1995

Robert De Niro - Heat
Robert De Niro - Casino
Al Pacino - Heat
Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
Mel Gibson - Braveheart
Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
Ian McKellen - Richard III
Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking
Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys
Richard Dreyfuss - Mr. Holland’s Opus
Steve Buscemi - Living in Oblivion
George Clooney - Out of Sight
John Travolta - Get Shorty
Anthony Hopkins - Nixon
Joe Pesci - Casino
Tom Hanks - Apollo 13
Ed Harris - Apollo 13
Tim Roth - Rob Roy
Clint Eastwood - The Bridges of Madison Country
Val Kilmer - Heat
Morgan Freeman - Seven
Brad Pitt - Seven

Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
Elizabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
Sharon Stone - Casino
Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison Country
Emma Thompsom - Sense and Sensibility
Mora Sorvino - Mighty Aphrodite
Joan Allen - Nixon
Kate Winslet - Sense and Sensibility
Kathy Bates - Dolores Claiborne
Jennifer Jason LeighGeorgia
Julianne Moore - Safe
Nicole Kidma - To Die For
Angela Bassett - Waiting to Exhale
Mare Winningham - Georgia

A draft for 1995
1. Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
2. Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking
3. Ian McKellen - Richard III
4. Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
5. Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
6. Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility
7. Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison Country
8. Morgan Freeman - Seven
9. Elizabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
10. Julianne Moore - Safe

11. Sharon Stone - Casino
12. Kate Winslet - Sense and Sensibility
13. Anthony Hopkins - Nixon
14. Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys
15. Clint Eastwood - The Bridges of Madison Country
16. Ed Harris - Apollo 13
17. Tom Hanks - Apollo 13
18. Nicole Kidman - To Die For
19. Robert De Niro - Casino
20. Al Pacino - Heat

Some changes here:

1. Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
2. Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
3. Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking
4. Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility
5. Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
6. Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison Country
7. Morgan Freeman - Seven
8. Elizabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
9. Sharon Stone - Casino
10. Anthony Hopkins - Nixon

11. Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys
12. Ian McKellen - Richard III
13. Robert De Niro - Casino
14. Mel Gibson - Braveheart
15. Kate Winslet - Sense and Sensibility
16. Al Pacino - Heat
17. Robert De Niro - Heat
18. Clint Eastwood - The Bridges of Madison Country
19. Nicole Kidman - To Die For
20. Tom Hanks - Apollo 13

I'd keep McKellen in top 10, possibly top 5. His film breakthrough and probably his second greatest film role. So:

1. Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
2. Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking
3. Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
4. Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
5. Ian McKellen - Richard III
6. Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility
7. Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison Country
8. Morgan Freeman - Seven
9. Elizabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas
10. Sharon Stone - Casino

11. Anthony Hopkins - Nixon
12. Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys
13. Robert De Niro - Casino
14. Kate Winslet - Sense and Sensibility
15. Julianne Moore - Safe
16. Al Pacino - Heat
17. Robert De Niro - Heat
18. Mel Gibson - Braveheart
19. Nicole Kidman - To Die For
20. Ed Harris - Apollo 13

Good compromise. Maybe a switch between Spacey and Emma?

Not sure about it, Spacey won an Oscar for his role, plus he portrayed one of the more iconic movie characters of the 90s.

I think acclaim is close, but I’m fine either way.

1994?

Yeah.

Some performances:

Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump
Morgan Freeman - The Shawshank Redemption
Tim Robbins - The Shawshank Redemption
Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction
John Travolta - Pulp Fiction
Mantin Landau - Ed Wood
Johnny Depp - Ed Wood
Paul Newman - Nobody’s Fool
John Turturro - Quiz Show
Jim Carrey - Dumb & Dumber
Jeff Daniels - Dumb & Dumber
Gary Sinise - Forrest Gump
Jim Carrey - The Mask
Hugh Grant - Four Wedding and a Funeral
Ralph Fiennes - Quiz Show
Nigel Hawthorne - The Madness of King George

Jessica Lange - Blue Sky
Kate Winslet - Heavenly Creatures
Jodie Foster - Nell
Miranda Richardson - Tom & Viv
Winona Ryder - Little Woman
Susan Sarandon - The Client
Dianne West - Bullets over Broadway
Rosemary Harris - Tom & Viv
Helen Mirren - The Madness of King George
Uma Thurman - Pulp Fiction
Jennifer Tilly - Bullets over Broadway
Robin Wright - Forrest Gump

I wouldn’t have Gibson in the list. It’s just Lethal Weapon with a cheesy Scottish accent.

Who you suggest as a replacement, Sherick?

I’m not Sherick, but maybe Hanks.

Richard Dreyfuss would seem an obvious choice, perhaps Joan Allen. I don't think Pacino or De Niro are particularly stand out myself.

My suggestion would be

1. Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
2. Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking
3. Susan Sarandon - Dead Man Walking
4. Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
5. Ian McKellen - Richard III
6. Emma Thompson - Sense and Sensibility
7. Meryl Streep - The Bridges of Madison Country
8. Morgan Freeman - Seven
9. Mira Sorvino - Mighty Aphrodite
10. Elizabeth Shue - Leaving Las Vegas

11. Sharon Stone - Casino
12. Anthony Hopkins - Nixon
13. Julianne Moore - Safe
14. Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys
15. Richard Dreyfuss - Mr. Holland's Opus
16. Nicole Kidman - To Die For
17. Joan Allen - Nixon
18. Kate Winslet - Sense and Sensibility
19. Bruce Willis - 12 Monkeys
20. Robert De Niro - Casino

I would keep De Niro and Pacino in Heat, because of their acting and the impact of being the first movie where both appear together in the same scene, something that did not happen in Godfather II. In addition, they are acclaimed performances by movie fans.

It was one of the great moments in the American film of 1995, the meeting of two of the greatest actors of the same generation.