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The Top 40 Male Film Lead Actors of all Time

It was nothing. Believe me.

Captaindemotion said:
^Aren't you arguing against yourself by putting down Ford's last notable role while acknowledging Newman's longevity, lack of bad performances and vanity? I can't understand how you'd put Ford 16 places higher than him.
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Um.....b-b-b-because in Section 415b of the Actor's Manual, it was established that QUINTET was far worse than the lowest five of Ford's turkeys. That's my creative loophole. It's really Robert Altman's fault, of course. But now it's time for incoming.....

40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery

Now HIS last movie pre-retirement was a turkey too.
 
Finding Forrester is perfectly fine, if a bit rote. Is Playing by Heart (1998) any good? It looks...odd.
 
I never saw it, but if memory serves it's one of those 16-character multi-generational ensembles that were once guaranteed to co-star Anne Bancroft.

Of course, in truth, Ford is 14 and Newman is 30 on my list because, as previously mentioned, the top 17 are my personal favorites. My subjective bias.....

In 1991 I thought to myself which four film stars should be on a cinematic Mount Rushmore......and though it was arbitrary to limit it to four, I did so. Now, those four will rank at 1, 2, 7, and 8 when this list is complete. Times and tastes keep changing somewhat.....
 
Here's a new name I don't think was yet mentioned......not always a lead, not always a supporting player, but exceptional in the first and at least from his startup days, absolutely unparalleled in the second. To me, he has a staggeringly high grade point average. Even when he supports he's dominant. That's why he's nine.

40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall

 
Captaindemotion said:
I think it's too early to judge with many of today's stars but I do think that Sean Penn, Jeff Bridges and Tom Cruise have a good shout at being well-remembered in years to come.

Yes, I said Tom Cruise.
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Cruise certainly has longevity. I attribute it to the fact that the man has barely aged in the last 30 years! (And he's largely aged better.)

Captaindemotion said:
I like Jack. If you don't enjoy School of Rock or his performance in High Fidelity, you might want to check if your sense of humour has been clinically removed.
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Plus, he invented Inward Singing!!!!!!

gturner said:
I don't get why Johnny Depp is called a character actor, or why anyone would think he was acting at all. He's just being himself.
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Just compare Ed Wood vs. Once Upon a Time in Mexico vs. Pirates of the Caribbean.
 
40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall
8. Cary Grant
 
Before I get knocked off the bottom of the page, here's the latest incoming.:cool:

40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall
8. Cary Grant
7. Henry Fonda

Hope you all understood my reasoning in choosing Robert Duvall, as nobody else may have picked him. He seems to be basically supporting at present, probably due to his age,
and there have been a couple or so late-in-the-game paycheck roles. Of course, of all the actors of today, only Sean Penn seems to have avoided this curse unless you count RIDGEMONT.
 
40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall
8. Cary Grant
7. Henry Fonda
6. Charlie Chaplin

We finally have a silent actor on the list, but unfortunately still no lead Asians or all-purpose horror actors.....
 
40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall
8. Cary Grant
7. Henry Fonda
6. Charlie Chaplin
5. Buster Keaton

Adding Buster Keaton to the list since he did all his own stunts and he was one heck of a comedic actor, silent or otherwise. Really enjoyed seeing the one episode of the Twilight Zone he was in.
 
40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall
8. Cary Grant
7. Henry Fonda
6. Charlie Chaplin
5. Gene Hackman

I really wish he hadn't retired......but unlike Connery, his last film wasn't a turd, and, unlike Connery, he says he might come back for a special film. That's why I'm drafting an outline for UNCOMMON VALOR II: EXPENDABLES SUCK.
 
40. Arnold Schwarzenegger
39. Spencer Tracy
38. Steve McQueen
37. Gary Cooper
36. Daniel Craig
35. Errol Flynn
34. Sean Penn
33. Richard Burton
32. Tom Hanks
31. Edward Norton
30. Paul Newman
29. Michael Caine
28. William Holden
27. Clive Owen
26. Samuel L. Jackson
25. Marlon Brando
24. Al Pacino
23. Charlton Heston
22. Burt Lancaster
21. Frank Sinatra
20. Tom Cruise
19. Clint Eastwood
18. James Cagney
17. Gary Oldman
16. Denzel Washington
15. Jack Nicholson
14. Harrison Ford
13. Dustin Hoffman
12. Sidney Poitier
11. Humphrey Bogart
10. Sean Connery
9. Robert Duvall
8. Cary Grant
7. Henry Fonda
6. Charlie Chaplin
5. Gene Hackman
4. Gregory Peck
 
PS: For those who have seen THE CONVERSATION and have watched one of its concluding monents with Hackman (5), Harrison Ford (14) and Robert Duvall (9), do you ever wish Hollwywood films of today would be able to afford trios like that in the same scene? At least in 1990s terms and beyond, it's unthinkable. Granted Duvall only had a surprise cameo and Ford was only beginning his career at this point but this is the sort of retroactive power-combo that you just can't get anymore. It's hard enough to have TWO superstars in the same room now, let alone three....
 
I had a feeling that somebody would bring up that film. If only Stallone and Schwarzenegger had been paired together in the '90s instead of 2010 when they WERE superstars. But then one would have to accept second billing. Willis and Schwarzenegger were still too proud to appear for more than ten minutes in the first one. So the teamup was long overdue. I only saw five minutes of EX2 in an empty theater in between END OF WATCH and DREDD. I suffered through the first installment in its entirety, and the only thing worse than the film was the audience. I've heard Part Two is actually better.....probably because Stallone's not ''directing.'' Now it shouldn't take 17 minutes for three guys to run to an exploding helicopter.
 
foxhot said:
PS: For those who have seen THE CONVERSATION and have watched one of its concluding monents with Hackman (5), Harrison Ford (14) and Robert Duvall (9), do you ever wish Hollwywood films of today would be able to afford trios like that in the same scene? At least in 1990s terms and beyond, it's unthinkable. Granted Duvall only had a surprise cameo and Ford was only beginning his career at this point but this is the sort of retroactive power-combo that you just can't get anymore. It's hard enough to have TWO superstars in the same room now, let alone three....
Click to expand...

It was hard to get three top stars together then, too. The biggest combo I can think of was the same year, The Towering Inferno, with Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and William Holden. Even then Holden was seen as on his way down, but it was a real power struggle between McQueen and Newman. The rest of the '70s "all-star cast" disaster movies relied mostly on names that were big but past their box-office prime.

But "retroactive" is just an accident; we might say The Outsiders was a big-star cast, but it didn't seem that way at the time because they were just starting out. A Bridge Too Far in 1977 has Hackman, Connery, Robert Redford, Anthony Hopkins, James Caan, Ryan O'Neal, Michael Caine and even Laurence Olivier, but probably only Redford was really in his "superstar" prime, the rest were either "past it" or solid character actors who didn't become big draws till later. Plus it has a bunch of different stories going, not a lot of big stars in scenes together. The Longest Day, similar deal.

Justin
 
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