Which star is the bookies' favourite to win Best Actor at the Oscars?

The 96th Academy Awards will occur on 10 March 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Oscars ceremony is dedicated to celebrating the best of film each year whether it be from an artistic or technical point of view. It is generally considered to be the most prestigious movie award ceremony in the world and has been running since the first ceremony took place at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929.

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The most coveted awards are for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director though each of the 23 awards given on the night comes with its own degree of prestige.

Each category winner is awarded a copy of a golden statuette as a trophy, officially called the 'Academy Award of Merit' though it is colloquially known now as simply an 'Oscar'

With regards to the Best Actor award, there is one major front-runner, according to betting website Oddschecker.

Oscar Odds 2024

Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) - 1/10

The odds-on favourite to win the Academy Award for Best Actor is Cillian Murphy. The Irishman has never been nominated for the award before, but he will be hard to beat this year after his astonishing performance in Oppenheimer. Here are some snippets of what critics have had to say about his performance:

"Oppenheimer left me stunned: a character study on the grandest scale, with a sublime central performance by Cillian Murphy. An epic historical drama but with a distinctly Nolan sensibility: the tension, structure, sense of scale, startling sound design, remarkable visuals. Wow." - Matt Maytum of Total Film.

"Oppenheimer is powerful stuff. Cillian Murphy’s flawless awards-worthy performance is next level. Every player in this rich ensemble cast is at the top of their game." - Simon Thompson of Forbes and Variety.

"Oppenheimer is mythic, massive, and a masterful work from Christopher Nolan. Murphy & (Robert) Downey Jr. deliver career best performances in what is the most important movie of the decade." - Anthony Gagliardi of The Movie podcast.

Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) - 13/2

"At its core it is a dramatic comedy that I find funny and moving when it raises its tone of consistency with its authentic reproduction of the 70s and the splendid performance of Paul Giamatti." - Yasser Medina of Cinefilia

"The way Paul Giamatti tip toes between teacher, paternal figure, friend and even combatant is nothing short of sublime." - JD Duran of InSession Film.

Bradley Cooper (Maestro) - 20/1

"Maestro comes alive as Cooper, who also co-wrote the screenplay, filters Bernstein's passion for life and all its grand indulgences into an intensely physical performance, which peaks in a sweat-drenched conducting sequence that bursts off the screen." - Adam Graham of Detroit News

"As director and lead actor, Cooper demonstrated his dual-duty skills admirably in his 2018 remake of A Star Is Born. In Maestro, he takes it to another level in a film that crackles with inventive energy." - Jason Blake of Limelight

Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) - 100/1

"The story's emotional truth comes via Wright's impeccably judged, grounding performance as an embittered yet still righteous man emerging reluctantly from his shell." - Emma Simmons of Radio Times.

"Jeffrey Wright gives a funny, bitter, sharply controlled performance, fueled by barely suppressed bile and an exasperated incredulity at modern culture. At the very least, he's a master of the slow burn." - Tom Gilatto of People.

"Buoyed by a delightful ensemble and cuttingly hilarious script, Wright delivers one of the finest performances of his career." - Hope Madden of MaddWolf.

Colman Domingo (Rustin) - 100/1

"Colman Domingo gives a commanding and charismatic performance in Rustin, a briskly paced drama that tells the story of underrated civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, who fought several public and private battles against racism and homophobia." - Carla Hay of CultureMix.

"This welcome spotlight on a lesser-known civil rights hero doesn’t escape the usual biopic clichés — but Colman Domingo’s impressive, deeply layered performance does this corner of history justice." - John Nugent of Empire.

"It's occasionally more interested in generating applause-worthy soundbites than anything else, but Domingo proves once again capable of making anything he touches shine." - Audrey Fox of Looper.