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Oscars  Best Actor Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Oscars  Best Actor Quizzes, Trivia

Oscars - Best Actor Trivia

Oscars - Best Actor Trivia Quizzes

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26 quizzes and 315 trivia questions.
1.
  Best Actors and Their Roles - 1959-1973   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning role to the "Best Actor" recipient. The date following the role name is the year the actor was awarded that Oscar.
Easier, 15 Qns, jcmttt, Aug 29 23
Easier
jcmttt gold member
Aug 29 23
713 plays
2.
  Best Actors and Their Roles - 1989-2003   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning role to the "Best Actor" recipient. The date following the role name is the year the actor was awarded that Oscar.
Easier, 15 Qns, jcmttt, Sep 05 23
Easier
jcmttt gold member
Sep 05 23
647 plays
3.
  Best Actors and Their Roles - 1974-1988   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning role to the "Best Actor" recipient. The date following the role name is the year the actor was awarded that Oscar.
Average, 15 Qns, jcmttt, Aug 31 23
Average
jcmttt gold member
Aug 31 23
639 plays
4.
  Best Actors and Their Roles - 2004-2018   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning role to the "Best Actor" recipient. The date following the role name is the year the actor was awarded that Oscar.
Easier, 15 Qns, jcmttt, Sep 15 23
Easier
jcmttt gold member
Sep 15 23
511 plays
5.
  Best Actors and Their Roles - 1944-1958   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning role to the "Best Actor" recipient. The date following the role name is the year the actor was awarded that Oscar.
Easier, 15 Qns, jcmttt, Aug 21 23
Easier
jcmttt gold member
Aug 21 23
462 plays
6.
  Best Actors and Their Roles - 1929-1943   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning role to the "Best Actor" recipient. The date following the role name is the year the actor was awarded that Oscar.
Easier, 15 Qns, jcmttt, Aug 11 23
Easier
jcmttt gold member
Aug 11 23
394 plays
7.
  The Oscars - Best Actor   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
I describe the actor's character that garnered the Academy Award for Best Actor, you give me the actor who earned it. Some information courtesy of 'Oscar.com'.
Average, 20 Qns, Oddball, Oct 27 19
Average
Oddball
Oct 27 19
12722 plays
8.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1970s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1970s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Feb 03 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Feb 03 19
1067 plays
9.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1990s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1990s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Jan 15 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Jan 15 19
985 plays
10.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 2000s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor in the first decade of the 21st century. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Jan 06 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Jan 06 19
972 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Father Chuck O'Malley, recently arrived at a parish to contend with both his new congregation and the pastor:

From Quiz "The Oscars - Best Actor II"




11.
  Who Played that Role?   best quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Match the Oscar-winning actor to the description of the role for which he won the Best Actor award. In keeping with my intermittent "oldies" series of quizzes, nothing here is later than 1980. Dates refer to release dates, not Oscar ceremonies.
Easier, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Mar 07 16
Easier
spanishliz editor
1762 plays
12.
  Who Was That Oscar Winner?   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Match the role described with the actor who won a Best Actor Oscar for playing that role. Straying from my usual "oldies" format, these performances are all post-1980.
Easier, 10 Qns, spanishliz, May 05 17
Easier
spanishliz editor
1919 plays
13.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1960s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1960s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Feb 08 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Feb 08 19
939 plays
14.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1950s   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1950s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Feb 17 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Feb 17 19
892 plays
15.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1980s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1980s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Jan 21 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Jan 21 19
1067 plays
16.
  Who Won the Oscar for Best Actor?   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz will challenge your memory of who has won the Academy Award for Best Actor. All of these questions feature movies that did extremely well at the box office. Remember that the award is given the following year of the movie's release.
Easier, 10 Qns, CrowDad, Nov 18 10
Easier
CrowDad
3540 plays
17.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1940s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1940s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Feb 24 19
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Feb 24 19
783 plays
18.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 2010s   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 2010s. Your task is to match them to the film for which they won the award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Mar 30 20
Very Easy
PDAZ gold member
Mar 30 20
794 plays
19.
  Match the Best Actor Oscar Winners - 1920s/30s   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
The actors below won the Academy Award for Best Actor for films from the 1920s and 1930s. Note: In 1929, one actor won for two different films, and another actor received an honorary award. The year listed is the year of the ceremony, not the film.
Easier, 15 Qns, PDAZ, Mar 29 19
Easier
PDAZ gold member
Mar 29 19
646 plays
20.
  10 Great Best Actors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
10 Great Best Actor Winners
Average, 10 Qns, oscar820, Feb 19 15
Average
oscar820
9474 plays
21.
  The Oscars - Best Actor II   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
By special request, more Academy Award winning roles. Just name the actor.
Average, 15 Qns, Oddball, Jun 23 03
Average
Oddball
5688 plays
22.
  Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The correct answers won Academy Awards for their roles, yet they weren't necessarily the first choice to play them. Can you select the actor who finally got chosen for these iconic characters?
Very Easy, 10 Qns, parrotman2006, Jul 22 19
Very Easy
parrotman2006 gold member
Jul 22 19
635 plays
23.
  Best Actor Non-Winners   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Each year there can only be one winner of the Best Actor Oscar. But every year there are great performances that don't win the prize. Here are 15 questions about performances that were nominated for Best Actor, but didn't take the trophy.
Average, 15 Qns, Misregistered, Jan 25 06
Average
Misregistered
7069 plays
24.
  Notable Oscar Snubs: Classic Actors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Each of these actors has at least four Academy Award nominations. Can you determine the performance that Academy voters didn't recognize?
Average, 10 Qns, parrotman2006, Aug 13 19
Average
parrotman2006 gold member
Aug 13 19
534 plays
25.
  Notable Oscar Snubs: Current Actors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
My first snubbed Actors quiz featured actors from 1940 to 1980 films. This deals with actors in more recent films.
Average, 10 Qns, parrotman2006, Aug 15 19
Average
parrotman2006 gold member
Aug 15 19
601 plays
26.
  Actors And Their Roles    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I'll give you the movie character's name, you tell me which actor played the role and won the Oscar.
Tough, 10 Qns, Jack1331, Apr 30 03
Tough
Jack1331
6580 plays

Oscars - Best Actor Trivia Questions

1. Jack Nicholson has brought some amazing characters to life, but they weren't always recognized by the Academy. Which one of Jack's roles did Oscar voters overlook?

From Quiz
Notable Oscar Snubs: Current Actors

Answer: Jack Torrance, "The Shining" (1980)

"All Work and No Play" means no Academy Award nomination for Nicholson despite one of the greatest displays of psychotic possession ever put on film. "The Shining" received not a single Academy Award nomination. Shelley Duvall and Stanley Kubrick were actually nominated for Golden Raspberries. Nicholson was nominated for playing cynical private investigator Jake Gittes in "Chinatown" (1974), hitman Charley Partanna in "Prizzi's Honor" (1985) and world weary retiree Warren Schmidt in "About Schmidt" (2002). Nicholson won his Best Acting Oscars for playing maverick mental patient Randall McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" (1975) and wonderfully cynical novelist Melvin Udall in "As Good as it Gets" (1997). He won his second Oscar, a Supporting award, for playing astronaut Garrett Breedlove in "Terms of Endearment" (1983). Nicholson received his first nomination for playing George Hanson in the quintessential biker film "Easy Rider" (1969). Other notable performances by Nicholson appear in "Five Easy Pieces" (1970), "The Last Detail" (1973) and "Reds" (1981). And who can forget his "You can't handle the truth!" speech from "A Few Good Men" (1992). His role as Colonel Nathan Jessup got him another Supporting Actor nod.

2. As Richard Attenborough went through the long process of making "Gandhi" (1982), he had a variety of possible leads. Who wound up playing the Indian activist?

From Quiz Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men

Answer: Ben Kingsley

Now it is almost unimaginable that anybody other than Ben Kingsley could have played Mohandas Gandhi. Kingsley's family even came from the same part of India as Gandhi. But over the course of the almost 20 years it took him to finally complete "Gandhi" (1982), Sir Richard Attenborough had a variety of ideas for the leading role. He offered the role to both Tom Courtney and John Hurt. Both brilliant actors, but not Indian. Alec Guinness and Anthony Hopkins were also considered for the role, and Dustin Hoffman expressed interest in playing Gandhi.

3. Denzel Washington was considered a front-runner for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ruben Carter in which 1999 movie?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: The Hurricane

"The Hurricane" was based on Ruben Carter's book "The 16th Round" where he told the story of his lengthy imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit.

4. Macauley 'Mike' Connor, a tabloid reporter with an axe to grind where wealth and privilege are concerned:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor II

Answer: James Stewart

Stewart won for his role in the classic 'The Philadelphia Story' in 1940. Incidentally, Stewart Granger's real name is James Stewart. He had to change it to avoid confusion.

5. Peter Warne, an unemployed reporter who escorts a flighty runaway socialite for a scoop and, instead, falls in love with her:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor

Answer: Clark Gable

Gable starred opposite socialite Claudette Colbert in 'It Happened One Night' in 1934.

6. Who did Oliver Stone wind up choosing to play financial wizard Gordon Gekko in his 1987 film "Wall Street"?

From Quiz Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men

Answer: Michael Douglas

"Greed is Good. Greed Works." Michael Douglas perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the 1980s as inside trader Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street." But he was not director Oliver Stone's first choice. James Woods was offered the part of Gekko, but turned it down to do "Cop" (1988). Other films which could have starred Woods include "Batman" (1990), "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), where Quentin Tarantino wanted him for Mr. Orange, and "Star Wars" (1977). Woods auditioned for Han Solo. Other actors who took a pass on Gordon Gekko include Warren Beatty, Richard Gere and Jack Nicholson. In Jack's case, he was busy with "Witches of Eastwick" (1987) and "Ironweed" (1987).

7. Sean Penn was nominated for the 1995 Best Actor Oscar for his fantastic performance as a death row inmate in which film?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: Dead Man Walking

Penn was wonderful in his chilling role as a murderer who attempts to make peace with his life before his execution, with the help of Sister Helen Prejean, played by Susan Sarandon.

8. August Schilling, an immigrant family man forced by circumstances to fake his death and hide from those he loves:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor II

Answer: Emil Jannings

A German actor, Jannings holds the distinction of being not only the first Oscar winner as Best Actor, he also won it on the basis of two films, his role as Schilling in 'The Way Of All Flesh' and in 'The Last Command' in 1928. Sadly, there is no known copy of the original 'Flesh', but a remake with Tamiroff was made in 1940.

9. The title character, a backwoods sharpshooter with a conscience who becomes a reluctant hero in World War One:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor

Answer: Gary Cooper

Cooper won the award for 'Sergeant York', based on the life of Medal of Honor recipient Alvin York, in 1941.

10. "Silence of the Lambs" (1991) faced a long road in getting to the silver screen. What actor finally wound up playing the iconic psychopath?

From Quiz Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men

Answer: Anthony Hopkins

"I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti." Given the genius of Sir Anthony Hopkins' performance as Hannibal Lecter, it is hard to imagine someone else as the deranged doctor. But he was far from the first choice. Sean Connery was director Jonathan Demme's first choice to play Lecter, but the actor turned it down because he considered the role "disgusting". Gene Hackman had actually bought the rights to the book and considered starring in the film in the 1980s. An incredible range of actors were considered to play Lecter, including Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Christopher Lloyd and Patrick Stewart.

11. 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption" was full of great performances, but only one man received an Oscar nomination for his role in the film; who was it?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: Morgan Freeman & Freeman

Morgan Freeman lost the Best Actor award that year to Tom Hanks for his role as Forrest Gump.

12. Father Chuck O'Malley, recently arrived at a parish to contend with both his new congregation and the pastor:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor II

Answer: Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis 'Bing' Crosby won the 1944 Best Actor Award for 'Going My Way', opposite Frawley and Fitzgerald. Also in the film is former 'Our Gang' star Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzler.

13. A dual role, as Tim Strawn, a disfigured hired killer, and his brother Kid Sheleen, a dime store gunfighter turned drunk:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor

Answer: Lee Marvin

Marvin won the Oscar for the comic western 'Cat Ballou' in 1965.

14. Who wound up taking home an Oscar for his role as AIDS stricken attorney Andrew Beckett in the 1993 film "Philadelphia"?

From Quiz Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men

Answer: Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks won his first Academy Award as Andrew Beckett, an attorney with AIDS who was fired by his law firm. But he wasn't the first choice. Christopher Reeve was offered the role of Beckett, but turned it down claiming the film was depressing. Other actors to be offered the role include Daniel Day Lewis, Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton. Among other films which could have starred Reeve: "American Gigolo" (1980) whose lead went to Richard Gere; both roles in "Bonfires of the Vanities" (1990), a wise choice by Reeve, and "Romancing the Stone" (1984) where the lead went to Michael Douglas.

15. "Henry V" saw which performer nominated for Best Actor in 1989?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: Kenneth Branagh

Branagh also received a nomination for Best Director for "Henry V", but failed to win that one as well.

16. Sergent J.J. Sefton, an Allied P.O.W. during World War II with a knack for wheeling and dealing:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor II

Answer: William Holden

Holden won for his role in 'Stalag 17' in 1953.

17. 'Popeye' Doyle, a New York detective in search of an overseas shipment of illegal drugs:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor

Answer: Gene Hackman

Hackman won for 'The French Connection' in 1971.

18. Marlon Brando won two Academy Awards during his career, but was occasionally overlooked by Oscar voters. Can you name which role was snubbed?

From Quiz Notable Oscar Snubs: Classic Actors

Answer: Fletcher Christian, "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962)

Brando played Fletcher Christian against Trevor Howard's Captain Bligh in the 1962 version of "Mutiny on the Bounty." While the film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, none of the cast was nominated for acting awards. Brando won his first Academy Award award as Terry Molloy, a dock worker fighting mob corruption in "On the Waterfront" (1954). Ironically, his second was for playing the leader of the Corleone Crime family in "The Godfather" (1972). Brando refused to accept this award as a protest against the treatment of Native Americans. Brando was also nominated for playing Zapata, and for "Last Tango in Paris" (1972). He was also nominated as Marc Antony in "Julius Caesar" (1953) and as a conflicted serviceman in "Sayonara" (1957). Brando's first nomination was as Stanley Kowalski (Stella!) in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1952). His last nomination was in 1990, as a human rights attorney fighting Apartheid in South Africa in "A Dry White Season" (1989). Brando died in July 2004.

19. While he wasn't the first choice, what actor created one of the most beloved characters in film history as "Forrest Gump" (1994)?

From Quiz Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men

Answer: Tom Hanks

"Life is Like a Box of Chocolates." Hard to imagine someone other than Tom Hanks saying that, but director Robert Zemeckis' first choice was John Travolta. He turned down the role to do "Pulp Fiction" (1994), a film which did revitalize his career and get him an Academy Award nomination. Travolta did state he regrets turning down Gump. Among the other actors considered for Gump were Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. Chevy turned down the role because he didn't like the script. Chase also turned down the role of Lester Burnham in "American Beauty" (1998); Kevin Spacey won for his performance.

20. Oscar perennial Jack Nicholson was up for the 1985 Best Actor award for his role as an underworld character in which film?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: Prizzi's Honor

Nicholson starred in all these movies, and did receive an Oscar nomination for "Ironweed", but it was "Prizzi's Honor" where he was an underworld character.

21. Bill Gillespie, police chief of a sleepy southern town dealing with a murder, a visiting city detective and his own prejudice:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor II

Answer: Rod Steiger

Steiger was truly an 'everyman's actor', whether it was in musicals like 'Oklahoma!' or his Oscar-winning role in 'In The Heat Of The Night' in 1967, opposite Sidney Poitier. O'Connor reprised the role of Gillespie for the TV series.

22. The title character, a severely mentally challenged man who becomes a supergenius through the miracle of science:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor

Answer: Cliff Robertson

Robertson won for 'Charly' in 1968.

23. Jeff Bridges, who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor several times, received his first Best Actor nomination for his role in which 1984 sci-fi film?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: Starman

Bridges played the alien in "Starman" in such a way that the character was touching, innocent and hilariously funny. A great performance, but he lost the trophy to F. Murray Abraham's wonderful turn as Salieri in "Amadeus".

24. 'Fast' Eddie Felson, an ageing pool shark with a second chance for some big bucks through a protege:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor II

Answer: Paul Newman

Newman reprised his role in 1961's 'The Hustler' to star opposite Tom Cruise for 'The Color Of Money' in 1986.

25. Another title character, he was a prince-turned-slave who rose back to prominence in ancient Rome during the time of Christ:

From Quiz The Oscars - Best Actor

Answer: Charlton Heston

Heston won for 'Ben-Hur' in 1959.

26. What actor can thank these other three for passing on the role of dirty cop Alonzo Harris in "Training Day" (2001)?

From Quiz Second Choice Oscar Winners: Men

Answer: Denzel Washington

"King Kong ain't got nothing on me!" Denzel Washington plays the ultimate dirty cop in "Training Day." But it could have been otherwise. At one point during the production, Samuel L Jackson was going to play Alonzo. Bruce Willis was offered the part but turned it down. Gary Sinise and Tom Sizemore were also considered for the role of Alonzo. Other might have been Bruce Willis films include "Ghost" (1990), which starred his then wife Demi Moore; "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (2003) and "Speed" (1994). Denzel Washington can also thank Willis for passing on "Man on Fire" (2004).

27. Paul Newman received a Best Actor nomination in 1982 for his role as the alcoholic lawyer in "The Verdict", and again failed to win. Including this nomination, how many Best Actor nominations had he received by that point in his career?

From Quiz Best Actor Non-Winners

Answer: Six

"The Verdict" marked Newman's 6th Best Actor Nomination, the previous ones having been for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in 1958, "The Hustler" in 1961, "Hud" in 1963, "Cool Hand Luke" in 1967 and "Absense of Malice" in 1981. Number seven would be the charm for Newman, as the next time he was nominated, for "The Color of Money" in 1986, he'd finally win the prize.

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