# Gimme your top three 1/2 best American actors working today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832 "2018-04-21T00:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/1 "2018-04-21T00:10:56Z")
Yup actors. No women. 1/2 meaning: “guilty pleasure”…or a lot of potential but others probably won’t see it. I got: Robert Downey Jr. His “Look how effortlessly I improv or look like I improv” is kinda annoying, but when he brings it, he brings it. Josh Brolin. Just love him. An improved version of his dad whom I quite like. Jeff Bridges. Shouldn’t really have to say anything about him. My 1/2 uses to be Matt Damon. His work on “The Talented Mr. Ripley” was very brave at that point in his career. But lately… So I guess I’ll cop out and use my 1/2 on Mickey Rourke who could at any point in time put away the tea cup dogs, let his face settle back into place and do Oscar work at will. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/2 "2018-04-21T03:13:32Z")
Every actor you mentioned is critically acclaimed as a good actor. I don’t get the 1/2 thing. Mickey Rourke’s talent is accepted, I think, but his face is gone. The last time I saw him he looked like an older Donald Sterling. Costuming will take care of his bizarre fashion choices (and his face, too, depending on the role) but I don’t think his face has anywhere left to settle. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/3 "2018-04-21T03:27:28Z")
Nicholas Cage. Tremendous in “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Raising Arizona”, has shown acting chops in other roles, but mostly crap. That’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/4 "2018-04-21T03:27:54Z")
Was going to post, but I don’t think I have the right list. I’m having trouble understanding the title. “ **Gimme your top three 1/2 best American actors working today** ”: Top three of something you’re calling a “half best actor”? Like “half-_assed_ actor”? Or “three and a half” best actors? Like Peter Dinklage or Warwick Davis could be the half? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/5 "2018-04-21T05:40:50Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Was going to post, but I don’t think I have the right list. > > I’m having trouble understanding the title. > > “ **Gimme your top three 1/2 best American actors working today** ”: > Top three of something you’re calling a “half best actor”? Like “half-_assed_ actor”? > Or “three and a half” best actors? Like Peter Dinklage or Warwick Davis could be the half? Give me your top three and 1/2 actors. Your top three American actors working today and an actor you think is great but is something of a guilty pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/6 "2018-04-21T06:29:38Z")
I like Ryan Reynolds, Chris Pine and Daniel Radcliff. Benedict Cumberbatch is my 1/2 for reasons.😉 ---
**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:** [April 21, 2018, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/7 "2018-04-21T09:15:14Z")
Mark Ruffalo, Michael B. Jordan, Viggo Mortensen My 1/2 would be Steve Carrel - he really, really fucking shines when he does more serious work, like _Little Miss Sunshine_, _The Way, Way Back_ or _Foxcatcher_ ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/8 "2018-04-21T19:38:17Z")
American guys…i have to narrow it down some cause my guys would get replaced by the likes of Hopkins, DD Lewis, Viggo mentioned above Great answers, even the non american ones ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/9 "2018-04-22T06:10:50Z")
Me, James Spader, and Peter Dinklage. I don’t get the 1/2 thing, so no choice there. You probably haven’t seen me in anything unless you watch obscure indie stuff on Amazon, or community theatre in my area, but I am my favorite actor. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/10 "2018-04-22T07:43:32Z")
[Vincent D’Onofrio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_D'Onofrio) [William Sadler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sadler_(actor)) [John Malkovich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Malkovich) [Alfred Molina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Molina) (1/2 British 1/2 “American”) ---
**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:** [April 22, 2018, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/11 "2018-04-22T13:08:19Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > American guys…i have to narrow it down some cause my guys would get replaced by the likes of […] Viggo mentioned above Viggo \*is \*American. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/12 "2018-04-22T13:17:18Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I like Ryan Reynolds, Chris Pine and Daniel Radcliff. Benedict Cumberbatch is my 1/2 for reasons.😉 Reynolds is Canadian. Radcliffe and Cumberbatch are British. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/13 "2018-04-22T17:13:59Z")
Tom Hanks Leonardo DiCaprio Mark Ruffalo 1/2 star. Harrison Ford, based on his body of work. This list isn’t bad: > **[Top 100 Greatest Actors of All Time (The Ultimate List) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls050274118/)** > > Top 100 Greatest Actors of All Time (The Ultimate List) ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-your-top-three-1-2-best-american-actors-working-today/812832/14 "2018-04-23T02:01:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Viggo \*is \*American. My bad!!