Best Actor of the modern era?

seenitall · 06-07-2020 9:36pm

The best screen performance that sticks in my mind is Billy Crudup in 'Waking the Dead'. Sorry, I'm too lazy to embed, but the restaurant scene in that film is a 3 minute acting masterclass. Stunning.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1nspf2E76cw

Be right back · 06-07-2020 9:38pm

Aidric wrote: »

As a singular piece of work I've yet to see anyone top his performance in Brokeback Mountain.

For continuity Jake Gyllenhaal has been knocking it out of the park on a regular basis.

His final scene in Brokeback was very moving. Brilliant as the Joker as well.

bodhrandude · 06-07-2020 9:46pm

Quite an underrated actor but a superb one is Paul Giamatti, loved the recent one he done called Private Life.

pidgeoneyes · 06-07-2020 9:48pm

Sam Rockwell.

06-07-2020 9:49pm

Javier Bardem, all the way back to Jamón Jamón.

O.A.P · 06-07-2020 9:59pm

Christoph Waltz .

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 06-07-2020 10:00pm

jiltloop wrote: »

Until fairly recently I would have went with Leo Di Caprio but I'm finding him to be a bit samey these days in that a lot of his characters are very similar. One of his last great performances I think was Shutter Island.

I’ve felt that way about DiCaprio for years. I get that people defended him when he was dismissed as the Titanic pretty boy because he is better than that. But I find him a bit limited at times.

murpho999 · 06-07-2020 10:04pm

bodhrandude wrote: »

Quite an underrated actor but a superb one is Paul Giamatti, loved the recent one he done called Private Life.

How is he "under-rated" when he's been critically acclaimed for numerous roles and also won Emmys, Screen Actors' Guilds, Golden Globes and numerous other associations and award body awards.

Also been nominated for an Academy Award.

I agree with you that he's a great actor but he's had a very successful career to date and it has been critically well received and he's highly regarded and by no means under-rated.

Degag · 06-07-2020 10:06pm

Anthony Hopkins.

Owns the screen in anything he's in.

kevthegaff · 06-07-2020 10:07pm

Marlon Brando,Al Pacino, hoffmann, Nicholson and de Nirio streets ahead of the rest

Hand in Your Pants · 06-07-2020 10:08pm

Actors are meh

I Am Nobody · 06-07-2020 10:11pm

Michael Caine,also Kurt Russell

BorneTobyWilde · 06-07-2020 10:13pm

Halle Berry

Rodney Bathgate · 06-07-2020 10:14pm

Michael Douglas

jim salter · 06-07-2020 10:15pm

John Connors

murpho999 · 06-07-2020 10:15pm

jiltloop wrote: »

Until fairly recently I would have went with Leo Di Caprio but I'm finding him to be a bit samey these days in that a lot of his characters are very similar. One of his last great performances I think was Shutter Island.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Until fairly recently I would have went with Leo Di Caprio but I'm finding him to be a bit samey these days in that a lot of his characters are very similar. One of his last great performances I think was Shutter Island.[/quoted]

I’ve felt that way about DiCaprio for years. I get that people defended him when he was dismissed as the Titanic pretty boy because he is better than that. But I find him a bit limited at times.

I don't see how either you can say di Caprio is "samey" when you compare his performances in "The Revenant" to "Wolf on Wall Street" and "Once Upon a Time in America".

3 completely different performances with different requirements and demands that show he's come a long way in his art from his Titanic days.

Rodney Bathgate · 06-07-2020 10:16pm

jim salter wrote: »

John Connors

A bit typecast for my liking. We need to see the full extent of his acting range.

tom1ie · 06-07-2020 10:16pm

Tom hanks

buried · 06-07-2020 10:20pm

murpho999 wrote: »

I don't see how either you can say di Caprio is "samey" when you compare his performances in "The Revenant" to "Wolf on Wall Street" and "Once Upon a Time in America".

3 completely different performances with different requirements and demands that show he's come a long way in his art from his Titanic days.

Hollywood cuz

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 06-07-2020 10:22pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

Modern era?

Since the invention of talkies? Since WWII? Since yesterday?

Dravokivich wrote: »

What's modern era?

Since Netflix started, boomers!

Junkyard Tom · 06-07-2020 10:23pm

'London', the dog who played the title character in 'The Littlest Hobo'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgGKSjiw0HQ

I Am Nobody · 06-07-2020 10:36pm

Sean Connery

Strumms · 06-07-2020 10:37pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Javier Bardem, all the way back to Jamón Jamón.

Brilliant actor...love the guy.

99nsr125 · 06-07-2020 10:38pm

Michael Fassbender

o1s1n · 06-07-2020 10:41pm

Frances Mc Dormand is bloody brilliant.

99nsr125 · 06-07-2020 10:43pm

Gremlinertia wrote: »

Cate Blanchett would be up there for me.. I think William H Macy manages to lift anything he is in

She's shíte in everything must give good head

Agent Coulson · 06-07-2020 10:45pm

Brendan Gleeson closely followed by Domhnall Gleeson.

PsychoPete · 06-07-2020 10:47pm

Abel Ruiz wrote: »

Adam driver.

Amazing in marriage story and Paterson

81eb267eabd734459910001e8424aebbfebe9ed3.gifv

byronbay2 · 06-07-2020 10:55pm

I’m surprised there are so many different actors being proposed as the best. For me, one actor is well ahead of the rest and that is Marlon Brando. He brought method acting into the mainstream and the intensity/passion he brought to his roles is unsurpassed.

His greatest roles for me were in On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather but The Wild One and Last Tango in Paris would be in any other actor’s Top 3. Even his cameo in Apocalypse Now (greatest movie ever made) is exquisite!

He was MILES ahead of his time in the causes he supported (the environment, black civil rights, justice for native Americans) and was willing to risk opprobrium to promote these issues. This is irrelevant to his acting ability, of course, but I thought it should be mentioned.

touts · 06-07-2020 10:59pm

Samuel L Jackson.

Amy Adams

Tom Hanks

Emily Blunt

Gary Oldman

Generally if any of those are in the cast then it has a significantly better than average chance of being a good film.

buried · 06-07-2020 11:01pm

Marlon Brando was top class alright, He even gave a air of legitimacy and real legend to the first two proper Superman films, the fact he was involved in the storyline of them. Its no wonder the rest were a heap of wollix

Mr Meanor · 06-07-2020 11:05pm

Christopher Walken
MV5BMjA4ODUyNDQ2NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwODk2MTYz._V1_UY317_CR3,0,214,317_AL_.jpg

Vestiapx · 06-07-2020 11:08pm

byronbay2 wrote: »

I’m surprised there are so many different actors being proposed as the best. For me, one actor is well ahead of the rest and that is Marlon Brando. He brought method acting into the mainstream and the intensity/passion he brought to his roles is unsurpassed.

His greatest roles for me were in On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather but The Wild One and Last Tango in Paris would be in any other actor’s Top 3. Even his cameo in Apocalypse Now (greatest movie ever made) is exquisite!

He was MILES ahead of his time in the causes he supported (the environment, black civil rights, justice for native Americans) and was willing to risk opprobrium to promote these issues. This is irrelevant to his acting ability, of course, but I thought it should be mentioned.

He's not modern era tho.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 06-07-2020 11:08pm

murpho999 wrote: »

I don't see how either you can say di Caprio is "samey" when you compare his performances in "The Revenant" to "Wolf on Wall Street" and "Once Upon a Time in America".

3 completely different performances with different requirements and demands that show he's come a long way in his art from his Titanic days.

I haven’t seen all his films but I’ve seen many of them and I find him limited sometimes. I don’t think I need to have seen every single of his roles to think that. At times, I have found myself not believing what he was trying to portray, especially when he does that gurning thing that he tends to do. If I’m pulled out of a scene by an actor’s performance, that’s not good and that sometimes happens with him.

I also clearly said he deserved to rise above Titanic as he is far better than that film. In fact, he had good performances under his belt pre-Titanic. He is just nowhere near my favourite actor. I have a few but he’s not one of them.

I Am Nobody · 06-07-2020 11:10pm

Peter O'Toole
John Wayne

buried · 06-07-2020 11:13pm

Vestiapx wrote: »

He's not modern era tho.

He basically created the modern era of method acting though. To go full into a character, to become the character, that's what Brando first brought to the table in mainstream hollywood, before that, leading actors were basically a formulaic, cheekboned, powderfaced smartarse and that was it

06-07-2020 11:17pm

Chris Pratt in Parks & Rec.
Any of these other tools would be glad to work alongside him.

Wibbs · 06-07-2020 11:21pm

It's an impossible task for me. Though I would give a major nod to Peter O'Toole. His first film was Lawrence of Arabia and he absolutely nailed it. The sedimentary layers of emotion and will he could command in a scene was way up there. All his contemporaries were universally in awe of the guy's talent. Anthony Hopkins first film(and Timothy Dalton's) the Lion in Winter. Catherine Hepburn was the main woman in it(another great actor). Baptism of fire for Tony and Tim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf9q3npuKl4

They did well enough. Apparently on the stage he was magnetic, a real tour de force. And if you want an interesting life behind it. Hellraiser doesn't come into it. Publicists today would have coronaries working for the guy.

buried wrote: »

He basically created the modern era of method acting though. To go full into a character, to become the character, that's what Brando first brought to the table in mainstream hollywood, before that, leading actors were basically a formulaic, cheekboned, powderfaced smartarse and that was it

Of the formulaic, cheekboned, powderfaced smartarses, I'd give the gong for brilliance to Cary Grant. Jimmy Stewart was bloody good. Bette Davis was rocking it too.

ThewhiteJesus · 06-07-2020 11:21pm

Feisar wrote: »

Daniel Day Lewis

He’s the best over actor of all time

murpho999 · 06-07-2020 11:24pm

Vestiapx wrote: »

He's not modern era tho.

Of course he is. He was at his peak in the seventies, how is that not modern?

Don't confuse it with contemporary.

byronbay2 · 06-07-2020 11:24pm

buried wrote: »

He basically created the modern era of method acting though. To go full into a character, to become the character, that's what Brando first brought to the table in mainstream hollywood, before that, leading actors were basically a formulaic, cheekboned, powderfaced smartarse and that was it

Correct! Brando was the first, true, great MODERN actor. He took over from Laurence Olivier (also a great actor, mind you), who I would call the last great old-school actor. Whatever you think about Brando, there is no doubt that he revolutionised acting.

Tilikum17 · 06-07-2020 11:25pm

Gary Oldman
Sean Penn
Ed Harris
Denzel

con747 · 06-07-2020 11:26pm

Johnny Depp, an all rounder.

byronbay2 · 06-07-2020 11:28pm

con747 wrote: »

Johnny Depp, an all rounder.

Ha Ha. No trolling!

Kylta · 06-07-2020 11:28pm

Thats an impossible question to answer. There are so many great actors and actresses that I couldn't answer the above post. Actually De Niro in his day probably shades it from pacino, pesci, gibson, dustin hoffman brando walkin ledger, and I could on and on, and thats just the men.

murpho999 · 06-07-2020 11:29pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I haven’t seen all his films but I’ve seen many of them and I find him limited sometimes. I don’t think I need to have seen every single of his roles to think that. At times, I have found myself not believing what he was trying to portray, especially when he does that gurning thing that he tends to do. If I’m pulled out of a scene by an actor’s performance, that’s not good and that sometimes happens with him.

I also clearly said he deserved to rise above Titanic as he is far better than that film. In fact, he had good performances under his belt pre-Titanic. He is just nowhere near my favourite actor. I have a few but he’s not one of them.

Ok so your opinion on him appears to be based on you seeing him in only a couple of roles and not seeing his work that he's earned critical praise for?

You do not provide any examples to back up your points and saying about him doing "that gurning thing" as if it's something that he's renowned for.

Just because you don't like him for some reason does not mean he's a poor actor and when you look at his filmography and list of famous directors he's worked for then he must have some acting talent that they see but you somehow don't.

Tilikum17 · 06-07-2020 11:31pm

buried wrote: »

Marlon Brando was top class alright, He even gave a air of legitimacy and real legend to the first two proper Superman films, the fact he was involved in the storyline of them. Its no wonder the rest were a heap of wollix

I’m probably completely wrong here, but did he not go nuts after the first one? He wanted this, that & the other for the 2nd film & they told him goodluck. They just used pre shot footage from the first movie with him in it, so they didn’t have to bring him back at all? Or was that the 3rd movie?

Again, I’m probably wrong.

Kylta · 06-07-2020 11:38pm

byronbay2 wrote: »

Correct! Brando was the first, true, great MODERN actor. He took over from Laurence Olivier (also a great actor, mind you), who I would call the last great old-school actor. Whatever you think about Brando, there is no doubt that he revolutionised acting.

I think he was in a dry white season (could be wrong about title) as a cameo part and steals not only the scene but the picture too.
Jack Nicholson does the same in a few good men

buried · 06-07-2020 11:41pm

Tilikum17 wrote: »

I’m probably completely wrong here, but did he not go nuts after the first one? He wanted this, that & the other for the 2nd film & they told him goodluck. They just used pre shot footage from the first movie with him in it, so they didn’t have to bring him back at all? Or was that the 3rd movie?

Again, I’m probably wrong.

I dunno or know about any of that, but it could have been the case the man was more than likely affected by the level of fame, due to the level of groundbreaking artist achievement he had already achieved, that maybe he thought he could start to have a level of control over the work that was maybe trying to groundbreak anything else he was involved in. Fame comes at a price, even the most gifted can and will go crazy with it, because it is a total recent and modern mindset that not many in human evolution have had to deal with. I don't know anything about him going nuts, although in fairness, all acting is people going "a bit nuts" anyways.

This is it · 06-07-2020 11:42pm

Denzel Washington. Huge fan, a fantastic actor in my opinion with some amazing movies:

The Manchurian Candidate
The Pelican Brief
Man on Fire
Remember the Titans - never get sick of this one
The Hurricane
American Gangster
Training Day
Philadelphia
Courage Under Fire
Crimson Tide - Gene Hackman fantastic in this too
Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Plenty of others but he's a stand out for me.

Best Actor of the modern era?

Comments