The Best Male Actors Of The Last 50 Years

[The Lounge Lizard]

No TV shows, just movies. This is an opinion piece as you can't quantify an actor's performances. It doesn't matter if someone has won six Oscars or made over 150 movies. Here are mine, in no particular order.

TOP THREE

Anthony Hopkins
Jack Nicholson
Sean Connery

NEXT BEST

Michael Caine
Robert de Niro
Johnny Depp
Dustin Hoffman

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Donald Sutherland
Tom Hanks
Liam Neeson
Mads Mikkelsen
Jason Statham
Al Pacino

I left many great actors off the list as you can only put in so many. I have also disregarded actors who are complete arseholes in public life and those who are wannabe tough guys with little or no acting ability.

Go ahead and add to the list.

 

[Nuke]

I'd suggest Morgan Freeman. He'd be up there somewhere.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

1. Daniel Day Lewis.

 

[The Lounge Lizard]

1. Daniel Day Lewis.

He was on the short list. Good choice.

 

[The Lounge Lizard]

I'd suggest Morgan Freeman. He'd be up there somewhere.

It seems like he is in every second movie on FTA.

But the actor with the most movies to his credit is Samuel L. Jackson.

 

[mongoose]

Gotta have Willem Dafoe Denzel Washington, Christian Bale

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Adam Sandler
Hayden Christiansen
Rob Schneider
Vin Diesel
David Spade

 

[The Lounge Lizard]

Vin Diesel

No, no, no, no, no!

He's one of the wannabe tough guys mentioned in my OP.

 

[Wizardman]

TOP THREE

Edward Norton
Mickey Rourke (in phases of his career)
Robert De Niro

UNDERRATED

Christopher Reeve = Both in the superb way he played Superman / Clark Kent as well as his other work. Magnificent actor that never got proper kudos for his other work.

Three men who at their best, absolutely grip the screen and not let go. It is a shame that two of those guys have had such shaky careers.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

Gene Hackman should be either on top or in top 3


my current fave is Sam Rockwell

 

[horrie hastings]

Gene Hackman should be either on top or in top 3

He would definitely make most top 5 lists.

 

[horrie hastings]

Paul Newman has to be in there somewhere.

 

[horrie hastings]

Going back a bit over 50 years but Claude Rains.

 

[horrie hastings]

Michael Douglas

 

[The Lounge Lizard]

Gene Hackman, Paul Newman and Michael Douglas are all worthy inclusions and feature in most top actors lists but Claude Rains I'm not too familiar with. He's been dead for over 50 years.

 

[Matua]

WTF people, 15 posts and no mention of Brando.

Actually from The Godfather alone John Cazale and Robert Duvall are two others who rate highly.

 

[gUt]

I always believe Brad Pitt and Woody Harrelson

 

[horrie hastings]

Gene Hackman, Paul Newman and Michael Douglas are all worthy inclusions and feature in most top actors lists but Claude Rains I'm not too familiar with. He's been dead for over 50 years.

Yeah i mentioned Claude Raines before i read the thread properly with you saying actors in the last 50 years.
Claude was back from the Golden era of Hollywood.

 

[The Lounge Lizard]

Yeah i mentioned Claude Raines before i read the thread properly with you saying actors in the last 50 years.
Claude was back from the Golden era of Hollywood.

No worries Horrie. It's good to be back on LU.

 

[horrie hastings]

No worries Horrie. It's good to be back on LU.

Its good to have you back mate , was going to send you a private message a few months back but thought you might have left the site for good and you wouldn't have seen it. Hope things are ok with you now.