Favourite thespians?
I’ve had a few.
Maybe a few too many.
Stripping it down to a list of just fifty was no easy thing.
Here you’ll find old school, real old school and not too many new school. Unless of course you count Leonardo DiCaprio as new school, which my money says few people would.
Notable omissions from this list include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pamela Anderson, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and The Hoff (David Hasselhoff). Okay, joking about the last three.
Actors share parts of themselves and the human condition that most of us, most of the time, try to keep hidden. The ones gathered here all manage to lay bare that emotional nakedness while at the same time being captivating and likeable. The innate talent for performing and entertaining shows itself in the way each of these actors move, deliver lines of dialogue and simply just their on-screen presence.
It’s said a great actor can read the phonebook (when we used to have phonebooks) and still hold an audience. That’s how I feel about each of the individuals on this list.
Time to hitch your wagon for the next few minutes to the most star-studded show in town and enjoy the chauffeur-driven ride in all its crazy-gloat glory.
Let the star-athon begin!
1944 –
1937 –
1940 –
1943 –
1921 – 2003
1946 –
An added entry means I should rename this list AREA 51?
1930 –
1949 –
1937 –
1925 –
1921 – 2004
1964 -1997
1918 – 1981
1951 –
1930 –
1925 – 2001
1927 – 2004
1926 – 2017
1950 – 1994
1930 –
1952 – 2009
1923 – 2008
1963 –
1933 –
1915 – 1998
1974 –
1949 –
1916 – 2020 (RIP ‘ol Sparticus)
1925 – 2010
1923 – 2012
1930 – 1980
1899 – 1957
1949 –
1917 – 1997
1927 – 2017
1925 – 1984
1963 –
1940 –
1936 – 2018
1935 – 1991
1956 –
1903 – 2003
1966 –
1908 – 1997
1932 – 1992
1948 –
1950 –
1928 -1998
1913 – 1988
1951 –
1961 –
A. Elvis Presley B. Michael Yorke C. Don Knotts D. Barbara Stanwyck E. Christopher Lee F. James Coburn G. Lea Thompson
Scenic Writer's Shack 
Thoughts on Paul Newman?
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My Top Six Paul Newman films –
(1) The Towering Inferno (1974)
(2) The Color of Money (1986)
(3) Torn Curtain (1966)
(4) Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981)
(5) Rachel, Rachel (1968)
(6) Harry & Son (1984)
** Bonus pick: Cars (2006)
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Glen, you have certainly named all of the most famous (and well deserved) actors of all time – who is there today who will be so long and well-remembered?
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I reckon if you added up the box-office earnings of films starring one particular actor, Tom Hanks (whose name does not feature in this list) would have to come close to being the most successful actor – by that definition of the word ‘successful’ – of the past forty years.
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Excellent list! Happy to see some of my favorite character actors… Charles Durning, Hall Holbrook, Jack Thompson, etc. 🙂
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Thank you.
I’m thinking only either dedicated cinephiles or born Aussies would know the Australian actor Jack Thompson.
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The Man from Snowy River introduced me to Thompson, and I instantly became a fan! Later, Wake in Fright and Breaker Morant reinforced my initial reaction. He’s like the Aussie Ben Johnson: unassuming, natural but charismatic. 🙂
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You’ve definitely mentioned three great films there, especially the last two. SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY (1975) is my other favorite Jack Thompson film.
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I love the Sigourney Weaver is included. I would’ve added George Sanders and Myrna Loy…
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George Sanders is most definitely an inspired choice.
He thoroughly deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) – one of my all-time favorite films. And I’d almost forgotten he played Mr Freeze in the 1960’s Batman television series –
As for Myrna Loy, she appeared in the twilight years of her acting career in one of my most loved comedies, the Burt Reynolds starring THE END (1978). Speaking of which, I always remember this scene where Burt attempts to take a fatal overdose of pills but fails because the milk he tries to down them with is sour…
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Wow. If one doesn’t go into one’s email daily and read everything that’s in there and/or clean it out, one soon finds oneself completely tsunamied by the sheer ocean of accrued content.
Meaning there’s too many people posting stuff and I can’t read it all!
In fact, I find myself wasting a lot of time going through everything. Your blog not included, of course, but I see that you put this up days and days ago. Tsunamied !!! I have to find a better system !!!
That being said…..(sorry about that), it’s so nice to see a list of familiar faces from the past, especially many names that would just get a blank stare from most people 35ish and under. Like, COME ON, people, really? You don’t know who Humphrey Bogart is ??!!!
I’ve never had anything against Al Pacino, but I DO think he was a little over the top in Heat and when he and DeNiro did their scene together in the restaurant, I felt like DeNiro outshined the “trying too hard” Pacino by leaps and bounds! My opinion only. I’m sure a lot of people would disagree.
But OMG, Anthony Hopkins….I just saw Remains of the Day again for the first time in about 15 years. Oh my god, Hopkins….
I just have no words. He was amazingly, wonderfully, fantastically and subtly SO subdued at the same time that he was full of almost overflowing (but rarely allowed to) angst. He was great. The movie depressed the HELL out of me. I forgot how depressing it was, LOL !!! But he was just great. Emma Thompson, too. But she, of course, was not the star.
Interesting that you have Chris Farely on your list! I guess I haven’t seen enough of his movies. He probably has great comic timing, I assume. But as was said above, yeah, I’m not familiar with Jack Thompson, or another one, Steven Grives. But I have found that Australian actors are fantastic. They seem to be natural actors like the British. We often love a certain character in an American movie, right, and we’re like “Wow, he/she’s a really good actor,” and turns out when we look them up, they’re British. And we’re like, “Of COURSE.” No wonder. Not that there aren’t great American actors, obviously, but I haven’t seen that many natural ones popping up left and right over here.
Anyway, great list, and very, very sorry for the novel here.
I have to leave now with my life vest on and dive back into the swirling ocean of overflowing emails !!!
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Ha ha!
I’ll read your ‘novels’ any day Stacey!
Of course I know you’ve actually written one – unlike 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the general population and 95% of the purported writing community.
Thanks for praising the list and making such interesting observations about some of the actors and their films.
For a dedicated cinephile, talking film is one of life’s pleasures.
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Yeah, same here. It’s a little embarrassing, though, that when you have your list of books posts I only know half of them, maybe even less. But with actors I know them ALL. It’s disgusting! I’m disgusting! I should know about every single book ever written, lol !!
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Tee hee!
If you knew about every single book ever written you’d likely be a 2000-year-old Grand Master librarian with a grey flowing beard the length of the river Nile (which would look pretty strange on you!) and an accompanying IQ approaching triple Einstein’s. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone!
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Glen I don’t know how you could possibly do this. Top 50. The thought of trying to do any type of these lists has my eyes blinking, I begin talking in tongues whilst steam shoots out of my ears. Making a mess “down below” isn’t out of the question either!
But there you go without a care in the world. A list of 50. A different list than most would expect! Slight curve balls thrown into the mix for good measure.
Good call with Jack Thompson. Wake In Fright, Sunday Too Far Away and Ground Zero have all scored well and gained review write ups over at Wolfies. Plus Breaker Morant is fantastically acted.
I like that Lee Remick made the list. I like her more and more each time I see her on the screen.
GREAT to see John Candy in there. A god among men.
To be honest I wouldn’t know where to start. Clint Eastwood would be top 5 as he’s shaped my whole life in film.
Fun list buddy. I applaud you for taking on the task and I like the image jokes too. 🙂
My Jack Thompson reviewed films.
https://wolfmanscultfilmclub.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/sunday-too-far-away-1975/
https://wolfmanscultfilmclub.wordpress.com/2017/05/15/wake-in-fright-1971-the-greatest-australian-film/
https://wolfmanscultfilmclub.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/ground-zero-1987-cold-war-in-the-outback/
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Glad to know at least a few others recognized my ‘curve-ball’ inclusions. ‘WAKE IN FRIGHT’ (1971) and ‘SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY’ (1975) are definitely two of my favourite Jack Thompson films so heading over now to check out your reviews.
This is a trailer for Jack Thompson’s latest film HIGH GROUND –
and his latest latest film NEVER TOO LATE –
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Never Too Late – Haha “There’s nothing wrong with my memory” LOL. Big and bizarre cast.
High Ground – That looks very good indeed. That’s gonna pull at the heartstrings, that’s for sure.
Good to see ole Jack T still making films. Funny also to see him credited to Short Circuit “Johnny five alive!”. Good one for a pub quiz. Credited as party guest! I wonder if he even says anything. LOL
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What about Chips Rafferty?? We new a few b-graders in the teaching fraternity in the Straits!
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The Aussie actor Chips Rafferty (1909 – 1971) was absolutely in some classic films, among them –
THE DESERT RATS (1953) starring Richard Burton
THE SUNDOWNERS (1960) starring Robert Mitchum
THE WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY (1960) starring Jack Lemmon
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1962) starring Marlon Brando
DOUBLE TROUBLE (1967) starring Elvis Presley
SKULLDUGGERY (1970) starring Burt Reynolds
WAKE IN FRIGHT (1971) starring Jack Thompson
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