These Are the Best Actors of 2019

The most challenging, shocking and inspiring performances.

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Each year, for our Great Performers Issue, our critics Wesley Morris and A.O. Scott pick the ten best performances of the year.

These are some of the actors whose work in movies they found most captivating, challenging, shocking and inspiring in 2019. With a portfolio of photographs by Jack Davison

THESE ARE THIS YEAR’S GREAT PERFORMERS Jack Davison for The New York Times   Great Performers The Best Actors of 2019 These are the 10 performers whose work we found most captivating, challenging, shocking and inspiring in 2019. With a portfolio of photographs by Jack Davison. Selected by A.O. Scott and Wesley Morris Jack Davison for The New York Times   Great Performers Brad Pitt on the Kind of Leading Man He Doesn’t Want to Be “I spent most of the ’90s hiding out and smoking pot. I was too uncomfortable with all the attention.” By David Marchese Jack Davison for The New York Times   Great Performers Why Is Hollywood Afraid of Lupita Nyong’o? Something’s wrong when the fashion world treats an Oscar-winner better than the movies do. But this year, she made up for lost time. By Wesley Morris Jack Davison for The New York Times   Great Performers Robert De Niro Thinks Donald Trump Is Worse Than Any Gangster He’s Played “The rule in acting is you never make a judgment about your character. The characters have their reasons, and you understand them.” By David Marchese Jack Davison for The New York Times   Great Performers Jennifer Lopez on Finally Getting the Part She Was Born to Play For decades, Hollywood demanded she play ditzy or desperate. It took the role an exuberant, amoral stripper to set her free. By A.O. Scott

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