In terms of sheer talent and the ability to “inhabit” a character who comes first to your mind when you think "Now that’s an actor ( or actress)!
Philip Seymour Hoffman on the male side, and on the female side…I still thinking, but no one is popping up as the “one” choice, but I’ve always been impressed by Holly Hunter. If Heath Ledger had lived I think he would have been one of the greats.
What do you mean by this generation? There are quite a few great actors who are getting on in years. Do you mean anyone alive today? Anyone below 40? Meryl Streep is almost 60. Does she count or is she in the previous generation?
I suppose I’m thinking approximately age 25-50 as being “this generation”
Gary Oldman
Emma Thompson is 49 and therefore BARELY fits into your age range, but I’d probably give it to her on the female side. Her work in The Remains of the Day, In the name of the father, Howards End, and Sense and Sensibility are all spectacular. When I’m watching her i forget it’s Emma Thompson every time.
Kate Winslet is also terrific in everything she’s in. She’s the sole redeeming quality of The Reader. She’s believable as a 60 something year old woman which is a real feat. She’s also got a heck of a resume starting with Sense and Sensibility, Iris, Eternal Sunshine, Little Children (she should’ve won for that), Finding Neverland, and really everything she’s in. An interesting movie is The Holiday. The movie itself is crap but watching her out act Cameron Diaz is hillarious.
As far as males go…I could buy Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he’s a pretty good pick. The range he has is astonishing.
In 5 or 10 years depending on his choice of roles, my answer might be Ryan Gosling or Joseph Gordon Levitt.
On the female side, I like Naomi Watts.
I think Sean Penn is the finest actor today with an honorable mention to Rusell Crowe.
Gary Oldman, the guy is practically invisible even when hes right in your face you often dont realize its him, talk about an actor.
Hoffman is also great though.
its a bit harder to pick a female great, I think in part because so many roles are given based on looks instead of talent.
Philip Seymore Hoffman would get it for his job in Twister alone.
Gary Oldman is a great actor but in two months will no longer qualify for the OP’s definition of “This generation,” as he turns 51 on 21/3.
It’s a wide brush though. For actors within five years of my own age, I’ll go with Kate Winslet.
Hanks & Streep are among the best.
Edward Norton on the male side
Female, I dunno
And has Philip Seymore Hoffman ever played a character that wasn’t an asshole?
I like Edward Norton for best movie actor, but I think James Purefoy from HBO’s *Rome *(Marc Anthony) should make more movies so I can pick him. When Octavian finally gets Marc Anthony to leave Rome (the “they will call you a cuckold” scene), you can see that full range of emotion in just a few seconds as he goes from cocky and dismissive to utterly defeated by Octavian’s words alone.
Second Kate Winslet/Emma Thompson if she counts. It would be hard for me to pick between them.
No love for Johnny Depp?
The crazy hippie storm chaser in Twister and… that’s all I got.
I’d go with Depp, Penn and Winslet.
James Purefoy has so many great moments in that series I can’t even list them all. One of the best series-long acting jobs ever done.
There’s a moment early in the series when Julius Caesar, preparing for his triumph, is examining Vercingtorix, the Gallic king, who is beaten, filthy and defeated after months in captivity, and Caesar says, contemptuously, “King of all the Gauls.” Antony comments over his shoulder, “Makes you think.” There’s several layers of meaning (and prophecy, as it turns out) in that comment, and somehow he delivered them all. Just a fabulous actor.
I’ve been quite impressed with Leonardo DiCaprio ever since What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? I’d rate him among the best.
Daniel Day Lewis deserves a mention, as does Ralph Fiennes.
I think Nicole Kidman is a great actress when she gets a good role, but she has been in some pretty bad movies lately.
Frances McDormand is 51, but I’ll put her name in the mix. She is always really good.
Any time he shows up in a scene, Benecio del Torro, owns it.
Frankie Fucking Four Fingers.
Defining this generation as 25 to 49, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, and Kate Winslet are tied for the win on the actress side.