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Top 5 Acting performances of all time

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Been scrolling through the various movie /actor threads and it got me thinking of what I would view as the single best acting performances of all time. Regardless of the quality of the ACTUAL film, just the character's performance.

Off of the top of my head (no particular order)

 

Anthony Hopkins- Silence of the Lambs (Chilling)

Jeff Bridges- True Grit (blew me away. Loved his character)

Leonardio DiCaprio- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (I truly hated the movie, but was astonished at his acting)

Ed Norton- Primal Fear (again.... masterful and chilling)

Robert De Niro- Awakenings (Ok, of ALL the DeNiro roles, I found this one to be his best.... Cape Fear would be next!)

 

Critique away, just be sure to put up your top 5.

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Haven't seen any of those movies...

 

 

Tip..... they are the ones OUTSIDE of the Squeeky-Door-room at your local video store!

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Kevin Spacey - A Beautiful Mind, The Usual Suspects

Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman - Shawshank Redemption (Also adds to my hatred of Tom Hanks who won the Oscar that year for best actor for Forrest focking Gump)

Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain (I literally didn't even know it was her until halfway through and I checked the DVD box. Small role but she was so good in it)

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Kevin Spacey - A Beautiful Mind, The Usual Suspects

Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman - Shawshank Redemption (Also adds to my hatred of Tom Hanks who won the Oscar that year for best actor for Forrest focking Gump)

Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain (I literally didn't even know it was her until halfway through and I checked the DVD box. Small role but she was so good in it)

 

 

I don't remember Kevin Spacey in A Beautiful Mind....:unsure:

 

Cuckoo's Nest is one of my all-time favorite films. I've always thought you could take the entire group of lunatics and give them an Oscar for best ensembles ever. Just incredible performances by everybody in that movie.

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I don't remember Kevin Spacey in A Beautiful Mind....:unsure:

 

 

LMAO. I meant American Beauty. My brain is officially fried.

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Daniel Day Lewis: Gangs of New York/There Will Be Blood

Javier Bardem: No Country For Old Men

Anthony Hopkins: Silence of the Lambs

Ben Kingsley: Ghandi

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I haven't seen a lot of the older stuff, so I guess this is a little more recent list.

 

Heath Ledger - Dark Knight

Al Pacino - Scarface

Jeff Bridges - True Grit

Denzil Washington - Training Day

Daniel Day Lewis - Gangs of New York

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I haven't seen a lot of the older stuff, so I guess this is a little more recent list.

 

Heath Ledger - Dark Knight

Al Pacino - Scarface

Jeff Bridges - True Grit

Denzil Washington - Training Day

Daniel Day Lewis - Gangs of New York

 

That's a good list

 

Jack Nicholson- A Few Good Men

Robert Shaw-Jaws

Anthony Hopkins-Silence of the Lambs

Charlize Theron-Monster

Clint Eastwood-Unforgiven

 

Also DeNiro for Goodfellas

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Jack Nicholson: The Shining

Heath Ledger: Dark Knight

Christian Bale: The Fighter

Sean Penn: Mystic River

Robert Deniro: Raging Bull

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Sean Penn: Mystic River

:thumbsup:

 

Forgot about him in the actors thread. That performance especially, and a couple others should earn him a spot.

I use to have a thing for him but his actual personality got in the way.

 

Hmmm, would really have to think about this, so these just come to mind now:

 

Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland

Emma Thompson in Wit

Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County (example why)

Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan

Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth

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Jackie Gleason (Smokey & The Bandit) :first:

Can't believe I missed him on the other thread.

 

Joe Pesci (Goodfellas) Dwight Yoakam (Sling Blade)

 

Ian McShane (Deadwood)

 

Ed Norton (American History X)

 

Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs)

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Anthony Hopkins - Silence of the Lambs

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Tom Hanks - Saving Private Ryan

Jack Nicholson - A Few Good Men

 

The fifth spot I'm leaving open for when I think of one later. :thumbsup:

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Asia carrrera in a is for asia. You really really believe she's coming. Riveting performance.

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Jackie Gleason (Smokey & The Bandit) :first:

Can't believe I missed him on the other thread.

 

Joe Pesci (Goodfellas) Dwight Yoakam (Sling Blade)

Ian McShane (Deadwood)

 

Ed Norton (American History X)

 

Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs)

 

 

 

Great Performance

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Gary Busey - Surviving the Game (one particular scene)- Busey should have won an oscar or emmy or whatever for this:

 

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Leonardio DiCaprio- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (I truly hated the movie, but was astonished at his acting)

 

 

Might as well throw in

 

Cuba Gooding Jr (Radio)

Sean Penn (I Am Sam)

Jodi Foster (Nell)

Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind)

 

Very convincing. I have Rainman a small notch below these 4 in the retard category.

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Asia carrrera in a is for asia. You really really believe she's coming. Riveting performance.

 

Not gonna lie, never found her THAT attractive. I was more of a Kobe Tai fan

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Not gonna lie, never found her THAT attractive. I was more of a Kobe Tai fan

 

Kobe Tai was fockin' hot! :wub:

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Deniro - Raging Bull

Brando - On the Waterfront

Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico

Paul Newman- Cool Hand Luke

George C. Scott - Patton

Jack Nicholson- One flew over the cuckoos nest and Chinatown

 

I can't count but those are some that come to mind.

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Wow... just focking wow. Anyone ever hear that there was a time before 1980?

 

 

Jimmy Stewart - Mr. Smith goes to Washington

Henry Fonda - The Ox-Bow Incident

Lionel Barrymore - It's a Wonderful Life

Spencer Tracy - Inherit the Wind

Maureen O'Hara - How Green was My Valley

John Wayne - The Shootest

Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond

William Holden - Stalag 17

Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke

 

 

There are soooo many more.

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Deniro - Raging Bull

Brando - On the Waterfront

Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico

Paul Newman- Cool Hand Luke

George C. Scott - Patton

Jack Nicholson- One flew over the cuckoos nest and Chinatown

 

I can't count but those are some that come to mind.

 

 

:thumbsup:

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Kevin Spacey - Usual Suspects ... on of the most classic endings ever.

Edward Norton - Primal Fear - He is one of the most under used actors around

Tom Hanks - Forest Gump - not my favorite movie but a great acting job

Robert DeNiro - Raging Bull -- damn you could make a top 5 lists with just his roles.

Denzel Washington - Training Day

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I'm the farthest thing from a film aficionado, but a few that come to mind that were were incredible not mentioned:

 

Dustin Hoffman - Kramer v. Kramer

Jack Lemon - 12 Angry Men

Al Pacino - Godfather II

Joe Pesci - My Cousin Vinny (no seriously)

Yul Brynner - 10 Commandments

 

 

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#1 Curtis Armstrong 'booger' - Revenge of the Nerds.

2 Rodney Dangerfield - Caddyshack

3 Hopkins - SoTL

4 Johnny Depp - Blow

5 Mugatu (Ferrell) - Zoolander

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Joe Pesci - My Cousin Vinny (no seriously)

Nice call, although points taken away bc of the fact the guy is basically playing himself... Same fate for Dangerfield in Caddyshack for me, knocks him down a rung or so.

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I'm the farthest thing from a film aficionado, but a few that come to mind that were were incredible not mentioned:

 

Dustin Hoffman - Kramer v. KramerTootsie

Jack Lemon - 12 Angry Men

Al Pacino - Godfather II

Joe Pesci - My Cousin Vinny (no seriously)

Yul Brynner - 10 Commandments

 

 

Fixed

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5 - TIE - Beavis/Butt-Head - Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

4 - Barney Rubble - The Man Called Flinststone

3 - Homer Simpson - The Simpsons Movie

2 - Buzz Lightyear - Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3

1 - Satan - South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

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Been scrolling through the various movie /actor threads and it got me thinking of what I would view as the single best acting performances of all time. Regardless of the quality of the ACTUAL film, just the character's performance.

Off of the top of my head (no particular order)

 

Anthony Hopkins- Silence of the Lambs (Chilling)

Jeff Bridges- True Grit (blew me away. Loved his character)

Leonardio DiCaprio- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (I truly hated the movie, but was astonished at his acting)

Ed Norton- Primal Fear (again.... masterful and chilling)

Robert De Niro- Awakenings (Ok, of ALL the DeNiro roles, I found this one to be his best.... Cape Fear would be next!)

 

Critique away, just be sure to put up your top 5.

i was gonna say denerio in awakenings.

daniel day lewis in There WIll Be Blood. he was awesome

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Max Schreck - Nosferatu

 

2nd - Mariah Carey - Glitter ... her performance was literally gut wrenching.

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tim conway - return of the apple dumpling gang

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James Cagney - Yankee Doodle Dandee

Eli Wallach - Tuco

Humphrey Bogart - Ric Blaine

DeNiro - Jake LaMotta

Carey Grant - Johnnie (suspicion)

Steve McQueen - Papillon

Alec Guinness - Kind hearts and coronets

Paul Newman - slapshot

malcolm mcdowell - clockwork orange

robert walker - strangers on a train

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First, ones that were mentioned that are the suck:

-Denzel- training day

- Ed norton- primal fear

 

Now onto the list....

-Daniel Day Lewis- gangs of ny

-f Murray Abraham/Tom Hulce- Amadeus

-Anthony Hopkins- Silence of the lambs

-deniro- taxi driver or raging bull

-christophe Waltz- inglorious Bastards

-Louise Fletcher. One flew over cuckoo

-sly- rocky

-Michael douglas- wall street

-Roberto benigni- life is beautiful

-bill Murray- rushmore

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Asia carrrera in a is for asia. You really really believe she's coming. Riveting performance.

 

I was going to say GetNhuge's wife for the same reason.

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