# Greatest Male Actors -- SDMB Poll **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604 "2010-03-24T11:57:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/1 "2010-03-24T11:57:58Z")
See [The greatest actors of your lifetime](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=556561) which was started 03-20-2010, 12:58 PM by Zeldar and was closed after 60 posts. Over that time 32 voters mentioned 73 Men and 48 Women, and after the names with only one mention each were dropped, we are left with 28 Men and 17 Women to be voted on as the Best Actors of Our Lifetimes. This poll is for the Male Actors. Female Actors are in a separate poll. One vote per Doper per poll. Make them count! ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/2 "2010-03-24T14:46:52Z")
I put down Daniel Day Lewis, since I don’t recall him ever being in anything bad and most stuff he’s been in has been superb. I think one could make a really strong case for [John Cazale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cazale), though. Interesting trivia point - he and Meryl Streep, who will probably win the female thread, met while making The Deer Hunter, and were once engaged. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/3 "2010-03-24T15:44:50Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I think one could make a really strong case for [John Cazale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cazale), though. > > Interesting trivia point - he and Meryl Streep, who will probably win the female thread, met while making The Deer Hunter, and were once engaged. Some time ago, and I forget what brought the subject up to start with, but a major IMDB challenge would be to find another actor whose credits include no movie with lower than an 8.0 IMDB score. [Check it out!](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001030/filmorate) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/4 "2010-03-24T15:50:03Z")
No Cary Grant? Hmmmph! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/5 "2010-03-24T16:04:34Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > No Cary Grant? Hmmmph! :mad: He and so many others just never got that second (or more) vote in the original thread. If you want to complain, try Brando, once heralded as The Greatest Actor. Too many shit roles, one must assume. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/6 "2010-03-24T19:10:37Z")
No Gary Cooper? No Cary Grant? No Clark Gable? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/7 "2010-03-24T22:47:28Z")
That list is really tilted to modern day actors… ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/8 "2010-03-24T22:59:46Z")
Good list; it was hard to pick one. I had to go with Gary Oldman though. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/9 "2010-03-24T23:44:43Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > That list is really tilted to modern day actors… Please check the link in the OP. How the list came to be is explained there. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/10 "2010-03-25T16:02:38Z")
Since it doesn’t have Laurence Olivier, I can’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/11 "2010-03-25T16:08:09Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Since it doesn’t have Laurence Olivier, I can’t vote. He’s on there. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/12 "2010-03-25T16:12:37Z")
I voted for Daniel Day Lewis and was surprised to see that (so far) he’s tied for first place with 12 votes. I like a lot of the other actors on the list, but Lewis is one who seems to become the character he’s playing. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/13 "2010-03-25T16:16:20Z")
There’s a lot to choose from on that list, but I went with Oldman too, because of his range. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/14 "2010-03-25T16:20:27Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > There’s a lot to choose from on that list, but I went with Oldman too, because of his range. That was my vote and my reason. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/15 "2010-03-25T18:43:36Z")
Oldman does have terrific range. I was sorely tempted by Johnny Depp for the same reason (plus he’s good in virtually everything he’s ever done), but voted for Ian McKellen instead. Just as Gandalf, he showed a very broad range, and was terrific every second he was on camera. But he also hit it out of the park as the deliciously wicked and scheming lead in the what-if British Fascist retelling of _Richard III_. I’d also have nominated Jeff Daniels. Anyone who could so ably play both the moronic but good-hearted Harry in _Dumb and Dumber_ and the quietly heroic Chamberlain in _Gettysburg_ deserves a wheelbarrow full of Oscars. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/16 "2010-03-25T21:19:45Z")
What about Francis X. Bushman?🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/17 "2010-03-25T21:21:37Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What about Francis X. Bushman?🆒 Didn’t make the cut. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/18 "2010-03-26T05:42:47Z")
Who Is Daniel Oldman and Daniel Day Lewis? Never heard of them? I voted for Robert Dinero. I love all of his diverse roles. If Clark Gable was on there I would have voted for him. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/19 "2010-03-28T02:46:33Z")
I think you should make it clear in your next preliminary thread that you encourage multiple repeat nominations. I think a few people specifically avoided rementioning names that were already nominated, and that could skew results if you are culling single mentions… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604/20 "2010-03-28T03:45:13Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I think you should make it clear in your next preliminary thread that you encourage multiple repeat nominations. I think a few people specifically avoided rementioning names that were already nominated, and that could skew results if you are culling single mentions… Nice suggestion. I won’t be doing any others of this type, so feel free to do one your way. I’ll have no problems with that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-male-actors-sdmb-poll/533604.md?page=2)