The Greatest Film Actors Ever.. Dead or Alive

mine has to be these...

Gregory Peck (1916–2003)

Tom Hanks

Pete Postlethwaite (1946–2011)

such a breadth and wealth of acting talent across the broadest range of films

Marlon Brando

Paul Newman

Jack Nicholson

Isn't this thread already running?

I'd have never thought of Postlethwaite and was stunned when Spielberg rated him as the best. The problem with w thread like this is it's too easy to list the known and accepted greats.

What is more interesting is the best performances seen. Thereby, an actor may have given, in your opinion, a definative performance.

Other than that the only comment I'd make is whilst I can see the great in Postlethwaite but as for Hollywood Hanks ............ there'd be a queue round the block able to offer up that smozzle. And consider cartooning, or is it lampooning the challenged with his 'Gump' portrayal, little if any depth in 'Ryan' - the shaky hand has it, and the rest is as memorable as yesterday's dinner.

Chips. With everything.

For me :

Anthony Hopkins

Clint Eastwood

John Wayne

Pete Postlethwaite, his role in Brassed Off was phenomenal

John Wayne

Peter O'Toole

Johnny Depp because he is so versatile as an actor and never plays the same role twice, and he is just lovely and brilliant.

Robert Downey Jnr he is another brilliant and very talented actor who really gets into a role and his films are so enjoyable to watch because of his strong acting ability.

I agree with the other person Tom Hanks his potrayal of Forrest Gump was brilliant and as an actor he moved me as the viewer watching the film.

Ray Liotta what can I say about him, he does get type cast a lot but his ability to play edgey physcopaths is brilliant and he does drama better than comedy Goodfellas I love him in this its just brillaintly done, and Ray Liotta narrating and the way Martin scorsese directs it just fits together to make a brillaint film and allows Ray Liotta to do what he does best.

I agree with the other person Jack Nicholson in The Shining, he scared me alot he is frightening in that film.

Antony Hopkins just because of Silence Of The Lambs one of my favourite films he is brilliant as creepy physcopath Hannibal Lecter, anyone for a glass of Kiante and some liver ha ha.

Brad Pitt for his role in Inglorious, and Se7en he was brilliant as the Nazi hunter and as a policeman in Se7en. Any role that Brad Pitt does is good and he can go from the comedy of Snatch, the edgey seriousness of Se7en and then to a role in something that is gorey horror like Inglorious, hes entertaining in Inglorious just like he is in Snatch but in Se7en he is more serious but Brad Pitt I hope will be around for a few years more making films that we all want to watch over and over again.

I think that in 20-30 years we'll look back at Michael Sheen with the same reverence that we do with many of the actors mentioned above. His varied roles in the obvious Frost/Nixon, Underworld, The Damned United, and his portrayal of Kenneth Williams amongst many other stage & screen roles put him well up there. If anyone hasn't seen Unthinkable then go and do it now. I've just finished watching Jesus Henry Christ - what a lovely film (reminded me of Juno somewhat).

I will certainly forgive him for his recurring role in the Twilight films.

^ Agreed.

I never get why people always say Jack Nicholson, compare him to Gary Oldman a whole different class.

John Mills for me, never seen a bad film of his yet. I like Clint Eastwood though. Gene Hackman is another.

Ed norton

Denzel Washington

Read one time that the hardest thing for an actor to do on a movie set is to laugh, they say crying is quite easy, having to laugh is not.