Really? That wasn’t his character in Bosom Buddies, Family Ties or more recently in Philadelphia.
Or Catch Me If You Can, or The Terminal.
That’s funny. I guess I have just seen a particular cross-section of his films that gave me that impression. I don’t think I’ve seen any of the above that were mentioned. Bosom Buddies and Family Ties yes, but so many years ago I don’t recall.
To you DeNiro doubters:
Deniro has a great range – from a grim guy, to a grim guy trying very hard not to be so grim.
That is actually a much wider range than MOST actors.
Speaking of Golden Era stars, I loved her dearly but… Katharine Hepburn. Whether her character was the aging wife of a retired professor, the divorced wife of a robber baron heir, an aspiring young actress in a troupe, the queen emeritus of 12th century France and England, a missionary in Africa/American southwest/Wales, a wealthy publisher’s wife with a daughter in an interracial relationship, a she-attorney going up against her husband, reference librarian for a broadcast news bureau, or the junkie wife of a stage actor, she was the same “do what she wanna do/say what she wanna say/live how she wanna live/play how she wanna play” intelligent refined sophisticated and opinionated-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness patriciana. It would be almost impossible to imagine her playing one of the Joads or a retarded woman or a not particularly intelligent coal miner’s wife or a bitter anti-intellectual Pentecostal widow or any other character without it coming across as almost funny.
I think Stewart did quite a good job in The Philadelphia Story. Cary Grant played Cary Grant, Kate Hepburn played Kate Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart played Macaulay Connor. I mean, I haven’t seen everything he’s in, but Macaulay is not the same character as George Bailey.
I’ve noticed that many of you are entirely wrong. You know who you are.
I’d nominate – well, nobody. You simply don’t get to be widely regarded as good, by millions of people who’ve seen you act, unless you actually have some talent. Some actors have tended to keep playing similar characters – not the same as not being good. They’re good at what they do. At worst, you’d call them actors who are good within a limited range.
I really can’t think of anybody who fits the conditions of the OP – actors who are considered good, but aren’t.
Juliette Lewis. Every time I see her in a movie she’s the same character. A slightly retarded trashy girl with an accent I can’t stand.
Insult are not appropriate outside the Pit. We can disagree with each other in Cafe Society without turning it personal, and don’t need the conversation to be derailed by accusations of stupidity. If you must vent, just start a thread in the Pit and link to it from here.
I have to say, before this thread I didn’t know of anyone who thought Leonardo DiCaprio was actually a good actor (I knew people who liked him because they lusted after him, sure, but not the same thing), so I wasn’t going to throw his name in the ring, but since a few of you do think so, add me to the list of people who think he’s not very good.
He always seems to play some smarmy version of himself. Whether he’s (thankfully) gasping his last few breathes in chilly waters, running from the law for check forgeries, seeking revenge for his father’s death in 1860s New York, or trying to pull a quick one over on Jack Nicholson, he’s never a convincing character. There’s no nuance to his acting; there’s just him showing up for a role and reading the lines. I enjoyed The Departed and thought DiCaprio did the best he could, but he still acted like a 13 year-old boy making his first movie.
You’re right, within reasonable limits. It’s all about personal definitions. When I say a singer is “bad”, I mean bad in the context of being a professional singer, not bad compared to a Joe on the street. Same with acting. Jessica Alba is a “bad” actor compared to Ian McKellan, but she’s better than most chemistry majors.
Jessica Alba is not a bad actor. Her breasts alone speak to me in a romance language that her voice cannot reproduce.
Now THAT’S acting!
If I may go off-topic on this point, there were actually quite a few notable leading actors “in the good old days” who weren’t that tall. While it is true the average male height was a bit lower during the 30’s and 40’s than it is now, actors like Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and Spencer Tracy were all 5’9" or below. Alan Ladd was a major star but it would’ve been an exaggeration to say he was 5’6".
There aren’t words for how deeply I disagree with you. DiCaprio is the only human being who could have salvaged Departed from the Jack Nicholson trainwreck it would have otherwise been. I know it’s hard to get past the fact that he’s a prettyboy (even I couldn’t. I never figured I would have liked him after Titanic) but if his Howard Hughes wasn’t good enough for you, you’ve got your “nuance” bar set way, way too high.
I was among the “deCrappio-haters” for a long time, and usually avoided movies which featured him…
Then he did Blood Diamond, and that’s when I realized he actually HAS some talent… 
And I think it was the same for many people, from what I’d heard…
S^G
Saying ‘Bru’ makes anybody seem like a good actor. 
Dude. Watch George of the Jungle or The Mummy. Then watch Gods and Monsters .
He’s got chops. Just because he gets pulled in to do the innocent naif doesn’t mean that’s ALL he can do.
Plus he’s major eye candy. 
Originally Posted by Frylock
In reviews I often see Brendan Fraser referred to as a particularly good actor. But I don’ get it.
I loved how Brendan Fraser played all those different characters in Bedazzled I think he’s talented, but it seems he enjoys being in ‘fun’ movies more than serious ones.
(I prefer the version of Bedazzled that he’s in to the orginal).
I’ll admit I have a prejudice towards him in that in addition to being so damned hot people I know who have met him state that he’s a super-nice, charming, and very intelligent person. That said, I thought he was great in Gods & Monsters and in Bedazzled.
Hijack: I read an interview with him at some point in which he said he hates working out with a passion, both the lifting and the diet he has to go on, but when he’s buff the roles are more plentiful and pay 10 x as much and he doesn’t want to be broke and potbellied at 50 saying “@##** it! I should have raked it in when I had the chance!”
Add me to the Nicholas Cage detractors. For the past 10 years or so he seems to be trying to channel Elvis.