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1990: Patrick Swayze -

Patrick Swayze was already well known by 1990, but his role in 'Ghost' solidified his spot in the hearts of audiences.

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1989: Michael Keaton -

Michael Keaton put on the Batsuit in 1989, starring in 'Batman,' and also dated a pre-fame Courteney Cox at the time.

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1988: Harrison Ford -

In 1988, Ford starred in 'Working Girl,' but was already well known for playing Han Solo in 'Star Wars' and for being the protagonist in 'Indiana Jones.'

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1987: Michael Douglas -

In 1987, Michael Douglas starred in the thriller 'Fatal Attraction' with Glenn Close and took home the Academy Award for his performance in 'Wall Street.'

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1986: Tom Cruise -

Tom Cruise came onto the scene in a real way in 1986 after he played the ultra-cool and talented pilot in 'Top Gun.'

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1985: Michael J. Fox -

'Back to the Future' is one of the most iconic movies of all time. Its predictions of the future were a little off, but it still launched Fox's career!

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1984: Ralph Macchio -

Ralph Macchio starred as the young martial arts student in 'The Karate Kid,' inspiring a generation to take up the sport.

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1982: Sylvester Stallone -

Sylvester Stallone played Rocky Balboa in 'Rocky III' that year, a boxing film franchise that is still the best of its kind today.

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1982: Richard Gere -

in 1982, before he was dating Cindy Crawford, Richard Gere played in the romantic drama 'An Officer and a Gentleman.'

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1981: Burt Reynolds -

In 1981, Burt Reynolds and his perfectly groomed mustache were no strangers to the Hollywood film world. His role in 'The Cannonball Run' made him the undisputed leading man of the year.

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1980: Jack Nicholson -

Nicholson starred in 'Easy Rider' in 1969, which was his breakout role, and the film became a cult classic. But it wasn't until 1980 that he became the undisputed lead man after his performance in 'The Shining.'

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1979: Martin Sheen -

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1978: Ryan O'Neal -

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1977: Roger Moore -

Roger Moore took over Sean Connery's role as 'James Bond' in the franchise in 1973.

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1976: Robert De Niro -

Though it feels like every year is Robert De Niro's year, his stunning performance in 'Taxi Driver' earned him his place at the top.

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1975: James Caan -

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1974: Sidney Poitier -

Sidney Poitier made history as the first Black man to win an Academy Award. In 1974, he directed and starred in 'Uptown Saturday Night.'

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1973: Marlon Brando -

Marlon Brando was establishing his career throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and by the 1970's he was the most iconic actor in Hollywood. In 1973, he rejected the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 'The Godfather' in protest of Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans in film.

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1972: Billy Dee Williams -

Billy Dee Williams co-starred in the hit movie 'Lady Sings the Blues' with Diana Ross in 1972 and remained a very relevant actor for the next decade. He's, of course, best known as Lando Calrissian from the 'Star Wars' franchise.

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1971: Clint Eastwood -

"Dirty" Harry Callahan is still one of Clint Eastwood's most well-known roles to date and is one of the most well-known film characters of all time, period.

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1969: Robert Redford -

'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' premiered in 1969, soon making Robert Redford the hottest actor in town.

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1968: Dustin Hoffman -

Dustin Hoffman made his film debut in 1967 in the comedy 'The Tiger Makes Out.' However, it was his role in 'The Graduate,' also from 1967, that led to his star status and a nomination for an Academy Award.

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1967: Gene Wilder -

It wasn't until 1967 that Gene Wilder landed his first major role and became a household name for the cult comedy classic 'The Producers,' for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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1966: Paul Scofield -

Scofield had been performing in films for years before 1966, but it was during that year that he really received widespread acclamation. His performance in 'A Man for All Seasons' earned him multiple awards and brought him to the forefront of popular cinema.

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1965: Rex Harrison -

In this image, Rex Harrison is standing with Audrey Hepburn holding the Academy Award. By 1965, after his performances in 'My Fair Lady' in 1964 and 'Cleopatra' in 1963, he was the lead man in Hollywood.

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1964: Albert Finney -

By 1964, Albert Finney had become one of the most prominent leading men in Hollywood films. He landed his film debut in 'The Entertainer' in 1960 and became well known in the next few years for his roles in 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' (also in 1960) and 'Tom Jones' (1963).

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1963: Harry Belafonte -

By the 1960s, Belafonte had already established himself as a lead actor in Hollywood while also being an early supporter of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

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1962: Gregory Peck -

Gregory Peck was one of the biggest in the game around this time, but especially in 1962 for his outstanding performances in 'Cape Fear' and 'How the West Was Won,' which were both hugely successful then and still well known today.

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1961: Maximilian Schell -

Austrian-born Swiss actor Maximilian Schell was the leading man by 1961, starring in 11 films since his film debut just six years before and winning multiple awards in 1961 for his performance in the courtroom drama 'Judgment at Nuremberg.'

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1960: Burt Lancaster -

Traditionally known for playing the tough guy, Lancaster earned his notoriety for taking on more challenging and complex roles in the early 1960s. One of his first notable roles was a charismatic con man in 'Elmer Gantry' in 1960, which won him the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Actor, and from there on out he played lead roles in a string of successful films.

Sources: (Esquire)

See also: Vintage stars and their cars

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