Buzzworthy Suggestions for Acting Awards

Awarded to the actor or actress living or dead whose body of work best represents the awards category. For each award, you may vote for up to ten different nominees. You may also cast up to three Power Votes, divided among your ten nominations any way you choose (one each for three different nominees, all three for one, or two for one and one for another). We have provided “buzzworthy” suggestions for each award. You may choose from the suggestions and/or may write in your own.

Although most of these awards are “gendered,” we allow Cosmo voters discretion in determining the appropriate category, particularly in terms of trans, nonbinary, and drag performers, providing that the nomination was made out of kindness.

Best Film Ensemble

Awarded to the film whose collective cast is deemed by Cosmo voters to have delivered the best performances. The Buzzworthy list was culled from Best Ensemble nominees and winners for the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Cosmique Movie Awards. Because The Women won this award at the first Cosmos, it is not eligible this year.

Not Eligible: The Women (1939)

Buzzworthy: 12 Years a Slave (2013) • 3:10 to Yuma (2007) • Adaptation. (2002) • Almost Famous (2000) • American Beauty (1999) • American Gangster (2007) • American Hustle (2013) • An Education (2009) • Apollo 13 (1995) • Argo (2011) • The Artist (2011) • August: Osage County (2013) • The Aviator (2004) • Babel (2006) • Beasts of No Nation (2015) • A Beautiful Mind (2001) • Being John Malkovich (1999) • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) • The Big Chill (1983) • Big Fish (2003) • The Big Short (2015) • The Big Sick (2017) • Billy Elliot (2000) • The Birdcage (1996) • Birdman (2014) • Black Panther (2018) • Black Swan (2010) • BlacKkKlansman (2018) • Bobby (2006) • Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) • Bombshell (2019) • Boogie Nights (1997) • Boyhood (2014) • Bridesmaids (2011) • Brokeback Mountain (2005) • The Butler (2013) • Call Me by Your Name (2017) • Camp (2003) • Capote (2005) • Captain Fantastic (2016) • Carol (2015) • The Cat’s Meow (2002) • Chicago (2002) • Chocolat (2000) • The Cider House Rules (1999) • Closer (2004) • Cloud Atlas (2012) • Clue (1985) • Cold Mountain (2003) • Crash (2005) • Crazy Rich Asians (2018) • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) • Da 5 Bloods (2020) • Dallas Buyers Club (2013) • The Departed (2006) • The Descendants (2011) • The Devil Wears Prada (2006) • Doubt (2008) • The Dreamers (2004) • Dreamgirls (2006) • Dunkirk (2017) • The English Patient (1996) • The Favourite (2018) • Fences (2016) • The Fighter (2010) • Finding Neverland (2004) • Frost/Nixon (2008) • The Full Monty (1997) • Get Out (2017) • Get Shorty (1995) • Ghostbusters (2016) • Gladiator (2000) • Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) • Good Will Hunting (1997) • Gosford Park (2001) • The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) • The Green Mile (1999) • Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) • Hail, Caesar! (2016) • Hairspray (2007) • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) • The Hateful Eight (2015) • Hell or High Water (2016) • The Help (2011) • Hidden Figures (2016) • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) • Hotel Rwanda (2004) • The Hours (2002) • How to Make an American Quilt (1995) • The Hurt Locker (2009) • Hustle & Flow (2005) • The Imitation Game (2014) • In America (2003) • In the Bedroom (2001) • Inception (2010) • Inglourious Basterds (2009) • Into the Wild (2007) • Into the Woods (2014) • The Irishman (2019) • Jojo Rabbit (2019) • The Kids Are All Right (2010) • Kill Your Darlings (2013) • The King’s Speech (2010) • Knives Out (2019) • L.A. Confidential (1997) • Lady Bird (2017) • Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013) • Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) • Les Miserables (2012) • Les Misérables (2011) • Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) (1998) • Lincoln (2012) • Little Miss Sunshine (2006) • Little Voice (1998) • Little Women (2019) • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) • Love Actually (2003) • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) • Magnolia (1999) • Manchester by the Sea (2016) • The Martian (2015) • Marvin’s Room (1996) • Mean Creek (2004) • Midnight in Paris (2011) • Milk (2008) • Million Dollar Baby (2004) • Minari (2020) • Monsoon Wedding (2002) • Moonlight (2016) • Moulin Rouge! (2001) • Much Ado About Nothing (2013) • Mudbound (2017) • Murder on the Orient Express (2017) • My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) • Mysterious Skin (2005) • Mystic River (2003) • Nashville (1975) • Nine (2009) • Nixon (1995) • No Country for Old Men (2007) • Nocturnal Animals (2016) • Noises Off (1992) • Ocean’s 11 (2001) • Ocean’s 8 (2018) • Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood (2019) • One Night in Miami… (2020) • The Paperboy (2012) • Parasite (2019) • Pieces of a Woman (2020) • Precious (2009) • Ray (2004) • Ready-to-Wear (1994) • The Revenant (2015) • Roma (2018) • Saving Private Ryan (1998) • Seabiscuit (2003) • The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) • Sense and Sensibility (1995) • Serenity (2005) • Shakespeare in Love (1998) • The Shape of Water (2017) • Shine (1996) • Shortbus (2006) • Sideways (2004) • Silver Linings Playbook (2012) • Sling Blade (1996) • Slumdog Millionaire (2008) • The Social Network (2010) • Spotlight (2015) • A Star Is Born (2018) • The Station Agent (2003) • Straight Outta Compton (2015) • The Theory of Everything (2014) • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) • Titanic (1997) • Toy Story 3 (2010) • Traffic (2000) • The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) • Trumbo (2015) • Waking Ned (1998) • Wonder Woman (2017) • X2: X-Men United (2003)

Action Stars

Male Action Star’s Career

Awarded to the male actor who has provided the most “fan favorite” turns as a cinematic action star, generally as a hero but possibly as a villain. Typically, the nominees will have appeared as an action star in multiple films, either as the same character in a franchise or as different characters in different films or multiple franchises.

Buzzworthy: Richard Dean Anderson • Christian Bale • Eric Bana • Antonio Banderas • Sean Bean • Orlando Bloom • Humphrey Bogart • Pierce Brosnan • Gerard Butler • Jackie Chan • Sean Connery • Daniel Craig • Tom Cruise • Michael Douglas • Robert Downey, Jr. • Taron Egerton • Chris Evans • Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. • Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. • Errol Flynn • Harrison Ford • Andrew Garfield • Bryan Genesse • Mark Hamill • Rutger Hauer • Chris Hemsworth • Charlton Heston • Hugh Jackman • Samuel L. Jackson • Dwayne Johnson • Joe Lara • Bruce Lee • Dolph Lundgren • Jason Mamoa • Steve McQueen • Robert Mitchum • Viggo Mortensen • Liam Neeson • Sam Neill • Chris Pine • Tyrone Power • Chris Pratt • Daniel Radcliffe • Basil Rathbone • Keanu Reeves • Ryan Reynolds • Arnold Schwarzenegger • William Shatner • Will Smith • Sylvester Stallone • Jason Statham • Jean-Claude Van Damme • Denzel Washington • John Wayne • Bruce Willis

Male Heroic Role

Awarded to the favorite male action character, usually a hero. When the character appears in more than one film in a franchise, we have generally selected either the character’s first appearance or their most iconic appearance. You are free to write in that actor and character with a different film in the franchise; we will count all votes for that character and pair it with the film that got the most nominations. When a character has been played by multiple actors (James Bond, we’re looking at you), we may choose one or more actors for the Buzzworthy list.

Buzzworthy: Ben Affleck (as Batman) – Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) • Sean Astin (as Samwise Gamgee) – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) • Christian Bale (as Batman) – Batman Begins (2005) • Eric Bana (as Hector) – Troy (2004) • Orlando Bloom (as Legolas) – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) • Humphrey Bogart (as Philip Marlowe) – The Big Sleep (1946) • Humphrey Bogart (as Rick Blaine) – Casablanca (1942) • Chadwick Boseman (as T’Challa / Black Panther) – Black Panther (2018) • Marlon Brando (as Terry Malloy) – On the Waterfront (1954) • Jeff Bridges (as Rooster Cogburn) – True Grit (2010) • Henry Cavill (as Superman ) – Man of Steel (2013) • Charlie Chaplin (as The Tramp) – City Lights (1931) • Sean Connery (as James Bond) – Dr. No (1962) • Gary Cooper (as Will Kane) – High Noon (1952) • Gary Cooper (as Lou Gehrig) – The Pride of the Yankees (1942) • Gary Cooper (as Alvin York) – Sergeant York (1941) • Daniel Craig (as James Bond) – Casino Royale (2006) • Russell Crowe (as General Maximus Decimus Meridus ) – Gladiator (2000) • Matt Damon (as Jason Bourne) – The Bourne Identity (2002) • Johnny Depp (as Jack Sparrow) – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) • Robert Donat (as Charles Edward Chipping) – Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) • Kirk Douglas (as Spartacus) – Spartacus (1960) • Robert Downey, Jr. (as Tony Stark / Iron Man) – Iron Man (2008) • Clint Eastwood (as Harry Callahan) – Dirty Harry (1971) • Taron Egerton (as Gary “Eggsy” Unwin / Galahad) – Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) • Chris Evans (as Steve Rogers / Captain America) – Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) • Douglas Fairbanks (as Zorro) – The Mark of Zorro (1920) • Nathan Fillion (as Captain Malcolm Reynolds) – Serenity (2005) • Errol Flynn (as Robin Hood) – The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) • Henry Fonda (as Juror #8) – 12 Angry Men (1957) • Henry Fonda (as Tom Joad) – The Grapes of Wrath (1940) • Harrison Ford (as Indiana Jones) – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) • Harrison Ford (as Han Solo) – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) • Andrew Garfield (as Peter Parker / Spider-Man) – The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) • Alec Guiness (as Obi-Wan Kenobi) – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) • Gene Hackman (as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle) – The French Connection (1971) • Mark Hamill (as Luke Skywalker) – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) • Tom Hanks (as Andrew Beckett) – Philadelphia (1993) • Charlton Heston (as Moses) – The Ten Commandments (1956) • Dustin Hoffman (as Carl Bernstein) – All the President’s Men (1976) • Tom Holland (as Peter Parker / Spider-Man) – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) • Hugh Jackman (as Logan / Wolverine) – X-Men (2000) • Michael Keaton (as Batman) – Batman (1989) • Ben Kingsley (as Mahatma Gandhi) – Gandhi (1982) • Alan Ladd (as Shane) – Shane (1953) • Tobey Maguire (as Peter Parker / Spider-Man) – Spider-Man (2002) • Jason Mamoa (as Arthur Curry / Aquaman) – Aquaman (2018) • Ewan McGregor (as Obi-Wan Kenobi) – Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (2005) • Ian McKellen (as Gandalf) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2003) • Viggo Mortensen (as Aragorn) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2003) • Liam Neeson (as Oskar Schindler) – Schindler’s List (1993) • Paul Newman (as Butch Cassidy) – Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) • Paul Newman (as Luke Jackson) – Cool Hand Luke (1967) • Peter O’Toole (as Charles Edward Chipping) – Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969) • Peter O’Toole (as T. E. Lawrence) – Lawrence of Arabia (1962) • Al Pacino (as Frank Serpico) – Serpico (1973) • Gregory Peck (as Atticus Finch) – To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) • Chris Pine (as James T. Kirk) – Star Trek (2009) • Chris Pine (as Steve Trevor) – Wonder Woman (2017) • Sidney Poitier (as Virgil Tibbs) – In the Heat of the Night (1967) • Tyrone Power (as Zorro) – The Mark of Zorro (1940) • Chris Pratt (as Owen Grady) – Jurassic World (2015) • Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry Potter) – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) • Robert Redford (as Bob Woodward) – All the President’s Men (1976) • Robert Redford (as The Sundance Kid) – Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) • Eddie Redmayne (as Newt Scamander) – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) • Christopher Reeve (as Superman ) – Superman (1978) • Ryan Reynolds (as Wade Wilson / Deadpool) – Deadpool (2016) • Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Terminator) – Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) • George C. Scott (as General George Patton) – Patton (1970) • Alexander Skarsgård (as John Clayton III / Tarzan) – The Legend of Tarzan (2016) • Sylvester Stallone (as Rocky Balboa) – Rocky (1976) • James Stewart (as George Bailey) – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) • James Stewart (as Jefferson Smith) – Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) • Spencer Tracy (as Father Edward) – Boys Town (1938) • John Wayne (as Rooster Cogburn) – True Grit (1969) • Johnny Weissmuller (as Tarzan) – Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) • Bruce Willis (as John McClane) – Die Hard (1988) • Elijah Wood (as Frodo Baggins) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2003)

Female Action Star’s Career

Awarded to the female actress who has provided the most “fan favorite” turns as a cinematic action star, generally as a hero but possibly as a villain. Typically, the nominees will have appeared as an action star in multiple films, either as the same character in a franchise or as different characters in different films or multiple franchises.

Buzzworthy: Kate Beckinsale • Halle Berry • Sofia Boutella • Sandra Bullock • Neve Campbell • Jamie Lee Curtis • Cara Delevingne • Rebecca Ferguson • Carrie Fisher • Gal Gadot • Jennifer Garner • Summer Glau • Eva Green • Pam Grier • Linda Hamilton • Famke Janssen • Scarlett Johansson • Angelina Jolie • Felicity Jones • Milla Jovovich • Heather Langenkamp • Brie Larson • Jennifer Lawrence • Lucy Liu • Helen Mirren • Miranda Otto • Maggie Q • Noomi Rapace • Daisy Ridley • Margot Robbie • Michelle Rodriguez • Zoe Saldana • Charlize Theron • Uma Thurman • Gina Torres • Sophie Turner • Alicia Vikander • Emma Watson • Sigourney Weaver • Robin Wright • Michelle Yeoh • Zhang Ziyi

Female Heroic Character

Awarded to the favorite female action character, usually a hero. When the character appears in more than one film in a franchise, we have generally selected either the character’s first appearance or their most iconic appearance. You are free to write in that actress and character with a different film in the franchise; we will count all votes for that character and pair it with the film that got the most nominations. When a character has been played by multiple actresses, we may choose one or more actresses for the Buzzworthy list.

Buzzworthy: Kate Beckinsale (as Selena) – Underworld (2003) • Cate Blanchett (as Galadriel) – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) • Jamie Lee Curtis (as Laurie Strode) – Halloween (2018) • Geena Davis (as Thelma Dickerson) – Thelma & Louise (1991) • Sally Field (as Norma Rae Webster) – Norma Rae (1979) • Carrie Fisher (as Leia Organa) – Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) • Jodie Foster (as Clarice Starling) – The Silence of the Lambs (1991) • Gal Gadot (as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman) – Wonder Woman (2017) • Summer Glau (as River Tam) – Serenity (2005) • Holly Hunter (as Helen Parr / Elastigirl) – The Incredibles (2004) • Famke Janssen (as Jean Grey) – X-Men (2000) • Scarlett Johansson (as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow) – Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) • Angelina Jolie (as Lara Croft) – Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) • Felicity Jones (as Jyn Erso) – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) • Milla Jovovich (as Alice) – Resident Evil (2002) • Milla Jovovich (as Violet Song Jat Shariff) – Ultraviolet (2006) • Brie Larson (as Carol Danvers / Vers / Captain Marvel) – Captain Marvel (2019) • Jennifer Lawrence (as Katniss Everdeen) – The Hunger Games (2012) • Evangeline Lilly (as Tauriel) – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) • Frances McDormand (as Marge Gunderson) – Fargo (1996) • Chloë Grace Moretz (as Mindy Macready / Hit-Girl) – Kick-Ass 2 (2010) • Miranda Otto (as Eowyn) – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) • Pal (as Lassie) – Lassie Come Home (1943) • Daisy Ridley (as Rey) – Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) • Julia Roberts (as Erin Brockovich) – Erin Brockovich (2000) • Zoe Saldana (as Gamora) – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) • Zoe Saldana (as Nyota Uhura) – Star Trek (2009) • Susan Sarandon (as Louise Sawyer) – Thelma & Louise (1991) • Meryl Streep (as Karen Silkwood) – Silkwood (1983) • Uma Thurman (as The Bride) – Kill Bill, Volume 1 (2003) • Gina Torres (as Zoë Alleyne Washburne) – Serenity (2005) • Sophie Turner (as Jean Grey) – X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) • Emma Watson (as Hermione Granger) – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) • Sigourney Weaver (as Ellen Ripley) – Aliens (1986)

Male Villain

Awarded to the favorite portrayal of a male villain. Voters will have to decide for themselves to what degree they will consider someone a villain if their motives were nuanced or if they were redeemed in the end. When the character appears in more than one film in a franchise, we have generally selected either the character’s first appearance or their most iconic appearance. You are free to write in that actor and character with a different film in the franchise; we will count all votes for that character and pair it with the film that got the most nominations. When a character has been played by multiple actors (like Darth Vader), we may choose one or more actors for the Buzzworthy list. Because he won this award at the first Cosmos, Anthony Hopkin’s portrayal of Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is not eligible for renomination.

Not Eligible: Anthony Hopkin (as Dr. Hannibal Lector) – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Buzzworthy: Christian Bale (as Dick Cheney) – Vice (2018) • Lionel Barrymore (as Mr. Potter) – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) • Warren Beatty (as Clyde Barrow) – Bonnie and Clyde (1967) • James Cagney (as Tom Powers) – The Public Enemy (1931) • James Cagney (as Cody Jarrett) – White Heat (1949) • Benedict Cumberbatch (as Smaug) – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) • Benedict Cumberbatch (as Khan) – Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) • Peter Cushing (as Grand Moff Tarkin) – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) • Robert De Niro (as Max Cady) – Cape Fear (1991) • Robert De Niro (as Travis Bickle) – Taxi Driver (1976) • Johnny Depp (as Benjamin Barker / Sweeney Todd) – Sweeney Todd (2007) • Leonardo DiCaprio (as Calvin J. Candie) – Django Unchained (2012) • Michael Douglas (as Gordon Gekko) – Wall Street (1987) • Faye Dunnaway (as Joan Crawford) – Mommie Dearest (1981) • Chiwetel Ejiofor (as The Operative) – Serenity (2005) • Robert Englund (as Freddy Krueger) – A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) • Ralph Fiennes (as Lord Voldemort) – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) • Ralph Fiennes (as Amon Goeth) – Schindler’s List (1993) • Gert Fröbe (as Auric Goldfinger) – Goldfinger (1964) • John Goodman (as Howard Stambler) – 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) • Topher Grace (as David Duke) – BlackKklansman (2018) • Jake Gyllenhaal (as Louis “Lou” Bloom) – Nightcrawler (2014) • Ian Holm (as Sir William Gull) – From Hell (2001) • Dennis Hopper (as Frank Booth) – Blue Velvet (1986) • Trevor Howard (as Captain Bligh) – Mutiny On the Bounty (1962) • John Huston (as Noah Cross) – Chinatown (1974) • James Earl Jones / David Prouse (as Darth Vader) – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) • Michael B. Jordan (as N’Jadaka / Erik “Killmonger” Stevens) – Black Panther (2018) • Burt Lancaster (as J.J. Hunsecker) – Sweet Smell of Success (1957) • Charles Laughton (as Captain Bligh) – Mutiny On the Bounty (1935) • Heath Ledger (as The Joker) – The Dark Knight (2008) • Christopher Lee (as Count Dracula) – Dracula (1958) • Christopher Lee (as Saruman) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) • Ted Levine (as Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb) – The Silence of the Lambs (1991) • Bela Lugosi (as Count Dracula) – Dracula (1931) • Ross Lynch (as Jeffrey Dahmer) – My Friend Dahmer (2018) • Malcolm McDowell (as Alex De Large) – A Clockwork Orange (1971) • Ian McKellen (as Sir Leigh Teabing) – The Da Vinci Code (2006) • Ian McKellen (as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto) – X-Men (2000) • Robert Mitchum (as Reverend Harry Powell) – The Night of the Hunter (1955) • Ricardo Montalbán (as Khan Noonien Singh) – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) • Paul Muni (as Tony Camonte) – Scarface (1932) • Cillian Murphy (as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow) – Batman Begins (2005) • Liam Neeson (as Henri Ducard / Ra’s al Ghul) – Batman Begins (2005) • Jack Nicholson (as The Joker) – Batman (1989) • Jack Nicholson (as Jack Torrance) – The Shining (1980) • Gary Oldman (as Count Dracula) – Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) • Laurence Olivier (as Dr. Szell) – Marathon Man (1976) • Al Pacino (as Michael Corleone) – The Godfather: Part II (1974) • Anthony Perkins (as Norman Bates) – Psycho (1960) • Joaquin Phoenix (as Arthur Fleck / Joker) – Joker (2019) • Douglas Rain (as HAL 9000) – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) • Alan Rickman (as Hans Gruber) – Die Hard (1988) • Alan Rickman (as Professor Snape) – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) • Edward G. Robinson (as Caesar Enrico Bandello) – Little Caesar (1931) • Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Terminator) – The Terminator (1984) • Andy Serkis (as Gollum) – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) • Michael Shannon (as General Zod) – Man of Steel (2013) • Bill Skarsgård (as It / Pennywise The Dancing Clown / Bob Gray) – It (2017) • Kevin Spacey (as Verbal Kint) – The Usual Suspects (1995) • Terrence Stamp (as General Zod) – Superman II (1980) • Donald Sutherland (as President Coriolanus Snow) – The Hunger Games (2012) • Denzel Washington (as Alonzo Harris) – Training Day (2001) • Orson Welles (as Harry Lime) – The Third Man (1949) • Robin Williams (as Walter Finch) – Insomnia (2002) • Robin Williams (as Seymour “Sy” Parrish) – One Hour Photo (2002)

Female Villain

Awarded to the favorite portrayal of a female villain. Voters will have to decide for themselves to what degree they will consider someone a villain if their motives were nuanced or if they were redeemed in the end. When the character appears in more than one film in a franchise, we have generally selected either the character’s first appearance or their most iconic appearance. You are free to write in that actress and character with a different film in the franchise; we will count all votes for that character and pair it with the film that got the most nominations. When a character has been played by multiple actresses, we may choose one or more actors for the Buzzworthy list. Because they won this award at the first Cosmos, Glenn Close’s portrayal of Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Margaret Hamilton’s portrayal of The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939) are not eligible for renomination.

Not Eligible: Glenn Close (as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil) – Dangerous Liaisons (1988); Margaret Hamilton (as The Wicked Witch of the West) – The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Buzzworthy: Judith Anderson (as Mrs. Danvers) – Rebecca (1940) • Kathy Bates (as Annie Wilkes) – Misery (1990) • Anne Baxter (as Eve Harrington) – All About Eve (1950) • Linda Blair (as Regan MacNeil) – The Exorcist (1973) • Cate Blanchett (as Lady Tremaine) – Cinderella (2015) • Cate Blanchett (as Hela) – Thor: Ragnorak (2017) • Helena Bonham Carter (as Iracebeth, the Red Queen) – Alice in Wonderland (2010) • Helena Bonham Carter (as Bellatrix Lestrange) – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) • Helena Bonham Carter (as Nellie Lovett) – Sweeney Todd (2007) • Glenn Close (as Cruella De Vil) – 101 Dalmatians (1996) • Glenn Close (as Alex Forrest) – Fatal Attraction (1987) • Bette Davis (as Regina Giddens) – The Little Foxes (1941) • Bette Davis (as Baby Jane Hudson) – Whatever Happened To Baby Jane (1962) • Faye Dunnaway (as Bonnie Parker) – Bonnie and Clyde (1967) • Louise Fletcher (as Nurse Ratched) – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) • Betty Lou Gerson (as Cruella De Vil) – One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) • Daryl Hannah (as Elle Driver) – Kill Bill, Volume 2 (2004) • Catherine Keener (as Missy Armitage) – Get Out (2017) • Anna Kendrick (as Fritzi Wagner) – Camp (2003) • Lucille La Verne (as The Queen) – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) • Angela Lansbury (as Mrs. John Iselin) – The Manchurian Candidate (1962) • Lucy Liu (as O-Ren Ishii) – Kill Bill, Volume 1 (2003) • Rachel McAdams (as Regina George) – Mean Girls (2004) • Chloë Grace Moretz (as Abby) – Let Me In (2010) • Rosamund Pike (as Amy Elliott Dunne) – Gone Girl (2014) • Florence Pugh (as Dani Ardor) – Midsommar (2019) • Rebecca Romijn (as Raven Darkholme / Mystique) – X2: X-Men United (2003) • Barbara Stanwyck (as Phyllis Dietrichson) – Double Indemnity (1944) • Meryl Streep (as Miranda Priestley) – The Devil Wears Prada (2006) • Meryl Streep (as The Witch) – Into the Woods (2014) • Meryl Streep (as Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw) – The Manchurian Candidate (2004) • Tilda Swinton (as The White Witch) – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) • Tilda Swinton (as Minister Mason) – Snowpiercer (2014)

Sexiest

Sexiest Actor of Yesteryear

Awarded to the adult male actor, either no longer living or no longer in their prime, who in their prime was deemed by Cosmo voters to have been the most charming, charismatic, and attractive.

Buzzworthy: Warren Beatty • Marlon Brando • Richard Burton • John Cassavetes • George Chakiris • Montgomery Clift • Sean Connery • Gary Cooper • Tony Curtis • James Dean • Troy Donahue • Kirk Douglas • Clint Eastwood • Douglas Fairbanks Jr. • Errol Flynn • Henry Fonda • Clark Gable • James Garner • Farley Granger • Cary Grant • George Hamilton • Sessue Hayakawa • Paul Henreid • Charlton Heston • William Holden • Rock Hudson • Tab Hunter • Gene Kelly • Burt Lancaster • Peter Lawford • Gordon MacRae • Steve McQueen • Sal Mineo • Paul Newman • Ramon Novarro • Gregory Peck • Tyrone Power • Elvis Presley • Robert Redford • Frank Sinatra • James Stewart • Rudolph Valentino

Sexiest Actress of Yesteryear

Awarded to the adult female actress, either no longer living or no longer in their prime, who in their prime was deemed by Cosmo voters to have been the most charming, charismatic, and attractive.

Buzzworthy: Ursula Andress • Lauren Bacall • Brigitte Bardot • Ingrid Bergman • Claudia Cardinale • Cyd Charisse • Dorothy Dandridge • Yvonne de Carlo • Catherine Deneuve • Anika Ekberg • Ava Gardner • Paulette Goddard • Jane Greer • Rita Hayworth • Audrey Hepburn • Katharine Hepburn • Grace Kelly • Veronica Lake • Janet Leigh • Vivien Leigh • Hedy Lemarr • Gina Lollobrigida • Sophia Loren • Carmen Maura • Marilyn Monroe • Kim Novak • Maureen O’Hara • Donna Reed • Eva Marie Saint • Elizabeth Taylor • Gene Tierney • Lana Turner

Sexiest Contemporary Actor

Awarded to adult male actor deemed to be currently (or in the recent past) to be or have been the most charming, charismatic, and sexiest actor.

Buzzworthy: Jensen Ackles • Ben Affleck • Joe Alwyn • Sean Astin • Christian Bale • Eric Bana • Antonio Banderas • Ben Barnes • Orlando Bloom • Matt Bomer • Douglas Booth • Chadwick Boseman • John Boyega • Jay Brannan • Pierce Brosnan • Charlie Carver • Henry Cavill • Jon Cho • Sam Claflin • George Clooney • Bradley Cooper • John Corbett • Ryan Corr • Russell Crowe • Tom Cruise • Timothy Dalton • Matt Damon • Johnny Depp • Leonardo DiCaprio • Vin Diesel • Jamie Dornan • Josh Duhamel • Zac Efron • Alden Ehrenreich • Idris Elba • Ansel Elgort • Chris Evans • Colin Farrell • Nathan Fillion • Harrison Ford • Ben Foster • Dave Franco • Andrew Garfield • Richard Gere • Mel Gibson • Cam Gigandet • Henry Golding • Ryan Gosling • Hugh Grant • Max Greenfield • Adrian Grenier • Ryan Guzman • Jake Gyllenhaal • Harry Hamlin • Armie Hammer • Tom Hardy • Mark Harmon • Miles Heizer • Chris Hemsworth • Nicholas Hoult • Charlie Hunnam • Jeremy Irvine • Hugh Jackman • Blake Jenner • Dwayne Johnson • Michael B. Jordan • Johnny Knoxville • Jude Law • Heath Ledger • John Legend • Jared Leto • Rob Lowe • Tobey Maguire • Jason Mamoa • Olivier Martinez • Mena Massoud • Matthew McConaughey • Jonathan Rhys Meyers • Shemar Moore • Viggo Mortensen • Dylan O’Brien • Robert Pattinson • Alex Pettyfer • Chris Pine • Brad Pitt • Michael Pitt • Chris Pratt • Jason Priestley • Daniel Radcliffe • Eddie Redmayne • Ryan Reynolds • Nick Robinson • Brandon Routh • Paul Rudd • Andy Samberg • Rodrigo Santoro • Will Smith • Ian Somerhalder • Austin Stowell • Channing Tatum • Brenton Thwaites • Justin Timberlake • Aidan Turner • Denzel Washington

Sexiest Contemporary Actress

Awarded to adult female actress deemed to be currently (or in the recent past) to be or have been the most charming, charismatic, and sexiest actor.

Buzzworthy: Amy Acker • Jessica Alba • Jennifer Aniston • Elizabeth Banks • Kristen Bell • Melissa Benoist • Halle Berry • Jessica Biel • Cate Blanchett • Nazanin Boniadi • Emilia Clarke • Jennifer Connelly • Olivia Cooke • Sophie Cookson • Penélope Cruz • Alexandra Daddario • Claire Danes • Ana de Armas • Elizabeth Debicki • Cara Delevingne • Nina Dobrev • Kirsten Dunst • Eliza Dushku • Alice Eve • Tina Fey • Megan Fox • Gal Gadot • Jennifer Garner • Sarah Michelle Gellar • Eiza González • Naomie Harris • Anne Hathaway • Salma Hayek • Amber Heard • Elizabeth Hurley • Lily James • Scarlett Johansson • Angelina Jolie • Felicity Jones • Milla Jovovich • Anna Kendrick • Nicole Kidman • Keira Knightly • Zoe Kravitz • Kristin Kreuk • Diane Kruger • Mila Kunis • Olga Kurylenko • Diane Lane • Brie Larson • Jennifer Lawrence • Evangeline Lilly • Peyton List • Lucy Liu • Yifei Liu • Blake Lively • Jennifer Lopez • Isabel Lucas • Rooney Mara • Sonequa Martin-Green • Rachel McAdams • Cristin Milioti • Janelle Monáe • Michelle Monaghan • Julianne Moore • Carey Mulligan • Lupita Nyong’o • Elizabeth Olsen • Teresa Palmer • Gwyneth Paltrow • Rosamund Pike • Natalie Portman • Emily Ratajkowski • Christina Ricci • Daisy Ridley • Margot Robbie • Rebecca Romijn • Saoirse Ronan • Isabella Rossellini • Zoe Saldana • Léa Seydoux • Amanda Seyfried • Emma Stone • Sharon Stone • Yvonne Strahovski • Tilda Swinton • Charlize Theron • Tessa Thompson • Gina Torres • Michelle Trachtenberg • Liv Tyler • Laura Vandervoort • Emmanuelle Vaugier • Sofía Vergara • Alicia Vikander • Emma Watson • Jennifer Westfeldt • Olivia Wilde • Constance Wu • Catherine Zeta-Jones

LGBTQ Performers

Favorite Out Lesbian/Bi/Trans Actress

Cosmo voters’ favorite actresses who are out as lesbians, bisexual women, or trans women. Please avoid nominating women who may be rumored to be LBT but are not publicly out. Women whose sexuality was posthumously identified by survivors may be nominated.

Buzzworthy: Maud Allan • Meredith Baxter • Amanda Bearse • Nikki Blonsky • Portia de Rossi • Ellen DeGeneres • Sara Gilbert • Marga Gomez • Cherry Jones • Dot-Marie Jones • Sheila Kuehl • Nancy Kulp • Jane Lynch • Heather Matarazzo • Kelly McGillis • Kate McKinnon • Kristy McNichol • Rosie O’Donnell • Anna Paquin • Sarah Paulson • Sue Perkins • Ruby Rose • Jenny Shimizu • Wanda Sykes • Holland Taylor • Lily Tomlin • Marsha Warfield

Favorite Out Gay/Bi/Trans Actor

Cosmo voters’ favorite actors who are out as gay, bisexual men, or trans men. Please avoid nominating men who may be rumored to be GBT but are not publicly out. Men whose sexuality was posthumously identified by survivors may be nominated.

Buzzworthy: Chad Allen • Mitchell Anderson • John Barrowman • Willam Belli • Jonathan Bennett • Matt Bomer • Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman • Jim J. Bullock • Tituss Burgess • Raymond Burr • Charles Busch • Simon Callow • Mario Cantone • Scott Capurro • Michael Carbonaro • Charlie Carver • Richard Chamberlain • Graham Chapman • Montgomery Clift • Chris Colfer • Rick Cosnett • Richard Cromwell • Lucas Cruikshank • Wilson Cruz • Matt Dallas • Robin de Jesús • Thomas Dekker • Divine • Colman Domingo • Billy Eichner • John Epperson • Luke Evans • Scott Evans • Rupert Everett • Blake McIver Ewing • Reid Ewing • Jesse Tyler Ferguson • Harvey Fierstein • Wayland Flowers • Brandon Flynn • Barrett Foa • Daniel Franzese • Stephen Fry • Noah Galvin • Robert Gant • Victor Garber • John Gielgud • Joel Grey • Jonathan Groff • William Haines • Neil Patrick Harris • Randy Harrison • Rock Hudson • Tom Hulce • Tab Hunter • Cheyenne Jackson • Tommy Kirk • K.R. Knight • Levi Kreis • Nathan Lane • Tom Lenk • Sean Paul Lockhart • Paul Lynde • Luke Macfarlane • Sean Maher • Ricky Martin • Roddy McDowall • Kevin McHale • Ian McKellen • John Milhiser • Wentworth Miller • John Cameron Mitchell • Jim Nabors • Graham Norton • Ivor Novello • Denis O’Hare • Elliott Page • Jim Parsons • David Hyde Pierce • Danny Pintauro • Ben Platt • Billy Porter • Zachary Quinto • Andrew Rannells • Charles Nelson Reilly • RuPaul Charles • Chris Salvatore • Dick Sargent • Andrew Scott • Shangela • Omar Sharif, Jr. • Jussie Smollett • Kevin Spacey • David Ogden Stiers • Terry Sweeney • George Takei • Robin Lord Taylor • Scott Thompson • Russell Tovey • Tommy Tune • Bruce Vilanch • Tuc Watkins • Clifton Webb • Ben Whishaw • Will Wikle • BD Wong • Bowen Yang

Favorite Trans or Non-Binary Performer

Cosmos voters’ favorite performers who are out as trans men, trans women, or nonbinary. Performers whose gender identity was posthumously identified by survivors may be nominated.

Buzzworthy: Calpernia Addams • Alexis Arquette • Chaz Bono • Carmen Carrera • Cassandra Cass • Candis Cayne • Jamie Clayton • Laverne Cox • Jackie Curtis • Candy Darling • Erika Ervin • Jake Graf • Ian Harvie • Our Lady J • Caitlyn Jenner • Jazz Jennings • Justin Vivian Bond • Isis King • Amanda Lapore • Gigi Lazzarato • Trace Lysette • Ts Madison • Nicole Maines • Elliot Page • Peppermint • Jen Richards • Octavia St. Laurent • Lachlan Watson • Holly Woodlawn

From Child Star to Adult Actor

Best Child Actor’s Transition to Adult Stardom

Favorite male actor who successfully transitioned from being a child actor (under 18) to adult roles. Cosmo voters will have to decide for themselves whether to include actors who may technically qualify because they had a single role at 17 before their career as an adult or may have had a few roles as an adult at the end of their career as a child actor. Most nominees should have had multiple roles as a child actor before achieving success in adult roles.

Buzzworthy: Sean Astin • Christian Bale • Jason Bateman • Jeff Bridges • Jackie Coogan • Jackie Cooper • Macauley Culkin • Rory Culkin • Leonardo DiCaprio • Johnny Galecki • Joseph Gordon-Levitt • Ryan Gosling • Neil Patrick Harris • Freddie Highmore • Ron Howard • Tobey Maguire • Daniel Radcliffe • Ryan Reynolds • Mickey Rooney • Kurt Russell • Kenan Thompson • Justin Timberlake • Wil Wheaton • Elijah Wood

Best Child Actress’ Transition to Adult Stardom

Favorite female actress who successfully transitioned from being a child actress (under 18) to adult roles. Cosmo voters will have to decide for themselves whether to include actresses who may technically qualify because they had a single role at 17 before their career as an adult or may have had a few roles as an adult at the end of their career as a child actor. Most nominees should have had multiple roles as a child actress before achieving success in adult roles.

Buzzworthy: Drew Barrymore • Mayim Bialik • Amanda Bynes • Lacey Chabert • Laura Dern • Susan Dey • Jodie Foster • Judy Garland • Sarah Michelle Gellar • Sara Gilbert • Selena Gomez • Helen Hunt • Scarlett Johansson • Anna Kendrick • Mila Kunis • Chloe Grace Moretz • Tatum O’Neal • Elizabeth Olsen • Anna Paquin • Sarah Jessica Parker • Natalie Portman • Christina Ricci • Molly Ringwald • Mia Sara • Alia Shawkat • Kiernan Shipka • Elizabeth Taylor • Michelle Trachtenberg • Emma Watson

Buzzworthy Suggestions for Acting Awards

Best Film Ensemble