# Actors of either sex with a surprisingly wonderful body of work. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978 "2009-01-19T12:20:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/1 "2009-01-19T12:20:46Z")
Tonight a bunch of us were talking about favorite actors (actresses???) and someone brought up William H Macy. We were kind of ho hum and then he told us his favorite WHM movies: Fargo Magnolia Thank You for Smoking Boogie Nights Searching for Bobby Fischer Pleasantville Seabiscuit Radio Days Mr. Holland’s Opus The Cooler Wag the Dog Benny & Joon Cellular The Client Shadows and Fog Ghosts of Mississippi A Civil Action Sahara Mystery Men Not a bad collection. Who else that you wouldn’t think of has a good catalogue? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/2 "2009-01-19T13:04:42Z")
Johnny Depp ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/3 "2009-01-19T13:31:08Z")
John Cazale. He only made four movies, but they are among the best ever made. I don’t know their careers as well as I should, but did either Fred Astaire or Audrey Hepburn ever made a less-than-stellar movie? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/4 "2009-01-19T13:33:58Z")
Meryl Streep–on stage, screen & Tv. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/5 "2009-01-19T13:35:26Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Tonight a bunch of us were talking about favorite actors (actresses???) and someone brought up William H Macy. We were kind of ho hum and then he told us his favorite WHM movies: > > Fargo > Magnolia > Thank You for Smoking > Boogie Nights > Searching for Bobby Fischer > Pleasantville > Seabiscuit > Radio Days > Mr. Holland’s Opus > The Cooler > Wag the Dog > Benny & Joon > Cellular > The Client > Shadows and Fog > Ghosts of Mississippi > A Civil Action > Sahara > Mystery Men > > Not a bad collection. > > Who else that you wouldn’t think of has a good catalogue? Wanted to add “Edmond” and “Door-to-Door” as two of my all-time favorite William H Macy movies. He’s awesome. My vote goes to Meryl Streep. She’s made so many excellent movies, hard to pick which is best. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/6 "2009-01-19T13:40:40Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Johnny Depp The man is a legend, I don’t see how a great filmography is surprising at all. Same goes for **Meryl Streep** , too, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/7 "2009-01-19T14:03:35Z")
Threads Michael Caine will never be mentioned in for $500, Alex. I came in to add Tim Robbins, because I adore him in everything I’ve seen him in, except well, he has definitely had some crap along the way, although I bet he was great in all of them. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/8 "2009-01-19T14:57:13Z")
John C. Reilly. With his recent string of ‘dumb guy’ movies like Talledega Nights, Walk Hard and Step Brothers, people forget the amazing number of quality movies he’s been in: A Prairie Home Companion (2006) … Lefty The Aviator (2004) … Noah Dietrich The Hours (2002) … Dan Brown Chicago (2002) … Amos Hart Gangs of New York (2002) … Happy Jack Mulraney The Perfect Storm (2000)…Dale ‘Murph’ Murphy Magnolia (1999) … Officer Jim Kurring The Thin Red Line (1998) … Sgt. Storm Boogie Nights (1997) … Reed Rothchild Dolores Claiborne (1995) … Const. Frank Stamshaw The River Wild (1994) … Terry What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) … Tucker Van Dyke Hoffa (1992) … Pete Connelly Out on a Limb (1992) … Jim Jr. Shadows and Fog (1991) … Cop at Police Station State of Grace (1990) … Stevie McGuire Days of Thunder (1990) … Buck Bretherton We’re No Angels (1989) … Young Monk Casualties of War (1989) … PFC. Herbert Hatcher ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/9 "2009-01-19T15:20:57Z")
Kevin Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/10 "2009-01-19T18:13:20Z")
Chris Cooper: American Beauty October Sky Lone Star Seabiscuit Toni Collette: About a Boy In Her Shoes Sixth Sense Muriel’s Wedding Little Miss Sunshine Emma ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/11 "2009-01-19T18:15:24Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/12 "2009-01-19T18:24:37Z")
Tom Skerritt hasn’t made all the movies in the world, just some of the best ones… Contact Picket Fences A River Runs Through It Steel Magnolias Cheers Top Gun Alien Ice Castles The Turning Point Harold and Maude MASH ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/13 "2009-01-19T18:25:59Z")
After parsing the title more carefully, I see that my disappointment at the lack of sex and wonderful bodies in this thread was entirely due to my own misguided expectations… In the spirit of the OP, however: > [@phreesh](#): > > John C. Reilly. With his recent string of ‘dumb guy’ movies like Talledega Nights, Walk Hard and Step Brothers, people forget the amazing number of quality movies he’s been in: > > A Prairie Home Companion (2006) … Lefty > The Aviator (2004) … Noah Dietrich > The Hours (2002) … Dan Brown > Chicago (2002) … Amos Hart > Gangs of New York (2002) … Happy Jack Mulraney > The Perfect Storm (2000)…Dale ‘Murph’ Murphy > Magnolia (1999) … Officer Jim Kurring > The Thin Red Line (1998) … Sgt. Storm > Boogie Nights (1997) … Reed Rothchild > Dolores Claiborne (1995) … Const. Frank Stamshaw > The River Wild (1994) … Terry > What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) … Tucker Van Dyke > Hoffa (1992) … Pete Connelly > Out on a Limb (1992) … Jim Jr. > Shadows and Fog (1991) … Cop at Police Station > State of Grace (1990) … Stevie McGuire > Days of Thunder (1990) … Buck Bretherton > We’re No Angels (1989) … Young Monk > Casualties of War (1989) … PFC. Herbert Hatcher I was going to mention him. He’s a good singer, as well! ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/14 "2009-01-19T18:29:13Z")
[Frank Welker](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919798/). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/15 "2009-01-19T18:38:59Z")
Add \*Matewan \*to Chris Cooper’s list. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/16 "2009-01-19T19:07:10Z")
Oh, and any time we have a thread like this I have to mention Bryan Cranston, he has more range in Malcolm in the Middle then a lot of actors have in the entire career. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/17 "2009-01-19T19:15:56Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Add \*Matewan \*to Chris Cooper’s list. And _Adaptation_. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/18 "2009-01-19T19:38:28Z")
I like to think most of what Philip Seymor Hoffman has done is fantastic. Props to PTA for getting Macy, Reily and Hoffman in his movies 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/19 "2009-01-19T20:06:40Z")
John Goodman, thanks in large part to the Coen brothers, has been in a surprisingly good number of movies. I think Jennifer Jason Leigh gets overlooked as an actress who is in a lot of good movies. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978/20 "2009-01-19T20:11:19Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > The man is a legend, I don’t see how a great filmography is surprising at all. Same goes for **Meryl Streep** , too, actually. Actually, no “surprises” ever come up in these threads. People with large bodies of good work aren’t surprises at all. They’re “actors” as opposed to “movie stars” but they’re all well-known to most movie-goers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-of-either-sex-with-a-surprisingly-wonderful-body-of-work/481978.md?page=2)