MetaChat - Who is your favorite screen actor, male or female, living or dead?

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11 February 2010

Who is your favorite screen actor, male or female, living or dead?

post by: rainbaby at: 19:47 | 30 comments

Paul Newman.

posted by rainbaby 11 February | 19:47

Father Beese and I were both big fans of Gene Hackman.

posted by Joe Beese 11 February | 19:51

George Clooney. Not just for the obvious reason that he's the most gorgeous man on earth, but he's also a fine actor.

posted by essexjan 11 February | 19:51

I have a massive crush on Hugh Jackman. But I also adore Ben Kingsley. Any man who makes me weep for Gandhi and later shake in my boots as some superbad bad guy in Sexy beast is god in my book.

posted by dabitch 11 February | 19:54

Hrm. Bogart, to be a big cliche. Latterly, I will never fail to watch a movie with Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it.

posted by gaspode 11 February | 20:05

Maria Falconetti.

posted by Hugh Janus 11 February | 20:10

I sure don't agree with his politics, but as far as being in a huge amount of movies that I love and can watch almost anytime, it would have to be John Wayne.

Gene Hackman is pretty far up there on my list, he's always good. Nice appreciation of him in Newsweek awhile back.

posted by Marxchivist 11 February | 20:27

Harrison Ford. *drool*

posted by Melismata 11 February | 20:37

Walken. The man's a giant. He's great in good things, but he's even great in bad stuff. He's still pretty good in stuff that HE'S bad in.

So many great goddam actors out there. But man oh man do I love to watch Christopher Walken work.

posted by cortex 11 February | 20:59

This is just too big a question. Among living actresses: Cate Blanchett. Among living actors: Robert DeNiro.

But, damn, that's a big question.

posted by flapjax at midnite 11 February | 21:06

Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep

Crush: Aaron Eckhart......yes, please.

posted by iconomy 11 February | 21:12

Edward Norton for the boys, Cate Blanchett for the ladies. Two supremely talented people.

posted by msali 11 February | 21:21

I think the person who has impressed me the most with her acting talent alone is Naomi Watts.

posted by BoringPostcards 11 February | 21:33

Also Shimura Takashi was a tremendous talent; his work in Ikiru alone would be enough for me to put him up there with Ms. Falconetti, and he was in (many, many) more movies than she was.

posted by Hugh Janus 11 February | 21:39

Bette Davis.

posted by jrossi4r 11 February | 21:39

Humphrey Bogart.

posted by Miko 11 February | 22:08

Oh yeah, I was gonna say Meryl Streep, too.

posted by gaspode 11 February | 22:15

You know, that guy. That was in that film. Aaargh, it's on the tip of my tongue.

*buys another jug*
*loses pub trivia yet again*

posted by pompomtom 11 February | 22:36

Hepburn. Katherine not Audrey, who was awesome in her own way.

posted by danf 11 February | 22:59

For the men, I love watching Gunnar Björnstrand and Max von Sydow. Also Gregory Peck.

As for the women, Louise Brooks was mesmerizing- if she'd gone on, who knows- but among those who've had the chance to make full careers (and are still in the process of doing so, Judi and Emma top the list.

posted by notquitemaryann 11 February | 23:02

pompomtom FTW.

posted by flapjax at midnite 11 February | 23:18

How can I narrow it down? I tend to flit through various enthusiasms. I'm coming to the tail end of James Garner enthusiasm right now. I think I needed something light but solid this fall, and Garner is perfect for that.

(Past enthusiasms include Olive Thomas, Dorothy Maguire, Joseph Cotton, and William Powell).

With current actors, there's no real must-see. I used to have a pretty movie boyfriend, but after the 100th horrible movie he was in, I had to break up with him.

posted by julen 11 February | 23:20

Paul Newman just pushes out Bogart. Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Malcolm McDowell, Charlotte Rampling, Bruno Ganz, Toshirô Mifune, Vincent Price, Lothaire Bluteau, Edward Norton, Cate Blanchett, Kenneth Welsh, Roy Scheider, Jean Reno, Jack Lemmon, and Gena Rowlands, all circle around.

posted by arse_hat 12 February | 00:20

Jack Nicholson

posted by Ardiril 12 February | 00:49

British

posted by WolfDaddy 12 February | 01:06

Toshiro Mifune - I just like a lot of films he is in. Hence favorite. Particularly the horseback duel in Hidden Fortress.

"Uh, hello. I just chopped your buddies down the road into chutney. Allow me to introduce myself..."

As an actor, Alec Guiness. Now that guy could act.

I don't know that I'd want to buy a used car from Jack Nicholson, but I love to watch him sell one to somebody else.

And Robert Mitchum. Cool.

And Ellen Barkin. Woof! In Buckaroo Banzai. Woof! Woof!

Oh, you said favorite. Like one favorite....

Toshiro Mifune.

posted by warbaby 12 February | 02:09

If forced to pick just one, then it's the last performance that I was really wowed by. Which at this particular moment would be Helen Mirren in Elizabeth I.

posted by marsha56 12 February | 02:25

Montgomery Clift.

posted by brujita 12 February | 03:13

Cary Grant.

posted by JanetLand 12 February | 06:37

Male: Hugh Laurie or Daniel Day Lewis
Female: Judi Dench or Helen Mirren

I'm sensing a trend here...

posted by deborah 12 February | 15:15

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