The New Actor Hierarchy: Oscar's Most Beloved Male Stars
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 11:24PM 
Leonardo DiCaprio is now an Oscar winner but where does he stand in history?
If you're feeling celebratory -- and we've all lived through his rise into cinematic legend so why shouldn't we? -- you really need to check out this cute video of Leo getting his Oscar engraved or this silliness of a party of bros celebrating his win like mad men (hey it's better than the bro-ness of the pussy posse reuniting) or the once mocking memes that have turned into odes to Leo Joy. Good funny stuff.
Even if you weren't enamored with The Revenant (*raises hand*) or find it downright suspect, his filmography is so loaded with memorable films that surely anyone can find one therein to direct all their feelings towards in this momentous week for the 41 year old superstar. I'm choosing to view the Oscar as a career achievement Oscar for specifically prompted by Gilbert Grape, Romeo + Juliet, and The Departed... love them all!)
Last year when Julianne Moore won her long-awaited Oscar for Still Alice we quickly tabulated the All Time Oscar Actress Hierarchy; movement in the ranks at last! Given that DiCaprio waited even longer for his eventual statue, nabbing his first nomination at the dewy age of 19 for What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), four years before Julianne Moore's first nomination, it seemed only right to do the same thing for the men in the wake of Leo's coronation.
What follows is Oscar's 33 All Time Favorite Actors !
It's restricted to men with 5 or more nominations. Only the acting statistics are accounted for so George Clooney, for example, is not (yet) ranked. If you counted non-acting nominations, you'd also see DiCaprio jump a rank as he was nominated for producing Wolf of Wall Street two years ago and Brad Pitt would also factor in since he won Best Picture for 12 Years a Slave. Now that many major stars are involved in producing these types of extra nominations stats are likely to make Oscar lists of the future progressively murkier so we're opting not to include them for now.
If you'd like to see how the ranks were determined (it's not as simple as basic addition or there would be many ties) that's at the bottom of the post.
OSCAR'S FOUR KINGS
And 29 other Royals
after the jump
THE HIGH KINGS
01 Jack Nicholson 12 noms | 3 wins
02 Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) 10 Noms | 1 win | 2 honorarys
03 Paul Newman (1925-2008) 9 noms | 1 win | 2 honorarys
04 Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) 9 noms | 2 wins
(Their counterpart brides in Oscar's enamored eyes: Streep, Hepburn, Davis)
MORE KINGS
05 Marlon Brando (1924-2004) 8 noms | 2 wins
06 Jack Lemmon (1925-2001) 8 noms | 2 wins
07 Al Pacino 8 noms | 1 win
08 Peter O'Toole (1932-2013) 8 noms | 0 wins | honorary
09 Dustin Hoffman 7 noms | 2 wins
10 Robert De Niro 7 noms | 2 wins 🔺
(Similarly celebrated women: Bergman, Page, Fonda)
DUKES
11 Robert Duvall 7 noms | 1 win 🔺
12 Daniel Day-Lewis 5 noms | 3 wins 🔺
13 Denzel Washington 6 noms | 2 wins 🔺
14 Michael Caine 6 noms | 2 wins
15 Richard Burton (1925-1984) 7 noms | 0 wins
16 Jeff Bridges 6 noms | 1 win 🔺
17 Gary Cooper (1901-1961) 5 noms | 2 wins | honorary
COUNTS, KNIGHTS, AND BARONS
18 James Stewart (1908-1997) 5 noms | 1 win | honorary
19 Gregory Peck (1916-2003) 5 noms | 1 win | honorary
20 Fredric March (1897-1975) 5 noms | 2 wins
21 Sean Penn 5 noms | 2 wins
22 Tom Hanks 5 noms | 2 wins
23 Gene Hackman 5 noms | 2 wins
24 Paul Muni (1895-1967) 5 noms | 1 win
25 Leonardo DiCaprio 5 noms | 1 win 🔺
26 Morgan Freeman 5 noms | 1 win
27 Walter Brennan (1894-1974) 4 noms | 3 wins
28 Alec Guiness (1914-2000) 4 noms | 1 win | honorary
29 Charles Boyer (1899-1978) 4 noms | 0 wins | honorary
30 Anthony Quinn (1915-2001) 4 noms | 2 wins
31 Albert Finney 5 noms | 0 wins
32 Arthur Kennedy (1914-1990) 5 noms | 0 wins
33 Warren Beatty 4 noms | 0 wins (*special case with nominations in other categories more than doubling his acting haul though he's still mostly thought of as an actor -- an additional 9 nominations and a win in other categories)
RECENT MOVEMENT
Anyone with an up arrow has been nominated or won during this current decade.
WHO DO YOU THINK MOVES UP WITHIN THE LIST NEXT?
THE FUTURE
Though it seems unlikely that the four kings will have to share their vast lands of Oscar real estate there is one man who might do it. Robert De Niro, 72 years old and still working non-stop is just two nominations or another win away from joining the Newmans and the Nicholsons.
Bradley Cooper started moving like a rocket up Oscar's beloved list with 3 consecutive nominations but the real test is whether or not he can keep it up. Oscar often loves actors for a few years and then moves on. George Clooney, who has 4 acting nominations, seems even more likely to enter this list (and Clooney already has two Oscars, albeit one for Picture). Tommy Lee Jones and Geoffrey Rush both with 4 nominations and a win could do it if they fall on a killer role. Javier Bardem, Christian Bale, Mark Ruffalo, and Joaquin Phoenix only have 3 but could all conceivably rise.
WHO DO YOU THINK ENTERS NEXT?
NOT ON THE LIST ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS INSANE: Ed Harris is a four time loser but hasn't had any Oscary roles in some time. And Ralph Fiennes just can't catch a break with the Academy having only received 2 nominations in his career despite a wide swath of great performances of different genres and styles. At this point, perhaps they should consider both of them for Honoraries?
How the ranks were determined. Number of nominations determines general placement. Once that's established wins are most important. In the event that someone has the same exact stats in nominations and wins, the tiebreaker factor in rank is that lead counts more than supporting. If the tie stubbornly remains the tie is broken by endurance (how many years your nomination spread includes). Further mitigating factors: Three statues is so uncommon that it gives the actor a phantom extra nomination in terms of ranking (thus Daniel Day-Lewis is higher than he otherwise would be) but this phantom nomination only helps to determine relative rank and does again when counting wins and they may only vault over those who have not won competitive Oscars. Honorary statues (Oscar or Jean Hersholt) give the actor a phantom extra boost with the same affect as an additional nomination or win (thus Paul Newman trumps Spencer Tracy) to be determined by the gate keeper yours truly. In the event that someone has multiple wins they may vault over the next immediate rivals if said rivals have never won a competitive Oscar (which is why a few people beat Richard Burton). Honorary statues also account for a 4 nomination man (Sir Alec Guiness) placing on the list. Beatty's unique record merits inclusion, despite only 4 acting nominations as well, as determined by the judge (yours truly).
Reader Comments (61)
Olivier has two honorary statuettes.
At first I thought the triangle by Robert Duvall was an accident. I didn't think he'd been nominated for "Get Low," and I couldn't think of anything else. I finally broke down and looked it up. "The Judge" -- how quickly we forget!
I defer to the judge, of course, but in my ranking DDL would top this list (or be #2) and Walter Brennan would be much higher, with their three statues. Even though Nicholson has over twice as many nominations as DDL, the younger actor has a 60% success rate (higher than anyone on this list but Brennan) and has been nominated for over 20% of his filmography (almost the same as Nicholson btw).
Nathaniel: Are the men generally more often nominated or rewarded than the women?
In my fantasy world, Tony Leung is on this list in the 'Dukes' section, but alas...
This list confirms the belief that the Academy has awful taste when it comes to men!
And much as it galls me to write this, Kevin Spacey's perfect record (2 for 2) should get him on the list.
Montgomery Clift (0 for 4) on the outside looking in (and receding further every year)...
Shouldn't DeNiro be above Hoffman based on one of those criteria? Hoffman's range: 1967-1997. 30 Years. DeNiro's range: 1974-2012. 38 Years.
I feel like Day-Lewis's winning trifecta warrants him a place with the kings (especially since they're all for leading). Not even Nicholson accomplished that, and he was deemed close for "About Schmidt."
Paul Outlaw: No. 2 for 2 is impressive, but it's also appropriate because the guy is super limited. I'd give him one other nomination than the two he got (bump him up to lead for The Usual Suspects and also nominate him for Se7en), but he's so often just mega smug. The best he's been since that mid-late 90s peak is probably Moon.
I think Bale may join the 5 club,Day Lewis surely has a nomination or 2 left in him,I coul see Penn back for a nomination also Bardem,I am curious about Cooper rising,seems likely but who actually likes him,DiCaprio certainly has at least another win,De Niro has 1 in him,Nicholson is virtually untoppable and maybe has 1 more in him if he ever goes before a camera again,Ruffalo is a bit like Ed Harris - never a bride,Denzel could win again.
Of the newest nominees from this year Redmayne will be back as will Damon,Cranston maybe,Fassbender maybe but he's always good and they tend to take those guys for granted,Hi Fiennes,Hardy,Rylance is going to get a lot of film work and will be nominated again,Stallone no way.
Depp's time may have passed as he was higly likely a few years ago.
I think Denzel Washington to be a likely contender when it comes to moving up in the ranks.
Obviously Leo is still so young so I would imagine him to be the Jack Nicholson of his generation.
I would suggest that the Under-Nominated ranks should be a category named after Cary Grant.
Cary Grant only 2 nominations, 0 wins, 1 honourary.
I think Ralph Fiennes is every bit as fine an actor as Daniel Day Lewis but what a difference in nominations. It really pays dividends to star in studio backed films.
I agree that Daniel Day-Lewis should be higher with his three wins in five nominations, which he earned by working only sporadically. It seems as if he gets nominated each time he makes a film.
Of the living Counts, Knights, and Barons, only Hackman is retired (sniff!) and the others all have Oscar-worthy performances still left to give. My vote is for Hanks, the current reigning all-American everyman, who took over the role from Peck, who took over from Stewart. He certainly LOOKED like Sully in a recent gig on Graham Norton, so methinks another nod for playing a real guy is in the cards next year.
I find it hard to imagine De Niro get 2 more noms in the coming years. Maybe 1. But not 2. Though I could easily see DiCaprio get 4 or 5 more and get up there with the High Kings.
Some years ago I thought for sure that Tom Hanks would get up there but he couldn't even get nominated for Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks went nowhere for him even though it still seems like a perfect nom. The same with Road to Perdition and Charlie Wilson's War. Before this season began I also thought that he would be a sure bet for Bridge of Spies, taking the snub for Captain Phillips into consideration. But again it went nowhere.
Michael -- 4 or 5 more for Leo? I'd be shocked that'd put him up there with Newman, Nicholson, and Olivier . He could just as easily be a Hanks or a Sarandon. Now that we've amply rewarded you. you're done!
a lot depends on what he does after this of course. Will he continue with all these super heavy dramas or start to get more range? He's probably still a long way off from the supporting nominations / elder statesmen roles though given his age.
Volvagia -- no. When numbers are tied leading roles get preference. Hoffman has only ever been nominated in the leading man category. DeNiro sometimes goes supporting.
I'm relatively certain Fassbender enters this list one day, and just a little less certain of Hardy. I could still totally see Depp get his Oscary career back in the fast lane, but it isn't certain. De Niro is done unless he keeps working with Russell, but who knows. I'm close to 100% sure Dujardin doesn't make this list.
cash -- well in fairness that's a super easy movie to forget because it's objectively terrible and not in a fun way
paul -- nah. if you allow the 2 of 2s you'd have to say that Hilary Swank is one of Oscar's most beloved women and I don't think that's actually true. I think frequent nominations is a much surer sign that they like you, they really like you. rather than "you got lucky!"
ladyedith -- i could see it happening for Denzel if he starts getting serious about the movies again -- I'll believe Fences when i see it much as i want to believe in it AND see it -- but he really does seem to (mostly) do it for the money if his filmography is any indication, Flight being a total anomaly in his recent filmography.
Anne Boils asks
I'm not sure. I think you'd have to look at every nomination down to people with only 2. Because when it comes to the upper echelons they appear to be fairly equal. I used the same rules for the female list and that ended up numbering 34 women (where this list numbers 32) so it's close though Meryl skews the lists a bit so maybe women they love are less frequently nominated then men they love?The men appear to be scrunched up together more than the women i.e. it's harder to divide their stats and rank them because their records are so close.
I'm happy for Leo that he has an Oscar now, but all the voices that cried "overdue" were most times too much. Sure, he lost 5 times before and he "needed" more than 20 years to win, but he was never really even a runner up, except for 2013 I guess.
The youngest best ACTOR winner is still Adrian Brody at "only" 29 years. That's the average age of a best ACTRESS winner.
The average age of Best actor is 39 years, so Leo's not that far away.
Oscar's all about timing.
@Nathaniel
4 or 5 in 30-35 years? Definitely. But on the other hand, Hanks has had a 15 year draught now. I doubt anyone predicted that 15 years ago. We have to wait and see! :D
I do have a sure supporting actor Oscar win for DiCaprio though. If anyone in Hollywood would just listen! Wait a few years and get him to play Howard Hughes again. This time in an adaptation of James Ellroys 'American Tabloid'. It has gold written all over it! :D
Holy fuck, Nathaniel. This was a massive undertaking. Beautiful job, and I love your scoring philosophy.
Oscar's all about timing. - true Sonja, but I think I would modify to:
Oscar's are all about timing, Drama, studio backing, and luck. (Big Drama)
Pam - I'm sure they will nominate Tom Hanks again, but I hadn't realized that it had been a 15 Year Drought - Yikes - that's a long time, he really is like Sarandon.
Nathaniel - I do think Denzel will do Fences which will revive that serious side to him. Also he will make a very strudy elder statesman as he ages, I see future "Morgan Freeman" type of roles in his future.
Just wondering will they give Albert Finny an honourary award soon? Will Kenneth Branugh and ever get nominated again?
Who is this Newman geezer you placed above Brando, De Niro and O'Toole, then? Surely you jest:)
Anyway, Leo should have a bunch of nominations and at least one more win in his future. He won't be a Hanks or a Sarandon, he will be a DiCaprio and follow no hitherto known arch. Five nominations and one win at 41 is a great start. (One of the high kings, for example, was 57 when he got his fifth nom...)
Hanks as Sully seems like a likely nomination. Penn, Bale and Phoenix will all be back in the race. And I can somehow see The Martian being a stepping stone to an Oscar for Matt Damon. He is such an effortless, likable actor.
And if DDL makes three more films he will get at least one more Oscar because those are the rules.
I wonder who the Cary Grant of our time is, though - an actor who is not seen as typical Oscar material but who will impress and fascinate audiences 70 years from now.
Thanks for this deliciously nerdy post, Nathaniel!
I wonder if Hoffmam, Pacino and/or de Niro will get more nominations. De Niro is the most likely, I think.
I would like to see more nods for Phoenix and at least one for Oscar Isaac.
Is Leo the youngest to reach 5 nominations? Is it Brando, maybe? I'll post and *then* do my research :p
I don't see any further nominations in this decade for Leo...
Nat - point taken about Swank and Spacey (and for that matter Luise Rainer).
Gena - Johnny Depp? Harrison Ford? Gary Oldman? Jim Carrey?
@Paul Outlaw
If DiCaprio and Scorsese gets to make The Devil in the White City in the next couple of years I definitely see almost all of us predicting him!
Gena & Paul - Cary Grant was a King/Icon in terms of enduring appeal, Fame, and influence.
Purely in terms of looks and suave appearance I would go with George Clooney, maybe Brad Pitt. In terms of humour and seeming effortlessness? Matt Damon.
Johnny Depp has his own genre. but he's more dissipated rock star these days...
Possibly Ralph Fiennes or Benedict Cumberbatch in terms of charisma.
If De Niro is ever to get nominated again he would have to start actually making good movies. I'm not sure he cares about that aspect of his career anymore.
I agree about Tom Hanks: if he didn't get a nod for Captain Phillips (his meltdown at the end was truly moving), then he is officially Being Taken For Granted. It's a shame, I used to do this too, but he is a terrific actor.
Ralph Fiennes: so overlooked. It's a shame, he's always so good. I esp love him in comedy. He was a real bright spot in Hail Cesar and flat out fantastic in Grand Budapest Hotel.
I think women benefit from having shorter careers in the movies at the Oscars. It seems easier for a woman to become a two-time winner than it is for their male counterparts.
Hepburn has the most acting wins. Streep has the most acting nominations. Only two men have double digit nomination counts. While Blanchett and Winslet are the most likely to join Davis, Hepburn, and Streep. And of course there is Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence closing in on the 7 or more club nomination wise.
I want Bates to win a second Oscar so bad. She needs it to solidify her place alongside familiars like Shelley Winters and Gene Hackman.
Nathaniel your list is missing two time winner and four time nominee Anthony Quinn.
LadyEdith: I have the feeling there are acting Oscars in the future for Damon and Cumberbatch. Pitt and Fiennes iffy. And Clooney already has one.
I picked four iconic actors who I'm pretty sure will never win (like Grant), movie stars whose work (as Gena suggested) will fascinate and impress future audiences, but the Academy is unlikely to vote them competitive Oscars. Especially Carrey.
Michael W: I agree, but I don't think it's happening this decade. But maybe he'll cast him in Sinatra...
@Paul Outlaw
Johnny Depp - I seriously don't know. I worry about him. And does he even - really - want to do anything more than gimmicky, lucrative roles? Maybe when he is old and fat and starts acting his age...
Harrison Ford. Nope. Han Solo/Indiana Forever, but that's about it.
Gary Oldman! He ought to be Emperor in this hierarchy. But I don't see him getting luckier with AMPAS than he has been so far. Also; he doesn't really manage his career as well as he could, does he?
Jim Carrey - um, no. He is - was - a genius comedian. But I don't think he is a very good dramatic actor. To me, at least, he often seems to be imitating emotions.
Gena, I was answering your question: "I wonder who the Cary Grant of our time is, though - an actor who is not seen as typical Oscar material but who will impress and fascinate audiences 70 years from now." As in "who won't be getting an Oscar after a couple of nominations (two in Grant's case) but will endure as a cinema icon?"
And Grant had some clunkers in his 35-year filmography—like Depp, there's even an Alice in Wonderland. (Depp and Carrey will hit the 35-year mark before 2020 btw; Oldman next year; Ford's been at it longer than Grant.)
Random Actorsexual thoughts:
1. Hanks was robbed for Captain Phillips. That still stings.
2. Joaquin Phoenix may be the greatest actor of his generation. I hold out hope they'll recognize him.
3. Reading this list I heaved a sorrowful sigh for the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman and what might have been.
4. Will George Clooney get another role as good as Michael Clayton?
5. Will Brad Pitt win another Oscar as producer before he ever (never) wins one as actor?
6. Can we get a script where Dustin Hoffman and Mark Ruffalo can play father and son?
7. Why isn't there a post-Creed credit on Michael B. Jordan's IMDB page? This will not do!
8. How many nominations will Michael Fassbender tally up over time, and will he be an O'Toole or Burton who never wins one?
9. Has Eddie Redmayne peaked?
10. I am going to celebrate with an excitement typically reserved for Julianne Moore that LEONARDO DICAPRIO has an Oscar. Come at me, actressexuals.
I think that Bale and Ruffalo will get more nominations. I can see the comparisons to Amy Adams and her rapid nominations. I think DiCaprio will get nominated again just because he is so popular. Hanks will get nominated again as well- probably in a while and as a senior nomination. I wonder about Cooper though. Is he this century's Jennifer Jones? an actor the Academy quickly falls in love with and bestows many nominations in consecutive years (leading and supporting) only to forget and only maybe get one more pity nod/weak year nod down the road?
Tom, Jennifer Jones is brilliant. Today is her birthday. Love to her.
Fascinating. Another vote for Daniel Day-Lewis to be made a king. Three best actor Oscars is not a Duke! King!
I am hoping that with the Oscar, Leo won't be so focused on winning but will have more fun with his performances. It's been a long journey for him but he is only in his early 40's.
I also think Denzel is a King, or almost. He, Streep, Ford, Hanks, and Day-Lewis are all movie legends.
Everyone -- but i wasn't ranking them based on my preferences. I was following those strict rules listed (including extra points for 3 oscars they're so rare which is why DDL is higher than he would be numerically -- so i already accounted for that). It's the same rules i used for actresses and sometimes it broke my heart (Judy Garland & Montgomery Clift are, to my mind, two of the greatest actors of all time (and easily in my top 10 of all time combined genders movie star list) but Oscar just did not love them the way it loved other stars on their level.
My own rankings would be wildly different. But i think this is a valid concept of how to rank Oscar love.
@ Brookesboy I didn't even realize that but was thinking about her! Yes much love to her. Can we have a 1944 smackdown?
Also I feel that of Fences on the big screen does materialize, all the attention might be focused on Viola (deservedly so) and Denzel might be the surprise snub.
Tom, Jennifer is radiant in Since You Went Away. The goodbye at the train station--Dayum.
In order to be the new Cary Grant, you have to have range but be considered a bit "lightweight" for the Oscars. You have to make it look easy, and you have to keep your looks throughout your career. Yes, someone like Ralph Fiennes comes to mind because I think George Clooney and Brad Pitt are already well nominated and awarded. Maybe Jake Gyllenhaal? Oscar Isaac?
Nathaniel please add Anthony Quinn to the list.
Anthony Quinn {d. Jun 3, 2001}
1952 (25th) *
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- Viva Zapata! {"Eufemio Zapata"} [statuette]
1956 (29th) *
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- Lust for Life {"Paul Gauguin"} [statuette]
1957 (30th)
ACTOR -- Wild Is the Wind {"Gino"}
1964 (37th)
ACTOR -- Zorba the Greek {"Alexis Zorba"}
/3rtful -- according to the rules detailed exhaustively, he does not qualify (you need 5 nominations... honorary make the difference in Alec Guiness's case). I had to make rules to even approach something like this and I made them last year when i was doing the women's list so i'm sticking to them.
But you include people with a minimum of 4 nominations and 2 wins --- you're confusing me how he does not qualify?
On the women's side you include 2 out of 4's: Shelley Winters, Glenda Jackson, and Jodie Foster.
/3rtful -- oh wait. you're right. crap. i forgot about that particular rule. fixing now.
a) Paul Outlaw, if Spacey needs to be on the list for 2 for 2, so does Christoph Waltz. And that just won't do.
b) 3rtful, 15 men have two or more competitive oscars. 13 women do. I think what is easier, especially now, is for actresses to accumulate oscar nominations. To get to five nominations (after first nomination)
It took DiCpario 22 years. It took Tom Hanks 12.
Winlset: 11 years (1st in 95, 5th in 2006)
Blanchett: 9 years (1st in 98, 5th in 2007)
Adams: 8 years (1st in 2005, 5th in 2013)
Close: 6 years (1st in 1982, 5th in 1988)
@Arkaan
There are exactly 40 actors who are multiple Oscar winners. You have only counted 28. Don't go off of Nathaniel's lists where nomination count is of greater importance than actors with 2/2 and 2/3 records.
@ San FranCinema: No problem with Leo having an Oscar—but it should have happened over 20 years ago, not this past weekend.
@ Arkann: I happily let go of that idea, and thank you for reminding me of another reason to let it go.
@ Dave in Hollywood: About ten years ago, Hugh Grant would have been the obvious new Cary Grant option, and not just in terms of Oscarlessness. If you look at his career from 1987 to about 2007, the range was certainly there, along with seven (give or take) classic films. And he's still working. And judging from the Florence Foster Jenkins poster, he hasn't lost his looks. Jake G isn't suave enough or such a strong comedian (so far), Oscar Isaac too soon to say (and I think he has a couple of Oscars ahead of him).
Paul & Dave - I think Hugh Grant fits, also Jude Law, so far no oscars, and yet are both charming and debonair.
How could I forget Jude Law? Yeah, I'm not seeing an Oscar in his future.
And for that matter, there's Robert Downey, Jr.: like Grant, 2 nominations, 0 wins.