How do you quantify the talent of an actor? Do you do it in terms of ... to superstardom in the '60s with films like "In the Heat of the Night," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," and "Lilies of ...

The moment was overshadowed, though, as the actor slapped comedian and presenter Chris Rock onstage earlier in the night following a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The nearly 100-year history of the Academy Award for best actor tells the story of the movies themselves. From performers playing towering real-life figures to those depicting the struggles of the ...