Worst2First: My Top Ten Best Actor Oscar Winners

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Best Actor Oscar Winners

When it comes to leading men, these actors more than earned their spot in cinema history as the best in the field, and they were awarded the Oscar due to their powerful, thought-provoking roles.

Here are my personal top ten Best Actor Oscar winners, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10
Casey Affleck

"Manchester by the Sea"

In a year filled with tremendous performances, it was Casey Affleck who won the Oscar for his heart-breaking role in "Manchester by the Sea," where he played a man dealing with the sudden death of his brother and having to raise his nephew as his own.  The film is an absolute tearjerker, and Affleck gives the performance of his career in it.

#9

Leonardo DiCaprio

"The Revenant"

The sixth time was the charm for Leonardo DiCaprio, one of our generation's most prolific actors who's graced the screen in several memorable roles, but it's his portrayal of Hugh Glass - a frontiersman left for dead - that finally gave him the Oscar.  His performance was powerful and gripping, even though he didn't say a lot of words, his body went through the ringer in the film, and his efforts paid off in gold.

#8

Adrien Brody

"The Pianist"

The youngest actor to win Best Actor, Adrien Brody's performance of Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman during World War II was trailblazing to say the least, a role that will go down in history as one of the most profound, prolific portrayals to grace the silver screen.

#7

Gregory Peck

"To Kill a Mockingbird"

In a crowded field filled with timeless performances, it was Gregory Peck who won the Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, an attorney who defended a black man from false rape accusations.  His performance - as well as the other nominees - went down in history as some of cinema's most memorable roles, and Peck clearly deserved the recognition for it.

#6

Jack Nicholson

"One Few Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

There's only been three films in history who have won the Big Five Oscars - Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay - and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was one of them.  Jack Nicholson won for playing Randle McMurphy, a man sent to an insane asylum under the strict, ruthless control of Louise Fletcher's Nurse Ratched, a performance that's withstood the test of time and is still remembered as one of the best performances in cinematic history.

#5

Daniel Day-Lewis

"There Will Be Blood"

There are men who are actors, and then there's Daniel Day-Lewis, a man who transcends the definition of the word "actor" and completely revolutionizes the term.  His performances are spellbinding and timeless, and it's his portrayal of Daniel Plainview - a man obsessed with fortune and power - that earned him yet another Oscar to place on his mantle, an Oscar that's incredibly well-deserved.

#4

Tom Hanks

"Forrest Gump"

Tom Hanks made Academy Award history by becoming the first actor to win Best Actor in back-to-back years, but it's his timeless portrayal of Forrest Gump that remains his most memorable role to date in a career that's spanned decades.  He performed with such grace and grit that the Academy had no other option but to honor him with the highest award, giving him something much more important than a box of chocolates.

#3

Daniel Day-Lewis

"Lincoln"

No words need to be said about Daniel Day-Lewis or his portrayal of America's sixteenth President, because it's a role that turned the man into Abraham Lincoln himself, transporting us back to the most tumultuous time in the President's life.

#2

Daniel Day-Lewis

"My Left Foot"

 There are performances that resonate with you in a way that sticks with you long after it ends, and years after it premieres.  Daniel Day-Lewis once again excelled in acting with "My Left Foot," telling the true story of Christy Brown, a boy born with cerebral palsy who could only use his left foot to communicate, using it to showcase his beautiful artwork.  Daniel Day-Lewis completely transformed into Christy in a way that only he can accomplish, earning him his first of many Oscars as well as providing cinema with an awe-inspiring performance.

#1

Marlon Brando

"The Godfather"

Very few actors can star in a film that becomes synonymous with what it really means to be a classic film, a role that's transcended time itself and remains to this day untouched and unparalleled, but that's how profound Marlon Brando's performance was in "The Godfather."  Interestingly enough, he refused the Oscar due to the mistreatment of American Indians in the film industry.