Best Actor Of All Time

[Dave]

2011 Zonie Awards

Nominees for Best Actor of All Time

Brad Pitt

Leonardo DiCaprio

Robert De Niro

Al Pacino

Tom Hanks

Anthony Hopkins

Martin Sheen

Marlon Brando

Vince Cassel

Edward Norton

Jack Nicholson

Bruce Willis

Bill Murray

Christian Bale

Denzel Washington



*discussion will be open until Friday, May 13th, on which date the polls will open and voting will be permitted. No spamming, no flaming.


​

 

[FSWWE]

The Zonies!! WOWW What a rush!!

I always believed that Leonardo DiCaprio is the best actor of all time!
I kinda feel that every movie he does, he is the one that carry every single piece of it...
It's hard to fight against Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, but I think that the best actors are being revealed in this generation, and Leonardo DiCaprio is the best of the best!

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Impossible to make this call. I suppose some people go by the number of awards one takes home, length of career, etc. Taking all of that into consideration, I have to go with who I believe is the most talented.

Personally, I would go with Daniel Day-Lewis. He has more range than anyone I've seen, and never disappoints. However, he didn't make this list, so....

I'll go with Marlon Brando. In the 1950's, this man changed the game of screen acting. Of course he wasn't alone in this, but he had the biggest impact. He embraced method acting, which basically meant dropping such stage acting showmanship, and being more realistic. Acting on a stage calls for over-the-top, exaggerated performance. The large, live setting makes that a priority. Acting for the screen, however, was much different, even if the screen actors before Brando didn't realize that. The studio system was fueled by name recognition, or star power, not performance quality. This all changed when Brando hit the scene.

A Streetcar Named Desire, The Wild One, On the Waterfront, The Fugitive Kind, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Godfather... it doesn't get much better.

Later in his career, he turned into a lethargic, moody pile of shit. However, that shouldn't (and doesn't) take away from how great he once was. His performances still stand up to anything out there today, and that says something.

 

[jmt225]

Out of those nominees... I have to go with Bobby D, Robert De Niro.

De Niro is nowhere near my favorite on the list because let's face facts... he's mostly only been in shit the last 15 years. Regardless of that, what he did from the late sixties to the early nineties is truly remarkable. The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Awakenings, This Boy's Life, Casino, Heat... not only are these literally some of the greatest movies in history, but his performances in them play a huge factor in making them just that. Seriously... can you think of anyone else playing Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, or Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull? It's very rare where you say that if ANYONE else played those roles that the movie's value would have gone HEAVILY down, but that is indeed the case in those instances.

Vince Cassel, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Christian Bale, and Brad Pitt are all actors I personally like more than I do Robert De Niro (don't get me wrong... Bobby D is definitely a top 10 favorite of mine, just not that close to being THE favorite), but I can not sit here and claim any of those guys are better actors than he was in his prime, or that they've come anywhere near close to having as remarkable of career as Robert De Niro.

 

[LSN80]

I'm glad to see my nomination made the list here. There was noone else on the list I hadn't considered already, or wouldn't consider at all. When making the consideration yourself, consider how many actors have had successful careers that spanned over half a century. Ask yourself, -How many can make claim to have won Academy Awards for Best Actor 20 years apart? There's only one. The one of whom his contemporaries such as Jack Nicholson have said; " When _____ dies, everyone moves up one" when discussing the best actors alive, or Martin Scorsese, who said; "He is the marker. There's before _____, and after _____ " when asked about periods of time in acting. Who am I speaking of? The incomporable Marlon Brando.

I can understand those who may not see the appeal in Brando- his last major role was in 1979's Apocalypse Now. But Im fairly certain most to all of us have seen his turn as Vito Corleone in The Godfather, in which he won his second Academy Award for best Actor. But this was just a small portion of his work. 18 years BEFORE winning his second Academy Award for best actor, he won his first in 1954 in On The Waterfront as Terry Malloy, a great drama about union violence and corruption. There's also 1951's A StreetCar Named Desire, a great romantic drama for which he was also nominated for a Best Actor award as Stanley Kowalski. !972's Last Tango in Paris is another example of Brando at his finest.

Brando is also important because of the style of acting he helped revolutionize in the 1950's. He was the only one responsible, but he was the most prominent and most important. He helped bring method acting to the big screen, a style of acting in which characters get into the thoughts and emotions of their characters. Before this, acting was about the performer and showmanship then it was about the character itself. Brando was largely responsible for this change, as he went as far as to often portray his various characters while filming at all times, the purest form of method acting- something unheard of and unseen previously. The most compelling characters and actors you see today are largely in part because of Brando, something else that should be factored in before making a decision of "Best Actor."

As I said, other then the Godfather and Apocalypse Now, many may be unfamilar wth Brando's work, making him a difficult pick. So in the same way I implored you to see Hoop Dreams for best Sports Picture, see A StreetCar Named Desire. See On the Waterfront. See Last Tango in Paris. Hell, see Julius Caesar or Mutiny on the Bounty. See any of them. See all of them. You'll appreciate the genius that was Marlon Brando, and how he truly was a contemporary before his time. And perhaps, you too will recognize Marlon Brando as the Greatest Actor of All Time.

 

[JWGunslinger]

I have to say Leo Dicaprio, he has always amazed me and definetly earns the right to be #1 in this category. He has had talent ever since he was a young man and he has done brilliantly in amazing movies like Titanic, Blood Diamond, The Departed and many many more. For me this one is a no brainer although every man on this list is great, the best of the best is Leo.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I am going with Jack Nicholson. Just about every movie he has ever starred in he has given us a classic movie character. I mean check this out:

The Shining: Jack Torrence. "Heeeeeeere's Johnny!"
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: McMurphy, Nurse Ratchett's nemesis
Batman '98: The Goddamn Joker
A Few Good Men: Col. Jessep "You Can't Handle The Truth!"
As Good As It Gets: Melvin Udall
The Departed: Frank Costello

And his list of memorable movies just goes on and on. Jack Nicholson I believe is the best actor of all time because of one thing: endearment. Unlike some names listed, he has been going strong for more than 50 years. 50!! Everyone listed deserves to be nominated, but Jack has that experience that cannot be ignored. He has given us many, many quotes over the years and even more historic movie moments. Whether he was chasing down his family with an axe, pissing off a medical institution, or naming his pain "Batman", Nicholson stands out in my mind as THE best actor of all time.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Brad Pitt​

Pretty meh. I might have voted for him if the blockbusters he's made had redeeming qualities. Why don't we just say that Pitt never lived up to the acting potential he showed in 12 Monkeys and call it a day?

Leonardo DiCaprio

The most overrated actor of his generation. I wouldn't even vote for him in a Hollywood leading man competition.

Robert De Niro

Would have voted for him had he not made Showtime, 15 Minutes, and Little Fockers. This guy phones in everything nowadays. I can't blame him, though; he probably gets paid around $15-20 million per film even though he's never been a box office draw.

Al Pacino

He'll probably get my vote. He's exploited the Hollywood system like De Niro but he's been nowhere near as chronic an offender.

Tom Hanks

Great dramatic actor but I find him to be absolutely shit in comedies. No thank you.

Anthony Hopkins

This guy's almost as bad as Jon Voight and Christopher Walken...does he ever turn down a role?

Martin Sheen

He's quite shit.

Marlon Brando

Based off of this list, there's about a 25% chance that this is the man I'll be voting for. The front-runner is still Pacino, though.

Vince Cassel

My favorite actor of the bunch. Fighting for him is a lost cause, though, and I want to vote for a winner. Maybe in another five or so years, Vin-dog.

Edward Norton

I made a thread about this man once. His career's still salvageable, but my money's on Norton going down as one of Hollywood's biggest tragedies. He had the most brilliant start out of all the nominees here, though.

Jack Nicholson

Damn, I love me some Jack Nicholson. All right, it's a three-way race between Pacino, Brando, and Nicholson.

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis can't act...why is he on this list?

Bill Murray

He's had maybe one, two, at most three, great performances in his life. He should pat himself on the back for proving he can act...still doesn't mean he's the best actor of all time.

Christian Bale

Man, Batman fan-boys are in full effect it seems. Bale wishes he was half as good as the likes of most of the people on this list. He's better than Willis, Sheen, and Murray, though.

Denzel Washington

Meh...too many collaborations with the sub-par Scott brothers for my liking.​

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Stealing this from tdigs. I should probably give reasons for why I voted Brando, and not others.

Brad Pitt

Very, very talented. Problem? Too famous. That's right, too famous. Has range, capable of playing just about any character you can imagine, but he's trapped by his image. He's the pretty boy, and his personal life seems to matter more to his fans than his films. It's a shame, really. In terms of overall talent, he might be the best of his generation. The roles just haven't been there.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Another guy seen as more of a movie star, and not an actor. Actually, he's a great actor. For my money, he was the best part of The Departed. Billy Costigan was a great character, who was constantly under a great deal of stress. Exhausted, anxious, conflicted, frightened... Leo did a great job of making that known. Also very good in The Aviator. Another guy who isn't taken as seriously due, in part, to his overwhelming fame.

Robert De Niro

Best actor in the 1970's, hands down. Maybe the 80's as well. Bang The Drum Slowly, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Deer Hunter, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, This Boy's Life, Heat,... not sure if anyone has had as great of a run (quality wise) as DeNiro did. The only thing holding him back from challenging Brando (and Day-Lewis, who, for fucks sake, should be on this list) would be the shit choice of roles over the past 10-15 years. Outside of the original Meet the Parents movie, it's been ugly. Whatever, it was time for him to cash in.

Al Pacino

Really, really good. Great, actually. Never put him on the same level as DeNiro, but I respect this guys talent. Definitely belongs in the discussion.

Tom Hanks

Great leading man, and has done some great characters as well (Gump, Big, Road to Perdition). Not sure I would rank him as one of the most talented, but he's definitely one of the most popular.

Anthony Hopkins

Hannibal Lecter and Richard Nixon. Outside of those roles, I haven't cared. Been involved in some great films, and some absolute pieces of garabe. Don't think he belongs on this list either.

Martin Sheen

What, do we have a lot of West Wing fans here? Always solid, better as a younger actor, but I wouldn't say he's one of the greatest ever. Actually, not even close.

Marlon Brando

He gets my vote, seeing Paul Newman and Daniel Day-Lewis didn't make the list.

Vince Cassel

Nowhere near as familiar with his work as I wish I were. From what I've seen (Eastern Promises and Black Swan), he's as talented as they come. Doubt he has the name power to rank among the greats, in America that is.

Edward Norton

Mehh. That's how I feel about Norton. Very good at times (Primal Fear, Rounders, American History X, Fight Club, 25th Hour), but he has also been involved in quite a bit of shit. His career is far from over, so I hope he makes better choices from here on out.

Jack Nicholson

I listed him as the most overrated, simply because he receives more credit than any actor out there, and I don't think he deserves all of it. Early stuff was great (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, Tommy, OFOCN, The Shining). But I also think some of his later performances were too "Jack" for my taste (Batman, A Few Good Men, Wolf, The Departed). Great actor, but probably a bit overrated.

Bruce Willis

Seriously? I could list every shit film he has ever done, but I'd be here all night, and half way through tomorrow. Outside of The Sixth Sense, which wasn't all that great of a performance, what has he done? He's a movie star, not an actor.

Bill Murray

Really funny guy, talented actor, but doesn't belong here.

Christian Bale

Another guy who hasn't done nearly enough to be on this list. Far more talented than given credit for, but, too young, hasn't done enough yet.

Denzel Washington

Reminds me of Hanks. Great leading man, good with characters too, but is more of a movie star as opposed to an actor. However, early in his career (Cry Freedom, Glory, Malcolm X, He Got Game)..wow. He was the shit, plain and simple. Best black actor of his time, no question. Ranks among the best movie stars of all time, but not best actors.


This is more of a People's Choice/MTV movie awards type poll, so I'm not all that worried about it. I think a lot of these guys belong nowhere near this list, and some names are obviously missing. But, some names belong, so I have still faith, in some of you

 

[JGlass]

Continuing the rich tradition of explaining my thoughts on each actor...

Brad Pitt

My nom, and one of my top choices, I just love me some Brad Pitt. He was great in 12 Monkeys and Fight Club, extremely enjoyable in Sev7en and Inglorious Basterds, and is damn entertaining in just about everything he's done (I've still yet to see some of his best works like Benjamin Button and Thelma and Louise). He's a versatile actor, but something has always held him back from being THE top guy in Hollywood. I think it might be George Clooney, who is almost as good an actor but seems to do much better with the female audience.

Leonardo DiCaprio

I like Leo, but he's not all that great.

Robert De Niro

Can't go wrong with Robert De Niro. Sure, he's known through and through for playing tough mobsters, but let's not forget is legendary performance as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, or his comedic ability in Meet the Family. He also wasn't half bad playing a small support role in Jackie Brown, proving he doesn't have to be an actor who always steals the spotlight, like Tom Cruise.

Al Pacino

I'm just not that big a fan of Pacino. Good, diverse actor, but his best works are horribly overrated.

Tom Hanks

Another great actor who can play a wide plethora of roles and nails them every time he plays them, but his signature role is Forrest Gump, a very good film and a good performance, but not quite as legendary as some others.

Anthony Hopkins

He won best actor in a leading role for all of 10 minutes of screen time in Silence of the Lambs? The fuck is that shit? Yeah, he was great, but for 10 minutes of screen time? How does that qualify as a lead? He nailed Hanibal Lecter in that movie, but he never had anywhere near as much success as any of the other actors on this list.

Martin Sheen

Great in Apocalypse Now, very good in The Departed, but what else has he done that really puts him in this category?

Marlon Brando

Probably the guy I'm gonna pick. He nails just about every role he's in, and he's played many legendary parts: Don Vito Corleone, Stanley Kowalski, Terry Malloy, the man oozes charisma and acting talent. He also delivers one of the best monologues in film history.

Vince Cassel

A fine actor, but nowhere near as legendary as any other guy on this list. Keep in mind, this is all time, not best actor right now. He probably has many good years ahead of him, possibly an Oscar nomination or even win, but right now he's not there.

Edward Norton

Edward Norton is a personal favorite, but I wouldn't say he's even close to best of all time. American History X, Fight Club, hell, I even loved him in Death to Smoochy, but he rarely shows off his wild acting ability anymore. Very diverse, never got the proper recognition for his ability, and it hurt his career in the long run.

Jack Nicholson

Another very viable choice, but one I'll probably pass on. One of the best acting performances ever in The Shining, great performance in The Departed, and he's been in countless other roles... but I think Brando and De Niro are better.

Bruce Willis

Why is he here? He can be a very good actor, but he's not even close to being the best of all time. I'd be surprised if he gets more than a handful of votes.

Bill Murray

Bill Murray is the film equivalent of Christian. Smarks love him even though he's not that great. Don't get me wrong, he's very very good, but he's not great, not even close. His best work outside of Ghostbusters is his stuff with Wes Anderson, and much of that is hit or miss.

Christian Bale

He's not even that good in the films he'll be best remembered for (Batman). Another case of being very good, but not great, and not even close to best ever.

Denzel Washington

I can think of worse choices, but I wouldn't qualify him as the best ever. He might be the only guy on the list that managed to be typecast, and while I see nothing wrong in being typecast, it doesn't help his chances in becoming best of all time.

Right now it's looking good for Brando.

 

[Cookie]

Who nominated Martin Sheen? Yikes.

I'm currently torn between three.

Marlon Brandon - Undoubtedly influenced and set the bar for those that came after, had some of the greatest all time performances in his early career (Streetcar, On the Waterfront) and some of the most iconic in his later career (The Godfather), showed a lot of range (particularly the jump from The Godfather to Last Tango in Paris)

Robert De Niro - There's no denying his work in the 70s is some of the greatest ever and he made incredible sacrifices to get into the characters he was playing, great performances in the 80s and 90s (his work in Awakenings is incredible), certainly some of the most brave and dedicated method acting work ever, unfortunately his later career choices are questionable at best and he doesn't make the commitments he used to make. Is his early stuff enough to carry his reputation or has it become tainted by his later work?

Jack Nicholson - One of a kind and unique, like De Niro had a string of amazing work in the 70s (Five Easy Pieces, I'm looking at you), brought himself to his work and didn't apologize for it, has a flair for comedy that the other two I mentioned don't, hasn't fallen as far off the wagon as De Niro by doing some decent work in the 2000s (About Schmidt)

I guess I could've thrown Pacino into the mix for similar reasons but whatever.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Really don't get all the Willis negativity - Die Hard, Last Boy Scout, Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, 12 Monkeys and Sin City are undisputed classics. On top of this, I'm a big fan of his performances in In Country, Mortal Thoughts, Hudson Hawk (which many critics have ate their words on), Death Becomes Her, Last Man Standing, The Fifth Element, The Siege and Disney's The Kid. Fair enough, he has been in some dross but you can throw DeNiro and Pacino out immediately if that's the only qualifier and on that same train of thought, cherry picking like Mr Day Lewis (who only seems to accept roles if an Academy Award nomination is likely) is not my 'thang' for selecting. There appears to be a starting vein of movie snobbery in this thread, I don't see Orson Welles or Sir Alec Guinness listed so some high horses should be climbed down from. How about we argue the cases for our choices and not piss on other peoples opinions? Willis has a diversity to his work that few others on this list have and quite simply I generally like what I see, if this ain't sufficient for all the budding Siskel & Ebert / Barry Normans out there, well...

 

[Cookie]

Really don't get all the Willis negativity - Die Hard, Last Boy Scout, Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, 12 Monkeys and Sin City are undisputed classics.

I wouldn't go so far as calling a few of those movies "classics" let alone undisputed classics. Most of the movies that are considered to be classics are disputed anyways, so I don't think that's fair game.

On top of this, I'm a big fan of his performances in In Country, Mortal Thoughts, Hudson Hawk (which many critics have ate their words on), Death Becomes Her, Last Man Standing, The Fifth Element, The Siege and Disney's The Kid. Fair enough, he has been in some dross but you can throw DeNiro and Pacino out immediately if that's the only qualifier and on that same train of thought, cherry picking like Mr Day Lewis (who only seems to accept roles if an Academy Award nomination is likely) is not my 'thang' for selecting.

It's great that you are a big fan of his performances. I like some of them too. But that factor alone doesn't make someone the greatest of all-time. As for the comment on De Niro and Pacino - it has been acknowledged (by people in this thread and in general) they've been phoning it in and have become caricatures of themselves for some time now. It's part of what is stopping me from saying outright that De Niro is the greatest of all-time.

There appears to be a starting vein of movie snobbery in this thread, I don't see Orson Welles or Sir Alec Guinness listed so some high horses should be climbed down from. How about we argue the cases for our choices and not piss on other peoples opinions? Willis has a diversity to his work that few others on this list have and quite simply I generally like what I see, if this ain't sufficient for all the budding Siskel & Ebert / Barry Normans out there, well...

I think it's cool that you're staying true to someone you're a fan of. And you're not wrong for enjoying Bruce Willis' work. I think part of the reason why people are quick to shut him down in a "Greatest of All Time" discussion is the fact that at his best, Bruce Willis just doesn't come close to some of the performances of the other people mentioned in this category. What would you consider to be his greatest performances? The Sixth Sense? Die Hard? Pulp Fiction? It would be tough to make a case for any of those against something like De Niro's Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver or Brando's Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. It just not on the same level. I'm not saying he's a bad actor because he isn't but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Bill Murray was the guy I picked and here's why. No actor has consistently entertained me like Bill Murray has. Whether it be in some serious roles or the mountain of comedic roles in his repertoire, Murray has been brilliant throughout. Even in cameo appearances in Little Shop of Horrors and Zombieland, Murray is gold. To suggest Ghostbusters is his best work is pretty ludicrous actually when his roles in Groundhog Day, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Lost in Translation (complete with Oscar nomination which arguably should've been win) are all equally great. Murray is the greatest comedic actor of his time and possibly all time and for that he deserves to be here amongst the big boys.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Easily Brad Pitt from this list. I always thought people just went crazy over him because he is one hot piece of man ass. I didn't care to see his movies because I thought he wouldn't be good. However, that opinion of mine changed when I saw the movie Seven. Good fucking gawd, what a movie. I honestly couldn't give a review because that is how much it blew my mind.

He also did some great ones like Interview with a Vampire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and everyone's favorite movie about killing Nazis, Inglorious Basterds. I also thoroughly enjoyed Meet Joe Black.

 

[iwinulose]

lots of these guys are good, but i have to go outside the box, i personally think that johnny depp is the greatest actor of all time, but thats just me, but what can i say, i really like pirates of the carribean. just an opinion though.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Jack Nicholson is probably my favorite actor of all time, but I'm going to have to go with Pacino here. Al Pacino's range is really something to admire. I know a lot of people think Scarface is overrated as overrated can be, but Pacino did a GREAT job with the Tony Montana character. He was one of the most evil and ruthless bad guys in cinema history. Pacino brought so much intensity to this character. Michael Corleone was a great character, and Pacino managed to take things to another level in The Godfather II, as Michael became this cold and heartless boss. Also, Pacino's performance in Scent Of A Woman was unreal. Pacino was this bitter and lonely blind Colonel who seemed to hate everything, but towards the end of the film, he became a happier man. This was a complex character. Pacino did a marvelous job with this role, and he truly did deserve the Oscar for Best Actor here.

Pacino can perform at high level, and he has given some memorable performances. Sure, he's had a downfall when it comes to the quality of his films over the years, but he's not the only actor who has some shitty films on his record.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Mitch just sealed this for me...I'm voting for Pacino. Let's recap why I've decided to vote for him:

1) The only person with more Oscar nominations than him on this list is Jack Nicholson (Pacino is tied with Brando at eight a piece). I won't go so far as to call Jack Nicholson one-dimensional (he's easily one of the greatest actors in film history), but Pacino has been able to stay diverse in his choice of roles throughout his career; after As Good As It Gets, with the exception of About Schmidt, Jack Nicholson essentially played the same character.

2) No matter what anyone else here thinks, Scarface is a brilliant film. Most filmmakers have a hard-on for idealizing the criminal underworld. Scarface is definitely the exception to this rule. I seriously doubt any other American film will come as close to showing how nasty, mean, and vile a life of crime in America really is (The Wire doesn't count as it's a television show).

3) His performance in Scent of a Woman was down right fan-fucking-tastic. His defense of Chris O'Donnell at the end of the film is easily one of the best film speeches I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. When an esteemed actor is finally recognized by AMPAS well into their career, it's very rare that the performance they're honored for truly merits an award. This performance is one of those rarities.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

TDigs, later in the Zonies, I'll gladly school you on why Scarface is probably the most Overrated film of all time. It's trash. But it's not trash because of Pacino. Hell, he narrowly missed out on saving the film, but even his screen presence can't overcome Michelle Pfeiffer or any of the other problems the film displayed.

Let me say that Pacino is in my final 3 here, and the only reason he may grab a vote for me is because George C. Scott wasn't included. Que sera sera. I will also back Pacino later in the Zonies for "Best Movie Monolouge." He may deliver the goods on every monolouge he does, but none more so that playing John Milton / Satan in "The Devil's Advocate."

I loved this film. Keanu Reeves was better than passable - I bought his innocent, tormented young hotshot lawyer bit. Charlize Theron was brilliant and showed glimpses of what would become one of the best careers in the biz. She also went full-frontal, which doesn't hurt. But Pacino WAS the central part of his role, and was so diabolical. Giving Pacino the monolouge on God is like giving Steve Austin a script for the 3:16 speech - giving such a solid talent such a great peice of work is a formula for a legend.

Pacino was so cold in Godfather Part 2, it was frightening. And in sharp contrast to the verbal skills he used in Devil's Advocate, I was always most impressed with his non-verbal cues. For starters, he may have never smiled in the second Godfather film. He walked and spoke like a man who was both emotionally void as well as mentally exhausted, but still strong enough to invoke that strong facade. His looks of intensity when asking Tom Hagan "WAS IT A BOY!?" and how his eyes just turn from pity and disappointment to rage and hate as Kay tells him "It was an abortion, Michael!"

He also sold non-verbally to truly make you fear for Fredo and then make you think he was actually capable of forgiveness when his mother dies. That made the moments leading up to Fredo's murder all the more compelling. Pacino sold with his eyes, and you hung on every movement, and as a result, every word.

I LOVED Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but I've also seen Gary Sinise play that role on Broadway and be nearly as compelling. I cannot see ANYONE, EVER playing Michael Corleone again. To have ownership over such a massive cinematic character is such an accomplishment. You can't have a voice other than James Earn Jones coming from Darth Vader - it's the same thing with Pacino.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

TDigs, later in the Zonies, I'll gladly school you on why Scarface is probably the most Overrated film of all time. It's trash. But it's not trash because of Pacino. Hell, he narrowly missed out on saving the film, but even his screen presence can't overcome Michelle Pfeiffer or any of the other problems the film displayed.

Let me say that Pacino is in my final 3 here, and the only reason he may grab a vote for me is because George C. Scott wasn't included. Que sera sera. I will also back Pacino later in the Zonies for "Best Movie Monolouge." He may deliver the goods on every monolouge he does, but none more so that playing John Milton / Satan in "The Devil's Advocate."

I loved this film. Keanu Reeves was better than passable - I bought his innocent, tormented young hotshot lawyer bit. Charlize Theron was brilliant and showed glimpses of what would become one of the best careers in the biz. She also went full-frontal, which doesn't hurt. But Pacino WAS the central part of his role, and was so diabolical. Giving Pacino the monolouge on God is like giving Steve Austin a script for the 3:16 speech - giving such a solid talent such a great peice of work is a formula for a legend.

Pacino was so cold in Godfather Part 2, it was frightening. And in sharp contrast to the verbal skills he used in Devil's Advocate, I was always most impressed with his non-verbal cues. For starters, he may have never smiled in the second Godfather film. He walked and spoke like a man who was both emotionally void as well as mentally exhausted, but still strong enough to invoke that strong facade. His looks of intensity when asking Tom Hagan "WAS IT A BOY!?" and how his eyes just turn from pity and disappointment to rage and hate as Kay tells him "It was an abortion, Michael!"

He also sold non-verbally to truly make you fear for Fredo and then make you think he was actually capable of forgiveness when his mother dies. That made the moments leading up to Fredo's murder all the more compelling. Pacino sold with his eyes, and you hung on every movement, and as a result, every word.

I LOVED Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but I've also seen Gary Sinise play that role on Broadway and be nearly as compelling. I cannot see ANYONE, EVER playing Michael Corleone again. To have ownership over such a massive cinematic character is such an accomplishment. You can't have a voice other than James Earn Jones coming from Darth Vader - it's the same thing with Pacino.

I look forward to it. Since I like you, I'll give you fair warning right now: make sure you know about the Marielitos and how the drug trade worked in 1980s south Florida before even entertaining the thought of why Scarface is so overrated.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Of the choices offered, I'd take Jack Nicholson because of his longevity.....but even more than the length of his career was his effectiveness throughout the years. Yes, he was great in roles like "The Shining" and "Cuckoo's Nest" because he was playing the exact kind of lunatic you'd expect of him. Then, he turned our image of him completely around in "Terms of Endearment." But when I saw him in "Easy Rider," stealing the show from the two stars, I realized how far-ranging his influence is.

True, Marlon Brando had a longer career, but he didn't have the same impact over as long a period of time. In "On the Waterfront," "Streetcar Named Desire," and "The Wild One," he was the same mushed-mouth hoodlum each time. Only in "Superman" did I understand a word he said.....and that was a bullshit role in terms of quasi-dramatic acting.


However, I'd trade everyone on the list for a guy who doesn't appear: Robert Downey Jr., whose acting skills exceed everyone else's, IMHO. From Iron Man" to "Sherlock Holmes" to "Ally McBeal" (TV role). No one can play the range of characters he can. In "Chances Are," the guy made me believe in reincarnation.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I hate to be that guy, but this shouldn't stand without at least being challenged.

True, Marlon Brando had a longer career

Longer than Nicholson? Actually, he didn't. Nicholson has been acting (on screen) for 55 years, compared to Brando's 51 years. Nicholson has also starred in almost twice as many films.

but he didn't have the same impact over as long a period of time.

You're right, Brando didn't have the same impact. He had a bigger impact. Brando, in the 1950's, changed screen acting, and I don't think, outside of yourself, anyone would argue with that. In the 1950's, Brando literally set the bar. I don't think Nicholson ever had that type of impact.

In "On the Waterfront," "Streetcar Named Desire," and "The Wild One," he was the same mushed-mouth hoodlum each time.

Yeah, this is just...not true. For any of you who haven't seen the films Sally has mentioned, rent them, and decide for yourselves.

Only in "Superman" did I understand a word he said.....and that was a bullshit role in terms of quasi-dramatic acting.

Very true. Brando became quite the pile of shit in later years, there's no arguing with that.

 

[Smooth Sexual Chocolate]

I would've voted for Clint Eastwood here, as I prefer him and his acting abilities to pretty much everyone listed above; but again, I'll go with what I have to work with.

I'm thinking it's between De Niro and Pachino, and now that I think about it, it's tough for me to choose between the two. Looks like it coming down to a coin flip I'll be using a 1990 Denver minted dime, heads for De Niro, Tails for Pachino..... Clean flip with De Niro taking the victory here.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I wouldn't go so far as calling a few of those movies "classics" let alone undisputed classics. Most of the movies that are considered to be classics are disputed anyways, so I don't think that's fair game.

I'm a big fan of film publications Empire & Total Film and I have collected them for a long time. All of the films I have mentioned have been either listed in greatest categories in their genre or cross referenced when discussing films that have been influenced by them. This is my reasoning behind listing them as 'classics'. Of course the term is subjective, if it wasn't we would not have a 'Most Over Rated' category in the Zonies.

It's great that you are a big fan of his performances. I like some of them too. But that factor alone doesn't make someone the greatest of all-time. As for the comment on De Niro and Pacino - it has been acknowledged (by people in this thread and in general) they've been phoning it in and have become caricatures of themselves for some time now. It's part of what is stopping me from saying outright that De Niro is the greatest of all-time.

The thing is DeNiro and Pacino have proven themselves in a limited character range - notably the Thriller / Crime genres. Bruno has had considerable success in Actioners (Die Hard), Blockbusters (Armageddon), Sci Fi (12 Monkeys), Comedy (Death Becomes Her), Graphic Novel Adaptation (Sin City), Crime (Pulp Fiction) and Horror (Sixth Sense).

I think it's cool that you're staying true to someone you're a fan of. And you're not wrong for enjoying Bruce Willis' work. I think part of the reason why people are quick to shut him down in a "Greatest of All Time" discussion is the fact that at his best, Bruce Willis just doesn't come close to some of the performances of the other people mentioned in this category. What would you consider to be his greatest performances? The Sixth Sense? Die Hard? Pulp Fiction? It would be tough to make a case for any of those against something like De Niro's Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver or Brando's Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. It just not on the same level. I'm not saying he's a bad actor because he isn't but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Here's the thing with this argument, Travis Bickle and many of the top roles are not those of an average person. Willis has made his career on playing your average Joe Smo (John McClane was famously allocated because it was thought to be a good blue collar name), this doesn't necessarily make him the lesser actor though. Look at the film Rain Man, the Oscar may have went to Hoffman but most fair people looking back would actually give the performance edge to Tom Cruise's less showy younger brother. For a Bruce Willis comparison, look at 12 Monkeys - Brad Pitt might have garnered the Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination but most reviewers give the kudos to Willis's performance as Cole as being the film's greatest strength.

Bruce Willis's ability was knocked during his marriage to Demi Moore, in the same way as Hollywood has loved to do for quite some time (other examples being Peter Bogdanovich / Cybill Shepherd, Kurt Russell / Goldie Hawn, Tom Cruise / Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn / Madonna). 'Golden couples' are always an easy target to degrade. Despite this, whereas people have given up on any chance of a decent DeNiro or Pacino film, a new Willis release still generates interest (RED did over twice the box office than Heat follow up Righteous Kill). It may be cool to like the actors who play bad guys, pyschos and assholes but I like the good guy who'll go up against it because, when the cookie crumbles, he loves to fight - Yippee ki-yay, indeed

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I had Tom Hanks checked off, hovered the mouse around the vote button...

...And couldn't do it. As much as I love Hanks - everything from Forrest Gump to A League of Their Own - I had to go with Pacino. Even though one of his 3 mot memorable performances was one of his worst (Scarface), I can erase the memory of Scarface with either the monolouge from Devil's Advocate or Scent of a Woman. And he was even great in Insomnia, opposite Hillary Swank and Robin Williams.

Pacino is just a master. He has Nicholson's intensity without letting it overshadow the character he is playing. And he has the best eye-acting in the history of the business...