20 Best Actors of All Time, According to AI

We asked an AI to identify the best screen actors of all time, then checked its picks against career facts that hold up across decades. The result blends historic milestones with international reach and consistent excellence on film and television.

The system weighed major awards, range across genres, lasting cultural impact, stage credentials that fed into screen work, and global visibility. Below are the names it returned, along with concise career notes and representative roles that show why these performers continue to matter.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep holds the record for the most acting Oscar nominations and has three wins. Her training at the Yale School of Drama and early stage work built a foundation for complex character work in contemporary and period films.

Representative films include ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’, ‘Sophie’s Choice’, and ‘The Iron Lady’. Television projects such as ‘Angels in America’ expanded her awards footprint and kept her profile strong across formats.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day Lewis is the only man to win three Oscars for Best Actor. His approach involved long preparation periods and selective film choices that produced a small but highly decorated body of work.

His winning roles were in ‘My Left Foot’, ‘There Will Be Blood’, and ‘Lincoln’. He concluded his career after ‘Phantom Thread’, which continued collaborations with director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando won two acting Oscars and popularized a naturalistic style associated with the Actors Studio. His early stage experience and film breakthroughs reshaped expectations for screen realism.

Key films include ‘On the Waterfront’ and ‘The Godfather’. He declined his ‘The Godfather’ Oscar, drawing attention to Native American representation and industry practices.

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn earned four Oscars for Best Actress, the most for any performer in that category. Her career spanned the studio era into late career successes with sustained leading roles.

Her winning films were ‘Morning Glory’, ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’, ‘The Lion in Winter’, and ‘On Golden Pond’. She also maintained an extensive stage career that supported her screen longevity.

Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson won three Oscars and accumulated one of the highest totals of acting nominations. He worked with major directors across independent and studio productions over multiple decades.

Important films include ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, ‘Terms of Endearment’, and ‘As Good as It Gets’. He also anchored projects that broadened American character drama and crime storytelling.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has two Oscars and a Tony Award, reflecting top honors in film and theater. He has directed and produced films that brought stage works to wider audiences.

Notable credits include ‘Glory’ and ‘Training Day’. His film adaptation of ‘Fences’ extended August Wilson’s cycle to new viewers and earned major nominations across categories.

Al Pacino

Al Pacino achieved the Triple Crown of Acting with competitive wins at the Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys. His career covers crime sagas, literary adaptations, television films, and continued stage work.

Significant titles include ‘The Godfather Part II’, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’, and ‘Scent of a Woman’. Television projects such as ‘Angels in America’ earned top awards and showcased long form performance.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro has two Oscars and long collaborations with directors in crime and character driven films. He trained with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg and later co founded the Tribeca Film Festival.

Key films include ‘The Godfather Part II’, ‘Raging Bull’, and ‘Taxi Driver’. He expanded into comedy and television producing, which widened the scope of his screen career.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett holds two Oscars across leading and supporting categories. She served as co artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company while maintaining a steady international film presence.

Representative films include ‘Elizabeth’, ‘The Aviator’, and ‘Blue Jasmine’. She has portrayed historical figures and fictional characters in period drama, fantasy franchises, and contemporary stories.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins has two Oscars along with BAFTA and Emmy recognition. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and built a major stage reputation before sustained film success.

Notable films include ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, ‘The Remains of the Day’, and ‘The Father’. He was knighted for services to the arts, marking national recognition of his body of work.

Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid Bergman won three Oscars and worked in multiple languages across European and American productions. Her career bridged studio Hollywood and postwar European cinema.

Important titles include ‘Gaslight’, ‘Anastasia’, and ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. Collaborations with Roberto Rossellini produced films that influenced international art house movements.

Bette Davis

Bette Davis won two Oscars and received a large number of nominations during the studio era. She briefly served as the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Key films include ‘Dangerous’, ‘Jezebel’, and ‘All About Eve’. She also challenged studio contracts in court, which affected how actors negotiated roles during the classic era.

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy won Best Actor in consecutive years, the first performer to do so. He sustained leading roles across decades while balancing box office success and serious subject matter.

Significant films include ‘Captains Courageous’, ‘Boys Town’, and ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’. He made nine films with Katharine Hepburn, forming a durable screen partnership.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks won Best Actor in back to back years and later expanded into producing for film and television. His work includes historical drama, contemporary stories, and voice performance.

Representative films include ‘Philadelphia’, ‘Forrest Gump’, and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. He co founded Playtone and produced series and films that collected major awards.

Toshirō Mifune

Toshirō Mifune became internationally known through collaborations with Akira Kurosawa. His performances combined precise physicality with clear character arcs that influenced global cinema.

Key films include ‘Rashomon’, ‘Seven Samurai’, ‘Throne of Blood’, and ‘Yojimbo’. Remakes and reinterpretations of these stories shaped Westerns and action films for decades.

Peter O’Toole

Peter O’Toole received eight acting Oscar nominations without a competitive win and later accepted an Honorary Award. His screen roles often drew on classical training and stage experience.

Important films include ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘The Lion in Winter’, and ‘My Favorite Year’. He worked across British and American productions while continuing theater commitments.

Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier won Academy Awards as an actor and producer and maintained a major stage career. He was knighted and later became a life peer in the United Kingdom.

Significant films include ‘Hamlet’, ‘Rebecca’, and ‘Sleuth’. He served as founding director of the National Theatre, shaping repertory practice and actor training.

Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith holds two Oscars along with multiple Emmys, BAFTAs, and a Tony. Her career spans studio films, independent features, and widely watched television.

Representative credits include ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ and ‘California Suite’. Television work such as ‘Downton Abbey’ added new audiences and awards across long form storytelling.

Frances McDormand

Frances McDormand has three Oscars for Best Actress and a fourth as a producer of a Best Picture winner. She has worked frequently with independent filmmakers while appearing in studio releases.

Key films include ‘Fargo’, ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’, and ‘Nomadland’. She supports projects that preserve creative control for filmmakers and emphasizes character centered narratives.

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor. He also received an Honorary Academy Award recognizing his contributions to American cinema.

Important films include ‘Lilies of the Field’, ‘In the Heat of the Night’, and ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’. His work opened wider opportunities for actors of color in mainstream films.

Tell us which names you would add to this AI generated lineup in the comments so we can compare lists and keep the conversation going.