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[Always-honest]

Oops... Actually, I meant Michael C Hall.

lol. okay that's another option.

 

[Dead Man]

Pacino did some really, really good stuff in the 90s. His performance in Dick Tracy was hilariously awesome. He gave the best performance in Glengary Glen Ross, which is quite a feat considering how absolutely mighty that cast was. Also excellent in Carlito's Way, and he made Devil's Advocate worth watching. Scent of a Woman, albeit maligned since most consider it a make-up Oscar award (which it basically was), was still a fine performance.

And Pacino was really, really good in The Insider. Robbed of an Oscar nod for that one. He was also excellent in Donnie Brasco. Pacino was absolutely terrific in the 1990s.

Consider me sold, post edited!

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

In all seriousness, I could see Shia being a really good actor if he actually took roles that one could actually take seriously; so far, his big stuff has been Transformers (which most people seem to actually somewhat like him in, from various reviews that I've read), Disturbia (Rear Window knockoff), Indy IV (which wasn't that good but which he was okay in, in my opinion), and Eagle Eye. If he eventually starts taking movies where he plays more low-key sorts of roles, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him turning out to be a pretty good actor; he's got a certain charm to him, I think.

I'm not saying he could ever be top 5 of all time, of course, but I think that GAF's hate of him is irrational outside of the valid point that he seems to randomly be in everything.

EDIT: To reiterate, NO WAY IN HELL is he anywhere near even a list of top actors of almost any size; I just felt like defending him for whatever reason.

 

[-COOLIO-]

shia is definitely a good actor, im not sure where the hate there is coming from.

as for my list uh....

tom cruise
will smith
micheal c hall
christian bale
bill murray

edit. im gunna toss robert downy jr and denzel washington in there too.

 

[thomasbk]

1- Stallone
2- Van Damme
3- Chuck Norris
4- Schwarzenegger
5- Seagal

 

[Cathcart]

Laurence Oliver gets one vote in three pages.

Shia's name appears at all in the thread.

They don't even make facepalm images big enough for this.

 

[bonesmccoy]

In no order:

- Bruce Willis: For being the consummate action hero
- Daniel Day Lewis: For being the best character actor around without any trips to rehab that I know of
- Charlton Heston: For pioneering the modern male movie-star image
- Russell Crowe: For being the modern-day Charlton Heston
- Willem DaFoe: I know! But his portrayal of a WW2 era Polish priest in Edges of the Lord convinced me that he's one of the most versatile and able actors out there.

And then there are the diCaprio's, Nicholson's, Pitt's, Pacino's; all great actors, but all have become more or less themselves in different movies, in my opinion of course.

 

[KGKK]

Johny Depp for all his movies.
Al Pacino - The Insider, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface
Robert DeNiro - Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver
Leo Dicaprio - The Departed, Aviator, Gangs of New York
Ed Norton - American History X, 25th Hour, Fight Club

Honorable mention - Gary Oldman - True Romance, Leon, Dracula

 

[Powerslave]

Consider me sold, post edited!

Also, he played in HEAT. Although DeNiro totally stole the show on that one.

 

[VaLiancY]

Oldman is my #1, the rest are toss up.

Gary Oldman*
Bruce Willis
Ian McKellen
Denzel Washington
Edward Norton

*I was watching Leon with my brother at a young age and at the end I turned to my brother

Spoiler

and asked "HE DIED?!"

:lol

 

[Basch]

I'm not even going to attempt a top five. I need to see more movies first. :lol But, I'll mention a few here that I really like: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael C. Hall, Gabriel Bryne, Jack Nicholson, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Michael Emerson, Casey Afflek, Robert Downey Jr.

Of course, if you're talking about actresses, it would be more like: Glenn Close, Cate Blanchett, Meryll Streep, Dianne Wiest, Kate Beckinsale, Amy Ryan, Vera Farmiga, Marcia Gay Harden, etc...

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but those are who came to my mind first.

EDIT: Holy shit, I forgot Kate Winslet. Holy fuck, how could I forget her? :lol

 

[Salazar]

Kenneth Branagh is a noteworthy actor, too.

On the subject of Al Pacino, I'm keen to see his 'Merchant of Venice' performance. It's playing at my local arts cinema, but I just haven't got there yet. I'm sure it's good.

Alan Arkin and Bill Murray are very, very fine.

 

[J-Roderton]

I'd put Clive Owen on the list.

 

[ggnoobIGN]

Laurence Oliver gets one vote in three pages.

Shia's name appears at all in the thread.

They don't even make facepalm images big enough for this.

Guessing you haven't seen Disturbia?

 

[whytemyke]

1. Brando. How can you not have him on there?
2. Pacino. It was either him or Deniro and I think Deniro plays characters in his wheelhouse incredibly well, but everything else is just above average.
3. Daniel Day Lewis. This doesn't need to be explained.
4. Tom Hanks. The guys career is overlooked cuz he isn't a "celebrity" that loves the limelight, but generally speaking if he does a movie it's incredible and really well acted. Philadelphia? Cast away? Saving Private Ryan? All just great roles by him.
5. Sean Penn. I can't stand the guy at all but he's an incredible talent.


Honorable mention: Orson Wells, Tom Cruise, Viggo Mortensen (give him a career of making films and acting as well as he's done the past few years with LOTR, History of Violence, Eastern Promises and Appalloosa and yeah, he can be up there), Johnny Depp, Gregory Peck (though I think he's in the Deniro category), Leo Dicaprio (same as Viggo... just not a library big enough yet).

EDIT: Holy shit, I forgot Kate Winslet. Holy fuck, how could I forget her? :lol

I love your list for women, for the most part, but you also forgot Naomi Watts.

 

[rataven]

I can't tell who's being serious or not. Shia LaBeouf? Really?

My top 5:
Johnny Depp
Marlon Brando
Jimmy Stewart
Tom Hanks
Daniel Day-Lewis

An honorable mention to Tom Cruise. His talent is overlooked due to his antics, and personally I can't stand the guy, but the dude has made some great films.

Also love Cary Grant. That guy has amazing charm and screen presence.

 

[Shrennin]

In no particular order:

Harrison Ford
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Morgan Freeman
Heath Ledger
Will Smith

This list will probably change somewhat and I was a little hesitant to put Smith on there but I mainly did it because he's shown some really good versatility that a lot of actors don't seem to have.

 

[Plywood]

shia is definitely a good actor, im not sure where the hate there is coming from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IXCK1EyP4s

Also:

Matt Damon
Christian Bale
Johnny Depp
Robin Williams
Russell Crowe

Honorable Mentions: Leonardo Dicaprio, Morgan Freeman, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise.

 

[Brashnir]

I hope we all remember to keep in mind these are our own opinions

Anyhoo:


5) Edward Norton, youngest on the list. Has amazing breadth and scope.
4) John Cusack, My favorite actor. Not the best, but he's my favorite and again, has great scope)
3) Cloris Leachman, hottie in the 50s, hilarious in her 50s and just as sharp in her 80s.
2) Anne Bancroft, Sexy Milf in The Graduate, graceful and funny in her later years. Awesome wife to Mel Brooks and without her we'd never have Max Brooks. I'd maybe tie this with Anthony Perkins. He was a pretty awesome dude and he got to bang Rock Hudson as well as do many many many versatile roles.

And my #1:

Jimmy Stewart. Nobody else in the history of acting can someone be a gee shucks feller ala Harvey or a hardened badass ala Flight of the Phoenix. A really great flick he did in the 30's called After the Thin Man where he played a supporting role showed he could even balance the two, where he played the sympathetic everyman and ended up being exposed as the villain in the story.

And who could forget Vertigo, Wyatt Earp, It's a Wonderful Life, a CLOWN of all things in The Greatest Show on Earth, Glen Miller Story and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.


Honorable Mention: Ernest Borgnine. The fucker is awesome. Don't forget this dude wone a fucking Oscar. The man is so versatile even though he's always the same guy be it McHales Navy or Airwolf on tv or winning said Oscar in Marty or playing the campy doofus in Flight of the Phoenix. The man was in BASEKETBALL for fucks sake. He also said he wants to act in at least 1000 movies before he kicks the bucket. The man is a god. Seriously.

Glad to see I'm not the only Cusack fan around here. I think the guy is perhaps the most underrated actor in Hollywood.

 

[Jangaroo]

1. Daniel Day-Lewis
2. Ed Norton
3. Morgan Freeman
4. Anthony Hopkins
5. Tom Hanks