100 Legends of Hollywood: The Best Actors and Actresses of 2024
Movies are a major source of entertainment and actors play an important part in bringing movies to life. The Hollywood film industry has been blessed with many great actors and actresses who with their talent and skills have made a special place in the heart of their fans. This article compiles and presents a list if top 100 Hollywood actors and actresses 2024 who have earned name, fame and recognition in the industry. Veteran actors who have been in the industry for over four decades to new artists who have made it big in a small time, the list includes all significant names.
Top 20 Best Hollywood Actors and Actresses 2024
Check out the list of the top 20 famous actors and actresses of Hollywood.
- Al Pacino
- Robert De Niro
- Denzel Washington
- Russell Crowe
- Bruce Willis
- Tom Hanks
- Meryl Streep
- Johnny Depp
- Christian Bale
- Viola Davis
- Brad Pitt
- Angelina Jolie
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Kate Winslet
- Tom Cruise
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Sylvester Stallone
- Keanu Reeves
- Nicolas Cage
- Amy Adams
About these Best Actors and Actresses of Hollywood
1. Al Pacino
Al Pacino is considered one of the greatest and most influential actors of the century and the many awards he has won over his career are a solid proof to that. Even at the age of more than 80 years, the actor is currently active in the film industry, giving his best performances.
2. Robert De Niro
One of the most influential actors of his generation, Robert De Niro is known for his powerful performance on screen. Two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award are only a few of the several accolades in his name.
3. Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is one of the greatest actors of the 21st century with plethora of hit movies in his name. After starting his career in stage plays, Washington gradually made his name among the established actors of the industry owing to his amazing acting skills.
4. Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is described by many as the best actress of her generation. The 21 Academy Award nominations and a record 32 Golden Globe Award nominations in her name tells the story of her successful career. Other than movies, Streep is also known for her stage and television work.
5. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is one of the most admired Hollywood actors whose has earned worldwide fame and recognition through his movies. He is the winner of two consecutive Academy Awards and the fourth-highest-grossing actor in North America. The list of his popular movies would be very long with Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, and Saving Private Ryan to name a few.
6. Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis, or John McClane as you might know him, is known for his image of one of the best action heroes in the industry. Starting his career with low-budget movies, with time Bruce became one of the highest-grossing actors of Hollywood. The actor owes his success to the Die Hard franchise.
7. Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe is an internationally renowned Hollywood actor known for his versatile performance. From musical, historical drama, biographical drama, war drama, crime drama, action drama to superhero film, Crowe has done it all. The actor is also the co-owner of the National Rugby League (NRL) team South Sydney Rabbitohs.
8. Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp gained worldwide popularity after playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. The actor has given many memorable performances and is known for his unconventional film choices. Despite many great work, the actor has never won any Oscar.
9. Christian Bale
Christian Bale made his debut in Hollywood at the age of 13 years and never looked back once in his three decade long acting career. Bale is known for his ability to transform himself completely according to his role that sometimes it becomes very hard to even recognize the actor.
10. Viola Davis
Viola Davis is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting and is counted among the greatest actors of the 21st century. Time has included her in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world three times. She is also one of the few actor to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
11. Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt is regarded one of the most influential people in the entertainment industry and has won 53 awards in his career of over 35 years. Apart from his immensely good looks, the actor is known for his unconventional characters and versatility. The actor gained recognition through a small role in the movie Thelma & Louise.
12. Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren is the only actor to receive both the American and the British Triple Crowns of Acting. She is also the only actor to have portrayed both Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II on screen. For services to drama, Mirren has been appointed a Dame (DBE).
13. Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio is noted for playing complex characters, especially in biographical and period films. He has also received numerous awards and accolades for his acting including Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe. The actor has been listed eight times among the highest-paid actors of the world annually.
14. Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet is a renowned Hollywood actress named by the Time magazine one of the 100 most influential people in the world twice. She is known for playing a complicated and unusual yet headstrong and spirited women in her movies. Winslet belonged to a financially struggling family but turned out to become of the highest-grossing actresses of the industry.
15. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors and one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time. Over time, Cruise has established himself as an action star and is known for performing his own risky stunts often. The actor has been an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology since the 2000s.
16. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been included in the Time’s list of 100 most influential people in the world and is also regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. The actor is popular for his roles in action movies, especially in The Terminator film series. Arnold served as the governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
17. Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone is a self-made star who gained immense prominence with the role of Rocky Balboa in the Rocky series. The actor got a very slow start in the industry with only low-budget roles before achieving greatest critical and commercial success as an actor and screenwriter with Rocky.
18. Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is one of the world-renowned Hollywood actor popular for his roles in action, comedy, and science-fiction movies. His most notable include the The Matrix, John Wick, and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure film series. Time named Reeves one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.
19. Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage was born into the famous Coppola family but made his name as one of the notable actor in the industry completely on his own. Cage has been included in list of The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time and 100 Most Powerful People in Hollywood by premier magazines.
20. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie made her film debut as a child actor alongside her father, Jon Voight, who himself is one of the highly-acclaimed actor of the industry. Jolie has made his name as Hollywood’s highest-paid actress multiple times. A great actress, Jolie is known for her humanitarian efforts as well.
Top 100 Hollywood Actors and Actresses
The table below presents the list of top 100 Hollywood actors and actresses of all time along with their most popular work till date.
Serial No. | Actor/ Actress | Most notable work |
1 | Al Pacino | The Godfather |
2 | Robert De Niro | The Godfather |
3 | Denzel Washington | Fences |
4 | Meryl Streep | Sophie’s Choice |
5 | Tom Hanks | Forrest Gump |
6 | Bruce Willis | Die Hard |
7 | Russell Crowe | Gladiator |
8 | Johnny Depp | Pirates of the Caribbean |
9 | Christian Bale | American Psycho |
10 | Viola Davis | Fences |
11 | Brad Pitt | Fight Club |
12 | Helen Mirren | The Queen |
13 | Leonardo DiCaprio | Titanic |
14 | Kate Winslet | Titanic |
15 | Tom Cruise | Mission Impossible |
16 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | The Terminator |
17 | Sylvester Stallone | Rocky |
18 | Keanu Reeves | The Matrix |
19 | Nicolas Cage | Ghost Rider |
20 | Angelina Jolie | Maleficient |
21 | Anthony Hopkins | The Silence of the Lambs |
22 | Samuel L. Jackson | Pulp Fiction |
23 | Kevin Spacey | American Beauty |
24 | John Travolta | Pulp Fiction |
25 | Morgan Freeman | The Shawshank Redemption |
26 | Meg Ryan | When Harry Met Sally… |
27 | Hugh Jackman | The Wolverine |
28 | Edward Norton | Fight Club |
29 | Matt Damon | Good Will Hunting |
30 | Charlize Theron | Monster |
31 | Joaquin Phoenix | Joker |
32 | Will Smith | Men in Black |
33 | Mel Gibson | Braveheart |
34 | Jack Nicholson | The Shining |
35 | George Clooney | Ocean’s Eleven |
36 | Octavia Spencer | The Help |
37 | Reese Witherspoon | Legally Blonde |
38 | Ralph Fiennes | Harry Potter |
39 | Robert Downey Jr. | Iron Man |
40 | Amy Adams | Arrival |
41 | Catherine Zeta-Jones | Chicago |
42 | Mark Ruffalo | Spotlight |
43 | Orlando Bloom | Pirates of the Caribbean |
44 | Jodie Foster | The Silence of the Lambs |
45 | Ian McKellen | The Lord of the Rings |
46 | Sandra Bullock | Gravity |
47 | Benedict Cumberbatch | Doctor Strange |
48 | Nicole Kidman | The Others |
49 | Gerard Butler | 300 |
50 | Cate Blanchett | Carol |
51 | Ryan Gosling | La La Land |
52 | Michael Fassbender | X-Men |
53 | Diane Keaton | The Godfather |
54 | Scarlett Johansson | Avengers |
55 | Saoirse Ronan | Little Women |
56 | Idris Elba | Suicide Squad |
57 | Margot Robbie | Suicide Squad |
58 | Bradley Cooper | A Star is Born |
59 | Michael Keaton | Batman |
60 | Adam Driver | Star Wars |
61 | Rachel Weisz | The Mummy |
62 | Keira Knightley | Pirates of the Caribbean |
63 | Frances McDormand | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri |
64 | Gary Oldman | Harry Potter |
65 | Liam Neeson | Schindler’s List |
66 | Harrison Ford | Indiana Jones |
67 | Eddie Murphy | Beverly Hills Cop |
68 | Mark Hamill | Star Wars |
69 | Jake Gyllenhaal | Nightcrawler |
70 | Jim Carrey | The Mask |
71 | Adam Sandler | Punch-Drunk Love |
72 | Jennifer Aniston | The Good Girl |
73 | Ben Stiller | Night at the Museum |
74 | Julia Roberts | Pretty Woman |
75 | Oscar Isaac | Ex Machina |
76 | Emma Stone | La La Land |
77 | Steve Carell | Foxcatcher |
78 | Natalie Portman | Black Swan |
79 | Chris Hemsworth | Thor |
80 | Letitia Wright | Black Panther |
81 | Danny Devito | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest |
82 | Ben Affleck | Batman |
83 | Michelle Pfeiffer | Scarface |
84 | Dwayne Johnson | Fast & Furious |
85 | Lupita Nyong’o | Black Panther |
86 | Vin Diesel | Fast & Furious |
87 | Tom Hardy | Venom |
88 | Timothée Chalamet | Dune |
89 | Anya Taylor-Joy | The Witch |
90 | Michael B. Jordan | Creed |
91 | Josh Brolin | Avengers |
92 | Jennifer Lawrence | The Hunger Games |
93 | Ewan McGregor | Star Wars |
94 | Rachel McAdams | Spotlight |
95 | Benicio Del Toro | Traffic |
96 | Woody Harrelson | The People v. Larry Flynt |
97 | Chiwetel Ejiofor | 12 Years a Slave |
98 | Chris Pine | Star Trek |
99 | Lucy Liu | Charlie’s Angels |
100 | Sarah Paulson | 12 Years a Slave |
Frequently Asked Questions
Al Pacino is considered one of the best Hollywood actor still active.
He is definitely one of the greatest actors of all time.
Katherine Hepburn might be the best actress of all time.
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