# 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:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/101 "2010-02-02T18:26:00Z")
Laurence Olivier. You can close the thread now. But if there _was_ an honorable mention, it would be Anthony Hopkins. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/102 "2010-02-02T20:35:58Z")
> [@Lethal\_Babydoll](#): > > Thomas Dunson of **Red River** was not the same character as Tom Doniphon in **The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance**. Nor was he anything like Guns Donovan in **Donovan’s Reef**. > > If Wayne really was everyone he played on screen … what a strange, complex dude. Only thing he did that was interesting was “Hellfighters”. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/103 "2010-02-02T22:36:32Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Brad Pitt is probably the modern Marlon Brando. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:😕😕😕:eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/104 "2010-02-02T23:22:01Z")
Daniel Dy Lewis is this generations best actor, whether he i s the best ever it is really hard to say. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/105 "2010-02-03T01:17:13Z")
I’ve finally come to realize that an oscar is hardly a mark of excellence. Just keep seeing the movies you like and ignore them. BTW; I _almost_ said “Fuck The Oscars”. Whew! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/106 "2010-02-03T01:25:11Z")
[Brian Cox](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004051/) would be on my short list. Whether he’s playing Hermann Göring, Hannibal Lecter, Agamemnon, an ephebophile hirer of rentboys, a down and out acting troupe leader in Deadwood, Trotsky, a construction worker or a king or a doctor, he’s always going to be completely believable and steal every scene he’s in without chewing the script or the scenery. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/107 "2010-02-03T02:17:23Z")
Who’s the guy who does those Youtube Hitler rants? I completely believe every one of them, from the balloon boy fiasco to the state of college football. A guy who can use the very same words every time, in a language I don’t even understand, to convince me to his viewpoint on many different issues, MUST be the greatest actor of all time! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/108 "2010-02-03T03:23:13Z")
Gary Oldman? Didn’t you people see The Book of Eli? He was horrible in that movie. Then again, it was a horrible movie. And everybody has an off day sometimes. Even Gary Oldman. I’m surprised that nobody’s mentioned John Malkovich, unless I missed it. I’m not suggesting him or anything, but I thought he was very highly regarded. But he’ll always be Cyrus the Virus to me. (Speaking of horrible movies.) > [@Stormcrow](#): > > JFor my money, the answer needs to be someone who is both a great actor (like Oldman) and a massive star. That’s the only way to answer a question as unanswerable as this - Oscar nominee material, and able to open a blockbuster film. Meryl Streep. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038/109 "2010-02-03T05:31:56Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Meryl Streep. Bette Davis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-ever/527038.md?page=5)