2018 The Most Influential Actors Of 2018  

Celebrity Lists
1.4k votes 112 voters 47 items

List Rules Vote up the actors who had the biggest impact in 2018.

In 2018, some of the most influential people were those who work in Hollywood. With the rise of the Me Too movement and with films in general becoming more political, there are plenty of influential actors that truly made the public think this year. From breakout stars to veterans of the field, you'll find all the greatest actors of 2018 below! 

In 2018, there was a major push for diversity in film and television. Actor and writer Jordan Peele's Get Out, starring upcoming actor Daniel Kaluuya, addressed racial issues in America and proved a massive hit with critics and audiences. There has also been a big push for supporting women's rights in Hollywood. Benedict Cumberbatch made headlines for vowing to only accept roles in projects where actresses are paid equally. Many actors inspire by smashing stigma surrounding taboo topics. Stars like Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson, for example, are raising awareness about mental health by being open about their struggles with anxiety and depression. 

Which actors do you find the most inspiring? Vote up the most influential stars of 2018 below and feel free to add anyone you think is missing! 

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John Krasinski is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
John Krasinski age 38 John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office. His film credits include Away We Go, Leatherheads, ...more

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Ryan Reynolds is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Ryan Reynolds age 41 Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian actor. Reynolds portrayed Michael Bergen on the ABC sitcom Two Guys and a Girl, Billy Simpson in the YTV Canadian teen soap opera Hillside, as well as Marvel ...more

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Chris Hemsworth is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Chris Hemsworth age 34 Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away and as Thor in the Marvel Studios superhero films Thor, The Avengers, ...more

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Benedict Cumberbatch is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Benedict Cumberbatch age 41 Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor and film producer who has performed in film, television, theatre and radio. The son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, he ...more

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Leonardo DiCaprio is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Leonardo DiCaprio age 43 Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has been nominated for ten Golden Globe Awards, winning two, and five Academy Awards. DiCaprio began his career by appearing ...more

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Dwayne Johnson is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Dwayne Johnson age 43 Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American-Canadian actor, producer and professional wrestler. Johnson was a college football player for the University of ...more

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Michael B. Jordan is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Michael B. Jordan age 31 Michael Bakari Jordan is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as East Dillon High School quarterback Vince Howard in Friday Night Lights, teenage drug dealer Wallace in The Wire, ...more

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Ryan Gosling is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Ryan Gosling age 37 Ryan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor, film director, screenwriter, musician and businessman. He began his career as a child star on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club and went on to ...more

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Chadwick Boseman is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Chadwick Boseman age 36 Chadwick Aaron Boseman is an American actor, screenwriter, and playwright. He is best known for portraying Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up. He will star as the superhero Black ...more

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Donald Glover is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Donald Glover age 34 Donald McKinley Glover, also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, is an American actor, writer, comedian, rapper, singer, and producer. He first came to attention for his work with Derrick ...more

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Tom Holland is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
holy_stockings added Tom Holland age 22 Thomas Stanley "Tom" Holland is an English actor and dancer, best known for playing the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London, as well as for ...more

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Mark Ruffalo is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Mark Ruffalo age 50 Mark Alan Ruffalo is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He portrayed the Marvel Comics character, Bruce Banner / The Hulk in The Avengers, and will reprise his role in ...more

The Most Influential People in 2018

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Finn Wolfhard is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Finn Wolfhard Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is best known for his starring roles as Mike Wheeler in the Netflix series Stranger Things, and Richie Tozier in the 2017 film adaptation of ...more

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Daniel Radcliffe is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Daniel Radcliffe age 28 Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the title character in the Harry Potter film series. Radcliffe made his acting debut at age ten in ...more

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Denzel Washington is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Denzel Washington age 63 Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor and filmmaker. Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures ...more

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Jordan Peele is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Jordan Peele age 39 Jordan Haworth Peele is an American actor, voice actor, writer, producer, and comedian. He is best known for starring in the Comedy Central sketch series Key & Peele and for his five seasons ...more

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Tom Hardy is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Tom Hardy age 40 Tom Hardy is an actor.

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Nick Offerman is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Nick Offerman age 47 Nick Offerman is an American actor, writer, humorist, and carpenter widely known for his breakout role as Ron Swanson in the acclaimed NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, for which he received the ...more

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Dylan Minnette is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Dylan Minnette age 21 Dylan Christopher Minnette is an American actor and musician. He is known for his role as Clay Jensen in the Netflix drama series 13 Reasons Why. He has also appeared in the drama series Lost, ...more

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Clint Eastwood is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Clint Eastwood age 87 Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American actor, film director, producer, musician, and politician. He rose to international fame with his role as the Man with No Name in Sergio ...more

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Sterling K. Brown is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Sterling K. Brown Sterling K. Brown is an American actor.

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Alec Baldwin is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Alec Baldwin age 60 Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor, producer, and comedian. As a member of the Baldwin family, he is the oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all well-known actors. ...more

The Most Influential Women Of 2018

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Kumail Nanjiani is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Kumail Nanjiani age 37 Kumail Nanjiani (born February 21, 1978) is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host. Nanjiani is best known for being a main cast member on HBO's Emmy ...more

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Gary Oldman is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Gary Oldman age 60 Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, filmmaker, and musician. Oldman rose to prominence in the United Kingdom with his portrayals of Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy and Joe Orton in Prick Up ...more

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Robert De Niro is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Robert De Niro age 74 Robert De Niro is an American actor and film producer who has starred in over 90 films. His first major film roles were in the sports drama Bang the Drum Slowly and the Martin Scorsese-directed ...more

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Daniel Kaluuya is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Daniel Kaluuya age 28 Daniel Kaluuya is an English actor, comedian and writer, who is best known for playing Posh Kenneth in the E4 teen-drama Skins. He also appeared in the BBC dark comedy series Psychoville playing ...more

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John Boyega is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
John Boyega age 26 John Boyega is an actor.

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Timothée Chalamet is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Timothée Chalamet age 23 Timothée Hal Chalamet (born December 27, 1995) is an American actor. Chalamet started his acting career in short films before appearing in the acclaimed television series Homeland. He ...more

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Seth MacFarlane is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Seth MacFarlane age 44 Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American actor, animator, cartoonist, writer, producer, director, comedian, singer, and songwriter. He is the creator of the TV series Family Guy and co-creator of ...more

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George Clooney is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
George Clooney age 56 George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, writer, producer, director, and activist. He has received three Golden Globe Awards for his work as an actor and two Academy Awards, one for acting ...more

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Brad Pitt is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Brad Pitt age 54 William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three Academy Award nominations in acting ...more

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Woody Harrelson is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
starwarssuperfan added Woody Harrelson age 56 Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor, activist, and playwright. He is a double Academy Award nominee, seven time Emmy Award nominee and one time winner. His breakout ...more

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Ben Affleck is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Ben Affleck age 45 Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt, better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor and filmmaker. Throughout his career, he has won two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Affleck ...more

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Andy Samberg is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Andy Samberg age 39 David A. J. "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, ...more

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Armie Hammer is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Armie Hammer age 31 Armie Hammer is an actor.

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Sean Penn is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Sean Penn age 57 Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, film director and politician. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama Mystic River and the biopic Milk. Penn began his acting ...more

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William H. Macy is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
William H. Macy age 68 William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, teacher, and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent ...more

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Pete Davidson is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Pete Davidson age 24 Peter Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American actor and comedian. He is a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Davidson has also appeared on the MTV shows Guy Code, Wild 'n Out, and ...more

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Craig T. Nelson is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
starwarssuperfan added Craig T. Nelson age 74 Craig The Nelson is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-winning role as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, Deputy Ward Wilson in the 1980 film Stir Crazy, Steven Freeling in the ...more

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Alden Ehrenreich is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Alden Ehrenreich age 28 Alden Caleb Ehrenreich is an American actor. He has starred in the independent film Tetro, and played the lead in the 2013 fantasy Beautiful Creatures. Ehrenreich also starred in the films Blue ...more

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Russell Brand is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Russell Brand age 42 Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, radio host, author, and activist. In 2004, Brand achieved notoriety as the host of Big Brother's Big Mouth, a Big Brother spin-off. In 2007, ...more

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David Arquette is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
David Arquette age 46 David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, wrestler, and fashion designer. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid-1990s ...more

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Justin Baldoni is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Justin Baldoni age 34 Justin Louis Baldoni is an American actor and director.

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Brendan Fraser is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Brendan Fraser age 49 Brendan James Fraser is an American-Canadian actor. He portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood ...more

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Michael Fishman is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Michael Fishman age 36 Michael Aaron Fishman is an American actor best known for playing D.J. Conner on the long-running series Roseanne.

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Matt McGorry is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Matt McGorry age 31 Matthew "Matt" McGorry is an American actor. He is best known for his role as John Bennett in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black, and Asher Millstone on ABC's How ...more

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Peer van Mladen is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Lara Bonnert added Peer van Mladen