The
Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
for Best Actor in a Play is an annual award presented by the
Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of
West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
.
This award was introduced in 1985, as Actor of the Year, then retitled to its current name for the 1993 ceremony. Prior to this award, from 1976–1984 (and again in 1988), there was a pair of awards given each year for this general category, one for
Actor of the Year in a New Play and the other for
Actor of the Year in a Revival.
Winners and nominees
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actor
Note: The below awards and nominations include individuals awarded and nominated under the now-defunct categories Actor of the Year in a New Play and Actor of the Year in a Revival as well as the current combined Best Actor category.
Awards
;Four awards
*
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
;Two awards
*
Roger Allam
*
Brian Cox
*
Alan Howard
*
Derek Jacobi
*
Mark Rylance
*
Antony Sher
Nominations
;Eleven nominations
*
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon (; born 19 October 1940) is an Irish-English actor. Regarded as one of Ireland and Britain's most distinguished actors, he is known for his work on stage and screen. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivi ...
;Ten nominations
*
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
;Seven nominations
*
Derek Jacobi
*
Mark Rylance
*
David Suchet
Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenh ...
;Five nominations
*
Simon Russell Beale
;Four nominations
*
Roger Allam
*
James McAvoy
*
Antony Sher
;Three nominations
;Two nominations
Multiple awards and nominations for a character
Awards
;Two awards
*
Falstaff from ''
Henry IV, Parts 1
''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...
and
2''
*
Richard III of England
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
from ''
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
''
*
Willy Loman from ''
Death of a Salesman''
*Eddie Carbone from ''
A View from the Bridge
''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...
''
Nominations
;Six nominations
*
Prince Hamlet from ''Hamlet''
;Four nominations
*Leir of Britain, King Lear from ''King Lear''
*Uncle Vanya from ''Uncle Vanya''
;Three nominations
*Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, Coriolanus from ''Coriolanus''
*Eddie Carbone from ''A View from the Bridge''
*Falstaff from ''Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2''
*Henry V of England from ''Henry V (play), Henry V''
*Iago from ''Othello''
*Leontes from ''The Winter's Tale''
*Shylock from ''The Merchant of Venice''
*Spooner from ''No Man's Land (play), No Man's Land''
*Willy Loman from ''Death of a Salesman''
;Two nominations
*Captain Shotover from ''Heartbreak House''
*Davies from ''The Caretaker''
*George III of the United Kingdom, George III from ''The Madness of George III''
*John Proctor (Salem witch trials), John Procter from ''The Crucible''
*Macbeth (character), Macbeth from ''Macbeth''
*Max from ''The Homecoming''
*Ned Weeks from ''The Normal Heart''
*Olivia (Twelfth Night), Olivia from ''Twelfth Night''
*Richard III of England from ''Richard III''
See also
* Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play (1976–1984, 1988)
* Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a Revival (1976–1984, 1988)
* Critics' Circle Theatre Award#Best Actor, Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor
* Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor
* Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
References
*
External links
*
{{OlivierAward PlayActor
Laurence Olivier Awards, Actor
Theatre acting awards