# Patrick Stewart Reads The Phone Book
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 5, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113 "2007-09-05T13:20:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/1 "2007-09-05T13:20:35Z")
… And Other Actors Who Improve Everything They’re In
(Inspired by [this thread about Actors who killed their career](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=273116&page=1&pp=50), in case anyone was wondering)
I think we can all agree that there are certain actors- and Patrick Stewart is one of them- that are so good at what they do that their mere presence improves the work immensely. As one poster mentioned in the linked thread, people would almost certainly pay money to hear Patrick Stewart reading the phone book, and I’m inclined to agree with them.
But who else has that sort of presence, the sort that makes something mundane like reading the phone book interesting?
Christopher Walken is an obvious one, and I’d also nominate William Shatner, Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Fry, Alec Guinness, and Michael Caine- _Christopher Walken Watches Paint Dry_, _William Shatner Mows The Lawn_, _Stephen Fry Stands In A Queue At The Supermarket_, _Michael Caine Reads The Newspaper_… you get the idea.
Who do you think has the sort of acting skills/presence/talent to make something spectactularly dull or mundane become interesting?
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### Author:  [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/2 "2007-09-05T13:27:19Z")
Kathy Bates. I am not a huge fan of many women actors; and you can call me sexist for not viewing them as more successful in dramatic roles, but she’s gold for me everytime. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s not as sterotypically beautiful as most other “star” actresses, so it isn’t as distracting for me, but I love her.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/3 "2007-09-05T13:41:33Z")
I’d go see Alan Rickman in Waiting at the Doctor’s Office for a Routine Checkup. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/4 "2007-09-05T13:43:48Z")
Judi Dench
Ian McKellen
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/5 "2007-09-05T13:49:24Z")
Andreas Katsulas
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/6 "2007-09-05T13:52:04Z")
R. Lee Ermy- he can be in total schlock but he’s has this great energy that makes it all fun & enthusiastic & over the top, especially if he’s evil.
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### Author:  [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/7 "2007-09-05T14:19:02Z")
Gary Oldman. He can read each page of the phonebook as a different character.
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/8 "2007-09-05T14:21:28Z")
Helen Mirren.
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/9 "2007-09-05T14:29:50Z")
[QUOTE=kidchameleon]
Gary Oldman. He can read each page of the phonebook as a different character.
[/QUOTE]
You mean a different “creepy” character.
-Joe
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/10 "2007-09-05T14:30:24Z")
James Earl Jones.
And I’d almost pay to hear Gilbert Godfried read the phone book.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/11 "2007-09-05T14:34:20Z")
Anyone up for Tim Curry Clips His Toenails?
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/12 "2007-09-05T15:27:35Z")
Funny, but my only thought is that, while there are plenty of actors who, in my opinion, would be excellent at doing the most mundane roles, Patrick Stewart is hardly in the same class with most of them. There is a reason he was doing Star Trek, and it wasn’t tremendous acting ability.
Second the nomination of Alan Rickman, who has done some absolutely chilling roles, and has an awesome ability to bring something out of any character he ends up playing.
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### Author:  [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/13 "2007-09-05T15:43:44Z")
I want to nominate Robert Duvall.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/14 "2007-09-05T15:59:01Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle]
Anyone up for Tim Curry Clips His Toenails?
[/QUOTE]
Just so long as he just chews the scenery (which he always does) and not his toenails.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/15 "2007-09-05T16:00:14Z")
If you look at the arc of his career, Laurence Olivier not only _could_, he basically _did_.
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### Author:  [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/16 "2007-09-05T16:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=silenus]
Andreas Katsulas
[/QUOTE]
Alas, that is not to be as I believe he left this mortal coil a few years ago.
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### Author:  [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/17 "2007-09-05T16:28:58Z")
Ian Holme
Anthony Hopkins
Elizabeth Hurley
Derek Jacobi
Geoffrey Rush
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### Author:  [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/18 "2007-09-05T16:42:09Z")
**Christopher Eccleston presents a Four Hour Timeshare Presentation Which Isn’t Even Going to Earn You a Free Meal/Cruise/Hotel Stay/etc.**
I’d be _so_ there. I actually tried to rent _Gone in 60 Seconds_ because he’s in it somewhere…the girl at Hollywood Video laughed at me.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/19 "2007-09-05T16:44:53Z")
Steve Buscemi.
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### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/patrick-stewart-reads-the-phone-book/418113/20 "2007-09-05T16:50:58Z")
Morgan Freeman
Tim Robbins
Steve Buscemi
Christopher Walken
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