ActorsTrivia Questions & Answers
58 actors trivia questions, each with the correct answer and a short explanation.
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Each question reveals the answer and a quick explanation below it.
1. Which actor is nicknamed 'The Rock'?
Answer: Dwayne Johnson. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson started in wrestling.
2. Who played Forrest Gump in the 1994 film?
Answer: Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks won an Oscar for playing Forrest Gump.
3. Which actress played Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' films?
Answer: Emma Watson. Emma Watson portrayed Hermione Granger throughout the series.
4. Who played the title role in the 1990 film 'Edward Scissorhands'?
Answer: Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp starred as Edward in Tim Burton's 'Edward Scissorhands'.
5. Who painted himself blue as William Wallace in 'Braveheart'?
Answer: Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson starred as and directed 'Braveheart'.
6. Which actress played Clarice Starling in 'The Silence of the Lambs'?
Answer: Jodie Foster. Jodie Foster won an Oscar for playing Clarice Starling.
7. Who played the Joker in 'The Dark Knight' (2008)?
Answer: Heath Ledger. Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for the role.
8. Who voiced the Genie in Disney's 1992 'Aladdin'?
Answer: Robin Williams. Robin Williams famously voiced the Genie.
9. Which actress starred as Sarah Connor in 'The Terminator' films?
Answer: Linda Hamilton. Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor.
10. Who played Neo in 'The Matrix'?
Answer: Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves stars as Neo.
11. Which actress voiced Princess Fiona in 'Shrek'?
Answer: Cameron Diaz. Cameron Diaz voiced Princess Fiona.
12. Which actor played Vito Corleone in 'The Godfather'?
Answer: Marlon Brando. Marlon Brando won an Oscar for playing Vito Corleone.
13. Who voiced Buzz Lightyear in the original 'Toy Story' films?
Answer: Tim Allen. Tim Allen voices Buzz Lightyear.
14. Which actor played Andy Dufresne in 'The Shawshank Redemption'?
Answer: Tim Robbins. Tim Robbins played Andy Dufresne.
15. Which actress won her first Best Actress Oscar for 'Sophie's Choice' (1982)?
Answer: Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep won Best Actress for 'Sophie's Choice'.
16. Who played the title role in Fellini's autobiographical film '8½'?
Answer: Marcello Mastroianni. Marcello Mastroianni starred in Fellini's '8½'.
17. Who played the title character in the 'John Wick' film series?
Answer: Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves stars as the retired hitman John Wick throughout the action franchise.
18. In 'The Lord of the Rings', who played the wizard Gandalf?
Answer: Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen portrayed Gandalf across Peter Jackson's trilogy.
19. In 'Dr. Strangelove', how many distinct roles did Peter Sellers play?
Answer: Three. Peter Sellers played three roles in Kubrick's 1964 satire.
20. Which actor played both a U.S. president and a boxer in separate major Hollywood films?
Answer: Morgan Freeman. Morgan Freeman played President Tom Beck in Deep Impact (1998) and boxing trainer Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris in Million Dollar Baby (2004).
21. Which actress played the female lead opposite Humphrey Bogart in both 'To Have and Have Not' (1944) and 'The Big Sleep' (1946)?
Answer: Lauren Bacall. Lauren Bacall starred alongside Bogart in both films; the two met on the set of 'To Have and Have Not' and later married.
22. Marlon Brando won his second Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather' but famously refused it. Who accepted on his behalf?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache activist, read Brando's statement declining the award to protest Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans.
23. Which film marked Cate Blanchett's Oscar-winning performance where she portrayed a real-life musician rather than an actress?
Answer: I'm Not There. Blanchett played one of six incarnations of Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes's 'I'm Not There' (2007), earning an Oscar nomination; she won for 'Blue Jasmine' and 'The Aviator.'
24. In which film does Anthony Hopkins play a character who delivers the famous line about eating liver with 'fava beans and a nice Chianti'?
Answer: The Silence of the Lambs. Hopkins delivers this chilling line as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), for which he won the Best Actor Oscar.
25. Peter Sellers plays THREE roles in 'Dr. Strangelove.' Which of these characters is NOT one of them?
Answer: General Buck Turgidson. General Buck Turgidson was played by George C. Scott; Sellers played Muffley, Mandrake, and Dr. Strangelove.
26. What film earned Marlon Brando his first Academy Award for Best Actor?
Answer: On the Waterfront. Brando won his first Oscar for Best Actor for 'On the Waterfront' (1954); his role in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' earned him a nomination but not the win.
27. Which actress turned down the role of Mrs. Robinson in 'The Graduate' before Anne Bancroft accepted it?
Answer: Doris Day. Doris Day was originally offered the role of Mrs. Robinson but declined it, finding the material too scandalous.
28. Which actor played both 'The Elephant Man' John Merrick on Broadway and starred in 'The Hit' (1984) before being cast as a Hobbit?
Answer: Ian Holm. Ian Holm played John Merrick on stage and starred in 'The Hit' before famously playing Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Hobbit films.
29. Which actor portrayed both a U.S. President and a pirate captain in major Hollywood franchises?
Answer: Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford played President James Marshall in 'Air Force One' (1997) and Han Solo/Indiana Jones, but also notably — actually Ford never played a pirate; Geoffrey Rush played Captain Barbossa and never a president. Harrison Ford played the president in Air Force One. This is best answered as Harrison Ford who played a president.
30. Which film marked Cate Blanchett's feature film debut in 1997, before she became internationally known?
Answer: Thank God He Met Lizzie. Blanchett made her feature debut in Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997), an Australian romantic comedy, before her breakthrough roles later that year.
31. Which actor played the lead role in both 'The Mosquito Coast' (1986) and 'Witness' (1985), earning an Oscar nomination for only one?
Answer: Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford starred in both films and received his only Oscar nomination for Witness (1985), while The Mosquito Coast went largely unrecognized by the Academy.
32. Which actor played the villain Hans Gruber in the original 'Die Hard' (1988)?
Answer: Alan Rickman. Alan Rickman made his Hollywood film debut as Hans Gruber, a role that cemented him as a definitive screen villain.
33. Before becoming famous as an actor, which Oscar-winning star worked as a janitor at the Brill Building and was rejected by the Juilliard School?
Answer: Dustin Hoffman. Dustin Hoffman worked as a janitor, coat-checker, and waiter while struggling to break into acting before his breakthrough in 'The Graduate.'
34. Which actor was originally cast as Forrest Gump but dropped out, ultimately leading to Tom Hanks taking the role?
Answer: John Travolta. John Travolta turned down the role of Forrest Gump, a decision he later publicly called one of his biggest career regrets.
35. Cate Blanchett won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for which film?
Answer: The Aviator. Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for playing Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator' (2004), her first Oscar win.
36. Which actor played the villain Hans Landa in 'Inglourious Basterds', winning an Academy Award for the role?
Answer: Christoph Waltz. Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of SS Colonel Hans Landa, a performance Tarantino called the best he'd ever seen.
37. Meryl Streep holds the record for most Academy Award nominations of any actor. How many nominations has she received?
Answer: 17. Meryl Streep has received 21 Academy Award nominations — more than any other actor — though her nomination count reached 21 by 2017.
38. Which actor portrayed Hannibal Lecter in 'Manhunter' (1986), the first film adaptation of Thomas Harris's character?
Answer: Brian Cox. Brian Cox played Hannibal Lecktor (alternate spelling) in Michael Mann's 'Manhunter' years before Anthony Hopkins made the role iconic.
39. Which actress played the same character in both 'Aliens' and 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' decades apart?
Answer: Jenette Goldstein. Jenette Goldstein played Pvt. Vasquez in 'Aliens' (1986) and a Vuvalini member in 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015).
40. Before winning her Oscar for 'Monster,' Charlize Theron had a small uncredited role in which 1995 film?
Answer: Children of the Corn III. Charlize Theron had an early uncredited appearance in 'Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest' (1995).
41. Which actor turned down the role of Gandalf in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, which eventually went to Ian McKellen?
Answer: Sean Connery. Sean Connery famously turned down the role of Gandalf, reportedly because he didn't understand the script.
42. In which film does Meryl Streep play a character based on a real newspaper editor — not a fashion magazine editor?
Answer: Silkwood. 'Silkwood' (1983) is based on the true story of Karen Silkwood, a nuclear plant worker; Streep's role is a real-life figure, not media.
43. Which actress played the lead in both 'Klute' (1971) and 'Coming Home' (1978), winning Oscars for both?
Answer: Jane Fonda. Jane Fonda won Best Actress Oscars for 'Klute' and 'Coming Home,' making her one of the defining dramatic actresses of the 1970s.
44. Which actor played both a U.S. President AND a convicted criminal in separate major films before the year 2000?
Answer: Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford played President James Marshall in 'Air Force One' (1997) and escaped convict Dr. Richard Kimble in 'The Fugitive' (1993).
45. Before 'The Godfather,' Marlon Brando's career was considered in steep decline. Which 1960 film had particularly damaged his box-office reputation?
Answer: Mutiny on the Bounty. 'Mutiny on the Bounty' (1962) was a notorious box-office disaster and Brando's on-set behavior became legendary, making studios deeply reluctant to cast him for nearly a decade.
46. Which film marked Cate Blanchett's screen debut and earned her a BAFTA nomination in the same year?
Answer: Elizabeth. 'Elizabeth' (1998) was Cate Blanchett's breakthrough starring role and earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in her debut leading performance.
47. Which actress played real-life journalist Veronica Guerin, who was murdered by Dublin drug lords, in a 2003 biopic of the same name?
Answer: Cate Blanchett. Cate Blanchett starred as Irish investigative journalist Veronica Guerin in Joel Schumacher's 2003 biopic about her assassination by drug traffickers.
48. Which actress played both a Bond girl AND the title villain's henchwoman in the same Bond film, 'The Man with the Golden Gun'?
Answer: Maud Adams. Maud Adams played Andrea Anders, Scaramanga's mistress and victim, in 'The Man with the Golden Gun,' then returned as the title character in 'Octopussy.'
49. Which future Oscar-winning actor was fired from the set of 'Tootsie' by director Sydney Pollack for being too difficult?
Answer: Bill Murray. Bill Murray was originally cast in 'Tootsie' but was fired; he later won an Oscar for 'Lost in Translation'—though only as a nominee, not a winner. The firing is documented Hollywood lore.
50. Before winning his Oscar for 'The Revenant,' Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for which film at age 19?
Answer: What's Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' (1993) when he was 19.
51. Before 'Pulp Fiction,' John Travolta's career was revived with a key role in which 1989 film that critics largely ignored?
Answer: Look Who's Talking. 'Look Who's Talking' (1989) was a surprise box-office hit that re-established Travolta as a bankable star after years of flops.
52. Meryl Streep received a record number of Oscar nominations. For which film did she win her first Academy Award?
Answer: Kramer vs. Kramer. Streep won Best Supporting Actress for 'Kramer vs. Kramer' (1979), the first of her three Oscar wins.
53. Actress Haing S. Ngor won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in 'The Killing Fields' — what was his real-life profession?
Answer: Physician. Haing S. Ngor was a Cambodian-American physician and genocide survivor who had no formal acting training before his Oscar-winning performance.
54. Which actor played the villainous Hans Gruber in 'Die Hard,' in what was his American film debut?
Answer: Alan Rickman. Alan Rickman made his American film debut as Hans Gruber in the 1988 action film 'Die Hard,' having previously worked primarily in British theater and TV.
55. Which famous actress was cast as Clarice Starling in 'The Silence of the Lambs' after Michelle Pfeiffer passed on the role?
Answer: Jodie Foster. After Michelle Pfeiffer declined the role of Clarice Starling, Jodie Foster accepted it and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal.
56. Which actor played both Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises' and Tinker Bell's nemesis in a non-superhero franchise?
Answer: Tom Hardy. Tom Hardy played Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012); he also voiced Tinker Bell's rival Thud in the Tinker Bell animated films.
57. Which actress played the lead role in both 'Alien' (1979) and later voiced a character in the animated TV series 'Futurama'?
Answer: Sigourney Weaver. Sigourney Weaver starred as Ellen Ripley in 'Alien' and later guest-voiced herself and a ship computer in the animated series 'Futurama.'
58. Which actor played the Joker in the 1989 Tim Burton 'Batman' and won an Oscar for a completely different role the same decade?
Answer: Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicholson played the Joker in 1989's 'Batman' and won his second Best Actor Oscar for 'As Good as It Gets' in 1998, having also won for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' in 1976.
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