Ten Performances by . . .

[Feinberg]

Ten Great Performances by Leading Actors in 1962:

1. Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
2. Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate
3. James Mason in Lolita
4. Tom Courtenay in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
5. Alberto Sordi in Mafioso
6. Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird
7. Jack Lemmon in Days of Wine and Roses
8. Robert Preston in The Music Man
9. Keir Dullea in David and Lisa
10. Ralph Richardson in Long Day's Journey Into Night

Here are mine ...
1. JAMES MASON (Humbert Humbert/“Hum”), Lolita
2. PETER O'TOOLE (Thomas Edward “T.E.” Lawrence/”El Aurens”), Lawrence of Arabia
3. JACK LEMMON (Joe Clay), Days of Wine and Roses
4. TERENCE STAMP (William “Billy” Budd, Merchant Seaman), Billy Budd
5. ANTHONY QUINN (“Mountain” Rivera), Requiem for a Heavyweight
6. BURT LANCASTER (Robert Franklin Stroud), Birdman of Alcatraz
7. RALPH RICHARDSON (James Tyrone, Sr.), Long Day's Journey Into Night
8. ROBERT MITCHUM (Max Cady), Cape Fear
9. PETER USTINOV (Post Captain Edwin Fairfax Vere, Royal Navy), Billy Budd
10. GREGORY PECK (Atticus Finch), To Kill a Mockingbird

[Feinberg]

Ten All-Time Best Supporting Actress Performances:

1. Shelley Winters, Lolita (1962)
2 Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
3. Margaret Rutherford, Blithe Spirit (1945)
4. Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
5. Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
6. Mieko Harada, Ran (1985)
7. Mercedes McCambridge, All the King’s Men (1949)
8. Marie Dressler, Anna Christie (1930)
9. Susan Tyrrell , Fat City (1972)
10. Fay Bainter, Jezebel (1938)

[kingrat]

Ten Great Performances by Leading Actors in 1962:

Here are mine ...
1. JAMES MASON (Humbert Humbert/“Hum”), Lolita
2. PETER O'TOOLE (Thomas Edward “T.E.” Lawrence/”El Aurens”), Lawrence of Arabia
3. JACK LEMMON (Joe Clay), Days of Wine and Roses
4. TERENCE STAMP (William “Billy” Budd, Merchant Seaman), Billy Budd
5. ANTHONY QUINN (“Mountain” Rivera), Requiem for a Heavyweight
6. BURT LANCASTER (Robert Franklin Stroud), Birdman of Alcatraz
7. RALPH RICHARDSON (James Tyrone, Sr.), Long Day's Journey Into Night
8. ROBERT MITCHUM (Max Cady), Cape Fear
9. PETER USTINOV (Post Captain Edwin Fairfax Vere, Royal Navy), Billy Budd
10. GREGORY PECK (Atticus Finch), To Kill a Mockingbird

I kept wavering about whether Mitchum has a leading or supporting role in Cape Fear. His performance is great, one of the scariest villains ever because one of the most believable. Today they'd probably push him for a supporting actor nod, but you're right that it feels more like a leading role.

[Feinberg]

Ten Great Performances by Leading Actors in 1962:

Here are mine ...
1. JAMES MASON (Humbert Humbert/“Hum”), Lolita
2. PETER O'TOOLE (Thomas Edward “T.E.” Lawrence/”El Aurens”), Lawrence of Arabia
3. JACK LEMMON (Joe Clay), Days of Wine and Roses
4. TERENCE STAMP (William “Billy” Budd, Merchant Seaman), Billy Budd
5. ANTHONY QUINN (“Mountain” Rivera), Requiem for a Heavyweight
6. BURT LANCASTER (Robert Franklin Stroud), Birdman of Alcatraz
7. RALPH RICHARDSON (James Tyrone, Sr.), Long Day's Journey Into Night
8. ROBERT MITCHUM (Max Cady), Cape Fear
9. PETER USTINOV (Post Captain Edwin Fairfax Vere, Royal Navy), Billy Budd
10. GREGORY PECK (Atticus Finch), To Kill a Mockingbird

I kept wavering about whether Mitchum has a leading or supporting role in Cape Fear. His performance is great, one of the scariest villains ever because one of the most believable. Today they'd probably push him for a supporting actor nod, but you're right that it feels more like a leading role.

Yes, today the trend when you have a two-hander is to put one forward in the supporting category as not to divide the vote, etc. Jodie Foster had arguably the larger role in last year's Nyad. She did all the acting while Bening did the swimming. But no surprise she was put in the supporting category.

[Feinberg]

Ten All-Time Best Supporting Actor Performances:

1. Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
2. Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
3. Dustin Hoffman, Papillon (1973)
4. Robert De Niro, Mean Streets (1973)
5. Walter Brennan, The Westerner (1940)
6. Peter Ustinov, Spartacus (1960)
7. Sessue Hayakawa, Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
8. Joe Pesci, Raging Bull (1980)
9. Gene Hackman, Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
10. Marlon Brando, The Godfather (1972)

[skimpole]

Ten Best Leading Actor Performances of 1962:

10. Alain Delon, L'Eclisse
9. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Le Doulos
8. Oskar Werner, Jules et Jim
7. Jack Lemmon, Days of Wine and Roses
6. Tatsuya Nakadi, Harakiri
5. Ralph Richardson, Long Day's Journey into Night
4. Chishu Ryu, An Autumn Afternoon
3. Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird
2. James Mason, Lolita
1. Peter O'Toole, Lawrence of Arabia

[Feinberg]

Ten All-Time Best Actress Performances:

1. Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose (2007)
2. Gloria Swanson, Sunset Blvd. (1950)
3. Bette Davis, All About Eve (1950)
4. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (2011)
5. Vivien Leigh, Gone With the Wind (1939)
6. Greta Garbo, Camille (1936)
7. Anna Magnani, The Rose Tattoo (1955)
8. Giulietta Masina, La Strada (1954)
9. Faye Dunaway, Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
10. Olivia de Havilland, The Heiress (1949)

[Feinberg]

Ten All-Time Best Actor Performances:

1. Laurence Olivier, Richard III (1955)
2. Charles Chaplin, Modern Times (1936)
3. Robert De Niro, Raging Bull (1980)
4. Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry (1960)
5. Alastair Sim, A Christmas Carol (1951)
6. Marlon Brando, Last Tango In Paris (1972)
7. Anthony Hopkins, The Father (2020)
8. Humphrey Bogart, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
9. Albert Finney, Under the Volcano (1984)
10. Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers (1988)