favorite actors living or dead

[bigtenchamps1899]

jack lemon
brad pitt
paul newman
marilyn monroe

[BleedGopher]

Philip Seymour Hoffman (one of the most under-rated actors of this generation)
Gene Hackman
Morgan Freeman
Anthony Hopkins

Go Gophers!!

[Schnoodler]

those are good ones

2 that come to mind not mentioned

Depp-though more quirky then great
Jack

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

All great selections, but let me add:

Meryl Streep - Great in dramas, great in comedies.
Heath Ledger - He was versatile and got into his roles.

[Iceland12]

Steve McQueen, Robert Mitchum and Guy Pearce

[Gopher4Life]

DeNiro, Nicholson, Brando, Hoffman, Day-Lewis, Duvall

P.S.
A few already listed in this thread really don't belong in a top 50.

[Iceland12]

The thread was your favorite not greatest. Lecturing people on war, politics, religion etc. that's to be expected but telling people they shouldn't have favorites? That's a bit out there even for you!;)

Happy New Year to you and everyone on here G4L.

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

P.S.
A few already listed in this thread really don't belong in a top 50.

You're a moron.

[Costa Rican Gopher]

George Takei.

[Gopher4Life]

Iceland,

My error. But I would think people would would rank best actors as their favorites rather than pretty boys and starlets.

WAG,

Best wishes to you and yours.

[station19]

You can have the pretty boys, I'll take the starlets.

[bigtenchamps1899]

George Takei.
star trek was filled with underrated thespians;)

[Cosmo Kramer]

Vince Vaughn, Matt Damon,

[Bad Gopher]

A lot of really good dead actors (although being dead holds them back a little these days). For sentimental reasons, I'll take Paul Newman.

As far as live ones, Robert Duvall is my fav. He steals the show in practically every movie he's in. I remember when "Phenomenon" came out, everyone was talking about Travolta. Then I went and saw the movie, and Duvall blew the field away.

[Sarah0633]

Bleed, I agree with you that Hoffman is an underrated actor- he absolutely deserved his Oscar for Capote.

[Gopher4Life]

Bad Gopher,

Have you seen Duvall in The Apostle?

[UpnorthGo4]

Sarah Quote: "Bleed, I agree with you that Hoffman is an underrated actor- he absolutely deserved his Oscar for Capote."

Sarah, you and Bleed are both wrong. Most movie lovers know that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of the best actors in the business. I include him along with Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, and Meryl Streep on my all time Top 5 List of favorite movie actors. I am still trying to decide on one more actor to include on my Top 5 List.

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

How about Steve Martin, Ed Norton, Amy Adams, and Rachel McAdams?

[Gopher4Life]

How 'bout Groucho, Harpo, and Chico Marx? And don't forget Larry, Moe, and Curly Joe.

[ruppertflywheel]

I tend to go with the dead enders...
Gregory Peck
George C. Scott
Henry Fonda
Humphry Bogart
Cary Grant
Richard Burton
* To many to list that acted in late 30's,40's,50's, 60's and early 70's...
If you look at AFI top 100 movies very few are made in the 80's,90's and up to today. Although I think there have been some very good ones. That's why Turner Classic Movies has been so successful. As my 27 year old daughter said: "Dad, we've been to about 10 movies this year and only was worthy of an 8.00
ticket"

[Gopher4Life]

ruppert,

You are listing favorites based on skill (technique and talent within an art form). Others are listing favorites based on recent mass appeal. It's absurd that the latter are the ones cashing into the $8.00 tickets. Just my opinion, of course.

[Schnoodler]

ruppert,

You are listing favorites based on skill (technique and talent within an art form). Others are listing favorites based on recent mass appeal. It's absurd that the latter are the ones cashing into the $8.00 tickets. Just my opinion, of course.


The original post clearly used the term favorite and not best. Which actors do you most enjoy seeing in movies not who deserves the acadamy award. I don't think they're basing their posts on mass appeal as much as the appeal to themselves. Though they may have mass appeal I give the posters here more credit than being sheep. I believe they genuinely are faves of theirs and look forward to movies in which they appear.

I'll add another two that I quite enjoy

Cate Blanchett

Peter Griffin

[Gopher4Life]

Schnoodler,

We've become a silly, superficial society as illustrated by "favorites" determined by fart jokes and belly laughs rather than by training, talent, and substance.

It's also why we hire 300 fourth grade teachers for the same amount we pay one good center fielder.

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

[QUOTE=Gopher4Life;16769]We've become a silly, superficial society as illustrated by "favorites" determined by fart jokes and belly laughs rather than by training, talent, and substance. It's also why we hire 300 fourth grade teachers for the same amount we pay one good center fielder. [QUOTE]

My Lord, you are a piece of work when you get going. Name one actor listed here who does fart jokes.

Maybe you don't like my inclusion of Steve Martin, but he is far more than the guy with the arrow through his head thirty years ago. You could look into his career and find that out in seconds. And yes, he is one of my "favorite" actors. I am so superficial. I even became a low-paying teacher. What is my problem?

Why don't you give us a list of the top five actors of all-time and we can put this to rest? Clearly, you know who they are.

[Schnoodler]

We're not entitled to enjoy actors that don't meet G4L's specification of a quality actor. Please provide your list so I know who I can enjoy. It will be of great benefit to me as I select movies. I'd hate to go watch a movie just because it makes my life better. I want to know that my $8 has gone to support thespian quality and not wasted on my personal quality of life.

[Gopher4Life]

Schnoodler,
Many of our "favorite" movies appear to be little more than scenery, costumes, and a very lame plot added to a stand-up act. That's fine. But maybe we shouldn't confuse these entertainers for actors.

WAG,
I didn't criticize Steve Martin. In fact, the man has considerable talent as a writer, musician, and performer. As usual, you're a bit too quick to over-react. I'm on your side.

[bigtenchamps1899]

gopher4life,
out of your list there is only one that i like watching, brando.

that doesn't mean that the rest of the actors on your list are unworthy, just that i don't like to watch them.

i like to watch movies with actors that are versatile, and when i think of de niro, nicholson, hoffman- i get the same character stuck in my head with each one of them. that's why there are so many people who do good nicholson, de niro impressions.

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

You telling me I overreact. That's rich. You're the one telling us because we are naming actors we like that teachers are underpaid. I thought that was a little overboard for this discussion.

Anyway, why don't you tell us which names that were listed before your initial post are the perpetrators of of this terrible acting? I reread them and while they may not all be my personal favorites, I didn't see any names that were preposterous. Nobody said Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider. I seriously want to know which actors you have the problem with.

I am glad you like Steve Martin. It's good to know we have common ground. I thought maybe you were offended by his inclusion because you came back with the Stooges in response.

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

The actors named before G4L became offended:

jack lemon
brad pitt
paul newman
marilyn monroe
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Gene Hackman
Morgan Freeman
Anthony Hopkins
Depp
Jack
Meryl Streep
Heath Ledger
Steve McQueen
Robert Mitchum
Guy Pearce

Who exactly on this list is so bad? (Keeping in mind the question was favorite, not best) I am guessing here that you were offended by Brad Pitt and Marilyn Monroe because of your terms "prettyboys and starlets." I don't really care about MM, but Brad Pitt is a pretty damn good actor. The others are pretty much universally lauded.

I am just curious here. You're lecturing and hatred for most things current has really increased lately. Give us some answers. Who is a good actor? Who isn't? And why?

[coolhandgopher]

We've been down this road with G4Life before, in regards to music. If it was a band that hit after the mid '70s, they can't hold a candle to the acts before that time. Seems the same holds true for actors. Grumpy old man syndrome.

[felde]

Walter Matthau
Denzel Washington

[shikenjanski]

Sam Rockwell (for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)
Bill Murray (for absolutely everything he's been in)
Anthony Michael Hall (for Sixteen Candles)
Lee Marvin (for his work on The Muppet Movie and other, less important movies)

My wife is also a big Philip Seymour Hoffman fan. I thought he was great in Big Lebowski.

[rrjackIII]

My wife is also a big Philip Seymour Hoffman fan. I thought he was great in Big Lebowski.

The first time I saw Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in "Capote". I was sure Truman Capote was playing himself until I remembered he had passed away. The next time I saw PSH was in "Charlie Wilson's War" as a grizzled old cynical CIA agent. Very impressed with his range of performances.

[Gopher4Life]

WAG,

>>(Keeping in mind the question was favorite, not best)<<

I'd prefer to hope that "favorite" actors would also be "best" actors, but that's clearly not the case here. I have no problem with enjoying the work of the Sandlers and the Schneiders, but let's not confuse it with the very serious craft of acting. Some of the names on this thread are highly skilled, highly trained, highly intelligent and self-disciplined artists. Others are merely popular performers. Depp and Mitchum, for example, are in totally different universes when it comes to talent, training, and awareness. I won't draw a line except for my own use. My hope all along has been that others would be willing to do the same.

I think America's standards are in decline, at least partly because our perspective seems to be narrowing. This is a product of our homes, our schools, our society, and our own growing self-absorption. We generally believe that current is great, and a person of my age and background finds that appalling because much of current is sh!t. It's this frustration with declining values that spawned my comment about pay for pro jocks vs. pay for teachers (or firemen or police or preachers or nurses or any other vital service providers).

cool hand,

>>If it was a band that hit after the mid '70s, they can't hold a candle to the acts before that time. Seems the same holds true for actors.<<

That's a fairly crude oversimplification of my position. I want this generation's acts to live up to the same standards as those who came before them. I rarely see that happening. When it does, I certainly recognize greatness. Slop is slop regardless of the year.

[bigtenchamps1899]

gopher4life is like a roman in the last days of the roman empire lamenting the new things (latin for revolution is res novae which literally means "new things") happening all around him. it is a pretty natural thing for people to become more conservative, in the sense of being suspicious of change and innovation, not in the political sense, as they grow older.

acting is not a serious craft, it is prostitution. lets not take it too seriously.

[Schnoodler]

I think Meryl Streep is a great actress. But mostly I can't stand to watch her. Therefore she is not a favorite of mine. I think Depp is very creative but doesn't have great depth as an actor but I can't wait to see his movies, therefore he is a favorite of mine. So deal with it.

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

So true!

[Gopher4Life]

1899,

Come back when you have a clue...even a tiny hint of one.

[bigtenchamps1899]

lighten up (http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman747l.jpg):D

[Gopher4Life]

1899,

Hollywood makes superficial movies with wannabe-actors because it knows people like you will buy their over-hyped crap and add them to a favorite list.

[bigtenchamps1899]

1899,

Hollywood makes superficial movies with wannabe-actors because it knows people like you will buy their over-hyped crap and add them to a favorite list.

i did not mean to get you upset with me, i was trying to be satirical but it might have come off as prickish, i apologize. i agree that hollywood makes superficial movies and i like some of them, but let me name a few pieces of over-hyped crap superficial movies:

robert de niro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Rocky_and_Bullwinkle)

jack nicholson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Attacks!)

dustin hoffman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Magorium%27s_Wonder_Emporium)

marlon brando (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_of_Dr._Moreau_(1996_film))

robert duval (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Impact_(film))

daniel day lewis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_Bars_(film))

[Gopher4Life]

Nice post, WAG.

Clearly, not even masters of their craft can guarantee that every piece of work will be up to high standards. That's why theatre is considered a communal art where everyone's end result is so often dependent upon everyone else's inputperformance (writing, direction, design team, ensemble cast).

The names you've listed are, for the most part, exquisitely trained artists who bring a wealth of experience, versatility, intellect, and self-discipline to each role they tackle on stage or screen. I admire their work and their commitment, and proudly include them in my list of personal favorites.