British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
This is a list of the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor. The Best Actor award was initially given as an "individual honour", without credit to a particular performance, until 1962, when Rupert Davies won for his performance in Maigret.
Since 1970, nominees have been announced in addition to the winner. The Actor category was split into Leading Actor and Supporting Actor starting in 2010.
2023 winner Ben Whishaw
Paul Rogers (left) was the first recipient of the award.
Rupert Davies was the first actor to receive this award for a specific work, winning for Maigret.
Keith Michell won the award in 1971.
Rupert Lisburn Gwynne Davies FRSA was a British actor best remembered for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of Maigret, based on Georges Simenon's novels.
Portrait by Allan Warren of Davies from 1973