# "The Best Actor of His Generation" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683 "2014-02-06T18:39:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [February 7, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/21 "2014-02-07T01:11:10Z")
Sean Penn’s fifty-three. Does that count as the same generation? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/22 "2014-02-07T01:34:42Z")
Wow, I would’ve put Sean Penn closer to 60, for some reason. I would put Penn and Day-Lewis in the group older - both because of their accumulated years in the limelight as well as their age. But Day-Lewis is arguably the tops in that group. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/23 "2014-02-07T01:57:38Z")
My ‘guys’ are: Josh Brolin Matt Damon Jeff Bridges Robert Downey Jr. Frankly, I think the only film I saw Philip in was “The Talented Mr. Ripley” ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/24 "2014-02-07T02:02:39Z")
Sam Rockwell Mark Ruffalo Giovanni Rabissi (idk the spelling) James Franco … wait, they are all a bit younger than PSH ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/25 "2014-02-07T02:10:17Z")
Is Gary Oldman too old? He’s 55… ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/26 "2014-02-07T02:10:41Z")
Older group: Daniel Day-Lewis (56) Tom Hanks (57) Middle group: Brad Pitt (50) Johnny Depp (50) Younger group: Leonardo Dicaprio (39) Christian Bale (40) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/27 "2014-02-07T10:49:32Z")
I think he was superb but two things that seem completely irrelevant when talking about actors. Firstly…gender and age are irrelevant. You are convincing and captivating in the role you play or you are not. Secondly “character actor” should not be used to put someone on a lesser level. If you are bringing anything to the table then you’d better be able to inhabit a character. Otherwise you are just playing yourself and if anything, _that_ puts you on a lesser level. Anyhow, be that as it may, **JpnDude** ’s list is as good as any but I’d include Judy Dench and Helen Mirren in the top group along with Gary Oldman and Cate Blanchett in the middle group. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/28 "2014-02-07T13:46:19Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > and I’m glad I got to see him in Death of a Salesman. I am incredibly jealous. I bet that was an amazing performance. > [@Spoke](#): > > Paul Giamatti This is what I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/29 "2014-02-07T13:51:40Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > In the wake of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s passing, he has been lauded as being the best actor of his (my) generation. If it turns out he’s not really dead, then yeah, he may be best of his generation. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/30 "2014-02-07T14:04:49Z")
This is actually ‘Hollywood big budget movie actor’, right? cos that does tend to exclude about 99.9% of the profession. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/31 "2014-02-07T17:42:25Z")
My top actors have been PSH, Paul Giamatti, and Sam Rockwell. Edward Norton is up there too. Of course some of that is my taste; Christian Bale and Joaquin Phoenix probably belong there too but I personally like them less. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/32 "2014-02-07T17:47:53Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > This is actually ‘Hollywood big budget movie actor’, right? > > cos that does tend to exclude about 99.9% of the profession. Well, yes, “greatest actor of his generation” usually refers to someone who has been in enough productions to be widely known and well received. At least we’re (mostly) going with actors and not movie stars. I’d put Leonardo DiCaprio in the latter category but that’s just me. Johnny Depp is somewhere in between. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/33 "2014-02-07T18:33:29Z")
Don Cheadle’s in his 40s, aces all sorts of supporting roles, has great comic timing but can carry a drama whenever you need a leading man who shows a lot of emotion, and _nobody_ is better as the calm-voiced-but-cold-eyed guy playing it low-key sinister. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/34 "2014-02-07T18:43:44Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I am incredibly jealous. I bet that was an amazing performance. It was. I came away with a totally different understanding of Willy, although I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that first I’d read/seen the play in high school. > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Secondly “character actor” should not be used to put someone on a lesser level. I don’t see it being used that way. Yes, the actors are either good or not, but character roles and leading roles are different kinds of parts. Different things are demanded of the performers, and when people talk about Hoffman being unafraid to play characters who were strange or un-heroic or where he simply didn’t look good, that’s what they’re talking about. I think that’s the point here. ---
**Author:** ![Clawdio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@Clawdio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clawdio)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/35 "2014-02-07T21:03:33Z")
I think i have to say Christian Bale and Leo DiCaprio at the top of the list. Honorable mention to: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Joaqin Phoenix. I was also going to say Joseph Gordon Levitt but looks like he only turns 33 this month. And i really do like Edward Norton but it seems like he hasn’t been in much lately (at least i haven’t seen him much). I also thought Matthew McConaughey was truly incredible in Dallas Buyers club, if he can keep up performances like that, he should be on the list too. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/36 "2014-02-07T21:24:52Z")
Between 40-60: Denzel Washington Christoph Waltz Michael Fassbender John C. Reilly Don Cheadle Javier Bardem Sam Rockwell Ralph Fiennes Ken Watanabe Demian Bichir David Oyelowo ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/37 "2014-02-07T21:40:53Z")
If Ralph Fiennes counts, he’d get my vote. He played: - Harry in In Bruges - Voldemort in Harry Potter - The killer in Red Dragon - That Nazi villain in Schindler’s List Those are just his villain roles and each is wildly different. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/38 "2014-02-07T21:41:47Z")
> [@Clawdio](#): > > I also thought Matthew McConaughey was truly incredible in Dallas Buyers club, if he can keep up performances like that, he should be on the list too. Make sure to check out “Mud”, he was great in that as well. But I think he has a long way to go - he’s still playing a lot of himself out there. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/39 "2014-02-07T22:27:07Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Make sure to check out “Mud”, he was great in that as well. But I think he has a long way to go - he’s still playing a lot of himself out there. Personally, I don’t think “Playing yourself” is some great slam. Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts (at one time) are no less great actresses because they come across as effortlessly natural. Anthony Hopkins has pretty much only had a couple of gears his entire career, but he’s still awesome. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683/40 "2014-02-08T01:26:39Z")
> [@Clawdio](#): > > I. I also thought Matthew McConaughey was truly incredible in Dallas Buyers club, if he can keep up performances like that, he should be on the list too. Matthew McConaughey is OUTSTANDING in the new HBO series _ **True Detective** _.I was was really surprised when I saw it. He’s really upped his game in recent years [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-actor-of-his-generation/680683.md?page=3)