Your Top 20 Favorite Actors/Actresses

[BigRedMoe]

I knew somebody else in here was both smart and perverted.

 

[calsnowskier]

I saw that name as well, and had to google it. I am at work, so I then had to close my browser real fast...

 

[PatsFan2003]

Actors and Actresses that usually deliver for me:

The Classics:

Tom Hanks
James Stewart
Henry Fonda
Robert DeNiro
Jack Nicholson
Gregory Peck
Charlton Heston
Kirk Douglas
George C Scott
Paul Newman


The newer Breed

Samuel Jackson
Denzel Washingon
Daniel Day Lewis
Matt Damon
Viggo Mortenson
Tom Cruise

Actresses

Meryl Streep
Grace Kelly
Katherine Hepburn
Jennifer Lawrence.
Kate Winslett
Jennifer Connelly
Natalie Portman

 

[Taddy Mason]

I'm sure I could switch some of these out for others depending on the day, but these are the first 20 I came up with. My favorites, not necessarily who I think is the best.

Sam Rockwell
Leonardo DiCaprio
Hepburn ( either one)
Burt Lancaster
Gary Oldman
John Goodman
Denzel Washington
Natalie Portman
Robert De Niro
Cary Grant
Hoffman (either one)
Christian Bale
Anthony Hopkins
Daniel Day-Lewis
Woody Harrelson
Damian Lewis
Chow Yun-Fat
Michael Shannon
Garret Dillahunt
Jeff Bridges

 

[navamind]

<-------------

 

[Cedrique]

Seriously? In a thread where people list Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood (I like Wayne and love Clint but neither have any acting range), Natalie Portman, Sandra Bullock, etc. you are going to call out Jennifer Jason-Leigh on ability?

Sigh. Ok.
Fast Times at Ridgemount High
Flesh and Blood
The Hitcher
Last Exit to Brooklyn (nominated- critic's award)
Miami Blues (nominated- critic's award. Also funnier than he'll movie)
Rush- (Great performance, great movie!)
Single White Female- (nominated- critic's award, also MTV award, for what that's worth).
Short Cuts- (multiple nominations, including Golden Globe)
The Hudsucker Proxy
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle- (National Film Critic's award for Best Actress. Various other awards and nominations.)
Dolores Claiborne- (Nominated for a Saturn Award, great performance).
Georgia- (Great performance. Multiple awards and nominations).
Bastard Out of Carolina
A Thousand Acres- (award winning performance)
eXistenZ
The King is Alive- (award winning performance)
The Anniversary Party- (Also wrote, produced, and directed. Cannes nominated. Various other nominations).
Road to Perdition
The Machinist
The Jacket
Margo at the Wedding- (Various nominations).
Childstar- (award winning performance)
Synecdoche, New York- (award winning performance).
Anomalisa- (award winning performance, many nominations).
The Hateful Eight- (despite your opinion, several best supporting actress wins and many nominations).
Morgan- (good movie!)

So, she may not have always been a Holywood A-lister who carried movies as a lead all of the time but only a handful of women are as lead roles for women are harder to come by. She, however was certainly not a "bit player" (lots of supporting roles, but that is not "bit parts")
Admitably lots of the nominations were more industry insider (critic and peer awards, or big festival awards as opposed to Academy Awards), but her trophy case certainly is full.
Positives
*Long and varied career
*Willingness to take on many different types movies. Lots of independent movies, lots of non-mainstream movies with sci-fi, or extreme drama bent.
*Willingness to take on many different types of roles. Certainly did not develop one style of acting and never expand beyond like so many others.
*Well respected in the industry insiders.
*Always solid performances (I really can't think of a truly bad one and she has been doing it for nearly 40 years. Her role in The Hitcher was probably the weakest listed here in my opinion but the film itself is a classic).

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Mine is that she is an excellent actress and far more deserving than many listed here. Her performances in the likes of Rush and Georgia are nothing short of great.

That is my case for. Any decent rebuttal?

Wow, it is good to see she has had such an accomplished career. I have to say that after Fast Times I have seen almost none of those other movies. Then about a week ago I came across a Netflix family comedy/drama series where she is one of the main characters. Even 35 years after the movie came out I still find myself saying "wow that's the chick from Fast Times at Ridgemont High". She is obviously older but she really doesn't look that much different. The thing she is in now is not something I thought I would like but it is kind of amusing and I watched all 8 episodes.

 

[olympicoscar]

The question is your favorites, not necessarily the best ever. Always thought Bogart was the best, and Tom Hanks is next. After that it's a tossup. I like Denzel. George C Scott and Paul Newman. That's good for now. Meryl Streep is by far the greatest female actress in history. No one is really close. K Hepburn and Betty Davis ain't bad and neither is Julia Roberts.