The Best Male Supporting Performances in Cinema

The following is an aggregation of what I've determined to be the film world's greatest MALE SUPPORTING performances of the years 1930-2016. This is part of my ongoing Years in Review project. 697 performances are noted here. With each year, they are listed in order of preference. Those in bold, in the first half of this piece, are those that were awarded the Best Actor Academy Award. In the second half of the article, I collect a list of the actors who I've noted for two or more performances, in order to determine the finest CHARACTER actors of all time; the list further serves as a guide to the notable career highs each actor has contributed. Here we go:

1930: Louis Wolheim, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (2nd: Adolphe Menjou, Morocco, followed by: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., The Dawn Patrol; James Finlayson The Dawn Patrol; Edward Everett Horton, Holiday) (5)

1931: Dwight Frye, DRACULA (2nd: Harry Myers, City Lights, followed by: Jackie Cooper, The Champ; Edward Van Sloan, Frankenstein; Dwight Frye, Frankenstein; Paul Olivier, Le Million) (6)

1932: Lionel Barrymore, GRAND HOTEL (2nd: Edward Everett Horton, Trouble in Paradise, followed by: George Raft, Scarface, or: The Shame of a Nation; Charles Ruggles, Trouble in Paradise; Ernest Thesiger, The Old Dark House) (5)

1933: John Barrymore, DINNER AT EIGHT (2nd: Chico Marx, Duck Soup, followed by: Adolph Menjou, Morning Glory; Frank Morgan, Hallelujah, I'm a Bum!; Frank McHugh, The Mystery of the Wax Museum; Ned Sparks, 42nd Street; Eugene Pallette, The Kennel Murder Case) (7)

1934: Michel Simon, L'ATALANTE (2nd: Edward Everett Horton, The Gay Divorcee, followed by: Peter Lorre, The Man Who Knew Too Much; Charles Laughton, The Barretts of Wimpole Street; Sam Jaffe, The Scarlet Empress; Frank Morgan, The Affairs of Cellini) (6)

1935: Ernest Thesiger, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (2nd: Mickey Rooney, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, followed by: W.C. Fields, David Copperfield; Franchot Tone, Mutiny on the Bounty; Basil Rathbone, Captain Blood; Edward Everett Horton, Top Hat) (6)

1936: Paul Robeson, SHOWBOAT (2nd: Humphrey Bogart, The Petrified Forest, followed by: Walter Brennan, Come and Get It; Mischa Auer, My Man Godfrey; Oscar Homolka, Sabotage; Akim Tamiroff, The General Died at Dawn) (6)

1937: Erich Von Stroheim, GRAND ILLUSION (2nd: Ralph Bellemy, The Awful Truth, followed by: Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Emile Zola; H.B. Warner, Lost Horizon; Roland Young, Topper; Thomas Mitchell, Lost Horizon) (6)

1938: Basil Rathbone, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (2nd: Claude Rains, The Adventures of Robin Hood, followed by: Lionel Barrymore, You Can’t Take It With You; Robert Morely, Marie Antoinette; Charles Ruggles, Bringing Up Baby) (5)

1939: Thomas Mitchell, STAGECOACH (2nd: Harry Carey, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, followed by: Burt Lahr, The Wizard of Oz; Claude Rains, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Sam Jaffe, Gunga Din; Ray Bolger, The Wizard of Oz; C. Aubrey Smith, The Four Feathers; Brian Donlevy, Beau Geste) (8)

1940: Walter Brennan, THE WESTERNER (2nd: Jack Oakie, The Great Dictator, followed by: Rex Ingram, The Thief of Bagdad; John Carradine, The Grapes of Wrath; Frank Morgan, The Shop Around the Corner; Albert Basserman, Foreign Correspondent; James Stephenson, The Letter; Akim Tamiroff, The Great McGinty) (8)

1941: Sydney Greenstreet, THE MALTESE FALCON (2nd: Joseph Cotten, Citizen Kane, followed by: Claude Rains, Here Comes Mr. Jordan; George Colouris, Citizen Kane; Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley; Everett Sloane, Citizen Kane; Peter Lorre, The Maltese Falcon; James Gleason, Here Comes Mr. Jordan; S.K. Szagall, The Devil and Miss Jones; George Sanders, Man Hunt) (10)

1942: Claude Rains, CASABLANCA (2nd: Joseph Cotten, The Magnificent Ambersons, followed by: Norman Lloyd, Saboteur; Robert Dudley, The Palm Beach Story; Rudy Vallee, The Palm Beach Story; Ray Collins, The Magnificent Ambersons; Laird Cregar, This Gun for Hire; Cecil Kellaway, I Married a Witch) (8)

1943: Charles Coburn, THE MORE THE MERRIER (2nd: Henry Travers, Shadow of a Doubt, followed by: Vincent Price, The Song of Bernadette; Frank Conroy, The Ox-Bow Incident; Anton Walbrook, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp) (5)

1944: Clifton Webb, LAURA (2nd: Edward G. Robinson, Double Indemnity, followed by: Walter Slezak, Lifeboat; William Demarest, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek; Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way; Dan Duryea, The Woman in the Window; William Bendix, Lifeboat; Claude Rains, Mr. Skeffington; Monte Woolley, Since You Went Away; Raymond Massey, Arsenic and Old Lace) (10)

1945: Michael Redgrave, DEAD OF NIGHT (2nd: James Dunn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, followed by: Barry Fitzgerald, And Then There Were None; George Sanders, The Picture of Dorian Gray; Michael Chekhov, Spellbound; Robert Mitchum, The Story of G.I Joe; Frank Faylen, The Lost Weekend) (7)

1946: Finlay Currie, GREAT EXPECTATIONS (2nd: Roger Livesey, A Matter of Life and Death, followed by: Bernard Miles, Great Expectations; Lionel Barrymore, It’s a Wonderful Life; James Baskett, Song of the South; Claude Rains, Notorious; Harold Russell, The Best Years of Our Lives; Victor Mature, My Darling Clementine) (8)

1947: Edmund Gwenn, MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (2nd: Richard Widmark, Kiss of Death, followed by: Robert Ryan, Crossfire; Hume Cronyn, Brute Force; Thomas Gomez, Ride The Pink Horse; Kirk Douglas, Out of the Past) (6)

1948: Walter Huston, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (2nd: Robert Newton, Oliver Twist, followed by: Montgomery Clift, Red River; Edward G. Robinson, Key Largo; Tim Holt, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; Walter Brennan, Red River; Oscar Homolka, I Remember Mama; Thomas Gomez, Force of Evil; Melvyn Douglas, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) (9)

1949: Orson Welles, THE THIRD MAN (2nd: Ralph Richardson, The Heiress, followed by: James Whitmore, Battleground; Wylie Watson, Whisky Galore; Dan Duryea, Criss Cross; Kirk Douglas, A Letter to Three Wives; Dean Jagger, Twelve O’Clock High; Arthur Kennedy, Champion; William Bendix, The Big Steal) (9) 


1950: Erich Von Stroheim, SUNSET BLVD. (2nd: George Sanders, All About Eve, followed by: Sam Jaffe, The Asphalt Jungle; Jack Palance, Panic in the Streets; Will Geer, Winchester '73; Walter Huston, The Furies; Masayuki Mori, Rashomon; Takashi Shimura, Rashomon; Arthur Kennedy, The Glass Menagerie; Zero Mostel, Panic in the Streets) (10)

1951: Peter Ustinov, QUO VADIS? (2nd: Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire, followed by: Kevin McCarthy, Death of a Salesman; Stanley Holloway, The Lavender Hill Mob; Gig Young, Come Fill the Cup; Leo Genn, Quo Vadis?; Porter Hall, Ace in the Hole; Joseph Wiseman, Detective Story) (8)

1952: Donald O’Connor, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (2nd: Anthony Quinn, Viva Zapata!, followed by: Barry Fitzgerald, The Quiet Man; Victor McLaglen, The Quiet Man; Jack Palance, Sudden Fear; Robert Ryan, Clash by Night; Charles Coburn, Monkey Business; Arthur Hunnicutt, The Big Sky) (8)

1953: Frank Sinatra, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (2nd: Robert Ryan, The Naked Spur, followed by: Jack Palance, Shane; Hans Conreid, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T; Lee Marvin, The Big Heat; Jay Robinson, The Robe; Brandon De Wilde, Shane; Peter Lorre, Beat the Devil; Louis Calhern, Julius Caesar) (9)

1954: John Williams, DIAL M FOR MURDER (2nd: Karl Malden, On the Waterfront, followed by: Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront; Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront; Robert Ryan, Bad Day at Black Rock; Louis Calhern, Executive Suite; Jack Carson, A Star is Born; John Carradine, Johnny Guitar; Takashi Shimura, The Seven Samurai) (9)

1955: Raymond Massey, EAST OF EDEN (2nd: Stubby Kaye, Guys and Dolls, followed by: Joe Mantell, Marty; Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts; William Powell, Mister Roberts; Peter Ustinov, Lola Montes; Sal Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause; Cedric Hardwicke, Richard III; Richard Conte, The Big Combo) (9)

1956: James Dean, GIANT (2nd: Elisha Cook Jr., The Killing, followed by: Robert Stack, Written on the Wind; Anthony Quinn, Lust for Life; Ed Begley, Patterns; Eli Wallach, Baby Doll; Jack Palance, Attack!) (7)

1957: Lee J. Cobb, 12 ANGRY MEN (2nd: George Macready, Paths of Glory, followed by: Ed Begley, 12 Angry Men; Bengt Ekerot, The Seventh Seal; Timothy Carey, Paths of Glory; Aldo Ray, Men in War; Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai; Red Buttons, Sayonara; Adolphe Menjou, Paths of Glory; Karl Malden, Fear Strikes Out) (10)

1958: Joseph Calleia, TOUCH OF EVIL (2nd: Dean Martin, Some Came Running, followed by: Myron McCormick, No Time for Sergeants; Dennis Weaver, Touch of Evil; Burl Ives, The Big Country; Akim Tamiroff, Touch of Evil; Ray Walston, Damn Yankees; Burl Ives, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Arthur Kennedy, Some Came Running) (9)

1959: Joe E. Brown, SOME LIKE IT HOT (2nd: Dean Martin, Rio Bravo, followed by: George C. Scott, Anatomy of a Murder; Burl Ives, Day of the Outlaw; Joseph Schildkraut, The Diary of Anne Frank; Stephen Boyd, Ben Hur; Hugh Griffith, Ben Hur; James Mason, North by Northwest; Tony Randall, Pillow Talk; Ed Wynn, The Diary of Anne Frank) (10)

1960: Harry Morgan, INHERIT THE WIND (2nd: Peter Ustinov, Spartacus, followed by: Martin Balsam, Psycho; Trevor Howard, Sons and Lovers; Charles Laughton, Spartacus; Karl Malden, Pollyanna; Alastair Sim, School for Scoundrels; Nigel Patrick, The League of Gentlemen; Fred MacMurray, The Apartment; Sal Mineo, Exodus) (10)

1961: Jackie Gleason, THE HUSTLER (2nd: Martin Stephens, The Innocents, followed by: George C. Scott, The Hustler; Montgomery Clift, Judgment at Nuremberg; Gunnar Björnstrand, Through a Glass, Darkly; George Chakiris, West Side Story; Tony Randall, Lover Come Back; Dennis Price, Victim; Pat Hingle, Splendor in the Grass) (9)

1962: Omar Sharif, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (2nd: Peter Sellers, Lolita, followed by: Peter Ustinov, Billy Budd; Charles Laughton, Advise and Consent; Lew Ayres, Advise and Consent; Dean Stockwell, Long Day's Journey Into Night; Lee Marvin, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; Ed Begley, Sweet Bird of Youth; Terrence Stamp, Billy Budd; Victor Buono, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) (10)

1963: Melvyn Douglas, HUD (2nd: Rex Harrison, Cleopatra, followed by: Walter Matthau, Charade; Larry Tucker, Shock Corridor; Robert Shaw, From Russia With Love; James Best, Shock Corridor; Roddy McDowall, Cleopatra; John Huston, The Cardinal; Paul Lynde, Bye Bye Birdie) (9)

1964: Sterling Hayden, DR. STRANGELOVE, OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (2nd: George C. Scott, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, followed by: Henry Fonda, Fail-Safe; Michael Caine, Zulu; Slim Pickens, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb; John Gielgud, Becket; Stanley Holloway, My Fair Lady; Edmond O’Brien, Seven Days in May; Larry Hagman, Fail-Safe; Paul Scofield, The Train) (10)

1965: Harry Andrews, THE HILL (2nd: Ian Bannen, The Hill, followed by: John Gielgud, Chimes at Midnight; Ossie Davis, The Hill; Ian Hendry, The Hill; Tom Courtenay, Doctor Zhivago; Richard Attenbourough, The Flight of the Phoenix) (7)

1966: Robert Shaw, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (2nd: Lionel Stander, Cul de Sac, followed by: Eli Wallach, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; John Randolph, Seconds; George Segal, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; John Hurt, A Man for All Seasons; Walter Matthau, The Fortune Cookie) (7)

1967: Peter Cook, BEDAZZLED (2nd: Alan Arkin, Wait Until Dark, followed by: Gene Hackman, Bonnie and Clyde; Strother Martin, Cool Hand Luke; Scott Wilson, In Cold Blood; John Cassavetes, The Dirty Dozen; George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke; Michael J. Pollard, Bonnie and Clyde; Peter Finch, Far from the Madding Crowd; Rudy Vallee, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying) (10)

1968: Gene Wilder, THE PRODUCERS (2nd: Douglas Rain, 2001: A Space Odyssey, followed by: Jack Wild, Oliver!; Roddy McDowall, Planet of the Apes; Harry Secombe, Oliver!; Seymour Cassel, Faces; Jack Albertson, The Subject Was Roses; Kenneth Mars, The Producers; Sidney Blackmer, Rosemary’s Baby; Tim O'Kelly, Targets) (10)

1969: Gig Young, THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY? (2nd: Jack Nicholson, Easy Rider, followed by: James Caan, The Rain People; Ernest Borgnine, The Wild Bunch; Rupert Crosse, The Reivers; Robert Ryan, The Wild Bunch; Red Buttons, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) (7)

1970: Richard Costellano, LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS (2nd: Chief Dan George, Little Big Man, followed by: Melvyn Douglas, I Never Sang for My Father; Richard Jaekel, Sometimes a Great Notion; Richard Mulligan, Little Big Man; Yves Montand, Le Cercle Rouge; John Mills, Ryan’s Daughter) (7)

1971: Ben Johnson, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (2nd: Warren Oates, Two-Lane Blacktop, followed by: Jeff Bridges, The Last Picture Show; Cleavon Little, Vanishing Point; Andy Robinson, Dirty Harry; Roy Scheider, The French Connection; Art Garfunkel, Carnal Knowledge; Tom Baker, Nicholas and Alexandra; Michael Bates, A Clockwork Orange) (9)

1972: Marlon Brando, THE GODFATHER (won as Best Actor) (2nd: Joel Grey, Cabaret, followed by: Ned Beatty, Deliverance; Robert Duvall, The Godfather; James Caan, The Godfather; Eddie Albert, The Heartbreak Kid; Burt Reynolds, Deliverance; David Lochary, Pink Flamingos; Peter Cushing, Tales From the Crypt; Bruce Dern, The Cowboys) (10)

1973: Jason Miller, THE EXORCIST (2nd: Robert De Niro, Mean Streets, followed by: Robert Ryan, The Iceman Cometh; Max Von Sydow, The Exorcist; John Houseman, The Paper Chase; Paul Le Mat, American Graffiti; Charles Martin Smith, American Graffiti; Arthur Lowe, O Lucky Man!) (8)

1974: Robert De Niro, THE GODFATHER PART II (2nd: John Huston, Chinatown, followed by: Lee Strasberg, The Godfather Part II; Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot; Harvey Korman, Blazing Saddles; John Cazale, The Godfather Part II; Robert Shaw, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three; Alan Arkin, Freebie and the Bean) (8)

1975: John Cazale, DOG DAY AFTERNOON (2nd: Donald Sutherland, The Day of the Locust, followed by: Charles Durning, Dog Day Afternoon; Robert Shaw, Jaws; Sidney Lassick, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Burgess Meredith, The Day of the Locust) (6)

1976: Peter Finch, NETWORK (won as Best Actor) (2nd: Jason Robards, All The President’s Men, followed by: Ned Beatty, Network; Lawrence Olivier, Marathon Man; Burt Young, Rocky; Burgess Meredith, Rocky; Chief Dan George, The Outlaw Josey Wales; Zero Mostel, The Front) (8)

1977: George Burns, OH, GOD! (2nd: G.D. Spradlin, One on One, followed by: Tim Stern, Abigail's Party; Jason Robards, Julia; Francois Truffaut, Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Jackie Gleason, Smokey and the Bandit; Bob Balaban, Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Turning Point) (8)

1978: Christopher Walken, THE DEER HUNTER (2nd: John Cazale, The Deer Hunter, followed by: Yaphet Kotto, Blue Collar; Christopher Plummer, The Silent Partner; Dom Deluise, The End; Harry Dean Stanton, Straight Time; Bruce Dern, Coming Home; John Hurt, Midnight Express) (8)

1979: Paul Dooley, BREAKING AWAY (2nd: Ian Holm, Alien, followed by: James Woods, The Onion Field; Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now; Justin Henry, Kramer Vs. Kramer; Art Carney, Going in Style; Lee Strasberg, Going in Style; Melvin Douglas, Being There; Wilford Brimley, The China Syndrome; Frederic Forrest, Apocalypse Now) (10)

1980: Donald Sutherland, ORDINARY PEOPLE (2nd: Joe Pesci, Raging Bull, followed by: Levon Helm, Coal Miner’s Daughter; Scatman Crothers, The Shining; Jack Thompson, Breaker Morant; Matt Dillon, My Bodyguard; Judd Hirsch, Ordinary People; Cliff Gorman, Night of the Juggler) (8)

1981: John Gielgud, ARTHUR (2nd: Christopher Walken, Pennies from Heaven, followed by: Jack Nicholson, Reds; Griffin Dunne, An American Werewolf in London; Howard E. Rollins Jr., Ragtime; Nicol Williamson, Excalibur; Robert Preston, S.O.B.; Eric Roberts, Raggedy Man) (8)

1982: Jan Malmsjo, FANNY AND ALEXANDER (2nd: Borje Ahlstedt, Fanny and Alexander, followed by: Michael Keaton, Night Shift; Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner; Jarl Kulle, Fanny and Alexander; Eddie Murphy, 48 HRS; Robert Preston, Victor/Victoria; Mickey Rourke, Diner; John Lithgow, The World According to Garp; Charles Durning, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) (10)

1983: Jack Nicholson, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (2nd: John Lithgow, Twilight Zone: The Movie, followed by: Guy Marchand, Entre Nous; Jerry Lewis, The King of Comedy; Fred Ward, The Right Stuff; Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff; Denis Lawson, Local Hero; Ed Harris, The Right Stuff) (8)

1984: Haing S. Ngor, THE KILLING FIELDS (2nd: M. Emmet Walsh, Blood Simple, followed by: Nick Apollo Forte, Broadway Danny Rose; John Lone, Iceman; Christopher Guest, This is Spinal Tap; Adolph Caesar, A Soldier’s Story; Jeffery Jones, Amadeus; John Candy, Splash; John Malkovich, Places in the Heart) (9)

1985: Daniel Day-Lewis, A ROOM WITH A VIEW (2nd: William Hickey, Prizzi’s Honor, followed by: Ian Holm, Brazil; Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future; Jay Patterson, Heaven Help Us; Peter, Ran; Denholm Elliott, A Room With a View; Treat Williams, Smooth Talk) (8)

1986: Dennis Hopper, BLUE VELVET (2nd: Daniel Autuil, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring, followed by: Ray Liotta, Something Wild; Brian Cox, Manhunter; Michael Caine, Hannah and Her Sisters; Tom Cruise, The Color of Money; Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers; Willem Dafoe, Platoon) (8)

1987: R. Lee Ermey, FULL METAL JACKET (2nd: Albert Brooks, Broadcast News, followed by: Vincent D’Onofrio, Full Metal Jacket; Morgan Freeman, Street Smart; John Candy, Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Sean Connery, The Untouchables; Orson Welles, Somebody to Love; Alfred Molina, Prick Up Your Ears) (8)

1988: Alan Rickman, DIE HARD (2nd: Philippe Noiret, Cinema Paradiso, followed by: Martin Landau, Tucker: The Man and His Dream; Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice; River Phoenix, Running on Empty; Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda; Charles Grodin, Midnight Run; Dean Stockwell, Married to the Mob) (8)

1989: Danny Aiello, DO THE RIGHT THING (2nd: Martin Landau, Crimes and Misdemeanors, followed by: Ossie Davis, Do The Right Thing; Denzel Washington, Glory; John Mahoney, Say Anything; Hugh O’Conor, My Left Foot; James Earl Jones, Field of Dreams; Alan Alda, Crimes and Misdemeanors) (8)

1990: Joe Pesci, GOODFELLAS (2nd: Robert De Niro, Goodfellas, followed by: Albert Finney, Miller’s Crossing; John Turturro, Miller’s Crossing; Timothy Spall, Life is Sweet; Chris O’Donnell, Men Don’t Leave; Philip Bosco, Quick Change) (7)

1991: Anthony Hopkins, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (won as Best Actor) (2nd: John Goodman, Barton Fink, followed by: Samuel L. Jackson, Jungle Fever; Rip Torn, Defending Your Life; Michael Lerner, Barton Fink; David Straithairn, City of Hope; Andrew Strong, The Commitments; Brad Pitt, Thelma and Louise) (8)

1992: Gene Hackman, UNFORGIVEN (2nd: Tim Roth, Reservoir Dogs, followed by: Alec Baldwin, Glengarry Glen Ross; Jaye Davidson, The Crying Game; Al Pacino, Glengarry Glen Ross; Steve Buscemi, Reservoir Dogs; Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men; Fred Gwynne, My Cousin Vinny) (8)

1993: Ralph Fiennes, SCHINDLER‘S LIST (2nd: Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, followed by: Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive; John Malkovich, In The Line of Fire; Sean Penn, Carlito's Way; Matthew McConaughey, Dazed and Confused; Jeff Daniels, Gettysburg; Tim Robbins, Short Cuts; John Goodman, Matinee) (9)

1994: Martin Landau, ED WOOD  (2nd: Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction, followed by: Robert Downey Jr., Natural Born Killers; John Turturro, Quiz Show; Paul Scofield, Quiz Show; Bob Gunton, The Shawshank Redemption; Bruce Willis, Pulp Fiction; Dennis Quaid, Wyatt Earp; Myketi Williamson, Forrest Gump) (9)

1995: Kevin Spacey, SEVEN (2nd: Max Von Sydow, Citizen X, followed by: Ed Harris, Apollo 13; James Cromwell, Babe; Don Cheadle, Devil in a Blue Dress; L.Q. Jones, Casino; Donald Sutherland, Citizen X; Gary Farmer, Dead Man; Treat Williams, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead) (9)

1996: William H. Macy, FARGO (2nd: Dwight Yoakam, Sling Blade, followed by: Edward Norton, Primal Fear; Steve Buscemi, Fargo; Robert Carlyle, Trainspotting; Noah Taylor, Shine; Cuba Gooding Jr., Jerry Maguire; Paul Scofield, The Crucible; John Ritter, Sling Blade) (9)

1997: Robert Forster, JACKIE BROWN (2nd: Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights, followed by: Robert Blake, Lost Highway; Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting; Mark Benton, Career Girls; Bruce Greenwood, The Sweet Hereafter; Robert De Niro, Jackie Brown; Lady Chablis, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) (8)

1998: John Goodman, THE BIG LEBOWSKI (2nd: Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan, followed by: Bill Murray, Rushmore; Benecio Del Toro, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; Larry Hagman, Primary Colors; Kris Kristofferson, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries; Anthony Roth Costanzo, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries; Dylan Baker, Happiness) (8)

1999: Tom Cruise, MAGNOLIA (2nd: John C. Reilly, Magnolia, followed by: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Magnolia; Harry Lennix, Titus; Christopher Plummer, The Insider; John Malkovich, Being John Malkovich; Alan Rickman, Galaxy Quest; Timothy Spall, Topsy-Turvy; Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense; Sam Rockwell, Galaxy Quest) (10)

2000: Benicio Del Toro, TRAFFIC (2nd: Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast, followed by: Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire; Emilio Echevarria, Amores Perros; Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator; Bruce Greenwood, Thirteen Days; Chris Weitz, Chuck and Buck; Jeff Bridges, The Contender; Matthew Broderick, You Can Count On Me) (9)

2001: Steve Buscemi, GHOST WORLD (2nd: Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, followed by: Jim Broadbent, Iris; Jude Law, A.I. Artificial Intelligence; Brian Cox, L.I.E.; Paul Rudd, Wet Hot American Summer; Alan Arkin, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing) (8)

2002: Noah Taylor, MAX (2nd: Chris Cooper, Adaptation, followed by: Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can; Dennis Haysbert, Far From Heaven; Ed Harris, The Hours; Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven; Djimon Honsou, In America; John C. Reilly, Chicago) (8)

2003: Tim Robbins, MYSTIC RIVER (2nd: Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass, followed by: Tony Cox, Bad Santa; Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams; Judah Friedlander, American Splendor; Jeffrey Wright, Angels in America; Alec Baldwin, The Cooler) (7)

2004: Morgan Freeman, MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2nd: Thomas Hayden Church, Sideways, followed by: Phil Davis, Vera Drake; Jon Gries, Napoleon Dynamite; Cameron Bright, Birth; Mark Wahlberg, I ♥ Huckabees) (6)

2005: George Clooney, SYRIANA (2nd: Matt Dillon, Crash, followed by: Ed Harris, A History of Violence; Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man; Clifton Collins Jr., Capote; Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain; Rob Brydon, Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story) (7)

2006: Jackie Earle Haley, LITTLE CHILDREN (2nd: Mark Wahlberg, The Departed, followed by: Forrest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland (won as Best Actor); Ben Sliney, United 93; Stephen Graham, This is England; John C. Reilly, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) (6)

2007: Casey Affleck, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2nd: Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men, followed by: Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood; Robert Downey Jr., Zodiac; Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild; Kurt Russell, Grindhouse; Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton) (7)

2008: Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT (2nd: Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky, followed by: Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder; Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road; Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading; Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker; John C. Reilly, The Promotion) (7)

2009: Christoph Waltz, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2nd: Paul Schneider, Bright Star, followed by: Woody Harrelson, The Messenger; Niels Arestrup, A Prophet; Matt Damon, Invictus; Kevin Corrigan, Big Fan; Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones) (7)

2010: Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER (2nd: Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech, followed by: Andrew Garfield, The Social Network; Peter Wight, Another Year; Rob Brydon, The Trip; David Bradley, Another Year; Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right; Jeremy Renner, The Town) (8)

2011: Jonah Hill, MONEYBALL (2nd: Lior Ashkenazi, Footnote, followed by: Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method; Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close;  Albert Brooks, Drive; Nick Nolte, Warrior; Taner Birsel, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia; Christopher Plummer, Beginners) (8)

2012: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, THE MASTER (2nd: Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike, followed by: James Franco, Spring Breakers; Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained; Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook; Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained; Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln) (8)

2013: Barkhad Abdi, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (2nd: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club, followed by: Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street; Gary Poulter, Joe; James Gandolfini, Enough Said; Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave; Will Forte, Nebraska) (7)

2014: J.K. Simmons, WHIPLASH (2nd: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood, followed by: Edward Norton, Birdman, or: The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance; Roman Madyanov, Leviathan; Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice; Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher; Michael Shannon, 99 Homes; Martin Short, Inherent Vice; Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler) (9)

2015: Sylvester Stallone, CREED (2nd: Jason Segal, The End of the Tour, followed by: Benicio Del Toro, Sicario; Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies; Tom Hardy, The Revenant; Jason Michell, Straight Outta Compton; Tom Noonan, Anomalisa; Jason Statham, Spy) (8)

2016: Tracy Letts, INDIGNATION (2nd: Tom Bennett, Love and Friendship, followed by: Issei Ogata, Silence; Michael Barbieri, Little Men; Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea; Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals; Mahershala Ali, Moonlight; Greg Kinnear, Little Men; Jeff Bridges, Hell and High Water) (9)

697 performances are noted here in total. 

10 performances are noted in the years 1941, 44, 50, 57, 59, 60, 62, 64, 67, 68, 72, 79, 82, 99

Only one performer was chosen twice: Erich Von Stroheim, for Grand Illusion and Sunset Blvd.

The Final Tally (those performances that I have determined to be the best are bolded in the following section):

(6) 
Robert Ryan--Crossfire,  Clash by Night, The Naked Spur, Bad Day at Black Rock, The Wild Bunch, The Iceman Cometh

(5) 
Robert De Niro--Mean Streets, The Godfather Part II, GoodFellas, Jackie Brown, Silver Linings Playbook
Claude Rains--The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Casablanca, Mr. Skeffington, Notorious

(4)
Jeff Bridges--The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Contender, Hell and High Water
Benecio Del Toro--Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Traffic, 21 Grams, Sicario
Melvyn Douglas--Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Hud, I Never Sang for My Father, Being There
Ed Harris--The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, The Hours, A History of Violence
Edward Everett Horton--Holiday, Trouble in Paradise, The Gay Divorcess, Top Hat
Karl Malden--A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, Fear Strikes Out, Pollyanna
Jack Nicholson--Easy Rider, Reds, Terms of Endearment, A Few Good Men
Jack Palance--Panic in the Streets, Sudden Fear, Shane, Attack!
John C. Reilly--Magnolia, Chicago, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, The Promotion
Robert Shaw--From Russia With Love, A Man For All Seasons, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Jaws

(3)
Alan Arkin--Wait Until Dark, Freebie and the Bean, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
Lionel Barrymore--Grand Hotel, You Can’t Take It With You,  It’s a Wonderful Life
Ed Begley--Patterns, 12 Angry Men, Sweet Bird of Youth
Walter Brennan--Come and Get It, The Westerner, Red River
Steve Buscemi--Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, Ghost World
John Cazale--The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter
Robert Downey Jr.--Natural Born Killers, Zodiac, Tropic Thunder,
Barry Fitzgerald--Going My Way, And Then There Were None, The Quiet Man
John Gielgud--Becket, Chimes at Midnight, Arthur
John Goodman--Barton Fink, Matinee, The Big Lebowski
Burl Ives--The Big Country, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Day of the Outlaw
Samuel L. Jackson--Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained,
Sam Jaffe--The Scarlet Empress, Gunga Din, The Asphalt Jungle
Arthur Kennedy--Champion, The Glass Menagerie, Some Came Running
Martin Landau--Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Ed Wood
Peter Lorre--The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Maltese Falcon, Beat the Devil
John Malkovich--Places in the Heart, In The Line of Fire, Being John Malkovich
Frank Morgan--Halleujah I'm a Bum, The Affairs of Cellini, The Shop Around the Corner
Christopher Plummer--The Silent Partner, The Insider, Beginners
George Sanders--Man Hunt, The Picture of Dorian Gray, All About Eve
Paul Scofield--The Train, Quiz Show, The Crucible
George C. Scott--Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Michael Shannon--Revolutionary Road, 99 Homes, Nocturnal Animals
Donald Sutherland--The Day of the Locust, Ordinary People, Citizen X
Akim Tamiroff--The General Died at Dawn, The Great McGinty, Touch of Evil
Peter Ustinov--Quo Vadis, Lola Montes, Spartacus, Billy Budd
Max Von Sydow--The Exorcist,  Citizen X, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Christopher Walken--The Deer Hunter, Pennies from Heaven, Catch Me If You Can

(2)
Alec Baldwin--Glengarry Glen Ross, The Cooler
Ned Beatty--Deliverance, Network
William Bendix--Lifeboat, The Big Steal
Albert Brooks--Broadcast News, Drive
Rob Brydon--Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, The Trip
Red Buttons--Sayonara, They Shoot Horses Don't They?
James Caan--The Rain People, The Godfather
Michael Caine--Zulu, Hannah and Her Sisters
Louis Calhern--Julius Caesar, Executive Suite
John Candy--Splash, Planes Trains and Automobiles
John Carradine--The Grapes of Wrath, Johnny Guitar
Montgomery Clift--Red River, Judgment at Nuremberg
Lee J. Cobb--On the Waterfront, 12 Angry Men
Charles Coburn--The More The Merrier, Monkey Business
Joseph Cotten--Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons
Brian Cox--Manhunter, L.I.E.
Tom Cruise--The Color of Money, Magnolia
Willem Dafoe--Platoon, Shadow of the Vampire
Ossie Davis--The Hill, Do The Right Thing
Bruce Dern--The Cowboys, Coming Home
Matt Dillon--My Bodyguard, Crash
Kirk Douglas--Out of the Past, A Letter to Three Wives
Charles Durning--Dog Day Afternoon, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Dan Duryea--The Woman in the Window, Criss Cross
Robert Duvall--The Godfather, Apocalypse Now
Peter Finch--Far from the Madding Crowd, Network
Morgan Freeman--Street Smart, Million Dollar Baby
Dwight Frye--Dracula, Frankenstein
Chief Dan George--Little Big Man, The Outlaw Josey Wales
Jackie Gleason--The Hustler, Smokey and the Bandit
Thomas Gomez--Ride the Pink Horse, Force of Evil
Bruce Greenwood--The Sweet Hereafter, Thirteen Days
Gene Hackman--Bonnie and Clyde, Unforgiven
Larry Hagman--Fail-Safe, Primary Colors
Jonah Hill--Moneyball, The Wolf of Wall Street
Philip Seymour Hoffman--Magnolia, The Master
Ian Holm--Alien, Brazil
Dennis Hopper--Blue Velvet, Hoosiers
John Hurt--A Man for All Seasons, Midnight Express
John Huston--The Cardinal, Chinatown
Walter Huston--The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Furies
Tommy Lee Jones--The Fugitive, Lincoln
Michael Keaton--Night Shift, Beetlejuice
Charles Laughton--Spartacus, Advise and Consent
John Lithgow--The World According to Garp, Twilight Zone: The Movie
Dean Martin--Some Came Running, Rio Bravo
Lee Marvin--The Big Heat, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
James Mason--North by Northwest. The Verdict 
Raymond Massey--Arsenic and Old Lace, East of Eden
Walter Matthau--Charade, The Fortune Cookie
Matthew McConaughey--Dazed and Confused, Magic Mike
Roddy McDowall--Cleopatra, Planet of the Apes
Adolphe Menjou--Morocco, Morning Glory
Burgess Meredith--The Day of the Locust, Rocky
Sal Mineo--Rebel Without a Cause, Exodus
Thomas Mitchell--Lost Horizon, Stagecoach
Zero Mostel--Panic in the Street, The Front
Edward Norton--Primal Fear, Birdman, or: The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance
Joe Pesci--Raging Bull, GoodFellas
Brad Pitt--Thelma and Louise, Burn After Reading
Robert Preston--S.O.B., Victor/Victoria
Dennis Quaid--Wyatt Earp, Far From Heaven
Anthony Quinn--Viva Zapata!, Lust for Life
Tony Randall--Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back
Basil Rathbone--Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood
Burt Reynolds--Deliverance, Boogie Nights
Alan Rickman--Die Hard, Galaxy Quest
Jason Robards--All The President's Men, Julia
Tim Robbins--Short Cuts, Mystic River
Edward G. Robinson--Double Indemnity, Key Largo
Mark Ruffalo--The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher
Joseph Schildkraut--The Life of Emile Zola, The Diary of Anne Frank
Timothy Spall--Life is Sweet, Topsy-Turvy
Lee Strasberg--The Godfather Part II, Going in Style
Noah Taylor--Shine, Max
Ernest Thesiger--The Old Dark House, The Bride of Frankenstein
John Turturro--Miller's Crossing, Quiz Show
Rudy Vallee--The Palm Beach Story, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Erich Von Stroheim--Grand Illusion, Sunset Blvd
Mark Wahlberg--I ♥ Huckabees. The Departed
Eli Wallach--Baby Doll, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Christoph Waltz--Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained
Orson Welles--The Third Man, Somebody to Love
Treat Williams--Smooth Talk, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead
Gig Young--Come Fill the Cup, The Shoot Horses Don't They?