Alternate Best Actor 1979: Results

5. Graham Chapman in Life of Brian - Chapman gives enjoyable enough performances as both a straight man and a very silly one, but is never that hilarious.

Best Scene: Brian on the cross.

4. Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now - Sheen gives a solid mostly reactionary performance although I do feel he is a bit overshadowed by the film's direction and its other performances.

Best Scene: Willard is told about his previous missions.

3. James Woods in The Onion Field - Woods gives a compelling portrayal that brings depth to a character who could have been just a simple psycho killer.

Best Scene: Lead up to the murder.

2. Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu the Vampyre -Kinksi effectively replicates aspects of Max Schreck's performances, but also offers his own interpretation by strangely yet poignantly bringing some honest humanity to the creature.

Best Scene: Dracula speaks of his desire for love.

1. Brad Dourif in Wise Blood - This was an easier choice than I expected to be as I found Dourif easily gave the best leading performance from 1979. Dourif might not give the most accessible turn, but is consistently fascinating portrait of a truly unique character.

Best Scene: Motes confronts his imposter.

Overall Ranking:

1. Roy Scheider in All That Jazz
2. Brad Dourif in Wise Blood
3. Ken Ogata in Vengeance is Mine
4. Patrick Dewaere in Série Noire
   
5. George Burns in Going in Style
6. Alexander Kaidanovsky in Stalker
7. Anatoly Solonitsyn in Stalker
8. Peter Sellers in Being There
9. Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu the Vampyre
10. James Woods in The Onion Field
11. Robert Duvall in The Great Santini
12. Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now
13. Jack Lemmon in The China Syndrome
    
14. Ben Gazzara in Saint Jack
15. Malcolm McDowell in Time After Time
16. Klaus Kinski in Woyzeck
17. Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer
18. Christopher Plummer in Murder By Decree
19. George C. Scott in Hardcore
    
20. Gian Maria Volonté in Christ Stopped At Aboli
21. Frank Langella in Dracula
22. Steve Martin in The Jerk
23. James Mason in Murder By Decree
24. Soumitra Chatterjee in The Elephant God
25. Ray Winstone in Scum
26. Yves Montand in I As in Icarus
27. Jean-Pierre Léaud in Love on the Run
28. Alan Arkin in The In-Laws
29. Peter Falk in The In-Laws
30. Maximilian Schell in The Black Hole
31. Jerzy Stuhr in Camera Buff
32. Bunta Sugawara in The Man Who Stole the Sun
33. Daniel Olbrychski in The Maids of Wilko
34. Mel Gibson in Mad Max
35. Bruno Ganz in Nosferatu the Vampyre
36. Al Pacino in ...And Justice For All
37. Ahmed Zaki in Alexandria...Why?
38. Dudley Moore in 10
    
39. Tatsuya Nakadai in Hunter in the Dark
40. Clint Eastwood in Escape From Alcatraz
41. Dennis Christopher in Breaking Away
42. Albert Brooks in Real Life
43. Treat Williams in Hair
44. Malcolm McDowell in Caligula
45. Graham Chapman in Life of Brian
46. Kenji Sawada in The Man Who Stole the Sun
47. Nicol Williamson in The Human Factor
48. Nick Nolte in North Dallas Forty
49. Sun Yueh in Raining in The Mountain
50. Hal Halbrook in Natural Enemies
51. Yoshio Harada in Hunter in the Dark
52. Robert Redford in The Electric Horseman
53. Nikolai Grinko in Stalker
54. Woody Allen in Manhattan  
55. Sylvester Stallone in Rocky II
56. Burt Reynolds in Starting Over
57. Michael Kramer in Over the Edge
58. John Savage in Hair
59. David Bennent in The Tin Drum
60. Jon Voight in The Champ
61. John Savage in The Onion Field
62. Franklyn Seales in The Onion Field
63. Phil Daniels in Quadrophenia
64. William Shatner in Star Trek The Motion Picture
65. Bill Murray in Meatballs
66. Art Hindle in The Brood
67. Ken Wahl in The Wanderers
68. William Devane in Yanks
69. James Caan in Chapter Two
70. Kelly Reno in The Black Stallion
71. Michael Beck in The Warriors
72. Alan Alda in The Seduction of Joe Tynan
73. Ricky Schroder in The Champ
74. Richard Gere in Yanks
75. Roger Moore in Moonraker
76. James Brolin in The Amityville Horror
77. Thelonious Bernard in A Little Romance
78. Matthew Barry in La Luna

Next Year: 1979 Supporting