Who are the greatest actors of all time in terms of acting ability?

SDSU Aztec wrote:

jessen jeffla wrote:

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Vin Diesel

The Rock

And Stallone.

Obama, ?

I thought James Dean was amazing. He only made three movies but they were awesome.

East of Eden, Giant, and Rebel Without a Cause.

C.E.Jr. wrote:

Paul Bunyan wrote:

Clint Eastwood. Anyone else see Unforgiven? There's a great scene where Eastwood's character finds out that his friend (a bounty hunter played by Morgan Freeman) has been killed by the local sheriff...When he finds out, you can tell just by looking at his eyes that this weary old man is again the hardened murderer that he used to be. It's the most subtle thing ever, but it was powerful enough that's been stuck in my memory.

Of course, the movie ends with Eastwood's character riding back into town and killing everyone in the local bar, including the sheriff. All around great movie.

The type of guys he plays are in a narrow range, but he does them so well. His role as Inspector Harry Callahan in those Dirty Harry or Dirty Harry spin offs was quite intriguing.

Never watched one of his movie's I didn't enjoy. Looking forward to seeing The Mule in the next few days.

Charlie Chaplin

Buster Keaton

Belong on the list for sure.

But, Marlon Brando should be in anybody's top list, and it is amazing that he has gotten just a few mentions on this thread. It would be like having a list of greatest rock and rollers and failing to mention Elvis.

Will smith and Jamie Foxx. Easy.

They can play serious roles and funny roles. They even have superhero movies.

I’m NOT saying Eastwood is the right answer to the OP’s question about range, particularly because his range seemed to narrow over the years but he did do a “musical”. Anyone remember Paint Your Wagon.

Agree that Robin Williams has more range than most realize and I would have loved to see what Belushi could have done had he lived longer.

Denzel

Laurence Olivier

Richard Burton

Peter O’toole

Marlon Brando

Anthony Hopkins

Daniel Day Lewis

Leonardo Di Caprio

Michael Fassbender

Tom Hardy

Jack O’Connell

Vivien Leigh

Bette Davis

Judi Dench

Meryl Streep

Michelle Pfeiffer

Glenn Close

Charlotte Rampling

Isabelle Adjani

Marion Cotillard

Kate Winslett

I saw Jaws (not the Bond movies) recently and Robert Shaw was awesome.

Deanouk wrote:

Laurence Olivier

Richard Burton

Peter O’toole

Marlon Brando

Anthony Hopkins

Daniel Day Lewis

Leonardo Di Caprio

Michael Fassbender

Tom Hardy

Jack O’Connell

Vivien Leigh

Bette Davis

Judi Dench

Meryl Streep

Michelle Pfeiffer

Glenn Close

Charlotte Rampling

Isabelle Adjani

Marion Cotillard

Kate Winslett

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What a great list.

I can't believe I forgot Brando and Daniel Day Lewis.

Vivien Leigh in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' was great.

Isabelle Adjani in "One Deadly Summer"....!!!!

Thanks. I think Leigh’s Blanche Dubois was probably the greatest acting performance by any woman on film!

Adjani was always excellent, but at her best I think in Camille Claudel and the Story of Adele H. If you haven’t seen them, I highly recommend them.

Lamont Cranston

Please, Jamie Foxx tries to make the movies about him. His ego gets in the way.

Tom Cruise plays the same character in each movie.

If you watch a movie and remember any other role that they've ever played then the actress not doing his job.

Tom Hardy and Christian Bale are true actors that make you forget its them in each of their roles.

Many good lists. A few I like to watch who may not be award winners or leading men but just so entertaining:

John C Reilly

Robert Downey Jr.

Annette Bening

Sean Connery

Sigourney Weaver

Phillip Seymour-Hoffman

Paul Giamatti

Michael Madsen

Tim Olyphant

Steve Buscemi

Forest Whitaker

Bill Murray

The Rock

Jim carrey

Pia Zadora.

TOSHIRO MIFUNE (Seven Samurai, Red Beard, Stray Dog)

KLAUS KINSKI (Aguirre the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo)

ANTHONY QUINN (La Strada)

RENEE FALCONETTI (The Passion of Joan of Arc)

ISABELLE ADJANI (Possession)

TAKASHI SHIMURA (Ikiru, Seven Samurai)

WARREN BEATTY (McCabe and Ms. Miller)

SONG KANG HO (Joint Security Area, The Host, The Attorney)

HARRY DEAN STANTON (Paris, Texas)

SETSUKO HARA (Late Spring)

JOHN WAYNE (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Searchers)

SEAN PENN (The Thin Red Line)

TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI (Cyclo)

EMIL JANNINGS (The Last Laugh, Faust)

CHRISTIAN BALE (The New World)

JACK PALANCE (Shane, Contempt)

BEN GAZZARA (The Killing of a Chinese Bookie)

GENA ROWLANDS (A Woman Under the Influence)

JOAQUIN PHOENIX (The Master)

BEN JOHNSON (The Last Picture Show, Shane, Wagonmaster)

Deanouk,

I agree that Vivian Leigh's performance as Blanche Dubois was incredible. I read years ago that she was married to Laurence Olivier when she played that role and that she was suffering from some form of mental illness at the time. I think she was institutionalized. It was that serious.

I did see Camille Claudel and The Story of Adele H. One Deadly Summer is one of my favorite movies. You seem to like foreign movies. Have you seen Antonia's Line, Tokyo Story, Lower Depths or Mediterraneo? They're all great.

May have missed it, but don't see …

ED NORTON

Tremendous range. Primal Fear is goosebumps scary good. Fight Club, American History X, etc. Could be cast for just about any part and would nail it.