Favorite Movie Actors & Actresses

[Rich Riddle]

I am wondering who you folks like as actors. Mine are relative new-comers in the scene....Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery, and Gene Hackman. On the actress side, I like Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman, Judi Dench, Julie Andrews, Grace Kelly, and Julia Roberts. For some reason, most of the folks on the list aren't making too many new releases.

[Kev Williams]

Kinda hard for some of those on the list to make movies, too busy pushin' up daisies... ;)

I have a weird 'favorite'... Dane Cook. Not because I like his acting or his material that much... It's because I can understand every word he says. He has the best speaking voice of anyone I can think of... :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I like most of the ones Rich lists. I will add Tom Hanks and Tom Berenger.

[Chuck Wintle]

I like most of the ones Rich lists. I will add Tom Hanks and Tom Berenger.

a thumbs up for tom hanks.

[Mel Fulks]

All of those are good. But in the role of a comic zoned out barber with tender feelings ,and flashes of unreasonable anger, the award goes to .....Howard Mc Near as Floyd the barber on the Andy Grifith Show. A singular unbalanced icon. I sometimes wonder if Rich could have helped him ....

[Brent Cutshall]

Tom Berenger, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, and that guy that played Carl on Slingblade. If I sit here for a minute, I'll probably come up with a new list. I've never watched Ronald Reagan in a movie but he was a good president, does that count?

[Rich Riddle]

One of my college students asked who was John Wayne. I can understand not knowing Peck or Stewart, but John Wayne?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'll add Gary Cooper.

BTW...I just saw a life size statue of John Wayne holding Maureen O'Hara in his arms in the village of Cong, Ireland where the exterior scenes for the movie "The Quiet Man" were filmed. We took the movie tour there and it was interesting. Of course the interior scenes were shot on sound stages in Holleywood.

[Brent Cutshall]

Charles Bronson and Andy Griffith too.

[Mel Fulks]

1970 ish films got more "real" and less theatrical. The older films were really recorded plays. The change meant directors quit yelling "bigger!" and started saying "less, less". Gary Cooper was subtle and realistic and ,I think , would have been even more successful today. His "High Noon" (1952) still brings a tear every time I see it. Anyway...my main point is styles change.

[John T Barker]

I like a lot of the male actors already mentioned but I would add one; Robert Duvall. A movie he did a little while ago, Open Range, was very good and he was fantastic. He puts so much in to the most minor actions. Superb. Morgan Freeman is very similar and another of my favorites not mentioned.
From years ago I like Patricia Neal.

[Wayne Lomman]

Sean Connery would have to be my all time favorite actor, especially in Highlander. The ladies - that is a more difficult choice. I love Sigrid Thornton in 'The Man from Snowy River', Bette Midler in 'The Rose' and 'Beaches', Cher in 'Moonstruck', and Marilyn Monroe in everything! Cheers

[Caspar Hauser]

Audrey Hepburn, Myrna Loy, Brenda De Banzie, John Mills and Charles Loughton to add a few more.

[Dave Zellers]

.... Grace Kelly ....
Most beautiful woman ever. Especially in Rear Window.

I will watch any movie with Ed Norton and/or John Turturo in it.

[Mike Henderson]

Wow, I can't believe no one said Meryl Streep. She's an amazing actress - just melts into whatever role she has. Look at the one scene in "Sophie's Choice" where she is asked to choose between her son and daughter. You'll never forget it.

While he hasn't done any interesting work lately, Robert DeNiro in "Raging Bull" was fantastic.

And Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were outstanding in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia". It was his first movie and he never did as good a job later.

While she wasn't a great actress, Audrey Hepburn was absolutely beautiful in "My Fair Lady".

Mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Richard Harris was pretty solid too.

[Kev Williams]

Tim Roth-- Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Planet of the Apes, The Hulk, bad guy in the first episode of Criminal Intent, a jillion others I haven't seen... I don't know how a 5'7" guy can pull off being such a good bad guy, but he does!

[Bert Kemp]

#1 on my list Tom Hanks,he can play any role, Sean Connery,Tom Cruise,and Morgan Freeman. Actresses ,Nicole Kidmen ,Sigorney Weaver,

[Prashun Patel]

Mike, I agree about Meryl Streep. She had me at Kramer v Kramer.

Recent actors I enjoy: Amy Adams, Leonardo DiCaprio and Eddie Redmayne. If I forget who I'm watching, I think they're good. To that end, I am therefore not a fan of Al Pacino or Will Smith.

My favorite of all time may be young Robert DiNiro (anything Cape Fear or before).

[Brett Luna]

I like a lot of the male actors already mentioned but I would add one; Robert Duvall. A movie he did a little while ago, Open Range, was very good and he was fantastic.

Very much agreed...and speaking of the genre, I also really like Tom Selleck in westerns. Quigley Down Under​ was a standout and I liked the Monte Walsh remake as much or more than the original.

[Bill Jobe]

Vincent Denofrio (sp)

[Mike Circo]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned my favorite... Steve McQueen.
The absolute image of "Cool". The Great Escape, Nevada Smith, Sand Pebbles, Bullitt and of course... The Magnificent Seven.
LeMans also, but that wasn't acting... that was him!

For Women, it's Meg Ryan. (The early, pre plastic surgery days). The best "girl next door", fun interesting and smart.

[Joe Kieve]

This will certainly date me but nobody's mentioned Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Sophia Loren, Ann Margaret.
Best western of all time "The Magnificent Seven".

[Malcolm McLeod]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned my favorite...

Paul "I-can-eat-a-hundred-eggs" Newman. Cool hand Luke? (one of my top ten movies)

[Peter Kelly]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned my favorite... Marlon Brando.

[Rich Riddle]

Are we all old, or are the movie stars just not as good as they used to be?

[Mel Fulks]

Rich,it seems to me that there are just so many more actors now. Lot of competition. Some good ones just move on to other things. And some who have long successful careers never get to be "stars".

[Rich Riddle]

Mel, thanks goodness...... I wouldn't want to think of any of us Creekers as old men.

[Kev Williams]

Creeker's Creakers?

[Mike Henderson]

This will certainly date me but nobody's mentioned Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Sophia Loren, Ann Margaret.
Best western of all time "The Magnificent Seven".

If you liked "The Magnificent Seven" take a look at "Seven Samurai" which is the movie that "The Magnificent Seven" is based on. Some of the scenes are essentially exact copies of scenes in "Seven Samurai". For example, the "fight" between the knife guy and the gunfighter.

"Seven Samurai" is an excellent movie - a classic. I highly recommend it.

Mike

[And "A Fistfull of Dollars" is a copy of the Japanese movie "Yojimbo". See the original.]

[Brent Cutshall]

Bruce Lee movies were kinda corny but the way he moved was impressive. Thumbs up. Rich, I don't believe age in years has anything to do with how old you feel/act. You can be old and still kicking butt. I'll tell you what, one of my cousins is a full time logger,farmer, and contractor and he's pushing 70! Dern it if he can't out work me! ME!! I'm 17 and I work like a dog! You know what he told me one time when we was out working, he said he can't work worth a crap any more. It about made me dizzy. They don't make them like they used to I guess. And I guess it works the other way too.Take me for example, I've never fit in with kids my age because I grew up around the gents of yesteryear and act, walk, talk, and work like said gents. People call me old man Brent for Pete's sake! I guess it's not all for naught, there's a nice bit of ethic that comes with the territory. Be all you can be Rich(and others)!

[Rich Riddle]

Be all you can be Rich(and others)!Like many here, I already did that and retired from the military; it's your turn.

[Brent Cutshall]

Like many here, I already did that and retired from the military; it's your turn.
:p I think I look forward to that, they probably won't draft me 'cause a couple years ago I had to have two rods put in to straighten my back, so I'll hafta join. I love Rich's Riddle threads, mind if I call them that Rich?

[Brent Cutshall]

If you don't mind me asking, where were you stationed Rich? I'm sorry, that stuff's neat to me. Most of my entire family was or are in the armed forces. There ain't a war that America has fought that there wasn't a Cutshall in.

[Mark Blatter]

Many of those mentioned here I have enjoyed over the years. Something I learned is that if I find myself disliking an actor because of a role, it is a clue that said actor is doing a great job. Let me mention two examples. First is Jason Isaacs in The Patriot. I could not stand him in the movie because his character was such a bad guy, and he played him so well. The bad guy gets transferred to the actor. Second is Alan Rickman from Harry Potter fame. Again he played the part so well that you came to hate the actor.

Others I have loved are Jimmy Stewart, Kate Beckinsale, Wilford Brimley, Brian Dennehy, and if you like westerns, of course Tom Selleck and Clint Eastwood.

[Bill Jobe]

Robert Mitchum.
His work in the original "Cape Fear" was believable.

[Bill Jobe]

By the way, did you know he cut a calypso album.?

[Rich Riddle]

Where I was stationed seems to follow many old battle movies, Japan, Germany, all over the US, the Middle East, the Azores, Philippines, Korea, Guam.....like I said lots of war movies about those places. John Wayne and Gregory Peck starred in some of those.

[Brent Cutshall]

Wow Rich, I salute you, if that means anything from someone like me.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I have an affinity for westerns. WW2 movies never did much for me. My favorite movies did not necessarily have my favorite actors. I liked Duke movies and the Duke but never considered him great in the craft of being an actor. Same for Kevin Costner. Michael Cain in Zulu is an all time favorite. Connery in The name of the Rose. Olivia Hussy in the 1968 Romeo and Juliet. Some actors are good but play in some terrible rolls. Some actors are not that good as actors but shine in some rolls. for instance, I think The Quiet Man is one of Wayne's best performances as an actor. IMO the absolute best actor and best role was Spencer Tracey in Bad Day at Black Rock. I loved Bogart in the African Queen, but the dialogue was stilted and corny. In the craft as an actor, he was better in Key Largo and Casa Blanca. Lately I find myself watching more and more early movies on TCM. Some of the acting back then was so much better than now. Does the actor's portrayal draw you into the story giving you a sense of participation or are you just a spectator watching a person go through the motions. Although not a favorite, One person that truly was good at whatever he did was Richard Chamberlain. It did not matter if it was Shakespeare or a western, on the stage, the tube or the big screen, he was good.