Gene Hackman. I’d watch the guy read the phone book. Michael Caine too. John Goodman. Not saying Will Smith is a bad actor, but he can’t rescue a movie by his simply being in it. Caine, Hackman, and Goodman can. There are others, but the list is getting shorter. Harry Dean Stanton can rescue a movie. Tommy Lee Jones (Gore’s roomie). Used to be that Morgan Freeman could do that, but even he jumped the shark. James Earl Jones can do it.
Interesting question. Most of the A-list actors can’t carry a movie by themselves, and really never could. Even Clint Eastwood had a company of players that appeared in most of his movies that really carried the picture for him. Then there was the blond chick he ended up having kids with. She was not good and nearly ruined a bunch of his movies - Sandra Locke. Sudden Impact and Gauntlet - Outlaw Jose Wales.
Can’t stand his politics, but Henry Fonda was a great actor. Jane was not. I watched the China Syndrome last year and it is amazing how bad that movie is. That movie scared a lot of people.
I used to love movies before they became so relentlessly filthy and political, and would often go to a movie specifically for the actor, comedian or director. Will Smith is one actor/comedian whose movies I went to see specifically for the actor, which, since I'm an old white person, makes his claim of deep reach into American culture quite verifiable.
Other black actors/comedians I admire and who would add to my estimate of a good cast are Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle (who should have won the Oscar for Hotel Rwanda), Eddie Murphy, Queen Latifah, James Earl Jones, Alfre Woodard, Andre Braugher, Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson, Ice T, LL Cool J, Arsenio Hall, Taye Diggs, Dennis Haysbert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Kenan Thompson, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sinbad, Sophie Okonedo, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Maya Rudolph, Gabourey Sidibe, Tamara Tunie, Giancarlo Esposito, Viola Davis, Jay Pharoah, Niecy Nash, Jasmine Guy, Sheryl Underwood, CCH Pounder, Bryton James and Mo'nique.
And that's excluding the ones whose past work I enjoyed but whose politics have since turned me off completely, like Forest Whitaker, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Morgan Freeman, Spike Lee or Oprah, off the top of my head.