Jeff Bridges

The nominees for Best Actor were:

• Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
• George Clooney – Up in the Air
• Colin Firth – A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman – Invictus
• Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart - The story centers around a washed up, hard-living country music singer, Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) who’s had far too many years on the road. Playing long ago #1 hits in beer joints and bowling alleys, he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician – and inspires Blake’s turn of redemption.
George Clooney – Up in the Air - The story centers on a corporate downsizing expert (George Clooney) who travels all over the US in pursuit of more opportunities to fire people. As he approaches the 10-million frequent flyer miles milestone and meets the frequent-flying woman of his dreams (Vera Farmiga), his cherished lifestyle is threatened as his company wants to move him to headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.
Colin Firth – A Single Man - A story about a teacher in the 60’s who loses his lover in an accident and is left in a world that he no longer wishes to be a part of.
Morgan Freeman – Invictus - Set during Nelson Mandela’s presidency in South Africa, he tries to bring down the racial barriers that were previously enforced by the apartheid system of government, and plans on using the sport of rugby to do it. He enlists the help of Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the captain of the South African Springboks, in hopes that he can take the team to the World Cup Championship.
Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker – An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James (Jeremy Renner), takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he’s indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.