If you could only watch one actor's movies for the rest of your life...

[Invisible Chimp]

Who would you pick?

My first instinct is Bruce Willis. I could watch everything from Die Hard to the The Sixth Sense to Pulp Fiction. I think that ideally you would want an actor that is prolific, but also has a lot of variety in their work. You could pick John Cazale, who made six excellent movies, but I would get sick of only six movies for the rest of my days. I would pick someone who is still alive, so I could watch the new movies that they make. You could pick John Wayne, but there are going to be no new John Wayne movies. Also, the Duke was kinda limited in his range.

Others I would personally consider are Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Al Pacino, although I think Pacino's best days are behind him. I think his last great movie was The Insider. Hanks' best days might also be behind him. You could also make the same argument for Cruise, although I don't agree. Cruise, Pitt and Willis are all in their forties or early fifties and have a solid and diverse body of work behind them, but are still young enough to make some great movies in the future.

Fortunately this question bears little with reality and I can actually watch whoever I want, but if I had to then I'm going with my gut and picking Bruce Willis

[FordTaurusSHO94]

I was going to mention Pitt or Willis, but you covered both of them.

[Beware of Doug]

Easy choice. Jimmy Stewart. He was prolific and had more latitude than you might think. Besides, he was the last gentleman man in American mythology.

[lissener]

Henry Fonda, by a great margin.

[Covered_In_Bees!]

Gary Oldman. <3 GO.

[SurrenderDorothy]

Audrey Hepburn.

Not that all her movies are great or unusually varied or anything. But she's my favorite.

Also, to me anyway, lots of her movies are good over and over and over. There are lots of movies I wouldn't care to see more than once in a few years, but I've seen Roman Holiday about a zillion times and still go, "ooh, I love this movie" when I see it on TV.

[Southern Yankee]

I might go Kevin Costner. But Bruce Willis is up there, as is Ed Norton.

[RealityChuck]

Charles Lane. You'd have plenty of movies to choose from, and all different varieties.

Living actors, well, there's always Woody Allen. Meryl Streep also has a lot of great performances in a lot of different types of roles.

[kenobi 65]

Christopher Lee. Over 200 movies. Won't get tired of them for a while.

Or, Katharine Hepburn.

[maplekiwi]

Robert redford - a lot of variety in his work.

[E-Sabbath]

Stephen Blum. He's in everything!
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089710/

[PeskiPiksi]

Emma Thompson. Love, love, love her, and that way I could watch my all-time favorite movie ever (Sense & Sensibility) anytime I want to.

[Miss Woodhouse]

My first thought was also Audrey Hepburn, who I love. But I think I would have to go with Cary Grant. Good variety of movies, very prolific and worked with some great directors in his day.

And he's just good to watch no matter what comes out of his mouth. Sigh.

[tr0psn4j]

Humphrey Bogart maybe? I'd get Casablanca and Maltese Falcon which are great movies. He has a few other good ones too but I'd probably get bored without action movies.

Same goes with Audrey Hepburn. She has Breakfast at Tiffany's, Funny Face and My Fair Lady but, again, I'd get bored with the lack of action.

Same also goes for all the other classic actors. I'd definitely have to pick a more recent actor.

Actually, I think I'd pick Jason Segel. For TV shows, I'd be able to watch How I Met Your Mother, Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks. For movies, well just about everything he has been in.

Seth Rogen too.

Or Quentin Tarantino, just because he's in most of his own movies.

[dropzone]

But I think I would have to go with Cary Grant. Good variety of movies, very prolific and worked with some great directors in his day.

And he's just good to watch no matter what comes out of his mouth. Sigh.He simply dominated captivated the screen. No violence, just a casual acceptance of the inevitable, and you were happy to go along.

[panache45]

I'd have to say Cary Grant. He made enough great movies, with enough variety, to keep me from getting bored.

But I'd miss Bette Davis.

[cactus waltz]

My first thought was Robert Duvall. He's in a fair bit of modern movies (and is still productive) with a nice sample of american classics behind him as well.

[ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies]

Easy. Johnny Depp.

(Duvall would my my second choice, though.)

[Abby_Emma_Sasha]

I have three choices:

My vagina says Will Patton because I've been in love with him since 1990 or so. He's a wonderful actor but doesn't always make good choices in moviemaking.

My fun side says Samuel L. Jackson because I motherfucking love this guy and no matter how motherfucking bad the movie is I'll enjoy his performance. He's just fucking awesome.

My brain says Robert DeNiro because he made so many great films before he got senile. Hell, I have most of his movies on tape and I watch them again and again as it is. Nobody better.

[parthenokinesis]

Steve Buscemi. He's prolific, has a varied choice in movie styles, is in a number of recentish classics and has a relationship with certain filmakers I respect so is likely to continue to be in movies I want to see.

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

Just pick Kevin Bacon - then you can watch everything!

Seriously though, my first thought was Meryl Streep, because not only has she done lots of work, with lots of different types of movies, but I always just enjoy the hell out of watching her.

[SaharaTea]

Johnny Depp or Kate Winslet.

[GraceTX]

Easy choice. Jimmy Stewart. He was prolific and had more latitude than you might think. Besides, he was the last gentleman man in American mythology.

Best answer IMHO. You've got romantic comedies, drama, westerns, and suspense. You've got everything you could possibly want right there.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Tom Hanks- his movies are always high quality and enjoyable. Even the clunkers!

[Shagnasty]

I could go for Kate Winslet. I practically have Titanic on infinite loop these days anyway.

Tom Hanks could do also. I love Forrest Gump.

John Cusack might be a good choice because I like quirky movies especially from the 80's.

My taste in movies just isn't that sophisticated.

[cactus waltz]

Best answer IMHO. You've got romantic comedies, drama, westerns, and suspense. You've got everything you could possibly want right there.

Except for anything recent.

[salinqmind]

Cary Grant. It's impossible for me to flip through channels, spot him in a movie, and keep flipping.
(More recently, Johnny Depp. He's done drama, comedy, and fantasy, and I just know he's got years and years of great work ahead of him.)

Bette Davis. (please see: Cary Grant).
(More recently - that's tougher, I'll have to think of a more contemporary female...)

[blondebear]

Since my first choices have been listed, I'll go with Harry Dean Stanton.

[parthenokinesis]

Since my first choices have been listed, I'll go with Harry Dean Stanton.

He was my second choice. Some good solid classics on his resume, worked a lot, pretty versatile. I just didn't see as much new going forward.

[mswas]

Brendan Gleeson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322407/)

I picked a good prolific character actor who is in a lot of really good stuff. I would get tired of looking at Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt, but if I ever get tired of Brendan Gleeson it's ok because he's not the star in most of his movies, but he's always awesome and his characters are different enough that you forget it's him.

[Stephe96]

Maybe Gene Hackman. A lot of variety and a lot of classics in his career.

By the way, has he retired from acting? I haven't seen him in anything in years.

[silenus]

Ben Johnson. Or Cary Grant. Definitely no living actor.

[kenobi 65]

Maybe Gene Hackman. A lot of variety and a lot of classics in his career.

By the way, has he retired from acting? I haven't seen him in anything in years.

Looks that way. According to his IMDB entry, he's made 2 movies since 2001, the last being "Welcome to Mooseport" in 2005 (though, he's done a little bit of voiceover / narration work, and a few "himself" appearances since then). According to his Wikipedia entry, he says he's retired from acting (and is apparently now writing novels).

ETA: He's been doing the voiceovers for Lowe's advertising for several years now.

[KennerTheGreat]

Tom Hanks- his movies are always high quality and enjoyable. Even the clunkers!

I'll second this. I enjoy Billy Crystal, as well.

[dalej42]

Clint Eastwood. By far my favorite actor.

[Justin_Bailey]

Stephen Blum. He's in everything!
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089710/

Is he your brother or something? Because he's a video game voice actor.

[E-Sabbath]

Anime, Justin. Anime. He's one of two guys who is 'in everything', for the dub, and I can't remember the other. And I mean starting with Mobile Suit Gundam and carrying on to today.

[drm]

Of those not mentioned, Morgan Freeman. He isn't my favorite actor, although he's quite respectable, he's in enough movie I enjoy watching that I'd be satisfied with him for a while.

I also don't know why Kevin Bacon isn't a serious answer. He's in a lot of very watchable movies.

[lissener]

Ben Johnson. Or Cary Grant. Definitely no living actor.

Ben Johnson is a good one. That way I can have She Wore a Yellow Ribbon AND Red Dawn!

[silenus]

Not to mention Stripes and The Wild Bunch and The Last Picture Show. :D

[Sigmagirl]

Grant and Stewart are excellent answers. I think I would have to go with Cagney.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Best answer IMHO. You've got romantic comedies, drama, westerns, and suspense. You've got everything you could possibly want right there.
No nudity, no swearing, no graphic violence, no thanks. I don't want to be stuck watching nothing but Hayes code era movies, and I won't even mention the cheeseball acting styles.

Personally, I'd look for some bit actor that's been in a billion different things. Quantity and variety is what to look for.

[Night, so be it]

For me it's Woody Allen or Al Pacino, easily. Forget about variety; I'd rather have a set of films with depth that I enjoy, than a set of films that span every genre possible.

[gigi]

Emma Thompson. Love, love, love her, and that way I could watch my all-time favorite movie ever (Sense & Sensibility) anytime I want to.

Good call. Love Actually, Much Ado About Nothing, Wit...

Or maybe Dan Hedaya. He's in everything!

[Bosstone]

No nudity, no swearing, no graphic violence, no thanks. I don't want to be stuck watching nothing but Hayes code era movies, and I won't even mention the cheeseball acting styles.

Personally, I'd look for some bit actor that's been in a billion different things. Quantity and variety is what to look for.Paul Giamatti. The movies he's in aren't high art (we're talking stuff like Man On The Moon, Private Parts, and Shoot 'Em Up here), but they're almost always guaranteed to be entertaining.

ETA: Looks like he was in Saving Private Ryan, so there's your high art war movie. :D

[gigi]

Paul Giamatti. The movies he's in aren't high art (we're talking stuff like Man On The Moon, Private Parts, and Shoot 'Em Up here), but they're almost always guaranteed to be entertaining.


The slap fight between him and Tom Wilkinson in Duplicity made it all worth it!

[lieu]

Not to mention Stripes and The Wild Bunch and The Last Picture Show. :D... and Shane.

Ben Johnson, Robert Duvall or Paul Newman for me. Tough choice.

[Alan Bird]

I have three choices:

My vagina says Will Patton because I've been in love with him since 1990 or so. He's a wonderful actor but doesn't always make good choices in moviemaking.

My brain says Robert DeNiro because he made so many great films before he got senile. Hell, I have most of his movies on tape and I watch them again and again as it is. Nobody better.

Bolding mine. I totally got a visual of that sentence.

Also, second the De Niro nom. Is he senile? I wasn't aware of that.

[NicePete]

Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall are the actors that first occurred to me.

[woodstockbirdybird]

Steve Buscemi. He's prolific, has a varied choice in movie styles, is in a number of recentish classics and has a relationship with certain filmakers I respect so is likely to continue to be in movies I want to see.

My pick.

For dead actors, Bogart or Robert Mitchum.

[Bosstone]

Wait, wait. Instead of Giamatti, I gotta go with Ron Perlman. He's got some stinkers, but on the whole he's just great to watch. And it also means I get some Guillermo del Toro movies in the lineup.

[Intergalactic Gladiator]

Dick Miller (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0588241/) or possibly Gene Hackman (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/).

[janeslogin]

Serena Grandi http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=20613

[digs]

Best answer IMHO [Jimmy Stewart]. You've got romantic comedies, drama, westerns, and suspense. You've got everything you could possibly want right there.

... and a giant mythological rabbit!

Match that, Hanks.

[Rucksinator]

Clint Eastwood. By far my favorite actor.

I smell a loophole..... does he have to actually be in the movie? Or does directing or producing count?

I'd pick Brad Pitt. I haven't seen a movie of his I didn't like (but then again, I never watched The Mexican), and he's still making them.

[BigT]

For once, Diogenes and I are in total agreement. I can't stand to watch the same movie twice in about a five year period, if not longer. That's why I don't own many movies: I rent, watch everything on the disc, and then I'm done.

Rucksinator's loophole is interesting, though. In fact, the best choice would be a some unknown actor who just happens to own copies of every movie I'll ever want to watch (or who I can pay to buy movies I want to watch) who will loan me copies. Then I'd be "watch[ing] one actor's movies," wouldn't I? :p

[Panurge]

Klaus (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001428/) Kinski (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Kinski). I'm sure a lot of his films are horrible but there are a lot of them, and I always enjoy watching that unique ... madness ... he brings to his characters.

[emjaya]

Charlton Heston

Gerard Depardieu

Richard Burton

Max von Sydow

Sean Connery

[Enright3]

I'd go with Mel Blanc.
He has over 700 movie credits to his name. I'd never get bored that way! :)

[jali]

Since "Snatch" is my favorite movie right now (for the last few years, actually) I'll have to go with Brad Pitt.

The other actor I thought of is Paul Newman. Films from the 50s until his death.

[badbadrubberpiggy]

Gary Oldman. <3 GO.


Me too. He's awesome, and you don't feel like you're watching "A Gary Oldman Movie", since he's able to play vastly different characters in so many movies, so you'd still have a lot of variety.

[lindsaybluth]

My gut reaction is Jack Nicholson. My second gut reaction is Meryl Streep.

Buuuuut...since this is for the rest of my life, and I'm a youngun, I should logically have someon else. Someone younger, who will have new stuff coming out for at least a decade more.

Like Paul Giamatti. :)

[Windwalker]

Johnny Depp, easily.

He's had brilliant movies in a lot of different genres, he plays really diverse characters, and he usually (but not always) chooses fairly offbeat films to star in. Most importantly, I don't think I've ever been bored by a movie he's been in. Let's take a look at some of his films:

Edward Scissorhands - amazing, both funny and genuinely moving
Ed Wood - unforgettable portrait of the finest bad movie director ever
What's Eating Gilbert Grape - a very well-acted family drama with unique elements
A Nightmare On Elm Street - one of the classic horror movies
Platoon - considered one of the best war movies ever
Donnie Brasco - fantastic gangster movie
Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - a brilliant, highly literate acid trip adventure
Chocolat - a sweet, well-received romantic comedy
Pirates of the Carribean - a dark, swashbuckling award-winning sea adventure
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - a great screen adaptation of classic children's book
Sweeney Todd - a great adaptation of a horror/comedy stage classic

Look at the range, and how they're all good to outstanding films. And there's still a lot more in his filmography to choose from.

[Loisseau]

Tim Roth has had an amazing amount of different roles. And he's been an actor/ director long enough to have a portfolio of work to last.