The Mount Rushmore Of--Actors

[mister_b1LL]

This is the second attachment of my Mount Rushmore Series. Have fun and enjoy.

If Hollywood were to make a Mount Rushmore dedicated to actors, who would be the 4 men represented? Keep in mind I will make another MR devoted to actresses so for this thread choose only men.

This is mine:

In George Washington's spot: Denzel Washington- I picked him after watching Inside Man for the first time just last week. By God he is a magnificent actor. And when you see him in his other roles, no matter what role he does, he does it well. He's been a football coach, a cop, and a soldier, and he makes it believeable. He also really proved to the world that African-American actors can do just as well as caucasian actors, and he has since proved that by winning the Best Actor Academy Award for Training Day.

In Thomas Jefferson's spot: John Travolta-Just like Denzel, this guy his extremely entertaining to watch. He is one of two people that can play a vengeful cop/crazed killer in a single movie (the other one I will talk about later) and never get boring. On top of that he's played a 50s era cool guy and even a woman. He's a Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor-Comedy for his role in Get Shorty and has been twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. Travolta's most definitely got the skills to pay the bills. Oh yeah and he knows that in France a Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese is called a Royale w/ Cheese.

In Teddy Roosevelt's spot: Will Smith- This guy might get the unpopular vote by many, but since Independence Day, Will Smith has really broken out of his shell made during his Fresh Prince days. My favorite movie starring Smith is The Pursuit Of Happyness because he really went outside the normal smooth-talking cool guy roles he normally got and played in my opinion the hardest role to play in movies: A family man.

In Abraham Lincoln's spot: Nicolas Cage-Simply because of Face/Off, Nicolas Cage is my most favorite actor. All of his roles are so entertaining and while many of his movies are hit (National Treasure) or miss (Bangkok Dangerous), Cage never ceases to provide a wonderful experience whenever I watch one of his movies. And he himself is an Academy Award winner for his work in Leaving Las Vegas. I recommend anyone reading this thread to watch this movie.

So that's mine. Being a "youngin" I put mostly guys from the 90s and 2000s. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna see a lot of actors from way back in the day that people like. So what's your Mount Rushmore Of Actors?

 

[NSL]

This thread really could've been broken down into genres, because while Ahnold and Sly would dominate an action movie one, they're not near the top 100 on a real Mt. Rushmore of acting. Nonetheless, here's my list (in no particular order):

Robert DeNiro: I've seen this guy do almost anything, and he's been great at all of it. I know a lot of his more recent work gets panned, but I still find it enjoyable, and even if the movie is horrible, he's still great.

Jim Carrey: Screw you guys, I know you hate this already. He's my favorite actor, so he gets a spot. I even liked his "crappy" movies like The Majestic, and he always makes me laugh. His roles in Man On The Moon and Eternal Sunshine... both outweigh any "bad" movies he may have done.

Morgan Freeman: He's another actor that has done just about everything there is to do in Hollywood, and is still on the top of his game. He's shown he can be funny, dramatic, loving, and can even narrate a live action movie better than the people can act it. He deserves a spot undoubtedly.

Elizabeth Taylor: Even if it's only for her role as Cleopatra, she deserves a spot as one of the greatest actresses ever. I know there's been ones better than her, but none have ever been as "big" as she is.

 

[jmt225]

Man... this would've been easier with Directors. But I'm going to attempt this anyway. Just know... my picks are chosen with favoritism, not who I actually think deserves to be there (Brando, Nicholson, De Niro, and Meryl Streep, for the record).

Brad Pitt - My biggest man crush of all time, and not just because he's such a good looking man, but because he's fucking awesome and nearly every single one of his movies kick fucking ass. Kalifornia, True Romance, Interview with the Vampire, Seven, Legends of the Fall, Twelve Monkeys, Sleepers, Fight Club, Snatch, Troy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Babel, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Burn After Reading, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and the upcoming Inglourious Basterds.... how can you not love this dude? Look at that body of work! It's impossible for anyone to match that level of awesomeness.

Robert De Niro - The only man on my list who would truly deserve to be on a Mount Rushmore of actors (for now, at least, as Pitt very well could be this high up in 20 more years). His work with Scorsese alone puts him there. Raging Bull... greatest performance of all time, in my opinion. Taxi Driver... I mean, Jesus, unbelievably awesome. And so many others that you already know. I really don't need to elaborate why this guy is on mine, and should be on everybody's list.

Morgan Freeman - Watch Street Smart and Driving Miss Daisy back-to-back, and you'll see why this man is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of all time.

James Van Der Beek - Odd choice, I know. But I fucking love this dude. His performance in The Rules of Attraction is in my top three favorite performances in film history, for one. But then you add that he was the main character in one of my all time favorite television shows (Dawson's Creek), and also has the oh so awesome Varsity Blues to his credit... this man has to be here for me. Joshua Jackson almost got the spot, but because of TROA mostly, it went to JVDB.

 

[NSL]

Man... this would've been easier with Directors. But I'm going to attempt this anyway. Just know... my picks are chosen with favoritism, not who I actually think deserves to be there (Brando, Nicholson, De Niro, and Meryl Streep, for the record).

Brando was one of my choices, but I didn't want to add him, along with DeNiro who I had already put there. Streep was in the argument over Taylor, but I think that one performance may be the greatest by a female ever.

Nicholson is a good choice. What face to use though? Psycho from The Shining? Badass from ...Cuckoo's Nest? Or, Joker from Batman? There's way too many. He could have his own Mt. Rushmore.

 

[Phoenix]

My choices would include:

Denzel Washington - Like the OP said, you can never be short of entertained by this guy. Superb performances and even if the film he's in is shit, you know he will be awesome. Best role has to be either Training Day, Remember the Titans or Man on Fire

Christopher Walken - Iconic legend, knows how to give a great performance and he always manages to deliver an excellent line in his roles. Much like Washington, expect an excellent performance from him.

Robert De Niro - It either had to him or Pacino, but I went with De Niro because he's the most consistant of the new. This guy is chameleon of films and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb because he is De Niro. Everything he touches turns to gold and he always is 110% devoted to his roles. Loved him in Godfather Part II and Heat.

Right the final spot I'd either give to Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan or Christopher Lee.

I'll go with Christopher Lee because he is a true movie legend. The original Dracula, and always has a iconic feel to his acting and can give you a villain to remember from Dracula to Scaramanga to Doku to Saruman and then some. He's one actor I'd love to meet before he passes on because that's how much I value him as a acting legend.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Im not going to say who goes where because I don't really have an opinion on who goes where but four names that qualify on this thing for actors.

James Cagney: One of the great actors. He did so many great movies, Public Enemies is in the Smithsonian for film if I remember correctly. White Heat is one of the greatest Gangster films of all time. Yankee Doodle Dandee is a brilliant musical and shows how he saw himself as an actor rather than a gangster. He set himself up as one of the great actors of US history. He was the money earner for Jack Warner, part of the reason why warners was a major player within the studio age of Hollywood.

Gregory Peck: Atticus Finch in that brilliant adaption of Too Kill a Mockingbird. There are other numerous roles but this role alone is one that everyone should see at some stage due to the nature of th film being still so relevant. Porkchop Hill stands as a forerunner to the negative Vietnam films yet it was set during Korea. The Guns of Navarrone is one of my favourite films ever. I can't even begin to list the number of films that Peck has done over his illustrious career.

John Wayne: Despite the fact that I think he is an untalented Hack I can see the fact that he is ingrained in the US social consciousness as an ideal for what being a man is about. He is an untalented hack though he only had one character that didn't change whether is was a western or a war movie.

Dustin Hoffman: The last in my attempt to keep this a very old school type feel for this Mount Rushmore type thing. Dustin Hoffman needs only two creits to be put on this. The Graduate, which was one of the great films of the late 60s as well as Midnight Cowboy, the only X rated film to get an Oscar. Im not even including Kramer Vs. Kramer, Tootsie, Rain Man or Hook within saying why he deserves to be on this thing but the list of accolades speak for themselves.


I know I have left off a large number of Actors that could deserve to be on this list, Fred Astaire comes to mind straight away as does Gary Cooper. Johnny Depp may be the next to go on that list with the way that his films are delivered. I also didn't include actresses because I am going to assume that there is going to be a separate one for them.

 

[thepalaceprince]

My 1st 3 dont need explanation Im sure everyone would agree. Brando, de niro and pacino theyve earned a spot without argument. The only person on my rushmore that Il need to explain is
Daniel day-lewis- let 1st say I thought about putting jack nicholson in the final spot but put day-lewis there instead for one reason daniel day lewis has never phoned in a role. Jack is a great actor but he has been known to phone it in alot of older actors do its understandable. Daniel day-lewis is a two time oscar winner for best actor he was absolutely incredible in my left foot there will be blood gangs of new york last of the mohicans and many more I could make the argument that hes a better actor then jack. Altho hes not as well known or as loved like jack is hes better and more consistent.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I'm going to try and cut down the "Rushmore Four" as best as I can in different Genres:

1.War/Romance:Clark Gable- Gone With The Wind was a MASTERPIECE of a movie, and even more so with this man here. Perhaps the only movie that will never get a remake (or at least I hope not). He was nicknamed "The King Of Hollywood" in his time. He was known for several well known war films.

2.Horror:Vincent Price- This man embodies the true horror movie actor. He starred in such timeless classics as The Pit In The Pendelum, original House Of Wax, original House On Haunted Hill, The Last Man On Earth, and of course Edward Scissorhands.

3.Action:Clint Eastwood- This was a tough one to call, but I'd put money on the guy that gave us Dirty Harry and The Man With No Name over just about anything Ah-nuld or Sly has given us. Even at his age, he can still be a badass in movies like Gran Torino.

4.Comedy:Mel Brooks- Honestly I can't see anyone really stand up against the man who gave us such classic comedy treasures as History Of The World: Part One, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men In Tights. Truly an iconic director and actor.

That's as good as I can do here. I realize most (if not all) of the people mentioned have passed on or are pretty old, but Rushmore is for the old anyways, and every single person I have mentioned have done much much more with their careers then say Brad Pitt or Denzel Washington. If they ever realistically do a "'More Four" it should be the ones that did the most in their respective genres.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

My four would be:-

Steve McQueen - The biggest actor of the 60's and 70's by a large margin.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - For a guy who based his career of being "carved out of granite" it would be fitting to actually be carved out of granite...
Jack Nicholson - For the Shining alone he deserves a place...
Meryl Streep - Greatest actress ever...

 

[TwistofRKO]

Nicolas Cage? I'm about to barf. He's truly a terrible actor.

Anyways:

Jack Nicholson- The Departed, About Schmidt, A Few Good Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Batman... All major successes, all had tremendous acting performances by Jack. He's a polarizing figure and always demands your attention when he's on the screen.

Leonardo DiCaprio- Best pure actor of this generation. He's nailed so many different roles, and hasn't made a bad movie yet. From What's Eating Gilbert Grape? to The Aviator, to Blood Diamond, to Revolutionary Road, you have to stress to find anything flawed in his performances. That's just a few of his movies, not even his best. He's going to leave behind a great legacy.

Russell Crowe- I may be off, but I think he starred in a Best Picture Oscar nominated movie 5 out of 6 years at one point? Including winning the award two years in a row. Thats incredible. He's diverse and extremely successful.

Tom Hanks- The most successful has to be on the list. Forrest Gump, Big, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Philadelphia, Road to Perdition, Catch Me If You Can, Toy Story, Cast Away. He should be unanimous.

This is incomplete because I haven't seen a lot of older films, so I'm unable to include famous actors from way before my time.

The honorable mentions for me are Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert DeNiro, Clint Eastwood, and Brad Pitt. In Lewis' case, he simply hasn't done enough work to be included over any of the mentioned. His quality is insanely high, but he doesn't put a lot out there. DeNiro has achieved a lot, but he's pretty one-dimensional, and has a handful of duds, more than the others. Eastwood also suffered from the lack of depth in different characters, and Pitt had too many duds for me to include.

 

[INDYjon22]

Robert Downey Jr., He is my personal favorite actor and I think he has the best dexterity in regards to his acting skills. He is terrific in all of his films, be it comedy, drama, or action or anything else.

Leonardo DiCaprio- He is the best American actor in the business today. Every movie is better then the last. Not to mention I think his face would look good made of rock.

Brad Pitt- Another personal favorite of mine. He has a great old school vibe going right now. He reminds me of Marlon Brando a little bit.

Joseph Gordon Levitt- I am just a big fan and I view him as the future of acting. He has been awesome as of late in films such as 500 Days of Summer and Inception and he looks like he will continue his awesomeness with his new film Hesher.

Obviously, my list is more of a Mount Rushmore for the current crop of big name actors and a guy I view as the future. If I went the route of a true greatest actors of all time it would look a lot like JMT's except I would take Meryl Streep off the list and add Al Pacino.

 

[#hamler]

Denzel Washington
Not only the best black actor ever, but the greatest actor ever. This guy gets so into his rolls and every movie he's in, its usually a good one. He can play any roll out there, a gangster cop(Training Day), a loving father (John Q), or historical figure and role model (Macolm X). I love him in any movie he plays in and if he's in it, its worth watching.

Will Smith
Its always a safe bet to say that Will Smith's movie will be number one in the box office. Anything he touches will turn to gold. He's played in my favorite movie of all time Bad Boys II as him and Martain Lawrence played well off each other. Movie after movie after movie after movie, they're all hits. Not to mention the Fresh Prince, an awesome tv show in its own right. Will Smith plays some of the hardest parts in movies history. If a movie touches you, it's not the story, but the actor's acting

Samuel L. Jackson
Another great black actor. I don't know why my three favorite actors are black. Anyways, another great actor. From Pulp Fiction to Snakes on a Plane, this guy can act. He usually always seems to play a certain type of roll. A racist stuck up old dude. And the way he talks is hilarious. "I'm tired of these mothafuckin snakes, on this mothafuckin plane" will go down as one of the most famous movie quotes. I love this guy.

Matt Damon
Bourne Identity...need I say more. The guy can act wonders around most others. Matt is pretty much good in everything that he is in. Its hard to believe that no one really thought that this guy could carry a movie until he wrote one for himself in Good Wil Hunting. He had some small parts in movies like School Ties and other supporting roles but finally made things happen for himself.

Honorable Mentions
Keifer Sutherland, Forrest Whittiker, Bruce Willis.

 

[kthevs]

Will Smith ? Nick Cage ? Is this a joke ? Do you people know anything about cinema ? Cinema did exist before 1990. You guys are mostly just naming big movie stars, not respected actors.

This is the proper one-

Meryl Streep- Greatest actor ever, yes she is better than Audrey and Kat Hepburn. Record number of Oscar noms.

Marlon Brando- Universally considered the best film actor ever.

Humphrey Bogart- Recognized by the AFI and Empire as the most iconic star ever.

James Stewart- Nothing needs to be said.

Alternate- Jack Nicholson.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

This is the second attachment of my Mount Rushmore Series. Have fun and enjoy.

If Hollywood were to make a Mount Rushmore dedicated to actors, who would be the 4 men represented? Keep in mind I will make another MR devoted to actresses so for this thread choose only men.

This is mine:

In George Washington's spot: Denzel Washington- I picked him after watching Inside Man for the first time just last week. By God he is a magnificent actor. And when you see him in his other roles, no matter what role he does, he does it well. He's been a football coach, a cop, and a soldier, and he makes it believeable. He also really proved to the world that African-American actors can do just as well as caucasian actors, and he has since proved that by winning the Best Actor Academy Award for Training Day.

In Thomas Jefferson's spot: John Travolta-Just like Denzel, this guy his extremely entertaining to watch. He is one of two people that can play a vengeful cop/crazed killer in a single movie (the other one I will talk about later) and never get boring. On top of that he's played a 50s era cool guy and even a woman. He's a Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor-Comedy for his role in Get Shorty and has been twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. Travolta's most definitely got the skills to pay the bills. Oh yeah and he knows that in France a Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese is called a Royale w/ Cheese.

In Teddy Roosevelt's spot: Will Smith- This guy might get the unpopular vote by many, but since Independence Day, Will Smith has really broken out of his shell made during his Fresh Prince days. My favorite movie starring Smith is The Pursuit Of Happyness because he really went outside the normal smooth-talking cool guy roles he normally got and played in my opinion the hardest role to play in movies: A family man.

In Abraham Lincoln's spot: Nicolas Cage-Simply because of Face/Off, Nicolas Cage is my most favorite actor. All of his roles are so entertaining and while many of his movies are hit (National Treasure) or miss (Bangkok Dangerous), Cage never ceases to provide a wonderful experience whenever I watch one of his movies. And he himself is an Academy Award winner for his work in Leaving Las Vegas. I recommend anyone reading this thread to watch this movie.

So that's mine. Being a "youngin" I put mostly guys from the 90s and 2000s. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna see a lot of actors from way back in the day that people like. So what's your Mount Rushmore Of Actors?

Excellent choices man, Denzel would definately be my number 1, I have never seen the man do a bad film, he is immense

Will Smith, another good choice, he is a very good actor, comfortable in both action and comedy

and Travolta is just excellent, as WAS Cage. Back in the day Cage was awesome, Con Air, 8MM, Face Off were all great, but I think he has gone off the boil in recent years.

Big JT is someone I would consider, but I just dont think he would make it.

I think I would go for De Niro, an absolute legend. Film's like Casino, Raging Bull and Goodfellas make him worthy IMO, plus he has shown in more recent years that he is capable of playing a comedy role too

My 4th choice would be Samuel L Jackson. From his days in Pulp Fiction, I have loved everything he has been in. I just enjoy seeing this man on screen, I cannot explain why, he is just ridiculously entertaining, and an excellent actor. Actually, just for Pulp Fiction he deserves to go on, fuck it!

ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER....DO YOU SPEAK IT??!!

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

First of all, people don't criticize others for who they choose and THEN proceed to list actresses on yours when the OP CLEARLY stated this is for ACTORS only. He said he would do actresses another time. Meryl Streep, while a great thespian, I'm pretty sure she has a vagina.

Secondly, I can understand someone liking Nicolas Cage because he has done some entertaining movies, but for the person who picked James Van Der Beek... REALLY? I mean, I can't even come up with a retort because I'm so dumbfounded by the choice.

Now since I don't really watch any old films, you won't see any Marlon Brando's or James Cagney's on mine. If they deserve to be there, sorry. Anyways, I'm not gonna go as far as saying who goes in who's place on the mountain, but I can list 4 candidates at least...

Johnny Depp - Surprised no one ever mentioned him. Talk about versatile. The man has played pretty much every type of part out there. While he's done a fair amount of stuff that is not my style (pretty much anything with Tim Burton) that doesn't make the job he does any worse. And his portrayal of Jack Sparrow was absolutely phenomenal.

Denzel Washington - The guy can act. Period. I don't think he's really played too many parts that are that different, but what he's done he's done amazingly.

Jack Nicholson - Another actor who has played a wide range of parts extremely well. I used to think if you gave this man any role he could play it well.

Rober De Niro - There's so many movies you could list here for obvious reasons. Yes, his latest movies, mostly comedies, aren't the greatest, but that doesn't dismiss other work he's done.

 

[Coco]

Bogart , Humphrey - The stuff that dreams are made of. A hill of beans. There's also this line about regrets that was pretty catchy. Sure, I've never had a next door neighbour who acts like him. But that doesn't stop me from seeing him as an integral part of cinema's lore.

Wayne, John - The Duke is certainly more iconic than Denzel, that's for sure. Not to mention that the likes of Rio Bravo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Cowboys, and True Grit have more rewatch value to me personally than most of Mr. Washington's films.

Eastwood, Clint - You don't leave out the elderly Secret Service agent from In The Line Of Fire. To do so is to leave out one of the screen's grittiest icons. Seriously, have you seen the way this man squints? That's grit.

Grant, Cary - Just in case we need to handsome this bitch up.

 

[jmt225]

Secondly, I can understand someone liking Nicolas Cage because he has done some entertaining movies, but for the person who picked James Van Der Beek... REALLY? I mean, I can't even come up with a retort because I'm so dumbfounded by the choice.

If you read what I put, then you will see by no means am I saying Van Der Beek is deserving of the spot, but if I had the Mount Rushmore of actors, he would make my personal mountain. Why? As I said... his performance as Sean Bateman in The Rules of Attraction is one of my favorite performances by anyone ever, and the fact of the matter is... that performance is actually better than anything Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, and Jack Nicholson did in the last decade (and yes... that includes the overrated Training Day and About Schmidt).

So, yeah... while I'm sure Johnny Depp would make more sense (who would actually be my back-up to Van Der Beek and Pitt were I making a "deserving" list; in fact, considering I made that post over a year ago, if I did it today Depp would most likely make the list), I picked by my personal favorites based on certain performances I loved, not overall body of work.

 

[Attitude]

John Wayne-How can you not have him on the list? He was the Elvis, the Babe Ruth, the Hulk Hogan, and the Michael Jordan of movies. He is and has remained the most recognizable actor ever.


Clint Eastwood-Really the same as John Wayne. He is great. He has had truly great movie roles that are rememberd today and are unforgettable such as Unforgiven and Dirty Harry.


Jim Carrey-He's to Comedy what John Wayne was to Western's. Jim Carrey has also become comfortable enough to step out of his role of the comedy genre and done drama. Whether you like him or not this guy is one of the most successful actors in the history of the movie business.

Will Smith-He gives everything he does 110%. His movies especially recent one's are just great.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Jack Nicholson- Jack might be my favorite actor ever. I always knew who Jack was, but I really became a fan of his when I saw his performance in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. He was great in A Few Good Men, and he did such a great job at playing this sleazy crime boss in The Departed.

Leonardo DiCaprio- When I was younger, I couldn't stand this guy. The teen heart throb image he used to have made me sick. But as time went on, Leo became one of my favorite actors. I started to become a fan of Leo's when I first saw Gangs Of New York. Leo always brings a great amount of intensity to his performances, and I can't think of one bad film he's been in over the years.

Sean Penn- Sean Penn has great range. His performance as Al Pacino's lawyer in Carlito's Way was just brilliant. He did such a great job portraying this crooked and slimy lawyer who would do anything to save his own ass. You also could feel for his characters in Mystic River and 21 Grams. Just watch some of Penn's movies, and you'll see why he's been nominated for best actor so many times.

Will Smith- Yeah, I know Smith can be in some shit films every now and then, but he always manages to entertain me. His performances in I Am Legend, Ali, and The Pursuit Of Happyness were very good, and just like Penn, Smith also has great range. Also, Will can still make us laugh every now and then.

 

[harrythem]

There have been some great choices here but I'm going to go slightly different and pick a completely BRITISH foursome...mainly because I find it harder to limit my fave Americans down to four (Pacino, Downie Jnr, Harrison Ford, De Niro, Depp..goes on and on)

Ray Winstone - The true daddy of English film. A bastard to work with but such a talented actor it's unreal. Anyone who's seen Nil By Mouth or Sexy Beast will understand.

Ben Kingsley - Can't not have Ghandi on there, and was great as a psycho in Sexy Beast too

Oliver Reed - I'm not even explaining this one.

Dudley Moore - Personal choice, I loved the nutty alcoholic bastard!!!