The Best of 2018 The Most Influential Actors Of 2018  

Celebrity Lists
4.2k votes 343 voters 3.3k views 56 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! Then see which actors are influential in 2019.

list ordered by

1
117 44
Ryan Reynolds is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

2
122 48
Chadwick Boseman is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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.

3
125 51
Donald Glover is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

4
118 47
Benedict Cumberbatch is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 39 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

5
98 38
Tom Holland is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
holy_stockings added 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

6
109 47
Michael B. Jordan is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 28 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, Reggie Montgomery in All My Children, Steve ...more

7
100 44
Chris Hemsworth is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

8
100 48
John Krasinski is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

9
98 51
Dwayne Johnson is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 45 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

10
67 33
Tom Hardy is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 38 Edward Thomas Hardy, CBE (born 15 September 1977) is an English actor, producer, and former model. Hardy made his film debut in Ridley ScottÂ’s Black Hawk Down (2001), and has since had notable ...more

11
82 46
Leonardo DiCaprio is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

12
67 37
Daniel Kaluuya is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

13
66 38
Jordan Peele is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

14
79 52
Finn Wolfhard is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

15
64 39
Mark Ruffalo is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 48 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

16
60 42
Ryan Gosling is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

17
51 34
Denzel Washington is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

18
20 6
Peter Dinklage is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Michael Anthony John added age 46 Peter Hayden Dinklage is an American actor. Since his breakout role in The Station Agent, he starred in many films, such as Elf, Find Me Guilty, Underdog, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince ...more

19
34 25
Woody Harrelson is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
starwarssuperfan added 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

20
40 34
Nick Offerman is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

21
39 33
Gary Oldman is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

22
40 36
John Boyega is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 26 John Boyega is an actor.

23
15 8
Michael Fassbender is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Michael Anthony John added age 40 Michael Fassbender is a German-Irish actor and producer. His first screen role was in the 2000 TV miniseries, Hearts and Bones, followed by the 2001 television miniseries Band of Brothers. He ...more

24
46 44
Daniel Radcliffe is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

25
35 38
Seth MacFarlane is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

26
40 45
Timothée Chalamet is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

27
36 40
George Clooney is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

28
36 42
Sterling K. Brown is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Sterling K. Brown is an American actor.

29
31 36
Kumail Nanjiani is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 40 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

30
40 48
Robert De Niro is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

31
31 37
Andy Samberg is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

32
32 39
Dylan Minnette is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

33
33 43
Brad Pitt is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 54 William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and producer. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media ...more

34
1 0
Josh Brolin is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Michael Anthony John added age 50 Josh James Brolin is an American actor. He has acted in theater, film and television roles since 1985. He is known primarily for his film work. His first role was in the 1985 film The Goonies. ...more

35
2 2
John David Washington is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
lilpunk89 added age 31 John David Washington (born July 28, 1984) is an American actor and former American football running back. He played college football at Morehouse and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an ...more

36
2 2
Lakeith Stanfield is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
lilpunk89 added age 26 Lakeith Lee Stanfield (born August 12, 1991), sometimes credited as Keith Stanfield, is an American actor and rapper. He made his feature film debut in Short Term 12 (2013), for which he was ...more

37
27 38
Clint Eastwood is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

38
27 38
Ben Affleck is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

39
1 2
Peer Van Mladen is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
Alexandra Nebenan added Peer Van Mladen 29

More than 8 million dollars in annual revenue and one of the most influential music producers. 

40
23 33
William H. Macy is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 65 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

41
7 11
Tom Cruise is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
PraveenShankarThooyavan added Tom Cruise

42
22 33
Armie Hammer is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 31 Armie Hammer is an actor.

43
26 39
Alec Baldwin is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

44
3 10
Sylvester Stallone is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
starwarssuperfan added age 71 Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, screenwriter and film director. Stallone is well known for his Hollywood action roles. Two notable characters he has ...more

45
19 37
Sean Penn is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

46
4 14
Tom Cruise is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
PraveenShankarThooyavan added age 55 Tom Cruise is an American actor, filmmaker and scientologist. Cruise has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards. He started his career at age 19 in the ...more

47
18 44
Pete Davidson is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
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

48
16 41
Alden Ehrenreich is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 26 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

49
13 36
Brendan Fraser is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
age 47 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

50
4 23
Craig T. Nelson is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Most Influential Actors Of 2018
starwarssuperfan added 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