Who Is The Best American Actor?

October 21st, 2008

I came across a poll on IMDB the other day asking which of the following actors would you pick as your favorite from the following: Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson or Al Pacino. These actors are among the usual suspects in reference to the questions of who is the best American actor alive today. So who is the best American actor?

Well, for starters, you can’t really go wrong with the ones listed above. Also this question generally refers to actors that people have heard of or are stars. Some of the best acting in movies today are done by unknown character actors or bit players. Beg to differ? While many critics often argue about the believability of stars in certain roles (Harrison Ford as a Russian submarine captain?), how many arguments have you heard about whether or not the actor playing the garbage man is believable. Sure, the role may not be large enough or memorable enough, but if that actor was not believable in their performance you would notice. So for the sake of argument, let’s stick with actors or movie stars who are well known or famous.

Oscar

If you were to use the Academy Awards as a measuring stick, the winner would be Jack Nicholson who has 3 Oscars for acting. But, the Academy Awards are as much about politics and popularity as they are about quality so that should not be the lone factor in determining our answer. In fact, I think we shall only use the Academy Awards only as a starting point for discussions about who the best actor is. Our main criteria will be memorable roles and believability. So let’s start with the usual suspects

Jack Nicholson

Argument For:

Jack is so well known as an icon and bad boy that people sometimes forget what an amazing actor he is. A winner of three Academy Awards (Best Actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and As Good As It Gets and a Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment), Jack has had more iconic movies and memorable performances than other actors have had roles on their entire resume. Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, The Shining, A Few Good Men… the list goes on.

Argument Against:

A tendency to overact and chew the scenery when allowed, Jack has oftentimes been blamed for just playing himself instead of creating a character. Also, his larger than life persona can sometimes overpower the story and hijack the movie.

Be Sure To Check Out:

The Crossing Guard, The Pledge, About Schmidt.

Al Pacino

Argument For:

If anyone can match Nicholson in terms of iconic movies and roles, it’s Pacino. His resume reads like a critics Top movies list. The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, Glengarry Glen Ross, Donnie Brasco, The Insider… . It’s hard to imagine another actor doing all these roles. And he does Shakespeare too! Is there another actor as good at delivering monologues?

Argument Against:

Hooya! His post-Scent of a Woman roles often come in two varieties: loud and louder.

Be Sure To Check Out:

Looking for Richard, The Merchant of Venice

Dustin Hoffman

Argument For:

A brilliant actor capable of tackling a diverse range of challenging roles and making you believe him. The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, All the President’s Men, Lenny, Marathon Man, Kramer vs. Kramer, Tootsie, Rain Man.

Argument Against:

Has a reputation for being difficult to work with. Hasn’t really seemed interested in pushing himself since Rain Man.

Be Sure To Check Out:

Straw Dogs, Papillon.

Robert De Niro

Argument For:

An intense actor known for his extreme Method preparation for his roles. Gained over 60 pounds to play Jake La Motta in Raging Bull where he won an Oscar for Best Actor. Also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather Part II. His best roles include Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Once Upon a Time in America, Heat. He can almost make a Martin Scorcese movie tolerable.

Argument Against:

Limited range. Doesn’t do comedy well. De Niro’s great at playing intense characters prone to violence and psychopathic behaviors. Anything else and he often resorts to mugging for the camera (best seen in the Analyze This and Meet the Parents movies). Now he’s only a paycheck actor. Don’t believe me? How else can you explain Hide and Seek and The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle?

Be Sure To Check Out:

The Untouchables and Cop Land.

Tom Hanks

Argument For:

Good in both comedy and drama, Hanks has shown an increasing range over the years. Impressive in finding the human element in his characters and showing the audience what that character is thinking. He also has the ability to anchor an otherwise silly movie and make you believe in the story. Best roles include Splash, Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story and Saving Private Ryan.

Argument Against:

Range. Tom Hanks has nailed the Everyman role and regular Joe type parts but has yet to prove that he can go darker or tougher.

Be Sure To Check Out:

Cast Away

Kevin Spacey

Argument For:

He’s won two Oscars for acting starting with a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Usual Suspects and followed up with a Best Actor win for American Beauty. Spacey’s at his best when he’s slinging bile and venting his anger. His memorable performances include Glengarry Glen Ross, Swimming With Sharks, L.A. Confidential and Seven.

Argument Against:

Pay It Forward, K-Pax and Beyond the Sea

Be Sure To Check Out:

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, The Negotiator

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall

Argument For:

A naturalistic and versatile actor, Robert Duvall excels at creating memorable and quietly powerful characters. Capable of playing in almost any genre, Duvall often disappears into his role and makes you remember the character while forgetting who he is. Performances to check out include: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Network, Apocalypse Now, Lonesome Dove and Tender Mercies.

Argument Against:

Hasn’t had the challenging roles that many of his contemporaries have had. Doesn’t have as powerful a presence as some of his contemporaries.

Be Sure To Check Out:

The Apostle, Assassination Tango, Open Range

Denzel Racist

Denzel Washington

Argument For:

Strong presence. Good teeth. He’s won an Academy Award for both Best Actor (Training Day) and Best Supporting Actor (Glory).

Argument Against:

This racist actor has very little range. He takes himself too seriously and is only good at playing strong, proud black characters. Can’t play anything else and has a tendency to overact. With rare exception will he allow himself to look bad or weak on screen. Cries racism if his performances fail to win awards and garner critical support.

Be Sure To Check Out:

Man on Fire

Sean Penn

Argument For:

Powerful and intense performer that is well respected by his peers. Often called the best actor of his generation. Isn’t afraid to look bad. Standout performances include: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, At Close Range, Carlito’s Way, Dead Men Walking, Mystic River and 21 Grams.

Argument Against:

Takes himself too seriously. Can’t play comedy (see We’re No Angels). Often lets his politics inform his roles. Has trouble playing non contemporary roles.

Be Sure To Check Out:

Bad Boys, The Thin Red Line

And the winner is…

Gene Hackman

Argument For:

An impressive resume with brilliant terms in both comedies and dramas. Won an Oscar for Best Actor for The French Connection and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. While Gene Hackman has been in his share of bad movies, he is never bad nor unbelievable. Even in tepid crap, his acting is simple and naturalistic and he often steals the movie from bigger stars without ever having to overact or chew the scenery. The Moose can’t think of a single bad Gene Hackman performance. Memorable performances include: Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, The French Connection, The Conversation, Superman, Reds, Under Fire, Twice in a Lifetime, Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven, Narrow Margin, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, The Royal Tenenbaums

Argument Against:

None.

Be Sure To Check Out:

Scarecrow, Young Frankenstein, The Birdcage, Heist

Buy the Moose a cup of coffee.

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31 Responses to “Who Is The Best American Actor?”

Tina Marshall Says:
November 17th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I love the list of actors here…they’re all so talented but I often times forget all the work they’ve done. It’s nice to be reminded.

I found a post on Peterman’s Eye today about the importance of supporting characters in films. Thought I’d share:
http://www.petermanseye.com/anthologies/why-i-like/360-quite-the-character

Cheers!
Scott Says:
March 16th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Couldn’t agree with your choice for winner more. Hackman is unsinkable. You could give him the absolute worst piece-of-crap script ever and he would still come out looking briliant. While a lot of people like this guy, I think he is criminally under-rated, so – nice choice.
afro Says:
May 23rd, 2010 at 10:03 am
nice balanced and informative lists!! impressed!
Armando Says:
October 9th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Really nice list, I agree with most of it, especially the lack of range of Denzel Washington and the loudness of Al Pacino. I’ll be sure to check out more Gene Hackman films since I’ve only seen like 3 of them.
Raj Sahil Says:
November 9th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
The choice of winner is wrong. If u said so, it doesn’t mean he is the winner. He is good for supporting actor but not for leading role.

Don’t try to publish anything stupid from this time.
aras Says:
December 24th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Nice list and good comments,

I would vote for sean penn without a doubt. I do think that choosing the best actor is very very hard, it isnt that hard to choose a movie star. For example i began to doubt about sean penn being absolutely the best with you mentioning hackman. There are many many great supporting actors who get forgotten. Maybe the best actors are never or seldom the lead actors, but the supporting actors of whom some olso play lead roles on occasions or regularly. Keitel, oldman and many many others. And as we know american movies are so big that having small parts in them is a dream of many who will never achieve it.

From all the lead actors, i vote for sean penn.

pacino and de niro always play in the same way in my opinion.
Jack also, but i really like his way and his presence.
I dont understand the facination with denzel !!!!
dustin hofman is great and hackman too.

Penn can play a retard and a tough guy and anything in between. And unlike the author of this article i cant see a problem with him choosing some movies which are in his opinion socially relevant. Like milk which i stopped watchin halfway but still. never thought about the fact you raise that he only plays contemporary characters??!! but would he have trouble playing them you think? Comedy is one thing you might have a point, i cant imagine him being a great comic actor, but he might surprise us. Sorry for the bad writing but i am in a hurry lol
Tess Schriner Says:
March 18th, 2011 at 8:40 am
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Trout Fishing New Zealand Guides Says:
March 31st, 2011 at 6:59 am
Really Love this one!!!
XPLSV Says:
April 4th, 2011 at 4:20 am
Denzel Washington and Kevin Spacey don’t belong in this list. Instead, you should have included Daniel Day Lewis.
Cate Says:
April 7th, 2011 at 9:16 am
Well rounded list, but you’re wrong for pointing out disappointing movies, because the actors many times have NO control over how movies end up turning out. Also, I’m sick of the stupid comments on Al Pacino simply being loud in his later roles, because it’s bull. Yes, he plays intensity better than anyone, but in all of those movies, like Scent of a Woman, or Any Given Sunday or even in The Devil’s Advocate, he showed range like I’ve NEVER seen. It’s simplistic of you to take one or two scenes out of those movies and paint his entire performances with that brush. He was hilarious in Advocate, for example, but nobody mentions that. So, in my opinion, Pacino is the greatest American actor.
admin Says:
May 6th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Hi XPLSV,

You do know that Daniel Day-Lewis is British, right? That automatically precludes him from being the Best American Actor. You might want to try donating some money to Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst to help education and literacy in this country.
admin Says:
May 6th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Hi Cate,

While you are correct that many actors, especially actors that are not well known, do not have any control over how bad their movies turn out; an actor of the stature of Al Pacino does have the clout and power to control his own performance. I agree that he was hilarious in The Devil’s Advocate and appropriate with his choices in his performance. But loud is his default method of acting now. It’s rare when he chooses to be more quiet and subtle as he was in Donnie Brasco. I’m not painting him with the brush of overacting based off of one or two scenes in a movie, but rather, I am looking at his career arc. He’s loud now because that’s what people expect of him and that’s what he delivers. Can he still be good? Yes. But he doesn’t choose that as much as I or most people who admire his body of work want.
admin Says:
May 6th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
No contact page. You can leave me recommendations as a comment. Thanks.
admin Says:
May 6th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Thanks for the nice thought comments. I do believe Sean Penn would have trouble with comedy. Also, he would be quite out of place in a period piece. Sean Penn is Jane Austen would not work, unless you’re trying to make it a comedy.
admin Says:
May 6th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Raj, by the number of reasons, the use of logic and the chain of rational thought that you present, you must be one of the few supporters of Lyndon LaRouche. Either that or you’re a Scientologist.
HunterBear Says:
May 22nd, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Sean Penn can certainly do comedy. Fast Times At Ridgemont High includes hilarious interactions between Spicolli and Mr. Hand. I strongly believe Penn could be an excellent comic actor if he chose those roles. Despite his politics, I believe Penn may be a more entertaining actor than Hackmen. I would make room on the list for Don Cheadle.
adams Says:
July 3rd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
your stupid comments about Denzel is very sickening…i guess you are a bigot
sanara Says:
October 6th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Eh-hem…the best actor can make you love him, can make you hate him. Those you have listed who can do both…Denzel…always love him but hated him in training day. Kevin Spacey…always love him too…but hated him in Glengary Glenross. Sean Penn missed the mark in making us hate him in dead man walkin. Came off mentally challenged instead. And never hated anyone else in your list. The master of this my personal deffinition of “best”…Christopher Walken. Love him in most, conflicted about him in some (True Romance, Pennies from Heaven) and HATED him in…At Close Range. Best Best Best…Christopher Walken.
sanara Says:
October 6th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
As a sidebar…each of the actors you put forward is best at a different aspect of being “best.” But…The thing I notice again and again about actors is…the best one isn’t as fine an actor as the very worst commedian.
Looooots of actors “can’t do comedy.” But name a comedian who’s “acting” can’t bring you to tears.
just sayin….
Ed Says:
October 20th, 2011 at 9:18 am
Weird that there’s no talk of Paul Newman, Marlon Brandon, etc…I can’t argue with Hackman, but Night Moves has to be mentioned as one of his best roles.
admin Says:
January 12th, 2012 at 10:31 pm
Ok. Mentioning Night Moves as one of Gene Hackman’s best roles.
JBrown Says:
February 10th, 2012 at 11:41 am
It’s pretty well-known in Hollywood among the best that Brando is and always will be the king.

Here’s a quote from Jack Nicholson on the topic:

“So I mean it when I say that if you can’t appreciate Brando, I wouldn’t know how to talk to you. If there’s anything obvious in life, this is it. Other actors don’t go around discussing who is the best actor in the world, because it’s obvious – Marlon Brando is.”
Jacques Pugh Says:
February 11th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Although, I agree with you on many counts about your list of great American acotrs, both the manner in which couched your comments about Denzel, and what you said specifically, especially the “teeth” comment which harkens one back to minstrel times, indicate that you are, if not overtly, racist – latently racist.
Think about, and then, perhaps seek out an effective therapist to help you with this increasingly silly, and archaic, social pathology.
admin Says:
February 16th, 2012 at 1:02 am
So you’re not a fan of good teeth? Is dental hygiene the new breeding ground for latent racism? Would you still cry racism if you knew that I wasn’t white? Actually, my people do have a bit of latent cultural racism as seen in our choice of toothpaste which you can find here.

http://static.flickr.com/42/81440640_8c3352f5e3_o.jpg
admin Says:
February 16th, 2012 at 1:04 am
Brando is magnificent, but if you read the beginning more closely you’ll see that the argument and conversation is about the Best American Actor alive. Last time I checked, Brando was busy pushing up the daisies. But if we were to expand the conversation to living and dead actors, you can be sure that Brando would be at the top of the list.
connor Says:
February 24th, 2012 at 7:43 am
everyone what about sylvester stallone!!!

you put this great actors because you have seen them in many gangster films, but when you really think of it you cant really name ten movies what al picino or the others have been in, besides they are good actors no thought about it but sylvester stallone has written his own movies!!
MovieFan Says:
March 1st, 2012 at 2:06 am
HAckman is definately the best, most consistent, never has a false moment, can do comedy and dramas with ease, elevates weak material. He doesnt get teh credit he deserves but im glad he has on this website.
Zarathustra Says:
March 19th, 2012 at 3:00 am
A short post, I’d like to debate this out once! And Why did you not even include Marlon Brando! Hackman surely is brilliant, I think Brando is better (Not A fanboy), and I place HAckman 3rd on my list, but solely because well I immensely enjoy Jacks presence, it is just stupendous and the voice! But thats personal bias. My only argument is the non-existence of Brando on this list…
Jc Says:
March 19th, 2012 at 9:52 am
The publisher isn’t that knowledgeable about acting.

1. Pacino’s work since 1992 has been extraordinary. Donnie Brasco? The Insider? Insomnia? Angels in America? I’ll leave out YDKJ because this list was made in 2008.

2. De Niro actually has considerable range. He was good in Meet the Parents and the first Analyze movie was good as well.

3. I’m personally not a fan of him, but Denzel Washington is the second most technically skilled actor on this list. He’s played weak characters (The Manchurian Candidate), he’s one of the only American actors that has gone and done Shakespeare and the like. Your argument against him is weak and ignorant.

4. Gene Hackman is probably my third of fourth favorite on here, but he has the least amount of range of all the actors listed…
admin Says:
March 27th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Donnie Brasco was a great performance by Pacino. One of his best. He’s great in The Insider as well. And his Shylock in The Merchant of Venice was inspiring. He’s passable in Insomnia. But for every one of his good performances, you have movies where he is phoning it in and awful. Like S1m0ne or The Recruit or Gigli or 88 Minutes or Righteous Kill or… you get the picture.