In a recent article I wrote on “Robert Pattinson and the Enduring Appeal of Broody, Pale White Dudes“ I was totally bombarded by an irate swarm of “Twilight” fanatics out for my blood. In their minds, I had disparaged Robert Pattinson’s acting abilities and thereby should have the skin flayed from my bones, and my laptop permanently confiscated so as to prevent me from speaking ill of their beloved idol evermore. In point of fact, I had merely commented that from what I’d seen of his work, I found his abilities to be middling – not great, not horrible. Still, from the vitriolic reaction, I may as well have suffocated his puppy and eaten it for lunch. Most of the comments were your garden variety, “I hate you, you ugly doody head” epithets, but one question was interesting (if not overtly hostile and grammatically challenged) and it came from “IrishTwisisters”:
… Tell us what your idea of a great actor is…and please if you could find a dictionary somewhere to help you progress your somewhat limited vocabulary past ‘still sucks’ the more intelligent of us would really appreciate it.
Well OK “IrishTwisisters,” here goes. I’ve got my dictionary out and will try to do right by ‘the more intelligent of you’. The following is a list of my all time favorite actors.
10) Dustin Hoffman
Hoffman re-defined the image of a leading man. His unconventional appearance, and brilliant technique (earned through years at the Actor’s Studio under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg) helped to usher in the era of the anti-hero which began in the late 60s with such films as “The Graduate” and “Easy Rider” and remained popular until the “Blockbuster” era took hold (“E.T.,” “Star Wars,” etc…) Over the years, Dustin Hoffman has played an incredibly broad range of characters from a 120 year old Indian to an autistic savant, but in my opinion he’s most successful when he’s breaking your heart.
For me, his greatest roles will always be: Ratso Rizzo in “Midnight Cowboy;” Ted Kramer in “Kramer vs Kramer,” Raymond Babbit in “Rain Man”… and of course his greatest masterpiece of all, Willy Lowman in “Death of Salesman.”
9) Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews always brought an intense vulnerability to each of his roles which was far ahead of its time. In fact you can see echoes of his distinctive style in actors like David Morse and Tom Hanks. He is known for portraying “Average Joe” types, yet he never played them broadly, choosing a far subtler approach. Although on the surface he may have appeared stolid, his eyes would always give him away, expressing the doubt, fear and pain that we all carry around inside us.
His greatest films are “The Best Years of Our Lives,” “A Walk In the Sun,” and “The Ox-Bow Incident” (which by the way are three of the greatest films EVER).
8) Bruce Dern
Generally regarded as a character actor, for me Dern’s passionate performances are amongst some of the greatest in film history. When he’s on the screen, it’s literally impossible to keep your eyes off of him. Bruce Dern was part of a large gang (Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Peter Bogdanovich, and more) which got their start working with legendary producer Roger Corman. He rose to prominence in the 1970s, during the anti-hero movement but never quite achieved leading man status (although to me, he repeatedly stole the film from whomever was lead in billing). His wild eyed portrayals were always filled with such energy and bluster, yet there was a great sadness at the heart of it all.
His best films are: “The King Of Marvin Gardens,” “Silent Running,” “The Laughing Policeman,” and “Coming Home.”
For my money, he’s the greatest actor of my generation. When he commits to a role he goes ALL THE WAY. It’s sometimes excruciating to watch (“Synecdoche, New York” springs to mind), but it’s always a powerful experience nonetheless. There’s a beautiful ease in the way he portrays each of his characters, it’s a fascinating combination of confidence and insecurity which is so compelling.
His greatest films (to date) are: “Magnolia,” “The Savages,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” and “Doubt.”
6) Paul Newman
Well to begin with, he was the greatest looking actor who ever lived. You can take your Brad Pitts, Johnny Depps and Jude Laws, wrap em’ all up in a ball and they still don’t compare to the astounding beauty that was Newman. Still, the fantastic part about him was that down the line, he played against his looks, taking on more complex roles like “The Hustler” and “Somebody up There Likes Me” instead of the usual shlock handsome leading men were expected to take. He was a versatile actor with the ability to play light comedy, drama, even slapstick and he excelled equally in all genres. Any movie he was in, he made better. Even a bad Newman film is still pretty good, ’cause it’s got him in it!
His greatest films are: “Hud,” “The Hustler,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Harper,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” ”The Drowning Pool,” ”Slap Shot,” ”The Verdict,” ”The Hudsucker Proxy”… and definitely check out a lesser known gem of a film called “Pocket Money!”
Bonus Read: Robert Pattinson vs. Top 10 Actors of All Time (Part 2)
Branwyn Lancourt
Just your average, ordinary, every day malcontented misanthrope. My disdain for the current state of popular culture permeates my very core. Hence, I feel obligated to tug on your coat about it until you’re just as nauseated as I am. ...
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