Brando was born in Nebraska in 1924, so essentially it’s a list of actors who first appeared in movies after World War II ended. Of the 20 actors listed below, I’d like you to rank the top ten, based strictly on their performances in films (not stage, or TV, etc.). Feel free to add actors I’ve omitted, as long as they conform to the constrictions in the title. (No Gregory Pecks or Anthony Hopkinses, for example.) You may consider quantity as well as quality, range in addition to performance quality, film choices as well as their individual performances, secondary roles and top billings. Please do NOT consider their “star” quality—i.e., box office success, their ability to draw movie-goers to the theaters. You are judging their talents as actors.
I figured that he did a tour de force of Oscar-caliber work in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and then did Oscar-caliber work breaking out completely different stuff in AMERICAN SNIPER, and then did Oscar-caliber work breaking out completely different stuff in A STAR IS BORN, and that all of that leading-man stuff is what he does when he’s not busy doing, y’know, Oscar-caliber supporting-actor work. Color me impressed.
I dunno. As of right now, I’m willing to casually reshuffle 2-10, but I’m sold on #1.
I was going to point out that he was from the Bahamas, which in a sense he was, but it seems his parents were visiting Miami when he was unexpectedly born 2 months premature. He later, but not much, claimed his US citizenship, first moving to Miami, then New York as a teenager.
A lot of people could be added to the list. Several should be removed. Tom Cruise is barely an actor, Same for Redford. Dreyfuss and Denzel certainly don’t belong in the top 10. George C. Scott and Rod Steiger were great at chewing the scenery but not so much at showing any range. Even Morgan Freeman, as much as I find him entertaining he is just the same old Morgan Freeman playing himself in different parts. Not that there are many actors who do much different.
So you can easily eliminate Cruise. I would lop off Redford as well. I think Denzel has shown considerable range, and impressive chops, but that’s what makes horseracing.
It’s hard to say how good an actor is based on a single performance since they could just be well-fitted to that role, have had a director that was able to pull it out of them, etc. so I can’t really judge quite a few of these.
I’ve heard that Brando was good when he was young and lead the way for the Method Acting but, personally, I was underwhelmed by his performance in Apocalypse Now, felt like he was more sinister in The Freshman than he was in The Godfather, and am pretty sure that syphilis or something had mostly eaten his brain by the time that he did The Island of Doctor Moreau.
I’ve seen Patton but, otherwise, I haven’t seen anything by George C. Scott and I don’t recall Patton all that clearly.
Rod Steiger - Haven’t heard of him
Paul Newman - I’ve seen him in some bit parts but have no real sense of his acting ability
Steve McQueen - No opinion
So, of actors that I can say something more about, I would say…
Actors who can both act AND leave an impression:
Edward Norton
Denzel Washington
Jack Nicholson
Robert Duvall
Harrison Ford
Robert De Niro
Al Pacino
Actors with gaps:
Dustin Hoffman - Did a decent job of playing self-deprecating roles when he was younger but tends to be a bit broad and cartoony with everything since then.
Brad Pitt - Not a terribly great actor for about the first decade of his career (until about 2000). He switched around to be a very strong actor for a bit (until about 2008) but, now, seems to mostly be coasting on his own name.
Robert Redford - Seems to mostly just play, “That cool guy”
Michael Douglas - Seems to mostly just play, “That cool guy”
Richard Dreyfuss - Was good in Jaws as a guy who’s out of his depth. Otherwise, he tends to be a bit like Hoffman and plays overly broad and cartoony characters most of the time.
Morgan Freeman - Great voice and good at playing that “wise and satisfied-with-life guy” but doesn’t seem to do much outside of playing “Morgan Freeman”.
Tom Hanks - He’s played a lot of different roles but, somehow, never really landed it for me as being deeply into that character. Which is a bit strange because I feel like the actor is probably one of the smarter people in Hollywood.
Tom Cruise - Seems to mostly just play, “That cool guy”. Immortality isn’t a component of acting ability.
Robert De Niro
Kevin Spacey (based on his acting)
Sean Penn
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Brad Pitt
Richard Dreyfuss
Robert Duvall
Gene Hackman
Dustin Hoffman
Tom Hanks