Alternate Best Actor 1981: Results

5. William Hurt in Body Heat- Hurt is good when he allowed to be, but much of the time it seems the filmmakers were more interested in his physical form than his acting ability.

Best Scene: Ned Racine looks over Matty's yearbook.

4. Klaus Maria Brandauer- Brandauer gives a very daring performance in his portrayal of the growing compromises of an artist that oddly brings out a greater humanity.

Best Scene: Hendrik Hoefgan tries to plead for one of his fellow artists.

3. Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark- Ford gives a great performance creating his most iconic role with his funny, thrilling and all together entertaining portrayal of Indiana Jones.

Best Scene: The opening quest.

2. Jürgen Prochnow in Das Boot- Prochnow's performance is a spectacular based on being a gritty face of reality aboard submarine on the wrong side of a war. 

Best Scene: The Captain watches the helpless men drown.

1. Mel Gibson in Gallipoli- Good Predictions Koook160, Psifonian, and RatedRStar. All I can say is my top four is an extraordinary group, but I'm going with the performance that I got the strongest emotional reaction from, which is really saying something considering I reacted pretty strongly to all of them. Gibson's performance though is an amazing piece acting, the early part of his performance being Gibson at his charismatic best in his depiction of the cynical Frank, and the end being such a heartbreaking portrayal of such a man having to face the harsh realities of World War I trench warfare.  

Best Scene: Frank and Archy both fail to complete their final run.

Overall Rank:

1. Bob Hoskins in The Long Good Friday
2. John Heard in Cutter's Way
3. Mel Gibson in Gallipoli
4. Jürgen Prochnow in Das Boot
5. James Caan in Thief
6. Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark 
7. Klaus Maria Brandauer in Mephisto
8. Dudley Moore in Arthur
9. Ian Charleson in Chariots of Fire
10. Ben Cross in Chariots of Fire
11. John Travolta in Blow Out
12. Michel Serrault in Garde à Vue
13. Robert Duvall in True Confessions
14. Keith Carradine in Southern Comfort
15. Mark Lee in Gallipoli
16. Armin Mueller-Stahl in Lola
17. Powers Boothe in Southern Comfort
18. Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond
19. Herbert Grönemeyer in Das Boot
20. Lino Ventura in Garde à Vue
21. Jeremy Irons in The French-Lieutenant's Woman
22. Sam Neill in Possession
23. Ugo Tognazzi in Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man
    
24. Mario Adorf in Lola
25. Philippe Noiret in Coup de Torchon
26. Andre Gregory in My Dinner With Andre
27. Mel Gibson in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
28. Steve Martin in Pennies From Heaven
29. Richard Dreyfuss in Whose Life Is It Anways?
30. Kurt Russell in Escape from New York
31. Timothy Hutton in Taps 
32. William Hurt in Body Heat
33. Donald Sutherland in Eye of the Needle
34. David Naughton in An American Werewolf in London
35. John Gordon Sinclair in Gregory's Girl
36. Sean Connery in Outland  
37. Jeff Bridges in Cutter's Way
38. Fernando Ramos da Silva in Pixote
39. Craig Warnock in Time Bandits
40. Treat Williams in Prince of the City  
41. Marian Opania in Man of Iron
42. Jerzy Radziwiłowicz in Man of Iron
43. Carlos Alberto Riccelli in They Don't Wear Black Tie
    
44. Nigel Terry in Excalibur
45. John Belushi in Continental Divide
46. Mickey Rooney in The Fox and the Hound
47. Wallace Shawn in My Dinner With Andre
    
48. Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead
49. Mel Brooks in History of the World Part I
50. Kurt Russell in The Fox and the Hound
51. Harold Ramis in Stripes
52. Bill Murray in Stripes
53. Frédéric Andréi in Diva
54. William Hurt in Eyewitness
55. Jack Nicholson in The Postman Always Rings Twice
56. Peter MacNicol in Dragonslayer
57. Makiko Shibata in Muddy River
58. Diogo Dória in Francisca
59. Paul Newman in Absence of Malice 
60. Robert De Niro in True Confessions
61. Harry Hamlin in Clash of the Titans 
62. Warren Beatty in Reds 
63. Roger Moore in For Your Eyes Only
64. Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks
65. Sylvester Stallone in Victory
66. Stacy Keach in Butterfly
67. Richard Benjamin in Saturday the 14th 
68. Andy Kaufman in Heartbeeps
69. Stephen Lack in Scanners 

Next Year: 1981 Supporting