#3: Ben Kingsley – Mahatma Gandhi (1983)
Mahatma Gandhi, a champion of civil rights, India’s independence, and religious freedom, led his movement with unwavering nonviolence. The 1982 film Gandhi captured his journey, with Ben Kingsley delivering a transformative performance that earned him the 1983 Academy Award for Best Actor.
The Guardian hailed Kingsley’s portrayal, writing, “Aging 50 years in three hours, from dapper, status-conscious lawyer to emaciated ascetic in a loincloth, [his performance] is as fine as anything Muni ever did and likely to take its place among cinema’s great historic portraits.”