Who do you really rate as an actor?

[Pruni]

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She was living with a terminal cancer diagnosis when we saw her in a beautiful, autumnal and unusually sharp and wry production of Much Ado, Blu. She and Roger Allam were on the doddery side for Beatrice and Benedict but their courtship was so touching I was in floods by the end. Not long after we saw such a radically different production with Mark Rylance and Janet McTeer, still enjoyable though.

Derek Jacobi in absolutely anything he does. He stands head and shoulders above other actors (on stage) I think. I saw him in quite a few plays before I had kids, and he was always outstanding.

Yes, I'm very that Bob Peck died, too.

That scene in Edge of Darkness where he searches his dead daughter's bedroom is the most riveting thing I've ever seen.

I agree with whoever said Simon Russell Beale, he is so versatile. Saw him in Jumpers before ds was born and he was fab (as was the actress playing opposite him whose name I can't remember - she was also Colin Firth's wife in Girl With a Pearl Earring and acted everyone else off the screen).

And William H Macy (although him naked in The Cooler was a pretty revolting sight).

Also Derek Jacobi, Chewitel Ejiofor (sp?), Naomi Watts, Samantha Bond (v good Lady Macbeth with Sean Bean a couple of years ago), Judi Dench (great Lady Bracknell), Maggie Smith in Gosford Park, Nicole Kidman in loads of stuff, the kids in The Others, Kate Winslet, Juliet Stephenson...

Julie Walters in anything.

I HATED Simon Russel Beale when we saw him in King Lear as Old/Poor (?) Tom. The smell of HAM, pheweee! Robert Stephens was also hammy ham ham. Mind you, I don't like King Lear.
I rate Ben Kingsley and Gene Hackman..!!

William H Macy in anything pretty much but I liked The Cooler recently
Steve Buscemi in most things but I liked his weirdo in Con Air
Helen Mirren in Gosford Park
Jim Carrey but only after seeing The Truman Show, I disliked him intensely before that
Ewan McGregor in Trainspotting, haven't seen/liked much else he's done
Also the bloke who played Begbie in Trainspotting, no idea what he's called
Jim Broadbent in anything
Pete Postlethwaite ditto
Emma Thompson in Love Actually although I disliked her in that Arnie film where he gets pregnant. I accept it wasn't necessarily her fault that!
Vanessa Redgrave was delightful in Mission Impossible I thought
And I thought Johhny Depp did a fabulous job of Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka.

paul newman. the best screen actor of all time.

Lol at Ham Davros!
In some ways Ham is just a difficult acting style as any other!

Speaking of Ham,I went out with Donald Wolfit's grandson when I was much much younger (No, NOT when DW was still alive - thanks girls)

John Malkovic or Tommy Lee Jones.

I do realise that stage acting is very different to film/tv acting and it can be a shock at first and take a little while to get used to all that "projecting". Even taking that into account that King Lear was very porky!

I love Dirk too shamedcustardo!!!! Especially in The Servant--what a fantastic underrated actor. I also liked James Mason, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and anyone who's ever been in a Hal Hartley film.

And Gerard Depardieu in anything, I can even sit through hideous wooden Andy whatsername in Green Card over and over just for him. But best of all in "Jean de Florette", blublublub.

Have got to mention my absolute fave - Jack Nicholson - what a star he is. Love the fella.
Really like Jeff Bridges too.
And Kevin Spacey is pretty good.
Second De Niro - quality.
Like Sigourney Weaver - don't think I've seen her give a bad performance.
Love Helen Hunter - very under-rated.
Maggie Smith gets mt Brit vote.
Also like the chap who was (sorry this is obscure but someone might know who I mean!!) in the BBC2 Cop series recently. The one who murdered a Paedophile and covered it up, and then the paedophile was innocent in the end. It was compulsive stuuf but I have no idea what he's called. Ring any bells???!!!

Mystic River? with Sean Penn?

Frenchgirl, are you guessing my chappie???!! Not seen Mystic River so can't be him!
Forgot Steve McQueen.
And Dustin Hoffman.
And Jon Voight.

love sean penn!!!

and steve mcqueen (sex on legs)

Forgot Jeff Bridges - definitely agree! Especially in The Fabulous Baker Boys and the surreal one with Robin Williams directed by Terry Gilliam, gone blank on the name of it.

bums it's really annoying me now ....

Came back to this thread to say that my favourite English actor (not of my generation) is unquestionably Dirk Bogarde, only to find that he's been mentioned.

Don't agree that he is underrated though Arabica, Visconti and Losey certainly didn't underrate him.

Yes, the Servant (and of course the beautiful young James Fox) but also the Night Porter.

My dh rates Larry Olivier but to me he is the epitome of HAM

turquoise it was the Fisher King.
But then noticed that post was in august - shurely you've remembered by now....great film.

James Mason (esp. in Odd Man Out, The Shooting Party, Lolita & A Star Is Born)- he had the most beautiful voice I've ever heard
James Stewart
Katherine Hepburn
Cary Grant
Steve McQueen, so cool, shame he was a s**t in 'real life'
Of contemporary actors, mmn, not as many spring to mind - Cate Blanchett, Pete Postlethwaite, Brad Pitt (brilliant in Fight Club, Susan Sarandon

good list, pip!

of theones still alive, mine are Sean Penn, JOhn malkovich, also some great french film actors such as jean-pierre marielle, michel serrault. Susan Sarandon, yes, also really liked the woman Naomi Watts in 21 grams. Charlotte Rampling is good too - v classy.

I also really used to like Jack Lemmon!

Jeff Bridges - yes! how could I forget him?
I agree that Tom Hanks is a great film actor. Just seen the road to redemption again on telly, he's very versatile