Male film actors born in the U.S. in the past 100 years

[slicedalone]

@Sage_Rat

• 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.

I’ll take issue with both of these.

Hoffman showed amazing depth in his portrayals in Tootsie and Rain Man, hardly cartoonish at all. He did a spectacular job in Lenny. His range is amazing, to my mind.

I thought Pitt did great work in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

[Sage_Rat]

@slicedalone

Hoffman showed amazing depth in his portrayals in Tootsie and Rain Man, hardly cartoonish at all. He did a spectacular job in Lenny. His range is amazing, to my mind.

Perhaps “young” is a bit of a misnomer; he’s older than I was thinking. I didn’t realize he was already well into his forties in the 1980s. But, starting off with a bang in Hook and Dick Tracy, I’d say that my critique seems fairly reasonable since 1990.

[Elmer_J.Fudd]

Those mentioned all seem to be lead actors. Where are the Eli Wallachs and Joe Pescis?

[slicedalone]

Yeah, I’m talking about a list of lead actors. We can do the character actors later if you like.

[The_Other_Waldo_Pepper]

@Elmer_J.Fudd

Those mentioned all seem to be lead actors. Where are the Eli Wallachs and Joe Pescis?

You know, Jack Nicholson earned an Oscar nomination for his breakthrough supporting-actor role in EASY RIDER, and earned another Oscar nomination for his wackily different supporting role in A FEW GOOD MEN; and, in between, well, yes, earned yet another Oscar nomination for underplaying things in a supporting role in REDS, but also earned an Oscar win for yet another supporting role in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.

Oh, sure, he did a ton of memorable leading-man work, and won Oscars for that, too; but he’s still the supporting actor of choice for Scorsese if the goal is a Best Picture win for THE DEPARTED…

[Author_Balk]

My top 10 - sort of in order
Hanks
Brando
Nicholson
Pottier
Hoffman
Newman
Ford
Pacino
De Niro
Washington

[TriPolar]

In progress list so far. Not ordered yet.

Brad Pitt
Marlon Brando
Paul Newman
Sean Penn
Gene Hackman
Phillip Seymour Hoffman (no idea who Phillip Sidney Hoffman is)
Sidney Poitier
Alan Arkin

Thinking about McQueen, Pacino, DeNiro, Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, James Garner, and Steve Martin.

Others that I would like to be eligible but were born too soon: Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum
And Bryan Cranston is one of the best but his best performances were not in movies.

[slicedalone]

@TriPolar

no idea who Phillip Sidney Hoffman is

Sorry. Brainfart. It looked sort of correct, sort of incorrect.

[aceplace57]

I wouldn’t include Marlon Brando. He had the talent and it showed in his earliest movies. Brando phoned in his roles for decades afterwards.

I’m surprised Jack Lemon (1925-2001) hasn’t been mentioned. Brilliant actor.
My list
Robert De Niro
Michael Keaton
Sean Penn
Ben Affleck
Jack Lemon
Richard Dreyfuss
Robert Duvall
Gene Hackman
Dustin Hoffman
Tom Hanks

[slicedalone]

Seriously? You say that Brando

@aceplace57

had the talent and it showed in his earliest movies. Brando phoned in his roles for decades afterwards.

and then you top your list with De Niro?

Lemmon (not just one “m”) seems more of a character actor to me than an actor who carried a film, but of course he’s eligible for inclusion. Kind of limited range, I think. But then I haven’t seen all of his work.

Could be an interesting separate thread about actors’ range. I’d classify Lemmon with Eddie Murphy–basically played one role with some variations.

[MrDibble]

I’d say Matt Damon, George Clooney and Don Cheadle would all belong on the list, and that’s just the Ocean’s alums. Each has pulled off more than one great acting role, with range.

[Banksiaman]

I’m surprised no mention of Clint Eastwood. Yes, he has considerable star power and ability to draw on his name. He’s been able to pick and choose some memorable roles and later produce and direct himself and others, generally well. Most importantly, he’s always been able to act within his skin - as a wrinkly 80 year old, he’ll play wrinkly 80 really well. His range isn’t the widest, but he’s inhabited it very well.

Personally I’d put him as a first reserve for the Top Ten.

[slicedalone]

@Banksiaman

to act within his skin

A very limited range. I left him off my initial list because of his limited range. What I’m looking for is a group of actors who have fantastic range and fantastic acting chops, and Eastwood (and some others who’ve been mentioned) are good at what they do (not fantastic, just good) but pretty unambitious in their choices of roles. Movie stars, in other words, rather than actors.

Again, an interesting topic for another thread: great movie stars who aren’t great actors.

[Banksiaman]

I look at your avatar as I read:

@slicedalone

A very limited range. I left him off my initial list because of his limited range.

Can I suggest then Forest Whitaker as one of a scandalously small pool of non-Anglo actors? I don’t disagree with you about Clint at all, but my over-riding impression from the thread is just how small the talent pool actually is, if we are looking at say 80 years for one of the world’s big cinema industries.

[dorvann]

My picks:

Joaquin Phoenix
Johnny Depp
Willem Dafoe
Michael Keaton
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jeff Bridges
Tom Hanks
Harrison Ford
James Wood
Kurt Russell

[slicedalone]

I’m a big fan of Willem DaFoe and a smaller one of James Wood.