greatest actor of all time

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ToMacco
I think it's Tom Hanks.

Anyone else?

Britrogue
Tom Hanks is a fantastic actor who deserves to be at the top of that list. He has played a varied set of roles, and has been equally convincing as each.
Although for loyalty purposes, I still say Harrison Ford!

botankus
I'd like to vote Chris Farley, with the runners up being Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, and Jack Nicholson. It was a tough choice but it really came down to the absolute emotion and drama exemplified with each film.

Deathblow
Tom Hanks is not the greatest actor of all time, he's not even remotely close.

My personal favorites are Dustin Hoffman and Paul Newman, although for sheer number of truly brilliant performances, I'd say it has to be Robert De Niro.

jaden101
Alec Guinness

if i was going yto go for a modern actor is would be one of the following

Sean Penn
Gary Oldman
Edward Norton

glenncerritos
Deniro and Pacino

Britrogue
I think it's impossible to narrow it down to just one. There are a lot of extremely good actors out there that deserve recognition. The ones that come to mind for me are:

Robert DeNiro
Gary Oldman
Harrison Ford
Tom Hanks
Keifer Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Alec Guinness

There are others I know, but those are the ones that spring to mind at the moment.

CheapDiamond
I will say Tom Hanks, although it could easily be JOhnny Depp,... and I like most of Brad Pitt's movie choices.

ladygrim
Originally posted by jaden101
Alec Guinness

if i was going yto go for a modern actor is would be one of the following

Sean Penn
Gary Oldman
Edward Norton eek! you have the list i was a bout to type ahh shock laughing out loud

Alec Guinness was an amazing actor he has got to be somewhere near the best actors cool

Gary Oldman to is a great actor extremely talented and unique wink

jaden101
Originally posted by ladygrim
eek! you have the list i was a bout to type ahh shock laughing out loud

Alec Guinness was an amazing actor he has got to be somewhere near the best actors cool

Gary Oldman to is a great actor extremely talented and unique wink

great minds think alike eh?

i put those cause they have each played many different types of character to a brilliant standard

alec guinness in oliver twist as fagin, professor marcus in the lady killers...his roles in lawerence of arabia, dr zhivago and hotel paradiso

sean penn in i am sam, dead man walking, 21 grams, mystic river, before night falls, the game, carlitos way,

gary oldman in 5th element, hannibal, leon, true romance

edward norton is still to find a defining role for himslef but american history x, fight club and 25th hour were all superb

Deathblow
Sean Penn is a good actor, but he really is miserable. It has nothing to do with talent I know, but I find it very off-putting. I would never rate Oldman as one of the alltime greats, for the same reason as I wouldn't Pacino (that is if Dog Day Afternoon and The Godfather never existed); tendency to fall back on over acting.

Brad Pitt isn't one of the greatest, although I do think he is very underrated by some as a serious actor. He's delivered some magnificent performances.

Stand by my vote though. He may be an obvious choice, but De Niro is the master. The Taxi Driver performance, to me, is perfect acting. I've never seen anything better. Other candidates..

Dustin Hoffman
Paul Newman
Klaus Kinski
John Torturro

Mindship
Nominees...
Lawrence Olivier
Alec Guiness
Al Pacino
Dustin Hoffman
Edward Norton
Meryl Streep
Bette Davis
Paul Newman
Katherine Hepburn
Shirely McClaine
Anthony Hopkins
Robert Deniro

Bardock42
Christopher Walken.....yeah

Deathblow
Oh yes, add to my nominees ^

Frighteningly good in The Deer Hunter.

Dr_Joshua_Keyes
Johnny Depp!

Bloigen
Dustin Hoffman without a doubt.

musicislife
John Wayne.

Morning_Glory
Morgan Freeman

Mr Parker
Originally posted by Mindship
Nominees...
Lawrence Olivier
Alec Guiness
Al Pacino
Dustin Hoffman
Edward Norton
Meryl Streep
Bette Davis
Paul Newman
Katherine Hepburn
Shirely McClaine
Anthony Hopkins
Robert Deniro

All very good actors.The ONLY one that doesnt belong on that list is Lawrence Olivier and the reason for that-stick with me on this one folks,is because he IS the greatst actor of all time.Because he was considered the greatest actor of all time by most every film maker back in his days who directed him and his actor peers as well. so the others would be nominees since he is indeed the greatest actor of all time.

btw,while Tom Hanks is indeed a very good actor,he is hardly the greatest of all time. laughing out loud Those others mentioned on this list are WAYYYY ahead of him.

Mr Parker
Originally posted by ladygrim
eek! you have the list i was a bout to type ahh shock laughing out loud

Alec Guinness was an amazing actor he has got to be somewhere near the best actors cool

Gary Oldman to is a great actor extremely talented and unique wink

Funny that you mentioned those two names Amy because me and you think alike as well Because I was about to make a post about those two actors. big grin I was going to post that Alec Guinness is considered the chameleon actor of his day and time.Meaning in just about every film of his,moviegoers even though they knew who Alec Guiness was and that he was in that certain movie they were seeing,they could not recognize him in his roles he played in his movies because he always looked so much different in all his movies he would be in.Well Gary Oldman has that same gift and he is this generations Chameleon of actors.Just about every movie he is in as well,you have a hard time believing that he is that character because also looks so much different and unrecognizeable in his movies.Take Batman Begins for example.I kept hearing that he was in that movie and even though I had an idea of what he looks like since I have seen him in quite a few movies,I never knew until like the 4th time I saw it,that he was indeed commissioner Gordon.When I learned THAT was the role he played in the movie on like the 4th time,I was like THAT was Gary Oldman? wow he fooled me.I didnt know that was him. so yep,he is this generations Chameleon of movies. smile great actors like him and guinness have that rare gift.

Impediment
Not one single mention of Marlon Brando..................*sigh*

JaehSkywalker
Alec Guiness is good

Harrison Ford too...

Johnny Depp is ok...

Ewan Mcgregor > dont ask why...

Mr Parker
Originally posted by Impediment
Not one single mention of Marlon Brando..................*sigh*

oh yeah,forgot about him.He should for sure be mentioned in that list as well.

ladygrim
Originally posted by Mr Parker
Funny that you mentioned those two names Amy because me and you think alike as well Because I was about to make a post about those two actors. big grin I was going to post that Alec Guinness is considered the chameleon actor of his day and time.Meaning in just about every film of his,moviegoers even though they knew who Alec Guiness was and that he was in that certain movie they were seeing,they could not recognize him in his roles he played in his movies because he always looked so much different in all his movies he would be in.Well Gary Oldman has that same gift and he is this generations Chameleon of actors.Just about every movie he is in as well,you have a hard time believing that he is that character because also looks so much different and unrecognizeable in his movies.Take Batman Begins for example.I kept hearing that he was in that movie and even though I had an idea of what he looks like since I have seen him in quite a few movies,I never knew until like the 4th time I saw it,that he was indeed commissioner Gordon.When I learned THAT was the role he played in the movie on like the 4th time,I was like THAT was Gary Oldman? wow he fooled me.I didnt know that was him. so yep,he is this generations Chameleon of movies. smile great actors like him and guinness have that rare gift.

eek! unfortunatly i looked at pictures of G.Oldman in batman before i went to watch it but still he didnt look reconiseable at all

bakerboy
Well, i agree with my friend mr parker in almost all the things that he posted. Alec Guiness and Gary Oldman are, absolutely, two of the greatest actors of any generation or any time because they are human chamaleons, they could play any role in any movie. People like John Hurt should be in those lists because he is in the same chamaleon range that guiness or oldman.

Also, people like Marlon Brando should be in those lists too. He was one of the greatest actors ever.

About the Laurence Olivier issue. True, he was named in his time the best actor of all time, but that was on stage, in theatre, not in cinema. In cinema , he was very good in movies like spartacus, rebecca, sleuth , marathon man or his shakespeare adaptations, but never nearly as good as he was in theatre.

columbo1970
Although i am huge peter Falk fan I have to say for me it has to be Dustin Hoffman, with a very close second of Anthony Hopkins.
happy happy

Mr Parker
Originally posted by ladygrim
eek! unfortunatly i looked at pictures of G.Oldman in batman before i went to watch it but still he didnt look reconiseable at all

Like I said,he is amazing the way he is able to fool people in his movies.your always thinking -so where is Gary Oldman,I dont see him? when he is right there in front of you.LOL.then when you leave the theater,your like-wow THAT was him,I cant believe it. eek!

draconifers
Originally posted by Dr_Joshua_Keyes
Johnny Depp!


Johnny Depp is my all time favourite actor as well! I can't believe there are only two mentions of him! I think he's fantastic, the way that he can change from one role to the other rather than seeming to be the same character in a different film.

MrsCristaDepp
Originally posted by Mr Parker
Like I said,he is amazing the way he is able to fool people in his movies.your always thinking -so where is Gary Oldman,I dont see him? when he is right there in front of you.LOL.then when you leave the theater,your like-wow THAT was him,I cant believe it. eek!


ok here are some more

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP

JOHNNY DEPP the others are not even close!

rockycairns
Winners

Robert De Niro
Joe Pesci
Tom Hanks

Nominees

Kevin Spacey
Christopher Walken
Pete Postlethwaite
Edward Norton
Brad Pitt
Al Pacino
Daniel Day-Lewis

Wite Fox
Robert DeNiro, Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn and Harrison Ford in that order imo.

Silverback
Bogart. Butt ugly guy who probably weighed 150lbs soaking wet. But on the screen he was totally believable as either suave ladys man or a two fisted tough guy. Bogart in a trenchcoat is an iconic image that'll last forever.

Joli Bug-Azi
I think a better question would be: who is your personal favourite actor? But I'll try my best.

There are the obvious four screen legends: Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, James Dean and Gregory Peck.

Then later icons like Robert De Niro (one of the most devoted actors in history), Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Jack Nicholson, John Malkovich to name a few.

And even newer greats from the past ten years, Nicholas Cage, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Edward Norton and Ewan McGregor.

But as a wise man once said: "I would not think of quarreling with your interpretation nor offering any other, as I have found it always the best policy to allow the film to speak for itself."

suprmanvsbatman
Anthony Hopkins, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson

to me its between Pacino, Newman and Hopkins

and more recently, Tom Hanks, Ed Norton, Kevin Space, Brad Pitt and Russel Crowe

CaptainStoic
I really think Brad Pitt is an amazing actor. He's played an autistic, serial killing thug, mythical warrior, police detective, farmer, con man you name it, and came up aces on the parts given to him. He is my all time favorite actor.

The Grey Fox
I'm going with Jack Nicholson. His portrayal of madness in Cuckoo's Nest and The Shining are perfect, and the stern bluntness of his character in A Few Good Men set new standards for military acting. He is brilliant in everything he's ever done, even his random cameo appearance in the rock opera Tommy.

Maybe not the best, but certainly one of them, and my personal favourite.

suprmanvsbatman
I just watched As good as it gets and Jack Nicholson is now in my top 3. he is an Amazing Actor, but anyone who has won a best actor Oscar must be really good, just like Tom Hank, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Daniel Day-Lewis. they are all amazing actors.

I really like Brad Pitt as an actor, I am surprised he has never won an Oscar.

exanda kane
There are simply too many to really even make a qualitive and reasonable list in my mind. You have the obvious ones like Ford, Pacino, De Niro, Hoffman of the New Hollywood era, the method school of actors like Brando and James Dean, some of the Shakespearean actors like Olivier, Holm and although perhaps a tad arguable, Alan Rickman. Then you have the classics like John Wayne, Cagney, Archibald Leach and Jimmy Stewart. Bloody Hell: Heston (although a certified anus), Eastwood, Jack Lemmon. Forget that. There are many.

In the recent decades you have people like Gary Oldman coming into their prime, Christian Bale, Tom Cruise (Scientology aside he is an amazing actor), Daniel Day-Lewis et cetera et cetera.

Thing is, practically everyone anyone has mentioned (with notable exceptions. Mr.Depp, I'm looking in your direction) would bring something great to a role that in script-form was wafer thin.

What about actresses you sexist pigs?

exanda kane
Originally posted by jaden101
alec guinness in oliver twist as fagin, professor marcus in the lady killers...his roles in lawerence of arabia, dr zhivago and hotel paradiso

Kind Hearts and Coronets!

suprmanvsbatman
Helen Hunt, Patricia Arquette, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron, Jodie Foster

Marilyn Munroe, Audrey Hepburn, Meryl Streep

there are loads of great actresses its too hard to chooseno expression

MovieRose0101
It's hard for me to decide between Will Smith, Johny Depp, and Geoffry Rush. (Don't know if I spelled those names right. Forgive me)

MovieRose0101
Originally posted by exanda kane
Kind Hearts and Coronets!

HE played Fagin??!!!!! HOLY CRAP!!!!! HE'S IN MY TOP 10. Period.

superchron
Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, Peter O'toole are my personal favorites

jaden101
Originally posted by MovieRose0101
It's hard for me to decide between Will Smith, Johny Depp, and Geoffry Rush. (Don't know if I spelled those names right. Forgive me)

Will Smith?

hahaha...might as well say Ben Affleck as well

Bardock42
Mine would be Nicholas Cage, great actor. Loved him in Con Air.

Ya Krunk'd Floo
Chevy Chase. The man has so much breadth. I remember seeing him as Macbeth in an off-Broadway production at The Little Dildo. Stunning.

Mr Parker
Lawrence Olivia is easily the greatest actor of all time so this discussion can end now.Thats a known fact.Every major director and actor will tell you the same thing,that he is considered the greatest actor of all time that everybody tries to measure themselves up to in trying to become a good actor.okay whos the SECOND greatest? we can discuss THAT now.

Bardock42
Originally posted by Mr Parker
Lawrence Olivia is easily the greatest actor of all time so this discussion can end now.Thats a known fact.Every major director and actor will tell you the same thing,that he is considered the greatest actor of all time that everybody tries to measure themselves up to in trying to become a good actor.okay whos the SECOND greatest? we can discuss THAT now.

Laurence Olivier? That the guy you mean? The guy you believe is the greatest actor of all time?

Laurence?


Olivier?


That one?

jaden101
hahaha...i sense fail

MovieRose0101
Originally posted by jaden101
Will Smith?

hahaha...might as well say Ben Affleck as well

That's what I said.
WILL SMITH.
I didn't like his work in Fresh Prince of Belair, but his later works blew me away. My favorites being The Pursuit of Happiness and I Am Legend.

Bardock42
I like him. Still funny to see him on a "greatest actor of all time" list.

Stun
My personal favorites. This was the Hollywood i grew up on cool

Harrison Ford
Jack Nicholson
Robert De Niro
Michael Douglas

i also admire James Stewart and Gregory Peck wink

Rampant ox
No mentions of Christopher Lee? I'm appalled. He is leaps and bounds ahead of some of the rubbish performers we see today.

Stun
I wouldnt say 'leaps and bounds'. Dont get me wrong, he's a terrific actor, but he only made it 'big' (all the Dracula films and Wickerman aside) late in his career, which is why he's in such popular demand in Hollywood today.

Devil King
Ian McKellen tops my list.

I am also very fond of Sigourney Weaver, Morgan Freeman, River Phoenix, Peter Sellers(in Being There but not in the Pink Pather movies),Peter O'Toole and Chewbacca.

Robtard
Originally posted by Bardock42
Laurence Olivier? That the guy you mean? The guy you believe is the greatest actor of all time?

Laurence?


Olivier?


That one?

"I don't like the name Lawrence, only ******* and sailors are called Lawrence. From now on you're Gomer Pyle."

Laurence Olivier was a bisexual.

Mairuzu
Heath Ledger

Robtard
American Film Institute's top 100 list. See where your pick ranks.

1. Marlon Brando
2. Laurence Olivier
3. Robert DeNiro
4. James Stewart
5. Alec Guinness
6. Humphrey Bogart
7. Gregory Peck
8. Jack Nicholson
9. Henry Fonda
10. Spencer Tracy
11. Charlie Chaplin
12. Gary Cooper
13. James Cagney
14. Al Pacino
15. Cary Grant
16. Sidney Poitier
17. Paul Newman
18. George C. Scott
19. Burt Lancaster
20. Anthony Hopkins
21. Dustin Hoffman
22. Peter Sellers
23. Robert Mitchum
24. Richard Burton
25. Yul Brenner
26. Edward G. Robinson
27. Charlton Heston
28. Clark Gable
29. William Holden
30. Jack Lemmon
31. Gene Kelly
32. Charles Laughton
33. Denzel Washington
34. Fredric March
35. Errol Flynn
36. Kirk Douglas
37. James Dean
38. Orson Welles
39. Gene Hackman
40. Robert DuVall
41. John Wayne
42. Anthony Quinn
43. Michael Caine
44. Sean Connery
45. Peter O'Toole
46. Harrison Ford
47. Robert Redford
48. Buster Keaton
49. Richard Harris
50. Sean Penn
51. Toshiro Mifune
52. Morgan Freeman
53. Lee Marvin
54. Kenneth Branagh
55. Steve McQueen
56. Paul Winfield
57. Ben Kingsley
58. Ralph Richardson
59. Montgomery Clift
60. Rod Steiger
61. Victor Mature
62. Marcello Mastroianni
63. Tom Hanks
64. Christopher Walken
65. Clint Eastwood
66. Walter Matthau
67. Peter Finch
68. Gary Oldman
69. John Malkovich
70. Daniel Day Lewis
71. John Gielgud
72. Dennis Hopper
73. Liam Neeson
74. Geoffrey Rush
75. Samuel L. Jackson
76. James Mason
77. Peter Lorre
78. Fred Astaire
79. Jon Voight
80. Mel Gibson
81. Johnny Depp
82. Gerard Depardieu
83. James Caan
84. Max von Sydow
85. Ralph Fiennes
86. John Hurt
87. Boris Karloff
88. Richard Widmark
89. Kevin Spacey
90. Nicholas Cage
91. Micheal Douglas
92. Russell Crowe
93. William Hurt
94. Richard Dreyfuss
95. Ian McKellan
96. Robin Williams
97. Sydney Greenstreet
98. Tom Cruise
99. Willem Dafoe
100. Gene Wilder

-

John Wayne being 41, let alone on this list is a shame, that guy sucks unwashed ass.

Bardock42
My pick for worst made 90.


Then again, Tom Cruise is on the list.

Stun
Oh, i dont know. Pretty much the best list you could assemble - if you know film well enough to recognise the greats like Gable, Bogart, Cagney, etc

Devil King
Originally posted by Bardock42
My pick for worst made 90.


Then again, Tom Cruise is on the list.

Not only did the AFI place him on the list, but they placed him 5 spots ahead of my favorite actor,who just happens to be a classically trained stage actor, widely regarded as one of the finest of his generation. So, clearly the AFI has been spending too much time buying-in to their own hopped up, trailer park, blue collar comedy tour-watching, self-agrandizing egos. GOD why does America have to be so stupid, sometimes?

Mr Parker
Originally posted by Bardock42
Laurence Olivier? That the guy you mean? The guy you believe is the greatest actor of all time?

Laurence?


Olivier?


That one?

yeah thats the one.Thats the one that everybody considers to be the greatest actor of all time.Never have seen any of his films so I wasnt aware thats how it was spelled. embarrasment well now I know.

Alpha Centauri
Seeing as this seems to be who we feel is the best actor/s outside of our own preference for roles:

Ian McKellen, Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Christian Bale, Daniel Day-Lewis, Peter O' Toole, Denzel Washington to name a few, I suppose.

I don't think Edward Norton, despite being one of my favs, will ever rank up there. Unless he churns out some more Fight Club or better calibre performances, it's not gonna happen.

Daniel Day-Lewis has x-factor, though. I think there's something about his roles that just command every single bit of attention, which can sometimes be a bad thing. The first time I noticed him, really, was Gangs of New York, so maybe I caught on a bit late, but I'm sure that is a role that is a fav with anyone.

I don't know much about technical acting, but I think he gets it.

I also think Gene Hackman, on his best day, is amazing. Very explosive.

Walken is going the Samuel L. Jackson route of almost just being Walken in every movie.

Originally posted by Mr Parker
Lawrence Olivia is easily the greatest actor of all time so this discussion can end now.Thats a known fact.Every major director and actor will tell you the same thing

That doesn't make it fact.

-AC

Stun
speaking of great actors, i'm going to draw a big collage of them all to add to my portfolio. The AFI list is a good place to start - not perfect, but when have you ever seen a perfect 'top 100 list'?

Devil King
I should certainly add Kenneth Branagh to my list. Like McKellen, I've never seen him in a movie where he didn't make it better simply by virtue of his addition to the cast. I'd also add Stanley Tucci.

bakerboy
Laurence Olivier was one of the best actors of all time in theatre. But in cinema, he wasnt that good. Anyways, he was one of the best actors of all time.

Here is a list of mine: Laurence Olivier, Marlon Brando, Robert Deniro, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Ian Mackellen, Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Montgomery Clifft, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Edward Norton, Christan Bale, Spencer Tracy, Alec Guiness, Charles Laughton, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Peter O'toole, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Terence Stamp, Richard Harris, Peter Cushing, Sean Connery, Paul Newman, Peter Sellers, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Brigdes, Nick Nolte, Charles Chaplin, Humprey Bogart, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Buster Keaton, Gregory Peck, Robert Duvall.

I could posts some more , no dubt.

geshien
The actors I have in the highest regard are Christopher Plummer and Tom Hanks.

Respectively I think that Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Leonardo Di Caprio, Tim Curry, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, Marlon Brando, Morgan Freeman and Russell Crowe are all fine actors.

supersyd
Originally posted by Mairuzu
Heath Ledger

You beat me to it. smile

liebe911
I will decide after hearing all your suggestions who should be my Nominee be

TheStarCeleb
Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro are my favorites.

catwalk0188
Christian Bale...
Liam Neeson
Johny Depp
Hugh Jackman
Brad Pit

TheStarCeleb
Originally posted by catwalk0188
Christian Bale...
Liam Neeson
Johny Depp
Hugh Jackman
Brad Pit

I forgot about Christian Bale - shame on me! I think he has done a spectacular job in every movie he's played in. I just recently became familiar with Liam Neeson when I watched Taken.

celestialdemon
My opinion of the greatest actor of all time is Robert De Niro. He's not my favorite, though. My favorites are Kevin Spacey, Don Cheadle, and Ian McKellan.

lorson223
Anthony Hopkins is very good actor i liked Dr. Hannibal Lecter the most.

occultdestroyer
Charlton Heston.

His performance in Ben-Hur is unparalleled.

siriuswriter
most mentioned are excellent actors, i just wanted to add kirk douglas.

he acted in a period of time when most people were typecast but douglas managed to break his own mold. sure, we saw plenty of tough guy stuff from him but he took a big leap of faith when he played Van Gogh, and again when took on a role in one of the first live-action disney movies leagues under the sea. and of course, you have "the bold and the beautiful."

with modern day actors... i dunno, there are so many...

michael caine, sean penn, christian bale, daniel-day lewis, johnny depp...

i think these are all the types of guys who are generally willing to do any kind of movie, and slip into one character to another...

like christian bale has an extremely good ear for accents, and at 17 could do a perfect new youhk accent for "newsies."


aaagh. so many. so good.

GrillingNemo
jack nicholson, edward norton, al pacino

DarthLazious
Dustin Hoffman or Morgan Freeman.

Mr. Rhythmic
Dafoe and Gene Wilder are too low.

gobstakid777
my top 5 are

1.Gary Sinise
2.Brad Pitt
3.Samuel L. Jackson
4.Denzel Washington
5. Tom Hanks


James Cagney,Humprey Bogart,or Robert Mitchum get my vote for greatest of all time

greatest of the modern era would,to me,be brad pitt,although one could argue tom hanks

Sadako of Girth
Fixed:

Originally posted by occultdestroyer
Charlton Heston.

His performance in Bowling for Columbine is unparalleled.

His "Ignorant racist old dick" was the finest/most convincing I'd seen.

Rogue Jedi
Jason Bateman.

occultdestroyer
A toss between Humphrey Bogart and Montgomery Clift.

Both equally unrivalled by any other actor.

BruceSkywalker
I think it depends on the era...

which you cannot compare too

§P0oONY
De Niro!

BackinBlack
Rajnikant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX6aqKAfAW0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BI-vVFtH8U

close thread no expression

P-Geyser

MooCowofJustice
No love for Robin Williams?

His only mention was in the list of 100. sad

MildPossession
Really? I adore him in films, but to me he is one of the samey samey actors, he was slightly different in Kingdom from what I can remember, but really everything else he seems to have the Michael Cera curse but not on that scale. Certainly not a great actor anyway. He looks the same in his new film Extract too...

I haven't seen State of Play yet though.

The_usher
My vote goes to Tom Hanks.

Kovacs86
The best, in my opinion, would be either Brando or De Niro. As well as those two, my favourite actors would include Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt.

Bwa Ha Ha
In-character improvisation is acting at its raw essence.

Sacha Baron Cohen.

rakugaki
Sam Elliot for epic mustache

shawn_michael
Tom Cruise

monikaluchi
Robert De Niro is my bate. How is nearer to him?

giclee12
Tom Hanks Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time!

Prep-Man
Marlon Brando. Deniro comes in a close second.

Mindset
There is no greatest actor, like there isn't a greatest musician.

Anyway, some of my favorites are Dustin Hoffman, Ed Norton, DeNiro, Ian Mckellen, Brando, Clint Eastwood, and James Dean; to name a few.

Moscow
Sydney Poitier

http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Entertainment/Images/sidney-poitier.jpeg

dhajack
Tom Hanks is the greatest actor of all time.I think not for clear answer.

Darth Martin
Originally posted by dhajack
Tom Hanks is the greatest actor of all time. erm

De Niro & Washington

johncenas
According to me, Salman khan is greatest actor every time for me. I like most Salman khan as my favourite actor in the Bollywood. Because he gives very hit movies all time. My favourite movie of the Salman khan is DABANGG.I like attitude of the Salman khan in this movie.

Thoren
Either Humphrey Bogart, Anthony Hopkins, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise (before he went looney), or Walter Matthau

Robtard
Gary Oldman

Rogue Jedi
Originally posted by Robtard
Gary Oldman

The Father
My favourite actor is one who been in only a few films: Tim Robbins, he was perfect in the Shawshank redemption.

The greatest actor of all time is probably some politician or confidence trickster. We all have actors who we think have been brilliant in certain roles.

quanchi112
It's too hard to name just one so I'll name a few off the top of my head, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Robert deniro, Robert Englund, Denzel Washington, Humphrey Bogart, Gary Oldman, and Nicolas Cage.

siriuswriter
I've never heard of Robert Englund, am I missing something or is he just in a few films, or all in the same genre or what?

quanchi112
Originally posted by siriuswriter
I've never heard of Robert Englund, am I missing something or is he just in a few films, or all in the same genre or what? It was just a joke I snuck in there. He's the actor who played Freddy krueger of the nightmare on elm street flicks.

Lestov16
Originally posted by quanchi112
Nicolas Cage.

An exemplar actor if I've ever seen one



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And even better....

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aanthonyfranks
Denzel should be higher. Training Day Pre Each role has been phenomenal.

Mr. Rhythmic
Originally posted by Sadako of Girth
Fixed:



His "Ignorant racist old dick" was the finest/most convincing I'd seen.

Not sure if that's a jab, because if it is, he was one of the top advocates for racial equality.

annasmith
Tom Cruise

the ninjak
Dennis Hopper or Nic Cage.

I like intensity. So intense you don't know when they're gonna explode.

srankmissingnin
He hasn't done a lot of movies, but I would say John Nobel has - hands down - the best performances I have ever scene from any actor. Watching Fringe is like a master class in acting, Nobel is so good he can bring tears to the eyes in a scene that has no dialogue and is just him eating a piece of licorice. Noble is one of the few actors who have come close to making me cry with their performances, and he has done it is working with a lot less then tragic and heartbreaking story's actors like Penn, Hanks and Washington get. The guy is a crazy good actor, it's a travesty he hasn't been recognized by the Emmys. His resume might not be comparable to any of the actors mentioned previously in this thread, but his performances stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Toshi
Samuel L Jackson and I don't care what anyone has to say.

the ninjak
Originally posted by srankmissingnin
He hasn't done a lot of movies, but I would say John Nobel has - hands down - the best performances I have ever scene from any actor. Watching Fringe is like a master class in acting, Nobel is so good he can bring tears to the eyes in a scene that has no dialogue and is just him eating a piece of licorice. Noble is one of the few actors who have come close to making me cry with their performances, and he has done it is working with a lot less then tragic and heartbreaking story's actors like Penn, Hanks and Washington get. The guy is a crazy good actor, it's a travesty he hasn't been recognized by the Emmys. His resume might not be comparable to any of the actors mentioned previously in this thread, but his performances stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Yeah he's great. AUSSIES RULE!

FistOfThe North
To many to name. I don't think there's one great of all time. Each great has something great to offer and the other has something else that's great to offer.

but if i had to chose right now off the top of my head i'd say al pacino.

Mindset
I can't believe people are actually saying Cage.

FistOfThe North
I thought they were kidding but they're serious.

but some people do like his acting style, i mean he did win an oscar for best actor at the academy awards before.

i don't think he's great. he's alright but a great. absolutely not, imo, of course.

the ninjak
Yeah he's my favorite amongst a style of actors. But off the top of my head.

Explosive - Nic Cage - Dennis Hopper - Al Pacino

Dramatic - Rob Deniro - Benicio Del Toro - Denzel Washington

Comedy - Jim Carrey - Jerry Lewis - Johnny Depp

Swag - Bill Murray - Sean Connery - Christopher Lee

I Idolize - Christopher Lee - Kyle MacLachlan - Clint Eastwood

Can't think up a female list but my fav is Olivia de Havilland.

the ninjak
Actually swap Johnny Depp with Gene Wilder in the Comedy area.

FistOfThe North
Has anybody mentioned Daniel Day Lewis. Whom won the best actor oscar twice? The only other person to do that was Tom Hanks.

Imo his best performances were in were "My left foot", "Gangs of New York" and "There will be blood"

I'd say he's second after Al Pacino, to me.

FistOfThe North
Daniel Day's also starring as Abe lincoln in Stephen Spielberg's biopic "Lincoln"

Do i smell his third best actor oscar win cause you know he's gonna perform his ass of in this role.

Manofwords
Originally posted by FistOfThe North
Has anybody mentioned Daniel Day Lewis. Whom won the best actor oscar twice? The only other person to do that was Tom Hanks.

Imo his best performances were in were "My left foot", "Gangs of New York" and "There will be blood"

I'd say he's second after Al Pacino, to me.

Agreed about DDL... phenomenal actor. I'd put only Bobby De Niro above him. Even though he has been phoning it in for years.

gossipexpress
Meryl Streep,tom hanks..

FistOfThe North
Paul Giamatti would be in my top ten contemporary list.

SSchultz
well my best and favorite actor of all time are Arnold and Nicholos cage.

Mindset
My god...my phucking god.

MovMispercept
You know, he gets made fun of a lot because of the sheer number of movies he's been in. But Micheal Caine really can play damn near whatever the hell he's given to play. He'd at least make the top fifty.

I'd agree with Dustin Hoffman as one of the best, he's quite incredible.

John Malkovich is on the tops list.

I have to say though, the ABSOLUTE best. I don't care who disagrees...

JIMMY STEWART

AlbertMartelley
I think Arnold Schwarzenegger is a best actor of all time. He is a best for action movies....

Domains

lilshogun
The Greatest comedian actor?
Drama Actor?
Action star Actor?

DanCee
John Candy is definitely up there! R.I.P.

xuanluan
in my opinion, Richard Gere

Robtard
Sam Worthington.

siriuswriter
Originally posted by the ninjak
Yeah he's my favorite amongst a style of actors. But off the top of my head.

Explosive - Nic Cage - Dennis Hopper - Al Pacino

Dramatic - Rob Deniro - Benicio Del Toro - Denzel Washington

Comedy - Jim Carrey - Jerry Lewis - Johnny Depp

Swag - Bill Murray - Sean Connery - Christopher Lee

I Idolize - Christopher Lee - Kyle MacLachlan - Clint Eastwood

Can't think up a female list but my fav is Olivia de Havilland.


... A guy who knows who Olivia de Havilland is?
What's your favorite Havilland film?

Hmmm.... what do you think about Bette Davis? Rosalind Russell? Myrna Loy?

rusev_ivo
Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep

Cillianaire1
Cillian Murphy (Breakfast on Pluto, The Wind that Shakes the Barley)
Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, Kinsey)
Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings franchise)
Edward Norton (American History X, Fight Club)

I wonder why no one has mentioned Kevin Bacon (The Woodsman, Taking Chance) I think he's a great actor.
So is RDJ (Chaplin, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) I haven't seen many older films though so I'm sure people would disagree

rudester
burt lancaster

stacywilliams
Dustin Hoffman

Patient_Leech
Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum. Both gods.

Tom Hanks ain't bad, either.

rudester
gross tom hanks. I liked him in sleepless in seattle, but he makes weird faces with his face?

http://www.bestweekever.tv/bwe/images/2011/08/HANKSEY-CATCH-ME-IF-YOU-CAN-SMALL-1314206577.jpg

siriuswriter
I just finished "On the Waterfront," so right now Marlon Brando's riding the favorite train.

Digi
Some comments:

- Browsed through this thread...surprisingly little love for Paul Newman. He might be my personal #1.

- I honestly feel like some of the Old, classic "greats" could only hit one note. It was a great, great note, but played over and over. Modern actors (good ones, mind you, not all) have more versatility than many classics.

- The AFI list (quoted below) is as close to definitive as we'll get, though I think it's overly harsh to modern actors.

- Shout-outs that I love: Kenneth Branagh, Bill Murray, Charlie Chaplin. Along with Newman, each of these actors is responsible for a top 5 favorite performance of all-time from me, and I generally enjoy all of their work.

- Nicholas Cage takes too much heat. He's got a very distinctive style. Just because it's not for everyone doesn't mean he's bad. I'm not the biggest fan of his, but I can't deny a certain air about him that's hard to define. He's original if nothing else.

Originally posted by Robtard
American Film Institute's top 100 list. See where your pick ranks.

1. Marlon Brando
2. Laurence Olivier
3. Robert DeNiro
4. James Stewart
5. Alec Guinness
6. Humphrey Bogart
7. Gregory Peck
8. Jack Nicholson
9. Henry Fonda
10. Spencer Tracy
11. Charlie Chaplin
12. Gary Cooper
13. James Cagney
14. Al Pacino
15. Cary Grant
16. Sidney Poitier
17. Paul Newman
18. George C. Scott
19. Burt Lancaster
20. Anthony Hopkins
21. Dustin Hoffman
22. Peter Sellers
23. Robert Mitchum
24. Richard Burton
25. Yul Brenner
26. Edward G. Robinson
27. Charlton Heston
28. Clark Gable
29. William Holden
30. Jack Lemmon
31. Gene Kelly
32. Charles Laughton
33. Denzel Washington
34. Fredric March
35. Errol Flynn
36. Kirk Douglas
37. James Dean
38. Orson Welles
39. Gene Hackman
40. Robert DuVall
41. John Wayne
42. Anthony Quinn
43. Michael Caine
44. Sean Connery
45. Peter O'Toole
46. Harrison Ford
47. Robert Redford
48. Buster Keaton
49. Richard Harris
50. Sean Penn
51. Toshiro Mifune
52. Morgan Freeman
53. Lee Marvin
54. Kenneth Branagh
55. Steve McQueen
56. Paul Winfield
57. Ben Kingsley
58. Ralph Richardson
59. Montgomery Clift
60. Rod Steiger
61. Victor Mature
62. Marcello Mastroianni
63. Tom Hanks
64. Christopher Walken
65. Clint Eastwood
66. Walter Matthau
67. Peter Finch
68. Gary Oldman
69. John Malkovich
70. Daniel Day Lewis
71. John Gielgud
72. Dennis Hopper
73. Liam Neeson
74. Geoffrey Rush
75. Samuel L. Jackson
76. James Mason
77. Peter Lorre
78. Fred Astaire
79. Jon Voight
80. Mel Gibson
81. Johnny Depp
82. Gerard Depardieu
83. James Caan
84. Max von Sydow
85. Ralph Fiennes
86. John Hurt
87. Boris Karloff
88. Richard Widmark
89. Kevin Spacey
90. Nicholas Cage
91. Micheal Douglas
92. Russell Crowe
93. William Hurt
94. Richard Dreyfuss
95. Ian McKellan
96. Robin Williams
97. Sydney Greenstreet
98. Tom Cruise
99. Willem Dafoe
100. Gene Wilder

Patient_Leech
Hm.. perhaps I missed him, but I don't see Brad Pitt on that list. He's in many of my favorite movies and is a damn fine, well-rounded actor.

the ninjak
Originally posted by siriuswriter
I just finished "On the Waterfront," so right now Marlon Brando's riding the favorite train.

Brando I agree is amazing.

Originally posted by Digi
Some comments:


Wow he's on top. In regards to the list it seems a bit ehhhhhhh. DeNiro as third? wow.
I saw Anthony Quinn in an episode of Hercules today. Even in his later years he was impressive playing Zeus.

Honestly making such a list or choosing a best actor of all time is personal and circumstantial. You have your extreme outward actors and your stoic inner actors. I reckon range is a major factor. And many of these classics don't have range. Jim Carrey for instance grew up with deaf parents and learned to express himself through extreme facial gestures and body movements.
A genius. Yet he won't achieve such acclaim because he's a funny man. Though Gene Wilder is there. Also a genius of emotion expressionism.
Boris Karloff is there on the list. A more inner actor in the same vein.

the ninjak
Cont. stupid 15 mins.

Depp is there also. Because of his Hunter S Thompson and pirate role. I would love to see a film with Carrey and him. Two lunatics escaping the asylum and running amok in the American landscape.

Best actor of all time it's a silly notion.

siriuswriter
Originally posted by the ninjak
Brando I agree is amazing.



Wow he's on top. In regards to the list it seems a bit ehhhhhhh. DeNiro as third? wow.
I saw Anthony Quinn in an episode of Hercules today. Even in his later years he was impressive playing Zeus.

Honestly making such a list or choosing a best actor of all time is personal and circumstantial. You have your extreme outward actors and your stoic inner actors. I reckon range is a major factor. And many of these classics don't have range. Jim Carrey for instance grew up with deaf parents and learned to express himself through extreme facial gestures and body movements.
A genius. Yet he won't achieve such acclaim because he's a funny man. Though Gene Wilder is there. Also a genius of emotion expressionism.
Boris Karloff is there on the list. A more inner actor in the same vein.

... and Charles Laughton! I've seen him in many films - but it seems that his makeup and costumes work hand in hand with his words...

I don't think he'd be on my personal list.

Patient_Leech
Originally posted by the ninjak
Best actor of all time it's a silly notion.

Agreed. And yeah, DeNiro being that high up is a bit strange to me, too. Brad Pitt should really be on that list.

I've always thought that Johnny Depp from Fear and Loathing looked like Jim Carry. And hells yeah, they should do a movie together. That would be epic!

rudester
james dean

http://www.cursedobjects.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/JD.jpg

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