# Actors with the Greatest Range **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333 "2007-01-31T22:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/21 "2007-02-01T05:10:46Z")
I really agree with what has been said about Gary Oldman. He is a true genius about getting into a character. Despite her fame and gazillions of Oscar nominations, I think the same thing of Meryl Streep too. Philip Seymour Hoffman has been quite impressive with his body of work also. But to match Oldman’s ability to disappear into a character, the only other name that comes to me is Vincent D’Onofrio. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/22 "2007-02-01T05:17:56Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] and Scoundrels with David Nevin… [/QUOTE] A slight and probably pointless nitpick, but for the benefit of anyone who might try to find info on this movie, its title was actully _Bedtime Story_. It was remade starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin and called _Dirty Rotten Scoundrels_. Caine, as usual, acquitted himself well, but Steve Martin is NO Marlon Brando. ---
**Author:** ![8675309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ea5d25/32.png) [@8675309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8675309)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/23 "2007-02-01T06:29:56Z")
Gary Oldman has an incredible range. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/24 "2007-02-01T06:33:22Z")
\*\*Brendan Fraser \*\* is under appreciated IMO. He can do goofy comedy (George of the Jungle, Blast from the past) action (The Mummy) and sinister (The quiet American). **John Goodman** shows the same range, especially noticable in his movies with the Cohens, but also in West Wing, as a voice actor (Monsters Inc.). Why hasn’t someone meantioned the greatest of our time - **Gary Oldman**? ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/25 "2007-02-01T06:37:29Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] Jack Nicholson has to be up there. He has well proven himself in everything from drama (A Few Good Men, Terms of Endearment) to comedy (Mars Attacks) to horror (The Shining). [/QUOTE] Really? While he’s played several different types of roles like you say, I don’t really think he really shows a great range, in that in all those different roles he seems to be playing rather similar characters. It’s more over the top in comedies obviously,. but it seems to come through in all of his movies. As opposed to Oldman who actually seems like he’s different people in his different rolls. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/26 "2007-02-01T07:10:07Z")
Depp, Oldman, and Norton are the most versatile actors working today, and probably my three favorites. But credit where credit is due – I totally agree that Brad Pitt is a helluva talented and multifaceted actor who just happens to look like a “movie star.” ---
**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:** [February 1, 2007, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/27 "2007-02-01T12:31:39Z")
No one mentioned Bryan Cranston. Granted, I’ve really only seen him as Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another actor that versatile all in the same role. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/28 "2007-02-01T12:38:04Z")
I like Depp and think he’s a good actor, but I’ve never seen him pull the Oldman thing where you say “that’s Gary Oldman?!” At some level, Depp is back there, doing the Depp thing - this may be more of a function of being cursed with “leading man” like Brad Pitt than anything else - but he does tend to also pick a type of role that fits him. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/29 "2007-02-01T12:50:58Z")
[QUOTE=supervenusfreak] Philip Seymour Hoffman has been quite impressive with his body of work also. [/QUOTE] Phillip Seymour Hoffman has incredible range. From the house boy in the _Big Lebowski_, to the buffoon who “sharted” in _Along Came Polly_ to \*Capote \*to the sad sack in _Owning Mahowney_ to the raving bad guy in _MI:III_. . .there’s just nothing you can nail down as a “phillip seymour hoffman” role. “Range” defines him. If anyone has seen _Along Came Polly_ and _Capote_, he’s completely believable in basically two roles that are the complete opposite of each other. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/30 "2007-02-01T13:11:48Z")
Robin Williams. His comic work is far different from his serious roles. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/31 "2007-02-01T13:46:14Z")
He was mentioned in passing, but I’d like to say **Michael Caine** - from quirky caper movies, spy films and _Alfie_ to such different modern roles as the pageant consultant in _Miss Congeniality_ to the sadistic warden in _Quills_ ---
**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:** [February 1, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/32 "2007-02-01T13:47:03Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] If anyone has seen _Along Came Polly_ and _Capote_, he’s completely believable in basically two roles that are the complete opposite of each other. [/QUOTE] Along Came Polly reminds me of another person, what about Hank Azaria. …On second thought, no. As much as I like him, Hank Azaria is always Hank Azaria. There are the 800 voices on Simpsons, the pool boy in The Birdcage and the odd ball roll in Along Came Polly, but it’s always still him. Nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/33 "2007-02-01T15:32:58Z")
A lot of great actors have been mentioned already. But I’d like to add Kevin Kline and Sean Penn - they’ve done some amazing performances. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/34 "2007-02-01T16:41:19Z")
I’ll suggest another surprise choice with **Leo DiCaprio**. Damn good job as Howard Hughes, I thought. He seems to do a wide range of accents well. At least he does a Southern accent well. His South African accent and Boston accent also sound pretty good to my ears, but who am I to judge those? And for guys who have completely disappeared into a wide variety of character roles, I nominate [Benicio Del Toro](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001125/) and [Stephen Root](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0740535/). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/35 "2007-02-01T16:48:09Z")
Oh and a couple of actresses who have handled a wide range of characters (and accents) well: [Frances McDormand](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000531/) and [Cate Blanchette](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000949/). ---
**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:** [February 1, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/36 "2007-02-01T16:52:26Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] A lot of great actors have been mentioned already. But I’d like to add Kevin Kline and Sean Penn - they’ve done some amazing performances. [/QUOTE] I’ll second Sean Penn. One of my favorites. Him doing Django in Sweet and Lowdown was the movie that made me realize his talent. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/37 "2007-02-01T16:58:43Z")
I’m going to have to throw in **Kurt Russel**. He’s done everything from Elvis to being a supersoldier and Captain Ron to Wyatt Earp. He doesn’t give _powerful_ performances, but very human. I somewhat think that Soldier was his best movie (though the movie itself was stupid.) He had something like 3 lines in the whole thing, and yet was able to let you know what he was thinking and feeling at every point. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/38 "2007-02-01T17:00:51Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Really? While he’s played several different types of roles like you say, I don’t really think he really shows a great range, in that in all those different roles he seems to be playing rather similar characters. It’s more over the top in comedies obviously,. but it seems to come through in all of his movies. As opposed to Oldman who actually seems like he’s different people in his different rolls. [/QUOTE] I agree that Oldman has a wider range, but he had already been mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/39 "2007-02-01T17:08:50Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] No one mentioned Bryan Cranston. Granted, I’ve really only seen him as Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another actor that versatile all in the same role. [/QUOTE] He was also the dentist Tim Whatley in **Seinfeld**. He really is a great physical comedian, but I’m sure he has more to show than that. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333/40 "2007-02-01T17:10:30Z")
**Hank Azaria** - I have to disagree that he is always Hank Azaria. From TV Exec in Quiz Show to faux-hero in Mystery Men to reporter in Tuesdays with Morrie all the way to Huff. He’s got range. – IG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-the-greatest-range/390333.md?page=3)