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- Best Actor one of 24 Oscar categories
- Accompanied by Best Supporting Actor
- Full Name: Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Previously known as Academy Award of Merit for Performance by an Actor
- Most Best Actor awards to one actor is 2
- Spencer Tracy and Laurence Olivier both earned 9 nominations each
- Peter O'Toole was nominated eight times without winning
- Henry Fonda won Best Actor at age 76
- Richard Farnsworth nominated at age 79
- Adrien Brody won Best Actor at age 29
- Jackie Cooper nominated at age 9
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Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, or more commonly known as Best Actor, is an award category during the Academy Awards. The nominees and chosen winner is elected by votes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The prior name to the category was Academy Award of Merit for Performance by an Actor and was later changed in 1977.
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2009 Nominees
Recent Winners
- 2008: Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
- 2007: Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland
- 2006: Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
- 2005: Jamie Foxx for Ray
- 2004: Sean Penn for Mystic River
- 2003: Adrien Brody for The Pianist
- 2002: Denzel Washington for Training Day
- 2001: Russell Crowe for Gladiator
- 2001: Kevin Spacey for American Beauty
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Best Actor Questions
What Actor/Actress currently not in politics would make the best politician? 2 AnswersClint Eastwood.........love to see him tell someone, "go ahead make my day" read more
Who *will* win the best actor Oscar for 2009? Who *should* win the Best Actor Oscar for 2009? - Featured 26 Answers*will* win - Sean Penn, Milk *should* win - Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler Penn’s win at the Producer’s Guild Awards gives him a grand total of 17 Best Actor a... read more
Who *will* win the best supporting actor Oscar for 2009? Who *should* win? - Featured 6 AnswersWill and should - Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight Ledger on Sunday night will become the second actor to win an Oscar after his or her death. Critics' associa... read more
Who is the best on-screen couple of all-time? 28 AnswersGotta be "Bogey and Baby" AKA Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. An enchanting couple both on and off screen. ... read more -
Best Actor Nominations 2009
- Sean Penn, Milk - Winner
- Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
- Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
- Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
- {{:Best Actor Oscar Winner 2008}}
- {{:Daniel Day-Lewis Oscar Acceptance Speech}}




