El BAFTA al millor actor és un dels premis BAFTA atorgats per la British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) en una cerimònia anual des de 1953, en reconeixement de la millor representació masculina en un paper principal. Entre els anys 1953 i 1968 estava dividit en dues categories diferents: millor actor britànic i millor actor estranger; del 1985 a l'actualitat, es coneix com a "millor actor en un paper protagonista".
Guanyadors i nominats Els anys indicats són aquells en què es va celebrar la cerimònia, que té lloc l'any següent de l'estrena de les pel·lícules en qüestió.
Dècada del 1950 Millor actor britànic Any Actor Pel·lícula Personatge 1953 Ralph Richardson The Sound Barrier| John Ridgefield |- | Laurence Olivier || Carrie || George Hurstwood |- | Alastair Sim || Folly to Be Wise || Capità William Paris |- | Jack Hawkins || Mandy || Dick Searle |- | James Hayter || The Pickwick Papers (pel·lícula de 1952) || Samuel Pickwick |- | Nigel Patrick || The Sound Barrier || Tony Garthwaite |- | rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1954 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | John Gielgud | Julius Caesar Cassius Jack Hawkins The Cruel Sea (The Cruel Sea) George Ericson Kenneth More La Geneviève (Genevieve) Ambrose Claverhouse Trevor Howard The Heart of the Matter Harry Scobie Duncan Macrae The Kidnappers || Jim MacKenzie |- | rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1955 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Kenneth More | Doctor in the House| Richard Grimsdyke |- | David Niven || Carrington V.C. || Charles "Copper" Carrington |- | John Mills || Hobson's Choice || Will Mossop |- | Robert Donat || Lease of Life || Rev. William Thorne |- | Maurice Denham || La plana encesa (The Purple Plain) || Blore |- | Donald Wolfit || Svengali || Svengali |- | rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1956 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Laurence Olivier | Ricard III (Richard III)| Ricard III d'Anglaterra |- | Alfie Bass || The Bespoke Overcoat || Fender |- | Kenneth More || The Deep Blue Sea || Freddie Page |- | Michael Redgrave || The Night My Number Came Up || Air Mshl. Hardie |- | Alec Guinness || The Prisoner || el Cardenal |- | Jack Hawkins || The Prisoner || l'interrogador |- | rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1957 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Peter Finch | A Town Like Alice| Joe Harman |- | Jack Hawkins || The Long Arm || Tom Halliday |- | Kenneth More || Reach for the Sky || Douglas Bader |- | rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1958 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Alec Guinness | El pont del riu Kwai (The Bridge on the River Kwai)| Coronel Nicholson |- | Trevor Howard || Manuela || James Prothero |- | Laurence Olivier || El príncep i la corista (The Prince and the Showgirl) || Charles, príncep regent de Carpathia |- | Michael Redgrave || Time Without Pity || David Graham |- | Peter Finch || Windom's Way || Alec Windom |- | rowspan=8 style="text-align:center" | 1959 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Trevor Howard | La clau (The Key)| Chris Ford |- | I.S. Johar || Harry Black || Bapu |- | Anthony Quayle || Ice Cold in Alex || Capità van der Poel / Haupt. Otto Lutz |- | Laurence Harvey || Un lloc a dalt de tot (Room at the Top) || Joe Lampton |- | Donald Wolfit || Un lloc a dalt de tot (Room at the Top) || Mr. Brown |- | Michael Craig || Sea of Sand || Capità Tim Cotton |- | Terry-Thomas || Tom Thumb'' Ivan
Millor actor estranger Any Actor Pel·lícula Personatge 1953 Marlon Brando Viva Zapata!| Emiliano Zapata |- | Humphrey Bogart || La reina d'Àfrica (The African Queen) || Charlie Allnut |- | Fredric March || La mort d'un viatjant (Death of a Salesman) || Willy Loman |- | Pierre Fresnay || Dieu a besoin des hommes || Thomas Gourvennec |- | Francesco Golisano || Miracle a Milà (Miracolo a Milano) || Totò |- | rowspan=8 style="text-align:center" | 1954 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Marlon Brando | Julius Caesar Marc Antoni Spencer Tracy The Actress Clinton Jones Claude Laydu Journal d'un curé de campagne sacerdot d'Ambricourt Marcel Mouloudji Nous sommes tous des assassins René Le Guen Eddie Albert Vacances a Roma (Roman Holiday) Irving Radovich Gregory Peck Vacances a Roma (Roman Holiday) Joe Bradley Van Heflin Arrels profundes (Shane) Joe Starrett 1955 Marlon Brando La llei del silenci (On the Waterfront) Terry Malloy José Ferrer El motí del Caine (The Caine Mutiny) Barney Greenwald Fredric March Executive Suite Loren Phineas Shaw James Stewart The Glenn Miller Story Glenn Miller Neville Brand Riot in Cell Block 11 James V. Dunn 1956 Ernest Borgnine Marty| Marty Piletti |- | James Dean (pòstum) || A l'est de l'edèn (East of Eden) || Cal Trask |- | Jack Lemmon || Escala a Hawaii (Mister Roberts) || Frank Thurlowe Pulver |- | Frank Sinatra || No seràs un estrany (Not as a Stranger) || Alfred Boone |- | Toshirô Mifune || Shichinin no samurai || Kikuchiyo |- | Takashi Shimura || Shichinin no samurai || Kambei Shimada |- | rowspan=9 style="text-align:center" | 1957 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | François Périer | Gervaise Henri Coupeau Karl Malden Baby Doll Archie Lee Meighan Pierre Fresnay Le Défroqué Maurice Morand Frank Sinatra L'home del braç d'or (The Man with the Golden Arm) Frankie Machine Spencer Tracy The Mountain Zachary Teller William Holden Pícnic (Picnic) Hal Carter James Dean (pòstum) Rebel sense causa (Rebel Without a Cause) Jim Stark Gunnar Björnstrand Somriures d'una nit d'estiu (Sommarnattens leende) Fredik Egerman 1958 Henry Fonda Dotze homes sense pietat (12 Angry Men) Jurat 8 Sidney Poitier Edge of the City Tommy Tyler Ed Wynn The Great Man Paul Beaseley Robert Mitchum Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison caporal Allison Pierre Brasseur Porta dels lilàs (Porte des Lilas) Juju Tony Curtis Xantatge a Broadway (Sweet Smell of Success) Sidney Falco Richard Basehart Llavis tancats (Time Limit) Major Harry Cargill Jean Gabin La Traversée de Paris Grandgil 1959 Sidney Poitier Fugitius (The Defiant Ones) Noah Cullen Paul Newman La gata sobre la teulada de zinc (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) Brick Pollitt Tony Curtis Fugitius John "Joker" Jackson Curd Jürgens The Enemy Below Capità von Stolberg The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Capità Lin Nan Spencer Tracy L'últim hurra (The Last Hurrah) Frank Skeffington Glenn Ford The Sheepman Jason Sweet Victor Sjöström Maduixes silvestres (Smultronstället) Professor Isak Borg Charles Laughton Testimoni de càrrec (Witness for the Prosecution) Sir Wilfrid Robarts Marlon Brando El ball dels maleïts (The Young Lions) Christian Diestl
Dècada del 1960 Millor actor britànic Any Actor Pel·lícula Personatge 1960 Peter Sellers I'm All Right Jack| Fred Kite |- | Laurence Olivier || The Devil's Disciple || John Burgoyne |- | Laurence Harvey || Expresso Bongo || Johnny Jackson |- | Richard Burton || Look Back in Anger || Jimmy Porter |- | Peter Finch || Història d'una monja (The Nun's Story) || Dr. Fortunati |- | Stanley Baker || Yesterday's Enemy || Capità Langford |- | Gordon Jackson || Yesterday's Enemy || Sergent MacKenzie |- | rowspan=8 style="text-align:center" | 1961 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Peter Finch | The Trials of Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde Richard Attenborough The Angry Silence Tom Curtis Laurence Olivier The Entertainer Archie Rice Albert Finney Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Arthur Seaton John Fraser The Trials of Oscar Wilde Lord Alfred Douglas Alec Guinness Tunes of Glory Major Jock Sinclair John Mills Tunes of Glory Tinent Coronel Basil Barrow 1962 Peter Finch No Love for Johnnie| Johnnie Byrne |- | Dirk Bogarde || La víctima (Victim) || Melville Farr |- | rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1963 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Peter O'Toole | Lawrence d'Aràbia (Lawrence of Arabia)| T. E. Lawrence |- | Richard Attenborough || The Dock Brief || Herbert Fowle |- | Alan Bates || A Kind of Loving || Victor 'Vic' Brown |- | James Mason || Lolita || Humbert Humbert |- | Peter Sellers || Only Two Can Play || John Lewis |- | Laurence Olivier || Term of Trial || Graham Weir |- | rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1964 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Dirk Bogarde | The Servant (El servent)| Hugo Barrett |- | Tom Courtenay || Billy Liar || William Terrence 'Billy' Fisher |- | Richard Harris || This Sporting Life || Frank Machin |- | Albert Finney || Tom Jones || Tom Jones |- | Hugh Griffith || Tom Jones || Squire Western |- | rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1965 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Richard Attenborough | Guns at BatasiSéance on a Wet Afternoon RSM Lauderdale Peter O'Toole Becket Enric II d'Anglaterra Peter Sellers Doctor Strangelove (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove La Pantera Rosa (The Pink Panther) Inspector Jacques Clouseau Tom Courtenay King & Country Pvt. Arthur Hamp 1966 Dirk Bogarde Darling| Robert Gold |- | Harry Andrews || The Hill || RSM Wilson |- | Michael Caine || L'expedient Ipcress (The Ipcress File) || Harry Palmer |- | Rex Harrison || My Fair Lady || Professor Henry Higgins |- | rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" | 1967 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Richard Burton | The Spy Who Came in from the ColdQui té por de Virginia Woolf? (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)| Alec LeamasGeorge |- | Michael Caine || Alfie || Alfred "Alfie" Elkins |- | rowspan=3 | Ralph Richardson || Doctor Jivago (Doctor Zhivago) || Alexander "Sasha" Gromeko |- | Khartoum || William Ewart Gladstone |- | La caixa de les sorpreses (The Wrong Box) || Joseph Finsbury |- | David Warner || Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment || Morgan Delt |- | rowspan=6 style="text-align:center" | 1968 |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Paul Scofield | Un home per a l'eternitat''' (A Man for All Seasons) Sir Thomas More Dirk Bogarde Accident Stephen Our Mother's House Charlie Hook James Mason The Deadly Affair Charles Dobbs Richard Burton L'amansiment de la fúria (The Taming of the Shrew) Petruchio
Millor actor estranger