My first instinct is Bruce Willis. I could watch everything from Die Hard to the The Sixth Sense to Pulp Fiction. I think that ideally you would want an actor that is prolific, but also has a lot of variety in their work. You could pick John Cazale, who made six excellent movies, but I would get sick of only six movies for the rest of my days. I would pick someone who is still alive, so I could watch the new movies that they make. You could pick John Wayne, but there are going to be no new John Wayne movies. Also, the Duke was kinda limited in his range.
Others I would personally consider are Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Al Pacino, although I think Pacino’s best days are behind him. I think his last great movie was The Insider. Hanks’ best days might also be behind him. You could also make the same argument for Cruise, although I don’t agree. Cruise, Pitt and Willis are all in their forties or early fifties and have a solid and diverse body of work behind them, but are still young enough to make some great movies in the future.
Fortunately this question bears little with reality and I can actually watch whoever I want, but if I had to then I’m going with my gut and picking Bruce Willis
Not that all her movies are great or unusually varied or anything. But she’s my favorite.
Also, to me anyway, lots of her movies are good over and over and over. There are lots of movies I wouldn’t care to see more than once in a few years, but I’ve seen Roman Holiday about a zillion times and still go, “ooh, I love this movie” when I see it on TV.
My first thought was also Audrey Hepburn, who I love. But I think I would have to go with Cary Grant. Good variety of movies, very prolific and worked with some great directors in his day.
And he’s just good to watch no matter what comes out of his mouth. Sigh.
Humphrey Bogart maybe? I’d get Casablanca and Maltese Falcon which are great movies. He has a few other good ones too but I’d probably get bored without action movies.
Same goes with Audrey Hepburn. She has Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Funny Face and My Fair Lady but, again, I’d get bored with the lack of action.
Same also goes for all the other classic actors. I’d definitely have to pick a more recent actor.
Actually, I think I’d pick Jason Segel. For TV shows, I’d be able to watch How I Met Your Mother, Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks. For movies, well just about everything he has been in.
Seth Rogen too.
Or Quentin Tarantino, just because he’s in most of his own movies.
My first thought was Robert Duvall. He’s in a fair bit of modern movies (and is still productive) with a nice sample of american classics behind him as well.
My vagina says Will Patton because I’ve been in love with him since 1990 or so. He’s a wonderful actor but doesn’t always make good choices in moviemaking.
My fun side says Samuel L. Jackson because I motherfucking love this guy and no matter how motherfucking bad the movie is I’ll enjoy his performance. He’s just fucking awesome.
My brain says Robert DeNiro because he made so many great films before he got senile. Hell, I have most of his movies on tape and I watch them again and again as it is. Nobody better.
Steve Buscemi. He’s prolific, has a varied choice in movie styles, is in a number of recentish classics and has a relationship with certain filmakers I respect so is likely to continue to be in movies I want to see.