Male Actor In a Leading Role

5. Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”

It’s almost a given that a film by Steven Speilberg starring two-time Oscar winner Day-Lewis as one of our nation’s greatest heroes would garner the actor a nomination. So it’s great to see that Day-Lewis doesn’t phone it in but lives up to even the highest expectations. As the 16th president of the United States, Day-Lewis aims for accuracy, mimicking Lincoln’s high-pitched, reedy voice and perfectly capturing his physical likeness. But it’s the man behind the legend—the father to a son who wants to go to war, the husband to a commanding wife—that Day-Lewis truly captures.

Photo Source: David James/DreamWorks