The 43 Greatest performances of all-time by an actor in a leading role
April 6, 2011 by wondersinthedark
by Sam Juliano
I felt like having a little fun tonight, though some might see this venture as impossible to negotiate. Well, I went year by year and found many more performances than 43, but slowly weeded down the long list to the final designated number. So many great actors didn’t finish on this list–people like Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Yves Montand, Marcello Mastroianni, Toshiro Mifune, Alec Guiness, James Mason, Michael Redgrave, Orson Welles, and so many others. I selected the 43 performances in a lead role, that stand among the greatest of all-time, not the actor who gave them, per se. In any case, I will save you all the qualification rhetotic, and just display the photos. Why an odd number like 43? Well, after making a number of cuts I wound up with 43, and couldn’t cut it down further. Not a single actor place more than one choice on the list, though this wasn’t really by design.
I ask that all who visit this post to name their own choices, if you can do so. This list is not offered up in any kind of an order. Every one in this 43 is as good as the other. I listed them in the way I wrote them up. The list was revised early Wednesday morning to include two performances that were accidentally left off as per reminders by Peter Lenihan and Allan Fish: John Wayne and Bruno Ganz.
- Per Oscarsson in “Hunger” (1966)
- Chishu Ryu in Ozu’s “There Was A Father” (1942)
- Robert Donat in “Goodbye Mr. Chips” (1939)
George C. Scott in "Patton" (1970)
- Severin Mars in “La Roue” (1923)
- Robert Preston in “The Music Man” (1962)
Fredric March in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1931)
- Alastair Sim in “Scrooge” (1951)
Rod Steiger in "The Pawnbroker" (1964)
- Sir Laurence Olivier in “Richard III” (1955)
Victor Sjostrom in Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries" (1957)
- Maximillian Schell in “Judgment at Nuremberg” (1961)
Richard Widmark in Dassin's "Night and the City" (1950)
- Charles Laughton in “Ruggles of Red Gap” (1935)
Gunther Lamprecht in "Berlin Alexanderplatz" (1980)
Lon Chaney in "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925)
- Anthony Hopkins in “The Remains of the Day” (1993)
Charles Chaplin in "City Lights" (1931)
- Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront” (1954)
- Takashi Shimura in “Ikiru” (1952)
Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962)
- Buster Keaton in “The General” (1926)
- Max Schreck in “Nosferatu” (1922)
- Michel Simon in Renoir’s “Boudu Sauve des Eaux” (1932)
Gregory Peck in "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962)
Robert Walker in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" (1951)
Ben Kingsley in "Gandhi" (1982)
Harry Baur in "Les Miserables" (1934)
Topol in "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971)
- Emil Jannings in “The Last Laugh” (1924)
James Cagney in "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1937)
Charlton Heston in "Ben-Hur" (1959)
Jean Gabin in "La Bete Humaine" (1938)
Humphrey Bogart in "In A Lonely Place" (1950)
- Gene Kelly in “Singin in the Rain” (1952)
Robert Mitchum in "Out of the Past" (1947)
- Peter Sellers in “Dr. Strangelove” (1963)
James Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)
- Dennis Price in “Kind Hearts and Coronets” (1949)
- Roger Livesay in “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp” (1943)
Bruno Ganz in “Downfall” (2004)
John Wayne in “The Searchers” (1956)
I emailed to you earlier, but I put it here now for everyone to see, I chose 25 myself:
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, Donnie Darko
JACK NICHOLSON, The Shining
PETER SELLERS, Dr. Strangelove
DANIEL DAY LEWIS, There Will Be Blood
JAMES STEWART, Harvey
NICOLAS CAGE, Adaptation.
ORSON WELLES, Citizen Kane
HUMPHREY BOGART, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
JIM CARREY, The Truman Show
JEAN PAUL BELMONDO, Breathless
MALCOLM McDOWELL, A Clockwork Orange
JOHN HURT, The Elephant Man
JEAN-MARC BARR, Europa
BILL MURRAY, Groundhog Day
PETER O’TOOLE, Lawrence of Arabia
LAURENCE OLIVIER, Hamlet
MIN-SIK CHOI, Oldboy
KEVIN SPACEY, K-PAX
DUSTIN HOFFMAN, Rainman
TAKASHI SHIMURA, Ikiru
SANTIAGO SEGURA, El día de la bestia
TONY LEUNG, 2046
PETER LORRE, M
ROBERT DE NIRO, Raging Bull
CHARLES CHAPLIN, Limelight
Yeah, not good, isn’t it?
It’s excellent Jaime!!!
I actually had Belmondo on my list, but replaced him with Gabin, and I flat out erred by not including McDowall. You have a great blend here in style and time frame!
An interesting list, love a lot here, although putting Heston’s work in Ben-Hur ahead of John Wayne in The Searchers or Warren Oates in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia or Robert Ryan in pretty much anything (The Iceman Cometh is probably my favorite although Marvin is the lead there I guess) is a little silly I think.
Another performance that just blows me away is Jean-Louis Barrault in Le testament du Docteur Corderlier
I’d agree on Ben Hur, Peter.
Great to see your name again Peter. You are one who has been missed. My error in leaving off Wayne was caused by the fact that I put this list together quickly last night. I have praised the Duke’s existential work in that film for decades, and I thank you for reminding me of the mistake. Likewise, I left off Bruno Ganz’s spectacular performance in DOWNFALL, which has now been rectified. hence I have 43 instead of 41. I love so much of Ryan’s work, and he was considered if I took the numbers further. I must say though that I stand by Heston’s performance in BEN-HUR.
Thanks very much for stopping by and posting this great comment!
Peter, I’m all aboard on Robert Ryan.
Rudolf Klein-Rogge as Dr. Mabuse in “Dr. Mabuse, Der Spieler”
Jean-Pierre Leaud as Antoine Doinell in “The 400 Blows”
Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw in “The Manchurian Candidate”
Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny
Sean Connery as James Bond in “Dr. No”, “From Russia With Love” and “Goldfinger”
Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”
Patrick McGoohan as Number Six in “The Prisoner”
Henry Fonda as Frank in “Once Upon a Time in the West”
Martin Sheen as Capt. Willard in “Apocalypse Now”
Phillip Baker Hall as Richard Nixon in “Secret Honor”
Christopher Reeves as Superman/Clark Kent in “Superman: The Movie”
Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”
Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty in “Blade Runner”
Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown in the “Back to the Future” movies
Spalding Gray as Himself in “Swimming to Cambodia”, “Monster in a Box” and “Gray’s Anatomy”
Jeremy Irons as Elliot & Beverly Mantle in “Dead Ringers”
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper as Nada in “They Live”
Will Smith as “Paul” in “Six Degrees of Separation”
Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Cooper in “Twin Peaks”
Spike Spencer* as Shinji Ikari in “Neon Genesis Evangelion” and its related movies
Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in “Pulp Fiction”
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho”
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine in the “Star Wars” Prequels
Justin Kirk as Prior Walter in “Angels in America”
James Callis as Gaius Baltar in “Battlestar Galactica” (remake)
*English Dub (Megumi Ogata is great as the original seiyu, but she’s obviously not an “actor”)
Bob: So many great additions there!
And that was an inspired choice to add Genew Wilder for WILLY WONKA!!!!
Bravo and thank you!
Wilders’ turn there is a classic. Probably the best performance in a children’s movie, with all the right doses of funny, mysterious, threatening and heartwarming.
By the way, am I the only person here who included voice-actors on my list? Maybe Stephen will show up at some point and add something…
Jesus.
I came home from a night of drinking with a friend (what does tax season say to a male and ale?) and saw this. I love it. Nowhere do you claim anything towards anything other then an acute opinion (with HUNGER included? bravo Sam), which is to be supremely congratulated and followed.
As such I’ll give you the necessary thorough, my personal favorite 25 male performances of all time. Of which everyone bows to HUD.
Ah Jamie, thanks so much for the generous words! I greatly look forward to your deliberated Top 25!!!
Tax season indeed! Dire stuff! Ha!
OK, let’s just do the criminally absent and leave aside the criminally included…
Albert Dieudonné – Napoleon
Emil Jannings – The Last Command
Paul Muni – Scarface
Charles Laughton – Rembrandt
Raimu – La Femme du Boulanger
Walter Huston – All That Money Can Buy
Michael Redgrave – Thunder Rock
Jean-Louis Barrault – Les Enfants du Paradis
James Stewart – It’s a Wonderful Life
Kirk Douglas – Ace in the Hole
John Wayne – The Searchers
Anthony Perkins – Psycho
James Cagney – One, Two, Three
Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons
Malcolm McDowell – A Clockwork Orange
Al Pacino – The Godfather
Robert de Niro – Taxi Driver
John Gielgud – Providence
Ben Kingsley – Gandhi
Yves Montand – Manon des Sources
Gerard Depardieu – Cyrano de Bergerac
Nigel Hawthorne – The Madness of King George
Bruno Ganz – Downfall
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will be Blood
Eric Elmosnino – Gainsbourg
But it has to be said, Sam, old boy, including Chuck Heston instead of the above, or Gene Kelly, however much one loves Singin in the Rain, for acting, is ludicrous, one may as well include W.C Fields or Groucho Marx for one of their comedies. They’re great, but it isn’t acting.
Allan, I restricted the list to 41, so all of the ones you are “adding” just don’t fit, right? Kelly nor acting in SINGIN? I beg to differ, and as far as Heston, well that’s a personal choice, and one I stand by.
Perhaps if I did more than 41 I would be inclined to add on a number of the ones you suggest. These are my personal Top 41. (revised to 43; see below)
BTW, Kingsley is on there. I have just revised this short list to include Bruno Ganz and John Wayne, and have acknowledged as much in the post proper. But the lion’s share of my choice just happened to make your #1 choices of each respective year in your book, or almost in all cases among your runners-up. You are basically “reminding” me in your additions of who would “come next.” I appreciate it, but would have come to those conclusions (for the most part) if I would have taken the list further than 43. The actor in Gance’s NAPOLEON was truthfully not one I would consider. Severin Mars in LA ROUE is far greater.
If Marx and Fields weren’t acting I’m curious to know what it is you think they were doing.
Those sort of comedies aren’t about acting, no more than Bruce Lee in his martial arts spectaculars. The films were built around their personas, no acting involved. The idea of acting is to take on a role…
Or, to perform as well as possible within the role that you’re adopting. Plenty of actors never really ventured that far out of their persona-comfort zones, even in their most celebrated roles. You have James Stewart up there for “It’s a Wonderful Life”, which is a classic example.
Allan, your position here is up for interpretation.
Also, John Wayne. The comedians on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” are doing more “acting” while doing a John Wayne impersonation than Wayne himself ever did, even in “The Searchers”.
What is the difference between building a persona and a character? Both W.C. Fields and Groucho Marx built specific characters that they may have played over and over, but they are still fine performances by any measure. To dismiss them would be like dismissing a Shakespearean actor’s brilliant interpretation of Hamlet because he’s been playing the part for 30 years.
Interesting list. There are several I haven’t seen and should probably seek out.
Here are my 25 picks, in chronological order:
Kirk Douglas – Ace in the Hole
Shin Saburi – Equinox Flower
Jean-Pierre Leaud – The 400 Blows
Toshiro Mifune – Yojimbo
Marcello Mastroianni – 8 1/2
Peter Seller – Dr. Strangelove
Anatoli Solonitsyn – Andrei Rublev
Joe Shishido – Branded To Kill
Jack Nicholson – Five Easy Pieces
Malcolm McDowell – Clockwork Orange
Klaus Kinski – Aguirre: The Wrath of God
Jack Nicholson – Chinatown
Gene Hackman – The Conversation
Ben Gazzara – The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
Woody Allen – Manhattan
Robert DeNiro – Raging Bull
Jack Nicholson – The Shining
Fernando Ramos de Silva – Pixote
Harrison Ford – Blade Runner
Klaus Kinski – Fitzcarraldo
Bob Hoskins – Mona Lisa
Anthony Hopkins – Remains of the Day
Takeshi Kitano – Fireworks
Jeff Bridges – The Big Lebowski
Tony Leung – In The Mood For Love
Hello Burt, and nice to see you commenting in these parts again! Well, you have added many here that should be seriously considered when compiling any such list. I am particularly depressed for not going with McDowell, DeNiro, Leung and Kinski, but who can beef with any you offer here.
As always a thoughtful and diverse list! Many thanks!
Good move adding Wayne and Ganz, Sam.
I like the additions proposed by others, but I agree they would just be the next level.
I think you nabbed the truly great ones. Myself, I’d add James Stewart for “Rear Window” and Toshiro Mifune for “Seventh Samurai.”
Great additions Frank! All day I have been thinking of some I may have missed. One is Kenneth Branagh for HENRY V.
Many thanks!
My list… leaving out possible future noir selections.
Hal- 2001
Werner Krauss- The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari and Waxworks
Peter Lorre- M
Anthony Quinn- La Strada
Daniel Day Lewis- There Will Be Blood
Casey Affleck- The Assassination Of Jesse James
Julian West- Vampyr
Max Schreck- Nosferatu
James Stewart- Vertigo
Warren Oates- Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia
Robert De Niro- Taxi Driver
Gene Hackman- Night Moves
Klaus Kinski- Aguirre The Wrath Of God
Pete Sellers- Dr Strangelove
Elliot Gould- The Long Goodbye
Victor Sjostrom- Wild Strawberries
Pierre Clementi- Belle Du Jour
Dick Powell- Murder My Sweet
Al Pacino- The Godfather 2
Jack Nicholson- Chinatown
Lon Chaney- The Unknown
Dana Andrews- Laura
Jean Debucourt- The Fall Of The House Usher
James Mason- Odd Man Out
John Turturro- The Big Lebowski
Jean Gabin- Port Of Shadows
Emil Jannings- The Last Laugh
Humphrey Bogart- The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
Toshiro Mifune- Rashomon
Clint Eastwood- Unforgiven
My top 30 off the top of my head. By no means definitive. I also included a few supporting spots for those memorable shorter turns…
‘Hal’ is a fabulous, interesting addition.
It’s a fab list Maurizio in every sense!!!
Seems like we have some agreement, and you’ve added a lot of stellar turns. And when the noir countdown is done, you’ll certainly have some more!
I’d take Lorre in MAD LOVE over M… he’s downright perverse in that one.
The comedy relief in Mad Love sinks the film. The drunk lady with the parrot is annoying to no end. Lorre is good otherwise.
Tremendous post Sam. There are few of the indisputably great ones missing in this eye-catching scroll. I’ll have to think harder during the day for a few that mised the final cut.
Think my friend, think!!!!
Nice list, Sam! So many great choices. Here are some of mine:
Henry Fonda in THE GRAPES OF WRATH
Toshiro Mifune in YOJIMBO
Paul Newman in HUD
Rock Hudson in SECONDS
Barry Newman in VANISHING POINT
Elliott Gould in THE LONG GOODBYE
Robert Mitchum in THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE
Warren Beatty in THE PARALLAX VIEW
Nick Nolte in NORTH DALLAS FORTY
James Caan in THIEF
Harrison Ford in THE MOSQUITO COAST
Ed Harris in WALKER
Bruce Willis in IN COUNTRY
Kevin Costner in A PERFECT WORLD
Anthony Hopkins in NIXON
River Phoenix in MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Those are just a few. The list could go on forever!
Thanks so much for playing the game J.D. and for the very kind words. Well, you have unearthed a most worthy line-up there, even suggestion Phoenix, who was extraordinary indeed. Fonda’s GRAPES OF WRATH turn nearly made my own list. Much appreciated my friend!
Nice list, Sam! My favorites out of your picks are Bogey in In a Lonely Place (such an amazingly ambiguous performance, both creepy and vulnerable) and Mitchum in Out of the Past (though I also would’ve included Night of the Hunter, probably an even better performance from him).
This is way too difficult to do a full list, but I’ll name a few more I especially love, more or less at random:
Volker Spengler, In a Year of 13 Moons
Cary Grant, Only Angels Have Wings
David Thewlis, Naked
James Stewart, The Shop Around the Corner
Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver
Klaus Kinski, Aguirre the Wrath of God
Tony Leung, In the Mood for Love/2046
Gene Hackman, The Conversation
Woody Allen, Annie Hall
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Ben Gazzara, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
Günter Lamprecht, Berlin Alexanderplatz
Thanks so much Ed!
Ah, Spengler indeed! I missed that plain and simple. That is absolutely an EXTRAORDINARY performance! But so is every other one there, and I nearly went with De Niro for TAXI DRIVER as well. I did actually pick Lambrecht, and forgotten to consider Thewlis, who is admittedly electrifying in NAKED. But heck, all your proposals here are magnificent.
JACK NICHOLSON???? America’s most prolific and astounding actor/star warrantsa nothing? From a career that has seen stellar performances of note in every decade since his breakthrough in EASY RIDER he has ammassed credentials and accolades that make just about every thespian alive today envious. Choose from any of these for inclusion as your list is sorely lacking the man that has bested the likes DeNiro, Hoffmann and Pacino with every physical flourish, character tick and his own, singular brand of cool: FIVE EAST PIECES, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, THE LAST DETAIL, CHINATOWN, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, THE SHINING… Jack was the greatest gift to American screen acting since the heyday of Marlon Brando. A rare talent that is, at once, the very definition of Hollywood star and finite actor. My choice would be CUCKOO’S NEST.
Yep he is great, but there isn’t a single performance of his that I would include on this particular listing. He is irresitible, but he’s always Jack.
And, its a fools errand to chock up a list and not see ROBERT DENIRO for RAGING BULL, DUSTIN HOFFMANNin the greastest American debut since Welle’s in KANE with his star turn in THE GRADUATE, GENE HACKMAN stubtely and brilliantly nervous in THE CONVERSATION, PAUL NEWMAN in COOL HAND LUKE, SPENCER TRACY in CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS, PETER SELLERS finest turn in BEING THERE, MARTIN SHEEN pulling out the stops in APOCALYPSE NOW, MARCELLO MASTROIANNI in 8 1/2, GIANCARLO GIANNINI in SEVEN BEAUTIES, ALEC GUINESS in THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, ROBERT DUVALL aLl brimstone and evangelical wrath in THE APOSTLEN SEAN PENN breaking our hearts in DEAD MAN WALKIN, and, finally, DANIEL DAY LEWIS in the finest performance in the past 20 years with THERE WILL BE BLOOD…
Dennis: There isn’t a single Nicholson performance I would rate with the likes of these, though I admire him quite a bit. Your choices here are fine if I were rounding up American performances from the past decades, but not to size up the greatest performances of all-time. I would never consider Sheen or that performances of Penn’s you name here, and i winces at the mention of Spencer Tracy for CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS, perhaps the most ridiculed performance of all time, and one of Oscar’s biggest embrassments. Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy it, though I’m aware the accent is the phoniest ever recorded. I’m assuming you included that to be funny, no? We’ve already talked about that Day-Lewis performance, and I just don’t venerate it on the level that you do.
Thanks as always for the terrific responses here, and the properly combative tone.
Spencer Tracy’s performance in Captains Courageous is perhaps the worst ever given to win a Best Actor award. And when one considers both of Tom Hanks, Hoffman’s Rain Man, Heston’s in Ben Hur, Pacino’s Scent of a Woman and Roberto Benigni, that’s quite an all-time low.
The Heston inclusion here on your “worst” list (obviously) is strongly opoosed by me.
HA!!!! Allan named Charlton Heston in BEN HUR.
I am in complete awe by the statement and laughing like crazy. I’m sure this had Sam reeling in consternation to the point that he started yelling “Shit, shit, shit!” at the top of his lungs nd tossing his umpteenth pair of women’s reading glasses across the room.
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!
Personally I have to side with Allan on this one. The performance is adequate at best and simply serves the larger scope of the production.
YES, YES, YES, I DID add Spencer Tracy in CAPTAINS to start a little smarmy exchange. In all actuality i happen to think his work in FURY and INHERIT THE WIND are his two best… and then there is THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, BAD DAY AT BLACKROCK, ADAMS RIB, SAN FRANCISCOm BOYS TOWN, TORTILLA FLAT, etc. etc. etc….
This is for me a very entertaining topic and presentation, Sam, inasmuch as it underlines an area of film craft in isolation from the whole film, something I’ve never considered. It was fun going over the few films I know to see if I could fix on an actor’s performance as crucial. Your choice of Alastair Sim in Scrooge did resonate. The only other performance impressing me as arrestingly exceptional—perhaps because the whole film, and particularly the fantastic input by the actress, Celia Johnson, is stellar—was that of Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter, a film that surprisingly shares a lot with Poetry and Red Desert.
Interesting proposition there Jim, about BRIEF ENCOUNTER having some aspects in common with POETRY and RED DESERT, and I also revere Howard’s turn in that film. Thanks for the very kind words, and I will be getting to the ladies next week.
Although I will relent and side with you on HOPKINS and THE REMAINS OF THE DAY. Most would scoff at this as a mere nothing afyter his Oscar winning chilliness in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS… However, its the pent up emotion and the regrets from a lifetime of never acting out in REMAINS that proves that less is infinitly more. REMAINS OF THE DAY is a tour de force by Sir Anthony. I saw that film with you when it came out and I remember you and I being left speechless by the actor so much that you and I took well over an hour to form word that would praise the performance enough.
Dennis: I don’t know a single person who thinks Hopkins was better in SILENCE than he was in REMAINS. You are I are both with the overwhelming majority on our conviction here.
Thanks as always for the terrific participation!
Interesting list Sam. I’ll post mine in a day or two, in the hope that the comment thread would still be active then 🙂
Oh we’ll be here Shubhajit! I’d love to see which ones you go with my friend!
Hmmm… I decided to approach this without any regard to craft or acting placement. Rather, these are just the performances that I recall with the most personal allure. the male performances that, as a male, you try and act like, look like, or move like. The larger then life embodiments of what ‘it takes to be a man’ (to quote the fantastic Pulp track on ‘this is hardcore’)
Jean-Paul Belmondo in ‘Pierrot le Fou’ for wanting to read books in the country side rather then canoodle with Anna Karina.
James Dean in ‘Giant’ for really just the early scene where he twirls that rope.
Martin Sheen (as James Dean) in ‘Badlands’
Eric Bogosian in ‘Talk Radio’ for being both self-loathing and full of disgust.
Rick Moranis in ‘Ghostbusters’ for one of the great comedic performances. Then in the sequel he landed the punkish, primp and proper, and beautiful Janine (played by Annie Potts).
Jack Lemon in ‘The Apartment’ for almost committing suicide.
Marlon Brando in ‘Reflections in a Golden Eye’ for being so authentically tightly wound and repressed.
Alain Delon in ‘Le Samourai’ for wearing a uniform of his making almost every day.
Malcolm McDowell in ‘If….’ for the way he careens on that BSA through the English country side.
Alan Ladd in ‘This Gun for Hire’ for loving stray cats more then people.
Kirk Douglas in ‘Lonely are the Brave’ for making the death scene at the end—one that’s so obviously coming—still beautifully moving.
Richard Burton in ‘Look Back In Anger’ for burning so hot that you just know it’s a matter of time before he overheats.
Dirk Bogarde in ‘The Servant’ for giving a model on how to exist to the lower class.
Donald Sutherland in ‘Don’t Look Now’ for getting to lay naked with Julie Christie.
David Beames in ‘Radio On’ for facing loss with just glorious pop music.
Robert Mitchum in ‘The Lusty Men’ for being that prodigal son returning and asking for so little.
John Turturro in ‘Barton Fink’ for being written as supposedly condescending, but being emotive and deeply moving.
Robert Redford in ‘The Natural’ for reaching a dream after it was lost.
Montgomery Clift in ‘A Place in the Sun’, really just for opening the film alongside a road alone in a synched leather jacket.
Phillip Baker Hall in ‘Secret Honor’ for being just so manic.
Jared Leto in ‘Prefontaine’, though not a great actor or a great film, it does, more then any other, provide a template on how one could hope to die: in an overturned MGB while the Band’s ‘I Shall Be Released’ plays on the stereo.
Roger Moore in ‘Live and Let Die’ for jumping across a river using only the heads of alligators. Then making the best Bond a few years later with ‘The Man With the Golden Gun’.
Claude Laydu in ‘Diary of a Country Priest’ for providing a trick: making you think his stomach is acting up do to spiritual unrest, when it was cancer all along (ok, it was unrest too).
Paul Rubens in ‘Pee Wee’s Big Adventure’ for the line reading: “There’s things about me that you shouldn’t understand, that you couldn’t understand”.
and, finally Paul Newman in ‘Hud’. To me the greatest American film I’ve ever seen, were he haphazardly wears white western oxfords that still look pristine in the dust and heat. And daring to drive a Pink Cadillac.
Only 25 but one could really go on and on.
Jamie, this is utterly brilliant, but coming from you I am hardly surprised. I actually has Belmondo on my original list, but he didn’t survive the final cut. But I must say I love your concept here and my favorite (predictably) is the “deceit” you report for Claude Laydu in DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST. Ironically, laydy came within a hair of actually making my list of 43. The Sutherland one is cute too!
Great stuff Jamie! The perfect embellishment to this list, and a rightful relief from the austerity associated with it’s complilation.
SAM, I have to disagree with you on Nicholson. Looking at the films I listed you cannot see an iota of similarity in any of the performances. He’s smooth as a babies ass in CHINATOWN, off the wall insane in THE SHINING, utterly charming but fused with a bit of danger in CUCKOO’S NEST, completely insecure and nerve wreaking in CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, despaired and regretful in FIVE EASY PIECES and a powder keg getting ready to explode in THE LAST DETAIL. No other AMERICAN actor had a better run of superlative performances from 69 to 90 than Jack Nicholson. I’ll also cite THE PLEDGE (one of his most brilliant and underrated turns) up there with his best turns. As I recall, YOU were singing his praises for AS GOOD AS IT GETS and he’s the glue hovering over films like A FEW GOOD MEN, PRIZZIS HONOR and THE DEPARTED (lackluster films made solid by his performances). Hell, he saved a dog like BATMAN with his over the top antics. Frankly, I could never understand your opposition towards him.
Dennis, I am not opposed to him. I just find him always playing “Jack” no matter what film he’s in. He’s an entertaining actor, but he’s all Hollywood and he’s a shameless scene stealer in the worst sense. He’s a very good actor, but his work (to me) doesn’t belong with the likes of the people I listed here. You have your opinion and I have mine.
And, OK, while you’re not the Nicholson admirer, I am completely baffled by your not mentioning DeNiro for RAGING BULL (arguably the finest performance of the 80’s) or TAXI DRIVER (actually his best performance) or your beloved GENE HACKMAN’S very career best in THE CONVERSATION. As for Sellers? C’Mon, your the one that convinced ME that BEING THERE was the best thing he ever did. Let’s also NOT forget Woody Allen as Alvie Singer (before he’d play Alvie for eternity in every film he’d make afterward) in ANNIE HALL. His pathos, comic timing, rapid fire machine-gun like verbal jabs and put-upon neurosis is the stuff of performance legend. And speaking of comedy, where was ZERO MOSTEL in THE PRODUCERS? And I’ll agree with JAMIE that Jack Lemon blasted one out of the park with THE APARTMENT. Oh, and what about ANTHONY PERKINS in PSYCHO?
I love De Niro in both films Dennis, but you must understand this is limited to 43 by my own cut-off point. A top 100 and De Niro is there, and even Nicholson for FIVE EASY PIECES. More recent performances would have made an extended list. Perkins would certainly contend for a list of 100 too.
What about Jonathan Haze in the original Little Shop Of Horrors or Nicolas Cage in The Wicker Man, or Joe Brooks in If Ever I See You Again, or the other overlooked Joe: Joe Namath in CC And Company or Elvis Presley in Kissin’ Cousins, or Onslow Stevens in House Of Dracula? Huh? Huh?
Or Tor Johnson in Plan 9 From Outer Space!
Andrei: What about that fine young man who foiled the aliens in KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE? Or would you consider Divine’s work in FEMALE TROUBLE as even more worthy? Ha!
Actually I shouldn’t kid. I actually like Divine quite a bit.
Sam, a wonderful idea, although I wish you had made more of an event out of it so we could have had more time for reflection. I think most, if not quite all, of the performances on your list are worthy of being called great. I started my own list last night after only a couple of comments were posted and found it hard to keep it at around fifty. Because I consider sound films of 1930-1980 my area of knowledge, I stopped at 1980 and for silent performances included only the three great American silent comics. I also limited myself to one performance for each actor, and it was often hard to choose which one. How do you pick one performance by Bogart, Nicholson, or Gabin? It’s interesting that the same names appear on list after list, if not always for the same performance. Allan, the first two on my list (they were already on before I read your comment) show that we differ on what constitutes acting! In general, I went for performances that created a lasting impression, a great character (although admittedly writing and direction have a lot to do with this), over those that emphasized skillful dramatics .
Groucho Marx, Duck Soup
W. C. Fields, It’s a Gift
James Cagney, White Heat
Edward G. Robinson, Little Caesar
William Powell, The Thin Man
Fredric March, A Star Is Born
Cary Grant, North by Northwest
Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath
Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon
Walter Huston, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Robert Mitchum, Night of the Hunter
James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause
Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire
John Wayne, The Searchers
Anthony Perkins, Psycho
Paul Newman, The Hustler
Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady
Peter O’Toole, Lawrence of Arabia
James Stewart, It’s a Wonderful Life
Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate
Kirk Douglas, Lust for Life
Albert Finney, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Tom Courtenay, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Robert de Niro, Taxi Driver
Joel McCrea, Sullivan’s Travels
Gene Hackman, The Conversation
Jean Gabin, Le Jour se Leve
Jean-Louis Barrault, Les Enfants du Paradis
Anton Walbrook, The Red Shoes
Jacques Tati, M. Hulot’s Holiday
Maurice Ronet, The Fire Within
Takashi Shimura, Ikiru
Toshiro Mifune, Yojimbo
Carlo Battisti, Umberto D.
Marcello Mastroianni, La Dolce Vita
Victor Sjostrom, Wild Strawberries
Per Oscarsson, Hunger
Max von Sydow, Shame
Peter Lorre, M
Anatoli Solonitsyn, Andrei Rublev
Nikolai Cherkasov, Ivan the Terrible
Soumitra Chatterjee, The World of Apu
Chhabi Biswas, The Music Room
Charles Laughton, The Private Life of Henry VIII
Anthony Quinn, Zorba the Greek
Alistair Sim, Scrooge
Ralph Richardson, The Fallen Idol
Laurence Olivier, Hamlet
Alec Guinness, Oliver Twist
Buster Keaton, Sherlock, Jr.
Harold Lloyd, The Freshman
Charles Chaplin, City Lights
Peter Sellers, Being There
Chishu Ryu, An Autumn Afternoon
Can we expect a follow-up on the greatest performances by an actress?
Well R.D., leave it to you to come up with the most magnificent alternative to my list. In fact I think mine may be teh alternative! Ha! Truthfully, STUPENDOUS roundup! In every sense! A few of those S. ray actors would have made the cut with me if I went to 100. And I was torn as to what Sellers performance to go with. Now I am thinking BEING THERE was the right call. Cherkasov, Richardson, Lorre, Von Sydow, Mastroianni, Mifune and Battisti came very very close with me. Battisti is an amateur actor, but De Sica always got great work from his non-professionals. In any case if I go to 50 (7 more, which I may do) Battisti is in. Barrault and Walbrook just missed too. I went with Brando for WATERFRONT only after a long period of deliberation–that’s always one day one, and the other day the other. I never figured to have Walter Huston as a lead, but in truth it’s really the correct call, R.D. Keaton for SHERLOCK JR. instead of THE GENERAL? Again, it’s a real close call. Same with the Cagneys, Mitchums and Bogarts. You can go with any of a few. Now I am thinking that Ed Howard is probably right that Mitchum is slightly greater is THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. You say as much here too.
Your infectious enthusiasm here is what has always set you apart, and your authoritative knowledge is a blessing to all.
Yes, the ladies are indeed up next R.D., and I have decided to have that post up over the diary on this coming MONDAY, APRIL 11th. For uniformity I will go with no more than 43.
Thanks a million for this my friend!
A female list looks thus:
Louise Brooks.
everyone else.
Ha! Jamie. I hear ya! She’s definitely one of the top ones on that list!!!
Great to Denis Price’s phenomenal performance on the list; Easily one of the most underrated. Personally would have loved to have seen more performances from the 90s and on though.
My own list (not ranked nor complete):
Tatsuya Nakadai – HaraKiri
James Stewart – Vertigo
Jeremy Irons – Dead Ringers
David Thewlis – Naked
Al Pacino – Dog Day Afternoon
Gary Oldman – Sid and Nancy
Warren Oates – Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Bruno S. – Stroszek
Jack Nicholson – The Passenger
F Murray Abraham – Amadeus
Marlon Brando – A Streetcar Named Desire
Tashiro Mifune – Drunken Angel
Stellan Skarsgård – Insomnia
Peter Lorre – M
Richard Burton – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Tony Curtis – Sweet Smell of Success
Orson Welles – Chimes at Midnight
Max Von Syndow – Seventh Seal
Takashi Shimura – Ikiru
Gunnar Björnstrand – Silence
Malcolm McDowell – Clockwork Orange
Klaus Kinski – Aguirre: The Wrath of God
River Phoenix – My Own Private Idaho
Dennis Hooper – Blue Velvet
Gene Hackman – The Conversation
Modern Performances:
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
Daniel Day Lewis – There Will be Blood
Michael Fessbender – Hunger
Édgar Ramírez – Carlos
Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man
Tony Leung – In the Mood for Love
Jeremy Renner – Hurt Locker
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Synecdoche New York
Nic Cage – Adaptation
Sadly there is probably a lot of great performances I’m missing (especially from foreign films). Also since I just used one performance from one actor there are a lot i left off (like Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris and James Stewart in Its Wonderful life)
Thrilled to hear you revere Price’s performance Anu! I was figuring that one to be one of the more obscure choices. But it’s the best ever in a black comedy. I’ll admit I probably was a bit too scrutinizing with recent performances, though as I stated above, if I went with 100 I would have quite a few more. That’s interesting that you have Stuhlbarg, Affleck and Renner in there, and it shows a welcome and diverse perspective.
Ha! Nakadai would have been my next choice, especially as I recently watched HARAKIRI at the Takemitsu Festival. Bruno S., Dennis Hopper and Edgar Ramirez are wonderful choices too!
You’ve made a massive contribution here my friend and many thanks!!!!!
Sam this is a fiendish post. Only 43?? I started making a list and very soon figured out how treacherous it would be and how many performances I love would be left off. But here is mine, many of which repeat on yours or other lists:
Danny Aiello (Do the Right Thing)
Carlo Battisti (Umberto D)
Harry Baur (Les Miserables)
Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless)
Humphrey Bogart (In a Lonely Place) – glad to see this one getting recognition.
Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront)
Charles Chaplin (City Lights)
James Dean (East of Eden)
Robert DeNiro (Taxi Driver)
Johnny Depp (Ed Wood)
Robert Duvall (Tender Mercies)
W.C. Fields (The Man on the Flying Trapeze)
Albert Finney (Under the Volcano)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Jean Gabin (Quai des brumes)
Michael Gambon (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover)
Bruno Ganz (Downfall)
Cary Grant (The Awful Truth)
Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George)
Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)
Anthony Hopkins (The Remains of the Day)
Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringers)
Emil Jannings (The Blue Angel)
Ernst-Hugo Jaregard (The Kingdom)
Buster Keaton (Steamboat Bill Jr.)
Bert Lancaster (The Sweet Smell of Success)
Charles Laughton (The Private Life of Henry VIII)
Jean-Pierre Leaud (The 400 Blows)
Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain)
Daniel Day Lewis (My Left Foot)
Peter Lorre (M)
Paul Muni (Scarface)
Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia)
Al Pacino (The Godfather)
Sean Penn (Milk)
Anthony Perkins (Psycho)
Donald Pleasence (Cul-de-Sac)
Takashi Shimura (Ikiru)
Victor Sjostrom (Wild Strawberries)
James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life)
Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)
Orson Welles (Touch of Evil)
Gene Wilder (Young Frankenstein)
43 is definitely fiendishness incarnate, Jason. Ha! Yet, that wasn’t my original intention. I should have just left it at an even 50 (that way Nakadei, Battisti, Branagh, and Scofield would be in) but I figured I make it more painful to get a more studied and precise result.
Like R.D. and Anu (and others here) you have posed a tremendous list, which of course is no surprise in view of your ongoing annual project at MOVIES OVER MATTER that has now reached 1939. I also am ecstatic to see Gambon there, as that’s one my absolute favorite films of the 80’s. Laughton for HENRY is an excellent choice too. I few months ago, I’d say it was his best. But now it’s between that and RUGGLES. But again, this business is always up for revision. I’m not quite sure I’ve been completely consistent with the way I’ve listed my favorites at your place, though I guess I am in most instances.
This is a great list and an impressive blend of the past and teh present.
Many thanks my friend!
(I posted this last night and then noticed that it didn’t show up — looks like it got caught in the site’s spam filter. I have no idea why.)
This list definitely pointed to the holes in my viewing history…but oh well, it was fun to think about. A list of some random favorite performances, with no repeats for any actor:
Max Schreck, Nosferatu
James Stewart, It’s A Wonderful Life
Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt
Dick Powell, Murder, My Sweet
Humphrey Bogart, In A Lonely Place
Robert Mitchum, The Night of the Hunter
Kirk Douglas, Paths of Glory
Gary Cooper, Man of the West
Cary Grant, North By Northwest
James Mason, Lolita
Anthony Perkins, Psycho
Alain Delon, Le Samourai
Henry Fonda, Once Upon A Time in The West
Lino Ventura, Army of Shadows
Oliver Reed, The Devils
Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange
Klaus Kinski, Aguirre, The Wrath of God
Warren Oates, Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia
Jack Nicholson, Chinatown
Gene Hackman, The Conversation
Al Pacino, The Godfather, Part 2
Warren Beaty, The Parallax View
Robert DeNiro, Taxi Driver
Alec Guiness, Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy/Smiley’s People
Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers
Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven
David Thewlis, Naked
Anthony Hopkins, The Remains of the Day
Martin Landau, Ed Wood
Ian Holm, The Sweet Hereafter
Tony Leung, In The Mood For Love
Bruno Ganz, Downfall
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Troy: My apologies for missing this, though I neglected this post for a few days. Unintentional of course as the responses here are priceless, yours included. Seems like we have a number of mutual choices, and you’ve added a number of others that I’d say would come close. You have performanes ranging across genres, period and countries making for a commanding list in every sense.
Many thanks my friend!
I don’t do lists, but as I scrolled through all these great posts I just thought – were is Tatsuya Nakadai – THE actor of his generation? So thanks to the few people here who thought of him! What other actor has his range and filmography? For Harakiri, Human Condition, for The Face of Another, for a squillion other films good and not so good which he nails/steals with an unforgettable performance.
Also Choi Min Sik – for Oldboy (which I don’t care for that much, but still). One of the standout performances of the last 10 years.
Helena:
Thanks so much for stopping by. As I mentioned above in one of my other replies I adore Nakadai, and came within a hair of naming him for HARAKIRI, which I recently watched again at the Film Forum during the Takemitsu Festival.
He is indeed a great actor in every sense of the word. I should really extend this list to an even 50 and include him. But yes, he’s great in every film you name here.
Many thanks!
Hi Sam, thanks for your comment, Nakadai appreciation and your list. As it’s your list you can choose exactly who goes on it … and it’s a testament to your generosity that you’re prepared to expand it a little from time to time.
I would have LOVED to see Harakiri on the big screen – you’re very blessed for wonderful film festivals in NY. I can’t see a Takemitsu festival ever happening in London (and what a great role call of films that was. When I think of Nakadai there’s always a bit of a Takemitsu percussive score thing pinging away in the background.)
oh god, typos – ‘Where’ not ‘were’ – eugh (slaps face.)
Here are mine. 50 for a nice round number. In no particular order.
1. Marlon Brando (ON THE WATERFRONT)
2. James Stewart (IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE)
3. Victor Sjorstrom (WILD STRAWBERRIES)
4. Toshiro Mifune (RASHOMON)
5. Jack Nicholson (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST)
6. Daniel Day-Lewis (THERE WILL BE BLOOD)
7. Jeremy Irons (DEAD RINGERS)
8. Charles Lawton (RUGGLES OF RED GAP)
9. John Wayne (THE SEARCHERS)
10. Henry Fonda (THE GRAPES OF WRATH)
11. Marcello Mastrioanni (8 1/2)
12. Victor McLaglen (THE INFORMER)
13. Robert DeNiro (TAXI DRIVER)
14. Max Schrek (NOSFERATU)
15. Gene Hackman (THE CONVERSATION)
16. Paul Newman (COOL HAND LUKE)
17. Paul Giamatti (AMERICAN SPLENDOR)
18. EMIL JANNINGS (The LAST LAUGH)
19. Denzel Washington (MALCOLM X)
20. Charles Chaplin (CITY LIGHTS)
21. Martin Sheen (APOCALYPSE NOW)
22. Giancarlo Giannini (SEVEN BEAUTIES)
23. George C. Scott (ISLANDS IN THE STREAM)
24. Peter Sellers (BEING THERE)
25. Gregory Peck (TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD)
26. Leslie Howard (PYGMALION)
27. Dustin Hoffman (THE GRADUATE)
28. Cary Grant (BRINGING UP BABY)
29. Woody Allen (ANNIE HALL)
30. Gunther Lemprecht (BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ)
31. Klaus Kinski (AGUIRRE THE WRATH OF GOD)
32. Harry Dean Stanton (PARIS, TEXAS)
33. Takashi Shamiru (IKIRU)
34. Humprey Bogart (TRESURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE)
35. Alec Guiness (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB)
36. Francois Truffaut (THE WILD CHILD)
37. Gerard DePardieu (JEAN DE FLORETTE)
38. Micheal Caine (ALFIE)
39. Peter O’Toole (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA)
40. W. C. Fields (IT’S A GIFT)
41. Jeanne Pierre Leaud (THE 400 BLOWS)
42. Jack Lemon (THE APARTMENT)
43. Anthony Perkins (PSYCHO)
44. George O’Brien (SUNRISE)
45. Anthony Hopkins (THE REMAINS OF THE DAY)
46. Kenneth Bragnagh (HENRY V)
47. Laurence Olivier (THE ENTERTAINER)
48. James Dean (EAST OF EDEN)
49. Orson Welles (CITIZEN KANE)
50. James Cagney (THE PUBLIC ENEMY)
All fabulous choices Dennis! Many we’ve discussed over the years of course. I see you have Nicholson and Day-Lewis near the top! Ha! Fair enough.
Personal favorites, lets not forget…
Jeff Bridges (THE BIG LEBOWSKI)
Vincent Price (THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER)
Zero Mostel (THE PRODUCERS)
Nathan Lane (THE BIRDBAGE)
Nicholas Cage (ADAPTATION)
Henry Thomas, in the greatest little boy performance ever… (E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL)
Jurgen Prochnow (DAS BOOT)
William Hurt (KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN)
Spencer Tracy (FURY)
Al Pacino (DOG DAY AFTERNOON)
Gary Oldman (PRICK UP YOUR EARS)
Benicio Del Toro (CHE)
Dudley Moore (ARTHUR)
John Travolta (SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER)
Robert Blake (IN COLD BLOOD)
Burt Lancaster (SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS)
Sidney Poitier (THE DEFIANT ONES)
River Phoenix (MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO)
Timothy Hutton (ORDINARY PEOPLE)
Robert Walker (STRANGERS ON A TRAIN)
Heath Ledger (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN)
Ernest Borgnine (MARTY)
WILLIAM HOLDEN and PETER FINCH (NETWORK)
Paul Scofield (A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS)
Phillip Seymour Hoffmann (CAPOTE)
Ryan Gosling (BLUE VALENTINE)
Sean Penn (MYSTIC RIVER or DEAD MAN WALKING)
Robert Newton (TREASURE ISLAND)
James Mason (A STAR IS BORN)
Ralph Richardson (THE FALLEN IDOL)
Bela Lugosi (SON OF FRANKENSTEIN)
Donald Sutherland (EYE OF THE NEEDLE)
Jon Voight (COMING HOME)
Robert Duvall (THE APOSTLE)
Billy Bob Thornton (SLING BLADE)
Bruno Ganz (WINGS OF DESIRE)
Max Von Sydow (SHAME or THE VIRGIN SPRING)
John Lurie (DOWN BY LAW)
Rupert Graves (MAURICE)
David Thewlis (NAKED)
Again splendid choices throughout Dennis!
I love reading other peoples’ lists, but am a little reticent to make one of my own, because I change my mind so frequently. But here’s my greatest list, with only the first five cast in stone.
1. Marlon Brando (“A Streetcar Named Desire”)
2. Per Oscarsson (“Hunger”)
3. Eric Von Stroheim (“La Grande Illusion”)
4. Victor Sjostrom (“Wild Strawberries”)
5. Jack Lemmon (“Some Like It Hot”)
6. Peter Lorre (“M”)
7. John Gielgud (“Providence”)
8. James Cagney (“White Heat”)
9. Jon Voight (“Midnight Cowboy”)
10. Klaus Kinski (“Aguirre, the Wrath of God”)
11. Laurence Olivier (“The Entertainer”)
12. Walter Huston (“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”)
13. Jack Nicholson (“About Schmidt”)
14. Klaus Kinski (“Wozzeck”)
15. Marcello Mastroianni (“The Stranger”)
16. Orson Welles (“Touch of Evil”)
17. Richard Burton (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”)
18. James Mason (“Lolita”)
19. Louis Calhern (“The Asphalt Jungle”)
20. Paul Scofield (“King Lear”)
21. Sergio Corrieri (“Memories of Underdevelopment”)
22. Charlie Chaplin (“The Gold Rush”)
23. Michel Simon (“Boudu Saved from Drowning”)
24. Max von Sydow (“The New Land”)
25. Marlon Brando (“One-Eyed Jacks”)
26. Edward G. Robinson (“Little Caesar”)
27. Gunther Lamprecht (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”)
29. W.C. Fields (“Million Dollar Legs”)
30. Paul Newman (“The Verdict”)
31. Trevor Howard (“Brief Encounter”)
32. Jean Gabin (“La Grande Illusion”)
33. Toshiro Mifune (“The Seven Samurai”)
34. Alain Delon (“L’Eclisse”)
35. Anthony Quinn (“La Strada”)
36. Peter Sellers (“Lolita”)
37. Buster Keaton (“The General”)
38. Peter O’Toole (“Lawrence of Arabia”)
39. Albert Finney (“Under the Volcano”)
40. Henry Fonda (“The Grapes of Wrath”)
41. Gerard Depardieu (“Danton”)
42. Nikolai Cherkossav (“Ivan the Terrible”)
43. George C. Scott (“Petulia”)
44. Denholm Elliott (“Saint Jack”)
45. Arthur Lowe (“The Ruling Class”)
46. Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull”)
47. Ralph Richardson (“Long Day’s Journey Into Night”)
48. Marcello Mastroianni (“8-1/2”)
49. Alec Guinness (“Kind Hearts and Coronets”)
50. Richard Farnsworth (“The Straight Story”)
Mark, sorry to get here as late as I did. This past week has been a killer for me for a number of reasons, and it’s caused lateness at the site in responding. But everything is fine now and I am figuring to move forward without being further hampered.
I’m not at all surprised at all these great choices you pose here. I could comment on many of the choices, but I’ll concentrate on one: Sergio Corriere for MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT. I saw this film during my college years in the early 70’s at the First Avenue Screening Room, a First Avenue retro house long closed down. I reviewed the film for my college newspaper and found it as one of the three best films of 1973. (The film was actually made in Cuba in 1968) Anyway, it’s the greatest Cuban movie I’ve ever seen, and I applaud you for including Corriere’s memorable performance here. It was a probing philosophical (and satiric) work that left a powerful impression on me, one that has remained to this day.
Many thanks for this awesome list my friend!
Sam, as chance would have it, I re-watched “To Kill a Mockingbird” last weekend. For the sake of argument, I would be interested to read your defence of Peck’s performance as one of the 50 best of all time. I always thought that he was a pretty dull Atticus Finch relative to the one that Harper Lee sparked off in my imagination (too young; too handsome; too lacking in a twinkle-in-his-eye). I see this on-screen incarnation as being more like a proto-Clark Kent TBH!
Just to be clear, I am saying “good”, not “superlative”.
Speaking of lawyers, nice to see some much-merited love for Maximillian Schell. He leaves the others standing in that film. Always liked him in “Cross of Iron” too. Admittedly, though, I like to amuse myself by defending that film – Schell, Mason, the great David Warner, Coburn…
Longman, that is rather an ironic statement when you factor in that Lee herself always declared that Peck was a perfect incarnation of the character she conjured up in her beloved novel. The colorless Peck that we see on film was purposely negotiated, and the performance is fueled by subtlety and an acute fidelity to what was created by the written word. Atticus Finch was admirably flawed, yet his sterling sense of justice has come to represent the ultimate in politically correct posturing. No other actor could possible at that time brought to life what Lee had attended, and I think Peck at conveying listlessness with those courtroom scenes exceptionally played.
I realize that Peck and Heston were choices I would take heat for, and I realize that a good number of people have come up with the same conclusions. I think Peck’s performance has gained in stature over the years, and much of this has to do with the belief by students and academics that a literary character was brought to full realization, precisely as his creator had intended.
Oh yes, I have always though Schell was electrifying in that film.
Many thanks my frirend!
Don’t know if this thread is still is active. Nonetheless, couldn’t resist the urge of forming a quick list of my 50 favourite “Actor in a Leading Role” performances. Since I didn’t get to spend much time while jotting down the list, I might have missed a few performances, though I hope not 🙂
Feeling really disappointed since I haven’t been able to include some of the most incredible performances by a number of actors, since they would fall (in my opinion) in the Supporting Role category. I’d also love to form similar lists for Actresses in Leading & Supporting Roles.
Didn’t have the time to rank the performances, so it is presented in alphabetical order of the actors’ names. Maybe if I get time in the near future, I’ll try to rank the performances and re-post the ranked list here. But then if might not make much sense to rank them because there are a number of performances that I would keep at the same level.
Anyway, without further ado, please find below my un-ranked list of 50 greatest performances by an actor in leading roles that I’ve been fortunate to see.
1. Al Pacino – The Godfather
2. Al Pacino – Scarecrow
3. Alec Guinness – Bridge on the River Kwai
4. Amitabh Bachchan – Abhimaan
5. Anupam Kher – Saaransh
6. Anupam Kher – Daddy
7. Burt Lancaster – Sweet Smell of Success
8. Bruno Ganz – Downfall
9. Charlie Chaplin – Gold Rush
10. Charlie Chaplin – Monsieur Verdoux
11. Choi Min-sik – Oldboy
12. Dustin Hoffman – Straw Dogs
13. Edward G. Robinson – Scarlet Street
14. Gael Garcia Bernal – Bad Education
15. Humphrey Bogart – In A Lonely Place
16. Humphrey Bogart – Maltese Falcon
17. Jack Nicholson – Chinatown
18. Jack Nicholson – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
19. Jack Nicholson – Five Easy Pieces
20. James Cagney – White Heat
21. Jean-Paul Belmondo – Breathless
22. Jean-Pierre Leaud – The 400 Blows
23. Jean-Pierre Leaud – Detective
24. Kevin Spacey – American Beauty
25. Kirk Douglas – Ace in the Hole
26. Marcello Mastrioanni – La Dolce Vita
27. Marlon Brando – On the Waterfront
28. Marlon Brando – Last Tango in Paris
29. Mathieu Amalric – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
30. Mithun Chakraborty – Shukno Lanka
31. Olaf Lubaszenko – A Short Film About Love
32. Peter Sellers – Dr. Strangelove
33. Ralph Fiennes – Spider
34. Richard Widmark – Night and the City
35. Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver
36. Robert De Niro – Raging Bull
37. Soumitra Chatterjee – Apur Sansar
38. Soumitra Chatterjee – Abhijaan
39. Soumitra Chatterjee – Kapurush
40. Subhashish Mukherjee – Herbert
41. Tatsuya Nakadai – Ran
42. Tony Curtis – Sweet Smell of Success
43. Tony Leung – 2012
44. Toshiro Mifune – Yojimbo
45. Toshiro Mifune – Throne of Blood
46. Uptal Dutt – Agantuk
47. Uttam Kumar – Nayak
48. Victor Sjostrom – Wild Strawberries
49. Woody Allen – Annie Hall
50. Woody Allen – Zelig
Hoping to read the reactions of you (Sam) and also others who are part of/visit WitD, as respect to my above list.
The last line should be rather read as: Hoping to read the reactions of you (Sam) and also others who are part of/visit WitD, as respect to my above list 🙂 … the smiley was missing. As you’d understand, I’d written that line in jest 🙂
Terrific Shubajit!!!
You’ve done a fabulous job here, and how much more meaningful to include the likes of Chatterjee, Kumar, Mukherjee, Kerr and Bachchan. Too many have little exposure to this great cinema, and subsequently have lost many potentially great performances. I mourn by own underexposure in this department and have always look to you, Srikanth, Sachin and Kaleem for some guidance. You have been regulat at CINEMASCOPE with the excellent capsules. Anyway, many other great ones here, several of which of course made my own list. Douglas and Belmondo were finalists for me, and narrowly missed. Almaric is an inspired choice from you too.
Many thanks my friend!
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s lists in this thread over the last few days – so many great performances mentioned, many of which I’ve seen, and many of which I still need to catch up with!
I haven’t managed to make a list myself, but will just say that I think Fredric March’s performance in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, in Sam’s list, owes a lot to John Barrymore in the earlier silent version, which is also great – having said that, I’m not sure which my favourite Barrymore performance is, but maybe in ‘Dinner at Eight’, though this may not qualify as a lead role. I also think Richard Barthelmess was great in ‘The Dawn Patrol’. Anyway, looking forward to seeing Sam’s list of actresses.
You know Judy, I was going to put Barrymore’s performance in “On the Twentieth Century” on my list but somehow left it out.
Such a fine actor and so great in “Dinner at Eight” too!
Such are the vagaries of list-making. lol.
Thanks, Mark. I’ve only seen ‘Twentieth Century’ once as it sadly isn’t available in region 2 (or wasn’t last time I checked) – I will definitely buy a copy soon, though, on import if necessary, and watch it again!
PS I was also surprised not to see James Murray in ‘The Crowd’ – but I’m guessing he is one of those you whittled out somewhere along the way, Sam.
Indeed Judy! He was close to making the list and in fact will still make it when I go up to 50. I will add seven later this week to this post and Murray with be one.
Good to know that Murray is making it to your list after all – and I will be interested to see your other choices too! Great stuff, Sam.
True enough there Judy at what you say about March being indepted to Barrymore! And speaking of Barrymore, I must say that his omission in this limited ’43’ (I went further withe the actresses, settling on 68) is unforgivable. Perhaps the best choice would be his turn in TWENTIETH CENTURY, playing alongside Carole Lombard. He’s one of the all-time greats without question. It would be just as valid to pick him for DINNER AT EIGHT too Judy (as you mention here) and who could argue with Barthelmess?
I appreciate the great comment as always my friend!
Wow. These lists are great. The choice that leaves me scratching my head is Heston for Ben Hur and Gene Kelly for Singin’ in the Rain. But I’m glad to see Robert Preston’s name here as well as Robert Donat. I think Burt Lancaster was more interesting in From Here to Eternity or even Atlantic City.
The “supporting” roles of Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) deserve mention here.
I also like the following:
Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire
Jack Lemmon, Some Like It Hot
Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies
Richard Burton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon
Daniel Day Lewis, Gangs of New York
James Stewart, Vertigo (or Harvey)
Laurence Olivier, The Entertainer
Robert Walker, Strangers on a Train
Alan Arkin, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Peter Lorre, M
Alec Guiness, The Bridge on the River Kwai
Paul Newman, Hud
Cary Grant, Notorious
Michael Caine, Little Voice
Albert Finney, Tom Jones
Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy
Peter Sellers, Being There
Sean Penn, Dead Man Walking
Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski
Viggo Mortenson, Eastern Promises or A History of Violence
And what list shouldn’t at least mention Philippe Noiret, Javier Bardem, Derek Jacobi and even Jamie Foxx (Ray) and Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)?
Impossible list but worth attempting. For me Bogart in Treasure of the Sierra Madre would be my favorite of many great performances and I prefer Laughton in Hunchback of Notre Dame to Ruggles. Warren Beatty in McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Giancarlo Giannini in Seven Beauties, Mastroianni in 81/2, Andy Griffith in A Face in the Crowd and….oh forget it. I could go on all day and my boss insists that I do some work.
Thanks so much Curt! You’ve made some terrific additions there!
Some thoughts from a plain mind who doesn’t presume to know much about acting. An actor in a role that you believe is a great actor. So here are my thoughts. many actors have a range so broad that they are believable in anything.a short list.
Cagney in (Yankee doodle dandy -Mr. Roberts)
Bogart in (Treasure of Sierra madre-African Queen)
Tom Hanks in just about anything.
Rutger Haur in everything
Toshiro Mifune in everything
Gregory Peck in(Hornblower-North by Northwest)
Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow- Chocolate-and the book agent looking for the devils book,in an otherwise plain film
Just who is Johnny Depp??
As to the others on all the various lists, Most of these actors are great, and I agree, but, there are many foreign actors I’ve never seen.
Even Yul Bryner in the king and I- magnificent seven
would be on my list if I had time to watch them all again who knows……
Many thanks Fred! You’ve made some really great suggestions there! Can’t say I disagree with any of ’em!
Stephen Boyd’s performance in Ben-Hur as Messala has to be one of the best performances ever. His death seen in Ben-Hur is magnificent
Indeed Videoemilio, I am a huge fan of the 1959 BEN-HUR, and I went with Heston among these performances to teh dismay of some of my colleagues. Boyd was excellent (that death scene you note with his raspy croaking is unforgettable) but I counted his performance as “supporting” and will certainly include him when I take on the supporting lists.
Thanks so much for visiting the site! Your comment is much valued!
These lists were quite interesting and, although I do make lists, I don’t have one for here. I would respectfully submit one entry, though:
Robert Young in “”They Won’t Believe Me”” – this role was so totally different from all of the rich playboy roles in which he was usually cast. I’ve read that Mr. Young felt that the public certainly did not believe him in this type of role and he was forever doomed to playing “the nice guy”. (Of course, most of us remember him as the nice father, Jim Anderson and the nice doctor, Marcus Welby.)
Paul Giammati in Sideways.