Best Actor in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film.

Quick Facts for Best Supporting Actor, Awarded for ...
BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor
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The 2023 recipient: Robert Downey Jr.
Awarded forBest Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
LocationUnited Kingdom
Presented byBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
Currently held byRobert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer (2023)
Websitehttp://www.bafta.org/
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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, children's film and television, and interactive media. Since 1968, selected actors have been awarded with the BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at an annual ceremony.

In the following lists, the titles and names in bold with a gold background are the winners and recipients respectively; those not in bold are the nominees. The years given are those in which the films under consideration were released, not the year of the ceremony, which always takes place the following year.

History

The Best Supporting Actor award has been presented a total of 54 times to 48 different actors. No award was given out in this category in 1980, when no actors, male or female, were nominated for supporting roles. In addition, the award was replaced with a gender-neutral category for Best Supporting Artist, allotted for the year 1981 only, with all four nominees that year being male. The first winner was Ian Holm for his role in The Bofors Gun. The most recent winner is Robert Downey Jr. for his role in Oppenheimer. The record for most wins is three, held by Denholm Elliott, who won three consecutive times, while five other actors have won twice. Elliott also holds the record for most nominations, with seven.

Winners and nominees

  indicates the winner
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Ian Holm was the inaugural winner, winning two times for The Bofors Gun (1968) and Chariots of Fire (1981).
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Laurence Olivier won for Oh! What a Lovely War (1969).
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Ben Johnson won for The Last Picture Show (1972).
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Fred Astaire won for The Towering Inferno (1975).
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Robert Duvall won for Apocalypse Now (1979).
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Daniel Auteuil won for Jean de Florette (1987).
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Alan Rickman won for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).
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Ralph Fiennes won for Schindler's List (1993).
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Samuel L. Jackson won for Pulp Fiction (1994).
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Paul Scofield won for The Crucible (1996).
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Tom Wilkinson won for The Full Monty (1997).
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Benicio del Toro won for Traffic (2000).
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Jim Broadbent won for Moulin Rouge! (2001).
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Christopher Walken won for Catch Me If You Can (2002).
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Jake Gyllenhaal won for Brokeback Mountain (2005).
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Javier Bardem won for No Country for Old Men (2007).
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Heath Ledger won posthumously for The Dark Knight (2008).
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Christoph Waltz won twice, for Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012).
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Barkhad Abdi won for Captain Phillips (2013).
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JK Simmons won for Whiplash (2014).
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Mark Rylance won for Bridge of Spies (2015).
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Dev Patel won for Lion (2016).
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Sam Rockwell won for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
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Mahershala Ali won for Green Book (2018).
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Brad Pitt won for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
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Daniel Kaluuya won for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).
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Troy Kotsur won for CODA (2021).
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Barry Keoghan won for The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

1960s

1970s

More information Year, Actor ...
Year Actor Film Character
1970
(24th)
Colin Welland Kes Mr. Farthing
Bernard Cribbins The Railway Children Albert Perks
John Mills Ryan's Daughter Michael
Gig Young They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Rocky
1971
(25th)
Edward Fox The Go-Between Hugh Trimingham
Michael Gough The Go-Between Mr. Maudsley
Ian Hendry Get Carter Eric Paice
John Hurt 10 Rillington Place Timothy Evans
1972
(26th)
Ben Johnson The Last Picture Show Sam the Lion
Max Adrian (posthumous) The Boy Friend Mr. Max / Lord Hubert Brockhurst
Robert Duvall The Godfather Tom Hagen
Ralph Richardson Lady Caroline Lamb King George IV
1973
(27th)
Arthur Lowe O Lucky Man! Mr. Duff / Charlie Johnson / Dr. Munda
Ian Bannen The Offence Kenneth Baxter
Denholm Elliott A Doll's House Nils Krogstad
Michael Lonsdale The Day of the Jackal Lebel
1974
(28th)
John Gielgud Murder on the Orient Express Mr. Beddoes
Adam Faith Stardust Mike Menary
John Huston Chinatown Noah Cross
Randy Quaid The Last Detail Seaman Larry Meadows
1975
(29th)
Fred Astaire The Towering Inferno Harlee Claiborne
Martin Balsam The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Harold Longman
Burgess Meredith The Day of the Locust Harry Greener
Jack Warden Shampoo Lester Carp
1976
(30th)
Brad Dourif One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Billy Bibbit
Martin Balsam All the President's Men Howard Simons
Michael Hordern The Slipper and the Rose The King
Jason Robards All the President's Men Ben Bradlee
1977
(31st)
Edward Fox A Bridge Too Far Brian Horrocks
Colin Blakely Equus Frank Strang
Robert Duvall Network Frank Hackett
Zero Mostel The Front Hecky Brown
1978
(32nd)
John Hurt Midnight Express Max
Gene Hackman Superman Lex Luthor
Jason Robards Julia Dashiell Hammett
François Truffaut Close Encounters of the Third Kind Claude Lacombe
1979
(33rd)
Robert Duvall Apocalypse Now Bill Kilgore
Denholm Elliott Saint Jack William Leigh
John Hurt Alien Kane
Christopher Walken The Deer Hunter Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich
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1980s

More information Year, Actor ...
Year Actor Film Character
1980
(34th)
Not awarded
1981
(35th)
Ian Holm Chariots of Fire Sam Mussabini
Denholm Elliott Raiders of the Lost Ark Marcus Brody
John Gielgud Arthur Hobson
Nigel Havers Chariots of Fire Andrew Lindsay
1982
(36th)
Jack Nicholson Reds Eugene O'Neill
Frank Finlay The Return of the Soldier William Grey
Edward Fox Gandhi Reginald Dyer
Roshan Seth Jawaharlal Nehru
1983
(37th)
Denholm Elliott Trading Places Coleman
Bob Hoskins The Honorary Consul Colonel Perez
Burt Lancaster Local Hero Felix Happer
Jerry Lewis The King of Comedy Jerry Langford
1984
(38th)
Denholm Elliott A Private Function Charles Swaby
Michael Elphick Gorky Park Pasha
Ian Holm Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Phillippe D'Arnot
Ralph Richardson The Earl of Greystoke
1985
(39th)
Denholm Elliott Defence of the Realm Vernon Bayliss
James Fox A Passage to India Richard Fielding
John Gielgud Plenty Leonard Darwin
Saeed Jaffrey My Beautiful Laundrette Nasser
1986
(40th)
Ray McAnally The Mission Altamirano
Klaus Maria Brandauer Out of Africa Bror Blixen
Simon Callow A Room with a View Arthur Beebe
Denholm Elliott Mr. Emerson
1987
(41st)
Daniel Auteuil Jean de Florette Ugolin
Ian Bannen Hope and Glory Grandfather George
Sean Connery The Untouchables Jimmy Malone
John Thaw Cry Freedom Kruger
1988
(42nd)
Michael Palin A Fish Called Wanda Ken Pile
Joss Ackland White Mischief Jock Delves Broughton
Peter O'Toole The Last Emperor Reginald Johnston
David Suchet A World Apart Muller
1989
(43rd)
Ray McAnally My Left Foot Mr. Brown
Marlon Brando A Dry White Season Ian McKenzie
Sean Connery Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Henry Jones Sr.
Jack Nicholson Batman Jack Napier / The Joker
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1990s

More information Year, Actor ...
Year Actor Film Character
1990
(44th)
Salvatore Cascio Cinema Paradiso Salvatore Di Vita (child)
Alan Alda Crimes and Misdemeanors Lester
John Hurt The Field Bird O'Donnell
Al Pacino Dick Tracy Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice
1991
(45th)
Alan Rickman Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Sheriff of Nottingham
Alan Bates Hamlet King Claudius
Derek Jacobi Dead Again Franklyn Madson
Andrew Strong The Commitments Deco Cuffe
1992
(46th)
Gene Hackman Unforgiven Little Bill Daggett
Jaye Davidson The Crying Game Dil
Tommy Lee Jones JFK Clay Shaw
Samuel West Howards End Leonard Bast
1993
(47th)
Ralph Fiennes Schindler's List Amon Göth
Tommy Lee Jones The Fugitive Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard
Ben Kingsley Schindler's List Itzhak Stern
John Malkovich In the Line of Fire Mitch Leary
1994
(48th)
Samuel L. Jackson Pulp Fiction Jules Winnfield
Simon Callow Four Weddings and a Funeral Gareth
John Hannah Matthew
Paul Scofield Quiz Show Mark Van Doren
1995
(49th)
Tim Roth Rob Roy Archibald Cunningham
Ian Holm The Madness of King George Dr. Willis
Martin Landau Ed Wood Bela Lugosi
Alan Rickman Sense and Sensibility Christopher Brandon
1996
(50th)
Paul Scofield The Crucible Thomas Danforth
John Gielgud Shine Cecil Parkes
Edward Norton Primal Fear Aaron Stampler
Alan Rickman Michael Collins Éamon de Valera
1997
(51st)
Tom Wilkinson The Full Monty Gerald
Mark Addy The Full Monty Dave
Rupert Everett My Best Friend's Wedding George Downes
Burt Reynolds Boogie Nights Jack Horner
1998
(52nd)
Geoffrey Rush Shakespeare in Love Philip Henslowe
Ed Harris The Truman Show Christof
Geoffrey Rush Elizabeth Francis Walsingham
Tom Wilkinson Shakespeare in Love Hugh Fennyman
1999
(53rd)
[3]
Jude Law The Talented Mr. Ripley Dickie Greenleaf
Wes Bentley American Beauty Ricky Fitts
Michael Caine The Cider House Rules Wilbur Larch
Rhys Ifans Notting Hill Spike
Timothy Spall Topsy-Turvy Richard Temple
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2000s

More information Year, Actor ...
Year Actor Film Character
Benicio del Toro Traffic Javier Rodriguez
Albert Finney Erin Brockovich Edward L. Masry
Gary Lewis Billy Elliot Jackie Elliot
Joaquin Phoenix Gladiator Commodus
Oliver Reed (posthumous) Proximo
2001
(55th)
[6]
Jim Broadbent Moulin Rouge! Harold Zidler
Hugh Bonneville Iris Young John Bayley
Robbie Coltrane Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Rubeus Hagrid
Colin Firth Bridget Jones's Diary Mark Darcy
Eddie Murphy [A] Shrek Donkey
2002
(56th)
[7]
Christopher Walken Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale Sr.
Chris Cooper Adaptation John Laroche
Ed Harris The Hours Richard Brown
Alfred Molina Frida Diego Rivera
Paul Newman Road to Perdition John Rooney
2003
(57th)
[8]
Bill Nighy Love Actually Billy Mack
Paul Bettany Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Dr. Stephen Maturin
Albert Finney Big Fish Ed Bloom (Old)
Ian McKellen The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gandalf
Tim Robbins Mystic River Dave Boyle
2004
(58th)
[9]
Clive Owen Closer Larry Gray
Alan Alda The Aviator Owen Brewster
Phil Davis Vera Drake Stanley Drake
Rodrigo de la Serna The Motorcycle Diaries Alberto Granado
Jamie Foxx Collateral Max Durocher
2005
(59th)
[10]
Jake Gyllenhaal Brokeback Mountain Jack Twist
Don Cheadle Crash Det. Graham Waters
George Clooney Good Night, and Good Luck Fred W. Friendly
Syriana Bob Barnes
Matt Dillon Crash Sgt. John Ryan
2006
(60th)
[11]
Alan Arkin Little Miss Sunshine Edwin Hoover
James McAvoy The Last King of Scotland Nicholas Garrigan
Jack Nicholson The Departed Frank Costello
Leslie Phillips Venus Ian Brooks
Michael Sheen The Queen Tony Blair
2007
(61st)
[12]
Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men Anton Chigurh
Paul Dano There Will Be Blood Eli Sunday / Paul Sunday
Philip Seymour Hoffman Charlie Wilson's War Gust Avrakotos
Tommy Lee Jones No Country for Old Men Sheriff Ed Tom Bell
Tom Wilkinson Michael Clayton Arthur Edens
2008
(62nd)
[13]
Heath Ledger (posthumous) The Dark Knight Joker
Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Thunder Kirk Lazarus
Brendan Gleeson In Bruges Ken Daley
Philip Seymour Hoffman Doubt Father Brendan Flynn
Brad Pitt Burn After Reading Chad Feldheimer
2009
(63rd)
[14]
Christoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds Col. Hans Landa
Alec Baldwin It's Complicated Jacob Adler
Christian McKay Me and Orson Welles Orson Welles
Alfred Molina An Education Jack Miller
Stanley Tucci The Lovely Bones George Harvey
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2010s

More information Year, Actor ...
Year Actor Film Character
2010
(64th)
[15]
Geoffrey Rush The King's Speech Lionel Logue
Christian Bale The Fighter Dicky Eklund
Andrew Garfield The Social Network Eduardo Saverin
Pete Postlethwaite (posthumous) The Town Fergus "Fergie" Colm
Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are All Right Paul Hatfield
2011
(65th)
[16]
Christopher Plummer Beginners Hal Fields
Kenneth Branagh My Week with Marilyn Laurence Olivier
Jim Broadbent The Iron Lady Denis Thatcher
Jonah Hill Moneyball Peter Brand
Philip Seymour Hoffman The Ides of March Paul Zara
2012
(66th)
[17]
Christoph Waltz Django Unchained Dr. King Schultz
Alan Arkin Argo Lester Siegel
Javier Bardem Skyfall Raoul Silva
Philip Seymour Hoffman The Master Lancaster Dodd
Tommy Lee Jones Lincoln Thaddeus Stevens
2013
(67th)
[18]
Barkhad Abdi Captain Phillips Abduwali Muse
Daniel Brühl Rush Niki Lauda
Bradley Cooper American Hustle Richard "Richie" DiMaso
Matt Damon Behind the Candelabra Scott Thorson
Michael Fassbender 12 Years a Slave Edwin Epps
2014
(68th)
[19]
J. K. Simmons Whiplash Terrence Fletcher
Steve Carell Foxcatcher John du Pont
Ethan Hawke Boyhood Mason Evans Sr.
Edward Norton Birdman Mike Shiner
Mark Ruffalo Foxcatcher David Schultz
2015
(69th)
[20]
Mark Rylance Bridge of Spies Rudolf Abel
Christian Bale The Big Short Michael Burry
Benicio del Toro Sicario Alejandro Gillick
Idris Elba Beasts of No Nation The Commandant
Mark Ruffalo Spotlight Michael Rezendes
2016
(70th)
[21]
Dev Patel Lion Saroo Brierley
Mahershala Ali Moonlight Juan
Jeff Bridges Hell or High Water Marcus Hamilton
Hugh Grant Florence Foster Jenkins St. Clair Bayfield
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Nocturnal Animals Ray Marcus
2017
(71st)
[22]
Sam Rockwell Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Jason Dixon
Willem Dafoe The Florida Project Bobby Hicks
Hugh Grant Paddington 2 Phoenix Buchanan
Woody Harrelson Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Bill Willoughby
Christopher Plummer All the Money in the World J. Paul Getty
2018
(72nd)
[23]
Mahershala Ali Green Book Don Shirley
Timothée Chalamet Beautiful Boy Nic Sheff
Adam Driver BlacKkKlansman Flip Zimmerman
Richard E. Grant Can You Ever Forgive Me? Jack Hock
Sam Rockwell Vice George W. Bush
2019
(73rd)
[24]
Brad Pitt Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Cliff Booth
Tom Hanks A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Fred Rogers
Anthony Hopkins The Two Popes Pope Benedict XVI
Al Pacino The Irishman Jimmy Hoffa
Joe Pesci Russell Bufalino
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2020s

Multiple wins and nominations

Multiple nominations

Multiple wins

3 wins
2 wins

See also

Notes

    A^ : Eddie Murphy was nominated for a voice-only performance.

    References

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