# Who Are the All-Time A+ List Actors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354 "2005-10-09T00:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/41 "2005-10-09T18:28:36Z")
40 replies and nobody’s mentioned **Gary Oldman** yet? The guy has specialized in portraying villians, but he has incredible range. I’m thinking _True Romance, Immortal Beloved, Sid & Nancy, The Professional, JFK, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Scarlett Letter_. They aren’t all great films and they weren’t all important roles, but Oldman gave great performances in all of them. I think we’re overlooking supporting actors, character actors. I think that’s a shame, because a lot of the best actors don’t get the lead role. **Robert Duvall** has been mentioned already. He’s consistently believable in everything of his I’ve seen, from _The Godfather_, to _Slingblade, Apocalypse Now, Days of Thunder_. **Gene Hackman** is also completely believable when he’s not in a shoot’em up action film. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/42 "2005-10-09T19:12:17Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > I think we’re overlooking supporting actors, character actors. Deliberately so, since they don’t fit the premises of the OP. It might be worthwhile to give them their own thread, though. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/43 "2005-10-09T19:52:35Z")
Also… RickJay has already indicated he doesn’t want teams… but even if he won’t take the Marx Brothers as a group, I think Groucho Marx is a worthy entrant all by himself. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/44 "2005-10-09T20:35:09Z")
To the ones already listed I’ll add: Vivien Leigh Gloria Swanson Mae West Jane Darwell Thomas Mitchell ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/45 "2005-10-10T03:30:08Z")
Anthony Hopkins Michael Caine Judy Dench Sir John Gielgud Daniel Day-Lewis Patrick Stewart Ben Kingsley Iam McKellen Jason Issacs Benny Hill 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/46 "2005-10-10T04:22:29Z")
Praise Og noone thinks Tom Cruise is A+. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/47 "2005-10-10T04:49:41Z")
Save some room for Dakota Fanning. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/48 "2005-10-10T06:02:39Z")
Sean Penn should be on here. I’ve never understood why he’s not a bigger star given the quality and breadth of his work. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/49 "2005-10-29T02:14:34Z")
> [@Purd Werfect](#): > > Sean Penn should be on here. I’ve never understood why he’s not a bigger star given the quality and breadth of his work. If you have to wonder why he isn’t a bigger star, he isn’t a big enough star to be on this list. By your own admission, he’s not A+. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/50 "2005-10-29T09:06:09Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If you have to wonder why he isn’t a bigger star, he isn’t a big enough star to be on this list. By your own admission, he’s not A+. I can’t say I understand the perception that he _isn’t_ currently considered a big star. Sure, his most recent 2-3 films haven’t done well, but what about “Mystic River”, a big hit released only two years ago? Even “I am Sam” turned a profit. Preceded by a solid string of performance going all the way back to Spicoli “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, a role that is still well-remembered and mimicked today? And the bastard’s only middle-aged! He’s definitely on the list for his past and likely future work. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/51 "2005-10-29T11:23:35Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Sir Lawrence Oliver. How did we miss him? Did you read the thread? He was mentioned in post number 8. Then again in post number 13… Then again in post number 24… All times with the correct spelling of his name. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/52 "2005-10-29T11:39:33Z")
I don’t think he’s ever had top billing - he suffers for being British - but I’ll propose Alan Rickman as one of the greatest actors of the present day and whose performances will stand the test of time. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/53 "2005-10-29T12:34:54Z")
…to keep repeating this distinction, but we really need to figure out whether we’re discussing movie stars here or actors. There’s obviously some overlap, but no movie ever has become a hit because Sean Penn or Alan Rickman drew in fans by the million, yet Penn and Rickman can obviously act the pants off such movie-opening stars as Sean Connery and Sylvester Stallone. So for (I hope) the last time, are we discussing apples here, or oranges, or some weird hybrid fruit that really needs to be identified before we can go on? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/54 "2005-10-29T13:19:36Z")
I so want to say Bruce Willis. He can really act, even if he’s more known for the whole Demi-Ashton thing and Moonlighting. Jodie Foster. Jamie Fox has good potential to make the list. And Dakota Fanning is practically a gimme. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/55 "2005-10-29T13:53:15Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > …to keep repeating this distinction, but we really need to figure out whether we’re discussing movie stars here or actors. There’s obviously some overlap, but no movie ever has become a hit because Sean Penn or Alan Rickman drew in fans by the million, I’ll cite Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves as a counter-example: a movie totally made a hit by Alan Rickman’s performance. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/56 "2005-10-29T14:40:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I so want to say Bruce Willis. He can really act, even if he’s more known for the whole Demi-Ashton thing and Moonlighting. > > Jodie Foster. > > Jamie Fox has good potential to make the list. And Dakota Fanning is practically a gimme. Dakota Fanning, this joke is getting old. She has nothing on her resume yet and the few things she has done are shrill and annoying. Can we wait a decade or 2 first. Shirley Temple is probably the only child star to be A-List without an Adult career to go with it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/57 "2005-10-29T16:46:39Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’ll cite Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves as a counter-example: a movie totally made a hit by Alan Rickman’s performance. Cite? I’m surprised to hear it described as a hit–I would have thought it was more of a disappointment, or even a bomb. On the list of top-grossing films of the year its release, where did it rank? Further, I’m mildly surprised to learn Rickman was in it. If I furrow my forehead sufficiently, I’ll dredge up the memory of him playing the Sheriff of Nottingham–is that correct? I’m sure he did a good turn in a supporting role, and buzz about his performance may have elevated the movie from pure Kevin-Costner-disaster status, but sans evidence I’m hardly ready to classify it as a film that Alan Rickman’s star presence turned into a mega-hit against all odds. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/58 "2005-10-29T17:12:24Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > … > Jamie Fox has good potential to make the list. … Eh … I see him as a flash in the pan. I know he’s been around a while but he didn’t “get big” until he did his impersonation of Ray Charles on the big screen. I just don’t think it would have been considered Oscar caliber had there not been the sentimental aspect of Ray having died shortly before it’s release. And what has he done since then? Give him another 10 to 20 years before we consider whether he might even have the potential to be on the A+ list. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/59 "2005-10-29T18:42:11Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Dakota Fanning is practically a gimme. PLEASE tell me this is a joke. Dakota Fanning has only 2 things going for her: #1. She is a moderately cute kid. Give her a couple years and she will hit a growth-spurt and start to look weird. All kids hit a stage where they look really strange somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14. Look at the Harry Potter kids in the last HP movie. Luckily, this isn’t a problem for kids who aren’t under public scrutiny. #2. She looks like a kid but sounds and acts like an adult. Wow. Big whoop. This novelty (and that’s all it is - a novelty. Don’t confuse it with acting skills) will wear off eventually. Dakota Fanning will not grow up to have a career in acting. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354/60 "2005-10-29T19:18:22Z")
I’m going suggest **James Dean** , although he probably will suffer the same fate as Marilyn Monroe. A+ icon… not an A+ actor On the other hand, I am shocked, _shocked_, to see that there has been no mention yet of **Dennis Hopper**. Some may deride him as a one trick pony, but its a pretty damn good trick. And I would argue that he displays a large amount of versatility within the roles he has played. Finally, I would say that one of the definitions of A+ list actor/actress is that their name should be instantly recognizable to the most people. If you can say (for instance), “James Fox” to your brother-in-law and have him reply, “James Who?”, he’s probably not a A+ list actor… alternately if you can say to the same bro-in-law, “Humphrey Bogart” and have him instantly do his Humphrey Bogart impersonation, he might just be an A+ list actor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-all-time-a-list-actors/325354.md?page=4)