The following are the best actors of 2016. This was a fantastic year for movies, with fantastic performances from these actors:

The following is a list of the best actors of 2016.

1. Leonardo Dicaprio

2. Michael Fassbender

3. Matt Damon

4. Ryan Gosling

5. Emma Stone

6. Natalie Portman

7. Cate Blanchett

8. Kate Winslet

9. Jennifer Lawrence

10. Alicia Vikander

The Top Ten Actors of 2016

In a year that was light on great films, a few actors stood out in sharp and remarkable performances.

1) Mahershala Ali as Juan in Moonlight. Ali’s performance is the beating heart of Barry Jenkins’ seminal work. The actor has made a career out of playing quiet strength, but this role, which requires him to be both father-figure and abuser, reaches new heights. The moments that stand out are when Juan has to teach Chiron how to swim or fight back against bullies; there is tenderness, but also real pain.

2) Tom Hanks as Sully in Sully. It might seem strange for an actor to make the list for giving what is essentially his most Tom Hanks performance ever, but Sully also required a different side of Hanks from what we are used to seeing from him. We know he can do charming and heroic; here we get to see him play an everyman dealing with more than he bargained for and coming out the other side with his dignity intact.

3) Emma Stone as Mia in La La Land. Damien Chazelle’s musical about an aspiring actress in Los Angeles would not have worked without a star who could carry both the singing and dancing portions

Although a lot of people gave really good performances this year, there were a few that were simply amazing. Since I’m a movie buff and love to see great acting onscreen, it was hard for me to narrow my list down to just ten actors. But these are the actors that I believe deserve recognition for their great performances in 2016.

1) Matt Damon – The Martian: It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Matt Damon in a blockbuster, but this year he came back with a bang! His performance was incredible and his character was funny and charming.

2) Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant: Leo is always great at playing intense characters, and this year he played one of his most intense roles yet. He also won his first Oscar for this role!

3) Bryan Cranston – Trumbo: This is an older film (2015), but it was released wide in 2016 so I think it deserves a spot on my list. Cranston did an excellent job portraying blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and earned himself an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in the process!

4) Michael B Jordan – Creed: Jordan has been busy this year with a number of films including Fantastic Four, but it was his performance as Adonis Johnson in Creed

These actors have given the best performances this year.

The 2016 acting race has begun, and Vulture will take a close look at the contenders until votes are due on February 21.