The 20 Shortest Oscar-Nominated Performances in Leading Roles

About this gallery:

For this list, we decided to include 10 actors and 10 actresses who were nominated for an Oscar for a leading role, despite having the least amount of screen time. To spice things up, we’ve added the percentage of their appearance in the film – because, honestly, were they really the protagonists?

Were you expecting any of these? Which of these performances do you think didn’t deserve a nomination just for being so short? | © Orion Pictures

20. David Niven (Separate Tables, 1958) - 23.67%

David Niven had just about 24% of screen time in Separate Tables, but he made every awkward, repressed minute count. Playing Major Pollock, a man hiding an unsavory secret, Niven brought a blend of charm and quiet desperation that snagged him an Oscar. His performance is the cinematic equivalent of a polite cough hiding a scream – subtle, understated, and somehow heartbreaking. Niven showed that you don’t need dramatic monologues or explosive scenes to win an Oscar; sometimes all it takes is a fragile smile and impeccable timing. | © United Artists

19. Marlon Brando (The Godfather, 1972) - 22.91%

Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather is proof that you don’t need a lot of screen time when you’re busy redefining cool. With just under 23% of the film, Brando mumbled, petted cats, and made offers no one could refuse – all while securing an Oscar win. His gravelly voice and understated menace turned the Godfather into an immortal figure in pop culture. Whether he was brooding in the dark or subtly manipulating his crime empire, Brando proved you can dominate a film without even raising your voice. Or, you know, by doing it in an indecipherable whisper. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped Humphrey Bogart The Caine Mutiny

18. Humphrey Bogart (The Caine Mutiny, 1954) - 22.79%

You'd think that in a movie about mutiny, the guy playing the captain would have more screen time. Not so for Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny. As the neurotic, strawberry-obsessed Captain Queeg, Bogart managed to steal the show with just under 23% of it. His tense courtroom breakdown, featuring the now-iconic ball-bearing fidgeting, is etched into cinematic history. Bogart turned paranoia into an art form, showing us that sometimes unraveling under pressure is Oscar-worthy material. Plus, who knew strawberries could be so menacing? | © Columbia Pictures

17. Geraldine Page (Interiors, 1978) - 22.34%

Geraldine Page floated through Woody Allen’s Interiors like an emotionally fragile ghost, leaving a trail of simmering tension in her wake. As Eve, the chilly, perfectionist matriarch with more suppressed emotions than a packed therapy session, Page crafted a haunting portrait of grief and control. She was on screen for just over 22% of the film, but her presence felt like it was woven into the wallpaper – impossible to ignore, even when she wasn’t there. A masterclass in restrained acting, her performance whispered rather than shouted, and yet, the Academy listened loud and clear. | © United Artists

Cropped Maximilian Schell Judgment at Nuremberg

16. Maximilian Schell (Judgment at Nuremberg, 1961) - 21.95%

Maximilian Schell didn’t need much time to make an impact – just about 22% of Judgment at Nuremberg to be precise. Playing defense attorney Hans Rolfe, Schell unleashed a performance so fiery and commanding that you’d think he was on-screen the whole time. With passionate courtroom monologues and piercing intensity, he made moral ambiguity feel like an art form. His sharp intellect and persuasive arguments not only captivated the fictional jury but also the Academy, earning him the Oscar for Best Actor. Who knew you could win gold by talking less and saying more? | © United Artists

15. James Dean (Giant, 1956) - 21.92%

James Dean’s brooding presence in Giant is all swagger, angst, and tragic charm, condensed into less than 22% of the film. As Jett Rink, he’s the poster boy for rebellious cool, with a smirk that says, “I’m complicated,” and eyes that whisper, “You’ll never understand me.” Dean’s performance grows more iconic with time, much like the oil fields his character strikes it rich on. He may not have dominated the film’s runtime, but every frame he’s in feels like it was carved out just for him. | © Warner Bros.

14. Marlon Brando (Julius Caesar, 1953) - 21.60%

Marlon Brando took Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and gave it a modern, method-acting twist, redefining how we thought Mark Antony should be played. Despite being in just over 21% of the film, Brando’s “Friends, Romans, countrymen” speech booms through cinematic history like he owned the whole movie. His intensity makes you forget he’s technically a supporting character in terms of screen time, even though the Oscars insisted otherwise. Brando’s performance is like a thunderstorm – brief, powerful, and impossible to ignore. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Cropped Anthony Hopkins The Silence of the Lambs

13. Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991) - 21.00%

Anthony Hopkins gave us nightmares with just 21% of The Silence of the Lambs. That’s right – Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the refined cannibal with impeccable taste, needed less than a quarter of the film to become a cultural icon. His chilling charm, those piercing eyes, and that unforgettable hiss – f-f-f-f – etched themselves into cinema history. Hopkins’ performance is the cinematic equivalent of seasoning: a little goes a long, long way. Who knew the scariest thing wasn’t how much he was on screen, but how little? | © Orion Pictures

Cropped Julie Christie Mc Cabe and Mrs Miller

12. Julie Christie (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, 1971) - 20.71%

Julie Christie as Mrs. Miller is the human embodiment of enigmatic cool in Robert Altman’s anti-western masterpiece. She’s opium-smoking, business-running, and quietly devastating – all while barely clocking in more than a fifth of the film. Christie doesn’t need sprawling monologues; her gaze alone speaks volumes about hope, despair, and the cost of ambition in a grimy frontier town. Somehow, she outshines even Warren Beatty’s glorious mustache. The result? A performance that lingers like the last wisps of smoke from her opium pipe. | © Warner Bros.

11. Nicole Kidman (The Hours, 2002) - 20.49%

Nicole Kidman donned a prosthetic nose, a haunted gaze, and the aura of literary genius to play Virginia Woolf in The Hours – all in under 21% of the film's runtime. Talk about efficiency. She glides in, drops some existential dread, pens a few devastating lines, and leaves us emotionally unwell. Kidman’s performance is like an espresso shot: small, potent, and guaranteed to keep you up at night. The Academy couldn’t resist the power of her brooding intensity, nor could we forget that haunting opening scene. Proof that you don’t need hours to leave an impression in The Hours. | © Paramount Pictures

10. Trevor Howard (Sons and Lovers, 1960) - 19.71%

Trevor Howard brought a brooding intensity to Sons and Lovers, squeezing a lifetime of emotional repression into just under 20% of the film’s runtime. His portrayal of the stern, emotionally distant father is so effective, you’ll feel like you’ve known him (and been quietly judged by him) your whole life. Howard’s performance is the cinematic equivalent of a stiff upper lip – restrained, dignified, and hiding a world of complexity beneath the surface. | © 20th Century Fox

9. Patricia Neal (Hud, 1963) - 19.58%

Patricia Neal didn’t need much screen time in Hud to make a lasting impact. As Alma Brown, she’s the epitome of no-nonsense charm, navigating the toxic masculinity of the American West with wit and resilience. With less than 20% of the film under her belt, Neal’s understated performance earned her an Oscar, proving that sometimes the quietest voices echo the loudest. She’s the calm in the storm, the sharp wit in a sea of cowboy bravado. | © Paramount Pictures

8. Eleanor Parker (Detective Story, 1951) - 19.53%

Eleanor Parker in Detective Story is the emotional heartbeat of a film filled with tough guys and gruff detectives. Clocking in at just under 20% of the film, Parker’s performance as Mary McLeod is subtle yet shattering. She brings a grace and quiet strength that contrasts beautifully with the gritty, hard-boiled world around her. It’s like finding a delicate rose growing through a crack in the concrete – unexpected, beautiful, and unforgettable. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped Walter Huston The Devil and Daniel Webster

7. Walter Huston (The Devil and Daniel Webster, 1941) - 19.50%

Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch in The Devil and Daniel Webster is the devilish delight we never knew we needed. With less than 20% of the runtime, Huston oozes charisma and sinister charm, proving that selling your soul has never looked so entertaining. His devil isn’t just evil – he’s fun, which might be the most dangerous quality of all. Huston’s performance is the equivalent of adding hot sauce to a meal: bold, spicy, and impossible to ignore. | © RKO Radio Pictures

6. Luise Rainer (The Great Ziegfeld, 1936) - 19.27%

Luise Rainer swept into The Great Ziegfeld with a tearful phone call that could probably win an Oscar all by itself. Her performance as Anna Held is a masterclass in emotional vulnerability, achieved in less than 20% of the film. Rainer’s legendary “telephone scene” is like a punch to the gut – one long, heartbreaking monologue that has you clutching tissues before you even know what hit you. Who needs screen time when you’ve got that kind of cinematic magic? | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

5. Greer Garson (Goodbye, Mr. Chips, 1939) - 19.20%

Greer Garson’s role in Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a testament to how one character can transform an entire story. As Katherine, she brings warmth, wit, and a breath of fresh air to the reserved world of Mr. Chips, all within a modest 19% of the film. Garson’s charm is infectious, lighting up the screen with every smile and tender glance, making you wish her character had even more scenes. Her performance is like a cherished letter – brief but filled with heartfelt sentiment that lingers long after it’s read. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

4. Simone Signoret (Ship of Fools, 1965) - 18.12%

Simone Signoret’s performance in Ship of Fools is like a beautiful, melancholic melody that lingers long after the final note. As La Condesa, she navigates a sea of flawed characters with grace and quiet tragedy, all within 18% of the film’s runtime. Signoret’s expressive eyes do most of the heavy lifting, revealing layers of sorrow, wisdom, and resilience without the need for grand gestures. She’s the soul of the film, effortlessly anchoring its themes of loss and human folly with a performance as timeless as the sea itself. | © Columbia Pictures

Cropped Deborah Kerr From Here to Eternity

3. Deborah Kerr (From Here to Eternity, 1953) - 17.42%

Deborah Kerr turned heads – and not just because of that iconic beach scene – in From Here to Eternity. As Karen Holmes, she’s the epitome of smoldering sophistication, packing complex emotions into just over 17% of the film. Kerr’s chemistry with Burt Lancaster could practically ignite the screen, but it’s her ability to balance vulnerability with strength that truly captivates. She’s the kind of character who makes every moment count, leaving an emotional footprint as lasting as waves in the sand. | © Columbia Pictures

Cropped Louise Fletcher One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

2. Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975) - 16.96%

Louise Fletcher’s Nurse Ratched is the kind of character who chills you to the bone with just a glance – and she did it with under 17% of the film’s runtime. Her performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a masterclass in controlled menace, with every icy stare and clipped line of dialogue oozing quiet authority. Fletcher’s ability to convey oppressive power without ever raising her voice makes her one of cinema’s most memorable villains. It’s like being trapped in a room where the temperature keeps dropping, and she’s the one controlling the thermostat. | © United Artists

1. Spencer Tracy (San Francisco, 1936) - 12.99%

Spencer Tracy’s role in San Francisco is a shining example of how to steal scenes with minimal screen time. Playing Father Tim Mullin, Tracy’s warm-hearted, tough-love priest brings moral grounding to a film otherwise dominated by dramatic earthquakes – both literal and emotional. His compassionate demeanor and dry wit add a surprising depth, proving you don’t need to be in every scene to feel like the heart of the story. It’s as if Tracy swoops in, sprinkles some wisdom, and exits stage left, leaving the audience yearning for more. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer