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Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor

Film award category

Film award category

FieldValue
nameBest Actor Award
subheaderfr
awarded_forBest Performance by an Actor
presenterCannes Film Festival
imageWagner Moura-6546.jpg
caption2025 recipient: Wagner Moura
year[1946](1946-cannes-film-festival)
holderWagner Moura
*The Secret Agent* ([2025](2025-cannes-film-festival))
website

The Secret Agent (2025)

The Best Actor Award (****) is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in official competition slate at the festival.

At the 1st Cannes Film Festival held in 1946, Ray Milland was the first winner of this award for his performance in The Lost Weekend, and Wagner Moura is the most recent winner in this category for his role in The Secret Agent at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in 2025.

History

The award was first presented in 1946. The prize was not awarded on five occasions (1947, 1953–54, 1956, and 1960). The festival was not held at all in 1948, 1950, and 2020. In 1968, no awards were given as the festival was called off mid-way due to the May 1968 events in France. The award can be for lead or supporting roles, with the exception of the period from 1979 to 1981, and in 1991, when the festival used to award a separate "Best Supporting Actor" prize. The jury also, on occasion, cites actors with a special citation that is separate from the main award.

On four occasions, the jury has awarded multiple men (more than 2) the prize for one film. The four films were: A Big Family (1955), Compulsion (1959), Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), and Days of Glory (2006).

Dean Stockwell, Jack Lemmon, and Marcello Mastroianni have won the most awards in this category, each winning twice.

Winners

Indicates the Best Supporting Actor winner

1940s

YearActorRole(s)TitleRef.[1946](1946-cannes-film-festival)[1949](1949-cannes-film-festival)

1950s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[1951](1951-cannes-film-festival)[1952](1952-cannes-film-festival)[1955](1955-cannes-film-festival)
[1957](1957-cannes-film-festival)[1958](1958-cannes-film-festival)[1959](1959-cannes-film-festival)
Больша́я семья́
Club Manager
Skobolev
Shipyard Director
Basmanov

1960s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[1961](1961-cannes-film-festival)[1962](1962-cannes-film-festival)[1963](1963-cannes-film-festival)[1964](1964-cannes-film-festival)[1965](1965-cannes-film-festival)[1966](1966-cannes-film-festival)[1967](1967-cannes-film-festival)[1969](1969-cannes-film-festival)
*Pacsirta*
*Sedotta e abbandonata*
Pontus*Svält*
Eliשלושה ימים וילד

1970s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[1970](1970-cannes-film-festival)[1971](1971-cannes-film-festival)[1972](1972-cannes-film-festival)[1973](1973-cannes-film-festival)[1974](1974-cannes-film-festival)[1975](1975-cannes-film-festival)[1976](1976-cannes-film-festival)[1977](1977-cannes-film-festival)[1978](1978-cannes-film-festival)[1979](1979-cannes-film-festival)
*Dramma della gelosia (tutti i particolari in cronaca)*
*Sacco e Vanzetti*
Jean*Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble*
*Film d'amore e d'anarchia, ovvero: stamattina alle 10, in via dei Fiori, nella nota casa di tolleranza...*
*Profumo di donna*
Luis*Elisa, My Life*
*Caro papà*

1980s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[1980](1980-cannes-film-festival)[1981](1981-cannes-film-festival)[1982](1982-cannes-film-festival)[1983](1983-cannes-film-festival)[1984](1984-cannes-film-festival)[1985](1985-cannes-film-festival)[1986](1986-cannes-film-festival)[1987](1987-cannes-film-festival)[1988](1988-cannes-film-festival)[1989](1989-cannes-film-festival)
*Salto nel vuoto*
*La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo*
*La mort de Mario Ricci*
*Los santos inocentes*
Azarías
*O Beijo da Mulher Aranha*
Antoine*Evening Dress**Tenue de soirée*
George
Romano*Oci ciornie*

1990s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[1990](1990-cannes-film-festival)[1991](1991-cannes-film-festival)[1992](1992-cannes-film-festival)[1993](1993-cannes-film-festival)[1994](1994-cannes-film-festival)[1995](1995-cannes-film-festival)[1996](1996-cannes-film-festival)[1997](1997-cannes-film-festival)[1998](1998-cannes-film-festival)[1999](1999-cannes-film-festival)
Johnny
{{sortnameGeYouGe, You}}活著
Harry*Le huitième jour*
Georges
Emmanuel Schotté*L'humanité*

2000s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[2000](2000-cannes-film-festival)[2001](2001-cannes-film-festival)[2002](2002-cannes-film-festival)[2003](2003-cannes-film-festival)[2004](2004-cannes-film-festival)[2005](2005-cannes-film-festival)[2006](2006-cannes-film-festival)[2007](2007-cannes-film-festival)[2008](2008-cannes-film-festival)[2009](2009-cannes-film-festival)
{{sortnameTonyLeung Chiu-waiLeung, Tony Chiu-wai}}{{sortnameChowMo-wanChow, Mo-wannolink=1}}花樣年華
*La Pianiste*
Olivier*Le Fils*
Mahmut
Yusuf
誰も知らない
*Indigènes*
Yassir
Abdelkader
AlexИзгнание

2010s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[2010](2010-cannes-film-festival)[2011](2011-cannes-film-festival)[2012](2012-cannes-film-festival)[2013](2013-cannes-film-festival)[2014](2014-cannes-film-festival)[2015](2015-cannes-film-festival)[2016](2016-cannes-film-festival)[2017](2017-cannes-film-festival)[2018](2018-cannes-film-festival)[2019](2019-cannes-film-festival)
Uxbal
Claudio
Lucas*Jagten*
*La Loi du marché*
Emadفروشنده
Joe
Marcello
*Dolor y gloria*

2020s

YearActorRole(s)English TitleOriginal TitleRef.[2021](2021-cannes-film-festival)[2022](2022-cannes-film-festival)[2023](2023-cannes-film-festival)[2024](2024-cannes-film-festival)[2025](2025-cannes-film-festival)
Sang-hyeon브로커
Hirayama
Robert / Daniel / Andrew
Wagner MouraMarcelo*The Secret Agent**O Agente Secreto*

Multiple winners

The following individuals have received multiple Best Actor awards:

Number of winsActorsNationalityFilms2
Dean StockwellUnited States*Compulsion* (1959),
*Long Day's Journey into Night* (1962)
Jack Lemmon*The China Syndrome* (1979),
*Missing* (1982)
Marcello MastroianniItaly*The Pizza Triangle* (1970),
*Dark Eyes* (1987)

Notes

:A: This year the award was changed to Prix d'Interpretation (Acting Award), without gender differentiation. :B: The entire male and female cast of A Big Family (Больша́я семья́) was recipient of this award in a tie with Spencer Tracy for Bad Day at Black Rock. :C: This year award was given as Prix Le Premier Regard Un Certain Regard (Premiere Award - Un Certain Regard) to the lead male and female cast of Long Day's Journey into Night and A Taste of Honey (ex aequo).

References

References

  1. "Awards 1946 : Competition". festival-cannes.fr.
  2. "Awards 1949: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  3. "Awards 1951: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  4. "Awards 1952: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  5. "Awards 1955: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  6. "Awards 1957: All Awards". cinema-francais.fr.
  7. "Awards 1958 : Competition". Cannes.
  8. "Awards 1958: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  9. "Awards 1959: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  10. "Awards 1961: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  11. "Awards 1962: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  12. "Awards 1962 : Competition". Cannes.
  13. "Awards 1963: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  14. "Awards 1964 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  15. "Awards 1965 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  16. "Awards 1966 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  17. "Awards 1967 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  18. "Awards 1969 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  19. "Awards 1970 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  20. "Awards 1971 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  21. "Awards 1972 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  22. "Awards 1973 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  23. "Awards 1974 : All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  24. "Awards 1975: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  25. "Awards 1976: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  26. "Awards 1977: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  27. "Awards 1978: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  28. "Awards 1979: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  29. "Awards 1979 : Competition". Cannes.
  30. "Awards 1980: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  31. "Awards 1980 : Competition". Cannes.
  32. "Awards 1981: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  33. "Awards 1981 : Competition". Cannes.
  34. "Awards 1982: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  35. "Awards 1983: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  36. "Awards 1984: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  37. "Awards 1985: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  38. "Awards 1986: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  39. "Awards 1987: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  40. "Awards 1988: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  41. "Awards 1989: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  42. "Awards 1990: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  43. "Awards 1991: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  44. "Awards 1992: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  45. "Awards 1993: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  46. "Awards 1994: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  47. "Awards 1995: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  48. "Awards 1996: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  49. "Awards 1997: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  50. "Awards 1998: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  51. "Awards 1999: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  52. "Awards 2000: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  53. "Awards 2001 : All Awards".
  54. "Awards 2002: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  55. "Awards 2003: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  56. "Awards 2004: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  57. "Awards 2005: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  58. "Awards 2006: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  59. "Awards 2007: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  60. "Awards 2008: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  61. "Awards 2009: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  62. "Awards 2010: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  63. "Awards 2011: All Awards". festival-cannes.fr.
  64. "Awards 2012: All the awards". Cannes Film Festival.
  65. "Awards 2013: All the awards". Cannes Film Festival.
  66. "Awards 2014 : Competition". Cannes.
  67. "Awards 2015 : Competition". Cannes.
  68. "Awards 2016 : Competition". Cannes.
  69. "Awards 2017 : Competition". Cannes.
  70. "Awards 2018 : Competition". Cannes.
  71. "Awards 2019 : Competition". Cannes.
  72. (21 May 2004). "Awards 2021 : Competition". Cannes.
  73. Tartaglione, Nancy. (28 May 2022). "Cannes Film Festival Winners Announced – Live".
  74. (2025-05-24). "Le Palmarès du 78e Festival de Cannes".
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