# The best actor ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038 "2010-01-30T18:09:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/21 "2010-01-30T20:36:35Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Brad Pitt is probably the modern Marlon Brando, so if MB qualifies as a contender, Pitt does. > > Ignoring popularity, I’d vote for Edward Norton though. I started to vote for Edward Norton but figured he definitely wasn’t popular enough. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/22 "2010-01-30T20:38:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If that’s what you’re looking for, fine. But don’t use the word “best.” Fine yourself, but define the word “best” for me, and tell how it excludes “popular”. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/23 "2010-01-30T20:56:11Z")
Daniel Day Lewis ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/24 "2010-01-30T21:41:10Z")
Dustin Hoffman. When he gets a retrospective, it will _ **invariably** _ show the clip of Benjamin Braddock hesitantly wondering whether Mrs. Robinson is seducing him, followed by the clip of Ratso Rizzo personifying Noo Yawk by smacking a cab and shouting that I’M WALKIN’ HERE! I’M WALKIN’! – followed by Dorothy Michaels walking down a crowded street – followed by Rain Man acting like what for most other folks would just lapse into a silly caricature. I can name a lot of actors who could likewise do Oscar-caliber work in two or even three of those vastly differing parts, but I can’t think of anyone else who could manage that for all four – and when he drops any gimmickiness to just go right up the middle, he holds his own against Meryl Streep to win Best Actor with a straightforward dramatic performance in KRAMER VS KRAMER. (Of course, he earned another Oscar nomination for straightforward _ **comedy** _ in WAG THE DOG, and another for splitting the difference in a drama about a stand-up comic in LENNY. But never mind that now.) And let me just add one more thing: plenty of folks remember the quip Olivier got off at Hoffman’s expense regarding MARATHON MAN. I say: so what? It _ **worked.** _ The dude looked and sounded like he’d been through some serious shit, and if that’s what it takes to act opposite Laurence Olivier, then, sure, do it – knowing that (a) you didn’t need to bring any gimmicks to star opposite Robert Redford in ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN a couple of months earlier, and (b) you can spend the next decades just as easily dropping in next to Ben Stiller for MEET THE FOCKERS as racking up awards standing next to John Malkovich in DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Seriously, who else hits that broad a spectrum? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/25 "2010-01-30T22:03:02Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > True. So does Sean Penn. Someone likes Sean Penn? :eek: I know that he’s popular enough among Hollywood itself, but he only does terribly left-wing dramas that no one watches. I don’t think you can build up a following like Marlon Brando or Brad Pitt in that way. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/26 "2010-01-30T22:04:25Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Fine yourself, but define the word “best” for me, and tell how it excludes “popular”. Actor = Person who acts. Star = Person who people like to watch for reasons that may have little to do with their ability to act. The problem isn’t with “best”, but with your noun. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/27 "2010-01-30T22:27:25Z")
Is it really easier to search out a YouTube clip and copy and paste the link as opposed to actually typing a name? Reading a name is definitely easier than waiting minutes for a clip to load. I’m going for a classic, Gregory Peck. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/28 "2010-01-30T23:16:42Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Is it really easier to search out a YouTube clip and copy and paste the link as opposed to actually typing a name? Reading a name is definitely easier than waiting minutes for a clip to load. You talkin’ to me? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/29 "2010-01-30T23:43:19Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Actor = Person who acts. > Star = Person who people like to watch for reasons that may have little to do with their ability to act. > > The problem isn’t with “best”, but with your noun. It’s an actor’s _job_ to be a person who people like to watch. Being a star has nothing to do with my question. Shirley Temple was a star because she did her job very well. She was talented, learned quickly, took direction, and worked hard. Being cute as a bug was a bonus. Very few of your stars have any real lasting popularity. That’s why I didn’t ask for the best star ever. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/30 "2010-01-30T23:48:31Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Fine yourself, but define the word “best” for me, and tell how it excludes “popular”. “Best” = the superlative of “good.” Consider the continuum “good, better, best.” If actor A is “the best,” and actor B isn’t, one must assume A is a better actor than B, i.e., that A _acts better_ than B. If not, then what the hell do these words mean? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/31 "2010-01-30T23:51:03Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > None of the below. That’s pretty snarky, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/32 "2010-01-30T23:53:29Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Someone likes Sean Penn? :eek: I know that he’s popular enough among Hollywood itself, but he only does terribly left-wing dramas that no one watches. I don’t think you can build up a following like Marlon Brando or Brad Pitt in that way. I’m terribly left-wing myself. I guess that’s why I’m not very impressed by Charlton Heston? I haven’t seen _Harvey Milk_ yet, but yes, I like Sean Penn. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/33 "2010-01-30T23:57:00Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Dustin Hoffman. > > And let me just add one more thing: plenty of folks remember the quip Olivier got off at Hoffman’s expense regarding MARATHON MAN. I say: so what? It _ **worked.** _ The dude looked and sounded like he’d been through some serious shit, and if that’s what it takes to act opposite Laurence Olivier, then, sure, do it – knowing that (a) you didn’t need to bring any gimmicks to star opposite Robert Redford in ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN a couple of months earlier, and (b) you can spend the next decades just as easily dropping in next to Ben Stiller for MEET THE FOCKERS as racking up awards standing next to John Malkovich in DEATH OF A SALESMAN. > > Seriously, who else hits that broad a spectrum? Gary Oldman, thats who. Hoffman is great, but I have never seen him in any role where I didn’t know it was Dustin Hoffman acting a role. I watched “Tiptoes” and at the end I thought who was that dwarf who played the role of Matthew McConaghy’s brother. I really thought it was a dwarf actor. It was Gary Oldman. He dissapears into his roles. Lets see Hoffman do this: > **[Movies – UPROXX](https://uproxx.com/movies/)** > > UPROXX is your best source for current movie news and film discussion. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/34 "2010-01-30T23:59:16Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > It’s an actor’s _job_ to be a person who people like to watch. You may have set the question, but I totally disagree with your definitions. It’s an actor’s job to be a good actor. It’s not a beauty contest. Popularity, star quality, and talent are not the same thing. What makes someone the “best” actor is their talent, not their popularity. Keanu Reeves is way more popular than my choice, and he couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag. My vote. The most talented - and therefore the best - actor I’ve ever seen is Anthony Hopkins. I saw him on stage in _Pravda_ in 1985, and experienced true acting genius for the first time. He flattened the audience to their seats just by being on stage. He exuded a presence and charisma that I’d never believed could really exist. His performance as a corrupt newspaper magnate in that play was astonishingly good, and utterly convincing. This was way before _Silence of the Lambs_, and look at the persona he created in Lecter. Hannibal Lecter had been done before, and well, by Brian Cox, but it didn’t even scratch the surface of what Hopkins came up with. Hopkins _was_ Lecter. Compare with characters he played in _Remains of the Day_, and _Legends of the Fall_. Then look at his younger roles - in particular in _Magic_. He was completely convincing in each, despite the varying qualities of the aforementioned movies. Versatility and creativity, perfectionism, and talent, gets him my vote. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/35 "2010-01-31T00:00:52Z")
Cary Grant. I don’t know if he fits the criteria, but I simply adore him. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/36 "2010-01-31T00:02:36Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > “Best” = the superlative of “good.” Consider the continuum “good, better, best.” > > If actor A is “the best,” and actor B isn’t, one must assume A is a better actor than B, i.e., that A _acts better_ than B. If not, then what the hell do these words mean? I have no problem at all with that definition. But you didn’t say how being the best would exclude being popular. My question limits itself to movie actors, doesn’t it? I sure meant for it to. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/37 "2010-01-31T00:08:24Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > But you didn’t say how being the best would exclude being popular. It doesn’t - but it neither does it follow logically that popularity reflects on being “the best actor ever”. By your choice you imply this, though: Shirley Temple was popular, but by no means the best actress ever. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/38 "2010-01-31T00:12:10Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > You may have set the question, but I totally disagree with your definitions. It’s an actor’s job to be a good actor. It’s not a beauty contest. > > Popularity, star quality, and talent are not the same thing. What makes someone the “best” actor is their talent, not their popularity. Keanu Reeves is way more popular than my choice, and he couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag. > > My vote. The most talented - and therefore the best - actor I’ve ever seen is Anthony Hopkins. I saw him on stage in _Pravda_ in 1985, and experienced true acting genius for the first time. He flattened the audience to their seats just by being on stage. He exuded a presence and charisma that I’d never believed could really exist. His performance as a corrupt newspaper magnate in that play was astonishingly good, and utterly convincing. > > This was way before _Silence of the Lambs_, and look at the persona he created in Lecter. Hannibal Lecter had been done before, and well, by Brian Cox, but it didn’t even scratch the surface of what Hopkins came up with. Hopkins _was_ Lecter. > > Compare with characters he played in _Remains of the Day_, and _Legends of the Fall_. Then look at his younger roles - in particular in _Magic_. He was completely convincing in each, despite the varying qualities of the aforementioned movies. > > Versatility and creativity, perfectionism, and talent, gets him my vote. Oh yes, Anthony Hopkins. I was excluding stage, but I’ll give you Hopkins, who is very popular BTW. Hmmm. Shirley Temple as a child prodigy (Violin) with Anthony Hopkins as her deranged stalker. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/39 "2010-01-31T00:14:47Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > That’s pretty snarky, isn’t it? It’s impossible to pick a single “best” actor. Plus it was good timing for a first response that I’ve thought about for some time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/40 "2010-01-31T00:24:23Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think Gary Oldman is a great actor. I hardly recognize him in some roles. I must be living in a time warp. I don’t recognize his name, so I Google/Images. Still don’t recognize him… WTF??? 😕 So I had to go to Netflix to see if I’ve seen any movies… yeah, Harry Potters and Batman stuff… oh him… guess he didn’t make an impression on me. :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038.md?page=3)