinds of Kindness

Multiple winners

[edit]

The following individuals have received multiple Best Actor awards:

Number of wins Actors Nationality Films
2 Dean Stockwell United States Compulsion (1959),
Long Day's Journey into Night (1962)
Jack Lemmon The China Syndrome (1979),
Missing (1982)
Marcello Mastroianni Italy The Pizza Triangle (1970),
Dark Eyes (1987)

See also

[edit]

The following individuals have also received Best Actor award(s) at Venice or Berlin Film Festival.

Winning year Actors Festival Year English title Nationality
1958 Paul Newman Berlin 1995 Nobody's Fool United States
1969 Jean-Louis Trintignant Berlin 1968 The Man Who Lies France
1970
1987
Marcello Mastroianni Venice 1989 What Time Is It? Italy
1993 1, 2, 3, Sun
1979
1982
Jack Lemmon Berlin 1981 Tribute United States
Venice 1992 Glengarry Glen Ross
1980 Michel Piccoli Berlin 1982 Strange Affair France
1983 Gian Maria Volonté Berlin 1987 The Moro Affair Italy
1990 Gérard Depardieu Venice 1985 Police France
1991 Samuel L. Jackson Berlin 1998 Jackie Brown United States
1997 Sean Penn Berlin 1996 Dead Man Walking
Venice 1998 Hurlyburly
2003 21 Grams
2008 Benicio del Toro Berlin 2001 Traffic Puerto Rico
2010 Javier Bardem Venice 2000 Before Night Falls Spain
2004 The Sea Inside
Elio Germano Berlin 2020 Hidden Away Italy
2013 Bruce Dern Berlin 1983 That Championship Season United States
2015 Vincent Lindon Venice 2024 The Quiet Son France
2016 Shahab Hosseini Berlin 2011 A Separation Iran
2017 Joaquin Phoenix Venice 2012 The Master United States

Notes

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A^ : This year the award was changed to Prix d'Interpretation (Acting Award), without gender differentiation.
B^ : The entire male and female cast of A Big Family (Больша́я семья́) was recipient of this award in a tie with Spencer Tracy for Bad Day at Black Rock.
C^ : This year award was given as Prix Le Premier Regard Un Certain Regard (Premiere Award - Un Certain Regard) to the lead male and female cast of Long Day's Journey into Night and A Taste of Honey (ex aequo).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Awards 1946 : Competition". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Awards 1949: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Awards 1951: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Awards 1952: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Awards 1955: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Awards 1957: All Awards". cinema-francais.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Awards 1958 : Competition". Cannes. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Awards 1958: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  9. ^ "Awards 1959: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Awards 1961: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Awards 1962: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Awards 1962 : Competition". Cannes. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Awards 1963: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  14. ^ "Awards 1964 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  15. ^ "Awards 1965 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  16. ^ "Awards 1966 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  17. ^ "Awards 1967 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  18. ^ "Awards 1969 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  19. ^ "Awards 1970 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  20. ^ "Awards 1971 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  21. ^ "Awards 1972 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013.
  22. ^ "Awards 1973 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
  23. ^ "Awards 1974 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010.
  24. ^ "Awards 1975: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013.
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  47. ^ "Awards 1995: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015.
  48. ^ "Awards 1996: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012.
  49. ^ "Awards 1997: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012.
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  69. ^ "Awards 2017 : Competition". Cannes. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
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