# Among all of Hollywood's iconic superstars, who was the best actor?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/among-all-of-hollywoods-iconic-superstars-who-was-the-best-actor/760946>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 26, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/among-all-of-hollywoods-iconic-superstars-who-was-the-best-actor/760946 "2016-07-26T15:53:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/among-all-of-hollywoods-iconic-superstars-who-was-the-best-actor/760946/101 "2016-08-12T22:48:28Z")

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> [@Johnny\_Ace](#):
>
> Bleh don’t even get me started on method. You don’t need to live as a homeless person for 6 weeks to play one effectively. (You might be able to guess that I’m not a huge Brando fan either.) A lot of stuffing for the shirt.

:eek:  
flamethrowers at dawn!  
😛

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/among-all-of-hollywoods-iconic-superstars-who-was-the-best-actor/760946/102 "2016-08-13T01:44:38Z")

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> [@Eddie The Horrible](#):
>
> :eek:  
> flamethrowers at dawn!  
> 😛

“PBR Street Gang, this is Almighty, over…”

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**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/among-all-of-hollywoods-iconic-superstars-who-was-the-best-actor/760946/103 "2016-08-25T22:45:18Z")

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> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> I’ve heard a number of times that Brad Pitt is an Oscar-caliber character actor trapped in the body of a handsome leading man: he could just coast by on his looks, but he _doesn’t,_ but people kind of automatically assume that he _does._

I agree, thought he should have won an Oscar for _Inglourious Basterds_…Was great in _Meet Joe Black_ also.

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**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/among-all-of-hollywoods-iconic-superstars-who-was-the-best-actor/760946/104 "2016-08-26T18:16:35Z")

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I’ve been reading this thread quickly, so I may have missed something, but I’m surprised no one’s mentioned Peter Sellers, the guy who gave us Dr. Strangelove, Group Captain Mandrake, and Chance the Gardner.

When it came to villains no one has ever done it better than Christopher Lee, although Basil Rathbone comes close.

As for actresses, I’ve always been a big admirer of Olivia de Haviland.

Agree with the kudos for Bogie, Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman.

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