Best Performances of the Past 50 Years

Selma Jeskova
Dancer in the Dark
2000
Directed by Lars Von Trier

Martha
Martha Marcy May Marlene
2011
Directed by Sean Durkin

Laura
The Orphanage
2007
Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona

She
Antichrist
2011
Directed by Lars Von Trier

Carrie White
Carrie
1976
Directed by Brian De Palma

Celie Johnson
The Color Purple
1985
Directed by Steven Spielberg

Margot
Take This Waltz
2011
Directed by Sarah Polley


Wendy
Wendy and Lucy
2008
Directed by Kelly Reichardt

Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin
2010
Directed by Mick Jackson

Ashley
Junebug
2005
Directed by Phil Morrison

Giselle
Enchanted
2007
Directed by Kevin Lima

Eunice
Butterfly Kiss
1995
Directed by Michael Winterbottom

Mary Mason
American Mary
2012
Sylvia and Jen Soska

Alike
Pariah
2011
Directed by Dee Rees

Chieko Wataya
Babel
2006
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Ree Dolly
Winter's Bone
2011
Directed by Debra Granik

Katniss Everdeen
The Hunger Games
2012
Directed by Gary Ross

Tiffany
The Silver Linings Playbook
2012
Directed by David O. Russell

Ofelia
Pan's Labyrinth
2006
Directed by Guillermo Del Torro

Eli
Let the Right One In
2008
Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Dennis 'Spider' Cleg
Spider
2002
Directed by David Cronenberg

Justin Quayle
The Constant Gardener
2005
Directed by Fernando Meirelles

Eduard Delacroix
The Green Mile
1996
Directed by Frank Darabont

Ted the Bellhop
Four Rooms
1995
Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Allsion Anders, and Alexander Rockwell

Trevor
Made in Britain
1982
Directed by Alan Clarke

Mr. Orange
Reservoir Dogs
1991
Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Norm Osburne/ Green Goblin
Spider-Man
2002
Directed by Sam Raimi

David Carrivaggio
The English Patient
1996
Directed by Anthony Minghella

Lars Lindstrom
Lars and the Real Girl
2007
Directed by Craig Gillispie

Dean
Blue Valentine
2010
Directed by Derek Cianfrance

Phil
All Or Nothing
2002
Directed by Mike Leigh

Scott
Happy-Go-Lucky
2008
Directed by Mike Leigh


James
Tyrannosaur
2011
Directed by Paddy Considine

Mark O'Brien
The Sessions
2012
Directed by Ben Lewin


Patrick
Martha Marcy May Marlene
2011
Directed by Sean Durkin

Theo
The Free Will
2006
Directed by Matthias Glasner

Art Honeyman
Music Within
2007
Directed by Stephen Sawalich

Jude Fawley
Jude
1996
Directed by Michael Winterbottom

Jack Lucas
The Fisher King
1991
Directed by Terry Gilliam

Joe Cooper
Killer Joe
2011
Directed by William Friedkin

Matt King
The Descendants
2011
Directed by Alexander Payne

Randy 'The Ram' Robinson
The Wrestler
2008
Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Hallam Foe
Hallam Foe
2007
Directed by David MacKenzie

Christy Brown
My Left Foot
1999
Directed by Jim Sheridan

Charles Hanson
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
2007
Directed by Sydney Lumet

Mary Jones
Precious
2009
Directed by Lee Daniels

Lola Quincy
Atonement
2007
Directed by Joe Wright

Dottie Smith
Killer Joe
2011
Directed by William Friedkin

Lynn Sear
The Sixth Sense
1999
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Col. Hans Landa
Inglorious Basterds
2009
Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Percy Wetmore
The Green Mile
1996
Directed by Frank Darabont

Uncle Charlie
Stoker
2013
Directed by Chan-Woo Park

Sonny
The Apostle
1997
Directed by Robert Duvall

Delmar O'Donnell
O Brother Where Art Thou
2000
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

Russ
Weekend
2011
Directed by Andrew Haigh

Tony
Tony (AKA Tony- London Serial Killer)
2009
Directed by Gerard Johnson

Georg
Funny Games
1997
Directed by Michael Haneke

Anthony
Dead Man's Shoes
2004
Directed by Shane Meadows

Mr. Blonde
Reservoir Dogs
1992
Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Derek Vinyard
American History X
1998
Directed by Tony Kaye

Monty Brogan
25th Hour
2002
Directed by Spike Lee

Narrator
Fight Club
1999

Directed by David Fincher
Aaron Stampler
Primal Fear
1996
Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Arthur Edens
Michael Clayton
2007
Directed by Tony Gilroy

Julien
Julien Donkey-Boy
1999
Directed by Harmony Korine