He probably should. We will take him into consideration later on.

Here's my breakdown for the next group.

Ben Gazzara
Gazzara's best known films include Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Voyage of the Damned (1976), Inchon (1981), Road House (1989), The Big Lebowski (1998), Happiness (1998), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Summer of Sam (1999), Dogville (2003) and Paris, je t'aime (2006). He was a recurring collaborator with John Cassavetes, working with him on Husbands (1970), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Opening Night (1977). Gazzara won his first, and only, Emmy Award for his role in the television film Hysterical Blindness (2002), though he was also lauded for his role in the TV series Run for Your Life (1965-1968). No list-maker, also not sure about an honorable mention for him. He can be excluded, I guess.

Richard Gere
Gere began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978). He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol. He went on to star in several hit films, including An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Pretty Woman (1990), Primal Fear (1996), Runaway Bride (1999), Arbitrage (2012) and Chicago (2002), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild Award for part of the Best Cast. A pretty decent filmography overall, but of course his main strength is his status as a cultural icon of the 1980s and 1990s and probably one of the definitive male sex symbols of this era. Besides the earlier mentioned films, he also starred in the huge audience favorite Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009). I'd say a sure list-maker.

Paul Giamatti
Giamatti was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Cinderella Man (2005) and is also known for his roles in the films Private Parts (1997), Sideways (2004), American Splendor (2003), The Illusionist (2006), Cold Souls (2009), Barney's Version (2010), Big Fat Liar (2002), Love & Mercy (2015), Straight Outta Compton (2015), San Andreas (2015) and Win Win (2011), as well as the miniseries John Adams (2008) and Downton Abbey (2013). He has won two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Besides the earlier mentioned films, Giamatti has an impressive resumé as a character actor in a number of modern classics and acclaimed films, including Deconstructing Harry (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Negotiator (1998), Man on the Moon (1999), Shoot 'Em Up (2007), The Last Station (2009), The Ides of March (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Saving Mr. Banks (2013). A sure honorable mention.

Danny Glover
Glover is well known for his leading role as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series, The Color Purple (1985), To Sleep with Anger (1990), and Angels in the Outfield (1994). He also has prominent supporting roles in Silverado (1985), Witness (1985), Predator 2 (1990), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Saw (2004), Shooter (2007), 2012 (2009), Death at a Funeral (2010), Beyond the Lights (2014), and Dirty Grandpa (2016). He also was and is a civil rights and political activist. However, I feel that his overall career is not that impressive; we could exclude him too, but an honorable mention is the highest we can give him.

Jeff Goldblum
Goldblum has received nominations for an Oscar, an Emmy, a Genie and a Drama Desk Award throughout his career and is best known for starring in the highest-grossing films of his era, Jurassic Park (1993) and Independence Day (1996), as well as their respective sequels, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), and Jurassic World 2 (2018). Goldblum starred in films including Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Big Chill (1983) and Into the Night (1985) before coming to the attention of wider audiences in David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986) which earned him a Saturn Award for Best Actor. His other films include The Tall Guy (1989), Deep Cover (1992), Powder (1995), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Cats & Dogs (2001), Igby Goes Down (2002), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Adam Resurrected (2008), Le Week-End (2013) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). A sure honorable mention, possibly even a main lister.

Hugh Grant
Grant has received a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César for his work. Within the film industry, Grant is cited as an anti-star who approaches his roles like a character actor, and attempts to make his acting appear spontaneous. He first received attention after earning the Volpi Cup for his performance in James Ivory's Maurice (1987) but achieved international success after appearing in the Richard Curtis-scripted Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). Grant used this breakthrough role as a frequent cinematic persona during the 1990s, delivering comic performances in films such as Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) and Notting Hill (1999). One of the best known figures in 1990s British popular culture, Grant was in a high-profile relationship with Elizabeth Hurley, which was the focus of much attention in the British and international media. Grant has expanded his oeuvre with critically acclaimed turns as a cad in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), About a Boy (2002), and American Dreamz (2006). Grant later played against type with multiple cameo roles in the epic sci-fi drama film, Cloud Atlas (2012). He's also known for appearing in period pieces such as The Remains of the Day (1993), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Florence Foster Jenkins (2016). Probably a contender for the main list, but definitely an honorable mention.

Hugh Griffith
Griffith won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ben-Hur (1959) and received an additional Oscar nomination in the same category for his work in Tom Jones (1963). He began his film career in British films during the late 1940s, and by the 1950s was also working in Hollywood. Griffith is also one of those well-known British character actors of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, appearing in such films as Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), Gone to Earth (1950), The Beggar's Opera (1953), Exodus (1960), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), How to Steal a Million (1966), Oliver! (1968), The Fixer (1968), and The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971). He probably deserves an honorable mention.

Edmund Gwenn
Gwenn is perhaps best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street (1947), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the corresponding Golden Globe Award. He received a second Golden Globe and another Academy Award nomination for the comedy film Mister 880 (1950). He began his film career in 1916. A notable early role was a recreation of his stage character Hornblower in a silent fim of The Skin Game (1921). Of Gwenn's many British film roles, The Times considered his best-known to be Jess Oakroyd in The Good Companions with John Gielgud and Jessie Matthews (1933) and Radfern in Carol Reed's Laburnum Grove with Cedric Hardwicke (1936). Gwenn appeared in more than eighty films, including Pride and Prejudice (1940), Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941), Of Human Bondage (1946) and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944). George Cukor's Sylvia Scarlett (1935) was his first appearance in a Hollywood film, as Katharine Hepburn's father. Near the end of his career he played one of the main roles in Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry (1955). Deserving of an honorable mention as well.

Cedric Hardwicke
Hardwicke's first appearance in a British film was in 1931, and from the late 1930s he was in great demand in Hollywood. He played David Livingstone opposite Spencer Tracy's Henry Morton Stanley in Stanley and Livingstone in 1939, and also played Judge Jean Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame that same year. In 1940 he played Mr Jones in a screen version of Joseph Conrad's novel Victory. He starred in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), as the unfortunate Ludwig von Frankenstein, alongside Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. Hardwicke played in such films as Les Misérables (1935), King Solomon's Mines (1937), The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), The Winslow Boy (1948), Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948), and Olivier's Richard III (1955). There are lots of other classics in which he played a (supporting) role which aren't mentioned here, so I'd like to refer to his Wikipedia page to check that out. I think he could be on the main list.

Tom Hardy
Hardy's motion picture debut was in Ridley Scott's 2001 action film Black Hawk Down. Hardy's other notable films include the science fiction film Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), the crime film RocknRolla (2008), biographical psychological drama Bronson (2008), sports drama Warrior (2011), Cold War espionage film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), crime drama Lawless (2012), drama Locke (2013), mobster film The Drop (2014), and the biographical western thriller The Revenant (2015), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He portrayed "Mad" Max Rockatansky in the post-apocalyptic film Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), and both of the Kray twins in the crime thriller Legend (2015). He has appeared in three Christopher Nolan films: the science fiction thriller Inception (2010), portrayed Bane in the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and the action-thriller Dunkirk (2017) based on the British evacuation in World War II. Maybe it's a bit too early for an honorable mention, but he could be there.

Woody Harrelson
Harrelson is a two-time Academy Award nominee and has won one Emmy Award out of seven nominations. His breakout role came in 1985, joining the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd, for which he earned five Emmy Award nominations (one win). Some notable film characters include basketball hustler Billy Hoyle in White Men Can't Jump (1992), one-handed bowler Roy Munson in Kingpin (1996), Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games film series (2012-2015), Pepper Lewis in The Cowboy Way (1994), Tallahassee in Zombieland (2009), serial killer Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers (1994), magazine publisher Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), country singer Dusty in A Prairie Home Companion (2006), and magician/mentalist Merritt McKinney in Now You See Me (2013). For The People vs. Larry Flynt and The Messenger (2009), Harrelson earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. One of the definitive Hollywood character actors of the past 25 years with considerable acclaim, so he deserves a place on the main list.

Jack Hawkins
Hawkins, one of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, was best known for his portrayal of military men in films like Angels One Five (1951), The Cruel Sea (1953), Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Ben Hur (1959) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). He also acted in quite a number of other classics, most often in a supporting role. I'm not sure about him; either an honorable mention, or we exclude him. I'd say he is less important than other British Hollywood stars in this section like Gwenn and Hardwicke. I feel he is in the same category as Griffith.

Van Heflin
Heflin played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). Playing a huge variety of roles in both films and on stage, probably his best-known film became the 1953 classic western Shane, in which he co-starred with Alan Ladd. As Joe Starrett, the plain, honest farmer who tries to unite a small community of 'sodbusters' his performance is a bedrock of the film, although it was not recognised among the awards of 1953. Among his other notable film credits are Presenting Lily Mars (1943), The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Possessed (1947), Green Dolphin Street (1947), Act of Violence (1948), The Three Musketeers (1948), Madame Bovary (1949), The Prowler (1951) and 3:10 to Yuma (1957). Maybe an honorable mention, or exclusion.

Jean Hersholt
Hersholt was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi (1937). During his long career in the movies, his roles ran the gamut from early silent villains to secondary parts in which his mild Danish accent and pleasant voice suited him to depict a succession of benevolent fathers, doctors, professors, and European noblemen. In 1939, Hersholt helped form the Motion Picture Relief Fund to support industry employees with medical care when they were down on their luck. The fund was used to create the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, and it led to the creation in 1956 of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Academy Award given to an "individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry". Though often in supporting roles, his filmography is also pretty good: Greed (1924), The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927), Grand Hotel (1932), and Dinner at Eight (1933), for example. But I think he definitely deserves a place on the main list because of his influence as a film star who devotes a lot of his time to charity work.

Stanley Holloway
Holloway is among the key British stage actors of the twentieth century, but he also had a successful film career. He is also mainly a supporting actor, but he acted in many British classics throughout his career: This Happy Breed (1944), The Way to the Stars (1945), Brief Encounter (1945), Hamlet (1948), The Winslow Boy (1948), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Magic Box (1951), The Beggar's Opera (1953), No Love for Johnnie (1961), In Harm's Way (1965), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), and, most notably, My Fair Lady (1964). An honorable mention?

Trevor Howard
After varied stage work, Howard achieved star status with his role in the film Brief Encounter (1945), followed by The Third Man (1949). Howard also starred in The Key (1958, based on a novel by Jan de Hartog), for which he received the Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and in Sons and Lovers (1960), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He was nominated for a BAFTA on four other occasions. and received two other Emmy nominations, one as a lead and the other as a supporting actor. He also received three Golden Globe Award nominations. By the time of Sons and Lovers, Howard had shifted to being a character actor. His later work included such films as Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Father Goose (a rare comedic role) (1964), Morituri (1965), Von Ryan's Express (1965), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Battle of Britain (1969), Ryan's Daughter (1970), The Offence (1972), Superman (1978), and Gandhi (1982). A sure honorable mention, I think.

Pedro Infante
Hailed as one of the greatest actors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Infante is considered an idol of the Latin American people, together with Jorge Negrete and Javier Solís, who were styled as the Tres Gallos Mexicanos (the Three Mexican Roosters). He is probably in the same league as Cantinflas in terms of importance for Mexican cinema, with the only difference that Cantinflas also achieved major Hollywood success with a couple of films. Nevertheless, I feel that Infante also is a sure list-maker.

Derek Jacobi
Though principally a stage actor, Jacobi has appeared in a number of films, including The Day of the Jackal (1973), Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), Gladiator (2000), Gosford Park (2001), The Riddle (2007), The King's Speech (2010), My Week with Marilyn (2011), and Cinderella (2015). Not sure about this one. He could deserve an honorable mention, but he is mainly recognized for his stage work. I'd say we can omit him.

Al Jolson
At the peak of his career, Jolson was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer". In the 1930s, Jolson was America's most famous and highest-paid entertainer. Although he is best remembered today as the star of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927), he later starred in a series of successful musical films throughout the 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II. After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with The Jolson Story (1946), for which Larry Parks played Jolson, with the singer dubbing for Parks. The formula was repeated in a sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949). In 1950, he again became the first star to entertain GIs on active service in the Korean War, performing 42 shows in 16 days. A sure contender for the main list.

Glad to see you back Luuk. Since we are halfway done can you please summarize actors we already in four different categories: List makers, locks for honorable mentions / potential list makers, possible honorable mentions, drop outs? Would be helpful. You of course don't have to fully agree with my verdicts.

Next cluster:

Louis Jourdan
Louis Jouvet
Raúl Juliá
Shintaro Katsu
Michael Keaton
Arthur Kennedy
Shah Rukh Khan
Udo Kier
Alan Ladd
Frank Langella
Jude Law
John Lithgow
Roger Livesey
Paul Lukas
William H. Macy
Herbert Marshall
Dean Martin
Victor Mature

Yeah had another busy weekend. I think I largely agree with your decisions, Tim. Apt breakdowns as well.

List makers
King Baggot
Bourvil
Cantinflas
John Carradine
James Coburn
Chris Cooper
Peter Cushing
Denholm Elliott
Fernando Fernán Gómez
Fernandel
Glenn Ford
Gert Fröbe
Louis de Funès
Richard Gere
Woody Harrelson
Jean Hersholt
Pedro Infante
Al Jolson

Honorable mentions / potential list makers
Don Ameche
Edward Arnold
Lew Ayres
Jean-Pierre Bacri
Alec Baldwin
George Bancroft
Albert Bassermann
Ralph Bellamy
Klaus Maria Brandauer
Jim Broadbent
Charles Bronson
Daniel Brühl
Louis Calhern
Eddie Cantor
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Leslie Cheung
Maurice Chevalier
Sonny Chiba
Bradley Cooper
Brian Cox
James Cromwell
Jeff Daniels
Danny DeVito
Pierre Fresnay
James Garner
Paul Giamatti
Jeff Goldblum
Hugh Grant
Edmund Gwenn
Cedric Hardwicke
Trevor Howard

Possible honorable mentions
Casey Affleck
Antonio Banderas
John Belushi
Albert Brooks
John Candy
Hume Cronyn
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Richard Farnsworth
Stepin Fetchit
Laurence Fishburne
Danny Glover
Hugh Griffith
Tom Hardy
Jack Hawkins
Stanley Holloway

Drop outs
F. Murray Abraham
Harry Andrews
Dan Aykroyd
Lloyd Bridges
Broderick Crawford
Benedict Cumberbatch
Ben Gazzara
Van Heflin
Derek Jacobi

This is how we have divided them until now. Do you also want very short summaries as well, Tim? Maybe one or two sentences? I have the feeling, however, that we largely know what the merits of the actors are by now. Maybe we can do the short summaries if we go on deciding where the actors should end up in the final list.

Thank you for your work Luuk. I am personally more drawn to writing really short summaries but you can write whatever suits your writing style. I would probably flip flop Leslie Cheung and Al Jolson. Both are probably more notable for their singing career rather than acting but Cheung is more acclaimed film actor of two and has stronger body of work in movies.

Louis Jourdan

Popular French actor working in Hollywood for large part of his career. Generally typecast as stereotypical French lover. Best remembered for his roles in Gigi, Letter from Unknown Women, Paradine Case and Octopussy, as villain. Should at least make honorable mentions.

Louis Jouvet

Legendary French theatrical actor with some notable film roles during '30s and '40s. At least honorable mention, maybe more than this.

Raul Julia

Broke through pretty late in life and didn't remain in spotlight for long due to untimely death. Highly regarded at during '80s and early '90s with four Golden Globe nominations, among others. I would say honorable mention.

Shintaro Katsu

Legendary Japanese actor most famous for his recurring role of Zatoichi, blind swordsman. Should at least make honorable mentions.

Michael Keaton

Very popular and quite acclaimed during '80s and then returned into spotlight with his widely praised performance in Birdman. Seems like honorable mention to me.

Arthur Kennedy

One of the greatest American character actors, five Academy nominations to his credit, impressive filmography during '40s
- 60s, less impressive since that. Should make main list.

Shah Rukh Khan

Probably most popular and acclaimed modern Bollywood actor, joint record holder of Filmfare acting awards with eight. Omission from main list.

Udo Kier

Acclaimed German actor, first gained notoriety for leading roles in controversial Paul Morrissey horror films and later developed really strong and diverse body of work as supporting actor, I would say main list worthy.

Alan Ladd

Most famous nowadays for his legendary role in Shane, for a while was among most hyped Hollywood actors, whose role in Man for Hire is said to change how killers were portrayed. Honorable mention I would say.

Frank Langella

More notable for his stage career, he still has some notable supporting roles in films, usually as villains, with his performance as Richard Nixon in Frost / Nixon probably being most acclaimed. Possible honorable mention.

Jude Law

One of more accomplished British actors of this century, already has build great and versatile body of work with roles in Gattaca, Talented Mr. Ripley, A.I., Cold Mountain, Sky Captain and World of Tomorrow, Sherlock Holmes, among others. Pretty good case for being on main list.

John Lithgow

Notable American character actor, whose filmography includes such films as Blow Out, Footloose, World According to Gasp, Terms of Endearment, Shrek, Rise of Planet of Apes and Interstellar. Should at least make honorable mention section.

Roger Livesey

British actor, most remembered for his lead performances in Powell and Pressburger films such as Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, I Know where I Am Going and A Matter of Life and Death. Honorable mention.

Paul Lukas

Popular Hungarian actor working in America for most of his career which spanned more than five decades and included some classics such as Little Ladies, Dodsworth, Lady Vanished, Watch on Reign, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, among others. Probably should be on main list.

William H. Macy

Prominent proponent of practical aestetics character actor, succesfully combining film and TV career, participated in many modern classics including Fargo, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Seabiscuit, among others. Good case for being on main list.

Herbert Marshall

Popular romantic lead during '30s and '40s, later on began taking on more diverse roles, mostly as suppirting actor. Not much in a way of awards but impressive body of work, many classics to his credit. Strong enough for honorable mention.

Dean Martin

Widely popular singer and actor, initially become famous as half of Martin and Lewis duo and later had a successful career on his own. Among more notable films of his were Rio Bravo, Ocean's Eleven and Young Lions. Main list candidate

Victor Mature

One of the most popular actors of '40s and '50s, not too impressive award resume, but his roles in My Darling Clementine and Kiss of Death are generally well received, as well as his comeback performance in After the Fox, where he basically played himself. Probably should be on main list.

Malcolm McDowell
Ewan McGregor
Adolphe Menjou
Burgess Meredith
Ray Milland
John Mills
Tom Mix
Frank Morgan
Eddie Murphy
Jorge Negrete
Leslie Nielsen
Jack Palance
Michael Palin
Eugene Pallette
Anthony Perkins
Gérard Philipe
River Phoenix
Donald Pleasence
Christopher Plummer

Malcolm McDowell

Prolific career, often played villains in genre films, most famous for his role as Alex in A Clockwork Orange. Possible honorable mention.

Ewan McGregor

One of the greatest British actors of last thirty years, broke through his role in Trainspotting and had an interesting career ranging from indies to blockbusters. Should be on main list.

Adolphe Menjou

Popular romantic lead during both silent and sound era, noted for his sense of style on and off screen, some classics to his credit as well. Possible honorable mention

Burgess Meredith

Talanted American character actor, best remembered as Mickey Goldmill from Rocky franchise. Possibly honorable mention worthy


Ray Milland

One of most successful Welsh actors, combining critical acclaim with popular recognition during '40s and '50s, probably best remembered nowadays for his roles in Dial M for Murder and Lost Weekend. Pretty good case for being on main list.

John Mills

Accomplished English actor, with career spanning seven decades who was among most popular and acclaimed in Britain during his prime, notable collaborator of Noel Coward. Probably should be on main list.

Tom Mix

Probably most popular cowboy actor of silent era. If William S. Hart is on main list, he probably should be as well.

Frank Morgan

Character actor best remembered nowadays for his title role in Wizard of Oz, but pretty highly regarded in his prime. I'd be fine with honorable mention.

Eddie Murphy

One of most beloved comedians of '80s, his later career is more polarizing mixing commercial and critical successes with notable flops. I'd say too inconsistent for being on main list and too popular to be omitted.

Jorge Negrete

One of the most significant Mexican actors but probably takes a backseat to Pedro Infante in both popularity and acclaim. I'd say honorable mention.

Leslie Nielsen

Initially serious character actor with successful second career in absurdist comedy, legend of genre. I'd say honorable mention.

Jack Palance

Prominent character actor, specialising on playing sinister characters. Probably deserves honorable mention.

Michael Palin

British comedian, best known for being member of Monthy Python. Quite a few lifetime achievement awards to his credit, possible honorable mention.

Eugene Pallette

Notable leading man during silent era and notable character actor later on, first and foremost associated with Swashbuckler films. Possible honorable mention.

Anthony Perkins

Talented American actor best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Psycho and suffered from typecasting for the rest of his career. I'd say he should be on main list cause he portrayed one of the greatest and most influential movie villains.

Gerrard Philipe

Popular French leading man of '40s and '50s, national icon. Should be on main list.


River Phoenix

Promising talent gone too soon. Cited as influence by numerous actors of following generation, significant cultural recognition as well. Possible list maker but more likely staying in honorable mentions.

Donald Pleasence

British actor, notable for his villainous roles. Build himself impressive body of work over the years including Great Escape, You Only Live Twice, Halloween, Escape from New York, among others. Possible listmaker

Christopher Plummer

Legendary Canadian actor, more notable for his stage career but prolific in movies as well. Probably best remembered for his role as Von Trapp in Sounds of Music, he eventually developed impressive award resume, becoming oldest Oscar winner for supporting role. Possible but not very likely listmaker.

Pete Postlethwaite
Tyrone Power
Richard Pryor
Anthony Quayle
Basil Rathbone
Wallace Reid
Jean Reno
Burt Reynolds
Jean Rochefort
Roy Rogers
Gilbert Roland
Tim Roth
Richard Roundtree
Kurt Russell
Joseph Schildkraut
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Randolph Scott
Naseeruddin Shah
Michael Shannon

Tim, I'd say Fresnay is borderline, definitely a honorable mention but him being on the list will ultimately depend on how many places are still "available". He was one of the big names of the theatrical generation of actors that included Pierre Blanchar, Charles Vanel, Charles Boyer, Pierre Fresnay and Gérard Philipe, and who influenced French acting all the way to the late fifties. His acclaimed was more "international" than some of his fellow countrymen, with Alec Guinness stating that Fresnay was his favorite actor.

And speaking of Gérard Philipe, I think he is a shoe-in and one of the biggest omissions from the initial list.
Because his tragic early death elevated him to mythical status, he was kind of the French version of James Dean, except with a much bigger filmography. He too started as a "matinee idol" then moved on to more complex roles, and even with his limited time on the face of the Earth, his resume is more than impressive, having worked with René Clair, Carné, Ophuls, Autant-Lara, Guitry, Becker, Vadim and Buñuel, among others. Characters such as Caligula, Rodrigue, le Prince de Hombourg or Fabrice del Dongo have become associated with his performances. Everyone from Marcel Pagnol to Michèle Morgan hailed him as the actor of an entire generation. As the young star of the 50's, he was lively, passionate and "innocent", the exact opposite of the more "detached" and modern Belmondo, the star of the next decade....It would have been interesting to see what Philipe himself could have done with the Nouvelle vague guys.
Even nowadays, he is still an absolute icon of not just French cinema, but of French culture in general. It's telling that, in order to commemorate the centenary of French cinema in 1995, the French government chose him, out of all other actors, to be on a series of limited 100 franc coins. He is also part of the "100 Greatest French People" list. There is also a film festival named in his honor as well as a number of theaters and schools in various parts of France. I actually lived in "Rue Gérard Philipe" in Paris for a while. Even in Berlin, there is a cultural center named after him.
A tragic loss and one of the very few actual stars to come out of French cinema...definitely a contender for the top half of the list.