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]

Originally Posted by Kodos

The guy in the Ernest movies.

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]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by rowech

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]

Originally Posted by kingnebwsu

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]

Originally Posted by kingnebwsu

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

+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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

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]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

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]

Originally Posted by kingnebwsu

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.