Best All-Time Actor?

[gerntz]

Ingrid Bergman

 

[EastWest Gal]

Meryl Streep
Tom Hanks

100% agree. They are amazing, in the breadth of the roles they have played. They do not play "themselves", especially Meryl Streep.

 

[JRon]

Sean Connery and Will Smith

 

[pb4uski]

Meryl Streep
Tom Hanks

+2

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I don't think Dustin Hoffman has come up yet. He has had a great career.

Christian Bale has the potential to be near the top of the list

 

[Silver]

Meryl Streep
Tom Hanks

These would be my votes as well. I would also add Denzel Washington.

 

[Rianne]

I agree, actors that changed their accent, learned new languages and transformed themselves into their characters. But Kate Kepburn is up there, as well as Cate Blanchett. Meryl Streep and Daniel Day Lewis in "My Left Foot" and many other roles.
Robin Williams and Steve Martin transformed from comedic roles to serious roles.

 

[easysurfer]

Joe Mantegna.

(No, not the football player GOAT, the actor ).

 

[O2Bfree]

Apollo 13? Lost count how many times I've seen that one.

We just watched that one again, great drama. The extra feature on the DVD about the actual mission is good too.

Love Tom Hanks, but I think Meryl Streep has a bit more breadth. I didn't think Hanks was entirely convincing in some of roles where he played famous people, such as Walt Disney and Fred Rogers. But Meryl Streep had the magic as Julia Child and Margaret Thatcher.

Loved seeing them together in The Post!

 

[steelyman]

Many great names mentioned here that I agree with. It’ll definitely get me dialing up a bunch of movies I haven’t seen in a while!

Maybe I’ll see how the thread unfolds for a while, tally up the numbers and post a proper poll with the top mentions.

 

[Dtail]

These would be my votes as well. I would also add Denzel Washington.

Ah yes forgot about Denzel.

 

[O2Bfree]

Ah yes forgot about Denzel.

I'd vote for him for sexiest overbite

 

[pb4uski]

I don't think Dustin Hoffman has come up yet. He has had a great career. ...

+1 add him to the list... great career. Harrison Ford might be a candidate too, he has a broad portfolio but more skewed to action films.

 

[Car-Guy]

I'd vote for him for sexiest overbite

Doesn't do a thing for me... Not even close.... But I do like his movies...

 

[CoolRich59]

100% agree. They are amazing, in the breadth of the roles they have played. They do not play "themselves", especially Meryl Streep.

Great point.

As was mentioned with Bogart and John Wayne, as much as I like them, you are always aware that you're watching Bogey or the Duke.

Along with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, Daniel Day Lewis is another example of an actor who becomes completely immersed in their role.

Some examples: Meryl Streep in 'The Iron Lady'. I sometimes thought it was really Margaret Thatcher on the screen. Daniel Day Lewis was incredible in 'My Left Foot' and 'Lincoln'.

 

[Midpack]

I couldn’t choose one, but it would probably be between Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field & Robert DeNiro to me. Tracy, Hepburn, Bergman, Olivier, Bogart, Gable and Brando are mostly before my time.

 

[Koolau]

I couldn’t choose one, but it would probably be between Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field & Robert DeNiro to me. Tracy, Hepburn, Bergman, Olivier and Brando are mostly before my time.

I still can't think of a "best" but your reply regarding older actors made me think of how I came to "know" Bogey. I would have been about 8 when I saw "Desperate Hours" with HB. I didn't even know who he was and history has not been particularly kind to some of HB's later work (including this one.)

So fast forward 10 years. A group (Drama? Student Government?) within my University held a Bogart retrospective. I was knocked out by Bogart's acting abilities even though I wasn't a total fan of the kinds of movies produced during his tenure. Oddly, Casablanca was NOT included. The first time I visited NYC I found a movie house that specialized in running "classic" movies and they were showing Casablanca. I was hooked upon seeing that film. Had this thread been titled "Best movie of all time" I would have said Casablanca without hesitation. I realize that's as arguable as is this thread so YMMV.

 

[Rocket Man]

I could never narrow it down to one! I like most all that have been mentioned here. Here are four more I want to include: Jack Lemmon, Morgan Freeman, Shirley McLain and James Earl Jones.

 

[Ready2Go]

2 of my favorites are Russell Crowe and Gene Hackman. Brando was great too.

 

[RAE]

Lots of good ones mentioned by everyone, but for me, it's Daniel Day-Lewis, hands down.

 

[Skyward1]

Many of my favourites have already been listed. Another that I didn't see mentioned is Michael Caine.

 

[Nemo2]

Another that I didn't see mentioned is Michael Caine.

Post #5.

 

[Skyward1]

Post #5.

Now how did I miss that.

 

[badatmath]

Sean Connery
Morgan Freeman
Daniel Craig

 

[Shredder]

Larry the cable guy, no it's really Robert Duval, but I like most of those mentioned already as well.