Since the first Academy Awards in 1929, one actor has been chosen each year as the previous year’s best movie performer. From Clark Gable to Tom Hanks, the winners are legendary, though not without controversy. Adrien Brody’s 2003 win for The Pianist surprised viewers who expected the Academy to go for more established choices like Jack Nicholson or Daniel-Day Lewis. In 2016, Leonardo DiCaprio broke what many considered a long-standing curse, winning Best Actor for his performance in The Revenant — his first ever Academy Award. In 2017, Casey Affleck won the award for his role in Manchester By the Sea. In 2018, Gary Oldman nabbed it for playing Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Rami Malek’s performance as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury earned him the statue in 2019.
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