Your Top 20 Favorite Actors/Actresses

[Omar 382]

Another one of my famous lists- this one counting down our favorite actors and actresses. For this list, I am not basing it off of quantitative ratings of every movie of every actor (see this thread Average Ratings of All Movies From an Actor/Actress Game Thread).

The reason I am not doing that is because an actor can be great in a movie (see Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Nocturnal Animals" (2.5/5 stars), while the movie can be dragged down by a litany of other factors (poor story, poor direction, poor supporting actors, etc.)

Also, for this list, we are counting actors/actresses' works solely in film and television. I thought about including Broadway, but I think that is unfair considering the esoterica that can be inherent in plays.

So, in conclusion, my list and hopefully yours is based on a qualitative feeling of who you feel is the greatest actor/actress of all time. If you want to rate actors/actresses based on every movie they've been in, check out my other thread. You can also include some HM's if you'd like.

Without further ado,

1. Leonardo DiCaprio
2. Michael Shannon
3. Jake Gyllenhaal
4. Christian Bale
5. Bryan Cranston
6. Denzel Washington
7. Jack Nicholson
8. Matthew McConaughey
9. James Stewart
10. Ryan Gosling
11. Alan Rickman
12. Paul Newman
13. Idris Elba
14. Russell Crowe
15. Brad Pitt
16. Liam Neeson
17. Phillip Seymour Hoffman
18. Samuel L. Jackson
19. Kevin Spacey
20. Tom Hanks

 

[Omar 382]

Am I a misogynistic bastard for not including a single actress on my list???

 

[Omar 382]

That list could change over time of course. It's not nearly as lasting/final as my rating system for movies (unless I re-watch the movie). Hell, I know almost as a fact that there's an actor or two I completely forgot and could very well be in my top 10. I think my top 5 is pretty solid in place, however. Some other actors/actresses that could easily crack my top 20:

Amy Adams, Sean Penn, Michael Keaton, Steve Buscemi, Gary Oldman, Edward Norton, Christopher Walken, Tom Cruise, John Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn

 

[Nosferatu]

Edward G Robinson
Humphrey Bogart
Marlon Brando
Paul Newman
Robert DeNiro
John Wayne
Clint Eastwood
Jimmy Stewart
Jack Nicholson
Henry Fonda
Burt Lancaster
Kirk Douglas
Tom Hanks
Charlie Chaplin
Cary Grant
Morgan Freeman
Jack Lemmon
Gene Hackman
Denzel
Willem Dafoe
Robert Duvall
Anthony Hopkins
Gregory Peck
Gary Sinise
Leo DiCaprio

 

[Nosferatu]

That list could change over time of course. It's not nearly as lasting/final as my rating system for movies (unless I re-watch the movie). Hell, I know almost as a fact that there's an actor or two I completely forgot and could very well be in my top 10. I think my top 5 is pretty solid in place, however. Some other actors/actresses that could easily crack my top 20:

Amy Adams, Sean Penn, Michael Keaton, Steve Buscemi, Gary Oldman, Edward Norton, Christopher Walken, Tom Cruise, John Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn

Tom Cruise? What the fucks wrong with you?

 

[Omar 382]

Tom Cruise? What the fucks wrong with you?

He has had many film roles that I have enjoyed. I really like his presence in almost every film of his, even his bad ones. I could even agree with putting him over Hanks.

 

[Nosferatu]

He has had many film roles that I have enjoyed. I really like his presence in almost every film of his, even his bad ones. I could even agree with putting him over Hanks.

If you still feel that way after puberty you are ghey...

 

[Omar 382]

If you still feel that way after puberty you are ghey...

cool

 

[GNG]

My top 10 actors

Al Pacino
Clint Eastwood
John Voight
John Wayne
Clark Gable
Gary Sinise
Allan Ladd
Harrison Ford
Denzel Washington
Keanu Reeves

 

[calsnowskier]

The list must start with Tom Hanks. He has been my favorite ever since Castaway. That was absolutely amazing.

Dude can do any genre...

Action? Check.
Comedy? Check.
Fantasy? Check.
RomCom? Check.
Tragedy? Check.
Drama? Check.
Crime? Check. On both sides of the law, no less.
Sci-fi? Not sure.. has he done sci-fi yet?

Who else has his range?

 

[Nosferatu]

@Omar 382 you should do a 25 worst or disliked as well...

 

[Omar 382]

The list must start with Tom Hanks. He has been my favorite ever since Castaway. That was absolutely amazing.

Dude can do any genre...

Action? Check.
Comedy? Check.
Fantasy? Check.
RomCom? Check.
Tragedy? Check.
Drama? Check.
Crime? Check. On both sides of the law, no less.
Sci-fi? Not sure.. has he done sci-fi yet?

Who else has his range?

I certainly like me some Tom Hanks, but I find his lack of charisma in his roles is what holds me back from putting him any higher on my own list. I can certainly see others putting him higher.

 

[Omar 382]

I was torn on including De Niro. Like I've said many times, on the one hand, his early work is legendary. But it's been such a shit-show since the mid-90's that I kept him off

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Michael Shannon is great

But you feel he is the second best actor to ever.....act??

 

[handicappers]

Men
Brando
Pacino
Nicholson
Eastwood
Tommy Lee Jones
Duvall
Dicaprio
Hanks
Day-Lewis
Hoffman

Women
Blanchett
Hepburn (both)
Winslet
Connelly
Dench
Streep
Portman
Kidman
Bullock

 

[Omar 382]

Michael Shannon is great

But you feel he is the second best actor to ever.....act??

When did I say that? I said he is my second favorite actor to watch on screen.

 

[Godstree]

No Spencer Tracey? No Gene Hackman? No George C. Scott? No God Damn Bogart? what the fuck is wrong with you?

 

[mr.hockey4242]

When did I say that? I said he is my second favorite actor to watch on screen.

I would re read your post

 

[packerzrule]

Edward G Robinson
Humphrey Bogart
Marlon Brando
Paul Newman
Robert DeNiro
John Wayne
Clint Eastwood
Jimmy Stewart
Jack Nicholson
Henry Fonda
Burt Lancaster
Kirk Douglas
Tom Hanks
Charlie Chaplin
Cary Grant
Morgan Freeman
Jack Lemmon
Gene Hackman
Denzel
Willem Dafoe
Robert Duvall
Anthony Hopkins
Gregory Peck
Gary Sinise
Leo DiCaprio

nice list

 

[cheerupcharlie]

Tom Hardy
Tom Hanks
Samuel Jackson
Jim Carey
John Travolta
Gene Wilder
Jeremy Piven
Matt Damon
Steve Buscemi
Mel Gibson
Tim Robbins
Gene Kelly
Barbra Streisand
Kate Winslet
Anthony Michael Hall
Bill Paxton
Woody Harrelson
Kevin Costner
Kevin Spacey
Kristen Wiig