# Modern day equivalents of classic actors

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 19, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120 "2009-11-19T03:47:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120/1 "2009-11-19T03:47:05Z")

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So I was thinking the other day about how Hugh Grant is the modern day Cary Grant, and not just because of the surname. And then I thought Harrison Ford was kind of like Humphrey Bogart.

It’s harder for me to think of female equivalents, because the role of women in movies has changed so much, they don’t easily compare anymore.

So here’s my list so far:

Humphrey Bogart = Harrison Ford  
Cary Grant = Hugh Grant  
Jimmy Stewart = Tom Hanks  
Robert Redford = Brad Pitt  
Paul Newman = George Clooney  
Jerry Lewis = Jim Carrey

I’m struggling to find who people like Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Scarlett Johannson, Kate Winslet, or Leonardo DiCaprio might match up with.

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**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120/2 "2009-11-19T03:53:09Z")

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Hugh Grant is the modern-day Cary Grant? :eek:

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**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120/3 "2009-11-19T03:56:06Z")

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I’d say George Clooney is the modern-day Cary Grant, and I’d say Harrison Ford is more Gary Cooper than Humphrey Bogart.

Considering this further, I can’t think of anyone like Humphrey Bogart.

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**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:** [November 19, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120/4 "2009-11-19T09:55:46Z")

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Not one of the modern ones really measures up. The truly great ones are all gone.

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**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-equivalents-of-classic-actors/518120/5 "2009-11-19T11:01:58Z")

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> [@Sefton](#):
>
> Considering this further, I can’t think of anyone like Humphrey Bogart.

Jack Nicholson was clearly bogie-inspired in **Chinatown**.

Currently, I’d go for Bruce Willis.