1972 in film

The year 1972 in film involved several significant events.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1972 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
 * The Working Class Goes to Heaven (La classe operaia va in paradiso), directed by Elio Petri, Italy
 * The Mattei Affair (Il Caso Mattei), directed by Francesco Rosi, Italy

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
 * The Canterbury Tales (I Racconti di Canterbury), directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy / France

1972 Wide-release movies
United States unless stated

Notable films released in 1972
United States unless stated

#

 * The 14 Amazons (Shi si nu ying hao), directed by Cheng Kang, starring Lisa Lu, Lily Ho, Ivy Ling Po. (Hong Kong historical drama martial arts film)
 * 1776, starring William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, John Cullum, Ken Howard, Blythe Danner

A

 * Across 110th Street, starring Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto
 * The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, directed by Bruce Beresford, starring Barry Crocker, Barry Humphries, Peter Cook, Spike Milligan – (Australia)
 * Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes), directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski- (West Germany)
 * The Amazing Mr. Blunden, starring Laurence Naismith and Lynne Frederick – (U.K.)
 * And Now For Something Completely Different, the first film made by the British comedy troupe Monty Python – (U.K.)
 * Amuck!, directed by Silvio Amadio, starring Farley Granger, Barbara Bouchet, Rosalba Neri and Umberto Raho
 * Angry Guest (E ke), directed by Chang Cheh – (Hong Kong)
 * Another Nice Mess, starring Rich Little
 * Antony and Cleopatra, directed by and starring Charlton Heston, with Hildegarde Neil – (U.K.)
 * Apna Desh (Our Country), starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz – (India)
 * The Assassination of Trotsky, starring Richard Burton and Alain Delon – (Italy)
 * Asylum, starring Britt Ekland, Barbara Parkins, Charlotte Rampling, Peter Cushing, Barry Morse
 * Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills

B

 * Bad Company, directed by Robert Benton, starring Jeff Bridges and Barry Brown
 * Baharo Phool Barsao – (Pakistan)
 * Baron Blood (Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga), directed by Mario Bava, starring Joseph Cotten and Elke Sommer – (Italy)
 * Bawarchi (The Chef), starring Rajesh Khanna – (India)
 * Be-Imaan – (India)
 * Ben, starring Lee Montgomery
 * The Big Bird Cage, starring Pam Grier
 * The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Die Bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant), directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hanna Schygulla – (West Germany)
 * Black Gunn
 * Blacula, starring William Marshall and Vonetta McGee
 * Blanche, directed by Walerian Borowczyk, starring Michel Simon, Georges Wilson, Jacques Perrin, Ligia Branice – (France)
 * Bluebeard, directed by Edward Dmytryk, starring Richard Burton, Joey Heatherton, Raquel Welch, Virna Lisi, Sybil Danning
 * Bone, starring Yaphet Kotto
 * Boxcar Bertha, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Barbara Hershey and David Carradine
 * The Boy Turns Man (Momcheto si otiva), directed by Lyudmil Kirkov, starring Nevena Kokanova, Kiril Gospodinov, Sashka Bratanova – (Bulgaria)
 * Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna), directed by Franco Zeffirelli – (Italy/U.K.)
 * Buck and the Preacher, directed by and starring Sidney Poitier, with Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee
 * Butterflies Are Free, starring Goldie Hawn, Edward Albert, Eileen Heckart (Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress)

C

 * Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse, starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Grey – 8 Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor
 * The Candidate, directed by Michael Ritchie, starring Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas
 * The Canterbury Tales (I racconti di Canterbury), by Pier Paolo Pasolini, starring Hugh Griffith – Golden Bear winner – (Italy)
 * The Carey Treatment, directed by Blake Edwards, starring James Coburn and Jennifer O'Neill
 * Carry On Matron, starring Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques – (U.K.)
 * The Castle of Purity (El castillo de la pureza) – (Mexico)
 * Cats' Play (Macskajáték) – (Hungary)
 * Chato's Land, starring Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, James Whitmore, Richard Basehart, Ralph Waite
 * Child's Play, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring James Mason, Robert Preston, Beau Bridges
 * Cisco Pike, starring Kris Kristofferson, Karen Black, Gene Hackman
 * Come Back, Charleston Blue, starring Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques
 * Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, starring Roddy McDowall, Ricardo Montalbán, Natalie Trundy, Don Murray
 * Corky, starring Robert Blake and Charlotte Rampling
 * The Cowboys, directed by Mark Rydell, starring John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern
 * Cries and Whispers (Viskningar och rop), directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Harriet Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Liv Ullmann – (Sweden)
 * The Cruel Sea (Bas ya Bahar) – (Kuwait)
 * The Culpepper Cattle Co., directed by Dick Richards, starring Gary Grimes
 * Cu mâinile curate (With Clean Hands) – (Romania)

D

 * Daigoro vs. Goliath – (Japan)
 * Daughters of Satan, starring Tom Selleck
 * The Dawns Here Are Quiet – (U.S.S.R.)
 * A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, starring Alan Bates – (U.K.)
 * Days of '36, directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos
 * The Dagger – drama romance film directed by Fereydun Gole (Iran)
 * Deep Throat, – adult film directed by Gerard Damiano
 * Deliverance, directed by John Boorman, starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox
 * Dirty Little Billy, starring Michael J. Pollard
 * The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, directed by Luis Buñuel, starring Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Stephane Audran – Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film – (France)
 * Don't Torture a Duckling (Non si sevizia un paperino) – (Italy)
 * Dr. Jekyll y el Hombre Lobo (Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman), starring Paul Naschy – (Spain)
 * Dr. Phibes Rises Again, starring Vincent Price and Robert Quarry – (U.K.)
 * Dynamite Chicken, starring Richard Pryor

E

 * Eagle in a Cage, starring John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Billie Whitelaw, Kenneth Haigh
 * The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, directed by Paul Newman, starring Joanne Woodward
 * Endless Night, directed by Sidney Gilliat, starring Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, Britt Ekland – (U.K.)
 * Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, directed by and starring Woody Allen, with Gene Wilder, Lynn Redgrave, Louise Lasser, Lou Jacobi, Heather MacRae, Tony Randall, Burt Reynolds

F

 * Fat City, directed by John Huston, starring Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, Susan Tyrrell
 * Fata Morgana, directed by Werner Herzog – (West Germany)
 * Fear in the Night, starring Judy Geeson, Ralph Bates, Peter Cushing and Joan Collins- (U.K.)
 * Featureless Men, directed by Mahmoud Zulfikar, starring Salah Zulfikar and Nadia Lutfi - (Egypt)
 * Fellini's Roma, directed by Federico Fellini – (Italy)
 * Fillmore, a music documentary film featuring Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane
 * The Final Comedown, starring Billy Dee Williams
 * Fist of Fury (Jīng Wǔ Mén), starring Bruce Lee – (Hong Kong)
 * Un flic (A Cop), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, starring Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve – (France)
 * Follow Me!, starring Mia Farrow
 * Frenzy, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, Barry Foster, Anna Massey – (U.K.)
 * Fritz the Cat, directed by Ralph Bakshi — first animated movie to receive an X rating
 * Frogs, directed by George McCowan, starring Ray Milland, Sam Elliott, Joan Van Ark
 * Fuzz, starring Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner and Raquel Welch

G

 * Game of Death, starring Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – (Hong Kong/United States)
 * Gentlemen of Fortune (Dzhentlmeny udachi) – (U.S.S.R.)
 * The Getaway, directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Al Lettieri, Sally Struthers, Jack Dodson, Slim Pickens
 * The Girl on the Broomstick (Dívka na koštěti) – (Czechoslovakia)
 * Glastonbury Fayre, directed by Nicolas Roeg and Peter Neal, featuring Family, Fairport Convention, Traffic and more – (U.K.)
 * The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty (Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter), directed by Wim Wenders – (West Germany)
 * The Goat Horn (Koziyat rog) – (Bulgaria)
 * The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Richard Castellano, Talia Shire, Gianni Russo, Richard Conte, John Marley, Alex Rocco, Al Lettieri, Sterling Hayden – Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor
 * Godzilla vs. Gigan, directed by Jun Fukuda – (Japan)
 * The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, starring Cliff Robertson and Robert Duvall
 * The Groundstar Conspiracy, starring George Peppard

H

 * Hammersmith Is Out, directed by and starring Peter Ustinov, with Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Beau Bridges
 * The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff – (Jamaica)
 * The Heartbreak Kid, directed by Elaine May, starring Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, Cybill Shepherd, Eddie Albert
 * Hellé, directed by Roger Vadim – (France)
 * Henry VIII and His Six Wives, starring Keith Michell, Charlotte Rampling, Jane Asher – (U.K.)
 * Her Third (Der Dritte) – (East Germany)
 * Hickey & Boggs, starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby
 * Hit Man, starring Bernie Casey and Pam Grier
 * The Hot Rock, directed by Peter Yates, starring Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Zero Mostel
 * The Hound of the Baskervilles, a Sherlock Holmes mystery directed by Barry Crane, starring Stewart Granger as Sherlock Holmes and Bernard Fox as Watson, co-starring William Shatner

I

 * Images, directed by Robert Altman, starring Susannah York – (US/UK)
 * Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (Ai Nu) – (Hong Kong film) directed by Chor Yuen
 * Insect Woman (Chungnyeo) – (South Korea)

J

 * J. W. Coop, starring Cliff Robertson
 * João and the Knife (João e a faca) – (Brazil)
 * Jeremiah Johnson, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Robert Redford
 * Joe Kidd, directed by John Sturges, starring Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxon
 * Junior Bonner, directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Steve McQueen, Robert Preston, Ida Lupino, Joe Don Baker

K

 * Kansas City Bomber, starring Raquel Welch
 * The King of Marvin Gardens, directed by Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn
 * Koshish, starring Sanjeev Kumar – (India)

L

 * Lady Caroline Lamb, directed by Robert Bolt, starring Sarah Miles, Richard Chamberlain, Laurence Olivier – (U.K.)
 * Lady Liberty (La Mortadella), starring Sophia Loren and William Devane – (Italy)
 * Lady Sings the Blues, biopic of Billie Holiday, directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor
 * The Last House on the Left, directed by Wes Craven, starring Sandra Cassel, Lucy Grantham, David A. Hess
 * Last Tango in Paris (Ultimo tango a Parigi), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider – (France/Italy)
 * The Legend of Nigger Charley, starring Fred Williamson
 * The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, directed by John Huston, starring Paul Newman, Anthony Perkins, Ava Gardner, Roddy McDowall, Victoria Principal
 * Limbo, directed by Mark Robson, starring Kate Jackson
 * Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (Kozure Ōkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru) – (Japan)
 * Los Amigos (AKA Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears), starring Anthony Quinn and Franco Nero – (Italy/U.S.)
 * Love in the Afternoon (L'Amour l'après-midi), directed by Éric Rohmer, starring Zouzou – (France)
 * Ludwig, directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Helmut Berger, Trevor Howard, Silvana Mangano – (Italy/France)
 * Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King, directed by Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, starring Harry Baer – (West Germany)

M

 * The Man, TV movie written by Rod Serling, starring James Earl Jones, Burgess Meredith, William Windom, Georg Stanford Brown, Jack Benny
 * Man of La Mancha, starring Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, James Coco – (U.S./Italy)
 * The Man Who Quit Smoking (Mannen som slutade röka) – (Sweden)
 * Manhunt (La mala ordina), starring Henry Silva – (Italy)
 * The Master Touch starring Kirk Douglas- (Italy)
 * The Mattei Affair, directed by Francesco Rosi, starring Gian Maria Volonté – Palme d'Or winner – (Italy)
 * The Mechanic, starring Charles Bronson
 * Mehdi in Black and Hot Mini Pants, starring Naser Malek Motiee and Hamideh Kheirabadi (Iran)
 * Metzitzim (Peeping Toms) – (Israel)
 * Moon of the Wolf, starring David Janssen and Bradford Dillman
 * Mutiny on the Buses, starring Reg Varney – (U.K.)
 * My Dearest señorita (Mi querida señorita) – (Spain)
 * My Name Is Shanghai Joe, starring Klaus Kinski and Chen Lee – (Italy)

N

 * Napoleon and Samantha, starring Michael Douglas and Jodie Foster
 * The New Centurions, starring George C. Scott and Stacy Keach
 * The New Land (Nybyggarna), directed by Jan Troell, starring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann – Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film – (Sweden)
 * Nidhanaya (The Treasure) – (Sri Lanka)
 * Night of the Lepus, starring Janet Leigh, Stuart Whitman, Rory Calhoun, Deforest Kelley
 * The Night Stalker, TV movie starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Carol Lynley, Claude Akins. Ralph Meeker, Kent Smith, Charles McGraw, Larry Linville, Barry Atwater
 * Now You See Him, Now You Don't, starring Kurt Russell

O

 * The Offence, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Sean Connery and Trevor Howard – (UK/US)
 * One Day, the Nile, directed by Youssef Chahine, starring Salah Zulfikar and Soad Hosny - (Egypt)
 * One Is a Lonely Number, starring Trish Van Devere
 * The Other, starring Diana Muldaur
 * The Other Side of the Underneath, starring Sheila Allen – (U.K.)
 * The Outside Man (Un homme est mort), starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Ann-Margret, Angie Dickinson – (France)
 * Oyster Village (Seokhwachon) – (South Korea)

P

 * Pancho Villa, starring Telly Savalas, Clint Walker, Chuck Connors, Anne Francis
 * Paris and Love, starring Salah Zulfikar and Sabah – (Lebanon)
 * Pearl in the Crown (Perła w koronie) – (Poland)
 * Pete 'n' Tillie, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett, Geraldine Page, Rene Auberjonois, Barry Nelson
 * Pink Flamingos, directed by John Waters, starring Divine
 * Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, directed by Adrian Maben, starring Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Nick Mason
 * Play It Again, Sam, directed by Herbert Ross, starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts
 * Play It as It Lays, directed by Frank Perry, starring Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins
 * Pocket Money, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, starring Paul Newman and Lee Marvin
 * Pope Joan, starring Liv Ullmann, Olivia de Havilland, Franco Nero
 * The Poseidon Adventure, directed by Ronald Neame, starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, Roddy McDowall, Arthur O'Connell, Pamela Sue Martin, Eric Shea, Leslie Nielsen, Byron Webster
 * The Possession of Joel Delaney, starring Shirley MacLaine and Perry King
 * Prime Cut, starring Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman
 * Private Parts, directed by Paul Bartel
 * Pulp, starring Michael Caine – (U.K.)

R

 * Rage, starring George C. Scott and Martin Sheen
 * Raja Jani, starring Dharmendra – (India)
 * A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die, starring James Coburn and Telly Savalas – (Italy)
 * Red Psalm (Még kér a nép), directed by Miklós Jancsó – (Hungary)
 * The Revengers, starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine
 * The Rowdyman, starring Gordon Pinsent – (Canada)
 * The Ruling Class, starring Peter O'Toole and Alastair Sim – (U.K.)

S

 * The Salzburg Connection, starring Barry Newman, Anna Karina, Klaus Maria Brandauer
 * Savage Messiah, directed by Ken Russell – (U.K.)
 * Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (Slam the Monster on the Frontpage), starring Gian Maria Volonté – (Italy)
 * The Scientific Cardplayer (Lo Scopone Scientifico), starring Bette Davis, Alberto Sordi and Silvana Mangano – (Italy)
 * The Seduction of Mimi (Mimí metallurgico ferito nell'onore), starring Mariangela Melato – (Italy)
 * Shaft's Big Score, starring Richard Roundtree and Moses Gunn
 * Silent Running, starring Bruce Dern
 * Sitting Target, starring Oliver Reed, Ian McShane and Jill St. John – (U.K.)
 * Skyjacked, starring Charlton Heston, Yvette Mimieux, James Brolin, Jeanne Crain, Walter Pidgeon
 * Slaughter, starring Jim Brown, Stella Stevens, Rip Torn
 * Slaughterhouse-Five, directed by George Roy Hill, starring Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Valerie Perrine
 * Sleuth, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine – (US/UK)
 * Snoopy Come Home
 * Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, starring Natalya Bondarchuk – (U.S.S.R.)
 * Something to Hide, starring Peter Finch and Shelley Winters
 * Sounder, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield
 * State of Siege (État de Siège), directed by Costa-Gavras, starring Yves Montand – (France)
 * Steptoe and Son, starred Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett – (U.K.)
 * Stigma, directed by David E. Durston, starring Philip Michael Thomas
 * Street Mobster (Gendai yakuza: hito-kiri yota) – (Japan)
 * Super Fly, directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., starring Ron O'Neal

T

 * Tabi no Omosa (Journey into Solitude) – (Japan)
 * Tales from the Crypt, starring Peter Cushing and Joan Collins – (U.K.)
 * The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire) – (France)
 * Taming of the Fire – (U.S.S.R.)
 * They Only Kill Their Masters, starring James Garner and Katharine Ross
 * The Thing with Two Heads, starring Ray Milland and Rosey Grier
 * Those People of the Nile, directed by Youssef Chahine, starring Salah Zulfikar and Soad Hosny – (Egypt - Soviet Union)
 * To Find a Man, starring Pamela Sue Martin, Tom Bosley, Tom Ewell, Phyllis Newman
 * Tomorrow, starring Robert Duvall
 * Tonta, tonta, pero no tanto (Foolish, Foolish, but not that Much) – (Mexico)
 * Tout Va Bien (Everything's Fine), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jane Fonda and Yves Montand – (France/Italy)
 * Travels with My Aunt, starring Maggie Smith
 * Treasure Island, starring Orson Welles – (France/Germany/Spain/US)
 * Trick Baby, starring Kiel Martin and Mel Stewart
 * The Triple Echo, directed by Michael Apted, starring Glenda Jackson and Oliver Reed – (U.K.)
 * Trouble Man, directed by Ivan Dixon, starring Robert Hooks and Paul Winfield

U

 * Ulzana's Raid, directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Burt Lancaster
 * Under Milk Wood, starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole – (U.K.)
 * Under the Flag of the Rising Sun – (Japan)
 * Une belle fille comme moi (a.k.a. Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me), directed by François Truffaut – (France)

V

 * The Valachi Papers, starring Charles Bronson and Lino Ventura – (Italy/France)
 * La Vallée, directed by Barbet Schroeder, starring Bulle Ogier with music by Pink Floyd – (France)
 * Vampire Circus, starring Adrienne Corri and Anthony Higgins – (U.K.)
 * Victoria No. 203 – (India)
 * The Visitors, directed by Elia Kazan

W

 * The War Between Men and Women starring Jack Lemmon and Barbara Harris
 * The Water Margin (Shui hu zhuan), directed by Chang Cheh – (Hong Kong)
 * Way of the Dragon (Meng long guo jiang), directed by and starring Bruce Lee with Nora Miao and Chuck Norris – (Hong Kong)
 * We Won't Grow Old Together (Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble) – (France)
 * The Wedding (Wesele), directed by Andrzej Wajda – (Poland)
 * What's Up, Doc?, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal
 * When the Gods Fall Asleep (Quando os Deuses Adormecem) – (Brazil)
 * Where Does It Hurt?  starring Peter Sellers
 * Winter Soldier, a documentary made by Vietnam Veterans Against the War
 * The Wrath of God, starring Robert Mitchum, Rita Hayworth, Frank Langella

X

 * X Y & Zee, aka Zee and Co., starring Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, Susannah York

Y

 * You'll Like My Mother, starring Patty Duke
 * Young Winston, biopic of Winston Churchill, directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Simon Ward, Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft – (U.K.)

Births

 * January 5 - Luciana Pedraza, Argentine actress and director
 * January 9 – Deon Cole, American actor
 * January 11
 * Konstantin Khabensky, Russian actor and director
 * Amanda Peet, American actress
 * January 12 - Zabryna Guevara, American actress
 * January 15 – Kobe Tai, Taiwanese-American actress
 * January 16 - Richard T. Jones, American actor
 * January 20 - Adrian Martinez, American actor and comedian
 * January 22 - Romi Park, Japanese actress and singer
 * January 23 -
 * Léa Drucker, French actress
 * Ewen Bremner, Scottish character actor
 * January 26 - Cyia Batten, American dancer, model and actress
 * January 28 - Peter McDonald, Irish actor and director
 * February 1 - Tego Calderón, Puerto Rican rapper, singer and actor
 * February 7 - Robyn Lively, American actress
 * February 9 – Crispin Freeman, American voice actor
 * February 16 - Sarah Clarke, American actress
 * February 20 – Gareth Unwin, English producer
 * February 24 - James Bachman, English comedian, actor and writer
 * February 26 – Keith Ferguson, American voice actor
 * February 27 - Richard Coyle, English actor
 * February 28 - Rory Cochrane, American actor
 * March 4 – Garth Jennings, English film director, screenwriter, producer, actor and writer
 * March 8 - Matt Nable, Australian actor and writer
 * March 9
 * Jean Louisa Kelly, American actress and singer
 * Kerr Smith, American actor
 * March 13 – Common, American actor and singer
 * March 18 – Dane Cook, American comedian
 * March 23 – Judith Godrèche, French actress
 * March 24
 * Charlie Creed-Miles, English actor and musician
 * Tony Leondis, Greek-American animator, filmmaker and voice actor
 * March 26 – Leslie Mann, American actress
 * March 28
 * Nick Frost, English actor, comedian, writer and producer
 * David Vadim, Ukrainian-born American actor
 * March 29 - Sam Hazeldine, English actor
 * March 31 – Alejandro Amenábar, Spanish director, writer and soundtrack composer
 * April 3 - Catherine McCormack, English actress
 * April 5 - Junko Takeuchi, Japanese actress and voice actress
 * April 6 - Jason Hervey, American actor and producer
 * April 8 - Sung Kang, American actor
 * April 10 - Vincent Zhao, Chinese actor and martial artist
 * April 15 - Lou Romano, American animator and voice actor
 * April 17 – Jennifer Garner, American actress
 * April 18 - Eli Roth, American director, screenwriter, producer and actor
 * April 20 - Carmen Electra, American actress, singer and model
 * April 26 - Bronagh Gallagher, Irish actress and singer
 * April 28 - Gabriel Casseus, American actor and screenwriter
 * April 29 – Derek Mears, American actor and stuntman
 * May 2 – Dwayne Johnson, American actor
 * May 4 - John Rawls, New Zealand actor
 * May 7 - Jennifer Yuh Nelson, South Korean-born American story artist and director
 * May 12
 * Christian Campbell, Canadian actor
 * Rhea Seehorn, American actress and director
 * May 14 - Gabriel Mann, American actor and model
 * May 16 - Khary Payton, American actor
 * May 20 - Busta Rhymes, American rapper and actor
 * May 22 - Max Brooks, American actor
 * May 25 - Karan Johar, Indian director
 * May 26 - Selenis Leyva, American actress
 * May 28
 * Kate Ashfield, English actress
 * Chiara Mastroianni, French actress
 * Roland Møller, Danish actor
 * May 29 - Laverne Cox, American actress
 * May 30 - Joachim Rønning, Norwegian director
 * May 31 - Archie Panjabi, British actress
 * June 2
 * Wayne Brady, American actor, comedian, producer and game show host
 * Wentworth Miller, American-British actor and screenwriter
 * June 7 – Karl Urban, New Zealand actor
 * June 16 - John Cho, American actor
 * June 19
 * Jean Dujardin, French actor
 * Robin Tunney, American actress
 * June 23 – Selma Blair, American actress
 * June 28
 * Brendan Hunt, American actor and writer
 * Alessandro Nivola, American actor
 * July 3 - Matt Schulze, American actor and musician
 * July 5 – Gilles Lellouche, French actor and director
 * July 7 - Heather Kafka, American actress
 * July 10
 * Christoph Hochhäusler, German film director and screenwriter
 * Peter Serafinowicz, English actor, comedian, director and screenwriter
 * Sofia Vergara, Colombian American actress, television producer, presenter and model
 * John Viener, American actor, voice actor, writer and comedian
 * July 11 - Michael Rosenbaum, American actor, director, producer, singer and comedian
 * July 12 – Nenad Jezdić, Serbian actor
 * July 15 – Scott Foley, American actor, director and screenwriter
 * July 23 - Marlon Wayans, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
 * July 27 – Maya Rudolph, American actress and comedian
 * July 28
 * Elizabeth Berkley, American actress
 * Evan Farmer, American actor and musician
 * July 29
 * Ato Essandoh, American actor
 * Wil Wheaton, American actor
 * August 1
 * Guri Weinberg, Israeli-American actor and writer
 * Charles Malik Whitfield, American actor
 * August 2 - Jacinda Barrett, Australian-American actress
 * August 5
 * Darren Shahlavi, English actor, martial artist and stuntman (d. 2015)
 * Reika Kirishima, Japanese actress
 * August 7 - Dan Payne, Canadian actor
 * August 13 - Michael Sinterniklaas, French voice actor
 * August 15 – Ben Affleck, American actor, director and writer
 * August 25 - Joe Wright, English director
 * August 30 – Cameron Diaz, American actress
 * September 4
 * Carlos Ponce, Puerto Rican actor, musician, model and television personality
 * Françoise Yip, Canadian actress
 * September 6
 * Dylan Bruno, American actor
 * Idris Elba, English actor
 * Mait Malmsten, Estonian actor
 * Anika Noni Rose, American actress and singer
 * September 7 – Matthew Sleeth, Australian director
 * September 8
 * Giovanni Frezza, Italian child actor
 * Tomokazu Seki, Japanese voice actor
 * September 9 – Goran Visnjic, Croatian-American actor
 * September 15 - John Schwab, American actor
 * September 16
 * Mike Doyle, American actor
 * Alex Rice, Aboriginal-Canadian actress
 * September 21
 * Kevin Downes, American actor, writer, producer and director
 * Erin Fitzgerald, Canadian voice actress
 * September 24
 * Kate Fleetwood, English actress
 * Finty Williams, English actress
 * September 27 – Gwyneth Paltrow, American actress
 * October 5 - Tom Hooper, British-Australian filmmaker
 * October 8
 * Enrique Arce, Spanish actor
 * Tricia Vessey, American actress, writer and producer
 * October 9 - Cocoa Brown, American actress, writer and comedian
 * October 12 - Sönke Möhring, German actor
 * October 15 - Matt Keeslar, American former actor
 * October 17 – Eminem, American rapper and actor
 * October 18 - Christopher Knights, English voice actor, editor and cinematographer
 * October 20 - Thor Freudenthal, German director, screenwriter, animator and special effects artist
 * October 21 - Masakazu Morita, Japanese actor, voice actor and singer
 * October 22 – Saffron Burrows, English-American actress
 * October 23 - Kate del Castillo, Mexican-American actress
 * October 29 - Gabrielle Union, American actress, voice artist, activist and author
 * October 30
 * David Wilson Barnes, American actor
 * Jessica Hynes, English actress, director and writer
 * Steve Monroe, American actor and stand-up comedian
 * October 31 - Assaf Cohen, American actor
 * November 1
 * Toni Collette, Australian actress, producer and singer-songwriter
 * Jenny McCarthy, American actress
 * November 2 - Steve Edge, English actor, writer and former comedian
 * November 6
 * Thandiwe Newton, English actress
 * Rebecca Romijn, American actress
 * November 7
 * Christopher Daniel Barnes, American actor and writer
 * Jeremy and Jason London, American actors
 * November 8
 * Gretchen Mol, American actress
 * Jason Matthew Smith, American actor
 * November 9 - Eric Dane, American actor
 * November 10 - Trevor Devall, Canadian voice actor and podcaster
 * November 11
 * Adam Beach, Canadian actor
 * Tyler Christopher, American actor (d. 2023)
 * November 13 - Takuya Kimura, Japanese actor, singer and radio personality
 * November 14 – Josh Duhamel, American actor
 * November 15 – Jonny Lee Miller, English actor
 * November 16 - Michael Irby, American actor
 * November 19
 * Nicole Forester, American actress
 * Sandrine Holt, British-born Canadian actress
 * November 21 - Rain Phoenix, American actress, musician and singer
 * November 26 – Arjun Rampal, Indian actor
 * November 29 - Brian Baumgartner, American actor
 * December 2 - Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Norwegian actor and director
 * December 4 - Yūko Miyamura, Japanese actress and voice actress
 * December 7 – Jennifer Syme, American entertainment industry employee (d. 2001)
 * December 14
 * Jason Barry, Irish actor
 * Miranda Hart, English actress, comedian and writer
 * December 15 – Stuart Townsend, Irish actor
 * December 16 - Lisa Spoonauer, American former character actress (d. 2017)
 * December 18 - Jason Mantzoukas, American character actor, comedian, writer and podcaster.
 * December 19 – Alyssa Milano, American actress
 * December 20 - Marc Silk, English voice actor
 * December 23 – Christian Potenza, Canadian actor and voice actor
 * December 24 – Carmen Moore, Canadian actress
 * December 25 - Patrick Brennan, American actor
 * December 26 – Shane Meadows, English independent film director
 * December 27 - Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor
 * December 29
 * Jude Law, English actor
 * Leonor Varela, Chilean actress

Film debuts

 * Anne Archer – The Honkers
 * William Atherton – The New Centurions
 * Margaret Avery – Cool Breeze
 * Elya Baskin – Telegramma
 * Emmanuelle Béart – And Hope to Die
 * Ned Beatty – Deliverance
 * Susan Blakely – Savages
 * Klaus Maria Brandauer – The Salzburg Connection
 * Jerry Bruckheimer (producer) – The Culpepper Cattle Co.
 * Robert Carradine – The Cowboys
 * Dominic Chianese – Fuzz
 * Candy Clark – Fat City
 * Ronny Cox – Deliverance
 * Blythe Danner – To Kill a Clown
 * Brian Doyle-Murray – Fuzz
 * Peter Firth – Brother Sun, Sister Moon
 * Jodie Foster – Napoleon and Samantha
 * Jackie Earle Haley – The Outside Man
 * Bob Hoskins – Up the Front
 * Isabelle Huppert – Faustine et le Bel Été
 * Samuel L. Jackson – Together for Days
 * Madeline Kahn – What's Up, Doc?
 * Patsy Kensit – For the Love of Ada
 * Ben Kingsley – Fear Is the Key
 * Ed Lauter – Dirty Little Billy
 * John Lithgow – Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues
 * David Margulies – Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers
 * Steve Martin – Another Nice Mess
 * Frank McRae – Cool Breeze
 * Nick Nolte – Dirty Little Billy
 * Jürgen Prochnow – Zoff
 * Kathleen Quinlan – One Is a Lonely Number
 * Steve Railsback – The Visitors
 * Alan Silvestri (film composer) – The Doberman Gang
 * Frank Sivero – The Godfather
 * Stellan Skarsgård – Strandhugg i somras
 * Charles Martin Smith – The Culpepper Cattle Co.
 * Jeffrey Tambor – The Summertime Killer
 * Lily Tomlin – Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers
 * James Woods – The Visitors
 * George Wyner – Lady Sings the Blues