The Best Movies All Aspiring Actors Must Watch

Updated December 16, 2020 5.5k votes 878 voters 31.7k views121 items

List RulesVote up the films all aspiring actors must watch.

For actors, watching other people acting is a great way to learn. Anyone in the industry could easily list off the names of the people whose work inspires them. If you dream of making your living performing, here are some movies actors should watch. The films below are full of gripping performances that will help you hone your craft.

These are movies pretty much everyone in the industry agrees are ideal for teaching aspiring actors how to perform on stage or on set. Movies about acting can certainly help actors and actresses everywhere. Flicks like Birdman and Sunset Boulevard don't just feature gripping performances; they help define how and why people are drawn to the art of acting. However, not all movies for aspiring actors need be about the craft specifically. Films like On the Waterfront and The Silence of the Lamb are revered for containing some of the best performances of all time, so they're truly aspirational material. If you're in need of some acting inspiration, check out some of the films below.

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Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally Field
Released: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson
Released: 2017
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
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The Silence of the Lambs
Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins
Released: 1991
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Robert Duvall, Gregory Peck
Released: 1962
Directed by: Robert Mulligan
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All About Eve
Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis
Released: 1950
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
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Goodfellas
Robert De Niro, Samuel L. Jackson
Released: 1990
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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The Godfather
Al Pacino, Marlon Brando
Released: 1972
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
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Rain Man
Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman
Released: 1988
Directed by: Barry Levinson
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Taxi Driver
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster
Released: 1976
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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Silver Linings Playbook
Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
Released: 2012
Directed by: David O. Russell
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Pulp Fiction
John Travolta, Bruce Willis
Released: 1994
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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The Dark Knight
Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Released: 2008
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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Walk the Line
Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2005
Directed by: James Mangold
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The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson
Released: 2006
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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Sophie's Choice
Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline
Released: 1982
Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
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Singin' in the Rain
Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly
Released: 1952
Directed by: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
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Breakfast at Tiffany's
Audrey Hepburn, Mickey Rooney
Released: 1961
Directed by: Blake Edwards
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Black Swan
Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis
Released: 2010
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
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The Devil Wears Prada
Anne Hathaway, Heidi Klum
Released: 2006
Directed by: David Frankel
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Brokeback Mountain
Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal
Released: 2005
Directed by: Ang Lee
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Dallas Buyers Club
Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey
Released: 2013
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée
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Blazing Saddles
Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder
Released: 1974
Directed by: Mel Brooks
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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Michael Keaton, Emma Stone
Released: 2014
Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
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Tootsie
Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman
Released: 1982
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
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Requiem for a Dream
Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto
Released: 2000
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
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