BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor
The 2025 recipient: Sean Penn
Presented by	British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Location	United Kingdom
Currently held by	Sean Penn for One Battle After Another (2025)

The BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor is a special prize given each year by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). This award celebrates an actor who has done an amazing job in a supporting role in a movie. Think of a supporting actor as someone who helps the main characters shine. They often play a best friend, a wise mentor, or even a memorable villain!

BAFTA is a famous British group. It gives out awards for great work in movies, TV shows, and even video games. They started giving out the Best Supporting Actor award in 1968. Each year, they pick one actor whose supporting performance truly stood out.

History of the Award
Memorable Winners and Their Roles
- Actors with Multiple Wins and Nominations
  - Multiple Nominations
  - Multiple Wins
Images for kids
See also

History of the Award

The BAFTA Best Supporting Actor award has been given out 54 times to 48 different actors. The very first winner was Ian Holm for his role in the movie The Bofors Gun in 1968. Interestingly, in 1980, no award was given in this category. The most recent winner, for films released in 2025, is Sean Penn for his role in One Battle After Another.

One actor, Denholm Elliott, holds the record for winning this award the most times, with three wins in a row! He also has the most nominations, with seven. Five other talented actors have won the award twice.

Memorable Winners and Their Roles

Many incredible actors have won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor over the years. Here are some of the stars who have been recognized for their amazing performances:

Ian Holm was the first winner in 1968 for The Bofors Gun. He also won again in 1981 for Chariots of Fire.
Denholm Elliott holds the record with three wins. These include his roles in Trading Places (1983) and A Private Function (1984).
John Gielgud won in 1974 for his role in Murder on the Orient Express.
Fred Astaire, a famous dancer and actor, won in 1975 for The Towering Inferno.
Alan Rickman won in 1991 for his memorable role as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Ralph Fiennes was recognized in 1993 for his powerful performance in Schindler's List.
Samuel L. Jackson won in 1994 for his role in Pulp Fiction.
Heath Ledger won posthumously in 2008 for his iconic portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Christoph Waltz won twice. He won for Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012).
Robert Downey Jr. won in 2023 for his role in Oppenheimer.
The most recent winner, for films released in 2025, is Sean Penn for his role as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another.

Actors with Multiple Wins and Nominations

Some actors have been nominated for or won this award more than once. It shows their consistent talent!

Multiple Nominations

7 nominations

Denholm Elliott

4 nominations

3 nominations

2 nominations

Multiple Wins

3 wins

Denholm Elliott (3 consecutive)

2 wins

Images for kids

Ian Holm won twice for The Bofors Gun (1968) and Chariots of Fire (1981).
Laurence Olivier won for Oh! What a Lovely War (1969).
Sir John Gielgud won for Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Fred Astaire won for The Towering Inferno (1975).
Sir John Hurt won for Midnight Express (1978).
Alan Rickman won for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).
Ralph Fiennes won for Schindler's List (1993).
Samuel L. Jackson won for Pulp Fiction (1994).
Tom Wilkinson won for The Full Monty (1997).
Geoffrey Rush won twice, for Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The King's Speech (2010).
Benicio del Toro won for Traffic (2000).
Jim Broadbent won for Moulin Rouge! (2001).
Christopher Walken won for Catch Me If You Can (2002).
Jake Gyllenhaal won for Brokeback Mountain (2005).
Alan Arkin won for Little Miss Sunshine (2006).
Javier Bardem won for No Country for Old Men (2007).
Heath Ledger won posthumously for The Dark Knight (2008).
Christoph Waltz won twice, for Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012).
Christopher Plummer won for Beginners (2011).
Barkhad Abdi won for Captain Phillips (2013).
JK Simmons won for Whiplash (2014).
Mark Rylance won for Bridge of Spies (2015).
Dev Patel won for Lion (2016).
Sam Rockwell won for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
Mahershala Ali won for Green Book (2018).
Brad Pitt won for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Daniel Kaluuya won for Judas and the Black Messiah (2020).
Troy Kotsur won for CODA (2021).
Barry Keoghan won for The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).
Robert Downey Jr. won for Oppenheimer (2023).
Kieran Culkin won for A Real Pain (2024).