For the purpose of this post, male lead includes Heath Ledger as Joker, since he was the lead antagonist. Also, shut up.
Heath Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight [2008]
Whenever a performer is universally lauded, it's usually because they have dazzled audiences with a showy performance, but it also contains nuance and so isn't just an excercise in buffoonery, like Heath Ledger's transcendant turn as the Joker.
