I beg your pardon.
KC was unusually animated (for him) and convincing in his first major picture role.
I would actually disagree on this one. Let’s look at some roles:
Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears
Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy
Rosencrantz (or Guildenstern) in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Beethoven in Immortal Beloved
Dracula in Dracula
Mr. Zorg in The Fifth Element
I think Gary actually blends fairly well into these roles. In the last few years, he has become typecast a little more, but I think that’s a matter of fame and fortune. If you look at his early films, his characters are all over the screen.
Because calling them actors is just wrong?
Terri Garr.
Whaaaaaaaaaa? I suggest you sit down and watch, back to back, “High Sierra,” “The Maltese Falcon,” “Key Largo,” “We’re No Angels” and “The Caine Mutiny” and rethink this one a bit.
Good heavens . . . please explain how his characters in “The Mighty Quinn,” “Malcolm X” and “The Hurricane” are anything like each other.
Humphrey Bogart. And it doesn’t mean he was a bad actor. He was a GREAT actor. But until Maltese Falcon, he was a thug, and after, he was pretty much Sam Spade. That was how movies were made back then. Casablanca has a lot of the same characters from the Maltese Falcon, only with different names and they’re living in Casablanca during WW2.
–John
Christian Slater always plays Jack Nicholson, who always plays himself (Chinatown & Easy Rider excluded).
yeahhhh… but they cut half his scenes, so we really don’t know for sure.
Michael Douglas - he seems like he’s just being himself (not a good thing)
Robin Williams - he seems like he’s trying to convince us that he’s just that wonderful in real life. Gag me.
Uhhhh,
Do Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes count?
d&r
James Gandolfino __ Don’t get me wrong, I really like the guy but his character in True Romance is separated from the one he plays in The Mexican by a brief intermission - a collector for the mob in both. And in The Sopranos? Hmmm… collector for the mob.
Matthew Perry (that is the name of that guy who plays Chandler on ‘Friends’, isn’t it?) is always the same character.
The well meaning, bumbling, sincere goofball.
When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought Kevin Costner and Michael Douglas. I see they have already been mentioned, so I will second (or third).
Another one who is pretty much the same in every movie (that i hace seen, anyway): Christopher Walken. Now don’t get me wrong: I LOVE Christopher Walken. But he pretty much plays the same whack-job type in all his movies. And I don’t think he’s acting. He’s like that for real.
And the same goes for Juliette Lewis.
… Planet of the Apes (2001)?
He plays a real dirtbag porn producer in “8mm”. Not your typical Gandolfini role. Anyway look for him Redford’s new movie “The Last Castle” or something like that. He plays an Army colonel who is the warden of a military prison. Oh and it’s Gandolfini, you fucking got that, you mommaluc? Hey Pauly, pass the gabagool.
As for my picks:
Yahoo Seriuos
Mark Wahlberg
Another vote for julia Roberts
I may get flamed for this but, Al Pacino. He’s always the guy who screams realy loud at awkward moments. It’s like he’s from the South Philly Italian School of Acting. Yelling equals aurthority. Don’t get me wrong, I love this guy. Quite a few of his movies are on my all time favorites list, but he should try subtlety.
So far just about every actor working in Hollywood has been listed – go figure.
But I would also hasten to add Helen Hunt – same expression for virtually every emotion which not only makes her “playing the same character” but also makes her just a bad actor, in my opinion.
James Coburn: The President’s Analyst, The Great Escape
Robert DeNiro: The King of Comedy, A Bronx Tale, Bang the Drum Slowly
John Malkovich: Places in the Heart, The Killing Fields
Jack Nicholson: The King of Marvin Gardens, The Last Detail, The Pledge
Christopher Walken: Pennies from Heaven; Sarah, Plain and Tall
Al Pacino?!? I must disagree. Compare his characterization in Scarface with that of Michael Corleone in the Godfather movies. For that matter, compare Godfather with Godfather III. Or just about anything else he’s done. Yeah, he’ll often have a high-intensity yelling scene, but if that’s all you see, you’re missing a lot.
For anyone who mentioned John Malkovich, I refer you to Being John Malkovich, where he plays pretty much every other cast member at one point or another.
[useless observation:] The middle aged Charlie Sheen in this movie bears a striking resemblence to Beavis’ dad in Beavis and Butt-Head Do America. [/useless observation]
Bruce Willis
Joe Pesci
Wasn’t Winona Ryder’s Character in Girl, Interrupted pretty much her character in Beetlejuice a few years older? (Substitute writing for photography, substitute the 60’s for the 80’s). And her character in Alien Resurrection was the same pale, scared girl.
Gary Oldman definitely doesn’t belong on this list. Neither does Pacino.
He was pretty good in that jewel heist movie, though.