Who do you think is the most talented actor/actress that you've seen?

[bumblebeewine]

For me, it's Pamela Rabe. So underrated but so immensely brilliant. Also think Jessica Lange is amazing.

Who do you think is the most talented actor/actress you've ever watched?

I wonder if its because of our British tread the boards doing Shakespeare culture?

I doubt it. A lot of TV/film actors can't do stage at all and vice versa they're completely different skill sets, I think. And some people just can't do Shakespeare I like Christopher Eccleston as an actor, but he was a really poor Macbeth for the RSC and struggled with the verse. And some brilliant stage actors are too 'stagey' for the small screen. Mark Rylance is a genius in 'big' eccentric stage roles, but I find him impossibly mannered when he's playing a 'normal' character. Fiona Shaw, who has always been a stage genius, used to be the same (unless she was playing cartoonish screen parts like the Headmistress in Three Men and a Little Lady and Petunia Dursley, where it kind of worked), but she has grown into TV roles, and I think was extraordinary in Villanelle and some Fleabag.

Same for Anne-Marie Duff and Sheridan Smith - both are probably best known to most people for Shameless and Two Pints of Lager respectively, while their stage work has been incredible. I wish filmed productions were more readily available, one of the few positives of lockdown has been the few NT productions made widely available.

I love Jodie Comer and Keely Hawes

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies

Jessica Hynes in ‘There She Goes’ is brilliant. David Tennant is excellent in it, but it’s Jessica who reduces me to tears every episode.

Yes she was fantastic in that. Such a massive scope of emotions.

Anne-Marie-Duff and James McAvoy are both incredible actors. McAvoy's performance in 'Split' was amazing.

Slight deviation here. Have said mine way above but if I am absolutely honest (and she is slightly out of category?) I would say Liza Minnelli.
I actually think she’s a great actress. I nominate her here for her stage presence and multi talent. Saw her On stage and was absolutely blown away like nothing since seeing Ella.
So go an old style multi talented screen icon I’d add her - if I may. I will accept any challenge saying she’s not really allowed. She was great in new York New York etc.

@KatherineJaneway

I agree. As a fully paid up ST fan, I think Galaxy Quest is right up there. The humour is very reminiscent of the humour of ST TOS . It's definitely one of my favourite films.

@Erictheavocado

I agree. It was so funny and I understand it has its own cult following.

Sally Field. Her performance in Steel Magnolias was terrific.

Edward Norton.

Don’t laugh but Zac Efron was brilliant in Extremely Wicked.

Another one saying Meryl Streep. Can't get over the way that she spoke German in a Polish accent in Sophie's Choice, while being naturally American. There's a video on YouTube called The Many Voices of Meryl Streep or something like that, that's worth a watch.

@KatherineJaneway I still quote it so much! “Is there air? You don’t know!”

Thinking of Rockwell, another actor who’s underrated was in 7 Psychopaths with him - Colin Farrell. He has brilliant comic timing (7 Psychos, In Bruges) and isn’t afraid to make himself look stupid (Horrible Bosses, The Lobster). He’s just so pretty that he’s not taken seriously but he’s great in everything I’ve seen him in. Because of his looks he was pitched as a traditional leading man but he does so much better as a character actor or a lead actor in a more comic/quirky role. Soul of a character actor in a leading man’s body

Lesley Manville
Nicola Walker
John Simm
John Thaw

Evan peters and Sarah Paulson too, really enjoy watching them. Surprised they've not been mentioned!
Also...
Daniel day Lewis
Robert de Niro
James mc avoy
Dustin Hoffman
Ray liotta
Kevin spacey

Agree with Sam Rockwell esp in Fosse/verdon

Not keen on Hollywood style actors as a rule but Charlize Theron was amazing in Monster.

Also agree with Russell Tovey, Benedict Cumberbatch, Freddie Fox and Keely Hawes.

Brad Pitt and Will Smith? Really??

I’m going to add another “really?” to the suggestion of Emma Watson. She ruins everything she’s in.

One of these actors is Juliette Lewis.
Apparently when they were filming Natural Born Killers, the director Oliver Stone said to her:
Juliette, you are a genius of your profession.

Quite right.

@SinkGirl I met Anne Marie Duff at the Oliviers just after she was on Desert Island Discs... I was walking out of the loo as she walked in.. I said how much I'd enjoyed DID and she said "Thanks Love!"

I'm thinking "really?" about quite a few of these - are we really going to be seeing them as Lear or Lady Macbeth next year or in 20 years time? - but then maybe my judgements are skewed towards the stage and the traditional English canon in a way perhaps they shouldn't be.

I can’t take Colin Farrell seriously because he strongly reminds me of Kevin Webster from Corrie

Joan Hickson as Miss Marple
Alan Rickman as Rev Obadiah Slope
Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon

Think Richard Attenborough would have made a brilliant dumbledore

@newtb I met Joan Hickson when they filmed The Moving Finger in our kitchen..... Such a lovely caring lady... Exactly like her character... Her daughter was fab too... They didn't use our oven... They put their oven in front of our French windows.

@Fungster

Brad Pitt and Will Smith? Really??

They are both amongst the richest actors in the world, think their net worth is currently between $350 and $300 million . So I’m clearly not the only one who thinks so

Lovely story Elderflower14 she always seems very cool