Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread was reportedly the swan song for three-time Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis. He was recently spotted on crutches, making it six years since his rumored retirement. Rumors are true sometimes, so we better get ready to replace the There Will Be Blood method actor with a new "best working male actor" contender.
When thinking about the best working actor today, there are lots that come to mind, from younger Academy Award winners to the older generation that is still active in Hollywood these days. Here's a closer look, with the leading men listed in no particular order.
Joaquin Phoenix
He achieved Oscar gold with Joker (2019), but previously received Academy Award nods for his unforgettable turns in Gladiator and Walk the Line. Joaquin Phoenix is a force to be reckoned with, and we can't wait to see what's to come with the Joker: Folie a Deux musical. Phoenix seems to completely lose himself to every role, so it should come as no surprise that he made our list.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio finally took home a Best Actor Oscar thanks to his heart-wrenching turn in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant. His upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon is undoubtedly a shoo-in for the upcoming Oscar race. In the meantime, it's easy enough to add DiCaprio to our list here, as he's churned a wild variety of roles over the decades. No longer just that lovable face from Titanic, he's worked with the best directors out there: Scorsese, Cameron, Tarantino, and the list goes on.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is getting up there in age, but is still active in Hollywood today — which is why he easily makes our list. He won the coveted Best Actor SAG Award not too long ago with Fences, which he also directed. His well-deserved Oscar was a unique feat, given how he was playing "the bad guy" in Antoine Fuqua’s masterpiece that is Training Day. And let’s not forget his range as an actor, as recently showcased with his Academy Award-nominated turn in the titular role of Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Tom Hanks
Let's not forget that Mr. Nice Guy himself won back-to-back Academy Awards in the '90s with Philadelphia and then Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks was a hoot in Wes Anderson's latest film Asteroid City, and his underrated A Man Called Otto is currently available on Netflix. Hanks doesn't show any signs of slowing down, despite his veteran Hollywood status, so his name quickly came to mind when thinking about the best male actors working today.
Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem has been the acting game for decades now — and finally took the Hollywood spotlight for his Oscar-winning performance in the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men film adaptation. For the record, that was the same year Day-Lewis won for Best Lead Actor in There Will Be Blood — so it was quite the year on the performance front. Bardem recently shined in the coveted Desi Arnaz role in Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos, and we can't wait to see what's next for the dynamic Spanish actor.
Samuel L. Jackson
Quentin Tarantino-regular, Samuel L. Jackson can do comedy, drama, and Marvel. His leading turn in Disney+'s new series Secret Invasion is worth a tune-in alone. Jackson's iconic voice is instantly recognizable, even if you're not a film buff. Everyone knows him, and film schools will be talking about his committed performances for generations. His turn as Julius in Pulp Fiction got him an Oscar nod, and it's no surprise the Academy gave Jackson an honorary award last year.
Hugh Jackman
Going from playing one version of Wolverine to the next with ease, and then tackling a completely different role with the acclaimed Bad Education, Hugh Jackman is evidently a master-class in acting. And he's super nice in real life — bonus points! Folks say Jackman should have gotten Oscar cred with his gruff, haggered turn in Logan. Plus, let's not forgettable his heartbreaking turn as a dad in utter distress for Denis Villaneuve's Prisoners. And his continuously flawless American accent will leave some fans surprised that he's actually Australian!
Christian Bale
He was skin and bones for his emotional turn in The Fighter — which got Christian Bale his first Oscar. Then he turned pudgy for Dick Cheney in Adam McKay’s Vice. That also got him multiple trophies during award season. What’s next for the Dark Knight actor? Bale can do it all, including the MCU, as evidenced in Taika Waikiki's Thor: Love and Thunder. Ever since early roles like American Psycho, we've known Bale is a true star in the making. Then, there was his dual performance in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige, whose twist left us jaw-dropped at the end.
Gary Oldman
Put it this way: There have been memes created on social media to attest to Gary Oldman's talents. The Oscar-winner finally won his long-awaited trophy for Darkest Hour back in 2018 for his unforgettable and often hilarious turn as Winston Churchill. More recently, he was nominated for his performance as the Citizen Kane co-writer in Mank. But beyond that, we loved his good-guy cop role in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, especially since he was formerly known to play more villainous characters — such as Lee Harvey Oswalt in Oliver Stone's JFK. He may be getting up there in age, but he's still quite active on the big and small screen. For now, he'll make you laugh as a haggered MI6 chief in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses.
Russell Crowe
Please stop asking Russell Crowe about Gladiator 2! Even though he's not in the sequel, Crowe will be remembered for his heroic, Oscar-winning performance in Ridley Scott's first film. Then he won Best Actor again a year later for A Beautiful Mind, joining Tom Hanks on the Oscars "back to back" list. More recently, he was hilarious in Shane Black's The Nice Guys alongside Ryan Gosling. And on the small screen, his villainous portrayal of Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice. He's certainly keeping busy in Tinseltown, which is why Crowe easily made our list.
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