# Who is the best actor and actress of this generation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605 "2009-01-23T07:34:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/81 "2009-01-28T18:07:23Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > 1. Dustin Hoffman is overrated At least in recent years, he’s become a caricature, the way Al Pacino has. But I am still looking forward to Last Chance Harry. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/82 "2009-01-29T01:20:39Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Yeah, put the ? on Almost Famous because I couldn’t remember his part well enough, but seriously, was there anyone in Boogie Nights that _had_ boundaries? Burt Reynold’s Jack Horner. He was just trying to make “a real Goddamn movie”. His dream was to keep them in their seats after the sex scenes just to see how his film turned out. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/83 "2009-01-29T02:01:44Z")
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, I’m in the front of the line. I have to give Christian Bale a ton of credit. He completely turned me off in “American Psycho” and I didn’t care if I ever saw his face again, which sorta worked out since I had no idea it was him in “3:10 To Yuma.” I never know who he is, and invariably, before I find out, I think he’s really good, then I get the ickies, then well, I get over it. Robert Downey Jr. that man has “it” and damned, I hope he keeps it this time. I think women are harder to choose for the reason upthread, they are more likely to get picked for great tits than great chops. That being said, I adore Emma Thompson in anything and I think Allison Janney is underrated. Both those are tipping the scales on the age thing, I can’t really think of any younger women that I feel have the same kinda chops. Probably my bias that we get far more interesting the older we get (which works out, now that I’m approaching old). ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/84 "2009-01-29T02:12:45Z")
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, I’m in the front of the line. I have to give Christian Bale a ton of credit. He completely turned me off in “American Psycho” and I didn’t care if I ever saw his face again, which sorta worked out since I had no idea it was him in “3:10 To Yuma.” I never know who he is, and invariably, before I find out, I think he’s really good, then I get the ickies, then well, I get over it. Robert Downey Jr. that man has “it” and damned, I hope he keeps it this time. I think women are harder to choose for the reason upthread, they are more likely to get picked for great tits than great chops. That being said, I adore Emma Thompson in anything and I think Allison Janney is underrated. Both those are tipping the scales on the age thing, I can’t really think of any younger women that I feel have the same kinda chops. Probably my bias that we get far more interesting the older we get (which works out, now that I’m approaching old). ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/85 "2009-01-29T02:22:13Z")
Damnit, I forgot to mention John Goodman. I think he is worth having his hat thrown in the ring. His name will get me into a seat or on the channel. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/86 "2009-01-29T02:45:36Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I’m going to go out on a very long limb here and say that 1) Dustin Hoffman is overrated and 2) Milla Jovovich is underrated (although not remotely “best of a generation” material). For evidence, I give you [The Messenger](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151137/). Milla puts in quite a muscular (albeit not very subtle) performance, whereas Hoffman looks like he wandered onto the set on his way to buy a hoagie. The man hasn’t made a film in decades which didn’t involve him arsing around. > > I’m still waiting for Philip Seymour Hoffman to play Ignatius Reilly in “Confederacy of Dunces”, before he gets way too old for the role. I didn’t think much of him either way until I saw him in _The Graduate_. Then there’s the fact he’s in my favorite movie ever, _I Heart Huckabees_. I just really like him, so maybe that’s standing in the way of my judgment of him as an actor. But I can’t really think of any male I consider a better actor. I mean besides Patrick Stewart of course, but he also probably doesn’t count as ‘‘my generation.’’ I think Leo’s great too. Not just another pretty face. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/87 "2009-01-29T03:46:09Z")
Tough to top **Sean Penn** and **Cate Blanchett**. Both of them have shown amazing range: Think of Sean Penn in _Dead Man Walking_ and then Sean Penn in _Sweet and Lowdown_ and then Sean Penn in _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_. Think of Cate Blanchett in _Elizabeth_ and then Cate Blanchett in _The Aviator_ and then Cate Blanchett in _The Gift_. I’m going to throw out a name of an actor who is underappreciated and who ought to be getting bigger roles: [Paul Schneider](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0773973/). Turned in a fantastic, subtle performance in _Lars and the Real Girl_ as someone who is trying to be understanding of his weirdo brother and not always succeeding. Also played very well in _Elizabethtown_ and _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford_. Honestly, I never understand all the gushing on these boards over Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He’s a decent actor, but range? To me, it seems like he’s always playing a slight variation on…Phillip Seymour Hoffman – even when he was playing Truman Capote. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/88 "2009-01-29T10:30:10Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I didn’t think much of him either way until I saw him in _The Graduate_. Then there’s the fact he’s in my favorite movie ever, _I Heart Huckabees_. I just really like him, so maybe that’s standing in the way of my judgment of him as an actor. But I can’t really think of any male I consider a better actor. I mean besides Patrick Stewart of course, but he also probably doesn’t count as ‘‘my generation.’’ But, see, films like _The Graduate_, _Midnight Cowboy_ and _Marathon Man_ were made a long time ago. IHH was an arsing-around role; it may have been appropriate for the role and film, but still. He’s been coasting since, say, _Rainman_. ---
**Author:** ![Viridiana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Viridiana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viridiana)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605/89 "2009-01-29T11:04:12Z")
From earlier posts: George Clooney: eh. Johnny Depp: rather overrated in my estimation. Not bad, but not near best. Samuel L. Jackson: too fenced in with roles. Good, though. Denzel Washington: Very good in what I’ve seen, but I’ve only seen like one movie of his. Matt Damon: I agree completely with uglybeech: underrated but not “great”. Phillip Seymour Hoffman: yes. I’d like to see him play a completely different character than I’ve seen, though. Don Cheadle: yes. Will Smith: Quite talented with a lot of things, but I like Cheadle better. Jim Carrey: also very talented, but I don’t like him in everything I’ve seen (er, that is I don’t like a full 100% of what I saw, not that I dislike all of them). Adam Sandler and Leonardo DiCaprio: I don’t think so. Sean Penn: I don’t know, haven’t seen enough stuff. (But I’m about to see Milk tomorrow, I think) Paul Giamatti: Something’s holding me back from “best,” but he’s been great in everything I’ve seen. Patrick Stewart: Pretty awesome guy, but haven’t seen that many things he’s been in aside from the obvious. How old is he? Christian Bale: Eh, I don’t know…as of yet I haven’t seen him branch out enough. Good but not approaching best for me. Ed Norton: Good, and gets lots of good roles, but I don’t think I’d put him at “best”. Michael Sheen, Josh Brolin, Daniel Day-Lewis, Chris Evans, Ciaran Hinds and Bill Nighy: not familiar enough with their work. Naomi Watts/Nicole Kidman/Hilary Swank: I don’t see why these would be at all. Julianne Moore/Kate Winslet: Same “branching” problem in my eyes, but then, haven’t seen that much of their work. I like Moore a lot better. Patricia Clarkson and Rachel Griffiths: I like them a lot, but have only seen them in like one thing so far. Rachel Weisz and Jennifer Connelly: Both overrated in my eyes, though not bad. Charlize Theron: Really like her, but I’ve seen her be not that great. Maggie Gyllenhaal: Only saw one thing I thought she was good in. Otherwise, eh. Laura Dern, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Mia Wasikowska and Toni Collette: don’t really know them. Cate Blanchett: yes. Better than Tilda Swinton, I think, though I like Swinton too. So, it looks like for me Don Cheadle and Cate Blanchett win, at this point. Though, it’s probable that there are actors I think are even greater which just haven’t sprung to mind. I’ve lived in the USA all my life, so this list is pretty heavily affected by that (perhaps negatively - though I enjoy and try to watch lots of international films, the American ones still pop up in my brain first when I see questions like these, and there’s not much in the way of, for example, non-white actresses’ names making ubiquitous headlines round these parts (and in casting), and I’m better with faces than names anyway, so I’m probably missing a shitload of capable women. Though I haven’t seen enough of their work to put them in my personal running, I’ll pop Thandie Newton and Maggie Cheung up for consideration to get my brain wheels moving, and come back if I think of more). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-actor-and-actress-of-this-generation/482605.md?page=4)