Greatest Film Performances
of the 1980s (US/UK)
Criteria: Film Performances of the 1980s are ranked based on initial and lasting acclaim, popular and cultural recognition, plus influence. In order to qualify for this list the performance has to come from a predominately English-language film produced or co-produced by American or British production companies.
Actor - Film Title (Year of Release)
1. Robert De Niro
Raging Bull (1980)
2. Meryl Streep
Sophie's Choice (1982)
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
My Left Foot (1989)
4. Dustin Hoffman
Rain Man (1988)
5. Ben Kingsley
Gandhi (1982)
6. Shirley MacLaine
Terms of Endearment (1983)
7. F. Murray Abraham
Amadeus (1984)
8. Kenneth Branagh
Henry V (1989)
9. Dustin Hoffman
Tootsie (1982)
10. Meryl Streep
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
11. Dennis Hopper
Blue Velvet (1986)
12. Sissy Spacek
The Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
13. John Hurt
The Elephant Man (1980)
14. Henry Fonda
On Golden Pond (1981)
15. Katharine Hepburn
On Golden Pond (1981)
16. Robert De Niro
The King of Comedy (1982)
17. Willem Dafoe
Platoon (1986)
18. Michael Douglas
Wall Street (1987)
19. Meryl Streep
Silkwood (1983)
20. Burt Lancaster
Atlantic City (1980)
21. Jack Nicholson
The Shining (1980)
22. Robert Duvall
Tender Mercies (1983)
23. Albert Finney
Under the Volcano (1984)
24. Sally Field
Places in the Heart (1984)
25. Robert De Niro
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
26. Al Pacino
Scarface (1983)
27. Jodie Foster
The Accused (1988)
28. William Hurt
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
29. Geraldine Page
The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
30. Paul Newman
The Color of Money (1986)
31. Gary Oldman
Sid & Nancy (1986)
32. Morgan Freeman
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
33. Glenn Close
Fatal Attraction (1987)
34. Anjelica Huston
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
35. Jack Nicholson
Terms of Endearment (1983)
36. Tom Courtenay
The Dresser (1983)
37. Paul Newman
The Verdict (1982)
38. Timothy Hutton
Ordinary People (1980)
39. Jack Lemmon
Missing (1982)
40. Jon Voight
Runaway Train (1985)
41. James Woods
Salvador (1986)
42. Harrison Ford
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
43. Glenn Close
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
44. Tom Hanks
Big (1988)
45. Raúl Juliá
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
46. Kevin Kline
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
47. Sean Connery
The Untouchables (1987)
48. Jessica Tandy
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
49. Denzel Washington
Glory (1989)
50. Morgan Freeman
Street Smart (1987)
51. Whoopi Goldberg
The Color Purple (1985)
52. Marlee Matlin
Children of a Lesser God (1986)
53. Harrison Ford
Witness (1985)
54. Pauline Collins
Shirley Valentine (1989)
55. Michelle Pfeiffer
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
56. Tom Cruise
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
57. Andie MacDowell
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
58. Robin Williams
Dead Poets Society (1989)
59. Gene Hackman
Mississippi Burning (1988)
60. Robert Downey Jr.
Less Than Zero (1987)
61. Haing S. Ngor
The Killing Fields (1984)
62. Peggy Ashcroft
A Passage to India (1984)
63. Albert Finney
The Dresser (1983)
64. Joe Pesci
Raging Bull (1980)
65. Peter O'Toole
The Stunt Man (1980)
66. Mary Tyler Moore
Ordinary People (1980)
67. Dianne Wiest
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
68. Bob Hoskins
Mona Lisa (1986)
69. Gena Rowland
Gloria (1980)
70. John Malkovich
Places in the Heart (1984)
71. James Woods
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
72. Jeff Bridges
Starman (1984)
73. Christopher Walken
The Dead Zone (1983)
74. Tom Hulce
Amadeus (1984)
75. Robert Redford
Out Of África (1985)
76. Edward James Olmos
Stand and Deliver (1988)
77. Meryl Streep
Out of Africa (1985)
78. Jessica Lange
Frances (1982)
79. Peter O'Toole
My Favourite Year (1982)
80. John Gielgud
Arthur (1981)
81. Jane Alexander
Testament (1983)
82. Vanessa Redgrave
The Bostonians (1984)
83. Cher
Silkwood (1983)
84. Jeremy Irons
Dead Ringers (1988)
85. Meryl Streep
Ironweed (1987)
86. Cher
Moonstruck (1987)
87. Sigourney Weaver
Aliens (1986)
88. Danny Aiello
Do the Right Thing (1989)
89. Morgan Freeman
Glory (1989)
90. Jack Nicholson
Ironweed (1987)
91. Albert Brooks
Broadcast News (1987)
92. Robin Williams
Good Morning Vietnam (1987)
93. Debra Winger
Terms of Endearment (1983)
94. Diane Keaton
Reds (1981)
95. Julie Andrews
Victor/Victoria (1982)
96. Diane Keaton
Shoot the Moon (1982)
97. Donald Sutherland
Ordinary People (1980)
98. Paul Newman
Absence of Malice (1981)
99. Jack Nicholson
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
100. Holly Hunter
Broadcast News (1987)
101. Jack Nicholson
Reds (1981)
102. Dudley Moore
Arthur (1981)
103. Sissy Spacek
Missing (1982)
104. Rutger Hauer
Blade Runner (1982)
105. Jeremy Irons
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
106. Sissy Spacek
Crimes of the Heart (1986)
107. Klaus Maria Brandauer
Out of Africa (1985)
108. Michelle Pfeiffer
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
109. Glenn Close
The World According to Garp (1982)
110. Michael Caine
Educating Rita (1983)
111. Sigourney Weaver
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
112. Kathleen Turner
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
113. Michael Caine
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
114. Sally Kirkland
Anna (1987)
115. Robert Redford
The Natural (1984)
116. Tom Conti
Reuben, Reuben (1983)
117. Julie Walters
Educating Rita (1983)
118. Mary Steenburger
Melvin and Howard (1980)
119. Cathy Moriarty
Raging Bull (1980)
120. Jack Lemmon
Tribute (1980)
121. Olympia Dukakis
Moonstruck (1987)
122. Melanie Griffith
Working Girl (1988)
123. Bruce Davison
Longtime Companion (1989)
124. Jessica Lange
Music Box (1989)
125. Robert Preston
Victor/Victoria (1982)
126. Anthony Hopkins
The Elephant Man (1980)
127. Bob Hoskins
The Long Good Friday (1980)
128. Robin Williams
Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
129. Frances McDormand
Blood Simple (1984)
130. Susan Sarandon
Bull Durham (1988)
131. Peter O'Toole
The Last Emperor (1987)
132. Jessica Lange
Sweet Dreams (1985)
133. Christopher Lloyd
Back to the Future (1985)
134. Denzel Washington
Cry Freedom (1987)
135. Meryl Streep
A Cry in the Dark (1988)
136. Christine Lahti
Swing Shift (1984)
137. Kathleen Turner
Romancing the Stone (1984)
138. Martin Landau
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
139. Dexter Gordon
Round Midnight (1986)
140. Jane Fonda
The Morning After (1986)
141. Shirley MacLaine
Madame Sousatzka (1988)
142. Tom Berenger
Platoon (1986)
143. Gene Hackman
Hoosiers (1986)
144. Roberto Benigni
Down by Law (1986)
145. Daniel Day-Lewis
A Room with a View (1986)
146. Robert De Niro
The Untouchables (1987)
147. Linda Hunt
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
148. Louis Gossett Jr.
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
149. Harrison Ford
Blade Runner (1982)
150. Alec Guinness
Little Dorrit (1988)
151. Brenda Fricker
My Left Foot (1989)
152. Robert De Niro
Midnight Run (1988)
153. Marlon Brando
A Dry White Season (1989)
154. Meg Ryan
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
155. Roddy McDowall
Fright Night (1985)
156. Bernadette Peters
Pennies from Heaven (1981)
157. Howard E. Rollins
Ragtime (1981)
158. Jason Robards
Melvin and Howard (1980)
159. Susan Sarandon
Atlantic City (1980)
160. Maureen Stapleton
Reds (1981)
161. Ian Holm
Chariots of Fire (1981)
162. Warren Beatty
Reds (1981)
163. Maggie Smith
A Private Function (1984)
164. Bill Murray
Ghostbusters (1984)
165. Mia Farrow
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
166. Vanessa Redgrave
Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
167. Julia Roberts
Steel Magnolias (1989)
168. Gary Oldman
Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
169. John Gielgud
Plenty (1985)
170. Anne Bancroft
Agnes of God (1985)
171. Richard E. Grant
Withnail & I (1987)
172. R. Lee Ermey
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
173. Martin Landau
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
174. John Cleese
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
175. Sean Connery
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
176. Ellen Burstyn
Ressurection (1980)
177. Leslie Nielsen
Airplane! (1980)
178. Jerry Lewis
The King of Comedy (1982)
179. Melinda Dillon
Absence of Malice (1981)
180. Ben Cross
Chariots of Fire (1981)
181. Ian Charleson
Chariots of Fire (1981)
182. Chloe Webb
Sid & Nancy (1986)
183. Jeff Goldblum
The Fly (1986)
184. Christian Bale
Empire of the Sun (1987)
185. Dennis Hopper
Hoosiers (1986)
186. Eric Roberts
Star 80 (1983)
187. Charles Durning
To Be or Not to Be (1983)
188. John Lithgow
The World According to Garp (1982)
189. Debra Winger
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
190. John Lithgow
Terms of Endearment (1983)
191. Alfre Woodard
Cross Creek (1983)
192. Sam Shepard
The Right Stuff (1983)
193. Tom Cruise
Risky Business (1983)
194. Don Ameche
Cocoon (1985)
195. Eric Stoltz
Mask (1985)
196. Jeff Daniels
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
197. Sissy Spacek
Raggedy Man (1981)
198. Christopher Walken
Pennies from Heaven (1981)
199. Tom Hulce
Dominick and Eugene (1988)
200. Geena Davis
The Accidental Tourist (1988)
1. Robert De Niro
Raging Bull (1980)
2. Meryl Streep
Sophie's Choice (1982)
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
My Left Foot (1989)
4. Dustin Hoffman
Rain Man (1988)
5. Ben Kingsley
Gandhi (1982)
6. Shirley MacLaine
Terms of Endearment (1983)
7. F. Murray Abraham
Amadeus (1984)
8. Kenneth Branagh
Henry V (1989)
9. Dustin Hoffman
Tootsie (1982)
10. Meryl Streep
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
11. Dennis Hopper
Blue Velvet (1986)
12. Sissy Spacek
The Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
13. John Hurt
The Elephant Man (1980)
14. Henry Fonda
On Golden Pond (1981)
15. Katharine Hepburn
On Golden Pond (1981)
16. Robert De Niro
The King of Comedy (1982)
17. Willem Dafoe
Platoon (1986)
18. Michael Douglas
Wall Street (1987)
19. Meryl Streep
Silkwood (1983)
20. Burt Lancaster
Atlantic City (1980)
21. Jack Nicholson
The Shining (1980)
22. Robert Duvall
Tender Mercies (1983)
23. Albert Finney
Under the Volcano (1984)
24. Sally Field
Places in the Heart (1984)
25. Robert De Niro
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
26. Al Pacino
Scarface (1983)
27. Jodie Foster
The Accused (1988)
28. William Hurt
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
29. Geraldine Page
The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
30. Paul Newman
The Color of Money (1986)
31. Gary Oldman
Sid & Nancy (1986)
32. Morgan Freeman
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
33. Glenn Close
Fatal Attraction (1987)
34. Anjelica Huston
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
35. Jack Nicholson
Terms of Endearment (1983)
36. Tom Courtenay
The Dresser (1983)
37. Paul Newman
The Verdict (1982)
38. Timothy Hutton
Ordinary People (1980)
39. Jack Lemmon
Missing (1982)
40. Jon Voight
Runaway Train (1985)
41. James Woods
Salvador (1986)
42. Harrison Ford
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
43. Glenn Close
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
44. Tom Hanks
Big (1988)
45. Raúl Juliá
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
46. Kevin Kline
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
47. Sean Connery
The Untouchables (1987)
48. Jessica Tandy
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
49. Denzel Washington
Glory (1989)
50. Morgan Freeman
Street Smart (1987)
51. Whoopi Goldberg
The Color Purple (1985)
52. Marlee Matlin
Children of a Lesser God (1986)
53. Harrison Ford
Witness (1985)
54. Pauline Collins
Shirley Valentine (1989)
55. Michelle Pfeiffer
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
56. Tom Cruise
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
57. Andie MacDowell
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
58. Robin Williams
Dead Poets Society (1989)
59. Gene Hackman
Mississippi Burning (1988)
60. Robert Downey Jr.
Less Than Zero (1987)
61. Haing S. Ngor
The Killing Fields (1984)
62. Peggy Ashcroft
A Passage to India (1984)
63. Albert Finney
The Dresser (1983)
64. Joe Pesci
Raging Bull (1980)
65. Peter O'Toole
The Stunt Man (1980)
66. Mary Tyler Moore
Ordinary People (1980)
67. Dianne Wiest
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
68. Bob Hoskins
Mona Lisa (1986)
69. Gena Rowland
Gloria (1980)
70. John Malkovich
Places in the Heart (1984)
71. James Woods
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
72. Jeff Bridges
Starman (1984)
73. Christopher Walken
The Dead Zone (1983)
74. Tom Hulce
Amadeus (1984)
75. Robert Redford
Out Of África (1985)
76. Edward James Olmos
Stand and Deliver (1988)
77. Meryl Streep
Out of Africa (1985)
78. Jessica Lange
Frances (1982)
79. Peter O'Toole
My Favourite Year (1982)
80. John Gielgud
Arthur (1981)
81. Jane Alexander
Testament (1983)
82. Vanessa Redgrave
The Bostonians (1984)
83. Cher
Silkwood (1983)
84. Jeremy Irons
Dead Ringers (1988)
85. Meryl Streep
Ironweed (1987)
86. Cher
Moonstruck (1987)
87. Sigourney Weaver
Aliens (1986)
88. Danny Aiello
Do the Right Thing (1989)
89. Morgan Freeman
Glory (1989)
90. Jack Nicholson
Ironweed (1987)
91. Albert Brooks
Broadcast News (1987)
92. Robin Williams
Good Morning Vietnam (1987)
93. Debra Winger
Terms of Endearment (1983)
94. Diane Keaton
Reds (1981)
95. Julie Andrews
Victor/Victoria (1982)
96. Diane Keaton
Shoot the Moon (1982)
97. Donald Sutherland
Ordinary People (1980)
98. Paul Newman
Absence of Malice (1981)
99. Jack Nicholson
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
100. Holly Hunter
Broadcast News (1987)
101. Jack Nicholson
Reds (1981)
102. Dudley Moore
Arthur (1981)
103. Sissy Spacek
Missing (1982)
104. Rutger Hauer
Blade Runner (1982)
105. Jeremy Irons
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
106. Sissy Spacek
Crimes of the Heart (1986)
107. Klaus Maria Brandauer
Out of Africa (1985)
108. Michelle Pfeiffer
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
109. Glenn Close
The World According to Garp (1982)
110. Michael Caine
Educating Rita (1983)
111. Sigourney Weaver
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
112. Kathleen Turner
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
113. Michael Caine
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
114. Sally Kirkland
Anna (1987)
115. Robert Redford
The Natural (1984)
116. Tom Conti
Reuben, Reuben (1983)
117. Julie Walters
Educating Rita (1983)
118. Mary Steenburger
Melvin and Howard (1980)
119. Cathy Moriarty
Raging Bull (1980)
120. Jack Lemmon
Tribute (1980)
121. Olympia Dukakis
Moonstruck (1987)
122. Melanie Griffith
Working Girl (1988)
123. Bruce Davison
Longtime Companion (1989)
124. Jessica Lange
Music Box (1989)
125. Robert Preston
Victor/Victoria (1982)
126. Anthony Hopkins
The Elephant Man (1980)
127. Bob Hoskins
The Long Good Friday (1980)
128. Robin Williams
Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
129. Frances McDormand
Blood Simple (1984)
130. Susan Sarandon
Bull Durham (1988)
131. Peter O'Toole
The Last Emperor (1987)
132. Jessica Lange
Sweet Dreams (1985)
133. Christopher Lloyd
Back to the Future (1985)
134. Denzel Washington
Cry Freedom (1987)
135. Meryl Streep
A Cry in the Dark (1988)
136. Christine Lahti
Swing Shift (1984)
137. Kathleen Turner
Romancing the Stone (1984)
138. Martin Landau
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
139. Dexter Gordon
Round Midnight (1986)
140. Jane Fonda
The Morning After (1986)
141. Shirley MacLaine
Madame Sousatzka (1988)
142. Tom Berenger
Platoon (1986)
143. Gene Hackman
Hoosiers (1986)
144. Roberto Benigni
Down by Law (1986)
145. Daniel Day-Lewis
A Room with a View (1986)
146. Robert De Niro
The Untouchables (1987)
147. Linda Hunt
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
148. Louis Gossett Jr.
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
149. Harrison Ford
Blade Runner (1982)
150. Alec Guinness
Little Dorrit (1988)
151. Brenda Fricker
My Left Foot (1989)
152. Robert De Niro
Midnight Run (1988)
153. Marlon Brando
A Dry White Season (1989)
154. Meg Ryan
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
155. Roddy McDowall
Fright Night (1985)
156. Bernadette Peters
Pennies from Heaven (1981)
157. Howard E. Rollins
Ragtime (1981)
158. Jason Robards
Melvin and Howard (1980)
159. Susan Sarandon
Atlantic City (1980)
160. Maureen Stapleton
Reds (1981)
161. Ian Holm
Chariots of Fire (1981)
162. Warren Beatty
Reds (1981)
163. Maggie Smith
A Private Function (1984)
164. Bill Murray
Ghostbusters (1984)
165. Mia Farrow
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
166. Vanessa Redgrave
Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
167. Julia Roberts
Steel Magnolias (1989)
168. Gary Oldman
Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
169. John Gielgud
Plenty (1985)
170. Anne Bancroft
Agnes of God (1985)
171. Richard E. Grant
Withnail & I (1987)
172. R. Lee Ermey
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
173. Martin Landau
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
174. John Cleese
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
175. Sean Connery
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
176. Ellen Burstyn
Ressurection (1980)
177. Leslie Nielsen
Airplane! (1980)
178. Jerry Lewis
The King of Comedy (1982)
179. Melinda Dillon
Absence of Malice (1981)
180. Ben Cross
Chariots of Fire (1981)
181. Ian Charleson
Chariots of Fire (1981)
182. Chloe Webb
Sid & Nancy (1986)
183. Jeff Goldblum
The Fly (1986)
184. Christian Bale
Empire of the Sun (1987)
185. Dennis Hopper
Hoosiers (1986)
186. Eric Roberts
Star 80 (1983)
187. Charles Durning
To Be or Not to Be (1983)
188. John Lithgow
The World According to Garp (1982)
189. Debra Winger
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
190. John Lithgow
Terms of Endearment (1983)
191. Alfre Woodard
Cross Creek (1983)
192. Sam Shepard
The Right Stuff (1983)
193. Tom Cruise
Risky Business (1983)
194. Don Ameche
Cocoon (1985)
195. Eric Stoltz
Mask (1985)
196. Jeff Daniels
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
197. Sissy Spacek
Raggedy Man (1981)
198. Christopher Walken
Pennies from Heaven (1981)
199. Tom Hulce
Dominick and Eugene (1988)
200. Geena Davis
The Accidental Tourist (1988)
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Edited By: Tim, Bruno
List Begun: 2019-10-20