Best living actors/actresses?

[Kyriakos]

I like Ralph Fiennes, and Tom Hardy. Fiennes was excellent in Spider

Sean Bean is awesome, but i mostly like him because he comes across as a decent guy.



Miranda Richardson was also great in Spider.

[RubiconDecision]

I agree about Tom Hardy. He can play a role demanding physicality like Warriors but make it much more than a fight film.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kzcwcQA1Q
Or look at the extreme demands playing both Kray brothers in Legend.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yI3v6KfR9Mw
Personally I think his best film is Locke which very few actors could have made compelling.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_METW96TAFw

I'm not embedding videos on purpose as so many people use tablets and phones now.

[Kyriakos]

^ "Like Agamemnon, return to Ithaka"

[RubiconDecision]

I consider Michelle Williams to be Meryl Streep's successor. She took extreme risks in independent film and built up her craft and developed an impressive diverse resume.

Wendy and Lucy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pASs3rerRCY

Shutter Island
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5iaYLCiq5RM

Suitcase Francaise
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4cR0L6invGQ

Blue Valentine
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3oiY7W7nDeE

[Cyclops]

An actor can bring a lot of different things to the table. Some are sexy. Some have tremendous energy and dominate the screen. Some can work you like a puppet, conveying ides or emotions brilliantly.

Meat: actors whose physical presence and energy makes them enjoyable to watch.

Russell Crowe. Scarlett Johansen. Jennifer Lawrence. Harrison Ford. Sigourney Weaver. These are all powerful to look at, there's a second tier with beefcake and sex machines like Ryan Gosling, Fassbender and the like. Don't get me wrong, I think all these people can act, but their skill is top 5% rather than top 1%, although Lawrence is pretty convincing in whatever role she's in.

Skill: I think Viggo Mortensen has played a lot of different roles and managed them well. Does he deserve to be in the top tier? Cate Blanchett is so skilled she's transparent, I hardly recognise her from one film to the next. Ditto Marion Cotillard, she can act.

Character actors. These are people who do one things o well they can[not be ignored...for that one role. Audrey Tatou does elfin like nobody since Audrey Hepburn. Steve Buscemi does middle class failure like no one ever has. Tom Cruise is amazing as the same intense, slightly naïve guy who learns the hard way (I hate to admit this because I dislike the guy but he has been dazzling at this one thing for decades). Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery are natural actors with some skill and massive presence but limited range. Robert Downey Junior owns "recovering addict", wonderful actor for his narrow range.

I'm sure I've missed many. If I had to choose one I'd say either Blanchett or Lawrence, both can do almost anything.

[Kyriakos]

^No. Just no. Jennifer Lawrence isn't even really an actress, imo. Jennifer Lopez was a better actress than Jennifer Lawrence.

[RubiconDecision]

Actually Jennifer Lawrence's best work occurred at the onset of her career.

Winter's Bone and The Burning Plain were critically acclaimed.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5O8F8JtSVmI
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=keH6W4907yM

[Påsan]

Dicaprio, almost every film he do is greatly entertaining, he has an immense range and a solid backlog of movies.

I like Hardy a lot but i dont think he has the charisma of Dicaprio.

[Maximinus Thrax]

Max Von Sydow, a household name in European and American cinema, with a legendary career spanning more than six decades.



Gary Oldman, the most underrated actor of the last decades.





Helen Mirren, one of the best two actresses in the world right now, the other one being Meryl Streep



Meryl Streep, one of the best two actresses in the world right now, the other one being Helen Mirren

[RubiconDecision]

Max von Sydow truly has done his best work a long time ago with The Seventh Seal and Pelle the Conquerer.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f4yXBIigZbg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t8BVaJjnOg8

Similarly Meryl Streep best work was the Deer Hunter, Sophies' Choice, and The Bridges of Madison County.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gqit3zVmyc
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ9bht5H2p4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jAqyy-OJrec

Today their main role is to act as a draw for sales due to their near iconic talent.

Despite her age, Julie Christie continues to stretch herself in The Secret Life of Words and Away with Her. She previously was best known for Doctor Zhivago.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P5l5J4L1ZdQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wAWrXTn5Www
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iPAFnmmJf_Y

[LaMuerte]

Without a doubt Diana Damrau... Not debatable.

[Condottiere 40K]

Schwarzenegger.

He's played anything from a single minded cyborg to a pregnant scientist.

[LaMuerte]

Schwarzenegger.

He's played anything from a single minded cyborg to a pregnant scientist.

I could say the same thing about J.C. Van Damme... Though he never did the pregnant scientiest thing. edit: Yet!

[RubiconDecision]

Unless you assign some qualifiers like award winning, ticket sales, public approval, etc then the topic is meaningless.

As the awards are hopelessly political with horrible vote buying by the studios, then that is extremely suspect.

Some of the most popular films were not recognized by critics nor awarded in history but gained slow cult followings or mass appeal in spite of the lack of fawning critics.

[NorseThing]

Best living based upon a body of work or based upon the recent work? It make a difference. The old guys and gals that are still ticking have a huge body of very good work but may be a bit past their prime regardless of viewing popularity. Mixing these with the up and rising is a bit unfair.

As a side note: Shades of Ronald Reagan -- Trump

[Condottiere 40K]

Are clowns considered actors?

[Godfrey I of Leuven]

I still have a certain weakness for Christopher Plummer, Anthony Hopkins and Max Von Sydow. Though when it comes to contemporary actors, I find it really hard to choose. Some of my favourites are Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Brendan Gleeson. My number one underrated actor is William Fichtner, though. He seems to excel in any role he plays.

[saxdude]

Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix and Djimon Hounsou are IMO woefully underrated actors always bring there A-game to the roles they play and outshine the A-list stars.

[Pontifex Maximus]

I have to cast a vote in favor of Anthony Hopkins, he's brilliant

[RubiconDecision]

I have to cast a vote in favor of Anthony Hopkins, he's brilliant

He is of such a high caliber that he's in his own category. He actually had a rough start in Hollywood despite his training in the UK. He took risks and made Titus which is a film production based upon the seldom seem Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare. The critics trashed the production and he took it to heart and practically retired. Then was coaxed out of it.

I would recommend seeing Titus
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OvZRvKf78yY
Magic
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib_N-4vZUkU

The Remains of the Day

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dsH83p_mfEs
The Human Stain
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlt9KAuvhZc

and Shadowlands
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NLKS0XGRYi8

He also is known for being quite considerate on set to respectful crew members. And he's a Breaking Bad fan and kindly sent a card to Bryan Cranston.

I think I would work with Anthony Hopkins for free for a whole year just to ask him an hour of questions.