Every Best Actor Winner In Oscar History

Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront. Image via Columbia Pictures

Winners in the 1950s

The 22nd Annual Academy Awards were handed out on March 23, 1950, and the first winner of the new decade was Broderick Crawford for All The King’s Men, which also took Best Picture that year.

The following year, José Ferrer took home the statue for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac. Ferrer was the only nomination for the whole film, which is a rare feat.

Humphrey Bogart won in 1952 for The African Queen, beating out Marlon Brando for A Streetcar Named Desire. This was Bogart’s third Best Actor nomination and The African Queen is still considered one of his biggest roles, even though it appeared in the later years of his career. Bogart passed away only a few short years after his win.

Gary Cooper won in 1953 for High Noon, and William Holden won in 1954 for Stalag 17, both beating out Marlon Brando (again!) for the awards

Brando finally won in 1955 for On The Waterfront, his fourth consecutive Best Actor nomination. Brando currently holds the record for most consecutive nominations for this hot streak. (He’s been nominated for eight Oscars total throughout his career.)

In 1956, Ernest Borgnine went home with the Oscar for Marty, beating another stacked lineup of James Cagney, James Dean (posthumously), Frank Sinatra and Spencer Tracy. Yul Brynner won in ’57 for The King and I, followed by Alec Guinness for The Bridge on the River Kwai, and David Niven for Separate Tables.

Winners

1950: Broderick Crawford – All The King’s Men
1951: José Ferrer – Cyrano de Bergerac
1952: Humphrey Bogart – The African Queen
1953: Gary Cooper – High Noon
1954: William Holden – Stalag 17
1955: Marlon Brando – On The Waterfront
1956: Ernest Borgnine – Marty
1957: Yul Brynner – The King and I
1958: Alec Guinness – The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959: David Niven – Separate Tables