Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
The 2024 Recipient: Mark Gatiss
Albert Finney won for Orphans (1987)
Sir Michael Gambon received 11 nominations in this category winning for A View from the Bridge (1988)
Sir Derek Jacobi won twice for Cyrano de Bergerac (1983), and Twelfth Night (2009)
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, but they were renamed in honour of the British actor of the same name in 1984.
Laurence Olivier Award, designed by the sculptor Harry Franchetti, depicting Olivier as Henry V at The Old Vic in 1937
Image: Mark Gatiss by Gage Skidmore 2
Image: Nicole Scherzinger 2012
Judi Dench has a record seven competitive Oliviers, and also won a Special Olivier in 2004