The debate about the top 10 best actors of all time never ends. Films are similar to sports in this aspect, as there’s always someone arguing about who the definitive best actors ever are.
It’s important to know that there arguably isn’t such a thing as the most successful or best actors. Like anything artistic, acting is difficult to measure. Moreover, it may be the most challenging form of art to compare.
Nevertheless, I tried to make a list according to my tastes. So, let’s see the best actors of all time.
Marlon Brando
Often called the greatest screen actor of all time, Marlon Brando didn’t just perform – he changed the very language of acting.
Why is Marlon Brando considered the best actor? Here are the main reasons:
- Revolutionized screen acting: His naturalistic style gave audiences raw, emotionally truthful performances. Before him, actors literally acted. After him, screen acting became realistic.
- Theater force: Before cinema, Brando dominated Broadway with unforgettable intensity.
- Method acting pioneer: He perfected the Stanislavski Method, influencing generations after him.
- Effortless presence: Even a young Marlon Brando could easily command the screen and stage. No one had the energy, intensity, and force like him.
So, why is Marlon Brando important? Because he revolutionized acting like no one before or after him.
Essential Marlon Brando movies: A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata!, Julius Caesar, On the Waterfront, Guys and Dolls, The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris, Apocalypse Now
Laurence Olivier
The Shakespearean giant, Laurence Olivier, brought classical gravitas into cinema. He balanced theatrical tradition with screen precision, setting the gold standard for stage-to-film transitions.
The phrase best actor and Olivier always go hand-in-hand. No actor has risen to the heights of Brando and Olivier. If Marlon is considered the best on screen, Olivier is undoubtedly considered the best on stage.
Nevertheless, he was also successful in film:
- Awards & accolades: Aside from winning an Oscar, he was also nominated ten times. Also, who do you think the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards were named after?
- Film mastery: From Hamlet to Richard III, his command of character remains unmatched.
- Acting & Directing: Laurence managed to simultaneously direct, play, and get awards for Hamlet, Richard III, and Henry V.
Essential Laurence Olivier movies: Henry V, Rebecca, King Lear, Hamlet, Wuthering Heights, Richard III, Marathon Man, Sleuth
Daniel Day-Lewis
The only actor to win three Oscars for Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, is often described as the most complete actor of his generation. What’s even more impressive is that he has acted in only 24 films.
Day-Lewis retired two times, came back three times, and is still a dominant force. Some of the reasons he’s considered one of the best include:
- Immersive transformations: Known for his intense method acting, he disappears into every role. For instance, he slept in a prison cell to prepare for In the Name of the Father.
- Unrivaled versatility: From My Left Foot to There Will Be Blood, every performance is singular.
Is Daniel Day-Lewis the best actor ever? Many argue yes, some won’t list him above Brando and Olivier, but everyone considers him one of the best.
Essential Daniel Day-Lewis movies: My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Phantom Thread, There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, Lincoln, The Boxer
Nebojša Glogovac
For those who know world cinema, Nebojsa Glogovac is a name spoken with admiration. The Serbian actor combined intelligence, raw power, and deep humanity.
If Glogi had been a British or American actor, he undoubtedly would be as known worldwide as Brando, Olivier, and Day-Lewis. However, the language barrier always made it difficult for non-English-speaking actors to achieve worldwide success.
Glogovac stands as one of the best, also because:
- Complete immersive ability: He was able to immerse himself in a role entirely, so much so that you wouldn’t think even for a second he was acting.
- Incredible acting range: Aside from having a wide range, it’s even more impressive that he could play any role in film, theater, and TV.
Essential Nebojsa Glogovac movies: Huddersfield, The Constitution, The Trap, Premeditated Murder, Cabaret Balkan, Tomorrow Morning, Rage, When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Kangaroo
Slobodan Cica Perovic
You haven’t seen an actor like Slobodan Cica Perović. He’s one of the most authentic actors from Europe, with his mysticism, calmness, and convincing accuracy. He wasn’t just an actor – he was an artist. Also, one of the first to leave a national theater and become a freelancer.
Perovic was just as authentic off stage as he was on stage and in films. On one occasion, when he played George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in New York, he impressed everyone. Worldwide, Richard Burton was known for perfectly playing this character. A critic who watched Perovic in this play even wrote, “I wish Richard Burton was here tonight to witness Perović playing George.” That’s how much weight his performances carried.
Essential Slobodan Perovic movies: Three, The Rats Woke Up, Ward Six, Men, Snowstorm, Wintering in Jakobsfeld, The Fourteenth Day, Crows, Inspector
Anatoly Solonitsyn
Soviet and Russian cinema had its own genius in Anatoly Solonitsyn, best known for his collaborations with Andrei Tarkovsky. His stillness and depth suited Tarkovsky’s meditative style perfectly.
Solonitsyn and Tarkovsky both owe each other a lot. The latter discovered Anatoly as an amateur actor, and his first role was, no more, no less, Andrei Rublev. He’s Tarkovsky’s favorite and best actor because he could express his ideas entirely. He was so professional, he even considered undergoing plastic surgery for a potential role in Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, a film Tarkovsky planned to make.
Essential Anatoly Solonitsyn movies: Stalker, Solaris, Mirror, Andrei Rublev, The Ascent, The Train Has Stopped, Trial on the Road, Twenty Six Days from the Life of Dostoyevsky
Bruno Ganz
A chameleon, Bruno Ganz was both angelic, in Wings of Desire, as Damiel, and terrifying in Downfall, as Hitler. His emotional range and quiet strength made him one of Europe’s finest.
Ganz was so great that even if he played only Damiel and Adolf, he would still have remained one of the best screen actors of all time. Bruno’s range was impeccable, and rare are the actors who could play such radically different characters.
Essential Bruno Ganz movies: Downfall, Wings of Desire, Heidi, Winter Journey, The Reader, In the White City, Bread and Tulips, The Inventor, The American Friend
Denzel Washington
Few actors embody talent, craft, and star power like Denzel Washington. From Malcolm X to Training Day, he combined charisma with technical brilliance. Even his quieter roles show excellent restraint and depth.
A young Denzel Washington proved himself in the theater, and then in Cry Freedom and the TV show St. Elsewhere. After that, he became an acting icon through many complex movie roles. On top of it all, he has also directed four movies, three of which were critically acclaimed.
Essential Denzel Washington movies: Fences, Malcolm X, Training Day, Glory, Philadelphia, The Hurricane, Remember the Titans, American Gangster, The Great Debaters, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Al Pacino
Al Pacino is intensity personified. Widely regarded as one of the best, a young Al Pacino defined an era immediately with his first performances. In a span of only four years, he played in The Godfather, Scarecrow, Serpico, The Godfather II, and Dog Day Afternoon. If he had stopped there, Al would still have been often considered the best actor.
His explosive energy also made him one of the most quotable actors of all time. Additionally, he has achieved great success in theater, especially playing Shakespeare.
Essential Al Pacino movies: Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, The Godfather franchise, And Justice for All, Scarface, Glengarry Glen Ross, Scent of a Woman, Heat, The Merchant of Venice, Donnie Brasco
John Cazale
John Cazale is undoubtedly one of the best actors in the world. Tragically, he passed away young and appeared in only five films. However, all five were nominated at the Oscars. Some actors don’t play in such movies all their careers. Unfortunately, we’ll never know what he would’ve played next.
Cazale’s performances were subtle, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. Directors and co-stars, including Pacino and Streep, considered him one of the finest actors they had ever worked with. He was awarded twice at the Obie Awards and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Dog Day Afternoon.
Essential John Cazale movies: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter
Best Actor Debate: Conclusion
The truth is, there will never be a definitive greatest actor of all time. Acting resists easy measurement, and every generation brings new contenders. However, what unites the names above is that each redefined what acting could be, and each left a mark that time will not erase.
So, these are undoubtedly some of the most impressive performers ever. Still, it’s impossible and pointless to state that one of them is the definitive best actor. It’s hard to pick one favorite, let alone the best.
If I had to pick one, for me, my favorite and best actor is still Marlon Brando.
framebyframecritic 
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