Greatest Film Performances by Year
(US/UK) 2000 - 2009

Movie images collage

Criteria: Film Performances are ranked based on initial and lasting acclaim, popular and cultural recognition, plus influence. In order to qualify for a list the performance has to come from a predominately English-language film produced or co-produced by American or British production companies.

List Begun: 2019-07-07
2009
  1. Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
  2. Colin Firth - A Single Man
  3. Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
  4. Mo'Nique - Precious
  5. Carey Mulligan - An Education
  6. George Clooney - Up in the Air
  7. Morgan Freeman - Invictus
  8. Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
  9. Gabourey Sidibé - Precious
10. Sharlto Copley - District 9
11. Mélanie Laurent - Inglourious Basterds
12. Sam Rockwell - Moon
13. Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
14. Viggo Mortensen - The Road
15. Nicolas Cage - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
16. Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones
17. Helen Mirren - The Last Station
18. Zooey Deschanel - (500) Days of Summer
19. Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
20. Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Actor Christoph Waltz in the movie Inglourious Basterds

2008
  1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
  2. Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
  3. Sean Penn - Milk
  4. Kate Winslet - The Reader
  5. Meryl Streep - Doubt
  6. Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
  7. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
  8. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
  9. Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
10. Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
11. Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
12. Angelina Jolie - Changeling
13. Tom Hardy - Bronson
14. Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
15. Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
16. Michael Fassbender - Hunger
17. Melissa Leo - Frozen River
18. Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
19. Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
20. Robert Downey Jr. - Iron Man
Actor Heath Ledger in the movie The Dark Knight

2007
  1. Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
  2. Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
  3. Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
  4. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
  5. Paul Dano - There Will Be Blood
  6. Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
  7. Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  8. Keira Knightley - Atonement
  9. Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
10. Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
11. Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
12. Denzel Washington - American Gangster
13. Ellen Page - Juno
14. Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
15. Kelly Macdonald - No Country for Old Men
16. Laura Linney - The Savages
17. Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
18. Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
19. Ruby Dee - American Gangster
20. Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the movie There Will Be Blood

2006
  1. Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
  2. Helen Mirren - The Queen
  3. Julie Christie - Away from Her
  4. Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
  5. Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed
  6. Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
  7. Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness
  8. Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
  9. Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
10. Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
11. Kate Winslet - Little Children
12. Christian Bale - The Prestige
13. Clive Owen - Children of Men
14. Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
15. Peter O'Toole - Venus
16. Daniel Craig - Casino Royale
17. Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
18. Maggie Gyllenhaal - Sherrybaby
19. Toni Collette - Little Miss Sunshine
20. Jack Nicholson - The Departed
Actor Forest Whitaker in the movie The Last King of Scotland

2005
  1. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
  2. Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
  3. Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
  4. Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
  5. Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
  6. Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
  7. Viggo Mortensen - A History of Violence
  8. Amy Adams - Junebug
  9. Russell Crowe - Cinderella Man
10. Charlize Theron - North Country
11. Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
12. Ed Harris - A History of Violence
13. Keira Knightley - Pride and Prejudice
14. Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
15. George Clooney - Syriana
16. Laura Linney - The Squid and the Whale
17. Bill Murray - Broken Flowers
18. Jeff Daniels - The Squid and the Whale
19. Ralph Fiennes - The Constant Gardener
20. Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman in the movie Capote

2004
  1. Jamie Foxx - Ray
  2. Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator
  3. Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
  4. Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  5. Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
  6. Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
  7. Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  8. Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
  9. Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
10. Tom Cruise - Collateral
11. Annette Bening - Being Julia
12. Paul Giamatti - Sideways
13. Thomas Haden Church - Sideways
14. Kevin Bacon - The Woodsman
15. Uma Thurman - Kill Bill: Vol. 2
16. Natalie Portman - Closer
17. Nicole Kidman - Birth
18. Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
19. Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
20. Laura Linney - Kinsey
Actor Jamie Foxx in the movie Ray

2003
  1. Charlize Theron - Monster
  2. Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  3. Bill Murray - Lost in Translation
  4. Sean Penn - Mystic River
  5. Naomi Watts - 21 Grams
  6. Tim Robbins - Mystic River
  7. Renée Zellweger - Cold Mountain
  8. Scarlett Johansson - Lost in Translation
  9. Ben Kingsley - House of Sand and Fog
10. Uma Thurman - Kill Bill: Vol. 1
11. Peter Dinklage - The Station Agent
12. Benicio del Toro - 21 Grams
13. Holly Hunter - Thirteen
14. Paul Giamatti - American Splendor
15. Jennifer Connelly - House of Sand and Fog
16. Sean Astin - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
17. Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider
18. Diane Keaton - Something's Gotta Give
19. Nicole Kidman - Dogville
20. Ewan McGregor - Big Fish
Actor Charlize Theron in the movie Monster

2002
  1. Daniel Day-Lewis - Gangs of New York
  2. Adrien Brody - The Pianist
  3. Nicolas Cage - Adaptation.
  4. Jack Nicholson - About Schmidt
  5. Julianne Moore - Far from Heaven
  6. Meryl Streep - Adaptation.
  7. Nicole Kidman - The Hours
  8. Renée Zellweger - Chicago
  9. Chris Cooper - Adaptation.
10. Salma Hayek - Frida
11. Robin Williams - One Hour Photo
12. Leonardo DiCaprio - Catch Me If You Can
13. Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago
14. Andy Serkis - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
15. Tom Hanks - Road to Perdition
16. Adam Sandler - Punch-Drunk Love
17. Edward Norton - 25th Hour
18. Kathy Bates - About Schmidt
19. Dennis Quaid - Far from Heaven
20. Paul Newman - Road to Perdition
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the movie Gangs of New York

2001
  1. Russell Crowe - A Beautiful Mind
  2. Denzel Washington - Training Day
  3. Naomi Watts - Mulholland Dr.
  4. Ian McKellen - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  5. Gene Hackman - The Royal Tenenbaums
  6. Halle Berry - Monster's Ball
  7. Jennifer Connelly - A Beautiful Mind
  8. Judi Dench - Iris
  9. Sissy Spacek - In the Bedroom
10. Steve Buscemi - Ghost World
11. Tom Wilkinson - In the Bedroom
12. Haley Joel Osment - A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
13. Nicole Kidman - The Others
14. Billy Bob Thornton - Monster's Ball
15. Laura Harring - Mulholland Dr.
16. Thora Birch - Ghost World
17. Renée Zellweger - Bridget Jones's Diary
18. Scarlett Johansson - Ghost World
19. Will Smith - Ali
20. Jude Law - A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Actor Russell Crowe in the movie A Beautiful Mind

2000
  1. Tom Hanks - Cast Away
  2. Ellen Burstyn - Requiem for a Dream
  3. Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich
  4. Benicio del Toro - Traffic
  5. Russell Crowe - Gladiator
  6. Ben Kingsley - Sexy Beast
  7. Christian Bale - American Psycho
  8. Willem Dafoe - Shadow of the Vampire
  9. Laura Linney - You Can Count on Me
10. Joaquin Phoenix - Gladiator
11. Gary Oldman - The Contender
12. Guy Pearce - Memento
13. Geoffrey Rush - Quills
14. Björk - Dancer in the Dark
15. Javier Bardem - Before Night Falls
16. Michael Douglas - Wonder Boys
17. Kate Hudson - Almost Famous
18. Ed Harris - Pollock
19. Joan Allen - The Contender
20. Catherine Zeta-Jones - Traffic
Actor Tom Hanks in the movie ast Away


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Movie acting performances for each year 2000-2009







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