Good Actors

[Zhukov]

Let's throw up some names of people who we think act well. Not people who have been in a million movies and can't act, or people who have been in multiple blockbusters and can't act (Keanu), but people who actually have skill acting and can portray a wide variety of characters instead of just themselves over and over again.

I mentioned Billy Bob Thorton (Slingblade, U-Turn) and Robin Williams (What Dreams May Come, Awakenings, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire), I'd also throw out:

Anthony Hopkins

Tim Robbins (radical political agendas do not disqualify)

Liam Neeson

 

[DKSuddeth]

Sam Rockwell (Wild Bill in the Green Mile and Guy Fleegman in Galaxy Quest)

Dough Hutchison (percy whetmore - Green Mile and Ifty in I am Sam

Michael Wincott The Crow, 3 musketeers, Metro, Robin Hood

 

[nycflasher]

Ian McKellen

Robert Duvall

Peter Sellers

Sean Penn

Dustin Hoffman

Susan Sarandon

John C. Reilly

Joan Allen

 

[Dan]

Tom Hanks

Jim Carrey

Kate Winslet

Johnny Depp

Al Pacino

Robert De Nero

Michael Madsen

Julianne Moore

Nicholas Cage (when he wants to be)

Brad Pitt

Edward Norton

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Dan
Tom Hanks

Jim Carrey

Kate Winslet

Johnny Depp

Al Pacino

Robert De Nero

Michael Madsen

Julianne Moore

Nicholas Cage (when he wants to be)

Brad Pitt

Edward Norton

Nice list. I might take the Nick Cage qualifier away, though, and add "when he wants to be" to Michael Madsen.

Madsen has been in some pretty bad "b" movies where he gave a "b" quality performance.

Cage is the man, IMO. Plus, he can pull off the alligator skin boots. I thought he was as excellent as his character was fucked up in Leaving Las Vegas.

 

[Zhukov]

Originally posted by nycflasher


Peter Sellers

Dr. Strangelove

He plays the President, Group Commander Mandrake, and the title character, Dr. Strangelove. AND he's the Pink Panther. That's versatility.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Zhukov
Dr. Strangelove

He plays the President, Group Commander Mandrake, and the title character, Dr. Strangelove. AND he's the Pink Panther. That's versatility.

Dang, I forgot he was the Dr.
That's range, going from the Pink Panther to Dr. Strangelove. I haven't watched any of the Pink Panther series in a while, but if I had them on DVD I think I could watch them over and over like some people do Jim Carrey movies.

 

[Zhukov]

Originally posted by Dan


Nicholas Cage

I don't know how I feel about Nicholas Cage. I don't think his acting in roles like The Rock, Con-Air, or Face Off was any good. In fact I think he was awful.

He's good in some roles, but he just doesn't make a believable action hero I don't think. Of course all those movies fucking sucked anyways, so who knows.

 

[Dan]

Nice list. I might take the Nick Cage qualifier away, though, and add "when he wants to be" to Michael Madsen.

Madsen has been in some pretty bad "b" movies where he gave a "b" quality performance.

Cage is the man, IMO. Plus, he can pull off the alligator skin boots. I thought he was as excellent as his character was fucked up in Leaving Las Vegas.

You have a good point there. I had forgotten Madsen in such classics as Species 2. Still, he is good when he wants to be, and his character in Kill Bill was probably the most complex one in the entire movie.

I love Nic Cage, but he's a lot like Ben Affleck, in that he keeps doing these horrible action movies even though he's not good in them. Like Affleck, if he stuck to more dramatic roles, he'd be a lot better, I think. That said, Leaving Las Vegas, Valley Girl, and Adaptation are great great performances. Heck, in Adaptation, he plays twins, and you never once think about the fact that it's one person playing both of them.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Zhukov
I don't know how I feel about Nicholas Cage. I don't think his acting in roles like The Rock, Con-Air, or Face Off was any good. In fact I think he was awful.

He's good in some roles, but he just doesn't make a believable action hero I don't think. Of course all those movies fucking sucked anyways, so who knows.

I gotta say, yeah, those movies all sucked...
I think he definitely shines in good movies, but can't carry a bad one.

I dunno, maybe he's not the BEST actor but I liked him in Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas, Fast Times, Peggy Sue Got Married, Wild at Heart and even Guarding Tess.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Dan
You have a good point there. I had forgotten Madsen in such classics as Species 2. Still, he is good when he wants to be, and his character in Kill Bill was probably the most complex one in the entire movie....

... Heck, in Adaptation, [Cage] plays twins, and you never once think about the fact that it's one person playing both of them.

Ah, I have yet to see the Kill Bill movies! Can't wait. And yeah, I forgot, Cage was AWESOME in Adaptation. That was such a good role for him!

 

[Dan]

He's versatile, no doubt.

But, wasn't he only in Fast Times for like twenty seconds or something?

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Dan
He's versatile, no doubt.

But, wasn't he only in Fast Times for like twenty seconds or something?

Yeah I just pulled that out of nowhere, realizing it was probably the fist movie I saw him in.

That movie was all Sean Penn.
Oh, and Reinhold.

 

[Dan]

That movie was all Sean Penn.
Oh, and Reinhold.

See, personally, I think Reinhold peaked with Vice Versa.

 

[winston churchi]

Gene Hackman.

 

[Dan]

John Tuturro

 

[MtnBiker]

Originally posted by winston churchi
Gene Hackman.

Yup, I was going to say his name as well. He was great in The Unforgiven.

Also Robert Duvall, great performance in Open Range.

 

[Zhukov]

Originally posted by Dan
John Tuturro

How could I forget John Tutturo!?!?

 

[insein]

Keefer Sutherland

Collin Ferrell (Young but good)

Edward Norton

Jim Carrey (We've yet to see his masterpiece)

Ewan Mcgregor (not in everything but alot of things)

Denzel Washington (very versatile)

 

[Dan]

Jim Carrey (We've yet to see his masterpiece)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind comes close to being his masterpiece. I'd definitely call it a masterpiece, but it's greatness really results from the story and direction than the performances. Still, it proved that he is a great actor, and he's good at drama.