# Best Actor by IMDB ratings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2009, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748 "2009-07-12T09:32:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/1 "2009-07-12T09:32:21Z")
Terribly arbitrary I know but here is the game I was playing. I was watching _Crimson Tide_ and mention was made of _Run Silent Run Deep_ and as a lover of sub movies I went to IMDB to see if I had rated it. I then clicked on Burt Lancaster and chose **filmographies by ratings** to see if I had missed rating any of his movies. I was amazed to find he had appeared in 35 movies rating 7.00 or better which generally means a pretty good movie. Looking through the list there are a lot of fine movies. It does include two TV movies but they are both award winners. I then wondered who had been in more: DeNiro? No only 26. Pacino? A mere 28. Well obviously Charlie Chaplin. Nope, 22. A woman maybe, Meryl Streep? Ha ha, 13. Katherine Hepburn then? No, just 21. Oh, of course, the greatest film actor of all time, Jimmy Stewart. Bingo 36! Any other ideas for who has the most? ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/2 "2009-07-12T09:43:54Z")
I think you’ll be hard-pressed to beat Bess Flowers, unless you want to loosen up the definition of movie a bit, in which case Mel Blanc would be up there. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/3 "2009-07-12T10:12:46Z")
I suspect that [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=510090) equates to about the same thing as you’re looking for. Of particular note is [John Cazale](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001030/), who died after making 6 films that all score higher than an 8. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/4 "2009-07-12T11:55:26Z")
Well, Humphrey Bogart (31) doesn’t quite make it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/5 "2009-07-12T12:01:17Z")
Maybe someone can get there by sheer volume of movies made. Paging Michael Caine and Gene Hackman… …Nope: Michael Caine (30) (though he has eight more in the 6.9 range). Gene Hackman (21) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/6 "2009-07-12T12:11:28Z")
Here we go: Clint Eastwood: 46 (!!!) Top that! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/7 "2009-07-12T12:24:52Z")
Only 21 of Mr Eastwood’s are movies, many are _Rawhide_ episodes. Get em up, move em out. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/8 "2009-07-12T12:36:06Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Only 21 of Mr Eastwood’s are movies, many are _Rawhide_ episodes. Get em up, move em out. Hmmm. Didn’t notice that. Back to the drawing board. Er, _story_ board. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/9 "2009-07-12T13:26:03Z")
Jimmy Stewart has 36. It’s almost BOUND to be an old-timer, just because stars made so many more movies (both good and bad) in the Thirties and Forties than they do today. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/10 "2009-07-12T13:29:16Z")
No-one is trying. I mentioned Jimmy Stewart’s 36 in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/11 "2009-07-12T13:32:25Z")
Jimmy Stewart has 36. It’s almost BOUND to be an old-timer, just because stars made so many more movies (both good and bad) in the Thirties and Forties than they do today. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/12 "2009-07-12T13:33:28Z")
Jimmy Stewart was the first guy I’d have thought of. Henry Fonda had 32. Spencer Tracy and John Wayne had 28. It’s almost BOUND to be an old-timer, just because stars made so many MORE movies (both good and bad) in the Thirties and Forties than they do today. Today, Tom Cruise or Russell Crowe makes a movie every two years, or once a year if he feels like it. In the old Hollywood studio system, stars cranked out movies constantly. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/13 "2009-07-12T13:35:49Z")
Gary Cooper had 32. It just occurred to me to try character actors who worked steadily in the Thirties and Forties. Woudja believe… Walter Brennan scored a 35? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/14 "2009-07-12T13:39:34Z")
31 - Cary Grant Whooooooa! We have a new leader, by a mile! I haven’t subtracted out TV movies, but Bette Davis is in the lead. She has 100 movies with a 7.0 or better. Fewer if I subtact TV work, but still… Bette Davis is clearly the star to beat now! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/15 "2009-07-12T13:47:56Z")
Wow. Out of 111 movies. Only 11 score less. It would have been ages before I thought of her. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/16 "2009-07-12T13:53:58Z")
Actually she is probably the correct answer to the thread linked to earlier - 109 ratings over 6 and only 2 under. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/17 "2009-07-12T14:19:11Z")
Christopher Lee has 39 (including 3 TV movies) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/18 "2009-07-12T15:01:18Z")
I’m trying to thing of actors in the current generation who seem to pop up a lot in good movies. In other words, actors who make good choices. Philip Seymour Hoffman has 25, with plenty of career left in him. Johnny Depp already has 22. Chris Cooper already has 22. David Strathairn has 20. Matt Damon already has 19. Paul Giamatti has 18. 24-year-old Amy Adams already has 7. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/19 "2009-07-12T15:30:47Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > 31 - Cary Grant > > Whooooooa! We have a new leader, by a mile! I haven’t subtracted out TV movies, but Bette Davis is in the lead. She has 100 movies with a 7.0 or better. Fewer if I subtact TV work, but still… > Bette Davis is clearly the star to beat now! When I started reading the post, her name immediately popped into my head… but I guess someone beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748/20 "2009-07-12T19:21:34Z")
Looks like [Bess](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0283170/filmorate) is still on top (I probably should have put her count in my first post), as she’s well ahead of the rest listed here so far. 144 movies at 7.0 or above. 468 at 6.0 or above. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-by-imdb-ratings/502748.md?page=2)