Top 10 Best Actors of the 90s

The '90s were a ridiculous feast for movie fans, stuffed with performances that still get quoted, rewatched, and argued about decades later. From action stars dodging explosions with suspiciously perfect hair to dramatic leads making Oscar voters reach for their ballots, the decade gave actors plenty of room to go big.

Some became household names through massive box office hits. Others built their reputations on smaller, sharper, critically acclaimed performances that aged beautifully. Romantic comedies had serious pull, action movies packed theaters, and dramas delivered some of the decade's most unforgettable film moments.

Plenty of these actors were winning Academy Awards, leading major franchises, and starring in films that still show up in watchlists, memes, and late-night cable marathons. That kind of staying power does not happen by accident.

Now it's your turn to decide which actors deserve to be remembered as the best of the decade. Cast your votes for the ones you think should be at the top.

The Top Ten

Tom Hanks

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker.
He is known for his performances in Splash, Big, Turner & Hooch, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, The Green Mile, the Toy Story franchise, Cast Away, The Da Vinci Code... read more

Tom Hanks is an amazingly talented actor. Well-rounded and imaginative, he has done more for the film industry in the last few decades than many that have tried. I wonder if he just picks great roles, or does he make a movie great?

Tom Hanks was the best in Forrest Gump. He was just awesome. I enjoyed The Green Mile too. I think Tom Hanks is a really nice person and he should be right up there with his acting. He is truly awesome.

By far the most accomplished and diverse actor of the 90s. He was unbelievable in Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and Philadelphia. One of my favorite actors of all time.
Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for his work in biopics and period films, he's received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. As of 2019, his films have grossed over... read more

I absolutely find Leonardo DiCaprio very talented and cute. He's now older, but he still has all that talent. He's a wonderful person in so many ways. The way he fights for the environment. I've watched some of his recent movies.

I love Leonardo DiCaprio! He's not only a wonderful actor, but he's a wonderful person as well. He's still just as charming and talented as he was back then, and I believe he will continue to wow the crowds for years to come.

"Leo, I love you since I saw Titanic, and now I've watched some of your movies and I can tell how talented you are." I think that Leo is the top one. He is hot and cute. He is the BEST.
Tom Cruise

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer with a career spanning more than four decades. He has received various accolades for his work, including three Golden Globe Awards and four Academy Award nominations. Cruise is best known for starring in the Mission: Impossible franchise, which... read more

A Few Good Men and Mission: Impossible were two of the greatest movies of the '90s. He made them very dramatic and interesting.

His personality exudes from any character he plays. It gives a feeling of optimism and joyfulness.

So many memorable performances, an iconic superstar, and very handsome too!
Keanu Reeves

Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and musician. He gained fame with his starring role in the Bill & Ted films and has since delivered several blockbuster performances, including in The Matrix and John Wick franchises.

Maybe not as good as Tom Hanks, but definitely the best action star in the 90s with movies like Speed and The Matrix.

Lovable! I'm always going to vote for him. Amazing actor, lovely personality, not to mention his looks.

I love some of his movies. I think he killed Hamlet in Winnipeg.
Brad Pitt

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three Academy Award nominations for acting, in addition to three more nominations and one win as a producer under his company, Plan B Entertainment.... read more

Brad Pitt is one of the best actors in history. He is just awesome. I really enjoyed Joe Black, Seven Years in Tibet, Sleepers, and my favorite, Legends of the Fall. He should be right up there at the top.
You can see what a great person he is and his beautiful wife, Angelina. If you go to New Orleans, you may see him helping the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Brad Pitt is a famous actor and deserves all of the credit he gets. He is terrific.

Absolutely very underrated! Love everything about him. Great guy, great actor!
Johnny Depp

John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. His role in a movie is often rather big. His character is often on the "loopy side" and his character being in a darker state... read more

Johnny Depp is awesome. Such a great actor. Chooses his own roles. So many awesome films. He has to be one of the best!

How is it that this amazing actor/man/person is not number one? He is by far the best actor here. Then maybe Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Brendan Fraser, Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt. The others pretty much suck.

Cry-Baby (1990), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Arizona Dream (1993), Benny & Joon (1993), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1994), Dead Man (1995), Nick of Time (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), The Brave (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), The Ninth Gate (1999), The Astronaut's Wife (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999).
Matt Damon

Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He is ranked among Forbes magazine's most bankable stars and is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Damon gained fame with Good Will Hunting (1997), which he co-wrote with Ben Affleck and for which they won... read more
Anthony Hopkins

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins CBE is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. He was born on December 31, 1937 in Margam, Wales. He is known for winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992, and was nominated three additional times. Hopkins has also won three BAFTAs, two Emmys, and the Cecil B. DeMille... read more
Jim Carrey

James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He's well known for comedic roles in films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Cable Guy, Liar Liar, How the Grinch Stole Christmas... read more

Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, The Truman Show... aside from The Grinch movie from 2000, I enjoy all of his movies, especially Liar Liar and The Cable Guy.

I just love his movies. He is the best. He should top this list.

He deserves to be in the top 5 at least.
Sylvester Stallone

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer.
He is best known for his roles as Rocky Balboa in the Rocky series and John Rambo in the First Blood and Rambo series. His most well-known films are primarily action movies.... read more

The Rocky series revolutionized the world for the better, and I also love Creed.

Rocky was the greatest movie Sly ever played in. He's an awesome actor.

He's epic in every single way and more than deserves to be in front of Pierce Brosnan.

The Newcomers

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Benicio del Toro
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Hugo Weaving

Hugo Wallace Weaving is an English-Australian film and stage actor. He is best known for playing Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy, Elrond in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, and V in V for Vendetta.
He also portrayed Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger and Tom... read more

The Contenders

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

Kindergarten Cop is definitely one of my favorite movies. I liked the first Terminator movie, but my favorite was the second Terminator with Linda Hamilton.

No one can act like him as a robot.

Total Recall (1990), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Last Action Hero (1993), True Lies (1994), Junior (1994), Eraser (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996), Batman & Robin (1997), End of Days (1999).
Bruce Willis

Walter Bruce Willis, known professionally as Bruce Willis, is a retired American actor, producer, and singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s with roles in Moonlighting and the Die Hard series. In 2022, his family announced he was stepping away from acting due to aphasia and later diagnosed with frontotemporal... read more
Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey Fowler KBE (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor and producer. He began his career as a stage actor in the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades for his performances on stage and screen, including two Academy Awards, a Tony Award... read more
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
Edward Norton

Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, filmmaker, and activist. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his performances in Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman. Norton is also known for his roles in Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk, and The Illusionist.... read more

I was hesitant to see Primal Fear until I saw Norton's incredible performance. And Fight Club remains one of my favorite movies of all time. He does everything well, and that's pretty much a must for actors.
Most of the actors on this list are incredible, but Edward Norton should be higher up.

Surprised to see Edward this low. His performance in American History X was Oscar-worthy, and Fight Club was great.
As the first comment stated, I also wonder what he has been up to. I haven't seen him in many Hollywood movies since his heyday in the late 90s.
Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer who became the fifth actor to portray James Bond in the official film series. After leaving school at age sixteen, he began training in commercial illustration at Saint Martin's School of Art in London before studying acting... read more

The perfect Bond for the 90s, and many other great performances outside of the franchise like The Thomas Crown Affair, Dante's Peak, and The Tailor of Panama.
Alec Baldwin

Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor, producer, and comedian. A member of the Baldwin family, he is the oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Baldwin is known for his work in film, television, and on stage, including his Emmy-winning portrayal of Jack Donaghy on... read more
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

Look Who's Talking Too (1990), Chains of Gold (1991), Eyes of an Angel (1991), Shout (1991), Look Who's Talking Now (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), Get Shorty (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), Phenomenon (1996), Michael (1996), She's So Lovely (1997), Face/Off (1997), Mad City (1997), Primary Colors (1998), The Thin Red Line (1998), A Civil Action (1998), The General's Daughter (1999).
Brendan Fraser

Brendan James Fraser, born December 3, 1968, is a Canadian-American actor. He is best known for playing Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy. Fraser also starred in popular comedies and fantasy films including Encino Man, George of the Jungle, Bedazzled, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Journey to the Center... read more
Mark Wahlberg

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, producer, businessman, former model, rapper, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the frontman of the hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Wahlberg later transitioned to acting, earning critical acclaim for roles in films such as Boogie Nights... read more
Russell Crowe

Russell Ira Crowe is an actor, film producer, and musician. Although a citizen of New Zealand, he has spent much of his life in Australia and considers himself Australian. He is best known for his role as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator (2000), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor... read more

Blood Oath (1990), The Crossing (1990), Proof (1991), Spotswood (1992), Hammers Over the Anvil (1993), Love in Limbo (1993), The Silver Brumby (1993), For the Moment (1993), The Sum of Us (1994), The Quick and the Dead (1995), No Way Back (1995), Virtuosity (1995), Rough Magic (1995), L.A. Confidential (1997), Heaven's Burning (1997), Breaking Up (1997), Mystery, Alaska (1999), The Insider (1999).
Richard Gere

Richard Tiffany Gere (born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978).
Gere came to prominence with his role in the film American Gigolo (1980), which... read more

Internal Affairs (1990), Pretty Woman (1990), Final Analysis (1992), Sommersby (1993), Mr. Jones (1993), Intersection (1994), First Knight (1995), Primal Fear (1996), Red Corner (1997), The Jackal (1997), Runaway Bride (1999).
Michael Douglas

Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and producer. His career includes a diverse range of films in both independent and blockbuster genres, for which he has received a number of accolades both competitive and honorary. He won Academy Awards for producing One Flew Over the... read more

Shining Through (1992), Basic Instinct (1992), Falling Down (1993), Disclosure (1994), The American President (1995), The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), The Game (1997), A Perfect Murder (1998).
Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (born December 22, 1962) is an English actor, director, and producer. A noted Shakespeare interpreter, he first achieved success on stage at the Royal National Theatre.
Fiennes' portrayal of Nazi war criminal Amon Göth in Schindler's List (1993) earned... read more
Liam Neeson

Liam John Neeson, OBE, is an actor from Northern Ireland. In 1976, he joined the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast, where he performed for two years. He later appeared in the 1981 Arthurian film Excalibur, which helped launch his film career.