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Home Just For Fun

Top Ten Tuesday: The Best Biopic Performances of the 21st Century

Mark Johnson by Mark Johnson
December 11, 2024
in Just For Fun, Top Ten
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Top Ten Tuesday: The Best Biopic Performances of the 21st Century
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Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.

No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?

This week, one of our favorite films from Telluride, Pablo Larraín’s Maria, hits Netflix. The biopic stars Angelina Jolie in a stunning performance as Maria Callas, the world’s greatest opera singer, in her final, most vulnerable days. Jolie delivers her all-time best performance, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. You can read my thoughts on the film from my Telluride coverage here, and Clarence’s full review here.

Since Jolie’s performance is one of our favorites this year, we thought we’d celebrate the film’s release by reflecting on the best performances in biopics from this century. With so many remarkable performances to choose from, defining a “biopic” can vary by author. For this ranking, I’ll define it as a film that dramatizes the life – whether in full or during a specific period – of a real person. The aim is to tell an accurate story, though creative liberties may be taken for dramatic effect.

Let’s get to it:

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10. Julia Roberts – Erin Brokovich (2000)

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9. Angelina Jolie – Maria (2024)

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8. Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

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7. Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave (2013)

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6. Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer (2023)

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5. Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

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4. Adrien Brody – The Pianist (2002)

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3. Philip Seymour Hoffman – Capote (2005)

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2. Charlize Theron – Monster (2003)

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1. Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln (2012)

What do you agree/disagree with? What is the best biopic performance this century?

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Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson has been a prominent voice in film coverage and the Oscar race since 2009. He launched his career with his own website, Award Contenders, before joining forces with Clayton Davis at Awards Circuit from 2011 to 2020. After continuing his insightful work at Awards Daily from 2020 to 2024, Mark now contributes to both The Contending and AwardsWatch. A member of the Critics Choice Association, Mark regularly attends major film festivals, including Telluride, Nantucket, and Middleburg, offering in-depth analysis and predictions throughout awards season.

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Comments 3

  1. Casey Chapman says:
    6 months ago

    After seeing Maria – so glad Angelina is on the list. WOW WOW WOW. I do not see how she does not win the Oscar.

    Charlize likely would still my #1

  2. For UnjustOther says:
    6 months ago

    Mr Eddie Redmayne & Ms Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl (2015) deserve a spot too, the latter also being victim of the biggest Oscar category screw up case as her performance is ABSOLUTELY lead despite winning for supporting.

  3. For UnjustOther says:
    6 months ago

    Also if ONLY judging in terms of performance, I'd add Mr Bale's Dick Cheney from Vice (2018).

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