Top 25 Actors from the 1960s

The top 20 actors from the 1960s helped to build a solid foundation for what was to come later on in Hollywood. To this day many of them are considered legends.

Marcello Mastroianni

His life wasn’t a bowl of peaches to start with, but in the 1960s his name was known to many people. While he’s largely forgotten at this point by many, he’s still worthy of this list.

Chishu Ryu

This actor was on the scene for well over six decades, and the 1960s saw him as a well-established powerhouse. In Japanese cinema, he was a very big name.

Burt Lancaster

He came to prominence in the 30s but was a solid actor throughout the decades. While younger fans might not recall his many contributions, those who caught his later movies will no doubt remember him.

Tatsuya Nakadai

Japan had several rising stars back in the 1960s. If anyone knows who Akira Kurosawa is, and many do, then it might interest them to know that he was one of Kurosawa’s favorite actors.

Toshiro Mifune

Another actor who was a favorite of Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro had the kind of fame that many people dream about. Interestingly enough, he didn’t set foot in Japan until he was in his 20s.

Martin Balsam

Not only did this man serve his country in WWII, but he had to work his way into the acting scene. Starting on Broadway, he eventually made his way into TV where he achieved most of his fame.

Henry Fonda

As one of the actors who has left a mark on the industry thanks to his acting and the continuation of his surname, Henry is one of those who is hard to match. This is the type of legacy that many actors hope to leave behind.

Anthony Quinn

How many people could say they were rivals of Marlon Brando’s, and back it up? That alone is worth making this list.

Takashi Shimura

Akira Kurosawa knew how to pick his actors back in the day. Not only was Takashi reliable, he was iconic in his own time.

Alain Delon

Alain is one of the great examples of actors coming from hard times and making it big. As a mainstay in the 60s, he was the calm and sleek type of actor who knew how to portray various characters.

Sidney Poitier

Coming from a hard and impoverished life, Poitier became a beloved actor that many people loved. Not only that, but he was the type who could make people believe in his characters.

Alan Bates

Alan knew he wanted to be an actor early on, apparently. But that determination paid off since he went on to become one of the more notable names in the 60s.

Rod Steiger

The 60s were where this man managed to shine in a big way. Some might even recognize him from a few other movies made in the 90s.

George Kennedy

Cool Hand Luke was one of his more notable movies, as several of his lesser appearances came later on. If you remember him from the Naked Gun movies, then you know who he is.

Peter Sellers

Those who actually watched the Pink Panther movies will know who this man is. But he ended up riding his popularity for a while until his career started to slow down.

Gregory Peck

He starred in plenty of great movies, but To Kill A Mockingbird was one of his finest performances by far. He also showed up later on in a version of Moby Dick.

Paul Newman

He was the epitome of cool at one time since he played so many slick characters. The Hustler was undoubtedly one of his best.

Walter Matthau

Along with Jack Lemmon, Walter was one of the funniest actors in the business and stayed that way for a while. The Odd Couple was one of the movies that helped cement their legend.

Max Von Sydow

It feels as though Sydow became more popular as he grew older, but in the 60s he was still very popular. The Greatest Story Ever Told was undoubtedly one of his greatest movies.

Telly Savalas

He wasn’t quite as well known in the 60s, but he built himself up in a way that was interesting to watch. By the following decade, his hard work paid off, even though the 60s saw him rising in a big way.

Richard Attenborough

These days a lot of people remember him for his role as John Hammond in Jurassic Park. But back in the day he was far more energetic and had a great on-screen presence.

Charles Bronson

Death Wish, that’s all I need to say. He had several other roles that made him famous, and the ’60s were good for him when it came to the continuation of his career.

Peter O’Toole

It’s tough to find one role that he was the best at since he had so many great movies to his credit. But Lawrence of Arabia was undoubtedly one of his most epic films.

Orson Welles

The Citizen Kane actor was, in a word, great. Apart from the many different roles he took on over the years, he actually voiced Unicron in the Transformers animated movie as well.

Kirk Douglas

The man known as Spartacus, on film, was one of the best actors of his generation. The 1960s saw him triumph in many ways as well.