Top 50 Most Popular British Actors Of All Time [2022]

 

British actors have always held a special place in the hearts of audiences and fans. It could be their sense of humor, sarcasm, lovable accent, old school manners, etc.

 

I guess the list would be endless if we sat down to mention everything. The fact that most British actors begin their careers with theater plays and West End performances gives them an advantage over other actors.

 

It makes them more nuanced in their roles and more daring to experiment. Either way, it is always a treat to watch a seasoned British actor work his magic on a script.

 

While many heavyweights in Hollywood have come from England, I have been very selective with this list. People like Cary Grant, Jeremy Irons, John Hurt, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Stephan Fry, Michael Gambon, etc., have not been included despite their great performances.

 

I have tried to keep the list as current as possible. I have included only two actors who have expired as their contribution was too big to ignore.

 

Without any more delay, let me begin with my pick of the 50 most popular English actors. I hope you agree with my choices, but feel free to leave a comment to share your views.

 

 

50. Nicholas Hoult

 

 

 

Nicholas Hoult is an actor who is famous for his role as Hank McCoy in the X-Men franchise. He has been nominated for multiple awards, including BAFTAs, Golden Globes, SAG awards, etc.

 

Hoult debuted as a child actor and appeared in several TV series, including the film About a Boy, Holby City, Murder in Mind, Silent Witness, etc.

 

The recent roles of Hoult include Skins, Wallander, the X-Men series, Clash of Titans, A Single Man, Tolkein, The Great, Those Who Wish Me Dead, etc.

 

 

49. Jim Broadbent

 

 

 

Jim Broadbent is an acclaimed comedy actor etched in our memory as Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter franchise.

 

He also worked in many dramatic roles and won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and has multiple nominations for BAFTA, Primetime Emmys, SAG awards, and more.

 

The British audience knew him from the early 80s for his role in Only Fools and Horses.

 

He also starred in Time Bandits, Life is Sweet, The Borrowers, Bridget Jones's Diary, The Gathering Storm, Hot Fuzz, Another Year, The Iron Lady, Arthur Christmas, Cloud Atlas, Brooklyn, etc.

 

 

48. Kit Harington

 

 

 

Christopher Catesby Kit Harington is the son of Deborah Jane Catesby and Sir David Harington, the 15th Baronet of Ridlington.

 

He began acting in theater plays and West End roles. He appeared in TV movies and series in supporting roles.

 

He had his breakthrough when he was cast as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. His other major roles were in How To Train Your Dragon, Gunpowder, Testament of Youth, Pompeii, MCU’s Eternals, etc.

 

 

47. Paul Bettany

 

 

 

Paul Bettany shot to fame by voicing J. A. R. V. I. S. and Vision in MCU’s Iron-Man and Avengers film franchises.

 

He has worked in varied roles in comedies, suspense-thrillers, period dramas, sci-fi films, and more.

 

His acting credits include A Knight’s Tale, The Tourist, Wimbledon, The DaVinci Code, Solo: A Star Wars story, Creation, Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World, Gangster No.1, WandaVision, etc.

 

He will be back with The Harvest Moon and The Collaboration.

 

 

46. John Boyega

 

 

 

John Boyega is an actor and producer who is one of the 100 most influential black artists as per the magazine New African.

 

He gained fame in Britain with his film Attack the Block. It was a science fiction comedy horror. Boyega’s most prominent role has been in the Star Wars franchise as Finn.

 

He worked in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and Rise of the Skywalker. His other films are Imperial Dreams, Pacific Rim: The Uprising, 24: Live Another Day, Detroit, Small Axe, etc.

 

 

45. Jason Statham

 

 

 

Jason Statham is an action star, who is trained in Karate, Chinese martial arts, and kickboxing from a young age.

 

He is also a champion diver and footballer. In fact, Statham represented England in the Commonwealth Games in 1990 with the diving team.

 

After that, he was offered a modeling contract to model for  French Connection, Tommy Hilfiger, and Levi's. Statham debuted in films with Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels.

 

He also starred in other films like the Transporter series, The Bank Job, The Italian Job, Spy, the Expendables series, Hobbs & Shaw, 13, Crank, The Mechanic, etc.

 

 

44. Orlando Bloom

 

 

 

Orlando Bloom immediately reminds us of Tolkien's elf, Legolas, from the Lord of the Rings series. He was back as Legolas in The Hobbit trilogy as well.

 

His other memorable role was in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as Will Turner. Apart from these franchises, Bloom was cast in the Kingdom of Heaven as the Templar Knight, Balian of Ibelin, Troy as Prince Paris, Carnival Row, The Outpost, etc.

 

He also worked in TV series like Extras, The Good Doctor, Midsomer Murders, The Prince, Needle in The Timestack, etc.

 

 

43. Sean Bean

 

 

 

Sean Bean has worked in multiple franchises as ill-fated characters. He worked in The Lord of The Rings as Boromir who dies at the end of the first film.

 

He worked in Game of Thrones as Need Stark, the patriarch of the Stark family, but he is killed early in the show.

 

Bean's other notable performances were in Troy, Sharpe, Silent Hill, Snowpiercer, National Treasure, Patriot Games, The Martian, Goldeneye, Curfew, World on Fire, Medici, Black Death, Time, Wolf Walker, Hitman 3, The Oath, Hitman 2, etc.

 

 

42. Martin Freeman

 

 

 

Martin Freeman is another Tolkien actor who worked in The Hobbit trilogy. He portrayed Bilbo Baggins, the eponymous hobbit.

 

He is also famous for his role in the TV series Sherlock, in which he portrayed Dr. Watson. Martin Freeman caught the fancy of the world with other roles in Avengers: Civil War and Black Panther as the British agent.

 

He also acted in the TV series Fargo, The Office (UK version), a Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, The responders, Shaun of the Dead, The Responders, Ali G, Inda House, etc.

 

 

41. Ricky Gervais

 

 

 

Ricky Gervais is an internationally renowned comedian, filmmaker, and actor. He stirred the pot as the host of the Golden Globes award ceremony for five years with his satirical take on Hollywood.

 

While it ruffled a few feathers, the audience loved his barbs. Apart from hosting stand-up comedy shows, Gervais acted and created shows like The Office, Extras, Life's too Short, Afterlife, The Ricky Gervais Show, etc.

 

He also starred in Stardust, The Invention of Lying, Ghost Town, Night at the Museum, its sequel, Special Correspondents, etc.

 

 

40. Daniel Radcliffe

 

 

 

Daniel Radcliffe was the kid who played Harry Potter. Although the Harry Potter series ended, he is still known for the role he played.

 

After the series, Radcliffe worked in many independent and small-budget movies too.

 

His most famous roles were in Horns, The List City, Guns Akimbo, Jungle, Swiss Army Man, Kill Your Darlings, Escape From Pretoria, Miracle Workers, The Woman in Black, Extras, A Young Doctor's Notebook & Other Stories, etc.

 

 

39. Tom Holland

 

 

 

Tom Holland enrolled in ballet classes, and his teacher encouraged him to audition for a part in Billy Elliot: The Musical.

 

He played the part on stage till 2010. This role solidified his love for acting. He went to work in films like The Impossible, In The Heart of The Sea, How I Live Now, etc.

 

In 2016, Holland’s career took a turn when he was cast as Spider-Man in MCU’s Captain America: Civil War.

 

He continued to play Spider-Man in a total of five movies, thus breaking Tobey Maguire’s record. After Marvel, Holland worked in Chaos Walking, The Devil All The Time, Cherry, Uncharted, etc.

 

 

38. Michael Caine

 

 

 

Sir Michael Caine is an iconic British actor with a career of over seven decades and 160 movies to his credit.

 

Caine has won two Academy Awards along with multiple Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG Awards. He is one of the five actors to have an Academy Award nomination in each of the five decades.

 

It is difficult to list all of the best performances of Sir Michael Caine, but here are a few: Zulu, Alfie, The Italian Job, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dressed to Kill, Educating Rita, Hannah And Her Sisters, Secondhand Lions, The Cider House Rules, The Quiet American, Quills, the Dark Knight trilogy, etc.

 

 

37. Jamie Dornan

 

 

 

Jamie Dornan gained fame as a model with his campaigns for Hugo Boss, Dior Homme, and Calvin Klein. He was ranked among the 25 biggest male models of all time by Vogue.

 

Later, he transitioned to films and acting with his debut in Marie Antoinette. He worked on the ABC fantasy drama, Once Upon A Time, The Fall, etc.

 

He got his biggest break with the 50 Shades trilogy, where he played Christian Grey. His critically acclaimed films are  Anthropoid, The Siege of Jadotville, A Private War, Belfast, etc.

 

 

36. Riz Ahmed

 

 

 

Riz Ahmed is a British Pakistani actor. He is also a musician and rapper. He portrayed a drummer who loses his sense of hearing in the film Sound of Metal.

 

The role received an Oscar nomination in 2021. In 2022, he won the Oscar for his live-action short film, A Long Goodbye.

 

Riz Ahmed has worked in other successful films like Venom, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jason Bourne, The Night Of., Nightcrawler, Four Lions, Ill Manors, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Trishna, Britz, Dead Set, etc.

 

 

35. Simon Pegg

 

 

 

Simon Pegg is a British comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He worked in many memorable roles as an actor and screenwriter.

 

He also did voice acting in the Ice-Age franchise as the slightly wonky Buck. He starred in the Mission Impossible series as Benji Dunn and the Star Trek franchise as Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott, the chief engineer.

 

Simon Pegg worked as an actor and writer in Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Star Trek Beyond, The World’s End, Paul, Run Fatboy Run!, etc.

 

 

34. David Tennant

 

 

 

David Tennant is a Scottish actor famous for his role as the tenth Doctor Who. Tennant was a fan of the show since his childhood and became an actor to work as Doctor Who.

 

Along the way, Tennant worked in the Royal Shakespearean theater and their various film adaptations too. Tennant starred in the comedy-drama series Casanova where he played Giacomo Casanova.

 

He also appeared in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Barty Crouch Jr, Good Omen, Hamlet, Broadchurch, Jessica Jones, Ducktales, etc.

 

 

33. Ewan McGregor

 

 

 

Ewan McGregor is a Scottish actor who came to prominence with his performance in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. In 1999, he was cast as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

 

The role was a huge success, and he followed it up with the Oscar-nominated Moulin Rouge in 2001.

 

McGregor appeared in several successful and acclaimed films, including Robots, Big Fish, Doctor Sleep, Beauty and The Beast, The Ghost Writer, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Black Mass, Christopher Robin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fargo, etc.

 

 

32. Hugo Weaving

 

 

 

Hugo Wallace Weaving is an English actor who was born in colonial Nigeria and grew up in Australia. He came to prominence with his role as Douglas Jardin in the cricket movie Bodyline about Don Bradman.

 

However, the roles that shot his fame into the sky came in 1999. In 1999, Weaving was cast as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy.

 

During the same period, he also portrayed the Tolkein elf, Elrond, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He reprised the role in the Hobbit trilogy in 2014.

 

Weaving worked on other hits like Priscilla: The Queen of the Desert, V for Vendetta, Captain America: The First Avenger, etc.

 

 

31. Tom Hardy

 

 

 

Tom Hardy started as a model when he won the modeling contract with Model One Agency. Later he turned his sights toward acting and drama.

 

He worked in Black Hawk Down, Band of Brothers, Star Trek Nemesis, Marie Antoinette, RocknRolla, Bronson, etc. Hardy rose to international prominence with his role as Bane in Dark Knight Rises, Inception, This Means War, Lawless, Mad Max Fury Road, etc.

 

In 2015, he appeared in the Oscar-nominated film The Revenant. He followed it up with Venom, Dunkirk, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Peaky Blinders, etc.

 

 

30. Sacha Baron Cohen

 

 

 

Sacha Baron Cohen is a satirist, comedian, and actor with a knack for creating characters that are often controversial.

 

He created personas like Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Admiral General Aladeen, Bruno Gehard, etc., for his comedy movies.

 

Apart from comedies, Sacha Baron Cohen worked in dramatic roles in films like Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Hugo, Les Misérables, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Alice Through the Looking Glass, etc.

 

 

29. Ralph Fiennes

 

 

 

Ralph Fiennes is a celebrated British actor who has worked in many critically acclaimed and award-winning films. He is most famous for his role as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise.

 

Fiennes gained prominence for his portrayal in Wuthering Heights, Schindler’s List, The English Patient, and The Constant Gardener.

 

He also acted in The End of the Affair, Red Dragon, Maid in Manhattan, In Bruges, Clash of the Titans, Great Expectations, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King’s Man, Skyfall, Spectre, No Time to Die, etc.

 

 

28. Tom Hiddleston

 

 

 

Tom Hiddleston has gained international acclaim for his role as Loki in the Thor franchise and the Avengers film series.

 

As with every other British actor, Hiddleston's career began with theater and Shakespearean plays. He also won the Olivier Award for his play Cymbeline.

 

Tom Hiddleston appeared in I Saw The Light, Kong: Skull Island,  The Deep Blue Sea, Only Lovers Left Alive, Crimson Peak, War Horse, Midnight In Paris, Archipelago, High Rise, Night Manager, Coriolanus, The Hollow Crown, The Deep Blue Sea, Wallander, Suburban Shootout, etc.

 

 

27. Hugh Grant

 

 

 

Hugh Grant is known for his romantic comedies and very British mannerisms. He debuted with Merchant-Ivory films like Maurice, The Remains of the Day, etc.

 

He worked in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility, Restoration, etc. In 1994, Grant found his groove with romantic comedies with Four Weddings and a Funeral.

 

He followed it up with Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, About a Boy, Two Weeks Notice, Love Actually, Music and Lyrics, Cloud Atlas, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Man from U. N. C. L. E., The Gentlemen, etc.

 

 

26. Chiwetel Ejiofor

 

 

 

Chiwetel Ejiofor is an actor who was nominated for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, etc.

 

He won a BAFTA award and an Olivier Award. He began his film career with Steven Spielberg’s Amistad.

 

Ejiofor has worked in Four Brothers, Endgame, 12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the 2019 remake of The Lion King,  Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, The Man Who Fell to Earth, etc.

 

 

25. Ben Kingsley

 

 

 

Sir Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji, but he changed his name after facing rejection based on his ethnicity.

 

It worked out for Kingsley as he went on to win an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

 

Ben Kingsley’s most famous role has been in Gandhi, following it up with Schindler's List, Twelfth Night, Sexy Beast, House of Sand and Fog, Thunderbirds, Lucky Number Slevin, Shutter Island, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Hugo, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, etc.

 

 

24. Sean Connery

 

 

 

Sir Sean Connery is the first actor who played the inimitable MI6 agent, James Bond. He worked in seven James Bond films before he quit the series to work in other films.

 

After Bond films, he worked with other noted directors like  Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Lumet, John Huston, etc.

 

His acting credits include Marnie, The Hill, Murder on the Orient Express, The Man Who Would Be King, A Bridge Too Far, The Name of the Rose, The Untouchables, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades, The Hunt For the Red October, The Rock, Finding Forrester, etc.

 

 

23. Patrick Stewart

 

 

 

Sir Patrick Stewart had a long and celebrated career on the West End before he debuted on-screen.

 

He performed at Bristol Old Vic and won the Laurence Olivier Award for his play Anthony and Cleopatra.

 

He worked in the TV series Hedda and I, Claudius for BBC television. Later, Stewart worked as Captain Jean Luc Picard in the Star Trek Next Generation TV series and multiple films from the franchise.

 

He also played Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise. Apart from these, his notable performances are in American Dad, Family Guy, Coda, Million Ways to Die in The West, etc.

 

 

22. Daniel Craig

 

 

 

Daniel Craig is the current James Bond and has starred in a total of five Bond films.

 

Craig also started work with theater performances and debuted on TV shows, including Our Friends In The North, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, etc.

 

He started work in film with Elizabeth. He went on to work in Lara Croft: The Tomb Raider, Layer Cake, Munich, Road to Perdition, The Golden Compass, Defiance, Cowboys & Aliens, Girl in The Dragon Tattoo, Logan Lucky, Knives Out, etc.

 

He is currently working on the sequel to Knives Out.

 

 

21. Rowan Atkinson

 

 

 

Rowan Atkinson is a comedian, and sketch comedy actor. He started doing sketch comedy shows on BBC with Not the Nine O’Clock News and built a steady fan base.

 

While he was introduced to the international audience with Mr. Bean, Atkinson was already familiar to the British audience with his series Blackadder.

 

Apart from Bean and Blackadder, he also worked in Johnny English, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Lion King, Love Actually, The Thin Blue Line, Maigret, etc.

 

Atkinson also worked on stage in his sketch comedy shows and won an Olivier Award for Rowan Atkinson in Revue.

 

 

20. Jude Law

 

 

 

Jude Law is an accomplished British actor with a BAFTA award and multiple nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and more.

 

He gained prominence with his role in Gattaca and followed it up with The Talented Mr Ripley. He earned an Oscar nomination for the latter.

 

Jude Law is currently playing the young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts series. His film credits include Enemy At The Gate, Road To Perdition, Sleuth, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, Alfie, The Holiday, Spy, Rise of The Guardians, etc.

 

 

19. James McAvoy

 

 

 

James McAvoy is a Scottish actor who became famous for his role as Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, The Wardrobe.

 

He started his career with West End and worked in TV series like the State of Play, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, etc.

 

McAvoy gained critical acclaim for his role in The Last King of Scotland. He played Kevin MacDonald and earned a BAFTA nomination for it.

 

His other nominated roles include Atonement, Split Glass, the X-Men prequel franchise, Wanted, and more.

 

 

18. Andy Serkis

 

 

 

Andy Serkis is an actor, voice actor, director, and producer. He is known for his role in the Lord of the Rings franchise and the Hobbit franchise as Smeagol/Gollum.

 

He also helped flesh out many more CGI characters like King Kong, Caesar in Planet of the Apes and its sequels, Captain Haddock /Sir Francis Haddock in The Adventures of Tintin, Supreme Commander Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, etc.

 

Apart from these, Serkis also acted in regular films Lille Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther, Batman, etc.

 

He directed the films Breathe, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Mowgli: Legend of The Jungle, etc.

 

 

17. John Cleese

 

 

 

John Cleese is a very important figure in British comedy circuits. He is an actor, screenwriter, and producer. While working in Off-Broadway shows, he met his first wife, Connie Booth, and they collaborated to create the greatest comedy series in the UK, Fawlty Towers.

 

Later, he formed the Monty Python comedy troupe with Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman.

 

They made comedy sketches, movies, and more. Solo projects Cleese include A Fish Named Wanda, the Shrek franchise, Fierce Creatures, Time Bandits, Silverado, Rat Race, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, etc.

 

 

16. Ian McKellen

 

 

 

Sir Ian McKellen has been appointed the Companion of Honours and the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

 

He built an envious career in theatre and television. He won seven Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award, etc.

 

He has many more nominations. The most notable performances of Ian McKellen have been as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit trilogy, as Eric Letscher/ Magneto in the X-Men franchise, Professor Teabing in The DaVinci Code, Gods and Monsters, Richard III, etc.

 

 

15. Robert Pattinson

 

 

 

Robert Pattinson rose to fame as Cedric Diggory in The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Though the role was short, the film created a strong fan base for him.

 

Later, his role as the vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight films made him an instant teen sensation. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.

 

Despite his big-budget films, Pattinson enjoys working with auteur directors and independent films. He appeared in films like Water for The Elephants, Cosmopolis, The Lost City of Z, Remember Me, Good Time, The Lighthouse, etc.

 

He came back to big studio productions with Nolan’s Tenet and Matt Reeves’ Batman.

 

 

14. Idris Elba

 

 

 

Idris Elba started his showbiz career being a rapper and a DJ. He successfully worked in pubs and DJ nights, but he wanted more.

 

Elba made his acting debut with a small role in the TV series 2point4 Children. The role that brought him recognition was in HBO’s The Wire in 2002.

 

Idris Elba went on star in other hit TV series like Luther, The Office (US version), etc.

 

He also appeared in films like Daddy’s Little Girls, the Thor franchise, the Avengers franchise, Prometheus, Pacific Rim, Beasts of No Nation, Molly’s Game, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, and The Suicide Squad, etc.

 

 

13. Hugh Laurie

 

 

 

Hugh Laurie is internationally famous as Dr House from the TV series House. However, the role that brought him to the limelight was the sketch-comedy show, A Bit of Fry and Laurie.

 

He also worked with him in PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster. Laurie continued his work in comedy with Blackadder, 101 Dalmatians, Stuart Little, The Borrowers, Veep, Catch-22, Avenue 5, etc.

 

He also worked in dramatic roles in The Night Manager, Roadkill, Why Didn't They Ask Evans, etc.

 

 

12. Gary Oldman

 

 

 

Gary Oldman is a versatile actor with a long career in film and stage. He often picks characters with intense and difficult emotions and portrays them with finesse.

 

He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three BAFTAs, apart from various other accolades.

 

Some of Gary Oldman’s memorable works are Sid and Nancy, State of Grace, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, JFK, Air Force One, the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight trilogy, Darkest Hour, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mank, Dawn of the Planet of The Apes, etc.

 

 

11. Eddie Redmayne

 

 

 

Eddie Redmayne is a talented British actor with an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, two Laurence Olivier Awards, etc.

 

He debuted with Wet End plays and auditioned for TV and film roles. He appeared in films like The Good Shepherd, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Like Minds, etc.

 

Redmayne gained prominence with a role in  My Week with Marilyn, Les Misérables, The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, its sequels, The Trial of Chicago 7, etc.

 

 

10. Kenneth Branagh

 

 

 

Kenneth Branagh is an actor, director, writer, and producer. He is known for his Shakespearean work and literary adaptations.

 

As a writer and director, Branagh's work includes Henry V, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Much Ado About Nothing, Love’s Labour Lost, Swan Song, Hamlet, Murder On The Orient Express, etc.

 

As an actor, Branagh worked in Conspiracy, Valkyrie, My Week With Marilyn, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dunkirk, Tenet, Murder On the Orient Express, Death On The Nile, The Road to El Dorado, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, etc.

 

 

9. Laurence Olivier

 

 

 

Laurence Olivier was one of the greatest performers on stage and in film. He began his career with West End productions and moved to films due to his need for money.

 

For his films, he received four Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, etc. There is an award for excellence in British theater that has been constituted in his name.

 

He has a vast collection of movies that he starred in, including Henry V, Rebecca, Spartacus, Othello, The Prince and The Showgirl, Wuthering Heights, Sleuth, That Hamilton Woman, Richard III, Clash of The Titans, Battle of Britain, etc.

 

 

8. Christian Bale

 

 

 

Christian Bale is a highly talented and appreciated actor of his generation. His recent movies that were nominated for Academy Awards include Vice, Ford vs Ferrari, The Fighter, American Hustle, The Machinist, American Psycho, etc.

 

He has also won the award for the Fighter. He began his career at a young age and gained fame for his portrayal in Steven Spielberg’s Children of the Sun.

 

He also worked in The Newsies, Reign of Fire, the Dark Knight trilogy, Public Enemies, Out of the Furnace, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Equilibrium, etc.

 

 

7. Daniel Day-Lewis

 

 

 

Daniel Day-Lewis is a reclusive British actor who has taken semi-retirement after his Oscar-nominated roles in Lincoln, The Phantom Thread, etc.

 

He left behind a legacy of great performances and a record number of Oscar wins for a male actor. He won these awards for My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, and Lincoln.

 

Day-Lewis gained fame for his early performances in My beautiful Laundrette, A Room With a View, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Crucible, The Age of Innocence, The Last of the Mohicans, The Boxer, etc.

 

 

6. Colin Firth

 

 

 

Colin Firth is an award-winning and highly respected British actor. His performance in The King’s Speech, A Single Man, was nominated for Academy Awards, and he won the award for the former.

 

Firth was noticed and applauded for his role as Mr. Darcy in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice.

 

After that, he worked in The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, Bridget Jones's Diary, The Importance of Being Earnest, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Love Actually, Mamma Mia, its sequel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Kingsman: The Secret Service, its sequel, 1917, etc.

 

 

5. Anthony Hopkins

 

 

 

Anthony Hopkins is a name that reminds us of the cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs. To some people, he represents the great Asgardian god Odin.

 

Whichever name we select Anthony Hopkins’s performance has made the character believable and weighty.

 

Sir Hopkins has also performed in The Remains of the Day, A Bridge Too Far, The Elephant Man, The Silence of the Lambs, Howards End, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Shadowlands, Legends of the Fall, Meet Joe Black, The Mask of Zorro, the Thor franchise, etc.

 

Sir Anthony Hopkins has won two Academy Awards, four BAFTAs, a Laurence Olivier award, etc.

 

 

4. Alan Rickman

 

 

 

Alan Rickman was a great actor with a vast canon of work in film, television, and theater. He began working in Birmingham Repertory theater in 1976 with Sherlock Holmes and participated in several stage productions of Shakespeare.

 

He moved to TV in 1978, and his silver screen debut occurred in 1988 with his iconic role as Hans Gruber in Die Hard.

 

He gave life to many great characters like Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Truly Madly Deeply, Michael Collins, An Awfully Big Adventure, Galaxy Quest, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually, etc.

 

 

3. Daniel Kaluuya

 

 

 

Daniel Kaluuya has a rich collection of stage performances that have won him accolades. On the stage, Kaluuya performed in Sucker Punch and earned an Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award.

 

He also worked in TV series like Skins, Psychoville, The Fades, etc. His film repertoire is equally good with Johnny English Reborn, Kick-Ass 2, Sicario, Get Out, Black Panther, Widows, Queen & Slim, etc.

 

He won the Academy Award for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah.

 

 

2. Benedict Cumberbatch

 

 

 

Benedict Cumberbatch has had a good year with great films and successful franchises. The latest installment of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was released this year.

 

He was also nominated for his role in Power of the Dog for an Oscar. Cumberbatch’s other nominated films and hit movies include Imitation Game, the Hobbit trilogy, Avengers franchise, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Star Trek: Into The Darkness, and 12 Years A Slave, The Fifth Estate, Dunkirk, etc.

 

He also worked in the TV series, Parade's End, The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, Brexit: The Uncivil War, Sherlock, etc.

 

 

1. Henry Cavill

 

 

 

Henry Cavill is a name that inspires a sense of justice as he is Clark Kent/ Superman. He portrayed the DCEU superhero in Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, etc.

 

Henry Cavill is famous for other fabulous roles in the TV series The Tudors as Charles Brando, The Witcher as Geralt of Rivia, etc.

 

He worked in the films The Man From U. N. C. L. E, Enola Holmes, Mission Impossible: Fallout. Immortals, Stardust, etc.