1981 in film

none 1981 film radio television music The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths. Highest-grossing films (U.S.) List of 1981 box office number-one films in the United States The top ten films released in 1981 by box office gross in North America are as follows: + Highest-grossing films of 1981https://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1981&p=.htm 1981 Domestic Grosses Box Office Mojo 7 April 2014 Rank Title Distributor Box-office gross 1 Raiders of the Lost Ark Paramount $212,222,025 2 On Golden Pond Universal $119,285,432 3 Superman IIWarner Bros. $108,185,706 4 Arthur $95,461,682 5 Stripes Columbia $85,297,000 6 The Cannonball Run 20th Century Fox $72,179,579 7 Chariots of Fire Warner Bros. / 20th Century Fox $58,972,904 8 For Your Eyes Only United Artists $54,812,802 9 The Four Seasons Universal $50,427,646 10 Time Bandits Embassy $42,365,581 Events January 20 – Former Governor of California and film actor Ronald Reagan is inaugurated president. March 30 – The 53rd Academy Awards are postponed due to the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan earlier that day. They are held the following day with a message from the President recorded for the ceremony prior to the assassination attempt. May 16 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it. June 8 – Marvin Davis acquires 20th Century Fox for $720 million. June 12 – Raiders of the Lost Ark is released by Paramount Pictures. It became Paramount's highest-grossing film of all time and set a major standard for many action-adventure movies to date and spawned four sequels. August 21 – An American Werewolf in London is released and becomes a landmark in Visual Effects and Makeup. October 1 – MGM president and chief operating officer David Begelman becomes chairman and chief executive officer of United Artists. November 1 – United International Pictures is created to handle international distribution of films for United Artists, MGM, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures to replace Cinema International Corporation following MGM's acquisition of UA. November 25 – Norman Lear and his partner Jerry Perenchio agree to buy Avco Embassy for $25 million. November 29 – Actress Natalie Wood drowns in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island. Awards Category/Organization 39th Golden Globe AwardsJanuary 30, 1982 35th BAFTA AwardsMarch 18, 1982 54th Academy AwardsMarch 29, 1982 Drama Musical or Comedy Best Film On Golden Pond Arthur Chariots of Fire Best Director Warren BeattyReds Louis MalleAtlantic City Warren BeattyReds Best Actor Henry FondaOn Golden Pond Dudley MooreArthur Burt LancasterAtlantic City Henry FondaOn Golden Pond Best Actress Meryl StreepThe French Lieutenant's Woman Bernadette PetersPennies from Heaven Meryl StreepThe French Lieutenant's Woman Katharine HepburnOn Golden Pond Best Supporting Actor John GielgudArthur Ian HolmChariots of Fire John GielgudArthur Best Supporting Actress Joan HackettOnly When I Laugh N/A Maureen StapletonReds Best Screenplay, Adapted Ernest ThompsonOn Golden Pond Bill ForsythGregory's Girl Ernest ThompsonOn Golden Pond Best Screenplay, Original Colin WellandChariots of Fire Best Original Score N/A Carl DavisThe French Lieutenant's Woman VangelisChariots of Fire Best Original Song "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"Arthur N/A "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"Arthur Best Foreign Language Film Chariots of Fire N/A Mephisto Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival): Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda, Poland Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival): Marianne and Juliane (Die Bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, W. Germany Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): Faster, Faster (Deprisa, deprisa / Vivre vite), directed by Carlos Saura, Spain / France People's Choice Award (Toronto International Film Festival): Chariots of Fire, directed by Hugh Hudson, United Kingdom 1981 films By country/region List of American films of 1981 List of Argentine films of 1981 List of Australian films of 1981 List of Bangladeshi films of 1981 List of British films of 1981 List of Canadian films of 1981 List of French films of 1981 List of Hong Kong films of 1981 List of Indian films of 1981 List of Hindi films of 1981 List of Kannada films of 1981 List of Malayalam films of 1981 List of Marathi films of 1981 List of Tamil films of 1981 List of Telugu films of 1981 List of Japanese films of 1981 List of Mexican films of 1981 List of Pakistani films of 1981 List of South Korean films of 1981 List of Soviet films of 1981 List of Spanish films of 1981 By genre/medium List of action films of 1981 List of animated feature films of 1981 List of avant-garde films of 1981 List of comedy films of 1981 List of drama films of 1981 List of horror films of 1981 List of science fiction films of 1981 List of thriller films of 1981 List of western films of 1981 Births January 1 Jonas Armstrong, Irish-English actor Eden Riegel, American actress January 6 Betty Gabriel, American actress Rinko Kikuchi, Japanese actress and director Jérémie Renier, Belgian actor January 8 – Genevieve Cortese, American actress January 15 - Pitbull, Cuban-American rapper and actor January 17 Scott Mechlowicz, American actor Diogo Morgado, Portuguese actor January 18 - Antje Traue, German actress January 19 - Elizabeth Tulloch, American actress January 20 Daniel Cudmore, Canadian actor Crystal Lowe, Canadian actress and director January 21 Amanda Aday, American actress Izabella Miko, Polish actress and dancer David F. Sandberg, Swedish filmmaker January 22 O. T. Fagbenle, British actor, writer and director Willa Ford, American singer, songwriter, model, television personality and actress Beverley Mitchell, American actress January 23 - Julia Jones, American actress January 24 – Carrie Coon, American actress January 25 - Charlie Bewley, English actor and producer January 28 Gen Hoshino, Japanese actor and singer Elijah Wood, American actor January 29 - Tenoch Huerta, Mexican actor January 30 – Chieko Higuchi, Japanese voice actress January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor February 2 - Emily Rose, American actress February 5 Lee Eon, South Korean actor and model (d. 2008) Sara Foster, American actress Nora Zehetner, American actress February 7 - James Snyder, American actor and singer February 8 Dawn Olivieri, American actress Jim Parrack, American actor February 9 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor February 10 Uzo Aduba, American actress Stephanie Beatriz, Argentine actress February 11 Sonia Rolland, French-Rwandan actress Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress February 12 Jesse Hutch, Canadian actor Lauri Lagle, Estonian actor, director and screenwriter February 14 - Patrick Heusinger, American actor February 17 – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor Paris Hilton, American media personality, singer and actress February 19 Beth Ditto, American singer-songwriter Ethan Rains, Iranian-American actor February 20 - Majandra Delfino, American actress and singer February 22 – Elodie Yung, French actress February 23 Josh Gad, American actor and comedian Mai Nakahara, Japanese voice actressApril 2004 Japan Voice Producer Directory 2004 1 219 Shogakukan 978-4095263014 February 25 Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mexican actor Shahid Kapoor Indian actor February 26 - Demetrius Grosse, American actor and producer February 27 - Josh Groban, American singer-songwriter and actor March 2 Amos Crawley, Canadian actor Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress March 3 Austin Highsmith Garces, American actress Eugene, South Korean actress and singer March 5 - Hanna Alström, Swedish actress March 6 – Ellen Muth, American actress March 7 – Mona Fastvold, Norwegian filmmaker and actress March 11 David Anders, American actor Matthias Schweighöfer, German actor and filmmaker March 12 - Lisa Durupt, Canadian actress March 13 - Kiruna Stamell, Australian-British actress March 17 - Nicky Jam, American singer and actor March 18 - Chris Geere, English actor March 20 - Jake Hoffman, American actor and writer March 21 - Rini Bell, American actress March 22 - Tiffany Dupont, American actress March 23 - Luciana Carro, Canadian actress March 24 - Philip Winchester, American actor March 27 - Quim Gutiérrez, Spanish actor March 28 – Julia Stiles, American actress March 29 Alexander Fehling, German actor Alain Moussi, Canadian-Gabonese actor and stuntman March 30 - Katy Mixon, American actress March 31 Ryan Bingham, American singer-songwriter and actor Ryōko Shintani, Japanese voice actress April 1 - Hannah Spearritt, English actress and singer April 6 Eliza Coupe, American actress and comedian Niko Nicotera, German-born American actor April 8 - Taylor Kitsch, Canadian actor and model April 9 - Moran Atias, Israeli actress April 10 Laura Bell Bundy, American actress Harry Hadden-Paton, British actor Michael Pitt, American actor April 12 - Paul Rust, American actor and comedian April 13 – Courtney Peldon, American actress April 16 - Russell Harvard, American actor April 17 - Charlie Hofheimer, American actor April 19 Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress April 23 – Gemma Whelan, English actress April 24 - Sasha Barrese, American actress April 26 Mariana Ximenes, Brazilian actress Luke Ford, Canadian-Australian actor Amit Shah, English actor April 28 Jessica Alba, American actress Toby Leonard Moore, Australian actor Catherine Reitman, Canadian-American actress, producer and writer April 29 - Alex Vincent, American actor and writer April 30 Kunal Nayyar, British actor Emma Pierson, English actress Rose Rollins, American actress May 2 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress May 3 – Natalie Tong, Hong Kong actress and model May 4 - Angel Oquendo, American actor May 5 Danielle Fishel, American actress Farid Kamil, Malaysian actor and film director May 8 - Kaan Urgancıoğlu, Turkish actor May 10 Qurrat Ann Kadwani, American actress Nicky Whelan, Australian actress May 11 JP Karliak, American actor, voice actor and comedian Austin O'Brien, American actor Terry Pheto, South African actress May 12 – Rami Malek, American actor May 13 - Ryan Piers Williams, American actor, director and writer May 15 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress May 16 - Joseph Morgan, English actor May 18 - Allen Leech, Irish actor May 21 - Belladonna, American actress, director and producer May 28 – Laura Bailey, American voice actress May 29 Justin Chon, American actor, director and YouTube personality Anders Holm, American actor, comedian, writer and producer June 1 Johnny Pemberton, American actor, comedian and podcaster Amy Schumer, American comedian and actress June 4 – T.J. Miller, American actor, stand-up comedian, producer and writer June 7 – Larisa Oleynik, American actress June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli-American actress June 10 – Jonathan Bennett, American actor June 12 Jeremy Howard, American actor Malachi Pearson, American actor June 13 – Chris Evans, American actor June 14 – Chauncey Leopardi, American actor June 20 – Alisan Porter, American former actress June 23 - Joe Taslim, Indonesian actor and martial artist June 26 - Jimmy Ray Bennett, American actor June 28 - Jon Watts, American filmmaker June 30 Tom Burke, English actor John Heffernan, British actor Anna Slotky, American former actress July 1 - Amanda Lucas, American retired professional mixed martial artist and actress July 3 - Rebecca Honig, American voice actress July 4 - Tahar Rahim, French actor July 5 - Ryan Hansen, American actor and comedian July 13 Fran Kranz, American actor and director Michael Mando, Canadian actor July 17 - Michiel Huisman, Dutch actor July 21 Davide Perino, Italian actor and voice actor Romeo Santos, American singer-songwriter and actor July 22 - Josh Lawson, Australian actor and filmmaker July 23 - Raphaël Personnaz, French actor July 24 Mohammed Amer, Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and actor Summer Glau, American actress Sheaun McKinney, American actor Lauren Miller Rogen, American actress, comedian, screenwriter and director July 26 - Sarah Burns, American actress and comedian July 28 - Neil Casey, American actor, writer and comedian July 30 – Lisa Wilhoit, American actress July 31 - Eric Lively, American former actor August 1 – Taylor Fry, American former child actress August 3 – Travis Willingham, American voice actor August 4 Marques Houston, American singer and actor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, American former actress and model Valerie LaPointe, American storyboard artist and director Abigail Spencer, American actress August 5 - Jesse Williams, American actor, director and producer August 6 – Leslie Odom Jr., American actor August 8 Tongayi Chirisa, Zimbabwean actor and singer Meagan Good, American actress August 10 - Jon Prescott, American actor August 20 Ben Barnes, English actor Ali Liebert, Canadian actress, director and producer Michael Rady, American actor August 22 Ross Marquand, American impressionist, actor and producer Takumi Saito, Japanese actor August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, American actor August 25 – Rachel Bilson, American actress August 27 Patrick J. Adams, Canadian actor Sugar Lyn Beard, Canadian actress and radio personality August 29 - Émilie Dequenne, Belgian actress (d. 2025) August 31 - Joshua Close, Canadian actor September 1 Michael Adamthwaite, Canadian actor Boyd Holbrook, American actor September 3 Evgeniya Brik, Russian actress (d. 2022) David Shae, American actor September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor September 9 - Julie Gonzalo, Argentine-American actress September 12 Jennifer Hudson, American singer and actress Elle LaMont, American actress September 14 - Miyavi, Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter and actor September 15 Jim Ford, American actor, stuntman, screenwriter and director Ben Schwartz, American actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, director and producer September 16 Fan Bingbing, Chinese actress, model, producer and singer Alexis Bledel, American actress September 17 - Griff Furst, American actor, producer and director September 18 - Jennifer Tisdale, American actress and singer September 22 - Ashley Eckstein, American actress September 23 – Misti Traya, American actress September 24 Yuki Matsuzaki, Japanese actor Fernanda Urrejola, Chilean actress September 26 – Christina Milian, American singer and actress September 29 – Shay Astar, American singer and actress September 30 – Ashleigh Aston Moore, American-Canadian former child actress (d. 2007) October 1 – Rupert Friend, English actor October 3 Seth Gabel, American actor Giselle Itié, Mexican-born Brazilian actress October 9 – Zachery Ty Bryan, American actor October 12 Tom Guiry, American actor Brian J. Smith, American actor October 15 - Brandon Jay McLaren, Canadian actor October 17 - Liam Garrigan, English actor October 18 – Graham Moore, American screenwriter October 22 – Michael Fishman, American actor October 23 - Jackie Long, American actor, writer, musician, director and producer October 25 - Josh Henderson, American actor and singer October 30 Fiona Dourif, American actress and producer Steve Peacocke, Australian actor Shaun Sipos, Canadian actor November 1 - Matt Jones, American actor, voice artist, comedian, rapper and singer November 2 - Katharine Isabelle, Canadian actress November 6 – Lee Dong-wook, South Korean actor November 7 - Lotta Losten, Swedish actress November 8 - Azura Skye, American actress November 9 – Scottie Thompson, American actress November 10 – Perla Liberatori, Italian voice actress November 14 - Vanessa Bayer, American actress November 15 - Sammy Sheik, Egyptian-American actor November 16 Caitlin Glass, American voice actress Kate Miller-Heidke, Australian singer-songwriter and actress November 17 - Bojana Novakovic, Serbian-Australian actress November 18 Nasim Pedrad, Iranian-American comedian and actress Christina Vidal, American actress and singer November 20 – Andrea Riseborough, English actress November 23 - John Lavelle, American actor and playwright November 30 - Jake Szymanski, American actor, writer, director and producer December 2 – Britney Spears, American singer and actress December 3 Maddy Curley, American actress Liza Lapira, American actress December 5 Adan Canto, Mexican actor (d. 2024) Lydia Leonard, British actress December 8 - Dov Tiefenbach, Canadian actor and musician December 13 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter (Evanescence) December 15 Michelle Dockery, English actress Brendan Fletcher, Canadian actor, screenwriter and producer Victoria Summer, English actress, model and singer December 16 – Krysten Ritter, American actress December 22 - Nicolas Vaporidis, Italian actor December 27 Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress Jay Ellis, American actor December 28 – Sienna Miller, English actress December 29 - Charlotte Riley, English actress December 30 Gina Beck, British actress and singer Leila Farzad, British actress Deaths Month Date Name Age Country Profession Notable films January 10 Katharine Alexander 82 US Actress Enchanted April John Loves Mary 10 Richard Boone 63 US Actor The Tall T Hombre 11 Beulah Bondi 91 US Actress It's a Wonderful Life Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 12 Isobel Elsom 87 UK Actress My Fair Lady The Unseen 16 Bernard Lee 73 UK Actor Dr. No Goldfinger 21 Allyn Joslyn 79 US Actor The Jazz Singer Heaven Can Wait February 1 Wanda Hendrix 52 US Actress Prince of Foxes Captain Carey, U.S.A. 2 Louise Lorraine 76 US Actress The Adventures of Tarzan Near the Rainbow's End 4 Mario Camerini 85 Italy Director, Screenwriter Ulysses Like the Leaves 11 Ketti Frings 71 US Screenwriter Come Back, Little Sheba Foxfire 12 Jean Dixon 84 US Actress My Man Godfrey Holiday 21 Bernard B. Brown 82 US Sound Engineer, Composer The Wolf Man Shadow of a Doubt 21 Ron Grainer 58 Australia Composer The Mouse on the Moon To Sir, with Love 22 Curtis Bernhardt 81 Germany Director A Stolen Life Possessed 28 Virginia Huston 55 US Actress Out of the Past Tarzan's Peril 28 Robert L. Wolfe 52 US Film Editor All the President's Men On Golden Pond March 4 Torin Thatcher 76 UK Actor Houdini Witness for the Prosecution 5 Brenda de Banzie 71 UK Actress Hobson's Choice The Man Who Knew Too Much 6 E.Y. Harburg 84 US Lyricist The Wizard of Oz Gay Purr-ee 14 Eleanor Perry 66 US Screenwriter David and Lisa Diary of a Mad Housewife 15 René Clair 82 France Director, Screenwriter It Happened Tomorrow I Married a Witch 17 Dorothy Dwan 74 US Actress Kid Speed The Wizard of Oz 27 Oliver A. Unger 66 US Producer Force 10 from Navarone Sandy the Seal 31 Hank Henry 74 US Actor Pal Joey Robin and the 7 Hoods April 7 Norman Taurog 82 US Director Skippy Boys Town 14 Sergio Amidei 76 Italy Screenwriter Shoeshine Paisan 26 Madge Evans 71 US Actress Pennies from Heaven Army Girl 26 Jim Davis 71 US Actor The Big Sky The Maverick Queen 26 Herb Voland 62 US Actor Another Nice Mess With Six You Get Eggroll May 1 Marlin Skiles 74 US Composer, Musical Director Gilda Tonight and Every Night 9 Margaret Lindsay 70 US Actress The House of the Seven Gables Jezebel 17 Hugo Friedhofer 80 US Composer The Best Years of Our Lives An Affair to Remember 18 Richard Hale 88 US Actor Friendly Persuasion To Kill a Mockingbird 18 Arthur O'Connell 73 US Actor Anatomy of a Murder Picnic 22 Boris Sagal 57 Ukraine Director The Omega Man Girl Happy 23 George Jessel 83 US Actor, Producer Beau James Nightmare Alley 28 Henry Blanke 79 US Producer The Treasure of the Sierra Madre The Nun's Story June 5 Miguel Torres 81 Mexico Director The Mad Empress Pancho Villa Returns 9 Russell Hayden 68 US Actor Trail of the Mounties Seven Were Saved 10 Jenny Maxwell 39 US Actress Blue Hawaii Take Her, She's Mine 12 Eleanor Hunt 71 US Actress Blue Steel Yellow Cargo 12 Evalyn Knapp 74 US Actress The Perils of Pauline His Private Secretary 17 Lou Forbes 78 US Composer Intermezzo Brewster's Millions 19 Alfred Santell 85 US Director Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Internes Can't Take Money 22 Lola Lane 75 US Actress Four Daughters Hollywood Hotel 23 Zarah Leander 74 Sweden Actress The Blue Fox Back Then July 1 George Voskovec 76 Czech Republic Actor 12 Angry Men The Spy Who Came in from the Cold 2 Edward Killy 78 US Director West of the Pecos Wagon Train 3 Ross Martin 61 Poland Actor The Great Race Experiment in Terror 7 Keefe Brasselle 58 US Actor The Eddie Cantor Story A Place in the Sun 20 Dale Hennesy 54 US Production Designer, Art Director Fantastic Voyage Annie 25 Gerardo de Leon 67 Philippines Director, Actor The Moises Padilla Story Fe, Esperanza, Caridad 27 William Wyler 79 Germany Director, Producer Ben-Hur Roman Holiday August 1 Paddy Chayefsky 58 US Screenwriter Network Marty 4 Melvyn Douglas 80 US Actor Being There Hud 12 Shirley Grey 79 US Actress Texas Cyclone Girl in Danger 16 Robert Krasker 68 Australia Cinematographer The Third Man El Cid 18 Anita Loos 93 US Screenwriter The Women I Married an Angel 19 Jessie Matthews 74 UK Actress, Singer There Goes the Bride It's Love Again 21 Eddie Byrne 70 Ireland Actor Star Wars Island of Terror 30 Vera-Ellen 60 US Actress, Dancer White Christmas On the Town September 1 Ann Harding 79 US Actress Holiday It Happened on Fifth Avenue 6 Maria Palmer 64 Austria Actress Lady on a Train The Web 11 Frank McHugh 83 US Actor Going My Way Manpower 15 Sara Haden 81 US Actress The Shop Around the Corner The Bishop's Wife 22 Harry Warren 87 US Composer 42nd Street Hello, Frisco, Hello 23 Chief Dan George 82 Canada Actor Little Big Man The Outlaw Josey Wales 24 Patsy Kelly 71 US Actress The Cowboy and the Lady Rosemary's Baby 27 Robert Montgomery 77 US Actor, Director Here Comes Mr. Jordan Night Must Fall October 4 Dorothy Dare 70 US Actress Clothes and the Woman High Hat 5 Gloria Grahame 54 US Actress In a Lonely Place The Bad and the Beautiful 15 Frank de Kova 71 US Actor The Ten Commandments The Mechanic 19 Nils Asther 84 Denmark Actor The Bitter Tea of General Yen Bluebeard 24 Edith Head 83 US Costume Designer Roman Holiday The Sting 26 Glenn Anders 92 US Actor The Lady from Shanghai M November 2 Ghislain Cloquet 57 France Cinematographer Tess The Young Girls of Rochefort 3 Jean Eustache 42 France Director The Mother and the Whore My Little Loves 12 William Holden 63 US Actor Stalag 17 Sunset Boulevard 16 Morgan Conway 78 US Actor Dick Tracy Jack London 21 Ejner Federspiel 85 Denmark Actor Ordet Story of Barbara 21 Harry von Zell 75 US Actor The Saxon Charm Son of Paleface 25 Jack Albertson 74 US Actor The Subject Was Roses Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 27 Lotte Lenya 83 Austria Actress From Russia with Love The Threepenny Opera 29 Natalie Wood 43 US Actress West Side Story Rebel Without a Cause 30 Robert H. Harris 70 US Actor How to Make a Monster Valley of the Dolls December 5 Charles Barton 79 US Director Africa Screams The Shaggy Dog 15 Karl Struss 95 US Cinematographer Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans The Great Dictator 17 Ada Kramm 82 Norway Actress The White God Arven 27 Hoagy Carmichael 82 US Actor, Composer To Have and Have Not The Best Years of Our Lives 28 Allan Dwan 96 Canada Director Sands of Iwo Jima Heidi Film debuts Ben Affleck – The Dark End of the Street Jason Alexander – The Burning Christina Applegate – Jaws of Satan Javier Bardem – El poderoso influjo de la luna Kim Basinger – Hard Country Michelle Bauer – Bad Girls Xander Berkeley – Mommie Dearest Kenneth Branagh – Chariots of Fire Rodger Bumpass – Heavy Metal Robert John Burke – The Chosen Gabriel Byrne – Excalibur James Cameron (director) – Piranha II: The Spawning Bruce Campbell – The Evil Dead Jeffrey Combs – Honky Tonk Freeway Kevin Costner – Malibu Hot Summer Tom Cruise – Endless Love Charles Dance – For Your Eyes Only Jeff Daniels – Ragtime Robert Davi – Gangster Wars Dana Delany – The Fan Loretta Devine – Will Dennis Farina – Thief Nicholas Farrell – Chariots of Fire Colin Friels – Hoodwink Stephen Fry – Chariots of Fire Lee Garlington – King of the Mountain Gina Gershon – Beatlemania: The Movie Jami Gertz – Endless Love Bob Gunton – Rollover James Handy – Taps Anthony Head – Lady Chatterley's Lover Glenne Headly – Four Friends Ciarán Hinds – Excalibur Ticky Holgado – Les surdoués de la première compagnie Holly Hunter – The Burning John Kapelos – Thief Nicky Katt – Underground Aces Dan Lauria – C.O.D. Ron Lea – Happy Birthday to Me Peter MacNicol – Dragonslayer John Mahoney – Hudson Taylor Rik Mayall – Eye of the Needle Maria de Medeiros – Silvestre Steve Miner (director) – Friday the 13th Part 2 Alfred Molina – Raiders of the Lost Ark Demi Moore – Choices Chris Noth – Waitress! Bill Nunn – Sharky's Machine Michael O'Neill – Ghost Story Sean Penn – Taps Ron Perlman – Quest for Fire Ethan Phillips – Ragtime Robert Picardo – The Howling Martha Plimpton – Rollover Amanda Plummer – Cattle Annie and Little Britches Jon Polito – Gangster Wars Geoffrey Rush – Hoodwink Meg Ryan – Rich and Famous Kôichi Satô – The Gate of Youth Dwight Schultz – The Fan Glenn Shadix – The Postman Always Rings Twice Vinessa Shaw – Home Sweet Home Mindy Sterling – The Devil and Max Devlin Fisher Stevens – The Burning Madeleine Stowe – Gangster Wars Barbara Sukowa – Lola Henry Thomas – Raggedy Man Frank C. Turner – Silence of the North Kathleen Turner – Body Heat Reginald VelJohnson – Wolfen Diane Venora – Wolfen Rachel Ward – Night School Denzel Washington – Carbon Copy Vernon Wells – Mad Max 2 Celia Weston – Honky Tonk Freeway Amanda Wyss – Force: Five Notes nb References External links List of 1981 films at IMDb 1981 Domestic Grosses at Box Office Mojo List of 1981 deaths at IMDb List of 1981 births at IMDb 1980s Film Category:Film by year