The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of the "world-class status of 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.
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 to 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 Year Actor Play Character 1985 Antony Sher Richard III and Torch Song Trilogy Richard III of England / Arnold Beckoff Alun Armstrong The Crucible and The Winter's Tale John Proctor / Leontes Kenneth Branagh Henry V Henry V of England Anthony Hopkins Pravda Lambert Le Roux 1986 Albert Finney Orphans Harold Derek Jacobi Breaking the Code Alan Turing Ian McKellen The Cherry Orchard Lopakhin Martin Sheen The Normal Heart Ned Weeks 1987 Michael Gambon A View from the Bridge Eddie Carbone Tokusaburo Arashi Medea Medea Hugh Quarshie The Two Noble Kinsmen, The Great White Hope and The Rover Arcite / Jack Jefferson / Belville Nicholas Woodeson Sarcophagus and Flight Bessmertny / Mike Levine 1989/90 Oliver Ford Davies Racing Demon The Rev. Lionel Espy Nigel Hawthorne Shadowlands Lewis Ian McKellen Othello and Bent Iago / Max Michael Pennington The Wars of the Roses Various Characters
1990s Year Actor Play Character 1991 Ian McKellen Richard III Richard III of England Richard Harris Henry IV Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor John Malkovich Burn This Pale Warren Mitchell The Homecoming Max 1992 Nigel Hawthorne The Madness of George III George III Marcus D'Amico Angels in America Louis Ironson Robert Lindsay Becket Henry II of England Ian McKellen Uncle Vanya Uncle Vanya 1993 Robert Stephens Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 Falstaff Kenneth Cranham An Inspector Calls Inspector Goole Paul Eddington No Man's Land Spooner Paul Scofield Heartbreak House Captain Shotover 1994 Mark Rylance Much Ado About Nothing Benedick Henry Goodman Hysteria Sigmund Freud Patrick Stewart A Christmas Carol Various Characters David Suchet Oleanna John 1995 David Bamber My Night with Reg Guy James Bolam Glengarry Glen Ross Shelly Levene Adrian Lester As You Like It Rosalind Bob Peck Rutherford and Son John Rutherford 1996 Alex Jennings Peer Gynt Peer Gynt Michael Gambon Skylight Tom Sergeant Daniel Massey Taking Sides Wilhelm Furtwängler Donal McCann The Steward of Christendom Thomas Dunne 1997 Antony Sher Stanley Stanley Spencer Paul Scofield John Gabriel Borkman John Gabriel Borkman Ken Stott Art Yvan David Suchet Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? George 1998 Ian Holm King Lear King Lear Simon Russell Beale Othello Iago Michael Gambon Tom & Clem Tom Driberg Rupert Graves Hurlyburly Eddie John Wood The Invention of Love A. E. Housman 1999 Kevin Spacey The Iceman Cometh Theodore "Hickey" Hickman Michael Gambon The Unexpected Man Parsky Iain Glen The Blue Room Various Characters Jim Norton The Weir Jack David Suchet Amadeus Salieri
2000s Year Actor Play Character 2000 Henry Goodman The Merchant of Venice Shylock Roger Allam Summerfolk Bassov Stephen Dillane The Real Thing Henry Michael Sheen Look Back in Anger Jimmy Porter Antony Sher The Winter's Tale Leontes 2001 Conleth Hill Stones in His Pockets Charlie Conlon Simon Russell Beale Hamlet Prince Hamlet Sean Campion Stones in His Pockets Jake Quinn Michael Gambon The Caretaker Davies Bill Nighy Blue/Orange Professor Smith 2002 Roger Allam Privates on Parade Terri Dennis Simon Russell Beale Humble Boy Felix Humble Sean Foley The Play What I Wrote Sean Hamish McColl The Play What I Wrote Hamish Alan Rickman Private Lives Elyot 2003 Simon Russell Beale Uncle Vanya Uncle Vanya Michael Gambon A Number Salter Mark Rylance Twelfth Night Olivia David Tennant Lobby Hero Jeff 2004 Matthew Kelly Of Mice and Men Lennie Small Roger Allam Democracy Willy Brandt Kenneth Branagh Edmond Edmond Burke Greg Hicks Coriolanus Coriolanus Michael Sheen Caligula Caligula 2005 Richard Griffiths The History Boys Douglas Hector Michael Gambon Endgame Hamm Jonathan Pryce The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Martin Ben Whishaw Hamlet Prince Hamlet 2006 Brian Dennehy Death of a Salesman Willy Loman Richard Griffiths Heroes Henri Derek Jacobi Don Carlos Philip II of Spain Con O'Neill Telstar Joe Meek David Threlfall Someone Who'll Watch Over Me Michael 2007 Rufus Sewell Rock 'n' Roll Jan Iain Glen The Crucible John Proctor David Haig Donkeys' Years Christopher Headingley Frank Langella Frost/Nixon Richard Nixon Michael Sheen Frost/Nixon David Frost 2008 Chiwetel Ejiofor Othello Othello Ian McKellen King Lear King Lear Mark Rylance Boeing Boeing Robert John Simm Elling Elling Patrick Stewart Macbeth Macbeth 2009 Derek Jacobi Twelfth Night Malvolio David Bradley No Man's Land Spooner Michael Gambon No Man's Land Hirst Adam Godley Rain Man Raymond Babitt
2010s Year Actor Play Character 2010 Mark Rylance Jerusalem Johnny "Rooster" Byron James Earl Jones Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy Jude Law Hamlet Prince Hamlet James McAvoy Three Days of Rain Walker / Ned Ken Stott A View from the Bridge Eddie Carbone Samuel West ENRON Jeffrey Skilling 2011 Roger Allam Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 Falstaff Derek Jacobi King Lear King Lear Rory Kinnear Hamlet Prince Hamlet Mark Rylance La Bête Valere David Suchet All My Sons Joe Keller 2012 Benedict Cumberbatch & Jonny Lee Miller Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein / The Creature James Corden One Man, Two Guvnors Francis Henshall David Haig The Madness of George III George III Douglas Hodge Inadmissible Evidence William Maitland Jude Law Anna Christie Mat Burke 2013 Luke Treadaway The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Christopher Boone Rupert Everett The Judas Kiss Oscar Wilde James McAvoy Macbeth Macbeth Mark Rylance Twelfth Night Olivia Rafe Spall Constellations Roland 2014 Rory Kinnear Othello Iago Henry Goodman The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Arturo Ui Tom Hiddleston Coriolanus Coriolanus Jude Law Henry V Henry V of England 2015 Mark Strong A View from the Bridge Eddie Carbone Richard Armitage The Crucible John Proctor James McAvoy The Ruling Class Jack Gurney Tim Pigott-Smith King Charles III King Charles lll 2016 Kenneth Cranham The Father Andre Kenneth Branagh The Winter's Tale Leontes Benedict Cumberbatch Hamlet Prince Hamlet Adrian Lester Red Velvet Ira Aldridge Mark Rylance Farinelli and the King King Philip V of Spain 2017 Jamie Parker Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Harry Potter Ed Harris Buried Child Dodge Tom Hollander Travesties Henry Carr Ian McKellen No Man's Land Spooner2018Bryan CranstonNetworkHoward BealePaddy ConsidineThe FerrymanQuinn CarneyAndrew GarfieldAngels in AmericaPrior WalterAndrew ScottHamletPrince Hamlet2019Kyle SollerThe InheritanceEric GlassSimon Russell BealeAdam GodleyBen MilesThe Lehman TrilogyHenry LehmanEmanuel LehmanMayer LehmanArinzé KeneMistyArinzéIan McKellenKing LearKing LearDavid SuchetThe PriceGregory Solomon
2020s Year Actor Play Character 2020 Andrew Scott Present Laughter Garry Essendine Toby Jones Uncle Vanya Uncle Vanya James McAvoy Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac Wendell Pierce Death of a Salesman Willy Loman 2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic2022Hiran AbeysekeraLife of PiPi PatelBen DanielsThe Normal HeartNed WeeksOmari DouglasConstellationsManuelCharles EdwardsBest of EnemiesGore Vidal2023Paul MescalA Streetcar Named DesireStanley KowalskiTom HollanderPatriotsBerezovskyRafe SpallTo Kill a MockingbirdAtticus FinchDavid TennantGoodJohn HalderGiles TereraBlues for an Alabama SkyGuy Jacobs2024Mark Gatiss The Motive and the Cue Sir John Gielgud Joseph Fiennes Dear England Gareth Southgate James Norton A Little Life Jude St Francis Andrew Scott Vanya All characters David Tennant Macbeth Macbeth 2025 John Lithgow Giant Roald Dahl Adrien Brody The Fear of 13 Nick Yarris Billy Crudup Harry Clarke Harry Clarke Paapa Essiedu Death of England: Delroy Delroy Mark Strong Oedipus Oedipus2026Jack HoldenKenrexKen McElroyBryan CranstonAll My SonsJoe KellerSean HayesGood Night, OscarOscar LevantTom HiddlestonMuch Ado About NothingBenedickDavid ShieldsPunchJacob Dunne
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
Two awards Roger Allam Brian Cox Alan Howard Derek Jacobi Mark Rylance Antony Sher
Nominations Eleven nominations Michael Gambon
Ten nominations Ian McKellen
Seven nominations Derek Jacobi Mark Rylance David Suchet
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 and 2 Richard III of England from Richard III Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman Eddie Carbone from A View from the Bridge
Nominations Six nominations Prince Hamlet from Hamlet
Four nominations King Lear from King Lear Uncle Vanya from Uncle Vanya
Three nominations 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 Iago from Othello Leontes from The Winter's Tale Shylock from The Merchant of Venice Spooner from No Man's Land Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman
Two nominations Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing Captain Shotover from Heartbreak House Davies from The Caretaker George III from The Madness of George III Joe Keller from All My Sons John Procter from The Crucible Macbeth from Macbeth Max from The Homecoming Ned Weeks from The Normal Heart Olivia from Twelfth Night Richard III of England from Richard III
See also Best Actor Leading actor 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) Lists of acting awards Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
References
External links