The Saturn Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films to honor performances in the genre across film, television, and video. The Saturn Awards were devised by historian Dr. Donald A. Reed, who felt that science fiction, fantasy and horror films were never given the appreciation they deserved. The physical award is a representation of the planet Saturn, surrounded with a ring of film. The award was initially and is still sometimes loosely referred to as a Golden Scroll. The award for Best Actor was first introduced in 1976 for the 1974 and 1975 years, to reward a lead performance by a male actor in film.
The record for most awards is held by Robert Downey Jr. with four wins, followed by Tom Cruise, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford with three, and then Jeff Bridges with two. Cruise is the most nominated actor in the category with twelve nominations, followed by Ford, Downey, Jr. and Arnold Schwarzenegger with seven. Schwarzenegger holds the record for most nominations without a victory. Anthony Hopkins and Martin Landau are the only actors to have won the Saturn Award for Best Actor and an Academy Award for the same role; however, Landau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and not Best Actor. The record for most wins for playing a same character is held by Downey Jr. and Hamill, who both won three times for playing Tony Stark and Luke Skywalker respectively.
Winners and nominees
1970s YearActorFilm CharacterJames CaanRollerballJonathan E.Don JohnsonA Boy and His DogVic David BowieThe Man Who Fell to EarthThomas Jerome NewtonGeorge BurnsOh, God!God Richard Dreyfuss Close Encounters of the Third Kind Roy Neary Harrison FordStar Wars Han Solo Mark Hamill Luke Skywalker William Shatner Kingdom of the Spiders Dr. Rack Hansen Michael York The Island of Dr. Moreau Andrew BraddockWarren BeattyHeaven Can Wait Joe Pendleton Christopher Lee The Wicker Man Lord Summerisle Laurence Olivier The Boys from Brazil Ezra Lieberman Christopher Reeve Superman Clark Kent / Superman Donald Sutherland Invasion of the Body Snatchers Matthew BennellGeorge HamiltonLove at First BiteCount Vladimir Dracula Frank Langella Dracula Count Dracula Christopher Lee Arabian Adventure Caliph Alquazar Malcolm McDowell Time After Time H. G. Wells William Shatner Star Trek: The Motion Picture James T. Kirk
1980s YearActorFilm CharacterMark HamillThe Empire Strikes BackLuke Skywalker Alan Arkin Simon Prof. Simon Mendelssohn Dennis Christopher Fade to Black Eric Binford Kirk Douglas The Final Countdown Capt. Matthew Yelland Christopher Reeve Somewhere in Time Richard CollierHarrison FordRaiders of the Lost ArkIndiana Jones Sean Connery Outland Marshal William T. O'Niel Albert Finney Wolfen Dewey Wilson Donald Pleasence Halloween II Dr. Sam Loomis Christopher Reeve Superman II Clark Kent / SupermanWilliam ShatnerStar Trek II: The Wrath of KhanJames T. Kirk Mel Gibson Mad Max 2 Max Rockatansky Lee Horsley The Sword and the Sorcerer Prince Talon Christopher Reeve Deathtrap Clifford Anderson Henry Thomas E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ElliottMark HamillReturn of the JediLuke Skywalker Matthew Broderick WarGames David Lightman Christopher Reeve Superman III Clark Kent / Superman Roy Scheider Blue Thunder Officer Frank Murphy Christopher Walken The Dead Zone Johnny SmithJeff BridgesStarman Starman George Burns Oh, God! You Devil God / Harry O. Tophet Harrison Ford Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Indiana Jones Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator Terminator William Shatner Star Trek III: The Search for Spock James T. KirkMichael J. FoxBack to the FutureMarty McFly Hume Cronyn Cocoon Joe Finley Louis Gossett Jr. Enemy Mine Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan James Karen The Return of the Living Dead Frank Chris Sarandon Fright Night Jerry DandrigeJeff GoldblumThe FlySeth Brundle Michael Biehn Aliens Corporal Dwayne Hicks Leonard Nimoy Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Spock Anthony Perkins Psycho III Norman Bates William Shatner Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home James T. KirkJack NicholsonThe Witches of EastwickDaryl Van Horne Lance Henriksen Pumpkinhead Ed Harley Michael Nouri The Hidden Det. Tom Beck Terry O'Quinn The Stepfather Jerry Blake Arnold Schwarzenegger Predator Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer Peter Weller RoboCop Alex Murphy / RoboCopTom HanksBig Josh Baskin Hume Cronyn Cocoon: The Return Joe Finley Bob Hoskins Who Framed Roger Rabbit Eddie Valiant Jeremy Irons Dead Ringers Beverly Mantle / Elliot Mantle Bill Murray Scrooged Frank Cross James Spader Jack's Back John / Rick WesfordJeff DanielsArachnophobiaDr. Ross Jennings Warren Beatty Dick Tracy Dick Tracy Harrison Ford Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones Ed Harris The Abyss Virgil 'Bud' Brigman Axel Jodorowsky Santa Sangre Fenix Liam Neeson Darkman Peyton Westlake / Darkman Jack Nicholson Batman Jack Napier / The Joker Arnold Schwarzenegger Total Recall Douglas Quaid / Hauser Patrick Swayze Ghost Sam Wheat
1990s YearActorFilm CharacterAnthony HopkinsThe Silence of the Lambs Dr. Hannibal Lecter Jeff Bridges The Fisher King Jack Lucas James Caan Misery Paul Sheldon Kevin Costner Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Robin Hood Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator Robin Williams The Fisher King ParryGary OldmanBram Stoker's DraculaCount Dracula / Vlad Dracula Chevy Chase Memoirs of an Invisible Man Nick Halloway Michael Gambon Toys Lt. General Leland Zevo Raúl Juliá The Addams Family Gomez Addams John Lithgow Raising Cain Dr. Carter Nix/Cain/Nix Sr/Josh/Margo Robin Williams Toys Leslie Zevo Bruce Willis Death Becomes Her Dr. Ernest MenvilleRobert Downey Jr.Heart and SoulsThomas Reilly Jeff Bridges The Vanishing Barney Cousins Bill Murray Groundhog Day Phil Connors Robert Patrick Fire in the Sky Mike Rogers Arnold Schwarzenegger Last Action Hero Jack Slater Christian Slater True Romance Clarence Worley Max von Sydow Needful Things Leland GauntMartin LandauEd Wood Bela Lugosi Kenneth Branagh Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein Tom Cruise Interview with the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt Tom Hanks Forrest Gump Forrest Gump Jack Nicholson Wolf Will Randall Brad Pitt Interview with the Vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac Arnold Schwarzenegger True Lies Harry TaskerGeorge ClooneyFrom Dusk till DawnSeth Gecko Pierce Brosnan GoldenEye James Bond Ralph Fiennes Strange Days Lenny Nero Morgan Freeman Se7en William Somerset Robin Williams Jumanji Alan Parrish Bruce Willis 12 Monkeys James ColeEddie MurphyThe Nutty Professor Michael J. Fox The Frighteners Frank Bannister Jeff Goldblum Independence Day David Levinson Bill Paxton Twister Bill Harding Will Smith Independence Day Captain Steven Hiller Patrick Stewart Star Trek: First Contact Captain Jean-Luc PicardPierce BrosnanTomorrow Never DiesJames Bond Nicolas Cage Face/Off Castor Troy / Sean Archer Kevin Costner The Postman The Postman Al Pacino The Devil's Advocate John Milton Will Smith Men in Black Agent J John Travolta Face/Off Sean Archer / Castor TroyJames WoodsVampiresJack Crow Jim Carrey The Truman Show Truman Burbank David Duchovny The X-Files: Fight the Future Special Agent Fox Mulder Anthony Hopkins Meet Joe Black William Parrish Edward Norton American History X Derek Vinyard Bruce Willis Armageddon Harry StamperTim AllenGalaxy QuestJason Nesmith / Cmdr. Taggart Johnny Depp Sleepy Hollow Ichabod Crane Brendan Fraser The Mummy Richard "Rick" O'Connell Liam Neeson Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Qui-Gon Jinn Keanu Reeves The Matrix Thomas Anderson / Neo Bruce Willis The Sixth Sense Dr. Malcolm Crowe
2000s YearActorFilm CharacterHugh JackmanX-MenLogan / Wolverine Jim Carrey How the Grinch Stole Christmas Grinch Russell Crowe Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius Clint Eastwood Space Cowboys Colonel Frank Corvin Arnold Schwarzenegger The 6th Day Adam Gibson / Adam Gibson Clone Chow Yun-fat Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Li Mu BaiTom CruiseVanilla SkyDavid Aames Johnny Depp From Hell Inspector Frederick Abberline Anthony Hopkins Hannibal Hannibal Lecter Guy Pearce Memento Leonard Shelby Kevin Spacey K-PAX Prot / Robert Porter Billy Bob Thornton The Man Who Wasn't There Ed CraneRobin WilliamsOne Hour PhotoSeymour Parrish Pierce Brosnan Die Another Day James Bond George Clooney Solaris Chris Kelvin Tom Cruise Minority Report John Anderton Tobey Maguire Spider-Man Peter Parker / Spider-Man Viggo Mortensen The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers AragornElijah WoodThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingFrodo Baggins Tom Cruise The Last Samurai Nathan Algren Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Captain Jack Sparrow Albert Finney Big Fish old Edward Bloom Crispin Glover Willard Willard Stiles Viggo Mortensen The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King AragornTobey MaguireSpider-Man 2Peter Parker / Spider-Man Christian Bale The Machinist Trevor Reznik Jim Carrey Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Joel Barish Tom Cruise Collateral Vincent Matt Damon The Bourne Supremacy Jason Bourne Johnny Depp Finding Neverland Sir James Matthew BarrieChristian BaleBatman BeginsBruce Wayne / Batman Pierce Brosnan The Matador Julian Noble Hayden Christensen Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader Tom Cruise War of the Worlds Ray Ferrier Robert Downey Jr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Harry Lockhart Viggo Mortensen A History of Violence Tom Stall / Joey CusackBrandon RouthSuperman ReturnsClark Kent / Superman Daniel Craig Casino Royale James Bond Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible III Ethan Hunt Will Ferrell Stranger than Fiction Harold Crick Hugh Jackman The Fountain Tomas / Tommy / Tom Creo Clive Owen Children of Men Theo FaronWill SmithI Am LegendDr. Robert Neville Gerard Butler 300 King Leonidas John Cusack 1408 Mike Enslin Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood Daniel Plainview Johnny Depp Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Benjamin Barker / Sweeney Todd Viggo Mortensen Eastern Promises Nikolai LuzhinRobert Downey Jr.Iron ManTony Stark / Iron Man Christian Bale The Dark Knight Bruce Wayne / Batman Tom Cruise Valkyrie Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg Harrison Ford Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Indiana Jones Brad Pitt The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Benjamin Button Will Smith Hancock John HancockSam WorthingtonAvatarJake Sully Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes Tobey Maguire Brothers Capt. Sam Cahill Viggo Mortensen The Road Man Sam Rockwell Moon Sam Bell Denzel Washington The Book of Eli Eli
2010s