Top 10 Actors in Cinema

[SteelClip49]

Stoopified got me thinking so let's keep it going.

YOUR top 10 actors in cinema past and present and your favorite movie they are in.

This was a tough one to roll with and I was left over with a few that would be honorable mentions. Here are my top 10 in no particular order:


Morgan Freeman - The Shawshank Redemption
Michael Douglas - The American President
Jack Nicholson - As Good As It Gets
Denzel Washington - Philadelphia
Tom Hanks - Philadelphia
Sean Connery - The Rock
Kevin Spacey - American Beauty
Al Pacino - Any Given Sunday

A couple of actors who I think are still "just beginning" and will become even bigger actors in the next several years and have already made a huge impact:

Christian Bale - American Psycho
Jamie Foxx - The Kingdom

Honorable Mentions: Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Robert DeNiro, Michael Caine, Clint Eastwood, Sidney Poitier, Will Smith

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Meryl Streep. Sophie's Choice.

[Curly Bill]

Sir Anthony Hopkins -- Silence of The Lambs

Gene Hackman -- Unforgiven

[Curly Bill]

Sir Richard Harris -- Gladiator (Marcus Aurelius), Unforgiven (English Bob)

[OU4LIFE]

this list is dead to me without Bruce Campbell.

[soonerinabilene]

Edward Norton- American History X, Fight Club
Christian Bale- Batman Begins, American Psycho
Jeff Bridges- The Big Lebowski
Tom Hanks- Saving Private Ryan, Philadelphia, Big
Leonardo Dicaprio- The Departed
Morgan Freeman- Shawshank Redemption
Russel Crowe- Cinderella Man, Gladiator
Denzel Washington- Man on Fire, Training Day
Sean Connery- The Untouchables
Val Kilmer- Tombstone

[sooneron]

Connery in The Rock? you have to be ****ing kidding me.

[M]

Do you want my top 10 as far as acting ability or hawtness? ;)

[frankensooner]

Cary Grant. No one has ever been more suave.
Jimmy Stewart. No one has ever been more genuine.
Gregory Peck. No one has ever shown as much heart.
Gary Cooper. No one has ever shown as much determination.
John Wayne. No one has ever been so tough (including chuck norris)

Of the current batch the best are probably:

Tom Hanks
Morgan Freeman
Gene Hackman
Robert Duvall
Al Pacino
Kevin Kline
Denzel Washington
Matt Damon (Yes I said Matt Damon)
Will Smith
Philip Seymour Hoffman

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Connery in The Rock? you have to be ****ing kidding me.

or Pacino in Any Given Sunday, or Douglas in American President...

Not to crack back on you FEOUAD... but unless you are nominating the worst performances of their careers...

Michael Corleone... err, I mean Al Pacino has been in maybe a couple more substantial flicks. And using The American President for Michael Douglas might be said to be a "Fatal" flaw in your list.

Not sayin', just sayin'...

BTW, is this supposed to be Top 10 all time, or Top 10 living?

[toast]

Steve McQueen - any movie he did.

[JohnnyMack]

Much as I think he's a prick in real life, Russell Crowe in The Insider and A Beautiful Mind was great.

Tom Hanks has done some good things.

Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro and Jack Nicholson.

Robert Duvall.

Leonardo DiCaprio.

Daniel Day Lewis.

Gene Hackman.

Robin Williams?

Michael Caine.

[sooneron]

or Pacino in Any Given Sunday, or Douglas in American President...

Not to crack back on you FEOUAD... but unless you are nominating the worst performances of their careers...

Michael Corleone... err, I mean Al Pacino has been in maybe a couple more substantial flicks. And using The American President for Michael Douglas might be said to be a "Fatal" flaw in your list.

Not sayin', just sayin'...

BTW, is this supposed to be Top 10 all time, or Top 10 living?
No ****, this guy may have the crappiest taste in acting evar. If people are fed up with hollywood tripe, it may be b/c they're catering to FEOUAD.

[JohnnyMack]

Sean Penn. Personal life aside, is a terrific actor.

[crawfish]

Morgan Freeman - The Shawshank Redemption
Michael Douglas - Wall Street
Jack Nicholson - The Shining
Denzel Washington - American Gangster
Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump
Sean Connery - Goldfinger
Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
Al Pacino - The Godfather

I'm sorry. Did you mean to list their worst movies? ;)

[sooneron]

Richard Harris - Cry the Beloved Country,
Duval - Tender Mercies, Apocalypse Now, The Apostle, A Civil Action
Hackman - French Connection, Unforgiven
Norton - Am History X
M Freeman - Glory, Shawshank
Russell Crowe - Insider, Beautiful Mind
Peter O'Toole - The Lion in Winter, My Favorite Year,
P Giamatti - Sideways, Cinderella Man
James Cromwell - LA Confidential
Connery - Untouchables
Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather II, Scarface, Heat
Nicholson - Chinatown, Five Easy Pieces
Hopper - Blue Velvet
DeNiro - Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Godfather II, Casino, Heat, This Boy's Life, Deer Hunter
Brando - Godfather, On The Waterfront, Streetcar
Yep, forgot S Penn (thanks JM!) - Falcon and The Snowman, State Of Grace, Mystic River, Dead Man Walking

Yeah, I went over 10

[soonerbrat]

robin williams? seriously?

Leo DiCaprio was pretty good in the Departed..and OK in Blood Diamond but....

[King Crimson]

P Giamatti - Sideways, Cinderella Man


American Splendor.

[BillyBall]

robin williams? seriously?

Leo DiCaprio was pretty good in the Departed..and OK in Blood Diamond but....

He was good in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape too. Kid plays a mean retard.

[SteelClip49]

Hey Sooneron, what part of...YOUR top 10 actors in cinema past and present and your favorite movie they are in...do you not understand?

YOUR refers to an individual opinion...therefore what I like is just as good as what you pick. I have good taste in acting. I picked those films because they are unique and some are different than their usual acting performances. I thought about Wall Street and A Perfect Murder for MD but the American President is just as good. Connery in The Rock kind of reminded me of his Bond roles and at an older age; I think he is a lot better at what he does when older. Don't give me crap about Pacino in Any Given Sunday. It is the perfect film that depicts what pro football/sports is like in the real world and Pacino plays the role of an ideal coach who most likely goes through what real life pro coaches go through.

[tbl]

Come on dude... Some of those, it's kinda like picking Christopher Walken for Joe Dirt. Not that there isn't some greatness there, but as far as "acting" goes, there are plenty more Walken films to choose from.

[OU4LIFE]

Hey Sooneron, what part of...YOUR top 10 actors in cinema past and present and your favorite movie they are in...do you not understand?

YOUR refers to an individual opinion...therefore what I like is just as good as what you pick. I have good taste in acting. <--- OPINIONI picked those films because they are unique and some are different than their usual acting performances.<---OPINION I thought about Wall Street and A Perfect Murder for MD but the American President is just as good.<---OPINION Connery in The Rock kind of reminded me of his Bond roles and at an older age; I think he is a lot better at what he does when older. Don't give me crap about Pacino in Any Given Sunday. It is the perfect film that depicts what pro football/sports is like in the real world<----OPINION, and how can you POSSIBLY know this unless you are IN pro football? and Pacino plays the role of an ideal coach who most likely goes through what real life pro coaches go through.

feh

[frankensooner]

Opinions are like impacted octogenarians, right c_p? ;)

[ChickSoonerFan]

This thread took an unexpected ugly turn.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

Jimmy Stewart
Tom Hanks
Al Pacino
Jack Nicholson
Dustin Hoffman

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Don't give me crap about Pacino in Any Given Sunday. It is the perfect film that depicts what pro football/sports is like in the real world and Pacino plays the role of an ideal coach who most likely goes through what real life pro coaches go through.

Now you're just joking, right? I mean you can't be serious. (Maybe I don't have my sarcasm filter adjusted appropriately.)

You are clinically insane if you think this film has anything to do with reality.

If you really believe it is in any way a reflection of reality, then I'm pretty sure you also believe everything in J.F.K. was reality too, and not just an amalgamation of every internet conspiracy theory ever conceived.

In fact I hear that Oliver Stone's next project will be a sweeping epic of Jim Garrison's investigation of the NFL's involvement with former Nixon aides who brokered the deal between Castro and the U.S. government to bring down the Twin Towers and point the finger at Middle Eastern despots so that we could have reason to invade and recover lost relics of Alexander the Great.

A little reading and research will help you avoid stupid comments like this in the future.

[JohnnyMack]

Come on dude... Some of those, it's kinda like picking Christopher Walken for Joe Dirt. Not that there isn't some greatness there, but as far as "acting" goes, there are plenty more Walken films to choose from.

Exactly. He was MUCH better in Balls of Fury.

[Kels]

Top 20
James Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Laurence Olivier, Wuthering Heights
Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan
Gary Cooper, Sergeant York
Robert DeNiro, Raging Bull
Peter O'Toole, Lawrence of Arabia
Marlon Brando, The Godfather
Henry Fonda, Grapes of Wrath
Harrison Ford, Star Wars
Sidney Poitier, Lillies Of The Field
Gregory Peck, To Kill A Mockingbird
Cary Grant, The Philadelphia Story
Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry
James Cagney, Angels With Dirty Faces
Kurt Douglas, Lust For Life
Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca
Charleton Heston, Ben Hur
Spencer Tracy, Captains Courageous
John Wayne, The Searchers
Orson Welles, Citizen Kane

YWIA

[JohnnyMack]

In fact I hear that Oliver Stone's next project will be a sweeping epic of Jim Garrison's investigation of the NFL's involvement with former Nixon aides who brokered the deal between Castro and the U.S. government to bring down the Twin Towers and point the finger at Middle Eastern despots so that we could have reason to invade and recover lost relics of Alexander the Great.

Starring Nick Cage no doubt.

[Lott's Bandana]

No order:

Penn - Mystic River
Pitt - 12 Monkeys
Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Benigni - Life is Beautiful
Norton - 25th Hour, American History X
Foxx - Ray
Hoffman - Capote
Macy - Fargo
Del Toro - Usual Suspects
Spacey - Usual Suspects

Note: Although I don't consider BP a great actor, his performance in 12 Monkeys was completely insane and always noteworthy to me when I'm asked this thread question. Same goes for JFoxx in Ray.

[crawfish]

Keanu Reeves - the movie which he said "whoa!"

[SteelClip49]

Now you're just joking, right? I mean you can't be serious. (Maybe I don't have my sarcasm filter adjusted appropriately.)

You are clinically insane if you think this film has anything to do with reality.

If you really believe it is in any way a reflection of reality, then I'm pretty sure you also believe everything in J.F.K. was reality too, and not just an amalgamation of every internet conspiracy theory ever conceived.

In fact I hear that Oliver Stone's next project will be a sweeping epic of Jim Garrison's investigation of the NFL's involvement with former Nixon aides who brokered the deal between Castro and the U.S. government to bring down the Twin Towers and point the finger at Middle Eastern despots so that we could have reason to invade and recover lost relics of Alexander the Great.

A little reading and research will help you avoid stupid comments like this in the future.


Yeah....Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Clinton Portis...to name a few have never led the flashy life like what is definitely portrayed in Any Given Sunday. Forgive me...sheesh.

[sooneron]

This thread is hilarious.


srsly

[sooneron]

Note: Although I don't consider BP a great actor, his performance in 12 Monkeys was completely insane and always noteworthy to me when I'm asked this thread question. Same goes for JFoxx in Ray.
You should go see Pitt's Jesse James flick. You would probably change your mind about his acting as a whole. He did suck in Troy though. I'm a little surprised that one didn't make FEOUAD's list.

[soonervegas]

Daniel Day Lewis was the balls in Gangs of New York....just saying.

[Lott's Bandana]

You should go see Pitt's Jesse James flick. You would probably change your mind about his acting as a whole.


I'm in.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia would be up there.

[tbl]

Daniel Day Lewis was the balls in Gangs of New York....just saying.
Hands down one of the best roles I've ever seen portrayed on film. My favorite villain, evar.

[Scott D]

wow...

Daniel Day Lewis - In The Name of the Father
Lee Marvin - (insert Lee Marvin movie here)
Steve McQueen - The Great Escape
Tom Hanks - The Bonfire of the Vanities
Sidney Poitier - (anything he did before Sneakers)
Marlon Brando - Apocalypse Now
Val Kilmer - Tombstone
Michael Keaton - Pacific Heights/My Life
Toshiro Mifune - Hell in the Pacific (personally it could be any of his movies)
Jimmy Stewart - Vertigo

all of you should be ashamed for not having Toshiro Mifune in your lists...bastards.

[I_SMELL_FEAR]

Props to you guys throwing in some older actors Like Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck and such.

Jimmy Stewart - Rear Window (more for Grace Kelly being smoking hot than Stewart)

Spencer Tracy - Guess who's coming to dinner.

Dennis Hopper - True Romance

Clint Eastwood - White Hunter Black Heart, Unforgiven

Duvall - The Apostle

Richard Dreyfuss - Jaws, Close Encounters

Kevin Kline - Fish called Wanda

John Hurt - Until the End of the World

Gregory Peck - Roman Holiday, Cape Fear

Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke, Cat on a hot tin roof, Slap Shot

Pacino - Heat, Godfather

Denzel washington - Man on Fire, Training Day

[soonerhubs]

I have always been impressed with Mel Gibson's acting in movies such as Braveheart, Man Without a Face, and Signs.

Am I alone?

[Lott's Bandana]

That he did "...Without a Face", impressed me, considering his People Hunk status.

[Collier11]

matt damon, the talented mr. ripley

[silverwheels]

Gary, Team America: World Police

[OU4LIFE]

In fact I hear that Oliver Stone's next project will be a sweeping epic of Jim Garrison's investigation of the NFL's involvement with former Nixon aides who brokered the deal between Castro and the U.S. government to bring down the Twin Towers and point the finger at Middle Eastern despots so that we could have reason to invade and recover lost relics of Alexander the Great.


That's going to be a great South Park episode. Nobody does investigations like Mr. Garrison.