Greatest Screen Performances per Film Actors

[Tim]

Just curious, do we think video game voiceovers should be eligible here? Probably harsh to suggest it in Sam Jackson's case but if we were to make the list for, say, Ray Liotta, think Vice City would need to be featured.

[Tim]

Taking a stab at guys being discussed here (wasn't looking too much into the lists themselves to add a fresh perspective):

Christian Bale (1974-)
1. American Psycho (2000)
2. The Fighter (2010)
3. Vice (2018)
4. American Hustle (2013)
5. Empire of the Sun (1987)
6. The Machinist (2004)
7. The Prestige (2006)
8. The Big Short (2015)
9. Batman Begins (2005)
10. Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Brad Pitt (1963-)
1. Fight Club (1999)
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
3. 12 Monkeys (1995)
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
5. Moneyball (2011)
6. Se7en (1995)
7. Babel (2006)
8. Burn After Reading (2008)
9. Snatch (2000)
10. The Tree of Life (2011)

Russell Crowe (1964-)
1. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
2. Gladiator (2000)
3. The Insider (1999)
4. Cinderella Man (2005)
5. L.A. Confidential (1997)
6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
7. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
8. American Gangster (2007)
9. The Loudest Voice (2019)
10. The Nice Guys (2016)

Ralph Fiennes (1962-)
1. Schindler's List (1993)
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
3. The English Patient (1996)
4. Conclave (2024)
5. Quiz Show (1994)
6. The Constant Gardener (2005)
7. Sunshine (1999)
8. The End of the Affair (1999)
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
10. In Bruges (2009)

Samuel L. Jackson (1948-)
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. Jackie Brown (1997)
3. Jungle Fever (1991)
4. The Hateful Eight (2015)
5. A Time to Kill (1996)
6. Django Unchained (2012)
7. Do the Right Thing (1989)
8. Eve's Bayou (1997)
9. The Incredibles (2004)
10. Unbreakable (2000)

George Clooney (1961-)
1. Up in the Air (2009)
2. The Descendants (2011)
3. Michael Clayton (2007)
4. Syriana (2005)
5. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
6. ER (1994-1999)
7. Out of Sight (1998)
8. Three Kings (1999)
9. From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
10. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Will Smith (1968-)
1. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
3. King Richard (2021)
4. Ali (2001)
5. Concussion (2015)
6. Independence Day (1996)
7. Men in Black (1997)
8. I Am Legend (2007)
9. Hancock (2008)
10. Enemy of the State (1998)

[ManPerson]

I'd move ER up a spot on Clooney's list.

[Dubrow555]

Looks good to me! The Machinist probably should be on the 2004 list at some point, probably an oversight.

[Tim]

Viggo Mortensen (1958-)
1. A History of Violence (2005)
2. Captain Fantastic (2016)
3. Eastern Promises (2007)
4. The Road (2009)
5. Green Book (2018)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
8. A Dangerous Method (2011)
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
10. Falling (2020)

Ryan Gosling (1980-)
1. Half Nelson (2006)
2. Drive (2011)
3. Barbie (2023)
4. Blue Valentine (2010)
5. La La Land (2016)
6. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
7. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
8. The Believer (2001)
9. The Notebook (2004)
10. The Nice Guys (2016)

Willem Dafoe (1955-)
1. Platoon (1986)
2. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
3. At Eternity's Gate (2018)
4. The Lighthouse (2019)
5. The Florida Project (2017)
6. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
7. Antichrist (2009)
8. Wild at Heart (1991)
9. Spider-Man (2002)
10. Poor Things (2024)

Ray Liotta (1954-2022)
1. Goodfellas (1990)
2. Something Wild (1986)
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
4. Cop Land (1997)
5. Unlawful Entry (1992)
6. Narc (2002)
7. Field of Dreams (1989)
8. The Rat Pack (1998)
9. Black Bird (2022)
10. Phoenix (1998)

Alan Rickman (1946-2016)
1. Die Hard (1988)
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
3. Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
4. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
5. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
6. Michael Collins (1996)
7. Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)
8. Something the Lord Made (2004)
9. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
10. Galaxy Quest (1999)

Jeremy Irons (1948-)
1. Dead Ringers (1988)
2. Reversal of Fortune (1990)
3. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
4. Brideshead Revisited (1981)
5. The Mission (1986)
6. The Lion King (1994)
7. Elizabeth I (2005)
8. Georgia O'Keeffe (2009)
9. Watchmen (2019)
10. Damage (1992)

Taking a break from trying to follow the greatest list's order for now (including Ray Liotta).

[Tim]

A few things:

1. I prefer Master > Joker, but I'm curious if it contradicts the current decade list?

Well, the list is out of date. I agree with Man that Master is the more acclaimed of two.

2. Wondering if Tropic Thunder has enough cultural impact to take down Oppenheimer's acclaim win

Oscars aside, not sure if there's an Oppenheimer's acclaim win. Feel Tropic Thunder is more of a career performance for RDJ than Oppenheimer is.

3. Wondering if Eddington would make more sense than "Two Lovers"

Well, Two Lovers does better in terms of acting awards and I don't think Eddington has enough cultural impact/popularity to cancel the gap.

[Tim]

Fredric March (1897-1975)
1. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
2. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
3. Death of a Salesman (1951)
4. The Royal Family of Broadway (1930)
5. A Star Is Born (1937)
6. Inherit the Wind (1960)
7. Seven Days in May (1964)
8. Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
9. Les Misérables (1935)
10. Anthony Adverse (1936)

Jeff Bridges (1949-)
1. The Big Lebowski (1998)
2. Crazy Heart (2009)
3. Starman (1984)
4. True Grit (2010)
5. The Last Picture Show (1971)
6. Hell or High Water (2016)
7. The Fisher King (1991)
8. The Contender (2000)
9. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
10. Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)

James Mason (1909-1984)
1. A Star Is Born (1954)
2. Odd Man Out (1947)
3. Lolita (1962)
4. Georgy Girl (1966)
5. The Verdict (1982)
6. North by Northwest (1959)
7. The Deadly Affair (1967)
8. The Seventh Veil (1945)
9. The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)
10. Julius Caesar (1953)

[ManPerson]

A few things:

1. I prefer Master > Joker, but I'm curious if it contradicts the current decade list?

Well, the list is out of date. I agree with Man that Master is the more acclaimed of two.

2. Wondering if Tropic Thunder has enough cultural impact to take down Oppenheimer's acclaim win

Oscars aside, not sure if there's an Oppenheimer's acclaim win. Feel Tropic Thunder is more of a career performance for RDJ than Oppenheimer is.

3. Wondering if Eddington would make more sense than "Two Lovers"

Well, Two Lovers does better in terms of acting awards and I don't think Eddington has enough cultural impact/popularity to cancel the gap.

I agree on all accounts.

[ManPerson]

Viggo Mortensen (1958-)
1. A History of Violence (2005)
2. Captain Fantastic (2016)
3. Eastern Promises (2007)
4. The Road (2009)
5. Green Book (2018)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
8. A Dangerous Method (2011)
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
10. Falling (2020)

Ryan Gosling (1980-)
1. Half Nelson (2006)
2. Drive (2011)
3. Barbie (2023)
4. Blue Valentine (2010)
5. La La Land (2016)
6. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
7. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
8. The Believer (2001)
9. The Notebook (2004)
10. The Nice Guys (2016)

Willem Dafoe (1955-)
1. Platoon (1986)
2. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
3. At Eternity's Gate (2018)
4. The Lighthouse (2019)
5. The Florida Project (2017)
6. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
7. Antichrist (2009)
8. Wild at Heart (1991)
9. Spider-Man (2002)
10. Poor Things (2024)

Ray Liotta (1954-2022)
1. Goodfellas (1990)
2. Something Wild (1986)
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
4. Cop Land (1997)
5. Unlawful Entry (1992)
6. Narc (2002)
7. Field of Dreams (1989)
8. The Rat Pack (1998)
9. Black Bird (2022)
10. Phoenix (1998)

Alan Rickman (1946-2016)
1. Die Hard (1988)
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
3. Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
4. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
5. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
6. Michael Collins (1996)
7. Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)
8. Something the Lord Made (2004)
9. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
10. Galaxy Quest (1999)

Jeremy Irons (1948-)
1. Dead Ringers (1988)
2. Reversal of Fortune (1990)
3. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
4. Brideshead Revisited (1981)
5. The Mission (1986)
6. The Lion King (1994)
7. Elizabeth I (2005)
8. Georgia O'Keeffe (2009)
9. Watchmen (2019)
10. Damage (1992)

Taking a break from trying to follow the greatest list's order for now (including Ray Liotta).

Id have Spider-Man up two spots as it's Defoe's most iconic role for sure. Other than that it looks really good, fully agree with Dead Ringers as Irons' number one.

[Tim]

James Earl Jones (1931-2024)
1. The Great White Hope (1970)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. The Lion King (1994)
5. The Return of Jedi (1983)
6. Cry, the Beloved Country (1995)
7. Claudine (1974)
8. Field of Dreams (1989)
9. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
10. Gabriel's Fire (1990-1991)

Joe Pesci (1943-)
1. Goodfellas (1990)
2. Raging Bull (1980)
3. The Irishman (2019)
4. Casino (1995)
5. My Cousin Vinny (1993)
6. The Public Eye (1992)
7. The Death Collector (1976)
8. Home Alone (1990)
9. A Bronx Tale (1993)
10. Bupkis (2023)

George Sanders (1906-1972)
1. All About Eve (1950)
2. Journey to Italy (1954)
3. Rebecca (1940)
4. Lloyd's of London (1936)
5. The Moon and Sixpence (1942)
6. Man Hunt (1941)
7. Forever Amber (1947)
8. The Jungle Book (1967)
9. Samson and Delilah (1949)
10. The Black Swan (1942)

[Dubrow555]

I could see Lion King slightly higher for Irons (I was gonna suggest the same for Aladdin & Robbins)

[Dubrow555]

More FUN:

Nic Cage (another challenging one you guys might disagree with):

1. Leaving Las Vegas
2. Adaptation
3. Pig
4. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
5. Raising Arizona
6. Wild at Heart
7. Mandy
8. Moonstruck
9. Vampire’s Kiss
10. Bringing Out the Dead

(alternates: Honeymoon in Vegas, Con Air, The Rock, Face/Off, Peggy Sue Got Married, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure, Ghost Rider, Longlegs)


Matt Damon:

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley
2. The Martian
3. Good Will Hunting
4. The Departed
5. The Bourne Identity
6. The Informant!
7. Behind the Candelabra
8. Invictus
9. True Grit
10. The Rainmaker

(alternates: Air, All the Pretty Horses, Oppenheimer, Ocean’s Eleven, The Bourne Ultimatum)


Kevin Spacey:

1. American Beauty
2. The Usual Suspects
3. Se7en
4. House of Cards
5. L.A. Confidential
6. Glengarry Glen Ross
7. The Shipping News
8. Beyond the Sea
9. Recount
10. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

(alternates: A Bug’s Life, Baby Driver, Casino Jack, The Life of David Gale, Moon, 21)


Bill Murray (unsure whether or not “Saturday Night Live” counts):

1. Lost in Translation
2. Groundhog Day
3. Ghostbusters
4. Rushmore
5. Broken Flowers
6. Caddyshack
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
8. What About Bob?
9. Scrooged
10. Tootsie

(alternates: Get Low, St. Vincent, On the Rocks, Stripes, Zombieland, Hyde Park on Hudson)



*I realized I completely overlooked “The Negotiator" when assembling Sam Jackson’s list - so maybe that should be somewhere?

[Tim]

Charles Laughton (1899-1962)
1. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
2. The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)
3. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
4. The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934)
5. Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
7. The Sign of the Cross (1932)
8. Rembrandt (1936)
9. Vessel of Wrath (1938)
10. Advise & Consent (1962)

Michel Simon (1895-1975)
1. L'Atalante (1934)
2. Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)
3. La Chienne (1931)
4. Port of Shadows (1938)
5. Beauty and the Devil (1950)
6. The Two of Us (1967)
7. The End of the Day (1939)
8. The Head (1959)
9. The Train (1964)
10. Bizarre, Bizarre (1937)

Jean-Louis Trintignant (1930-2022)
1. Amour (2012)
2. The Conformist (1970)
3. Z (1969)
4. Three Colours: Red (1994)
5. My Night at Maud's (1969)
6. The Man Who Lies (1968)
7. A Man and a Woman (1966)
8. And God Created Woman (1956)
9. The Great Silence (1968)
10. Il Sorpasso (1962)

Bill Murray (1950-) (Beaten to the punch by Dubrow)
1. Lost in Translation (2003)
2. Groundhog Day (1993)
3. Ghostbusters (1984)
4. Rushmore (1998)
5. Broken Flowers (2005)
6. Scrooged (1988)
7. On the Rocks (2020)
8. Get Low (2010)
9. St. Vincent (2014)
10. What About Bob? (1991)

Ben Kingsley (1943-)
1. Gandhi (1982)
2. Sexy Beast (2000)
3. House of Sand and Fog (2003)
4. Schindler's List (1993)
5. Bugsy (1991)
6. Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001)
7. Mrs. Harris (2006)
8. Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989)
9. You Kill Me (2007)
10. Elegy (2008)

[Tim]

*I realized I completely overlooked “The Negotiator" when assembling Sam Jackson’s list - so maybe that should be somewhere?

The Negotiator has good credentials but Samuel L. Jackson's list is a pretty strong collection of performances as it is.

[Tim]

Guess I'd be fine with Aladdin and The Lion King bumps.

[Sherick]

Kinda wish there wasn't so much being posted at once

1. Half Nelson (2006)
2. Drive (2011)
3. Barbie (2023)
4. Blue Valentine (2010)
5. La La Land (2016)
6. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
7. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
8. The Believer (2001)
9. The Notebook (2004)
10. The Nice Guys (2016)

I know it got the nod, but I don't think La La Land should be higher than 7. Rest is about perfect.

Willem Dafoe (1955-)
1. Platoon (1986)
2. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
3. At Eternity's Gate (2018)
4. The Lighthouse (2019)
5. The Florida Project (2017)
6. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
7. Antichrist (2009)
8. Wild at Heart (1991)
9. Spider-Man (2002)
10. Poor Things (2024)

I had Shadow and The Lighthouse as the top 2. Platoon I'll grant is iconic, but I'd still have Shadow at the top. I also think No Way Home > Spider-Man, but either one is fine.

[Tim]

Kinda wish there wasn't so much being posted at once

Unusual for DDD 3.0. Anyway, I am cool with taking a break with new lists for a couple of days so everyone can catch up, discuss the existing ones.

[ManPerson]

James Earl Jones (1931-2024)
1. The Great White Hope (1970)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. The Lion King (1994)
5. The Return of Jedi (1983)
6. Cry, the Beloved Country (1995)
7. Claudine (1974)
8. Field of Dreams (1989)
9. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
10. Gabriel's Fire (1990-1991)

Joe Pesci (1943-)
1. Goodfellas (1990)
2. Raging Bull (1980)
3. The Irishman (2019)
4. Casino (1995)
5. My Cousin Vinny (1993)
6. The Public Eye (1992)
7. The Death Collector (1976)
8. Home Alone (1990)
9. A Bronx Tale (1993)
10. Bupkis (2023)

George Sanders (1906-1972)
1. All About Eve (1950)
2. Journey to Italy (1954)
3. Rebecca (1940)
4. Lloyd's of London (1936)
5. The Moon and Sixpence (1942)
6. Man Hunt (1941)
7. Forever Amber (1947)
8. The Jungle Book (1967)
9. Samson and Delilah (1949)
10. The Black Swan (1942)

I'd say Empire is more iconic for Darth Vader than Star Wars for sure.