I had recently come across a list by the American Film Institute listing the 50 greatest American actors and 50 greatest American actresses. (American as in acted largely in America, which is why non-Americans like Audrey Hepburn are listed.) The two lists are actually four lists; there are 25 actors and 25 actresses who started their careers from 1950 and before, them forming the only actual list, and 25 actors and 25 actresses who started afterwards presenting these older stars, listing 100 stars total. The list can be viewed here] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years..._100_Stars).
My immediate complaints are that Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Charles Laughton, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gloria Swanson, and Meryl Streep are not on the lists at all, to name a few great ones. I also dislike the very act of dividing the stars by era itself, rather than mixing them together, even if Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn would still probably top the lists.
So, who are your favorite actors and actresses? And if you can, try and name a movie they've been in that they're well-known for.
My choices are:
Actors- Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde)
- Marlon Brando (The Godfather)
- Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath)
- Robert Redford (Out of Africa)
- James Stewart (It's a Wonderful Life)
Actresses
- Bette Davis (All About Eve)
- Faye Dunaway (Bonnie and Clyde)
- Katharine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby)
- Meryl Streep (Out of Africa)
- Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)
Natalie Portman - The Professional, V for Vendetta
Matthew MacFayden - Pride and Prejudice, Frost/Nixon
Actor: Jim Carrey (the Mask, Bruce Almighty)
Actress: Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I don't really have a favorite actress...lol
Actors: Jim Carrey, Jackie Chan, and that guy that play monty pythons King Arthur.
Actresses: Not really sure...
Actors: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones, Star Wars)
Sean Connery (original James Bond, Highlander)
Quote from: Pokemon Professor Roy on May 06, 2009, 06:30:54 PM
Actors: Jim Carrey, Jackie Chan, and that guy that play monty pythons King Arthur.
Actresses: Not really sure...
Oh yeah I forgot about Jackie Chan XPP
Actresses: Well does Liv Tyler count even though I've only ever seen her in LotR? >.>
Liam Neeson (Ethan Frome, Schindler's List) and Richard Pryor (Hear no Evil, See no Evil)
Is this just film, or TV as well? I'll presume just film.
Actors:
- Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now)
- Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy)
Actresses:
- Audrey Tautou (Amelie)
- Keira Knightely (Bend It Like Beckham)
I meant only movies, sorry for not being specific.
Not so suprising that actresses are hard to choose, Hollywood has a prejudice against everyone who is not a white man. Many actresses are either the exact same roles every time or not very original, because of this.
Also, I would have included Diane Keaton (Annie Hall) on mine if Gloria Swanson wasn't so completely perfect in Sunset Boulevard, however iffy her overall career was. It was certainly the greatest performance by an actress I've seen, and the only other movie acting I think was better was Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath. And she also had a lot of personal experience to base her performance from. (Just about everyone acting in the movie had some sorta resemblence to their character, notably director Cecil B. DeMille playing... himself.)
Sorry if this is too cliche, but I actually liked Brad Pitt's role in Seven and that thing I am not supposed to talk about because I would be breaking the first two rules of it, oh, and the Ocean's trilogy.
I kinda like Morgan Freeman's appearance in Seven as well, the Bucket List and the Almighty duo.
As for women, I have the biggest crush on Scarlett Johanson and actually think she played her role well in the Other Boleyn Girl.
Oh, and the trio of death:
Tim Burton
Johnny Depp
Danny Elfman
Tim Burton was a very good in Ed Wood, a great comedy about the worst director ever.