All Time Greatest Actor/Actress

[rowech]

Not your favorite or not even the best in your opinion. Who would you say is the greatest when you look at their entire body of work for longevity, diversity, power, etc.

Mine are Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn with Cary Grant right on the fringe behind Stewart. Modern, I'd choose Tom Hanks.

[Raiders Army]

Jenna Jameson. You can't fake that stuff and I'd like to see Tom Hanks do what she does....no, wait, I wouldn't want to see that.

[Kodos]

The guy in the Ernest movies.

[Neuqua]

Rob Schneider.

[JPhillips]

Thespus

[Sun Tzu]

The guy in the Ernest movies.

:+1:

Jim Varney R.I.P.

[Logan]

Philip Seymour Hoffman is on his way.

[B & B]

Billy Mays

[Johnny93g]

Daniel Day-Lewis, Burt Lancaster, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando

Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale have a shot to become acting legends

[rowech]

Daniel Day-Lewis, Burt Lancaster, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando

Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale have a shot to become acting legends

DeNiro and Pacino need to start choosing some better roles.

[Grammaticus]

I could never pick one as the best. That sort of thing is more of a top 10 or something like that.

I would throw Clint Eastwood and Jack Nickelson on any best list as well as some of the others already listed.

Oh yeah and Bogart if you are going to the oldies.

[thesloppy]

I like Bale as a modern guy who could have a shot. Though he's made a ton of crap, and he also gets marginalized because of his 'main-stream' popularity, I could totally see Brad Pitt being considered one of the greats in 50 years.

I don't have any regard for the great majority of his recent work, but Harrison Ford's short run as Han Solo, Indian Jones, and Rick Decker, was some truly awesome shit, despite the fact that they're all 'fantasy' characters to some degree.

As far as the classics, he did a lot of the same kind of role, but Toshiro Mifune was a badass character in a lot of badass movies. Bakc in the 80s/90s I thought John Turturro was on his way towards being the best actor ever, but that kind of petered out.

[rowech]

I could never pick one as the best. That sort of thing is more of a top 10 or something like that.

I would throw Clint Eastwood and Jack Nickelson on any best list as well as some of the others already listed.

Oh yeah and Bogart if you are going to the oldies.

Please note...the question is not the best....the question is the greatest. In my opinion, a massive difference. Someone like DDL is fantastic but he has such a small body of work, I could never consider him the greatest.

[Grammaticus]

Well, greatest or best, I could not pick just one in either category. It also depends on what your definition of great is. For example, for me a large body of work is meaningless. James Dean has a puny body of work but is truely great in stature, influence and charisma. I guess if you look at greatest and what I see great as:

John Wayne
Clint Eastwood
Jack Nickelson
Marlon Brando
Robert DeNiro
Paul Newman
Steve McQueen

I guess I don't see the touchy feely actors as having as much of an impact on me.

[MikeVic]

Ellen Page.

[Swaggs]

DeNiro and Pacino need to stop choosing ever role they are offered.

Fixed. :)

[Swaggs]

I think Kate Winslett has a chance to become a legendary actress. She is only in her early 30s and has been nominated and won a ton of awards. I'd say there are a lot of decent candidates for actors (Sean Penn, Russell Crowe, and Johnny Depp).

I would probably rate Marlon Brando and Katherine Hepburn as the number 1 actor and actress.

Here is the AFI's lists for top 25 males and females (it seems more greatest "movie star" rather than greatest actor to me, but a good list to have for discussion purposes):

1. Humphrey Bogart
2. Cary Grant
3. James Stewart
4. Marlon Brando
5. Fred Astaire
6. Henry Fonda
7. Clark Gable
8. James Cagney
9. Spencer Tracy
10. Charlie Chaplin
11. Gary Cooper
12. Gregory Peck
13. John Wayne
14. Laurence Olivier
15. Gene Kelly
16. Orson Welles
17. Kirk Douglas
18. James Dean
19. Burt Lancaster
20. The Marx Brothers
21. Buster Keaton
22. Sidney Poitier
23. Robert Mitchum
24. Edward G. Robinson
25. William Holden

1. Katharine Hepburn
2. Bette Davis
3. Audrey Hepburn
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Greta Garbo
6. Marilyn Monroe
7. Elizabeth Taylor
8. Judy Garland
9. Marlene Dietrich
10. Joan Crawford
11. Barbara Stanwyck
12. Claudette Colbert
13. Grace Kelly
14. Ginger Rogers
15. Mae West
16. Vivien Leigh
17. Lillian Gish
18. Shirley Temple
19. Rita Hayworth
20. Lauren Bacall
21. Sophia Loren
22. Jean Harlow
23. Carole Lombard
24. Mary Pickford
25. Ava Gardner

[kingnebwsu]

How long ago was that list made? I don't see anyone on there who has been relevant in my lifetime.

[Kodos]

Nice to see Ingrid Bergman getting some love. Favorite old-time actress.

[Chief Rum]

How long ago was that list made? I don't see anyone on there who has been relevant in my lifetime.

Oh good, I wasn't the only one to notice this.

[rowech]

How long ago was that list made? I don't see anyone on there who has been relevant in my lifetime.

I don't think anyone who started acting in the 90s or after can be considered for such a list yet. The 80s maybe...70s yes. I think the amount of quality work has to be considered and that's why so many of the older generation gets credit from AFI. They used to crank out movies every couple of months.

With that said, that has to be a decently old list to not include Merryl Streep.

[Raiders Army]

Seriously though, I don't know why actors who star in comedies don't get recognized for being actors. It's only the weepy dramatic actors or the actors who play some mentally ill person that get recognized for being a good actor.

Eddie Murphy has made some stinkers but he's also been involved in some great movies too.

Say what you want, but Adam Sandler has made a decent drama or two as well.

[Kodos]

Jodie Foster should be in the conversation.

[3ric]

Female, it's Meryl Streep. It's harder to pick a male equivalent, though... but Spencer Tracy comes close.

[Buccaneer]

To me, a great actor/actress in one that extends him/herself beyond who they are 'normally'. There were/are too many popular/awarded actors that simply "play themselves" with good scripts. I put Bogart in that category. I want an actor that you say "I can't believe that's him/her!" or "How does he/she do that?". Two that comes to my mind are Dustin Hoffman and F. Murray Abraham. I would also add Ron Perlman and Daniel Day-Lewis. In other words, I assign greatness to range. What others can you think of like that?

[Kodos]

Keanu Reeves.

[BYU 14]

All time
Actors
DeNiro
Spencer Tracy
Jack Nicholson
Pacino
Marlon Brando

Actresses
Hepburn
Meryl Streep
Ingrid Bergman
Bette Davis
Fay Dunaway

Current Actors that have a shot
Johnny Depp
Denzel Washington
Christian Bale

No current actresses really stand out unfortunatelye

[bionicgrov]

Daniel-Day Lewis hands down. Hime playing Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York was the best acting I've ever seen.

I think to be a "great" actor you have to totally fool the audience. And by that I mean that you are a totally different person in every role you take. Every time I see DDL in a movie I am not at all reminded of his previous characters. He is like a totally new actor in each film.

[GrantDawg]

I think Robert Duvall must be mentioned, as well as Gene Hackman. They are just masters of the craft, and have carried movies on their own, but they are shining lights when they are in supporting roles. Plus, they have been in some of the best movies of all time.

I also agree with Buc that an actor should be recognized more by becoming someone else than just playing him/her self in a different setting. I agree with his selectons, but you have to add Phillip Seymour Hoffman to that list. The guy is a complete cameleon. If you haven't watched it, check out "Owning Mahowny." Great movie.

[BYU 14]

Daniel-Day Lewis hands down. Hime playing Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York was the best acting I've ever seen.

I think to be a "great" actor you have to totally fool the audience. And by that I mean that you are a totally different person in every role you take. Every time I see DDL in a movie I am not at all reminded of his previous characters. He is like a totally new actor in each film.

+1 there, he was fabulous in that Movie.

I have to throw Ed Norton in as another modern guy

[Kodos]

Hoffman is so talented. Makes me wish I had attended his plays back in the day. (He went to my high school, but was 3 or 4 years ahead of me. My brother was a casual acquaintance of his.)

[Pumpy Tudors]

Dick Butkus

[Cringer]

Whatever is decided amongst you all, John Cusack is highly under-rated in the world of acting. Just my opinion though.

[Grammaticus]

I think Robert Duvall must be mentioned, as well as Gene Hackman. They are just masters of the craft, and have carried movies on their own, but they are shining lights when they are in supporting roles. Plus, they have been in some of the best movies of all time.

I also agree with Buc that an actor should be recognized more by becoming someone else than just playing him/her self in a different setting. I agree with his selectons, but you have to add Phillip Seymour Hoffman to that list. The guy is a complete cameleon. If you haven't watched it, check out "Owning Mahowny." Great movie.


I would put Michael Cain in the same quality acting category as Duvall and Hackman. And yes as Cringer just mentioned I would say Cusack is in there too. Although of that group, Duvall is probably the best.

[Lorena]

Morgan Freeman
Sean Penn
Matt Damon

[Swaggs]

Duvall is awesome.

I was surprised to see that he is close to 80-years old.

[Suburban Rhythm]

How has Mike Myers or Adam Sandler not been mentioned yet?

[Noop]

Johnny Depp - Best actor alive in my opinion and could totally be the Joker to replace Ledger.
Denzel Washington - Training Day> Then most people's career.
Christian Bale - Beginning to get noticed.
Leonard DiCaprio - He has some outstanding movies under his belt.
Brad Pitt - Another guy whose body of work is very impressive.
Al Pacino - I didn't know he was the guy who played Scarface until some time later.
Will Smith - Mr. Blockbuster Movie.
Kevin Spacey - Is one hell of an actor and every movie he is in I watch just to give it a chance.

[Buccaneer]

I thought about this so more today and I could not believe I forgot Tom Hanks. I would also include Robert Duvall and Johnny Depp (thanks Noop). I have not seen Phillip Hoffman but from what I've heard, I would add him too. So...

Daniel Day-Lewis
Ron Perlman
Dustin Hoffman
F. Murray Abraham
Robert Duvall
Tom Hanks
Johnny Depp

I cannot think of any actresses that are like the actors. I also think it would be hard to include any of the old time stagey actors unless I could think of a great character actor.

[Noop]

For female actresses one name popped into my mind Charlize Theron; her performance for Monster was impressive.

[st.cronin]

Rip Torn

[thesloppy]

Rip Torn

Rip Torn rules, but he pretty much always seems like Rip Torn to me. Even in Beastmaster, part of me is thinking "Why is Rip Torn weaing a bearskin and throwing ferrets off the top of that pyramid?"

[Autumn]

I'm surprised I haven't seen Gary Oldman listed yet, among the "newer" crop of actors. I'd say he, Meryll Streep, Daniel Day Lewis, Johnny Depp, Robert Duvall and Richard Harris are ones that stand out to me as being able to disappear in a role.

A lot of the others I see mentioned here seem more like stars to me, people that always just are themselves. De Niro and Pacino are veering into that category sadly with their later work. Freeman and Caine I put in the same boat.

I don't have a lot of actresses popping into my head, strangely. Kate Winslet I think is very good but am not sure she has enough credentials. Cate Blanchett actually I would say. If you've seen her in I'm Not There you can see she can truly become someone else.

[PineTar]

Jack Lemmon needs at least one mention.

[korme]

De Niro

[korme]

Daniel Day-Lewis, Burt Lancaster, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando

Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale have a shot to become acting legends

This is an exceptional list, only missing Hanks.

Day Lewis' body of work is small but he's the shit.

[cuervo72]

How long ago was that list made? I don't see anyone on there who has been relevant in my lifetime.

Perhaps films in our lifetime aren't relevant...

[SFL Cat]

What? No love for Jerry Lewis? No wonder the French despise us.

[Swaggs]

I think Deniro was great and he is a favorite among today's actors, but it has been almost 20 years since he did anything remotely memorable (unless you want to give him a lot of credit for good, but not great comedic roles). Goodfellas was in 1990 and Cape Fear in '91 -- both very good movies and performances, but not anything outside of his wheelhouse.

He's had an interesting career, in that he had a great 15-20 year run up into his mid-40s, but has been pretty typecast and robotic (in my opinion) during the period of his career that you would normally think he'd be able to be very selective in his roles and could rack up some award-worthy performances.

I think his career was on track to be an all-time great one, but he won't compare very well to some of his comtemporaries 25 or 30 years from now.

[Warhammer]

All time great actor: Cary Grant - The guy could play any role. He could be a comedic actor, and he could be dramatic. The only reason why you would say why is Cary Grant doing this, is because he was Cary "Freaking" Grant!

All time great actress: Ingrid Bergman - She played a variety of roles and nailed them all. Never saw her in a stinker role.

As far as recent actors, none of them really appear to be acting. Most of the ones I've seen have been playing themselves in a role. The best I have seen of the last 20 years, Tom Hanks, Ewen McGregor, and Johnny Depp.

The actresses are complete junk. I'd give it to Scarlett Johansen because I like her body. I hate to say it, but most actresses now are just empty suits.

[RendeR]

Watch "On Golden Pond" take your pick.

[revrew]

(The following is corrected for my brief lapse into stupidity, citing the wrong name)

Gregory Peck (not Gary Cooper per my previous post) deserves special mention, IMO. I forget who, but one of those Hollywood rags compiled a list of the 10 greatest villains and 10 greatest movie heroes of all time. Peck, if I remember right, was #1 in BOTH categories. THAT'S range. (BTW, villain was Captain Ahab of Moby Dick, and hero was Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird).

For more modern times, I'm a big fan of Dustin Hoffman. Gotta admit, as hard as it is to say it, Johnny Depp has indeed shown crazy range.

Would have to think for a while about actresses. Call me sexist, I guess. Or maybe it's just that actresses are so often seen in a supporting role. Some that I know are quite good - Meryl Streep - etc, I personally can't stand, nor can I stand the movies where they are highlighted, so my opinions of them may be skewed.

[cuervo72]

Gary Cooper deserves special mention, IMO. I forget who, but one of those Hollywood rags compiled a list of the 10 greatest villains and 10 greatest movie heroes of all time. Coop, if I remember right, was #1 in BOTH categories. THAT'S range. (BTW, villain was Captain Ahab of Moby Dick, and hero was Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird).

Gregory Peck was Atticus Finch. Had to have been a different role for Cooper.

[cuervo72]

Dola - but Gary Cooper was super duper.

[GrantDawg]

Dola - but Gary Cooper was super duper.


:lol:

[Buccaneer]

Repeating what I just said in the Dark Knight thread. To me, a great actor or performance is someone playing a role that is so different than what the person is like, that you cannot believe that it is him. Ledger's Joker was perhaps the best I have ever seen.

[Edward64]

Sorry, not all are great actors but ones that I really enjoy. In no particular order

Nicholas Cage, John Travolta - I am impressed with their longevity and the
range of movies they have starred in. Whenever Saturday Night Fever comes on when I am flipping channels, I still have to pause a watch a little of it.

Matt Damon - mentioned specifically for his Bourne films which I really enjoy. Acting is somewhat bland.

Al Pacino - his Godfather role set the standard for me, all his other movies do not measure up and therefore disappoint by default.

Tom Cruise - okay, not for his acting or religion but com'on ... Top Gun, Risky Business, MI series, Taps etc. His movies have entertained me from my teens through current. I have to give him kudos for that.

Robert Duvall - ditto with above. Gene Hackman was also mentioned but I never got into his movies.

... to be continued with the female actresses.

[Sgran]

If we're talking best body of work, factoring in range:
Philip S. Hoffman - what can't he do?
Robert Downey - if you need proof of how much better he is than average actors, just watch Scanner Darkly
Deniro
Jack Lemon
Morgan Freeman - though I'd like to see him challenged with a really off the wall role. I think he'd come through. Like if he'd had Keanu's role in Scanner Darkly.
DD Lewis
Malkovich - I'd just like to mention that his role in Being John Malkovich is the most underrated performance of all time. I seriously think he fooled people into thinking he was playing himself.

I'm having a hard time coming up with women. Meryl Streep. Maybe Catherine Keener?

[JPhillips]

Range is over rated IMO. Many other cultures have actors who specialize in one character type for their entire career. There's great value in mastering a type over years of work ala Cary Grant or Clint Eastwood.

[Anthony]

yeah, actresses aren't memorable these days.

there's no difference in Jennifer Aniston, Katherine Heigl or Sandra Bullock or Eva Mendes or Kiera Knightley or Kate Winslett. all the same person, you can interchange without missing a beat.

of course you can always say there may not be any good roles out there for women to showcase their stuff. i think the problem we're seeing is like for an emotional character or scene that requires passion/sadness/frailty - these are traits all women possess to some varying degree. i know this will come off bad, but its the same as the saying "all black people can sing". even the worst talented woman who acts can still be able to tap into her emotional side, there isn't any "stepping outside the box" or "going outside their element" for that sort of stuff.

take a role like the Joker played by Ledger. now that's acting. who even sees Heath Ledger in that role? who sees Johnny Depp when he plays Capt Jack? the scene where the Joker is in jail and handcuffed to a wall and a cop says he's gonna enjoy kicking the shit out of him and the camera cuts back to the Joker and he just rolls his eyes and licks his lips - i truly saw someone who just didn't give a fucking shit at all. acting with your eyes? c'mon. that can't be taught. you have to have that ability inside you already.


this is what i'm talking about:

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg238/jarviewallbanger_2008/The_Joker__V3__by_itmon.jpg
this guy looks like he could care less.

[Buccaneer]

take a role like the Joker played by Ledger. now that's acting. who even sees Heath Ledger in that role?

Since we haven't gotten the DVD with the extra stuff, I've been trying since yesterday to find him that role. I looked at a number of youtube makeup and interview clips but still nothing satisfies. It's not like he's under tons off cover-ups or CGI, there's enough of him to be visible and audible. Depp is close, esp. when you compare Sparrow to Wonka to Sweeney Tood.

JPhillips: I obviously take the opposite view and have to agree to disagree, yet again.

[JPhillips]

Buc: We'll probably disagree more than you know. This is really a question about American film actors, a mode that's almost entirely based on realism. Nothing wrong with that, but it's just a single type of "acting". Where does Bill Irwin's clowning fit in? Or Avner the Eccentric? Or Balinese temple dancer, I Nyoman Catra, perhaps the most skilled performer I've ever seen? How do you compare Ledger to a man that can improv in five different languages while moving with such incredible precision that his eyes and pinkies are continually expressive? Nyoman likely couldn't figure out how to do the Joker, but Ledger would be equally lost outside of his specialty.

This is just a bugaboo of mine as I'm trying to teach students there's far more to acting than American film realism.

[rowech]

yeah, actresses aren't memorable these days.

there's no difference in Jennifer Aniston, Katherine Heigl or Sandra Bullock or Eva Mendes or Kiera Knightley or Kate Winslett. all the same person, you can interchange without missing a beat.



Gonna have to call you on Kate Winslett...She definitely stands out from the others there. I'd say four of your six can't really even act well at all.

[Anthony]

why? cuz Winslett was in Titanic? let me give you some info - you could've dressed a monkey in a wig and Titanic still would've been one of the highest grossing movies of all time. why do you think most summer blockbuster movies fare well? they all have the air of "this is something big". they do well regardless of who's in them. not saying Titantic was a summer blockbuster, its just it was a big movie and Kate Winslett being in it didn't put it over the top nor detract. she was a neutral force on the movie. no matter what she does in her life she'll always be "that actress from one of the biggest movies of all time", so yeah, you would tend to pick her out of a lineup featuring some of those other actresses.

no actress in the last 20 years could pull off doing what Ledger did with the Joker, you now, going to that dark place inside them and bringing out a completely different character. what actress is asked to do that? ok, maybe Theron in Monster (i didn't see this one) and perhaps Halle Berry's role in Monster's Ball (i saw it and was pleased with her performance). mostly, like i pointed out before, actresses are asked to bring out a performance and draw on emotions that most any non-acting female is able to tap into. there's a reason why you don't see any females mentioned as "method actors" - none are asked to become anyone else. its always basically a woman being asked to act like another woman. they're not asked to become anyone, just to imitate what a woman would do in this situation.

[rowech]

why? cuz Winslett was in Titanic? let me give you some info - you could've dressed a monkey in a wig and Titanic still would've been one of the highest grossing movies of all time. why do you think most summer blockbuster movies fare well? they all have the air of "this is something big". they do well regardless of who's in them. not saying Titantic was a summer blockbuster, its just it was a big movie and Kate Winslett being in it didn't put it over the top nor detract. she was a neutral force on the movie. no matter what she does in her life she'll always be "that actress from one of the biggest movies of all time", so yeah, you would tend to pick her out of a lineup featuring some of those other actresses.

no actress in the last 20 years could pull off doing what Ledger did with the Joker, you now, going to that dark place inside them and bringing out a completely different character. what actress is asked to do that? ok, maybe Theron in Monster (i didn't see this one) and perhaps Halle Berry's role in Monster's Ball (i saw it and was pleased with her performance). mostly, like i pointed out before, actresses are asked to bring out a performance and draw on emotions that most any non-acting female is able to tap into. there's a reason why you don't see any females mentioned as "method actors" - none are asked to become anyone else. its always basically a woman being asked to act like another woman. they're not asked to become anyone, just to imitate what a woman would do in this situation.

You're kidding on Winslett, right? That's one of the silliest comments I've ever seen -- saying it's all about Titanic for her.

As for why we don't see actresses do what Ledger or Hopkins does isn't because they can't. It's because it won't appeal to women and therefore won't sell. Never saw Monster and I'm guessing a vast majority of people never did either. Men? Perhaps....women? I would guess very few. Never saw Monster's Ball and I'm guessing a vast majority of people never did either. Men? Perhaps....women? I would guess very few.

Women want to see depth to their characters and feel as if they're seeing someone they can relate too where as men, many times, are looking for the exact opposite. They want to see someone be very different from themselves because we think this is "real" acting. Acting for women is COMPLETELY different for men. They get something entirely different from the experience and want something completely different from the experience.

[Buccaneer]

Acting for women is COMPLETELY different for men. They get something entirely different from the experience and want something completely different from the experience.


I'll go along with that.

[Noop]

I think Charlize Theron in Monster is on par with Ledger, her performance is truly good. I found out after the fact that she was in that film, my reaction was of surprised because Charlize Theron is beautiful. Yet in the film she is not even recognizable and she is very unattractive.

[Anthony]

You're kidding on Winslett, right? That's one of the silliest comments I've ever seen -- saying it's all about Titanic for her.



what varied and extensive roles has she played? if someone says "quick - name one movie that best personifies the best of Winslet" your probable 1st answer would be "Titanic". say the same thing about De Niro or Depp you're gonna hesitate for a second or two. i'm not impressed by Winslet.

i would put my money on Reese Witherspoon being the best actress of our/her generation. between Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, Walk the Line and Rendition - those are very different characters.

[Autumn]

I don't think that's right on Winslet at all. I certainly wouldn't pick Titanic as her key performance, although I actually think she was very good in it. That scene on the deck where she first sees Jack's drawings she does some remarkable acting with just her expression.

However, I would say maybe Beautiful Creatures would be her defining role. She has quite a number of possibilities though and Titanic wouldn't be tops on the list.

However, I don't agree at all about your thoughts on women actors so we probably will just agree to disagree.

[korme]

Cate Blanchett, guys.

[judicial clerk]

Daniel-Day Lewis hands down. Hime playing Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York was the best acting I've ever seen.
Thank you.

and perhaps Halle Berry's role in Monster's Ball (i saw it and was pleased with her performance I bet you were.

dont forget Joh C. Reilly and Julianne Moore.

My top two currently working would be Jodie Foster and Daniel Day Lewis.

[Scoobz0202]

Add me to the Kate Winslet fan club. In my opinion, she'll go down as one of the greatest actresses in film history when it's all said and done.

[Grammaticus]

Winslet is a brittish Drew Barrymore and she doesn't act any better. I think she is a good actress (as is Berrymore), but don't see her as one of the greats.

[chadritt]

Anthony, just curious....does the fact Kate Winslet won both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress tonight affect your opinion of her at all? At the very least it should show shes considered by her peers to be head and shoulders above those other actresses you mentioned.

[Tigercat]

If I had to choose an actor to thaw out in his prime to carry my movie, my choice in order of preference:

Bogart
Brando
Peck
Stewart

[ISiddiqui]

Personally I think Winslet is brilliant. And, to me, her defining role isn't "Titanic" but "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", in which I thought she was absolutely brilliant.

[BrianD]

Morgan Freeman - though I'd like to see him challenged with a really off the wall role. I think he'd come through. Like if he'd had Keanu's role in Scanner Darkly.


Have you seen him in The Power of One? It isn't a wild and crazy role, but his acting as a beaten down prisoner in a South African camp is different than his more usual role and was very good.

For top women actors, I'd put Jodie Foster very high on the list.