Who Won the Oscar for Best Actor? Quiz

Answer: Tom Hanks for "Forrest Gump"

Hanks agreed to do the movie as soon as he read the script. His only stipulation was that events that take place in the movie were correct in historical order. Hanks' victory as Best Actor gave him two Oscars in a row because he also won for "Philadelphia" (1993).

Answer: Kevin Spacey for "American Beauty"

Spacey revealed that he was attracted to this role because the character Lester Burnham was closer to his personality than any of his previous roles such as "The Usual Suspects" and "Glengarry Glen Ross". Spacey also physically worked out to present a change in his character's physical evolution from being a little pudgy at the beginning of the movie to appearing buffed towards the end as he deals with his wife's infidelity and his attraction to his daughter's teenaged friend.

Answer: Rex Harrison for "My Fair Lady"

Initially, Harrison was reluctant to take the role of Henry Higgins for the movie. His reticence stemmed from his experiences of performing the role on stage and Director George Cukor's plan to change the ending from that of the play. Harrison is probably best remembered for his ability to "talk to the animals" as the original Dr. John Dolittle.

Answer: Richard Dreyfuss for "The Goodbye Girl"

The Dreyfuss star was bright coming into this film after appearing in "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". As a result, Neil Simon was willing to rewrite the screenplay to play to his strengths. At the time that Dreyfuss won this award, he was the youngest actor to have ever received this recognition.

Answer: Michael Douglas for "Wall Street"

Douglas's portrayal of Gordon Gekko was an amalgamation of several so-called corporate raiders of the '80s. Although he immediately signed on for the role after reading the script, Douglas later revealed that he was intimidated by the length of some of the monologues.

It is a good thing that he stuck with it because his performance in the movie brought him an Oscar and a sequel 23 years later.

Answer: Dustin Hoffman for "Rain Man"

Hoffman spent two years practicing and perfecting the mannerisms and characteristics of an autistic savant. Hoffman's performance as Raymond Babbitt was widely praised by mental health professionals for dispelling misconceptions about autism and improving public awareness. This was Hoffman's second Oscar for Best Actor, his first came for his performance in 1979's "Kramer vs Kramer".

Answer: Anthony Hopkins for "The Silence of the Lambs"

Hopkins, a noted perfectionist in preparing for his roles, studied criminal files of several serial killers to prepare for the character Hannibal Lecter. He also visited prisons, studied convicted killers, and attended a few of their court trials. In his long and distinguished career Hopkins has won numerous awards worldwide, including Emmys for his roles in television mini-series.

Answer: Nicolas Cage for "Leaving Las Vegas"

To prepare for the role of Ben Sanderson, Cage conducted extensive research to develop his character in "Leaving Las Vegas" by actual binge drinking in Las Vegas. With his Oscar victory, Cage was the fifth youngest to ever do so. Cage was also nominated for Best Actor for his performance in the 2002 film "Adaptation". Cage is Francis Ford Coppola's nephew and Sofia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman's cousin.

Answer: Peter Finch for "Network"

Finch was doing a promotional tour for the movie when he had a heart attack in the lobby of a Beverly Hills hotel. After he passed away, Finch became the first actor to win the Best Actor award posthumously. Finch was better known for his performances in English films and was recognized as Best Actor four times by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Finch was also nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the 1971 film "Sunday Bloody Sunday".

Answer: Al Pacino for "Scent of a Woman"

Pacino prepared for this role by attending a school for the blind. Pacino also revealed that his secret for appearing blind was to not allow his eyes to focus on anything. His preparation obviously helped as he finally won an Academy Award after receiving several nominations.

In addition to this Oscar, Pacino has received numerous awards from around the world recognizing his performances.