The 10 Best Actors of the Year

Well, A.O, I didn't see The Beguiled (loved the original film), but if you were able to squeeze a single emotional moment out of The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, you wee paying more attention than I was. Every character, including Kidman's, was played as an automaton. Then again, that seems to be a directorial requirement for Lanthimos. It worked for The Lobster, but Sacred Deer was unwatchable.

The writing about these performances is an art in itself - and so very well performed. Perfect prose to match unparalleled acting. Artists both.

Cynthia Nixon -- simply superb.

Nicole Kidman should have won an Oscar for The Others, in which she played a troubled ghost who had been a troubled infanticidal mother. Speaking of ghost - what about Casey Affleck's performance as one this year?

The problem with Nicole Kidman is she is often underestimated, underrated and under appreciated because of her stunning beauty. I think she shows incredible depth and skill in every role she has been in. When I first saw her in "The Hours", I found her performance breathtaking. Her skills and talent are awesome and unbelievable. Thank you for including her in the top 10 best actors of the year. And Cynthia Nixon is also a rare gem, especially in "A Quiet Passion". I was never a fan of "Sex and the City" but I have seen Ms. Nixon in a number of roles and she never fails to disappoint. She too belongs in this top 10 of best actors of the year. Great choices, honest choices, legitimate choices. Both women bring incredible richness and raw emotion to the roles in which they perform. They are akin to a fine wine - each performance is better than the last.

Whoa, slow down. This technology of motion captured acting shouldn’t be discounted or, especially with this actor, demeaned. I get part of what you’re saying, but Serkis has proved time and again in his acting to bring real human emotions to a non-human role that deserves real credit and credibility. That’s tough stuff to accomplish! You’re way too harsh.

"Has any movie actor conjured as much surprise as this little girl?" Has everyone already forgotten about the amazing performance of Quvenzhané Wallis in "Beasts of the Southern Wild?" That movie was released only 5 years ago!

No Gary Oldman for his portrayal of Churchill???!!

Like Gladstone in Certain Women broke my heart. I totally enjoyed Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards. (For what it’s worth, my mother said Harry Dean Stanton was amazing in Lucky. Unfortunately that movie hasn’t played anywhere near me).

"Actors" is what people in the industry liked to be called.

I was amazed that Kenneth Branagh was not included. I haven't cried over a movie performance for years, but Branagh's Poirot in the penultimate scene of Orient Express did it for me.

I think Bria Vinalte as the young mom in The Florida Project was the most believable actor of the year -- AMAZING!!!!

Having just completed an eight month tour of our grand and beautiful western states, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and Utah, I am not pleased to inform you that NONE of these films (movies?) will be seen in any of these places by anyone. It is simply not happening out there folks. Once again we are living in our own little coastal bubbles. It's a shame. Well, MAYBE the War for the Planet of the Apes. But none of the others. In the first place, there are just not that many theaters out there in the hinterlands, and the ones that are still operational are NOT showing these types of movies. Disney? Yes. Marvel comic movies? Yes. Death and destruction with lots of guns and explosions? Yes. Thoughtful dramas about human beings having transformational experiences? Forget about it!

All were amazing in their roles, thank you for keeping movies relevant!

Loved Get Out and Lady Bird actor and ACTRESS- WHY not give women a chance with the word ACTRESS- I despise the political correctness of NYT. It’s creepy.

Andy Serkis is a reference for the animators. If you want to gush over the monkeys performance, you need to credit the animators and not Serkis. There's nothing new or revolutionary about. Disney used it for Alice in Wonderland as seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lGtigVMC70 I'm well aware of Serkis' campaign for recognition, but that campaign is built on belittling the work of the animators and dismissing it as 'digital makeup'. It's disgusting and it makes me pissed off to see that the NYT is buying into his lies.

I vote for Jake.

Great profiles of some memorable performances. Many thanks for the attention to detail and the variety presented. You have cost me money, of course, as now I shall have to trek to the movies to see all these wonderful actors. I have already seen LADY BIRD, and Ronan's depiction of the American high school student is spot on. She is just superb as is Laurie Metcalf as her mother. Thanks again for these profiles.

So glad to see Nicole Kidman deemed an “actor.” We can now progress to gender-blind casting. It’s only societal norms that preclude, say Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, meeting cute and winding up in an enlightened liplock.

I have a lot to cath upwith -- But I loved Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project: She had me seeing her "territory" through a child's eyes, with all of the local characters and hidden places of danger or mystery that children see, but which can be invisible to adults. I also saw Willem Dafoe's understated performance as the kind motel manager who imposes minimal order in his community of castoffs as superb.