Next Great Actor

[Golden Standard]

Now their have been generations of best actors. Each era had a great actor. Marlon Brando( 50s), Clint Eastwood( 60s), Steve McQueen( 60s), Al Pacino(70s), Jack Nicholson(80s), Denzel Washingston(90s), and Will Smith(2000s). Each actor seperated themselves from the rest of the actors. And each actor passed the torch. Marlon Brando passed it down to Clint Eastwood, he passed it to Steve McQueen, he passed it to Al Pacino, he passed it to Jack Niholson, he passed it o Denzel WAshingston and he passed it down to Will Smith.

Now who is the next great actor who will lead the next generation. Candidates are Shia Lebeouf, Levitt, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh, ect. I think most liekly Shia Lebeouf as he has already starred in good movies and of course Indiana Jones movie and will star in the future Indiana Jones movies too.

 

[Papa Shango]

I don't think it's gonna be any of those guys. Welling will be lucky if he makes anything besides b-grade horror movies and romantic comedies. Brandon Routh's just a Christopher Reeves look-a-like (and I'd like to point out that, as iconic as he was as Superman, Reeves never had a hit outside that series). Joseph Gordon-Levitt barely even works, and I know that the only reason you threw him in there is because Jake mentioned him as a decent replacement for The Joker. Shia Laboeuf could possibly be a big star along the lines of Harrison Ford, but he's already getting fan backlash for being everywhere at once. And honestly, I've never really been blown away by his acting. He's naturally likeable, and makes for a good young leading man. But very rarely does natural likeability lead to a long career. He'll need to take some heavier, meatier roles before he proves to be an icon.
If there's any one actor out there right now, who seems to be headed for the iconic-status of the likes of Brando and DiNero, I would say it's probably Leonardo DiCaprio. Yeah, I know, a lot a guys' guys hate him just because he was in Titanic. But he has proven to be a great actor for a long time now. What's Eating Gilbert Grape was a great effort by him. Unfortunately, the 90's was all about pretty faces being in pretty movies. Even Leo admits that his career in the 90's wasn't what he had wanted. But he was getting offered these roles, and he'd have been an idiot not to take them. So, for awhile, he lingered on as a young heartthrob. But fortunately, he grew some facial hair. He grew up, and he managed to start getting the roles he knew he could have gotten all along. Catch Me if You Can, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Blood Diamond, and The Departed, five critically acclaimed films, all of which received Academy nominations and wins, including two Best Actor nominations for Leo himself, all released in the span of four years. He's on a roll, and he's got lots of ambitous projects on the horizon.

Someone else I think may reach that iconic status- Matt Damon. He's one of the biggest international movie stars in the world, he is dollar-for-dollar the most bankable actor in Hollywood. Statistically, Damon's films will make $28 for every $1 of Damon's slary on the project. He doesn't get 25 million a film like Tom Hanks or Will Smith, but dammit if his star power dosen't get the job done. He's probably appeared in more new classics over the last ten or so years, than any other leading man today. Courage Under Fire, Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Dogma, Ocean's Eleven, The Bourne series, Syriana, The Good Shepherd, and The Departed. I'm already looking foward to The Informant, which looks to be funny and exciting.

 

[Simply Ravishing]

Lance Gross. From Tyler Perry movies and House of Payne show. He plays Calvin on it.
The guy is a flawless actor. Can pour his heart out when it comes to drama, and light it up when it comes to comedy. Just looked and hes 26 now. Believe hes got an amazing future ahead, and Tyler Perry sees it and is being his stepping stone helping him into the mainstream. Already a NAACP Image Award under his belt. See alot more awards coming.

 

[Ptd]

I think the next great actor is Seth Rogen. Starring in such comedy movies as Superbad and Knocked up. The dude is just absolutely hilarious. His movies in the box office have dominated this year in the comedy genre. I think with in time, Rogen will be viewed as the new Adam Sandler of comedy. I know for sure that any movie that this guy is in I will be seeing.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The problem with Lebeouf is that fame & franchise have probably come a little to early in his career. I'm sure he'll go on and do plenty more great films. But I doubt he's going to have many bigger films than Transformers & Indiana. He also has his schtick which he does in each and every one of his films. I'm sure he can adapt and become a well rounded actor. But then again maybe he doesn't need to. But as it currently stands he'll be almost the same as he is in every one of his previous roles. That's fine, it currently works for him. It might be a problem later in his career though.

A good example to use is, ironically, Harrison Ford. With Indiana Jones, Blade Runner & Star Wars on his C.V. he was never going to be anything other than one of those three characters in any film he does. He's been luck, he's got three iconic film roles. But for all his good work he does in Witness, it's irrelevant. To some people he'll always be Han Solo.

Also with roles like that it's inevitable that nothing else really compares. That's when you start doing incredibly mediocre, and unmemorable films.

I think Shia LaBeouf will become the next big star, just not the next great actor.

 

[Golden Standard]

Matt Damon? DiCaprol? They are good but i said young upcoming actors not veterean actors in their prime they will never be great them two. I'm talking about young actors who can be a great actor like Denzel, Will, Brando, Pacino, Nicholson, and Eastwood, ect. Maybe a guy like Jake whatever his last name was i forgot he starred in Bullble Boy and people say he should play Spiderman in the spiderman movies.

 

[Papa Shango]

You were naming iconic actors like Marlon Brando, Robert DiNero, and Al Pacino. Then you try and tell me that you think a guy who can't shake his 3rd Rock reputation, two mediocre Super-Men, and "The Beef" are gonna end up being like Nicholson and McQueen. And you think Jake Gyllenhall could become the next Steve McQueen, because he may, or may not, end up playing Spider-Man.

Well, I call bullshit. Hell, not even Denzel Washington and Will Smith deserve to be on that list. Their movies make money, and some of those movies are very good, but very few of thier films can be considered great. Denzel's got a couple Oscars, good for him. But he is not iconic. He very rarely makes a good movie anyomore (American Gangster was overrated). Will Smith is a major movie star. Maybe if he can transition from major films to important films, he can become legendary. But clearly, the thing you don't understand is that guys like Brando and DiNero became huge, not because they were in some blockbusters, but because they were fucking incredible actors.

Matt Damon is 37. Leo is 33. If you think two phenomenal ators like that are reaching their prime in thier 30's, then you are out of your mind. Jack Nicholson didn't break out until he was 32. DiNero was 30. Pacino was 31. Damon and Leo, just like the icons before them, have taken measures to insure that will be on top for a long, long time. People won't remember Bubble Boy twenty years from now (shit, people barely remember it now). People won't remember Hancock. But they'll remember movies like The Departed, movies like Saving Private Ryan, like Titanic.

Now, if you really want me to pick a young actor that might be able to lead the "new generation", then I say James McAvoy. He was enjoyable in Chronicles of Narnia, he was fantastic in LAst King of Scotland and Atonement, and it appears as if, with the breakout success of Wanted, he is now officially a big movie star.

 

[jmt225]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a huge future. Not only does he have some fantastic indy roles under his belt (Manic, Mysterious Skin, Brick, ect.), but he's going to have a big role in the upcoming GI Joe movie, and another blockbuster where he's going to play Tetsuo and Leonardo DiCaprio will play Kaneda in a film adaption to Akira. There is also a rumor I saw that said James Cameron is planning a prequel to Titanic, and that Levitt is thus far leading choice to play Jack Dawson. If that's true... then holy shit. How could this guy not be the next huge star in Hollywood?

Also, Emile Hirsch should be on people's radar too. It's a true fucking shame that overrated hack Tommy Lee Jones got an Oscar nod over Hirsch's performance in Into the Wild. I mean, seriously... what the fuck?

But yeah, Hirsch is a tremendous actor, and Into the Wild was just fantastic. He was also great in The Mudge Boy, Imaginary Heroes, and Alpha Dog, and he completely stole the show in Lords of Dogtown. I can't wait to see what the future holds in store for him.

 

[Davi323]

I would say that both Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are already close to being great actors, with no generational gaps separating them from the likes of Pacino and De Niro, so, I would not consider them up and comers, not in the slightest. Matt Damon showed how good an actor he was with Good Will Hunting, a movie that came out eleven years ago, and long before he was in Gangs of New York or The Departed, DiCaprio proved he could really act in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination when he was only 19. Both guys have been playing great roles for a long time, well past the point anyone could really consider them as up and comers. Damon and DiCaprio are already there, and have been for a while. You can't forget that Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro didn't simply wake up and become icons, their long body of filmwork made them that way. Are Damon and DiCaprio icons, right now, in 2008? Not at the same level. But, Pacino wasn't an icon immediately after the Godfather, and DeNiro wasn't after Godfather II, the first film he received an Oscar for. It took years and years for them to become who they are...Damon and DiCaprio are doing the same, they just haven't been at it as long as Pacino or DeNiro has.

Now, for a true up and comer, someone who hasn't really made his mark in quite the same type of way yet, I would nominate Orlando Bloom as probably the most talented young actor out there. He has already been in two huge movie trilogies, but neither Legolas or Will Turner really showcase the acting level I think he is capable of. I dunno, I just get the feeling that Bloom is gonna start making those "Oscar" movies now that he has made a pile of cash from Pirates and LOTR, and show us all what he can do. Sure, we all know who he is, but, in both trilogies, he was merely playing a supporting role, both to Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, and to the Hobbits and Aragorn. I want to see him tackle a serious role as the main star.

 

[Papa Shango]

I forgot about Emile Hirsch. He also seems to have a bright future. He was great in Into the Wild (a movie that really would have just seemed pretentious if it weren't for his solid, grounded performance). I think he just needs to keep away from movies like Speed Racer.

Orlando Bloom is a pretty face hiding mediocre acting skills. He makes a good swashbuckler, but nothing else. He has never shown any skill outside of stuntwork. LOTR and POTC are the only movies he's starred in that have been financially successful, and they weren't certainly weren't so because of his doing. He had Johnny Depp and a built-in loyal fanbase for those series.

 

[Slyfox696]

I think it's funny that the person asks for the next great actors, and lists Nicholson in the 80s as an example. And then, when given Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio, he says they're too old. Jack Nicholson was 43 years of age in 1980, but apparently, Damon and DiCaprio are too old?

First of all, no one defined the 90s like Tom Hanks. A League of Their Own (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Philadelphia (1993, Oscar for Best Actor in Leading Role), Forrest Gump (1994, Oscar for Best Actor in Leading Role), Apollo 13 (1995), Toy Story (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), You've Got Mail (1998), The Green Mile (1999)...all movies with Tom Hanks playing major role. Oh, and Tom Hanks was 36 when A League of Their Own came out.

So, with that being said, I say the next great actor, is in fact, Matt Damon. I've been a mega fan of his ever since The Rainmaker, and have watched so many of his movies and every one of them that I've seen (except Bagger Vance) have been tremendous. Matt Damon is now recognized as a top guy in Hollywood, and it will only be a matter of time before he reaches that elite level status with guys such as Nicholson and Hanks.


And, I'm going to go out on a limb and tell people to watch out for The Rock. He may never reach Pacino level status, but he is getting major roles in huge box office movies, and he's fairly new to the acting game. He's still young, and if its something he really wants to do, watch out because The Rock has charisma off the charts in movies.

 

[Golden Standard]

Okay i was wrong with some of the stuff i said and Papa Shango and SlyFox you are right but you cannot say Denzel Washington is not a great actor and will be iconic when its all said and done and Will Smith is a couple away from being iconic. They starred in some classic movies and movies that will be around for a long period of time. Maclom X, I'am Legend, Men In Black and Men In Black 2, Bad Boys and Bad Boys 2, Man on Fire, Independance Day, John Q.

 

[Papa Shango]

I think it's funny that the person asks for the next great actors, and lists Nicholson in the 80s as an example. And then, when given Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio, he says they're too old. Jack Nicholson was 43 years of age in 1980, but apparently, Damon and DiCaprio are too old?

First of all, no one defined the 90s like Tom Hanks. A League of Their Own (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Philadelphia (1993, Oscar for Best Actor in Leading Role), Forrest Gump (1994, Oscar for Best Actor in Leading Role), Apollo 13 (1995), Toy Story (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), You've Got Mail (1998), The Green Mile (1999)...all movies with Tom Hanks playing major role. Oh, and Tom Hanks was 36 when A League of Their Own came out.

So, with that being said, I say the next great actor, is in fact, Matt Damon. I've been a mega fan of his ever since The Rainmaker, and have watched so many of his movies and every one of them that I've seen (except Bagger Vance) have been tremendous. Matt Damon is now recognized as a top guy in Hollywood, and it will only be a matter of time before he reaches that elite level status with guys such as Nicholson and Hanks.


And, I'm going to go out on a limb and tell people to watch out for The Rock. He may never reach Pacino level status, but he is getting major roles in huge box office movies, and he's fairly new to the acting game. He's still young, and if its something he really wants to do, watch out because The Rock has charisma off the charts in movies.

I had been meaning to point out that Tom Hanks had been skipped over. Shocking he didn't come up sooner. Entertainment Weekly just ran thier New Classics issue, and in a poll of who was EW readers' favorite actor of the last 25 years, Tom Hanks won 52% of the vote. Will Smith... 9%. Denzel... not even on the ballot. Actually, Sly, I'm surprsed you didn't name Big (1988) as his breakout performance. His first Academy Award nomination, and it made $115 million dollars at the box office (domestic). And that's a lot of money for back then. And it's good to see another Matt Damon fan around here. Most people I know just don't like him, cept for the Bourne movies. Most of my friends' opinions on him are best summed up by Paul Rudd in the 40-yr.-old Virgin;"I always thought Matt Damon was a bit of a (Barbera) Streisand, but he's rockin' the shit in this movie (The Bourne Identity).

I'll reserve judgement on The Rock.

Okay i was wrong with some of the stuff i said and Papa Shango and SlyFox you are right but you cannot say Denzel Washington is not a great actor and will be iconic when its all said and done

No he won't. He's not well liked enough by the general public. He's abrasive and moody, like Spike Lee.

and Will Smith is a couple away from being iconic.

Maybe. But just because his movies make buttloads of money, doesn't mean they're good, and it doesn't mean they'll stand the test of time.

They starred in some classic movies and movies that will be around for a long period of time.

They've each got a few highlights. Nothing that's completely legendary, though, like Brando and DiNero.

Maclom X,

Malcolm X
Probably Denzel's best

I'am Legend,

I Am Legend
Good, but certainly not great, and absolutely not iconic

Men In Black and Men In Black 2,

I'll give you MIB. I love that movie, and EW named it #47 on thier 100 Classic movies of the last 25 years. The second one was awful, plain and simple.

Bad Boys and Bad Boys 2,

LMAO that anyone could consider any Michael Bay movie to be a classic, unless they mean a classic in bad movies, in which case put Pearl Harbor and Armageddon up there.

Man on Fire,

Very good, but not iconic or cassic in any way

Independance Day,

Classic in terms of pop culture. Although I can't testify to the overall quality of the movie, cuz I've never gotten around to seeing it.

John Q.

Awful. Cheesy and overacted. Robert Duvall would be spinning in his grave, if he were dead.

 

[Golden Standard]

So Denzel will not be an iconic actor cause the general public don't like him? Will yeah his movies make a buttload but they are good for the most part. So you guys saying Will Smith and Denzel Washingston are good actors but not great actors? So you will put them two on the level of George Clooney for example.

And Will Smith not saying he is but in many people's veiw the best actor in hollywodd now.

Now i'm not old i'm young so tell me how Brando was great as i would like to know how he was so great.

 

[Papa Shango]

So Denzel will not be an iconic actor cause the general public don't like him?

Yes. That, and he doesn't give iconic performances on par with the people you're tying to measure him up to.

Will yeah his movies make a buttload but they are good for the most part.

Not Wild Wild West. Not MIB 2. Not either of the Bad Boys flicks. Not The Legend of Bagger Vance.

So you guys saying Will Smith and Denzel Washingston are good actors but not great actors?

No they're great actors. They're just not DiNero.

So you will put them two on the level of George Clooney for example.

Just about.

And Will Smith not saying he is but in many people's veiw the best actor in hollywodd now.

I don't hear that from many people. Most people say he's the biggest movie star in Hollywood right now. But they may change if he keeps hanging out with Tom Cruise.
Most people say Johnny Depp is the best actor now.

Now i'm not old i'm young so tell me how Brando was great as i would like to know how he was so great.

So, you know nothing about him, but you consider him an icon? Well, this explains why you think Will Smith is an all-time great.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm not sure how Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Will Smith, Denzel Washington and others can be considered the Next Great Actor. They're all currently great actors, have been for years. Most of them at least have an Oscar nomination under their belts. The next great actor surely must be somebody who's got a nice little reputation, but who hasn't really achieved much yet.

 

[Davi323]

I would point out that there is a huge difference between being a great actor and being a great movie star. They are NOT the same thing. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the biggest thing in Hollywood, after all. The Rock is a potentially huge movie star, not an actor. Will Smith, is a movie star, but has branched out into real acting from time to time, such as in Six Degrees of Separation, Legend of Bagger Vance, or Pursuit of Happyness.

 

[Golden Standard]

Yeah Davi you do make a point their but Will Smith will be a great actor he is only a few movies away. I see the passion and love he has for making movies and that counts as part of being a great actor also he can act too. Frsh Prince of Bel Air is one of the best television shows of all time.

 

[Davi323]

Oh, I wasn't suggesting that Will Smith can't act, not at all...merely that the majority of film roles he takes don't demand brilliant acting performances to pull off. He certainly has the ability, as evidenced by a few of his films, he just doesn't do those types of roles enough so that its expected. He is kinda like how Tom Hanks was before Forrest Gump, Philadelphia and Apollo 13. Will Smith has it in him, he just doesn't prove it very often.

 

[Golden Standard]

Well Will Smith needs to show us. I mean he still very young give him a chance he will pull off movies like that. But i would like to learn some more of Marlon Brando i know some stuff but not alot. I know he had great acting skills and was an legendary actor and iconic. Starred as Vito Corleaone in Godfather and Superman's father too in Superman.

 

[Papa Shango]

Well Will Smith needs to show us. I mean he still very young give him a chance he will pull off movies like that.

He's 40. According to your standards, that puts him in his prime, as in he's never going to be aby better than he is now. (Still can't believe you considered Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon at the peak of their careers, in thier 30's )

But i would like to learn some more of Marlon Brando i know some stuff but not alot. I know he had great acting skills and was an legendary actor and iconic. Starred as Vito Corleaone in Godfather and Superman's father too in Superman.

Here's his filmography. Everything in bold is something I would suggest you try to see, as they are some of his best works. However, most of his movies are worth seeing at least once, with the exceptions of the ones in red. DO NOT WATCH THE ONES IN RED, THEY ARE HORRIBLE.

1950 The Men

1951 A Streetcar Named Desire

1952 Viva Zapata!

1953 Julius Caesar
The Wild One

1954 On the Waterfront
Désirée

1955 Guys and Dolls

1956 The Teahouse of the August Moon

1957 Sayonara

1958 The Young Lions

1959 The Fugitive Kind

1961 One-Eyed Jacks

1962 Mutiny on the Bounty

1963 The Ugly American

1964 Bedtime Story

1965 Morituri

1966 The Chase
The Appaloosa

1967 A Countess from Hong Kong
Reflections in a Golden Eye

1968 Candy
The Night of the Following Day

1969 Burn!

1972 The Nightcomers
The Godfather
Last Tango in Paris

1976 The Missouri Breaks

1978Superman Jor-El

1979 Apocalypse Now

1980 The Formula

1989 A Dry White Season

1990 The Freshman

1992 Christopher Columbus: The Discovery

1995 Don Juan DeMarco

1996 The Island of Dr Moreau -ONLY WATCH IF YOU ENJOY MOVIES THAT ARE SO BAD THEY ARE ALMOST FUNNY.

1997 The Brave

1998 Free Money

2001 The Score

 

[Golden Standard]

Okay Leonardo and Damon are not old but they are in their prime yes when you get in that age category you are in your prime. And Will Smith may not never be great like Brando but he is still a great actor.

 

[Papa Shango]

DiCaprio and Damon are just getting started. These two are the kind of guys who will be around for a long, long time. Their appeal isn't just that of some young, good looking guy who knows how to crank up the charm. These guys have some serious acting chops. Guys like Will Smith, they get the butts into the seats. Guys like Leo and Damon keep those butts in their seats, have those butts talking on the way out the door, and then those butts come back a week later to sit down again and rewatch them. You walk out of a Will Smith movie saying "Man, Will Smith is still funny,' or "Wow, those special effects were amazing" or "Yeah, it was good. I liked it." The Departed made people say "That movie was fan-fuckin-tastic. What amazing performances. So-and-so should win the fill-in-the-title Award."