# Actors you admire for their versatility **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302 "2001-10-24T12:59:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/1 "2001-10-24T12:59:27Z")
There’s an awful lot of them, but these stand out as my favorites, in no particular order. Gary Sinise Everything from George Wallace to Harry Truman, and let’s never forget Lieutenant Dan. Goldie Hawn Yes, Goldie Hawn. If for no other reason than her spectacular role in _Overboard_, where she played the insufferable rich bitch, the meek and sweet poor girl, and the wise, enlightened, and reformed wealthy matron. Were it not for her subtle handling of this role, this screenplay could have failed miserably. Billy Bob Thornton This guy has _got_ to be the master. Without being told, who would ever have known that the guy in _Slingblade_ was the same as the guy in _Pushing Tin_. (By the way, did you know he was the trouble maker in _The Apostle_?) 😃 Who are your favorites, and why? ---
**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:** [October 24, 2001, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/2 "2001-10-24T13:13:10Z")
Gene Hackman (Young Frankenstein (“I was going to make espresso!”, The French Connection, The Unforgiven) Mandy Patinkin (Alien Nation, Princess Bride, Dick Tracy) Johnathan Pryce (Brazil, Tomorrow Never Dies) John Hurt (Alien, 1984, boatloads of stuff) Anthony Hopkins (the usual) ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/3 "2001-10-24T13:19:57Z")
James Hong ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/4 "2001-10-24T13:58:42Z")
D’oh! John Hurt. Yes! ---
**Author:** ![lucie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed8c4c/32.png) [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/5 "2001-10-24T14:13:28Z")
Bob Hoskins (Roger Rabbit, The Cotton Club, Mona Lisa, Mermaids) Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Sexy Beast, Without a Clue) Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Galaxy Quest, Working Girl) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/6 "2001-10-24T14:20:07Z")
Edward Norton was equally believable as an affable priest in “Keeping the Faith” and as an angry skinhead in “American History X.” Anthony Hopkins was equally convincing as a psychotic killer in “The Silence of the Lambs” and as an introverted, repressed butler in “Remains of the Day.” It’s hard to believe that the Ben Kingsley who played Chicago mobster Meyer Lansky in “Bugsy” is the same guy who played Gandhi, the same guy who played Dr. Watson in the hilarious “Without a Clue.” ---
**Author:** ![nerv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@nerv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerv)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/7 "2001-10-24T15:51:49Z")
How about Audie Murphy? Among his many films were To Hell and Back (1955), in which he played himself, and Travelin’ Light (1971), in which he played himself. In Kansas Raiders (1950) he played Jesse James, and in A Time for Dying (1971), he played Jesse James. Now, there’s range for you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/8 "2001-10-24T16:03:11Z")
Robert Carlyle. He was the psychotic Begbie in “Trainspotting,” the sweet, trusting gay guy in “Priest,” the evil supervillain in “Tomorrow is not Enough,” and the unemployed mill guy turned stripper in “The Full Monty.” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/9 "2001-10-24T16:17:55Z")
Billy Bob was my first thought. I’m rapidly becoming a complete Billy Bob fanatic. Another that springs to mind … Gary Oldman: From Irish street punk in _State of Grace_ to sadistic Assistant Warden in _Murder in the First_ to Sid Vicious in _Sid and Nancy_ to Ludwig Van Beethoven in _Immortal Beloved_. … and I was just including something about Robert Carlyle, but I see on pre-view that **gobear** beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/10 "2001-10-24T22:58:53Z")
Dustin Hoffman-_The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Tootsie, Rainman_. Richard Dryfus-_Jaws, Goodbye Girl, Rosenctantz and Gildenstern are Dead_. James Cagney-_Public Enemy, Mid Summers Night Dream, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Johnny Come Lately, One, Two, Three, Ragtime_. Looking at my list, I guess I could say, any actor under 5’7". Let me also add, Johnny Depp (although his last two have seemed rather repetitive) with _Gilbert Grape, Edward Sissorhands_, and _Ed Wood_, and Marlon Brando with _On the Water Front, The Wild One, Julius Ceasar, The Young Lions, Mutiny on the Bounty_ and _The Godfather_. TV ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/11 "2001-10-24T23:10:45Z")
Robert DeNiro. Y’know, _before_ he started playing himself all the time. Ditto Jack Nicholson. Sean Penn. The man’s a bloody chameleon. I didn’t even know he was in **Carlito’s Way**'til I read the credits. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/12 "2001-10-24T23:40:36Z")
All my first thought have been mentioned, so I’ll throw in with **Tim Roth** - Vincent Van Gogh in _Vincent and Theo_, the thief in the restaurant in _Pulp Fiction_, Archibald Cunningham (the main villian) in _Rob Roy_, Dutch Scholtz in _Hoodlum_, General Thade in the remake of _Planet of the Apes_, and one of the title characters in _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead_. And then there’s **Ben Kingsley** - Mahatma Gandhi in um, that one movie, what was it called?, Meyer Lansky in _Bugsy_, Cosmo in _Sneakers_, and Itzhak Stern in _Schindler’s List_. From Gandhi to gangsters to oppressed Jew. And while I’m not sure how versatile he’s considered, but **Tom Hanks** going from _Splash_, _Bachelor Party_, and _Big_ to films like _Philadelphia_ and _Saving Private Ryan_ is pretty impressive to me. And of course, I have to mention one of my favorite actors ever - **Spencer Tracy** , whose [filmography](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Tracy,+Spencer) is too big to go into here. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/13 "2001-11-05T14:38:23Z")
**Kevin Kline** , “Ice Storm”, “A fish called wanda”, “In and Out”, “Pirates of Penzance”. Guess his nickname is “Kevin deKline” cause he turns down so many roles. Apparently he just hates to be in movies that suck. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/14 "2001-11-05T17:07:04Z")
Yes! Billy Bob Thornton is amazing, and is there a role that Tom Hanks can’t play? Even if there is, I bet he’ll try. ---
**Author:** ![Heath\_Doolin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Heath\_Doolin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heath_Doolin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/15 "2001-11-05T18:20:49Z")
You start this thread and don’t even hit the master of the versatility? The Refugee turned Miami Drug Lord? The cranky blind Commander? A football coach with some scruples? The cop that won’t turn and pays for it? The comic strip crime king? Mayor of New York? Son of a Don and leader of the Corleone Family? SATAN? I am talking of course of **Al Pacino**. May you all smack yourself for forgetting him but I do agree with a lot of names you have so far ---
**Author:** ![Ravendriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Ravendriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravendriver)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/16 "2001-11-05T19:17:29Z")
**Chris Guest** Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap “These go to eleven.” Count Rugen in The Princess Bride “You must be that Spainsh brat…” The weenie Navy Surgeon in A Few Good Men (betcha didn’t even know he was in there!) The Good Ol’ Boy with the Dawg in Best in Show (fall-down funny) ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/17 "2001-11-05T19:20:19Z")
What about Malcolm McDowell? Sure he plays a lot of baddies, but they’re all pretty versitile. A rebellious gun-toating school boy A parapelegic (sp?) A teeange punk with ultraviolence on his mind, Caligula HG Wells (if the last two are the most different roles on Earth, I don’t know what are!) Reporter Coffee-saleman Snooty college teacher London Mob hitman A mysterious Island owner The list goes on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/18 "2001-11-05T19:24:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bean\_shadow \* > \*\*Caligula > HG Wells (if the last two are the most different roles on Earth, I don’t know what are!) > \*\* I meant to say, “If the last two **aren’t** the most different roles on Earth, I don’t know what are!” My bad. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/19 "2001-11-05T19:28:29Z")
> [@](#): > > I am talking of course of Al Pacino No, the OP specifically mentioned actors admired for their versatility, not actors who TALK REAL LOUD with a Noo Yawk accent in every single role they play. Hoo-Ah! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302/20 "2001-11-05T19:39:28Z")
Kevin Spacey is great. I’ll second Johnny Depp-- he’s fantastic. I’m gonna throw a name out there… and I think I might get a lot of grief for it-- but IMO he has shown a lot of growth and range in the past several years— Tom Cruise. Maverick’s come a long way. He’s choosing a lot of different interesting and different roles now, and while not always amazing is always interesting and believable. Plus Robin Williams. Was that really Mork from Orc in Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society? If you ever want a good trip on what he can do… go check out The Fischer King or Dead Again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-admire-for-their-versatility/89302.md?page=2)