Brando, Pacino, and Hackman are my three favorite.
DeNiro great, but he makes too many clunkers.
Danny Devito very underrated. A virtual midget who is such a good actor he can play normal roles.
Robert Downey Jr, Sean Penn, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt (watch Kalifornia and tell me he's not a GREAT actor) are probably the best of the contemporary stars.
DeNiro great, but he makes too many clunkers.
Danny Devito very underrated. A virtual midget who is such a good actor he can play normal roles.
Robert Downey Jr, Sean Penn, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt (watch Kalifornia and tell me he's not a GREAT actor) are probably the best of the contemporary stars.
That List Is A Joke
No, Pacino, Dinero, Brando, Hoffman, Clift, Streep? And they have Shirley fucking Temple & Fred Astair. They made it on popularity w/the public, NOT acting merit. SHIRLY TEMPLE give me a break. Streep, might be the greatest female actor of all time. Biggest box office no, but on pure acting talent. If I were to rate the most underrated IMO, a guy who's never made a movie that I saw and didn't like is Robert Redford. I know, I know he doesn't have the acting awards like the others. But I can't think of one movie of his I didn't enjoy. And that counts for a lot IMHO. Also Jodi Foster, Gene Hackman, and yes Clint. Watch the last 10 mins. of "A Place In The Sun". The shots where Liz is saying goodbye to Monty, almost brings tears to your eyes. The most gorgeous creature God EVER put on earth @ that time.
No, Pacino, Dinero, Brando, Hoffman, Clift, Streep? And they have Shirley fucking Temple & Fred Astair. They made it on popularity w/the public, NOT acting merit. SHIRLY TEMPLE give me a break. Streep, might be the greatest female actor of all time. Biggest box office no, but on pure acting talent. If I were to rate the most underrated IMO, a guy who's never made a movie that I saw and didn't like is Robert Redford. I know, I know he doesn't have the acting awards like the others. But I can't think of one movie of his I didn't enjoy. And that counts for a lot IMHO. Also Jodi Foster, Gene Hackman, and yes Clint. Watch the last 10 mins. of "A Place In The Sun". The shots where Liz is saying goodbye to Monty, almost brings tears to your eyes. The most gorgeous creature God EVER put on earth @ that time.
Funny no one has mentioned a 2 time AA best actor, of this generation? His early rolls have hurt him in this regard, i.e. not taken seriously. I'll compare one of his pics w/anything Brando did, including Streetcar, he was helped a lot there by Leigh's performance.
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while i think actors for the most part are overrated , this is my list of the best one's i've seen since 1978 . in no order
nicholson
pacino ( up to about 1993 )
hoffman ( both dustin and phillip )
penn
depp
hanks ( decent )
deniro
as far as actresses go , streep is in a class all by herself.
others
julia roberts
jodi foster
charlize theron
susan sarandon
nicholson
pacino ( up to about 1993 )
hoffman ( both dustin and phillip )
penn
depp
hanks ( decent )
deniro
as far as actresses go , streep is in a class all by herself.
others
julia roberts
jodi foster
charlize theron
susan sarandon
Silver7
Daniel Day Lewis.
The best performance I think I’ve ever seen given by a male lead in a film with his portrayal of Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.
4 Oscar nominations with 2 wins (There Will Be Blood *win*, My Left Foot: The Story Of Christy Brown *win*, Gangs of New York, In The Name Of The Father) means he’s been nominated in about half of his last 9 films.
Pretty strong...
wil.
Daniel Day Lewis.
The best performance I think I’ve ever seen given by a male lead in a film with his portrayal of Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.
4 Oscar nominations with 2 wins (There Will Be Blood *win*, My Left Foot: The Story Of Christy Brown *win*, Gangs of New York, In The Name Of The Father) means he’s been nominated in about half of his last 9 films.
Pretty strong...
wil.
One of my all time favorites - Spencer Tracy.
Tracy became the first actor to win back-to-back Oscars for Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938). He was nominated for San Francisco (1936), Father of the Bride (1950), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), The Old Man and the Sea (1958), Inherit the Wind (1960), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). He had a brief romantic relationship with Loretta Young in the 1930s and a lifelong one with Katharine Hepburn beginning in 1942, they made eight movies together.
Spencer Tracy's Body of work.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) .... Matt Drayton
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) .... Capt. C. G. Culpepper
... aka It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (USA: promotional title)
How the West Was Won (1962) .... Narrator
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) .... Chief Judge Dan Haywood
... aka Judgement at Nuremberg
The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) .... Father Matthew Doonan
Inherit the Wind (1960) .... Henry Drummond
The Last Hurrah (1958) .... Mayor Frank Skeffington
The Old Man and the Sea (1958) .... The Old Man / Narrator
Desk Set (1957) .... Richard Sumner
... aka His Other Woman (UK)
The Mountain (1956) .... Zachary Teller
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) .... John J. Macreedy
Broken Lance (1954) .... Matt Devereaux
The Actress (1953) .... Clinton Jones
Plymouth Adventure (1952) .... Capt. Christopher Jones
Pat and Mike (1952) .... Mike Conovan
The People Against O'Hara (1951) .... James P. Curtayne
Father's Little Dividend (1951) .... Stanley Banks
... aka Laugh Track: Father's Little Dividend (USA: video title (redubbed comic version))
Father of the Bride (1950) .... Stanley T. Banks
Malaya (1949) .... Carnaghan
... aka East of the Rising Sun (UK)
Adam's Rib (1949) .... Adam Bonner
Edward, My Son (1949) .... Arnold Boult
State of the Union (1948) .... Grant Matthews
... aka The World and His Wife (UK)
Cass Timberlane (1947) .... Cass Timberlane
... aka Sinclair Lewis' Cass Timberlane (USA: promotional title)
The Sea of Grass (1947) .... Col. James B. 'Jim' Brewton
Without Love (1945) .... Pat Jamieson
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) .... Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle
The Seventh Cross (1944) .... George Heisler
... aka The Seven Crosses
A Guy Named Joe (1943) .... Pete Sandidge
Keeper of the Flame (1942) .... Steven 'Stevie' O'Malley
Tortilla Flat (1942) .... Pilon
Woman of the Year (1942) .... Sam Craig
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) .... Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Men of Boys Town (1941) .... Father Flanagan
Boom Town (1940) .... Jonathan Sand
Edison, the Man (1940) .... Thomas A. Edison
'Northwest Passage' (Book I -- Rogers' Rangers) (1940) .... Major Rogers
... aka Northwest Passage (USA: short title)
Young Tom Edison (1940) (uncredited) .... Man Admiring Portrait of Thomas A. Edison
I Take This Woman (1940) .... Dr. Karl Decker
Stanley and Livingstone (1939) .... Henry M. Stanley
Boys Town (1938) .... Father Flanagan
... aka Boys' Town (USA: poster title)
Test Pilot (1938) .... Gunner Morris
Mannequin (1937) .... John L. Hennessey
Big City (1937) .... Joe Benton
... aka Skyscraper Wilderness (USA: TV title)
Captains Courageous (1937) .... Manuel Fidello
... aka Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous (USA: complete title)
They Gave Him a Gun (1937) .... Fred P. Willis
Libeled Lady (1936) .... Haggerty
San Francisco (1936) .... Father Mullin
Fury (1936) .... Joe Wilson
Riffraff (1936) .... Dutch
Whipsaw (1935) .... Ross 'Mac' McBride aka Danny Ross Ackerman
Dante's Inferno (1935) .... Jim Carter
The Murder Man (1935) .... Steven 'Steve' Grey
It's a Small World (1935) .... Bill Shevlin
Marie Galante (1934) .... Dr. Crawbett
Now I'll Tell (1934) .... Murray Golden
... aka Now I'll Tell You
... aka When New York Sleeps (UK)
Bottoms Up (1934) .... 'Smoothie' King
Looking for Trouble (1934) .... Joe Graham
The Show-Off (1934) .... J. Aubrey Piper
The Mad Game (1933) .... Edward Carson
Man's Castle (1933) .... Bill
... aka A Man's Castle (USA: review title)
The Power and the Glory (1933) .... Tom Garner
... aka Power and Glory (UK)
Shanghai Madness (1933) .... Pat Jackson
Face in the Sky (1933) .... Joe Buck
20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932) .... Tommy Connors
Me and My Gal (1932) .... Danny Dolan
The Painted Woman (1932) .... Tom Brian
... aka After the Rain (USA: alternative title)
Society Girl (1932) .... Briscoe
Young America (1932) .... Jack Doray
... aka We Humans (UK)
Disorderly Conduct (1932) .... Dick Fay
Sky Devils (1932) .... Wilkie
She Wanted a Millionaire (1932) .... William Kelley
Goldie (1931) .... Bill
Six Cylinder Love (1931) .... William Donroy
Quick Millions (1931) .... Daniel J. 'Bugs' Raymond
Up the River (1930) .... Saint Louis
The Hard Guy (1930) .... Guy
... aka The Tough Guy
Taxi Talks (1930) .... Taxi Driver
The Strong Arm (1930)
Tracy became the first actor to win back-to-back Oscars for Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938). He was nominated for San Francisco (1936), Father of the Bride (1950), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), The Old Man and the Sea (1958), Inherit the Wind (1960), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). He had a brief romantic relationship with Loretta Young in the 1930s and a lifelong one with Katharine Hepburn beginning in 1942, they made eight movies together.
Spencer Tracy's Body of work.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) .... Matt Drayton
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) .... Capt. C. G. Culpepper
... aka It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (USA: promotional title)
How the West Was Won (1962) .... Narrator
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) .... Chief Judge Dan Haywood
... aka Judgement at Nuremberg
The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) .... Father Matthew Doonan
Inherit the Wind (1960) .... Henry Drummond
The Last Hurrah (1958) .... Mayor Frank Skeffington
The Old Man and the Sea (1958) .... The Old Man / Narrator
Desk Set (1957) .... Richard Sumner
... aka His Other Woman (UK)
The Mountain (1956) .... Zachary Teller
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) .... John J. Macreedy
Broken Lance (1954) .... Matt Devereaux
The Actress (1953) .... Clinton Jones
Plymouth Adventure (1952) .... Capt. Christopher Jones
Pat and Mike (1952) .... Mike Conovan
The People Against O'Hara (1951) .... James P. Curtayne
Father's Little Dividend (1951) .... Stanley Banks
... aka Laugh Track: Father's Little Dividend (USA: video title (redubbed comic version))
Father of the Bride (1950) .... Stanley T. Banks
Malaya (1949) .... Carnaghan
... aka East of the Rising Sun (UK)
Adam's Rib (1949) .... Adam Bonner
Edward, My Son (1949) .... Arnold Boult
State of the Union (1948) .... Grant Matthews
... aka The World and His Wife (UK)
Cass Timberlane (1947) .... Cass Timberlane
... aka Sinclair Lewis' Cass Timberlane (USA: promotional title)
The Sea of Grass (1947) .... Col. James B. 'Jim' Brewton
Without Love (1945) .... Pat Jamieson
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) .... Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle
The Seventh Cross (1944) .... George Heisler
... aka The Seven Crosses
A Guy Named Joe (1943) .... Pete Sandidge
Keeper of the Flame (1942) .... Steven 'Stevie' O'Malley
Tortilla Flat (1942) .... Pilon
Woman of the Year (1942) .... Sam Craig
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) .... Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Men of Boys Town (1941) .... Father Flanagan
Boom Town (1940) .... Jonathan Sand
Edison, the Man (1940) .... Thomas A. Edison
'Northwest Passage' (Book I -- Rogers' Rangers) (1940) .... Major Rogers
... aka Northwest Passage (USA: short title)
Young Tom Edison (1940) (uncredited) .... Man Admiring Portrait of Thomas A. Edison
I Take This Woman (1940) .... Dr. Karl Decker
Stanley and Livingstone (1939) .... Henry M. Stanley
Boys Town (1938) .... Father Flanagan
... aka Boys' Town (USA: poster title)
Test Pilot (1938) .... Gunner Morris
Mannequin (1937) .... John L. Hennessey
Big City (1937) .... Joe Benton
... aka Skyscraper Wilderness (USA: TV title)
Captains Courageous (1937) .... Manuel Fidello
... aka Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous (USA: complete title)
They Gave Him a Gun (1937) .... Fred P. Willis
Libeled Lady (1936) .... Haggerty
San Francisco (1936) .... Father Mullin
Fury (1936) .... Joe Wilson
Riffraff (1936) .... Dutch
Whipsaw (1935) .... Ross 'Mac' McBride aka Danny Ross Ackerman
Dante's Inferno (1935) .... Jim Carter
The Murder Man (1935) .... Steven 'Steve' Grey
It's a Small World (1935) .... Bill Shevlin
Marie Galante (1934) .... Dr. Crawbett
Now I'll Tell (1934) .... Murray Golden
... aka Now I'll Tell You
... aka When New York Sleeps (UK)
Bottoms Up (1934) .... 'Smoothie' King
Looking for Trouble (1934) .... Joe Graham
The Show-Off (1934) .... J. Aubrey Piper
The Mad Game (1933) .... Edward Carson
Man's Castle (1933) .... Bill
... aka A Man's Castle (USA: review title)
The Power and the Glory (1933) .... Tom Garner
... aka Power and Glory (UK)
Shanghai Madness (1933) .... Pat Jackson
Face in the Sky (1933) .... Joe Buck
20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932) .... Tommy Connors
Me and My Gal (1932) .... Danny Dolan
The Painted Woman (1932) .... Tom Brian
... aka After the Rain (USA: alternative title)
Society Girl (1932) .... Briscoe
Young America (1932) .... Jack Doray
... aka We Humans (UK)
Disorderly Conduct (1932) .... Dick Fay
Sky Devils (1932) .... Wilkie
She Wanted a Millionaire (1932) .... William Kelley
Goldie (1931) .... Bill
Six Cylinder Love (1931) .... William Donroy
Quick Millions (1931) .... Daniel J. 'Bugs' Raymond
Up the River (1930) .... Saint Louis
The Hard Guy (1930) .... Guy
... aka The Tough Guy
Taxi Talks (1930) .... Taxi Driver
The Strong Arm (1930)
Pacino and DeNiro have both been awful the last 15 years since they decided to become caricatures of themselves.
FuriousDrew got it right.. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the most talented and complete actor today by far. These are both excellent:
Love Liza was one strange movie. Didnt expect that when I rented it. Was really good.
