Posted on 04/03/2014 8:39:42 PM PDT by This Just In
Since 1994, when Harris first began polling a large sample (2,311 this year) of Americans with the simple question "Who is your favorite movie star?", only one actor has made the top ten every year and only one actor has made it posthumously: John Wayne. In 2014, The Duke did it again, placing 7th -- holding the same spot he held last year.
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As for our Mt. Rushmore of American actors, I must list:
Charlton Heston
Elizabeth Taylor
Audrey Hepburn
Bogart
George C. Scott
Bette Davis
Natalie Wood
Mel Gibson
Al Pacino
Robert DeNiro
James Stewart
Spencer Tracy
Barbara Stanwyck
Denzel Washington
Laurence Fishburne
Johnny Depp
Sandra Bullock
I heartily agree The Duke was a good actor. But audiences liked his strong personality. They just liked John Wayne.
My take on the top 10:
10. Meryl Streep - Agreed. Whatever her politics, Streep is probably the greatest living actress out there (I know the list is about most popular, but still good to see her here.)
9. Brad Pitt - Bleah. One of the most overrated actors of the past 20 years, IMHO.
8. Eastwood - A-Yup. One of the top 10 directors, too, IMHO.
7. John Wayne - awesome! I love the fact that the Duke is still a top 10 fave. IMHO, Wayne was a better actor than he gets credit for (at least outside of his fan base). His performance in The Searchers, for example was about as good as it gets.
6. Johnny Depp - IMHO, Depp is coming awfully close to jumping the shark. I really enjoy his early work - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Donnie Brasco, Ed Wood, etc. Since the Pirates films, though, he’s becoming increasingly hit and miss as an actor.
5. Sandra Bullock - I guess she’s America’s sweetheart or something now. Eh. I think she’s a very average actress, though she is quite the star right now.
4. Julia Roberts - I remain mystified at JR’s success. I think her brother Eric is a much more interesting and compelling actor.
3. Jennifer Lawrence - Who?
2. Denzel Washington - Good actor. Don’t know if I’d call him great (again, I realize talent and popularity aren’t always the same thing).
1. Tom Hanks - Loved his early comedy, loved his work on Band of Brothers, loved that he bankrolled My Big Fat Greek Wedding, can’t stand to watch him anymore as an actor.
I’m sure Julia Roberts belongs on some kind of a list, but certainly not that list.
Hanks is an exceptional actor, but John Wayne is an American icon. Tom Hanks is not. People in every corner of the world know John Wayne. I doubt they know who Tom Hanks is.
Streep is exceptional, but I don’t believe she’s the greatest.
Brad Pitt holds 2nd to George cLooney’s MOST Overrated Actor in Hollywood. The only films Pitt brought any cred to are Fight Club, Snatch, and Oceans. His “accent” in Seven Years in Tibet was painful to hear/watch, as well his “Irish” in The Devils Own.
Johnny Depp deserves the recognition. He’s an credibly versatile and gifted actor. One of the few in Hollywood today.
Jennifer Lawrence may not deserve to be on the list, but she has talent.
People love strong male characters. They relate to and admire them far more than they do “sensitive” male characters.
During his heyday, John Wayne played a critical role in providing Americans with a sense of national pride and patriotism during a time of war. He embodied the courage, liberty, and moral principles which were/are uniquely American.
If you ever see James Stewart give an interview, such on an old Carson, be sure and catch it. The man can tell a story with impeccable timing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTpCbSat1-0
I got one of the other kind.
Friend/co-worker of my mom—her husband would watch “The Quiet Man” every night. He’d say, “Well, it’s time for my movie.” and he’d go watch it on vhs.
Lucky enough to see “The Searchers” on the big screen last year.
And, while I’m here, my picks for some of the most overlooked/underrated actors and actresses of all time:
5. James Remar (best known as the hot-headed Ajax from The Warriors, Dutch Schultz in The Cotton Club, and Dexter’s dad from Dexter)
4. Gena Rowlands
3. Aaron Eckhart
Runner up: Harry Dean Stanton - best character actor alive. Not one bad performance in 50 some years of acting.
And the most underrated American actor of all time: John Cazale. Not only is he largely overlooked as one of the greats, he turned in probably the most underrated performance of all time: Fredo in Godfather 2. IMHO, Cazale’s Fredo is the best acted, most complex, most nuanced part in the entire film. He only made five films before bone cancer claimed him, but he was never anything less than superb.
hey..no patty fingers in the holy water
Ditto on Treasure of Sierra Madre. He did a bang up job on that one.
Sam Dodsworth sounds like a familiar man.
Quite agree Pitt is over-rated. Troy was about as enjoyable as getting a boil lanced. SO glad that he turned down the role of “Tommy” in Shawshank Redemption (that Gil Bellows ended up playing).
I honestly don’t know who Jennifer Lawrence is. I’ve heard the name, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in anything.
I had no idea he and Meryl Streep were an item.
James Cagney should be somewhere.
IMHO, his performance in “One, Two, Three” is the greatest comedic performance on film.
Pffft. Tougher too.
The list is just mostly more useless pop culture. I also think the old actors had better material.
Have you ever seen his dance routine with Bob Hope? It was awesome.
Bob Hope and Groucho Marx were the funniest comedians, bar none.
“The Searchers” is a national treasure as far as I’m concerned, but I love “Rio Bravo” with Angie Dickinson and Ward Bond.
She’s a relative newcomer.
She’s the star of the Hunger Games films, and also plays a supporting role in American Hustle, amongst other films. Frankly, Jennifer Lawrences greatest performance thus far is in Winter’s Bone. If you must see one of her films, start with this. I must warn you; Winter’s Bone is a dark film.
He ain’t as game as Bo.
“She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” good movie. “The Searchers” another one.
Vera Miles or Natalie Wood? Nah, Natalie Wood.
The Flaca speech:
“I’m going to tell you something Flaca and I want you to listen tight. It may sound like I’m talking about me but I’m not, I’m talking about you. As a matter of fact I’m talking about all people everywhere.
When I come down here to Texas I was looking for something. I didn’t know what. It seems like you added up my life and I spent it all either stomping other men or in some cases getting stomped. Had me some money and had me some medals, but none of it seemed a lifetime worth the pain of the mother that bore me.
It’s like I was empty somehow. Well I’m not empty anymore. That’s what’s important — to feel useful in this old world. To hit a lick against what’s wrong or to say a word for what’s right even though you get walloped for saying that word.
Now I may sound like a Bible beater yelling up a revival at a river crossing camp meeting but that don’t change the truth none. There’s right and there’s wrong. You got to do one or the other. You do the one and you’re living. You do the other and you may be walking around, but your dead as a beaver hat.”
Pick the harder path. That’ll be the right one.
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