6 Best Oscar Best Actor Winners of the 2000s

By Vlad Zakh · June 19, 2026

Drama intensethought provoking

The Academy Award for Best Actor in the 2000s crowned a decade of raw, commanding, and deeply human leading performances.

Crazy Heart (2009) 01

Crazy Heart (2009)

IMDb ★ 7.1

A washed-up, alcoholic country singer finds unexpected hope through a young journalist and her son.

Milk (2008) 02

Milk (2008)

IMDb ★ 7.5

A gay rights activist becomes one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, only to be assassinated.

Capote (2005) 03

Capote (2005)

IMDb ★ 7.3

A celebrated author's obsessive research into a small-town murder consumes him while writing his masterpiece.

Ray (2004) 04

Ray (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.6

A blind musical prodigy overcomes poverty and addiction to become a beloved American icon.

Mystic River (2003) 05

Mystic River (2003)

IMDb ★ 7.7

Three childhood friends reunite as adults when a shocking murder reopens the trauma of their shared past.

Training Day (2001) 06

Training Day (2001)

IMDb ★ 7.7

A rookie cop's first day with a corrupt veteran detective spirals into a dangerous test of loyalty and morality.

Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.