What actors are always good?

Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Patrick Stewart
Dame Judy Dench
David Tennant
Lucille Ball
And so many more.

Michael Caine.
Alan Rickman.
Sir Ian Mcke—
—@Hawaii_Jake stole the rest of my list.

I’ll also add Ian Holm, Viggo Mortensen, and Cate Blanchett.

Joseph Gordon Levitt. I’ve yet to see him in a bad role. I’m probably a little biased because 3rd Rock from the Sun is one of my favorite sitcoms.

That damn Meryl Streep. Oh, and Nicholson.

Say “my cocaine” with a British accent.

As much as I hate to admit it both Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp have very rarely disappointed me.

Kathy Bates is Gawd.

Bruce Campbell is outstandingly good at poor acting.

Dennis Hopper was fantastic because he played Dennis Hopper in every movie he was in.

Jack Nicholson just plain gives me such a man boner that I am unable to not like his roles.

there are plenty more but i haven’t had enough to drink to remember them yet

Mine’s a long list, but I just can’t leave any of them out….

Jack Nicholson
Robert De Niro
Daniel Day Lewis
Alan Rickman
Al Pacino
Denzel Washington
Tom Hanks
Morgan Freeman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Samuel L. Jackson
Edward Norton
John Malkovich

I always enjoy John Goodman’s performances, but to me he always plays….John Goodman…

Oh! How could I forget James Spader! Gods, I love him.
+1 for Bruce Campbell.
Paul Giamatti
Ralph Fiennes

The hardest thing about lists like these, is that if an actor is really really great, you’ll forget it was them in the role. It’s just “Y’know, the kid who played Amadeus!” because I have no earthly idea who that was.

@Blondesjon – I know you’re a beer guy, but I’m into some pinot noir tonight. Want some?

Only if it comes is a camo bottle and has a screw cap lid.

Haha. It’s a $10 bottle of Gnarley Tree, and got me $0.25 per gallon off my next fill-up.

Number 1 in my book is Harrison Ford.

Han Solo ??.....Really ???

@SQUEEKY2 . . . I can’t forgive him for Cowboys Vs Aliens.

I’ve seen both Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig on stage on Broadway, neither has ever disappointed me.

Patrick Stewart

Amy Acker.
Summer Glau.
Steve Buscemi.
Mark Sheppard.

Lots of great contemporary names here so I’m gong to list some really old ones including John Garfield, Greg Peck, Lee J. Cobb, H. Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Theresa Wright, and a fellow with huge range when was a kid, Mickey Rooney. And so many other old timers.

Christopher Walken
Paul Rudd
...still thinking of others

@Blondesjon ,What you didn’t like him in that movie?? Don’t blame him for a bad movie he was still good.

Robert Shaw
Martin Balsam
Rod Steiger

Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan I am so excited to see them Saturday! Have I mentioned that?

In addition to most of the others listed above, I also like Joaquin Phoenix

Keanu Reeves

Robert Duvall
Stellan Skarsgard
Elias Koteas
Cary Elwes (Shut up, I LOVE HIM, and I’ve never watched that awful “horror” movie)

Philip Seymour Hoffman?

@Seek_Kolinahr

Aaaaaaas youuuu wiiiiiiiiiish…...

(and Mozart was played by Tom Hulce)

Methinks you are joking @ragingloli, but the guy does good things with the money he earns. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=102572

Tommy Wiseau

What no Quentin Tarantino fans? I love how twisted he is.

Emily Watson
Michael Gambon
Bill Nighy
Tom Courteney
Maggie Smith

Catherine Keener

I did not consciously or intentionally leave women off my list, and there are of course many fantastic ones.

I think that Cate Blanchett is Australian ( ? ), so her very authentic U.S. accents (Southern in ‘The Gift’, and typical Long Island broad as John Cusak’s wife in ‘Pushing Tin’) really got my attention…

Tilda Swinton too.

James Cagney

On the men’s side – Tom Hanks

On the women’s side – Meryl Streep

Although there are many more wonderfully talented actors & actresses out there, these two immediately stand out in my mind.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room Great choice!!!!!!!!. White Heat is one of my favs.

Amy Adams
Johnny Depp If you forgive Nightmare on Elm Street, which I do.

And honestly, most of these folks could have skated on looks, but seriously, they’re really good.

Colin Farrell
Heath Ledger
Mark Ruffalo
Peter Dinklage
Lee Pace
Ellen Page
Robert Downey Jr.
Paul Dano
Chloe Moritz
Sam Rockwell
Guy Pierce
Ben Foster
Paul Franco
John Hurt
Gary Oldman 
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Anton Yelchin

Not to say they’re always in good movies, but I’ve never seen them suck even when everything else does. Though Guy Pierce may not have been in a single bad movie. I really don’t know how he cold have managed that but I’ve seen an awful lot of his and there wasn’t a rotten one in the lot.

Harrison Ford
Sean Connery
Kevin Costner (he’s had some box office bombs, but his acting is always superb)
Robert Vaughn
Cate Blanchett
Kris Kristofferson

Oh man, how could I overlook Robert Downey, Jr. ??

OK, my list above is already too long, so please cross-out Philip Seymour Hoffman and insert Robert Downey, Jr.

Thank you.

Will post my answer first, then go back and look at everyone else’s picks. I’m sure we’ll probably have some duplicates. I’m just throwing these out as my mind thinks of them, no order for favorites (you all know my 3 favorites) these are all just great actors. I’m also including actors who have passed away.

Judy Densch

Patricia Routledge

Donald Pleasence

Mark Harmon

Nigel Hawthorne

Gene Hackman

Alan Rickman

Anthony Hopkins

Nathan Lane

Fran Drescher

Julian Fellowes

Juliette Lewis

Bob Newhart

Maggie Smith

Martin Clunes

Johnny Galeki

Jane Lynch

Morgan Freeman

Johnny Lee Miller

Julie Andrews

Leonard Nimoy

Michael Caine

Hugh Grant

Shirley Temple

Robert Hardy

Ben Kingsley

Alan Arkin

Gene Wilder

Emma Thompson

Anyone who said Michael Caine, he admits himself he made some shit movies.
One turkey was The Swarm, he only accepted the role because he wanted to buy his mother a new house, refreshingly honest our Michael.

Many, maybe most jellies won’t know who this actor is, but if you’ve ever seen a movie from the ‘40s or ‘50s with a kid in it, chances are it was Dean Stockwell. He as in dozens of well-known films from “Anchor’s Away” (‘44), “Gentleman’s Agreement (‘47) and “The Boy with Green Hair” (‘47) to “Compulsion” (‘59), “Blue Velvet” (‘86) and two new ones still in post-production.He’s been all over TV since he ‘50s, in every major series including Star Trek, Bonanza, The Hitchcock Hour, and so many more—oh, and he co-starred in “Quantum Leap.”

As an adult he’s played characters of every stripe, but it’s as a kid he REALLY shined. Watch him in “Boy with the Green Hair,” “The Secret Garden” and perhaps especially in “Gentleman’s Agreement” and you’ll be impressed by what an amazing actor he is.

@Kardamom Thank you for reminding me about Johnny Lee Miller. Please scratch Edward Norton from my list and insert the great Mr. Miller….

P.S. Fran Drescher ?......Really ??

@ucme I don’t doubt it, since he’s been in a million things. But, in every one I have seen, he’s been top-notch.

However, as awesome as I think Liam Neeson is, good gods has he put out some shite movies.

OH!! Speaking of Liam Neeson, I have to add Cillian Murphy to my list.

If you haven’t seen Breakfast on Pluto yet, drop what you’re doing and watch it. Now.

Tons of actors have made the odd shite film, nowt new there, but I remember Caine in particular because he made me laugh with his candid assessment.
Jaws the Revenge, he more or less did in his fucking sleep.

Liam Neeson says there are many movies he’s made that he will never watch, and never intended to when he was making them. But he wasn’t going to turn down their money.

I still liked The Grey…tee-hee

That. movie. was. AWFUL.

Yeah, you said…once, hence the giggle.

Billy Bob Thornton, loved him in A Simple Plan.

@OneBadApple If you can get past her funny voice, she is one of the most talented comedic actresses of all time. In my opinion, surpassing Lucille Ball, but definitely giving Lucy the nod. Not only did she star in The Nanny, she also wrote produced and directed some of the epsiodes with her ex husband Peter Marc Jacobsen.

She is currently starring in a show called Happily Divorced that is based upon her life and after life with her husband. It’s a very funny show, and her TV husband is played by John Michael Higgens, who you might remember from the movies Best In Show and A Mighty Wind.

Fran was also involved with the producers who made those 2 movies, you might recall that she played band manager Bobbi Flekman in This is Spinal Tap (scroll to 1:30)

Fran has been a great advocate for gay rights and for people suffering from cancer.

Her husband, came out as a gay man, shortly after the ending of The Nanny, although the couple still loved each other, they got divorced and Fran learned everything she could about gay people, and now she is one of the greatest advocates for the LGBT community. You can hear what she and her ex husband have to say Here

She is also active in the anti-cancer movement and she created a foundation called Cancer Schmancer to get the word out to people about early detection and treatment. She recovered from having uterine cancer. Now she is very pro-active in helping women get information and early (and correct) diagnoses for cancer. You can listen to Fran talking about this subject Here

Fran is also an Animal Protection Advocate and you can hear in this clip, that her real voice, is actually pretty normal, she accentuates the Queen’s accent for comedic effect on The Nanny.

At first, I thought, like a lot of people, that here is this woman with a funny voice and I have no interest in that. My SO started watching The Nanny about 3 years ago, on re-runs and he urged me to watch it. I was skeptical, but after one episode, I was hooked. It’s a very intelligent, very funny and very sweetly romantic comedy.

She also does the voice of Mrs. Frankenstein in the recent animated movie Hotel Transylvania.

Plus she is one of the most Beautiful Women in the world.

There are countless thousands of actors who were and are always good. They are the background actors or extras. We rarely know their names (although my mother, a serious movie addict, was especially adept at knowing who they were and often pointed them out to me), but often their faces are familiar because they appeared in so many films. Unheralded as these men and women are, their presence in movies, especially serious ones, bring the stories to life.

@Kardamom

OK then, final score

Fran Drescher… 100
Kardamom…..... 100
Me….................Zee-ro.

The late, always great James Whitmore. His last screen appearance was as the old librarian inmate Brooks in “Shawshank Redemption.”
I once saw him in person giving an amazing lecture on acting.

I want a raven named Jake…

@OneBadApple I just wanted to defend my lady : )

…...and defend her you did, knocking me to the canvas with a very well-placed verbal right cross.

(......Where….....where AM I ?? )

@OneBadApple Ha Ha! She’ll grow on you, if you give her a chance. The romance between her character and Maxwell Sheffield (played by Charles Shaugnessy one of the hottest Brits you’ll ever see) on The Nanny is the stuff of soft porn dreams. And it’s a very slow burn, flirty, will they or won’t they ever get together story. The Butler Niles, and Maxwell’s assistant CC, who loathe each other, are hilarious. Give it a go. You can see them all for free on You Tube.

Here’s a List of the shows in order so you can look them up.

Fredric March, who played just about every kind of movie role possible—from handsome leading men in the ‘20s to doctors, lawyers, husbands, businessmen, a president, Christopher Columbus, even the devil all the way up to the ‘70s. If it was a March performance it was a good one, always.

I’m also adding Walter Huston to the list (John Huston’s father, Anjelica Huston’s granddad). Unbilled, he played the old sea captain who stumbles into Sam Spade’s office holding a package, which was the Maltese Falcon, and many, many other roles in the ‘30s-‘50s. A great, great actor.

He’s GREAT in “White Heat,” isn’t he @Adirondackwannabe. That scene in the prison when he goes crazy in the lunchroom… and when he “ventilates” the trunk of his car. I don’t think the guy EVER gave a bad performance, right up to the end (“Ragtime”).

Christian Bale, he is so versatile and all of his roles are still amazing.

Bale was a horrible batman.

But if you compare American Psycho, The Machinist and The Prestige for example, he is very very different in all these movies and all of them are great.

Bale’s teeth scare me.

Aww, shit. I got a whole list of stuff to do today, and now I gotta add “Check out Bale’s teeth….”

@OneBadApple I’m going there now.

OK, I just tried to find some photos. Apparently Christian Bale had really scary looking teeth, but he’s since had them fixed and they looked fine in all the pictures I looked at. Maybe Seek can post one pre-fix.

Thank you, @Kardamom, you probably are saving me some time here.

Today I cut down two thick trees, repaired an ailing toilet tank, washed all the windows and took Mrs. Apple food shopping.

So I still haven’t gotten to go on the ‘Bale’s teeth’ expedition….

P.S. If photos of the ‘scary’ teeth exist, it won’t surprise me if SK knows where to find them…

Jeff Bridges. Extremely versatile actor.

GET OFF THE STAGE, Pachy…

NO! It’s the post-fix teeth that scare me.

Christian Bale – with adorable natural teeth

*shenanigans *

Scary-ass new teeth

Christian Bale looks like a wannabe Bear Grylls.

I don’t know….they look like the same damn teeth to me.

Are you sure you aren’t just being influenced by that turtleneck sweater ?

Hmmmm, I thought his teeth looked fine in both pictures, but then again, I don’t mind me some crooked teeth, after all I love Martin Clunes : P

The new teeth are PERFECTLY white, PERFECTLY straight, and don’t match his face.

I’m rather a fan of imperfect teeth. ^_^

@Kardamom Nice photo….which one is Clunes ?

Seek, have you ever considered moving to England ?
(just sayin’)

I’m British in all but citizenship. ^_^

@OneBadApple Hee Hee. When I was a teenager, my cousin and I were going to form an all girl’s rock band based on the Bay City Rollers, and we were of course going to move to England and be rock stars.

Now, I just watch a lot of British TV shows, eat clotted cream, and swoon : )

@Kardamom Yeah, when I was a teenager, I thought I WAS John Lennon….then I grew up to be more like…..Jack Lemmon.

@Seek Kolinahr OK that might tie-in to the fan-of-imperfect-teeth thing

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room Awww, come back, man…..I was just tryin’ to be funny there…

Robert Duvall

(Loved him in “Low Down”)

Oh yeah…..Duvall…..damn, forgot about him…..damn….

awww, screw it, I’m not replacin’ any more of my list guys…

All Americans are obese…#onebadcliche

Those are both stereotypes, not cliches…

@Mama_Cakes Yes! Robert Duvall is consistently excellent. (Did you mean “Get Low”?)

Or put another way, you were talking crap…

Ah, can it, ye limey bugger. ^_^

Butt out trekkie :P

@janbb Yes, right! Get Low! :)

I don’t think Christian Bale is a great actor. He was remarkably good in The Fighter, but his work in Public Enemy was so awful, it was laughable. There are moments where, I swear, he must be trying to remember his lines. As a child actor, he was pretty good in “Empire of the Sun”, but you don’t always have Speilberg helping you.

Spielberg.

(gotcha)

@filmfann I though he burned the house down around Hugh Jackman in The Prestige though.

I couldn’t believe Bale wasn’t mentioned for quite awhile… and then the big topic is his teeth?!? Christian Bale has had my vote since ‘Newsies.’ Yeah, ok, every movie can’t be epic, but he is one of the most prolific character actors out there. No one has a handle on accents the way he does, either. Undeniable talent.

Johnny Depp, Ed Norton, Patrick Swayze, Samuel Jackson, Robert Redford.

Women are harder… Julie Andrews, Halle Berry, Natalie Portman. Helena Bonham Carter.
Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems women have fewer formidable roles throughout their careers. Halle, for example, as far as acting goes, knocked it out of the park in Monster’s Ball, but for the most part her career is fluff stuff. Untapped potential, I guess. It would be easier for me to pick specific roles than bodies of work for most women.

@GloPro There just aren’t as many meaty roles for women as men the way most movies are written. You’ve got the same issue with non white actors though you can shift some of the blame in that case on to casting.

Even Clint Eastwood’s worst movies were good and always well-acted. And for women, Cate Blanchett is superb.

@fundevogel Luckily for women, and us movie viewers here in the U.S., there are lots of meaty roles for women, especially older women, in the U.K. Look at the movies and careers of Judy Dench, Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett, Eilleen Atkins, Emma Thompson, Carey Mulligan, Vanessa Redgrave and Tilda Swinton.

Too bad the U.S. can’t seem to appreciate the talent of female actors, rather than just their beauty (which is subjective in reality, but narrowed down to skeletal young girls with large fake boobs by Hollywood). In the U.S. you practically gotta be Meryl Streep to continue to get cast in movies after you’ve turned 40.

@Kardamom I’m having a hard time thinking of even one known American actress near Meryl Streep’s age. Jessica Lange. Ok, now I’m stuck. Jessica Lange is pretty badass though.

@fundevogel Diane Keaton is around that same age, and she’s fantastic. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen was Something’s Gotta Give