The 100 Greatest Film Performances

PREMIERE's April 2006 issue ranks the best performances in movie history.

1. Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

2. Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy On the Waterfront (1954)
3. Meryl Streep as Sophie Zawistowska Sophie’s Choice (1982)
4. Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzik Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
5. Bette Davis as Margo Channing All About Eve (1950)
6. James Cagney as George M. Cohan Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
7. Dustin Hoffman as “Ratso” Rizzo Midnight Cowboy (1969)
8. James Stewart as George Bailey It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
9. Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein Young Frankenstein (1974)
10. Robert De Niro as Jake La Motta Raging Bull (1980)
11. Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown My Left Foot (1989)
12. Jack Nicholson as “Badass” Buddusky The Last Detail (1973)
13. Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine The Lion in Winter (1968)
14. Robert Duvall as Mac Sledge Tender Mercies (1983)
15. Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin Big (1988)
16. Cary Grant as T.R. Devlin Notorious (1946)
17. Denzel Washington as Malcolm X Malcolm X (1992)
18. Emily Watson as Bess McNeill Breaking the Waves (1996)
19. Paul Newman as Frank Galvin The Verdict (1982)
20. Al Pacino as Michael Corleone The Godfather Part II (1974)
21. Giulietta Masina as Cabiria Nights of Cabiria (1957)
22. Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands Edward Scissorhands (1990)
23. Russell Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand The Insider (1999)
24. Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
25. Greta Garbo as Ninotchka Ninotchka (1939)
26. Maria Falconetti as Joan of Arc The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
27. Marlon Brando as Paul Last Tango in Paris (1972)
28. Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson His Girl Friday (1940)
29. Peter Sellers as Chance the Gardener Being There (1979)
30. James Stewart as John “Scottie” Ferguson Vertigo (1958)
31. Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles Ray (2004)
32. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
33. Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/ Dorothy Michaels Tootsie (1982)
34. Buster Keaton as Johnny Gray The General (1927)
35. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote Capote (2005)
36. Faye Dunaway Evelyn Cross Mulwray Chinatown (1974)
37. Gene Hackman as Harry Caul The Conversation (1974)
38. Carole Lombard as Maria Tura To Be or Not to Be (1942)
39. Laurence Olivier as Richard III Richard III (1955)
40. Nicole Kidman as Suzanne Stone Maretto To Die For (1995)
41. Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield Pulp Fiction (1994)
42. Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle Taxi Driver (1976)
43. James Dean as Jim Stark Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
44. Charlie Chaplin as A Tramp City Lights (1931)
45. Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick Election (1999)
46. Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland Cast Away (2000)
47. Jack Nicholson as Randle Patrick McMurphy One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
48. Bill Murray as Phil Connors Groundhog Day (1993)
49. Liv Ullmann as Elisabet Vogler Persona (1966)
50. Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade The Maltese Falcon (1941)
51. Henry Fonda as Tom Joad The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
52. Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton The Remains of the Day (1993)
53. Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill “The Butcher” Cutting Gangs of New York (2002)
54. Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord The Philadelphia Story (1940)
55. Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs In the Heat of the Night (1967)
56. Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias The Accused (1988)
57. Max Von Sydow as Lasse Karlsson Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
58. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley Aliens (1986)
59. Catherine Deneuve as Séverine Sérizy Belle de Jour (1967)
60. Diane Keaton as Annie Hall Annie Hall (1977)
61. Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth Schindler’s List (1993)
62. Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious Sid & Nancy (1986)
63. Gena Rowlands as Mabel Longhetti A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
64. Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson The Hustler (1961)
65. Jack Lemmon as Jerry/Daphne Some Like It Hot (1959)
66. Holly Hunter as Jane Craig Broadcast News (1987)
67. Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond Inherit the Wind (1960)
68. Cary Grant as Dr. David Huxley Bringing Up Baby (1938)
69. Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond Sunset Boulevard (1950)
70. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
71. Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood Silkwood (1983)
72. Judy Garland as Esther Blodgett a.k.a. Vicki Lester A Star Is Born (1954)
73. John Travolta as Tony Manero Saturday Night Fever (1977)
74. Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp Blazing Saddles (1974)
75. Julie Christie as Diana Scott Darling (1965)
76. Burt Lancaster as J.J. Hunsecker Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
77. Morgan Freeman as Leo Smalls Jr., a.k.a. Fast Black Street Smart (1987)
78. Toshiro Mifune as Sanjuro Kuwabatake Yojimbo (1961)
79. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
80. Jeanne Moreau as Catherine Jules and Jim (1962)
81. Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
82. George C. Scott as General George S. Patton, Jr. Patton (1970)
83. Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
84. Anjelica Huston as Lilly Dillon The Grifters (1990)
85. Jessica Lange as Frances Farmer Frances (1982)
86. Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony Strangers on a Train (1951)
87. John Wayne as Ethan Edwards The Searchers (1956)
88. Christopher Walken as Nick Chevotarevich The Deer Hunter (1978)
89. Gong Li as Juxian Farewell My Concubine (1993)
90. Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski The Big Lebowski (1998)
91. Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels Klute (1971)
92. Clint Eastwood as "Dirty" Harry Callahan Dirty Harry (1971)
93. Joan Crawford as Mildred Pierce Beragon Pierce (1945)
94. Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert M (1931)
95. Angela Bassett as Tina Turner Love Got to Do With It (1993)
96. Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn Born Yesterday (1950)
97. Ben Kingsley as Don Logan Sexy Beast (2001)
98. Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson Double Indemnity (1944)
99. Steve Martin as Navin Johnson The Jerk (1979)
100. Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Beyond The Top 100 Greatest Performances
Here are the PREMIERE editors' picks for the 101st — 200th greatest movie performances.

Rather than being ranked numerically, these entries are in alphabetical order by each actor's last name.

A
Julie Andrews as Maria, The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins
Fred Astaire as Tony Hunter, The Band Wagon
B Robert De Niro John 'Johnny Boy' Civello, Mean Streets
Javier Bardem as Ramon Sampedro, The Sea Inside
Carlo Battisti as Umberto Domenico Ferrari, Umberto D
Warren Beatty as George Roundy, Shampoo
John Belushi as John 'Bluto' Blutarsky, Animal House
Annette Bening as Myra Langtry, The Grifters
Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel Poiccard/Laszlo Kovacs, Breathless
Ingrid Bergman as IIsa Lund, Casablanca
Ernest Borgnine as Marty Piletti, Marty
Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I, Elizabeth
Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather
Yul Brynner as King Mongkut of Siam, The King and I
C Bruno Ganz as Damiel, Wings of Desire
Michael Caine as Alfie Elkins, Alfie
Nicolas Cage as Ben Sanderson, Leaving Las Vegas
Nicolas Cage as H.I. McDunnough, Raising Arizona
Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, The Truman Show
John Cazale as Sal, Dog Day Afternoon
John Cazale as Fredo, The Godfather Part II
Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-hung, The Legend of Drunken Master II
Montgomery Clift as George Eastman, A Place in the Sun
Montgomery Clift as Private Prewitt, From Here to Eternity
Montgomery Clift as Rudolph Petersen, Judgment at Nuremberg
Tom Courtney as Colin Smith, The Loneliness of the Long Distance
Runner
Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland, Citizen Kane
Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie, Shadow of a Doubt
Tom Cruise as Frank T.J. Mackey, Magnolia
D
Marcel Dalio as Robert de la Cheyniest, La Regle de Jeu
Daniel Day-Lewis as Johnny, My Beautiful Laundrette
Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, The Talented Mr. Ripley
Gerard Depardieu as Raoul, Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko, Wall Street
Richard Dreyfuss as Duddy, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
F
Peter Finch as Howard Beale, Network
Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, The Adventures of Robin Hood
Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, Shawshank Redemption
G
Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind
Clark Gable as Peter Warne, It Happened One Night
Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar, American Splendor
John Gielgud as Carr Gomm, The Elephant Man
Lillian Gish as Letty Mason Hightower, The Wind
Alec Guinness as Col. Nicholson, The Bridge on the River Kwai
Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, Man in the White Suit
H
Gene Hackman as Det. Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, The French Connection
Tom Hanks as Andrew Beckett, Philadelphia
Chieko Higashiyama as Tomi Hirayama, Tokyo Story
William Holden as Hal Carter, Picnic
Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath, The Piano
Isabelle Huppert as Marie, Story of Women
John Hurt as John Merrick/The Elephant Man, The Elephant Man
I Vanessa Redgrave as Isadora Duncan, Isadora
Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bulow, Reversal of Fortune Vanessa Redgrave as Ruth Wilcox,Howards End
Keanu Reeves as Ted Logan, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
J Mickey Rourke as Robert 'Boogie' Sheftell, Diner
Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth Fielding, The Romantic Englishwoman
Emil Jannings as the hotel porter, The Last Laugh S
Hanna Schygulla as Maria Braun, The Marriage of Maria Braun
K Andy Serkis as Gollum, The Lord of the Rings
Klaus Kinski as Don Lope de Aguirre, Aguirre, The Wrath of God Robert Shaw as Quint, Jaws
Anna Karina as Nana Kleinfrankenheim, Vivre Sa Vie Michel Simon as Priape Boudu, Boudu Saved From Drowning
Victor Sjsstrsm as Professor Isak Borg, Wild Strawberries
L Maggie Smith as Jean Brodie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, Ed Wood Kevin Spacey as Roger 'Verbal' Kint, The Usual Suspects
Martin Landau as Judah Rosenthal, Crimes and Misdemeanors Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, Rocky
Charles Laughton as Senator Seabright Cooley, Advise & Consent Meryl Streep as Susan Orlean, Adaptation
Carole Lombard as Irene Bullock, My Man Godfrey
T
M Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos, Monster
Anna Magnani as Mamma Roma, Mamma Roma David Thewlis as Johnny, Naked
Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, La Dolce Vita John Travolta as Tony Manero, Saturday Night Fever
Ewan McGregor as Renton, Trainspotting
Robert Mitchum as Jeff Bailey / Jeff Markham, Out of the Past V
Robert Mitchum as Harry Powell, Night Of The Hunter Jon Voight as Luke Martin, Coming Home
Eddie Murphy as Billy Ray Valentine, Trading Places
W
N Orson Welles as Hank Quinlan, Touch of Evil
Jack Nance as Henry Spencer, Eraserhead Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane
Jack Nicholson as Jake 'J.J.' Gittes, Chinatown Robin Williams as the Genie, Aladdin
Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack, Airplane! Jeffrey Wright as Jean Michel Basquiat, Basquiat
Kim Novak as Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton, Vertigo

O
Warren Oates as G.T.O., Two Lane Blacktop

P
Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito, Goodfellas
Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgmont High
Richard Pryor as Harry Monroe, Stir Crazy

R
Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, The Natural
Lynn Redgrave as Georgy, Georgy Girl