Who is the best hollywood actor/actress?

[IcebergSlim]

EVER? Hard to say. Daniel Day Lewis comes to mind. Jarrod Emick also comes to mine

Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis. Gary Oldman. Hugo Weaving. Ralph Fiennes. These are not the best ever, but they are among the best, and among the current best.

In Brugges featured 3 outstanding performances.....but I think Fiennes may have been the best of the lot...The best of the past 5 years was probably Christian Bale in American Hustle....

 

[Gracie]

yeah....EGR was good, but that is all he is known for mostly. Same concept, same character, just a different movie.

Robert DiNiro....good as baddie, funny in the Fockers.

The BEST of the best has to have been in all kinds of roles, and made you believe he or she WAS that character and ability to pull it all off...as each different character.

 

[Eaglewings]

I love the channel TCM and watch any Cary Grant movie that is listed

Along with

I really have a long list of actors that I love..

 

[Auld Phart]

yeah....EGR was good, but that is all he is known for mostly. Same concept, same character, just a different movie.

Robert DiNiro....good as baddie, funny in the Fockers.

The BEST of the best has to have been in all kinds of roles, and made you believe he or she WAS that character and ability to pull it all off...as each different character.

James Cagney

Gangster, boxer, law enforcement, song and dance man, comedy.

 

[Gracie]

View attachment 71905

I love the channel TCM and watch any Cary Grant movie that is listed

Along with

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I really have a long list of actors that I love..

John Wayne played the same roles...just in different movies.

 

[candycorn]

Best performance ever? Hard to get better than Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner & Frederich March The Best Years of Lives.

 

[Eaglewings]

View attachment 71905

I love the channel TCM and watch any Cary Grant movie that is listed

Along with

View attachment 71908
View attachment 71909

I really have a long list of actors that I love..

John Wayne played the same roles...just in different movies.

This last year I have studied many artists life's and what made them tick. Fascinating looking at John Wayne's yacht and home. Frank Sinatra and the gang, Sex drugs and rock and roll..
Remember how we felt they were so old.. ?

.

 

[IcebergSlim]

Best performance ever? Hard to get better than Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner & Frederich March The Best Years of Lives.

Kevin Spacey in Usual Suspects...Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape....Cliff Robertson in Charly.....Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone.....George C. Scott in Patton......John Turturro in Miller's Crossing...

 

[aaronleland]

James Stewart was a fag.

 

[IcebergSlim]

James Stewart was a fag.

You have him confused with John Wayne, Errol Flynn or Cary Grant.....

 

[Gracie]

I don't think I have put out there what I meant with the OP, so I will try again. Not y'alls fault. Tis mine for not able to put it across to my intentions.

Certain actors played very well in a part in a movie. They did excellent. But can that same actor play a completely DIFFERENT part in a completely DIFFERENT movie via real "acting"? John Wayne was military or westerns. And one quiet man in Ireland. Same person, same character, but not the same movie.

What actor or actress can play a character in DIFFERENT movies with different plots, different eras, different geographics, different personalities the complete opposite of each part they played and able to pull it off the BEST?

 

[Gracie]

Bacon. Bacon in breakfast. On sandwiches. On steaks. Wrapped around chicken. In stews. In soups. But it is also in pretzels. And Candy. And Ice Cream. And cakes. Bacon plays all those parts and is different than "just bacon" because it is used in different ways and can pull it off! It is not just bacon any more. But underneath everything it is put in or on..it is still BACON.

So..what actor can do that and did it best?

 

[ZackB]

Patrick Stewart.

Back in the day...actors and actresses had to be able to sing, dance and ACT. Nowadays...most can't sing. Or dance. And barely act.

Ever heard Jason Alexander sing (yes George from Seinfeld)?

I preferred him on Duckman..

Duckman was the best. My favorite line was when someone (probably Cornfed) pointed out to Duckman that he had just parked in a handicap parking space and Duckman said something like "What do I care? The only people who care are the handicapped and I can outrun them any day."

 

[IcebergSlim]

I don't think I have put out there what I meant with the OP, so I will try again. Not y'alls fault. Tis mine for not able to put it across to my intentions.

Certain actors played very well in a part in a movie. They did excellent. But can that same actor play a completely DIFFERENT part in a completely DIFFERENT movie via real "acting"? John Wayne was military or westerns. And one quiet man in Ireland. Same person, same character, but not the same movie.

What actor or actress can play a character in DIFFERENT movies with different plots, different eras, different geographics, different personalities the complete opposite of each part they played and able to pull it off the BEST?

I don't believe "range" has ever been much of a Hollywood thing...I can't think of an American equivalent of Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets, or the variety of roles played by Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Daniel Day Lewis, Ralph Fiennes or Colin Firth.

 

[Auld Phart]

Bacon. Bacon in breakfast. On sandwiches. On steaks. Wrapped around chicken. In stews. In soups. But it is also in pretzels. And Candy. And Ice Cream. And cakes. Bacon plays all those parts and is different than "just bacon" because it is used in different ways and can pull it off! It is not just bacon any more. But underneath everything it is put in or on..it is still BACON.

So..what actor can do that and did it best?

IN addition to the two I have already mentioned, Katherine Hepburn , and Ginger Rogers

 

[Eaglewings]

Tom Hanks seems to act in different roles and is believable. His latest movie Bridge of Spies is really good.

 

[Gracie]

Oh yeah! Hanks is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. THAT is acting.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

There is a vast difference between actors who play a variety of characters, and actors who merely play themselves in a part fitted to them.

John Wayne was ALWAYS John Wayne. Even when he was Genghis Khan.

John Hurt as Winston Smith was magnificent. Compare that to his role as Joseph Merrick.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Bacon. Bacon in breakfast. On sandwiches. On steaks. Wrapped around chicken. In stews. In soups. But it is also in pretzels. And Candy. And Ice Cream. And cakes. Bacon plays all those parts and is different than "just bacon" because it is used in different ways and can pull it off! It is not just bacon any more. But underneath everything it is put in or on..it is still BACON.

So..what actor can do that and did it best?

Kevin Bacon?

 

[Gracie]

There is a vast difference between actors who play a variety of characters, and actors who merely play themselves in a part fitted to them.

John Wayne was ALWAYS John Wayne. Even when he was Genghis Khan.

Exactly! That is what I was referring to in the OP. Actors who can act. Be someone other than themselves or the same character but in a different movie.
Hard to find them nowadays.

Well...except one that was right here in USMB. She/he was good. Very good. Had/has a lot of people fooled for a very long time...even now. Problem is...a good acting job does not last forever and one eventually flubs their line. This one did. Poof!