Ariel Award for Best Actor
The Ariel Award for Best Actor is an award presented by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas in Mexico. It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the Mexican film industry. In 1947, the 1st and 2nd Ariel Awards were held, with Domingo Soler and David Silva winning for the films La Barraca and Campeón Sin Corona, respectively. With the exception of the years 1959 to 1971, when the Ariel Awards were suspended, the award has been given annually. Nominees and winners are determined by a committee formed every year consisting of academy members, previous winners and individuals with at least two Ariel nominations; the committee members submit their votes through the official AMACC website.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 49 actors. Damián Alcázar has received the most awards in this category with five Ariels and also is the most nominated performer with eight nominations; Arturo de Córdova and Pedro Infante follow with seven nominations each. Actors Pedro Armendáriz and Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., father and son, also won the award for Best Actor. In 1972, Alfonso Arau won for his self-directed leading role in El Águila Descalza. Spanish actor Javier Bardem was nominated in 2011 for his performance in Biutiful, for which he was also nominated for the Academy Award and a BAFTA Award, and won the Goya and the Prix d'interprétation masculine at the Cannes Film Festival.
Six films have featured two nominated performances for Best Actor, De Todos Modos Juan Te Llamas, Cuartelazo, Vidas Errantes, Chido Guan, El Tacos de Oro, Dulces Compañías, and 600 Millas ; Russek and Ruiz won the award. As of the 2025 ceremony, Raúl Briones is the most recent winner for his role in the film La cocina.
Multiple wins and nominations
The following individuals have received multiple Best Actor awards:| Wins | Actor |
| 5 | Damián Alcázar |
| 3 | Arturo de Córdova |
| 3 | Daniel Giménez Cacho |
| 3 | José Carlos Ruiz |
| 2 | Pedro Armendáriz |
| 2 | Héctor Bonilla |
| 2 | Raúl Briones |
| 2 | Alonso Echánove |
| 2 | Ernesto Gómez Cruz |
| 2 | Noé Hernández |
| 2 | - |
The following actors received four or more Best Actor nominations:
| Nominations | Actor |
| 8 | Damián Alcázar |
| 7 | Arturo de Córdova |
| 7 | Pedro Infante |
| 6 | Pedro Armendáriz |
| 5 | Demián Bichir |
| 5 | Héctor Bonilla |
| 5 | Daniel Giménez Cacho |
| 5 | Noé Hernández |
| 4 | José Alonso |
| 4 | Bruno Bichir |
| 4 | Alonso Echánove |
| 4 | Manuel Ojeda |
| 4 | Roberto Sosa |
| 4 | Harold Torres |