# What actor is the current king of science fiction? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272 "2013-07-23T01:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/41 "2013-07-24T19:47:54Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > To come at the OP from another angle: say it’s an episode of BIG BANG THEORY, and the usual gang of geeky nerds is fervently expecting the arrival of a sci-fi actor. > > Said actor disappoints them by phoning to say he can’t make it; apologetically, he adds that he was able to send a last-minute replacement; the door opens, and they’re like _nine times more excited than they would have been._ The audience gets it immediately and goes nuts, because this is of course The Guy. > > Who’s standing there? They’ve done Stephen Hawking, Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy, Summer Glau and Katee Sackhoff. Is anything left? ---
**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:** [July 24, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/42 "2013-07-24T19:53:34Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > They’ve done Stephen Hawking, Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy, Summer Glau and Katee Sackhoff. Is anything left? I’m picturing one of them walking toward the door while saying _“Is it someone from Star Trek? Or one of the X-Men?”_ And – cue Patrick Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/43 "2013-07-24T19:55:14Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > To come at the OP from another angle: say it’s an episode of BIG BANG THEORY, and the usual gang of geeky nerds is fervently expecting the arrival of a sci-fi actor. > > Said actor disappoints them by phoning to say he can’t make it; apologetically, he adds that he was able to send a last-minute replacement; the door opens, and they’re like _nine times more excited than they would have been._ The audience gets it immediately and goes nuts, because this is of course The Guy. > > Who’s standing there? Chewbacca. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/44 "2013-07-24T20:12:29Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Well, if we aren’t counting Samuel L Jackson’s work in UNBREAKABLE and THE INCREDIBLES before tying IRON MAN and CAPTAIN AMERICA into THE AVENGERS, then he’s still the bad-ass Jedi Master with a purple lightsaber about to hit the big screen in the upcoming ROBOCOP movie – with bonus points for JURASSIC PARK. You can’t forget _Deep Blue Sea_. Seriously, you can’t. I know; I’ve tried. However, it does make SLJ the only person to be eaten by a dinosaur _and_ a shark. (The only one I can think of anyway.) Plus he was killed by Darth Vader. That’s a pretty impressive trifecta. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/45 "2013-07-24T20:19:01Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Plus he was killed by Darth Vader. Killed by Palpatine, actually. And if he was as bad-ass as he was _supposed_ to be, he could have Force-flown his sorry ass to a balcony somewhere on the way down instead of becoming Corusacant street-pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/46 "2013-07-24T20:22:52Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Let’s see: Alien, Aliens, Aliens 3, Galaxy Quest, Avatar, Ghostbusters – Sigourney Weaver. > It’s Sci Fi: You can have a lady king, right? I have to +1 this one. We also have to add Ghostbusters 2, Alien Resurection and WALL-E to the list. (and possibly a future Avatar 2 to bring it to 10) ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/47 "2013-07-24T21:03:26Z")
In terms of currently big name actors doing big name science fiction? I’d tend to look at Will Smith (regardless of how good the movies are): Independence Day Men in Black (and II and III) Enemy of the State (not really meant as such but driven by technology not yet in existence) Wild Wild West (in a more steampunky way) I, Robot (and II) After Earth With Hancock (superhero) and I Am Legend (science-initiated horror) thrown in. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/48 "2013-07-24T21:06:04Z")
weird, I searched the thread to see if Will Smith was mentioned. Didn’t see it and so posted. Then read the thread (I like to answer things like this before being influenced). Seeing Will Smith mentioned repeatedly, I then realized for some reason I search for Matt Damon (who also is putting in some pretty good SF titles, especially if you count Bourne). ---
**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:** [July 24, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/49 "2013-07-24T21:23:14Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > However, it does make SLJ the only person to be eaten by a dinosaur _and_ a shark. (The only one I can think of anyway.) Plus he was killed by Darth Vader. That’s a pretty impressive trifecta. Christopher Lee, who was killed by Vader, fought everyone from James Bond to Captain America to Gandalf after playing Frankenstein’s monster. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/50 "2013-07-24T22:07:48Z")
Wait, Sigourney Weaver was in _Wall-E_? I never realized. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/51 "2013-07-25T00:31:14Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > And – cue Patrick Stewart. Patrick Stewart is exactly who I was thinking as I read your post. Or Ian McKellen, though LOTR is fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/52 "2013-07-25T06:06:57Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I’m gonna have to give it to Shatner. Starship captain is one of the the seminal roles in science fiction, and Shatner is the person everyone thinks of when they think of starship captain. I think a large amount of Shatner’s success goes to Roddenberry, who created very strong, engaging characters for his series, but Shatner did take the role and run with it, big time. Jean Luc Picard and Captain Archer just don’t have the juice that Captain Kirk does. So, Shatner. > > However, Shatner is arguably past his day as a science fiction actor, so I would accept some more current actor being nominated. Nathan Fillion of Firefly comes to mind: once again, a starship captain, and Fillion is arguably a better, more nuanced actor than Kirk, and he really did run with that role, and was also the beneficiary of some brillant characterization courtesy of Joss Wheedon. > > So … Nathan Fillion. But Shatner played the Big Giant Head in 3rd Rock from the Sun. As big of a Trek fan I am, I’ll nominate R2D2. The droid. IN all the Star Wars films and he was in Close Encounters and I’m told he is in Raiders but I’ve never seen him. I think he is seen in E.T. as well. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/53 "2013-07-25T06:21:35Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > As big of a Trek fan I am, I’ll nominate R2D2. The droid. IN all the Star Wars films and he was in Close Encounters and I’m told he is in Raiders but I’ve never seen him. I think he is seen in E.T. as well. Christian Bale is John Connor battling the Terminator _ **and** _ Bruce Wayne battling anybody else; it admittedly gets thin after that – _Equillibrium_ and _The Prestige_, plus maybe _Reign of Fire_ – but that’s still a heck of a one-two punch. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/54 "2013-07-25T15:40:46Z")
> [@Satchmo](#): > > Ha! Good one. > > How about Leslie Neilsen? Arguably the prototype for Captain Kirk from Forbidden Planet. If he hadn’t been so good at comedies, he could have been in many more Science Fiction movies and I think done a great job. Imagine him as Obi-wan, played straight. Remember him in Creepshow. I blame Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. > 😉 Surely you’re kidding. And don’t call me Shirley. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/55 "2013-07-25T15:53:49Z")
1. Patrick Stewart 2. Keanu Reeves 3. Will Smith 4. Harrison Ford ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/56 "2013-07-25T20:37:57Z")
No votes for Summer Glau? Firefly, the 4400, that Terminator TV show, Mammoth _cough_ _cough_. I’d rather watch her than any of those others. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/57 "2013-07-26T00:53:48Z")
> [@2sense](#): > > No votes for Summer Glau? Firefly, the 4400, that Terminator TV show, Mammoth _cough_ _cough_. > > I’d rather watch her than any of those others. Actress. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/58 "2013-08-03T19:47:11Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I’m gonna have to give it to Shatner. Starship captain is one of the the seminal roles in science fiction, and Shatner is the person everyone thinks of when they think of starship captain. And who killed him? Yeah, that’s right; he took on both Captain Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard easy as using his time machine to defeat Jack the Ripper, after getting turned into A Clockwork Orange, before playing the mutant Big Bad on HEROES back when that actually meant something. If you want post-apocalyptic hijinks in TANK GIRL or BOOK OF ELI or DOOMSDAY, then he’s your guy. You want sci-fi comedy about futuristic stealth aircraft, with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson? You hire the guy who was playing it straight opposite Roy Scheider some twenty years earlier. You want Dennis Hopper in a movie about fugitive psychics? Stacy Keach in a movie about robot schoolteachers? _Malcolm McDowell will be there._ ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/59 "2013-08-03T19:56:40Z")
Nm… ---
**Author:** ![Alba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alba)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-the-current-king-of-science-fiction/664272/60 "2013-08-05T15:38:29Z")
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