# 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:** 3
**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, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/41 "2010-01-31T00:27:24Z")
> [@luv2draw](#): > > Still don’t recognize him. That is an indication of his mastery of his craft. > [@luv2draw](#): > > 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: Maybe you’re quite young? Here’s his [filmography](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Oldman#Filmography). It’s pretty impressive, and he has usually been astoundingly convincing in each part he’s played. ---
**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, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/42 "2010-01-31T00:28:31Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > It’s not a beauty contest. This kinda slipped by me in my excitment over Hopkin’s talent. You’ll notice I said _nothing_ about “beauty” in my OP. Many popular actors are anything but beautiful, especially the contest version of beauty. ---
**Author:** ![MwNNrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@MwNNrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MwNNrules)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/43 "2010-01-31T00:47:56Z")
I’d say Robert De Niro because of his role as Noodles in _Once Upon a Time in America_ (an extremely underrated classic directed by Sergio Leone), and a lot of his work in Martin Scorsese’s films (_Taxi Driver_, _Raging Bull_, and _Goodfellas_). _Taxi Driver_ and _Raging Bull_ are great examples of how a powerful lead can affect a film. _Goodfellas_ is a good example of how even the tiniest bit of great acting from a supporting character can make a film more interesting. I used to be more assertive about my opinion of him being the greatest actor, but I realized that he’s also been in a lot of crap. If I were an actor, I would _never_ agree to be in a piece of crap. Even if I were the best actor in the world, if all the roles I was being offerred were crap, I’d rather work at McDonald’s (where I could cook crap on a daily basis). I think the perfect actor would have to be one of the smartest people ever (speaking of which, James Woods (who was with De Niro in _Once Upon a Time in America_ and _Casino_) and Sharon Stone (a ranging from good-to-mediocre/pretty-bad actress who was also in _Casino_) are said to have high IQs of about 180). _The Good Shepherd_ (De Niro’s second shot at directing) was either the most boring film I’ve ever seen, or it was so brilliant that I couldn’t understand any of it. Don’t know about _A Bronx Tale_. So De Niro is my choice for best actor, but my favorite actor is Clint Eastwood, who also worked with Sergio Leone in _The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly_, _For a Few Dollars More_, and _A Fistful of Dollar_s. In fact my username “MwNNrules” means **M** an **w** ith **N** o **N** ame **rules**. He’s a better director than De Niro (see _Unforgiven_), though he’s made some pretty forgettable ones (_The Eiger Sanction_). ---
**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, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/44 "2010-01-31T01:07:56Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > It’s impossible to pick a single “best” actor. Difficult, but not impossible. Several here have done so. What is impossible is being “right”. That’s what “subjective” means, isn’t it? So be courageous and pick one, right here in front of the whole world. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/45 "2010-01-31T01:16:51Z")
James Cagney ---
**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, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/46 "2010-01-31T01:31:17Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Difficult, but not impossible. Several here have done so. > What is impossible is being “right”. That’s what “subjective” means, isn’t it? > So be courageous and pick one, right here in front of the whole world. 😉 Harold Russell 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/47 "2010-01-31T02:01:07Z")
> [@luv2draw](#): > > 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: Isn’t that _exactly_ what makes him great? He _is_ each character. It’s not like, “Oh look, Actor B is playing someone in this new movie.” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/48 "2010-01-31T02:06:19Z")
Bette Davis. For my money the best film actor of all time, and no slouch at the box office. She’s Streep’s favorite too, FWIW. ---
**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, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/49 "2010-01-31T02:08:04Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Harold Russell 😃 Again, I beg the admins, or whoever can provide such a thing, for a [“shakes head”](http://www.emoticonzone.com/shake-head-show-emoticon-213.html) emoticon. 😃 For that, I would sadly sacrifice the :dubious:. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/50 "2010-01-31T02:11:51Z")
Gene Hackman. Intensity, believability, range. He’s got it all. ---
**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, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/51 "2010-01-31T02:19:31Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Bette Davis. For my money the best film actor of all time, and no slouch at the box office. She’s Streep’s favorite too, FWIW. There ya go! _All About Eve_. Even in _Hush Hush_ she entertained us. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/52 "2010-01-31T03:47:03Z")
I came in to say **Daniel Day-Lewis**. Christy Brown, Nathaniel Poe, Newland Archer, Danny Flynn, Bill The Butcher, Jack Slavin, Daniel Plainview, Guido Contini, and so on…each of those characters are VERY different from each other. With the exception of **There Will Be Blood** , where he was completely unrecognizable, you may actually know it’s Daniel Day-Lewis each time, but his range is tremendous. On the other hand, I certainly don’t blame those who are saying **Gary Oldman**. > [@MwNNrules](#): > > _The Good Shepherd_ (De Niro’s second shot at directing) was either the most boring film I’ve ever seen, or it was so brilliant that I couldn’t understand any of it. The two are not mutually exclusive. Personally, with the caveat that I absolutely HATED the actor who played the grown son, I think it was one of the best movies of its year. Maybe not “brilliant” but not boring if you’re paying attention AND you’re in the mood for a slow, quiet movie where the dialogue is very important. The most brilliant movie ever made can seem boring if you’re not in the mood and aren’t paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/53 "2010-01-31T04:26:03Z")
Lon Chaney. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/54 "2010-01-31T05:01:25Z")
Alec Guinness was a superb actor, equally adept at dramatic and comedic roles. Kind of a British equivalent of Gene Hackman. It’s a shame he’s mostly only known to many as Obi Wan, but at least “Bridge on the River Kwai” is shown fairly regularly. ---
**Author:** ![MwNNrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@MwNNrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MwNNrules)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/55 "2010-01-31T05:08:36Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > The two are not mutually exclusive. Personally, with the caveat that I absolutely HATED the actor who played the grown son, I think it was one of the best movies of its year. Maybe not “brilliant” but not boring if you’re paying attention AND you’re in the mood for a slow, quiet movie where the dialogue is very important. The most brilliant movie ever made can seem boring if you’re not in the mood and aren’t paying attention. Yeah. I was pretty bored during my first view of Once Upon a Time in America, but I now consider it a gem in the field of cinema, and completely underrated. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/56 "2010-01-31T05:11:30Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > You beat me to it. Gary Oldman, IMHO, is the BEST actor I have ever seen. And yes, he is so good, sometimes you don’t know it is him in the role. > > And he has never even been NOMINATED for an Oscar. My pick too. I can’t help confusing his name with Gary Coleman however. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/57 "2010-01-31T05:11:31Z")
Gotta go with Gene Hackman. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/58 "2010-01-31T05:18:15Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think Gary Oldman is a great actor. I hardly recognize him in some roles. I am very tired and read this as Gary Coleman. I stared at it for a long time and then decided that (in true Doper fashion) it was snark on a daring scale. And then I kept reading people agreeing with you and mentioning the not recognizing him and thought that I had stumbled upon another Doper meme… I had to google the name before it hit me. :eek: :rolleyes: 😛 I’m not sure I don’t prefer the “snarky” answer! (although I think Gary Oldman is a fantastic actor.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/59 "2010-01-31T05:55:05Z")
You folks are dissing Gary Colmen, the greatest black midget actor of all time! ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/60 "2010-01-31T06:01:33Z")
Robert Duvall, Myrna Loy, M. Emmet Walsh, Betty Hutton, Gary Oldman, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Cary Grant, Michael Caine . How can you decide? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038.md?page=4)