Top 10 Best Actors of the '70s

The 1970s were an unforgettable decade for movies. It was a time when Hollywood broke new ground, shaking off the conventions of the past and letting actors experiment with bolder, riskier roles. The era brought an edge and authenticity that audiences hadn't really seen before, and much of that came from the performers themselves, who weren't afraid to get gritty and real in a way that still feels fresh today.

If you're a fan of '70s films, then you'll know just how unique the acting talent was in this period. This list celebrates those who helped define the movies of the time.

The Top Ten

  1. Al Pacino

    Alfredo James "Al" Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an American actor and filmmaker. Pacino has had a career spanning over five decades and is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in film history. He has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime... read more

    Amazing string of movies in quick succession.

    The best there ever was!

  2. Jack Nicholson

    John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker whose career has spanned over 60 years. He is known for his wide range of roles, including satirical comedies, romantic dramas, and portrayals of antiheroes and psychopathic characters. In many of his films, Nicholson plays... read more

    Tough choice between De Niro and Nicholson.

    Should be #1. Way better than Al Pacino.

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Chinatown - simply wow!

  3. Robert De Niro

    Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. (born August 17, 1943) is an American actor and producer. He is particularly known for his nine collaborations with filmmaker Martin Scorsese and is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and a Screen... read more

    Mean Streets, The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, New York, New York, The Deer Hunter. Robert is GOD.

  4. Gene Hackman

    Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (January 30, 1930 - February 26, 2025) was an American actor and novelist. His career spanned nearly five decades. During that time, he earned two Academy Awards from five total nominations: Best Actor for The French Connection (1971) and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven... read more

    A couple of masterpieces in the '70s.

  5. Robert Redford

    Charles Robert Redford Jr., known professionally as Robert Redford, was an American actor born on August 18, 1936. In addition to acting, he has also worked as a director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, and philanthropist. He founded the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute, which... read more

    Lively and fun. Took part in a couple of the greatest movies of this decade, namely The Sting.

  6. Warren Oates

  7. Dustin Hoffman

    Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor and director with a career spanning film, television, and theatre since the 1960s. He's known for his portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. Hoffman has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards for Best Actor for Kramer... read more

    Dustin is one of the most innovative actors of his genre. Love him in everything he does. Timeless.

    His outstanding decade!

  8. Walter Matthau

  9. Marlon Brando

    Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American actor, film director, and activist. He is credited with bringing a gripping realism to film acting and is often cited as one of the greatest and most influential actors of all time. He died on July 1, 2004, at the age of 80.

    The Godfather (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), Superman (1978), On the Waterfront (1954).

    The Godfather. That's enough.

  10. Woody Allen

    Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg. November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing material for television in the 1950s, primarily for Your Show... read more

    So unique, fresh, and funny - genius!

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Bob Newhart

  12. ?

    Ed Asner

    Yitzhak Edward Asner, born on November 15, 1929, and passed away on August 29, 2021, was a celebrated American actor and voice actor. He also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Asner is best remembered for his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Lou Grant. He also... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. James Caan

    James Edmund Caan was an American actor. After early roles in films such as El Dorado, Caan rose to prominence in the 1970s with significant roles in films including Brian's Song, The Godfather, The Gambler, Funny Lady, and A Bridge Too Far. He was nominated for several major awards throughout his career... read more

  14. Dom DeLuise

  15. Harrison Ford

    Harrison Ford is an American actor and film producer. He gained worldwide fame for his starring roles as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and the titular character in the Indiana Jones film series. Ford has also received critical acclaim for roles in films such as The Fugitive, Witness, and... read more

  16. John Travolta

    John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer, and singer. He rose to fame in the 1970s after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office hits Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978). Travolta later experienced a resurgence in popularity with roles... read more

  17. Yaphet Kotto

  18. Gene Wilder

    Jerome Silberman, known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American stage and screen comic actor, screenwriter, and author. He began his career on stage and made his screen debut in the television series Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1962. Wilder passed away on August 28, 2016, due to complications... read more

  19. Michael Caine

    Sir Michael Caine, CBE (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, March 14, 1933) is an English actor, producer, and author. He has appeared in more than 130 films in a career spanning 70 years and is considered a British film icon. Known for his cockney accent, Caine was born in South London, where during his... read more

  20. Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, filmmaker, businessman, investor, author, philanthropist, activist, former professional bodybuilder, and former politician.

    He is best known for his iconic roles as the T-800 and Terminator in the Terminator series, Douglas Quaid in Total... read more

  21. Harvey Keitel

    Harvey Keitel is an American actor and producer. An Oscar and Golden Globe Award nominee, he has appeared in films such as Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma & Louise, Peter Yates' Mother, Jugs & Speed, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction... read more

  22. Burt Lancaster

  23. Robert Duvall

    Robert Selden Duvall (January 5, 1931 - February 15, 2026) was an American actor, filmmaker, and producer, best known for his roles in films of the later 20th century. Duvall began acting professionally on stage in 1952, performing in summer plays at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport on Long Island until... read more

  24. Roy Scheider

  25. Max von Sydow

  26. Elliott Gould

  27. Richard Farnsworth

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