Every Best Actor Winner In Oscar History
By Jenn Reid
Winners in the 1920s
The first Academy Awards were held in 1929, honoring films that were released in 1927 and 1928. The first ever Best Actor Oscar went to Emil Jannings for two performances, one in The Last Command and one in The Way of the Flesh.
The categories were set up much differently than we’re used to today: for example, Jannings won for two movies and beat out only one other nominee (Richard Barthemless) who was also nominated for two roles (The Noose and The Patent Leather Kid). While one nominee being recognized for several different parts happened a few more times over the years, the first ever Academy Awards is the only time that Best Actor has only been between two men.
Also different about these years were the eligibility of the films: for the first five years of the Oscars, the eligibility period was films released over the course of a year from August 1 to July 31, hence why Jannings could win for films released in both 1927 and 1928. It wasn’t until 1935 that the rules changed slightly and now the films from the previous calendar year are honored.
According to legend, Rin Tin Tin actually received the most amount of votes and should have beat Jannings for the Oscar, but the newly created Academy didn’t think they’d be taken seriously if they gave the honor to a dog.
Winners
1929: Emil Jannings