Top-Tier Best Actress Winners (Oscars)
Once a year, I like to do an Oscar-themed write-up. As I have seen every Oscar-winning performance from the last 96 years, I thought revealing my top tier winning performances in all four categories.
The supporting category was not put in place until 1936, so there are only 88 Supporting performance winners.
I did eight tiers per category. Since the Supporting categories only have 88 performances, I did 11 per tier. The Lead performances have 12 per tier.
So, without further ado, here are the top 11 Best Supporting Actor Winning Performances. They’re ranked in chronological order.
Vivien Leigh – Gone With the Wind (1939)
The role that damn near every women in Hollywood chased after. However, it went to no name, Vivien Leigh, who proved immediately that she belonged alongside the Hollywood greats. She carries the epic with the confidence of a seasoned vet and creates an iconic cinematic character.
Ingrid Bergman – Gaslight (1944)
Can Ingrid be bad? She’s been in bad movies, but she is never anything less than great. This could be a one-note performance of screaming and uncertainty. Instead, Ingrid remains vulnerable and layered, trying to figure out what is happening. Not to mention her brilliant final scene.
Joan Crawford – Mildred Pierce (1945)
Some people are just born to play certain parts. Joan was born to play Mildred. One of the best performances to show the difficulties of being a parent and the sacrifices you make for your children. Joan can say as much with a look as a monologue, and she gets to showcase it all here.
Shirley Booth – Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)
Booth was primarily a stage actor. In fact, she only made five feature films in her career. However, she became the first actress to win a Tony and Oscar for playing the same role, Lola Delaney, in Come Back, Little Sheba. A naturalistic and empathetic performance. No one could’ve done what Shirley did in this film.
Elizabeth Taylor – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
My favorite actress and my favorite Best Actress winner. Playing wise beyond her years, transformative, natural, capital A acting, subtle acting.
This role allows any actor to show incredible range. A completely unmatched performance in the 20th century.
Katharine Hepburn – The Lion in Winter (1968)
“It’s a tie!" exclaimed Ingrid Bergman as she announced the 1969 Best Actress Oscar. Katharine Hepburn going head-to-head with Peter O’Toole is one of the greatest gifts we’ve received in this world. Cagey and bitter, yet never without empathy. It’s easily her best winning performance.
Barbra Streisand – Funny Girl (1968)
Is Gregory Peck the reason we got this tie? Perhaps. Wanting to inject new blood into the Academy, he invited a slew of people, including Barbra Streisand. If she cannot vote, does Katharine win by one vote?
I, for one, am glad Mr. Peck did this so Babs could be a Best Actress Oscar winner. A shot out of the cannon performance that announces to the world: Hello! I am here to stay. Babs can do it all, and it’s all on screen here.
Liza Minnelli – Cabaret (1972)
Yes, Liza is a nepo-baby. But the cream always rises to the top. Liza proves it wouldn’t matter who her mother was, she has the juice. It’s the perfect blend of movie star and actor performance. Like all of these winners, this was undeniable.
Meryl Streep – Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Have you ever seen the millions of parodies of something before watching the original thing that was parodied? “It’s a real Sophie’s Choice” has become part of our lexicon. So, I was pleasantly surprised when the titular scene held up.
It completely devastated me. The overall film is a bore, and you’re waiting for the scene that doesn’t come until the end. But Meryl’s accent work and reserved demeanor until the “choice” moment are incredible.
Frances McDormand – Fargo (1996)
Like others on this list, their performance is so good that their character becomes iconic. Marge Gunderson has become one of those iconic characters. However, Frances never lets her become a caricature. All you have to do is look at Frances’s three Oscar-winning performances to know what a special actress she is.
Charlize Theron – Monster (2003)
The Oscars love a transformative performance, and this may be the ultimate one. Charlize disappears behind the makeup, contacts, and added weight. All to convincingly play serial killer Aileen Wuornos. She almost becomes her, and it is chilling to watch.
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine (2013)
Even before the scandals, I’ve never been a fan of Woody Allen. However, I do love Cate Blanchett. It’s a perfect marriage here as she plays a woman whose life comes crashing down, and she must go back to her sister, whom she has wronged.
It’s a motor-mouthed performance, as if Jasmine stops her anxieties and thoughts will catch her. Somehow, Cate makes this character empathetic, getting us to understand why she did or is the way she is.
