The Silver Bear for Best Actress () was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by the International Jury from the films in the Competition slate at the festival. Beginning with the 71st Berlin International Film Festival, the award was replaced with two gender-neutral categories, Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.
At the 6th Berlin International Film Festival held in 1956, Elsa Martinelli was the first winner of this award for her performance in Donatella, and Paula Beer was the last winner in this category for her role in Undine at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in 2020. Shirley MacLaine is the only actress to win the award twice, in 1959 for Ask Any Girl and in 1971 for Desperate Characters. Sandra Hüller, the 2006 winner for Requiem, had won Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance in 2026 for Rose.
History The award was first presented in 1956 and could be for lead or supporting roles. The prize was not awarded on four occasions (1969, 1973–74, and 1990). In 1970, no awards were given as the festival was called off mid-way due to the controversy over the official selection film, o.k. by Michael Verhoeven, which led to the resignation of the international jury. In 2011, the entire female cast of A Separation received the award. Shirley MacLaine has won the most awards in this category, with two.
Sachiko Hidari is the only actress to win a joint award for her roles in two different films in the same competition; she won in 1964 for her performances in The Insect Woman and She and He.
The last of this award was given out in 2020, after which it was replaced with gender-neutral categories, Best Leading Performance and Best Supporting Performance, the following year.
Winners
1950s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 1956 Donatella 1957 1958 Gioia 1959
1960s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 1960 Annette 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 Manjula 1966 1967 1968 Frédérique
1970s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 1971 1972 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 1980 1981 Kama 1982 1983 1984 Vera Nikolaevna 1985 Mary 1986 Macabéa Nadia 1987 1988 1989
1990s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 1991 Luisa 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Hana 1998 1999
2000s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 2000 Tatjana 2001 Claire 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Gitti
2010s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 2010 2011 Simin Razieh Termeh Somayeh 2012 Komona 2013 2014 2015 2016 Anna 2017 Young-hee 2018 Chela 2019
2020s Year Actress Role(s) English Title 2020
Multiple winners
The following actress is the only person to have received multiple Best Actress awards:
Wins Actress Nationality Films 2 Shirley MacLaine United States Ask Any Girl (1959), Desperate Characters (1971)
See also Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress Volpi Cup for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Notes
A: Performer to receive a joint award which honor the outstanding work in multiple different films in the same official competition slate. B: The entire male and female cast of A Separation (جدایی نادر از سیمین) was recipient of this award.
References
External links
Berlinale website Berlin Film Festival at IMDb