Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences grants an Oscar Award for the best actor and actress who delivers the most prolific and outstanding performance in a movie. Started way back in the 1920s, the annual awarding category has somewhat become one of the biggest prizes that an aspiring actor could ever dream of.

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However, not every Oscar-winning actor manages to replicate the same success they once achieved. Some actors opt to retire, while others venture into new branches of work or they've simply run of their era. To sum it up, here's all The Oscars' Best Actor winners from the 2000s and what they've been up to now.

10 2000: Russell Crowe

2000: Russel Crowe
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In 2000, Russel Crowe won this award thanks to his portrayal of Maximus Meridius in the epic historical flick Gladiator. The movie follows the Roman general as he navigates through the ups and downs of becoming a gladiator.

After the movie premiered, the now-father of two didn't seem to be able to keep himself out of controversies. The Man of Steel actor has somewhat gained a negative reputation as an actor with a bad temper thanks to his several run-ins with the law until 2005.

9 2001: Denzel Washington

2001: Denzel Washington
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Denzel Washington's rise to stardom is an inspiring tale for many. In 2001, the Malcolm X actor elevated his career to new heighst by winning an Oscar for Best Actor thanks to his fantastic work in Training Day.

The actor is still pretty relevant today, and as Rockland Report noted, he's just been spotted filming an upcoming movie. Inspired by a true event, A Journal for Jordan follows the rise of Sgt. Charles Monroe King before his death in Baghdad. While the actor's taking some time off the screen, he'll serve as a director for this movie.

8 2002: Adrien Brody

2002: Adrien Brody
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Adrien Brody's win was a special one. Not only did he become the youngest-ever actor to win the category, but nobody managed to snatch that record away from him for over 17 years. Brody is now preparing himself to pay tribute to basketball legend Pat Riley in HBO's upcoming sports drama that centers LA Laker's dynasty in the 1980s.

Related: Robin Williams Has One Big Regret About Winning An Oscar

7 2003: Sean Penn

2003: Sean Penn
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In the somber drama Mystic River, Sean Penn anchored his exceptional acting and landed himself a big Oscar win as the Best Actor in 2003. However, all his success has never blinded the proud father of two, as he continued expanding his philanthropic efforts. The founder of Community Organized Relief Effort NGO has been massively contributing to free COVID-19 tests in the U.S. amidst the ongoing pandemic.

6 2004: Jamie Foxx

2004: Jamie Foxx
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In 2004, Jamie Foxx was busy filling up calls from awarding bodies. In addition to the prestigious Oscar, Fox also won with BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, Critics' Choice, and received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for Ray. He just couldn't stop reaching new success, as Foxx received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Collateral a year after his Oscar win. Now, the actor has ventured into directing as he served as one of the main backstage people for Fox's Beat Shazam game show.

5 2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman

2005: Phillip Seymour Hoffman
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Philip Seymour Hoffman made his commercial peak with Capote in 2005. The fearless actor has added several impressive titles to his acting resume after the film, including the likes of Doubt, Death of a Salesman, and The Hunger Game series. Unfortunately, his success led him to a much worse problem with substance abuse, leading to his fatal death in 2014.

4 2006: Forest Whitaker

2006: Forest Whitaker
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If you're a fan of the Star Wars franchise, the chance is you may have come across this actor. After winning the Oscar, Forest Whitaker forayed into the blockbuster series as Saw Gerrera in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In fact, his likeness has been used in the 2019 video game Fallen Order.

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In his latest project, 2021's City of Lies, the actor shares the stage with Johnny Depp to investigate the infamous murder of two best hip-hop moguls, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.

3 2007: Daniel Day-Lewis

2007: Daniel Day-Lewis
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Many may have not known this, but Daniel Day-Lewis actually started his career with theatrical plays. From the 1970s to the 1980s, the There Will Be Blood actor has appeared on several big stages. Unfortunately, we can no longer enjoy his work, as the actor has announced his retirement back in 2017 after scoring an Oscar nomination for Phantom Thread. What a way to end a remarkable career!

2 2008: Sean Penn

2008: Sean Penn
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Another big win for Sean Penn. This time, he won the award for his portrayal of gay-right activist Harvey Milk in a touching biographical tribute, Milk. The two shared an uncanny resemblance, which what makes the Oscar-winning movie even more astonishing. Now, the actor has been joined by Julia Roberts to lead an upcoming anthology series, Gaslit.

1 2009: Jeff Bridges

2009: Jeff Bridges
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Jeff Bridges is a natural-born actor, but his portrayal of chaotic and alcoholic singer in Crazy Heart was something else. Unfortunately, after a long-spanning career, the actor is currently battling lymphoma. As reported by NBC, Bridges has gone through multiple rounds of chemotherapy to overcome the illness back in 2020. Now, the tumor has "drastically shrunk," and he keeps making more impressive progress of recovery.

Next: John Goodman & 9 Other Incredible Actors Who Have Never Won An Oscar