I gave this a second veiwing last night before I shipped it back. I only want to know one thing; where are the George C. Scotts among todays actors? Where are the Sterling Haydons? Where are the Peter Sellers'? These guys were great. The shots of Sterling Hayden during one of his extended monologues when the camera was below his face...classic. With all due respect to todays film industry...they DON"T make them like this anymore.

The comments above resonated with me as my wife & often talk about this exact point. We love to watch exemplary acting and pose the same question as to whom will be thought of in the same regard as Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, et al. The greats, the legends, the never to be seen again! So many times it would appear that Hollywood has forgotten how to make a film that has a compelling story as well as the acting to support it.

So, who will take their place? I'll start this off with some that I think are well on there way & perhaps even there now along with the film that got me to notice them originally in this regard. Add yours in the same way. Who do you think we'll see referred to in the same light as the icons from back in the day?

Here are my candidates in no particular order -

Edward Norton (Primal Fear)
John Cusack (Grifters)
Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai)
Jim Carrey (Truman Show)
Tim Robbins (The Player)
Russell Crowe (LA Confidential)
Guy Pearce (LA Confidential)
Djimon Hounsou (Amistad)
Tobey Maguire (Ciderhouse Rules)
Paul Giamatti (Sideways)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York)
Jason Statham (Snatch)

Reese Witherspoon (Election)
Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind)
Nicole Kidman (To Die For)
Kim Basinger (LA Confidential)

I would add Christian Bale and John Malkovich.

Wow! My name in the title line of a thread. There'll be no living with me now. :banana:
I may not be qualified to answer this as I haven't been to a movie in quite some time and the movies we tend to view at home are older...but. Actors and actresses that I tend to feel fall into this catagory, the ones who are not afraid to take a much lesser part in a movie, the ones with real staying power, are these;
Gene Hackman
Ed Harris
Harvey Keitel
Robert DiNero
Judi Dench
Steve Martin
Robert Duval
kind of a quick, very incomplete list. But I don't think I've ever seen any of these in a bad role.

Tom Hanks
Gene Hackman
Sean Connery
Julia Roberts
Meg Ryan
John Trivolta

Yeah, I think Christian Bale is excellent, Ed Norton as well....actually, I am pleasantly surprised at how good DiCaprio is..I liked him in Blood Diamonds.

Russell Crowe is definitely a flexible and intense actor as well..I think the actor that did Hidalgo has good potential.

Problem is that styles and topics are so varied nowadays....it seems that the previous generations had a more narrow scope. Its harder to choose good work and directors who think cineamatically in the classical sense, instead of the wow-me Hollywood style.

Both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins' performances in Mystic River were incredible.

There is great stuff out there. You just have to look beyond the fluff.

Come on guys, add the movie that first got your attention to your choices.

Come on guys, add the movie that first got your attention to your choices.

Well, like I've said, the 5 or 6 in my response have in my estimation never made a bad flick. Especially Hackman and Duval.

hackman has been in some so so movies,where his presence was just for box office, not acting talent...

like the one where he is the aircraft carrier commander and his pilot gets shot over Bosnia...

Come on guys, add the movie that first got your attention to your choices.Ed Norton - American History X
Leonardo DiCaprio - What's Eating Gilbert Grape

I don't know how Ed can get any better than he was in X but Leo just keeps getting better and better. Recently you had The Aviator, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and Blood Diamond. He's turned into an amazing actor with what appears to be unlimited skill. I suspect he will be named as one of the all-time greats before his career is over. Not to say Ed has peaked but his performance was so strong in X.

Lots of good names so far but what about Johnny Depp?

Lots of good names so far but what about Johnny Depp?[/QUOTE]

Like him or not, he probably is America's greatest living actor.

cubdog

Lots of good names so far but what about Johnny Depp?


Never responded to this forum 'til now, but I'll second Johnny Depp:

Dead Man
Ed Wood
Edward Scissorhands
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
Finding Neverland

There are more.

Thought he was pretty good in Blow...

Greatest actors of our era?

Gotta include Bill Clinton. That guy could turn on the emotion in the blink of an eye!

Denzel Washington

Well, like I've said, the 5 or 6 in my response have in my estimation never made a bad flick. Especially Hackman and Duval.

I was curious where they stood out first to you. Which films were those? Each has a wide & deep body of work.

Gene Hackman first in The French Connection
Steve McQueen in Bullit
Ed Norton in The Fight Club
DiCaprio, for me in Blood Diamonds
John Cusak in Grosse Pointe
Chris Mortensen in Hidalgo
Van Helsing for....whats his name...

I forgot Marky Mark, Mark Wahlberg - The Basketball Diaries. The Jim Carroll story...

Not sure if Mark will be remembered as one of the greats but he's one of my current favorites of the younger actors. He was terrific in The Departed as well. :thmbsp:

Not sure if Mark will be remembered as one of the greats but he's one of my current favorites of the younger actors. He was terrific in The Departed as well. :thmbsp:

Dirk Diggler rocked.

Dirk Diggler rocked.

..................in Rock Star

Watch the behind-the-scenes on "The Jacket" -- you will develop a new appreciation for Keira Knightley. There's a specific moment I remember where she was talking about talking with an American accent, she tells what you have to do, and then she just effortlessly slides into an American accent to demonstrate it -- and you realize you just watched her do a whole movie like that -- and then slips right back into her British accent.

He was terrific in The Departed as well. :thmbsp:

He may have been the best part of the show for me; I loved his smart ass, "bad" cop role. That scene where he and Sheen "interview" DeCaprio early on is priceless!!

Watch the behind-the-scenes on "The Jacket" -- you will develop a new appreciation for Keira Knightley. I already have a pretty good appreciation of her already. :D

Morgan Freeman -best of the best
Gene Hackman- always convincing especially playing a bad ass
Robert Duval- plays cowboys better than the Duke
Denzel Washington- gets better all the time: see Training Day!!
Tom Hanks- the Jimmy Stewart of today
Johnny Depp

Not so great, but always fun to watch:
Bruce Willis
Will Smith
John Cusak (maybe he should be up on top)
George Clooney

there are truly great ones out there but the movie biz has changed a lot,and not all for the better.so much more time and effort is devoted to technical wizardry that good stories and fine actors get lost in the shuffle.a 30 second phrase will have so many jump cuts and camera angles that the performers are just along for the ride.watching chiseled ab guys playing joe schlump roles kind of belies credibility,as does some starlet with a six hundred dolar hairdo playing a waitress........but as long as devoted fans buy their reading material at supermarket check stands i dont see any change happening soon

He may have been the best part of the show for me; I loved his smart ass, "bad" cop roll. That scene where he and Sheen "interview" DeCaprio early on is priceless!!

No one does a Masshole, the way Wahlberg does. Anytime you want to envision a textbook, 'burbs of Boston townie, think Wahlberg. 'tis a thing of beauty!

I was curious where they stood out first to you. Which films were those? Each has a wide & deep body of work.

The first Hackman film that made me sit up and take notice was "The Conversation". This may be a case of a great film influencing the work of the actors, but I kind of think Hackman had a lot to do with the film being as good as it was.
With Duval, although his work in "The Godfather" films is outstanding, he really shines for me in "The Apostle". Come to think of it, "Apocalypse Now" wasn't too shabby either.
That's the thing about these two guys, sure they made a few dogs, if you make enough movies you're bound to. But I could go on and on with pictures large and small in which they quietly did the job.

Tommy Lee Jones
and a second for both Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.
Harrison Ford
Robert "Gus" Duval

Watching the AFI tribute to Al Pacino right now.

Now there's a set of shoes that would be tough to fill.........

Speaking of Gene Hackman, have any of you ever seen "I Never Sang For My Father"? It also starred Melvin Douglas, and it was one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life. Well, I may be influenced by the fact that my relationship with my father wasn't the best either, so it really touched me. I've never heard much about it, and that's really a shame.

Lots of good names so far but what about Johnny Depp?

Like him or not, he probably is America's greatest living actor.

cubdog[/QUOTE]

First one that came to my mind.....

Did you know Hackman was a heavy drinker and just flat out smashed during the filming of French Connection? Story goes he'd snap out of it for a few minutes, do his scene, then drop out of it again. It's interesting to watch knowing that. You'd never guess.

Not quite sure what that says about his acting ability, except maybe that it's imbedded in him.

Anyway, he rates high on my list.

Like him or not, he probably is America's greatest living actor.

cubdog

First one that came to my mind.....[/QUOTE]

I agree. I was waiting for his name to pop up.

He may have been the best part of the show for me; I loved his smart ass, "bad" cop role. That scene where he and Sheen "interview" DeCaprio early on is priceless!!I didn't even recognize him. I had seen Three Kings and Big Hit, where he pretty much played the same way, so to see him completely evolve like that was amazing. Leo was astoundingly good, too (I didn't see Titanic until recently, so I didn't hate him like a lot of people did -- my last memory of him was Romeo + Juliet, for which he was perfectly cast). Again, to see him play such a completely different part was what impressed me the most.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman-Almost Famous,Capote
Paul Giamatti-American Splendor,Sideways,Cinderella Man
Aaron Eckhardt-In The Company of Men,Your Friends and Neighbors
Rachael McAdams-The Notebook,Mean Girls
Ryan Gosling-Half Nelson,Fracture
Toni Colette-Muriels Wedding,Little Miss Sunshine
Samuel L Jackson-A Time To Kill

Just a few off the top of my head.
Jimmy

If you want to narrow down the list to those actors without movie star good looks,but fine actors:
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Paul Giamatti
John Goodman
Kathy Bates
Danny Trejo(Once Upon A Time In Mexico)
Bob Hoskins

If it wasnt for the Independent film movement,most of these actors wouldnt have gotten the chance.
Jimmy

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago
Sean Penn - Mystic River

Gary Oldman is one of my fav's.

Don't forget Morgan Freeman.

Kermit- The first Muppet Movie

This one might be a stretch, but what about Robin Williams, if for nothing else than the breadth of material he does.

Sean Penn - Fast Times at Ridgemont High & Bad Boys (constantly improving)
Tommy Lee Jones - The Package
Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy
Gene Hackman - The Conversation
Laurence Fishburne - Apocalypse Now
Johnny Depp - Cry Baby & Gilbert Grape
Traci Lords - Cry Baby (for a valiant attempt, anyway...:))
Reon Kadena (http://audiokarma.org/forums/image.php?u=20300&dateline=1181941480) - Pîkan fûfu (hi Poohsan!)
Jack Nicholson - Easy Rider
Sarah Polley - My Life Without Me (screen genius)
Jessica Alba - Dark Angel (TV)
Jessica Lange - Tootsie
Meryl Streep - Deer Hunter
Robert De Niro - Deer Hunter (De Niro and Penn will be remembered long after the flat pictures are long gone...)

There are a few others but I don't have them at the 'tip of my fingers' just now...

Dont think much of Russell Crowe since Romper Stomper & Proof. I think he's become much more limited and wooden since then.

Densel Washinton - Training Day
Duval - The Apostle

Sean Penn - Fast Times at Ridgemont High & Bad Boys (constantly improving)

Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy
Gene Hackman - The Conversation
Jack Nicholson - Easy Rider
Sarah Polley - My Life Without Me (screen genius)

Meryl Streep - Deer Hunter
Robert De Niro - Deer Hunter
penn has a very impressive body of work,colors,the falcon and the snowman,carlitos way,to name a few and is not afraid to do small roles.if i were to pick the best of the best, living anyway, it would be him...............
films like the conversation,midnight cowboy,and easy rider simply would not be made these days except as super low budget indies on the festival circuit
sarah polley recently directed a feature and though the title escapes me its supposed to be really good.................i think that she is a major talent
what ever happened to cimino anyway.......heavens gate may have bombed but i think he still had some good films left in him

Claire Danes -- simply amazing in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet

Katherine Heigl -- Watch Grey's Anatomy sometime when she's wearing a surgical mask. Those eyes alone can say so much.

Faye Dunaway -- watch the scene in Network where William Holden tells her he's leaving. The coffee cup shaking in her hand says more than words ever could.

Yeah, I'll second chameleon-like Gary Oldman. Every part he plays is different. Pretty much.

Yeah, I'll second chameleon-like Gary Oldman. Every part he plays is different. Pretty much.

3rd!

My favorite role of his is as the drugged up cop in "The Professional".

http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/castingcall/pics/oldman.jpg

I haven't seen him mentioned yet, Ewan McGregor.

"Trainspotting" in particular.

A few more great actors and outstanding performances:

Hillary Swank: "Boys Don't Cry"

Maggie Smith: "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie"

Anthony Hopkins: "Silence of the Lambs"

Emily Watson: "Breaking the Waves"

Andre Braugher: his TV work on "Homicide" earns him a spot

Yeah, I'll second chameleon-like Gary Oldman. Every part he plays is different. Pretty much.


He damn sure was a chameleon Coppala's Dracula movie.

My list is pretty short. In no particular order, these are my personal picks:

Robert Duvall
Morgan Freeman
Edward Norton
Gary Oldman
Meryl Streep
Dustin Hoffman
Dennis Hopper

Russell Crowe--
Romper Stomper, LA Confidential, The Insider, and Master & Commander

Cate Blanchett--
Elizabeth!, The Missing, The Aviator

Keisha Castle-Hughes--
Whale Rider (hey she might be a "great actor" some day, she was a pretty great 12yo Chieftess)

Nicole Kidman--
Dead Calm, To Die For, The Others, The Hours

Kevin Bacon--
the guy doesn't seem to get a lot of respect but what a career

Sam Jackson--
Pulp Fiction, Time to Kill, the Negotiator, those Star Wars movies (at least he didn't suck)

Denzel--
Glory, Malcolm X

Tom Hanks--
the Man with One Red Shoe, the Burbs, a League of Their Own, Castaway.......... and some others

Willem Dafoe--
Platoon, Mississippi Burning, Shadow of the Vampire

Frances McDormand--
Mississippi Burning, Fargo, Primal Fear, Wonder Boys

Jodie Foster--
Taxi Driver, the Accused, Silence of the Lambs, Panic Room

Forest Whitaker--
Platoon, Bird, the Crying Game, Species, Phone Booth

Susan Sarandon--
Rocky Horror, Bull Durham, Lorenzo's Oil, the Client, Dead Man Walking

Nick Nolte--
Down & Out in Beverly Hills, 48 Hours, Affliction!, the Thin Red Line

Nicolas Cage--
Raising Arizona, Guarding Tess, Bringing out the Dead, Lord of War

Sean Astin--
Goonies, Rudy, LOTR

Kathy Bates--
Misery, Primary Colors!, Warm Springs

Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Tony Shalhoub, Gandolfini, we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to actors

Michele Pfeiffer
Scarface, Tequila Sunrise...

Kurt Russell
Tequila Sunrise, Escape From New York...

Edward Burns
Confidence, 15 Minutes, Saving Private Ryan

Matt Damon
The Bourne movies, including 1 coming soon to a theatre near you, The Bourne Ultimatum, Good Will Hunting, Dogma

Ben Affleck
Good Will Hunting, Dogma, The Sum of All Fears, Saving Private Ryan, Armageddon, and the unforgettable Gigli

Jude Law
Enemy at the Gates, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Cold Mountain,

Gwyneth Paltrow
Sky Captain, Running with Scissors, Proof, Se7en

Angelina Jolie
Mr & Mrs Smith, Laura Croft, Tomb Raider, Girl Interrupted

Madonna
Like a Virgin,MTV!

I thought Jude Law was great in Gattica. Don't know why exactly but I really like that movie.

Michele Pfeiffer
Scarface, Tequila Sunrise...

Kurt Russell
Tequila Sunrise, Escape From New York...

Edward Burns
Confidence, 15 Minutes, Saving Private Ryan

Matt Damon
The Bourne movies, including 1 coming soon to a theatre near you, The Bourne Ultimatum, Good Will Hunting, Dogma

Ben Affleck
Good Will Hunting, Dogma, The Sum of All Fears, Saving Private Ryan, Armageddon, and the unforgettable Gigli

Jude Law
Enemy at the Gates, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Cold Mountain,

Gwyneth Paltrow
Sky Captain, Running with Scissors, Proof, Se7en

Angelina Jolie
Mr & Mrs Smith, Laura Croft, Tomb Raider, Girl Interrupted

Madonna
Like a Virgin,MTV!And they say sarcasm doesn't convey well on the internet...

What about Robert Downey Jr, he was great in Chaplin

I find MOST of today's "stars" to be disappointing, some more than others, although some of the performers and films mentioned so far I'd agree on. Kiera Knightlley (mentioned earlier) may be able to turn the accent on and off, but she has also had some pretty wooden scenes in some movies - not a great actress, IMO. For someone who can turn the accents on and off with consummate skill AND act, I'd pick Meryl Streep. I think she is probably the most gifted/skilled actress out there today, able to take on various roles and portray them all with great believability.

One big difference between movies today and those of yesteryear is the demise of the old "studio system", in which stars under contract were given extensive coaching in acting, singing, dancing, etc..., even when they were not performing in any movies. While those lessons can be found today, no one is "packaging" the "in house" stars like they used to.

Also, the studio bosses used to require all actors/actresses to be handsome/beautiful (with a few character-actor exceptions). Today, most of them look like ordinary unremarkable people, especially if you see them when they aren't "made up". Most of them are actually picked because they are related to someone in the Hollywood power structure, NOT because of any great talent or looks they possess, and it shows.

Greatest actors of our era?

Gotta include Bill Clinton. That guy could turn on the emotion in the blink of an eye!

Good one!

Rosie Perez in anything she does.

Stephen Chow- Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer, God of Cookery. More stomach pains from laughing than I can remember.

Ed Norton- The Score and many others. Never ever, want to play poker against him.

Kevin Spacey- The Usual Suspects, American Beauty.

Christopher Reeve- He brought Superman to life.

Harvey Keitel - Bad Lieutenant, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, The Piano

Bruce Willis- Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, Lucky Number Slevin, Die Hard, Copland

Steve Buscemi- Ghost World, Monster House, Fargo, Living in Oblivion

Clive Owen- Children of Men, Sin City, Croupier.

Holly Hunter- The Incredibles, Raising Arizona, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, The Piano

Jodi Foster- Silence of the Lambs, Little Man Tate, Contact, Taxi Driver

Johnny Depp- Finding Neverland, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Corpse Bride

David Strathairn- The Bourne Ultimatum, Good Night and Good Luck, Dolores Claiborne

My original list was:
Morgan Freeman -Gene Hackman- Robert Duval- Denzel Washington- Tom Hanks-and Johnny Depp.
I forgot to add Bobby DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, and Al Pacino.
I also think some of the newer actors are fantastic, like Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Russell Crowe.

3rd!

My favorite role of his is as the drugged up cop in "The Professional".

http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/castingcall/pics/oldman.jpg

I liked him as Drexel the pimp in True Romance
Or Beethoven in Immortal Beloved

A true cameleon