World's Greatest Actor [Archive] - Cult Movie Forums

se7en45

11-03-2006, 10:44 AM

Yes, another countdown, but this one has the distinction of having the selections made by fellow thespians:

THE WORLD'S GREATEST ACTOR

9:00pm - 1:00am

Sunday

Channel-4

I wonder who made it to this list of the Top 50 actors?

Who would you include in your shortlist?

Companero

11-03-2006, 12:08 PM

World's greatest actor? That's easy, there's no need to watch that show, I can tell you who it is, right here, right now:

http://www.buio-omega.de/GRAPHICS/STARS/NERO/NeroM-Portrait.jpg

christats

12-03-2006, 11:48 PM

I don't know about Lord Lucan but is this actor on the Short List.....

embmmusic

13-03-2006, 06:50 AM

I missed this because I watched 24 then Spun on FilmFour. Would love to know where two of my favs of the last decade or so placed - Johnny Depp and Adrien Brody.

mmaki

13-03-2006, 10:56 AM

johnny depp was 2nd! didn't see adrian brody but i missed the first hour

1. Marlon Brando
2. Johnny Depp
3. Anthony Hopkins
4. Laurence Olivier
Joint 5. DeNiro and Pacino
7. Jack Nicholson

cant remember any more ;p

Companero

13-03-2006, 11:00 AM

3. Anthony Hopkins

Very curious choice there - while it cannot be denied that he's turned in some wonderful performances over the years, he's still very inconsistant, IMO. Anyone seen clips from his latest, The World's Fastest Indian? His New Zealand accent is shockingly bad :confused:

mmaki

13-03-2006, 11:04 AM

no, last thing i saw him in was alexander, although he didn't have much of a part, which was prob best cause i didn't like that movie at all.

shows why collin feral (intentionally spelt wrong ;p) will never make such a list!

NPC

13-03-2006, 11:30 AM

Yet another of Channel 4's hours of cheap clips masquerading as a programme. I lasted about 10 minutes. Programmes like this never differentiate between actors (like say William H Macy) and movie stars (Tom Cruise for example) and they're very rarely the same thing. And of course they're always biased against non-English speaking actors. Personally I rate Anthony Wong as about the most consistently versatile and suprising actor, he's so good its sometimes hard to recognise him. If you compare his performances in Untold Story (try to ignore the gore and focus on the acting), Underground Banker, Organized Crime And Triad Bureau and Beast Cops, its often like watching a different actor. Even though I don't speak a word of Chinese Wong has a magnetism and presence that's always compelling and an edge of unpredictability and danger that reminds me of early De Niro.

Anthony1uk

13-03-2006, 11:34 AM

Was Franco Nero on the list?.

I didnt watch it but i would have hoped Christopher Walken and William H Macy would have made the top 10

mmaki

13-03-2006, 11:42 AM

think christopher walken was just outside the top 10. I imagine the full list will be on channel 4's website.

James Lee

13-03-2006, 12:32 PM

Any horror stars in the list?

Companero

13-03-2006, 12:38 PM

Here's the full list from ChannelFour.com (http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/W/worlds_greatest_actor/results.html):

50. James Dean
49. Dennis Hopper
48. Burt Lancaster
47. Sidney Poitier
46. Vivien Leigh
45. Orson Welles
44. Greta Garbo
43. Steve McQueen
42. Alison Steadman
41. Helena Bonham-Carter
40. Denzel Washington
39. Tom Hanks
38. Charlie Chaplin
37. Charles Laughton
36. Gary Oldman
35. Frank Sinatra
34. Rod Steiger
33. John Mills
32. Gena Rowlands
31. Gene Hackman
30. Brad Pitt
29. Kate Winslet
28. Judy Garland
27. Humphrey Bogart
26. Meryl Streep
25. John Gielgud
24. Peter Sellers
23. Cary Grant
22. Albert Finney
21. Dustin Hoffman
20. Maggie Smith
19. Sean Penn
18. Edward Norton
17. Bette Davis
16. Montgomery Clift
15. Daniel Day-Lewis
14. Christoper Walken
13. James Stewart
12. Richard Burton
11. Alec Guinness
10. Spencer Tracy
9. Katharine Hepburn
8. Judi Dench
7. Jack Nicholson
5. = Robert De Niro
5. = Al Pacino
4. Laurence Olivier
3. Anthony Hopkins
2. Johnny Depp
1. Marlon Brando

Rissos

13-03-2006, 01:52 PM

Judi Dench at number 8???? The highest rated woman? :confused:

Judi Dench plays Judi Dench in all her films! Every character she plays is a slightly cantankerous but deep down kind-hearted old woman. How she can be rated ahead of say Meryl Streep, or Maggie Smith, who at leas has had a bit of variety in her characters is a mystery.

tall dude

13-03-2006, 03:32 PM

WHAT! No peter cushing.

WilsonBros

13-03-2006, 03:52 PM

WHAT! No peter cushing.

Sadly not - the late, great Mr C was a masterful actor who always put everything into each part he played, regardless of how suspect the material he had to work with was.

Certainly he cleaned the floor with Christopher Lee as far as his thespian accomplishments was concerned.

THE WILSON BROS

Rich

13-03-2006, 04:01 PM

Sadly not - the late, great Mr C was a masterful actor who always put everything into each part he played, regardless of how suspect the material he had to work with was.

Certainly he cleaned the floor with Christopher Lee as far as his thespian accomplishments was concerned.

THE WILSON BROS

Peter Cushing was fantastic,he certainly did clean the floor with Christopher Lee,and Vincent Price too IMO.Mind you,Price was excellent in Witchfinder General.

Companero

13-03-2006, 04:12 PM

These lists are always questionable at best and serve only as the starting point for a debate. For a start, there’s no Clint Eastwood and while some may argue that he doesn’t belong on the list, I think he’s a lot better than many that have been included.

Rich

13-03-2006, 04:25 PM

What's Frank Sinatra doing in there? He was a great singer,but as an actor he was nothing special IMO.Where's John Hurt? he deserves to be on the list for his portrayal of John Merrick in The Elephant Man,alone.

embmmusic

13-03-2006, 05:46 PM

I'm incredibly surprised that Phillip Seymour Hoffman isn't on the list, along with Adrien Brody who I mentioned earlier - anyone who has seen Brody in The Pianist will know how powerful a performance this man can give, and Hoffman just won a best actor Oscar for Chrissakes! Never mind - as people have said before, we shouldn't really take stock of these C4 popularity contests - they're simply a cheap way of filling 2 or 3 hours.

PS - IMO Brando's talent shrank with age and while he could be considered one of the greats back in his heyday, his resume contains just as many hits as misses, mostly during the last couple of decades.

I don't think that De Niro is a very good comedy actor, although he does deserve his place in the top five for his more serious roles; I just wish he'd stop making crap like Analyse This and go back to what he's good at. Pacino on the other hand is almost consistently great and deserves higher than 5. I would agree with the placing of Depp, though - his body of work demonstrates a great talent throughout every genre and I think he has even more to give. Even though I hated Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, there's no doubt that Depp as Wonka hovered miles above the rest of the film.

Having said all that, I still think these top 100 countdowns are a pile of rubbish. Don't you just love the smell of contradictions in the morning?

christats

13-03-2006, 06:03 PM

I hate these programs,although I do watch if I am at a loose end or too tanked up to care.
The list is reasonable although I can't say I'd have Frank Sinatra,Kate Winslet or Sean Penn in there.
Was I allowed to ask if Tom Cruise,(another who is debatable.) was on the short list.:eek:

SueZ

14-03-2006, 10:05 AM

Hmmm, Johnny Depp at number 2 ? Well if it were up to me, he would be at Number 1, I adore Johnny Depp, and would watch almost anything with him in it. I.e, The ninth gate, from hell, willy wonka, edward scissorhands, and many many more. All I can say is lucky old Vanessa.

WilsonBros

14-03-2006, 10:12 AM

Jesus, he was bad in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory - we finally got around to watching it a couple of weeks ago and his performance was as ill-judged as most people thought.

Though he was amusing in Pirates of the Carribean, his accent was more Tommy Cooper than Keith Richards.

"White Pearl, Black Pearl..." :)

THE WILSON BROS

SueZ

14-03-2006, 10:15 AM

Well guys, It's more of an , I'll watch anything with Johnny Depp in it, situation, no matter how good or bad it is.

Companero

14-03-2006, 10:22 AM

I liked Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and though it was much better than the Gene Wilder version. Depp's a cool cat, for sure. There aren't many of his films that I've not enjoyed.

Still, the list sucks. No Clint Eastwood? What's the world coming to?

SueZ

14-03-2006, 10:26 AM

Companero

14-03-2006, 10:30 AM

Really Companero, no Eastwood, the man is a genious. He deserves the No 1 spot for the good the bad and the ugly, alone. This is one of my all time favourite films, It's madness that he's not on the list.

Yep, one of my favourites, too. As I’ve mentioned on here before it was the film that got me interested in westerns. Prior to The Good, the Bad & The Ugly, I couldn’t stand them, having been subjected to John Wayne and Bonanza on a Sunday afternoon. As a matter of fact, The Good, the Bad & The Ugly is probably the film that piqued my interest in Euro cult films.

It’s easy to overlook how good Clint is because he’s such a natural. He was sensational in Unforgiven – a film that completely sent up his image.

SueZ

14-03-2006, 10:32 AM

I agree, I think 99% of his films are excellent. I really like million dollar baby too.

se7en45

14-03-2006, 03:15 PM

No Clint Eastwood? What's the world coming to?

Forget Eastwood, they also neglected Franco Nero. Do you think this is due to ignorance because Franco's films are rarely screened in the West? :confused:

And SueZ, I hope you're a girl. What with all this fixation on Johnny Boy and all. :D

Companero

14-03-2006, 03:21 PM

Forget Eastwood, they also neglected Franco Nero. Do you think this is due to ignorance because Franco's films are rarely screened in the West? :confused:

And SueZ, I hope you're a girl. What with all this fixation on Johnny Boy and all. :D

Practically no one knows who Nero is in this country. It's such a solvent/US/UK biased list. Denzel is the sole representation of black actors. No Chow Yun Fat. No Klaus Kinski, Belmondo or Delon. The more I think about that list, the more it annoys me...

lee

14-03-2006, 03:23 PM

well this is my idea of the top5.5 al pacino 4.paul newman 3.sean penn 2.orson wells 1.ROBERT DE NIRO depp is very good and should be at number 6 and orson wells even with brando:) SEAN PENN IS THE NEW ROBERT DE NIRO!

lee

14-03-2006, 03:42 PM

as much as anyone dont like sean penn s political views he eats up every scene he is in! at close range acts walken off the screen in the last 10mins and is very young indeed!casualties of war penn plays commanding officer meserve? and as much as you grow to hate meserve you still cant help to feel a little sorry for this little guy?i am sam penn is yet again amazing? and the assassination of richard nixon is up there with de niro in taxi driver his acting is a masterclass on its own so yes this list from channel 4 is a sham!:mad: :mad:

lee

14-03-2006, 03:53 PM

Companero

14-03-2006, 03:58 PM

Penn is good and although some find his political views a little suspect, I think he has the best intentions. Casualties Of War is a great film - can't wait to see the Director's Cut...

lee

14-03-2006, 04:02 PM

Penn is good and although some find his political views a little suspect, I think he has the best intentions. Casualties Of War is a great film - can't wait to see the Director's Cut... yeah comp i think his intentions are always from the heart yeah cant wait for casualties of war directors cut;) ;) you know me im a brian de palmer freak!!!!!

Companero

14-03-2006, 04:05 PM

you know me im a brian de palmer freak!!!!!

Me too, mate :) Penn was great in De Palma's Carlito's Way - loved that Art Garfunkel hairstyle :D

lee

14-03-2006, 04:15 PM

Me too, mate :) Penn was great in De Palma's Carlito's Way - loved that Art Garfunkel hairstyle :Dyeah love that movie to comp? penn as the coke addicted garfunkel lawyer:D :D :D :D

christats

15-03-2006, 12:21 AM

I don't know why,Sean Penn I am not a fan of.Seems everyone else is.
Just noticed Judy Garland in the list.Explain anyone.?

WorldMachine

15-03-2006, 10:21 AM

No place in this list for any of these acting legends:

Paul Newman
Donald Sutherland
Morgan Freeman
George Clooney
Gary Cooper
Clint Eastwood
James Cagney
Charlton Heston
Gregory Peck
Jack Lemmon
Richard Dreyfuss
Ben Kingsley
Robert Duvall
Sean Connery
Robin Williams
Kevin Spacey
Samuel L Jackson
John Travolta
Billy Bob Thornton (for Sling Blade)
William H Macy
Burt Reynolds
Brenda Blethyn

&

Michael Caine!!!

Yet people like Alison Steadman & Judi Dench can get in there.

christats

15-03-2006, 10:03 PM

I think Alison Steadman is a fine actor(ess).Its a bit of a puzzle that she's in a list of World's greatest,when its probably British audiences who are familiar.:confused:
Judi Dench I couldn't give a fig for personally.
These lists are based on Joe Public's recent memory and the odd good performances's in a couple of films.
Who compiles this sh*t.
If you did a list of actors there's a few hundred.
Why isn't Ron Jeremy in there.?

mushie

14-05-2006, 03:46 PM

They would'nt generally make a top 50 but actors like:

TIMOTHY SPALL
PETE POSELTHWAITE

are actors I admire and Depp at number 2?, his roles are always varied and he has to be admired for that but he certainly does'nt keep me gripped to the screen

also
JAVIER BARDEM
BRIAN COX
GERARD DEPARDIEU
ERIC BANA

are all fine constantly watchable actors.

SAMANTHA MORTON too.