Forget Sight & Sound, Empire and the BBC, it’s obvious that podcast listeners hold sway with taste making these days. I think it’s quite an interesting list, as much for what it reflects about the tastes of a youngish ( generally sub 30s US) audience as anything else. For the record, I listen to every show, but didn’t vote – way too hard if not impossible to rate actors in this way.
Here’s the list
1. James Stewart
2. Phillip Seymour-Hoffman
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
4. Cary Grant
5. Marlon Brando
6. Robert De Niro
7. Jack Nicholson
8. Toshiro Mifune
9. Humphrey Bogart
10. Charlie Chaplin
11. Gene Hackman
12. Tom Hanks
13. Peter O’ Toole.
14. Kurt Russell
15. Buster Keaton
16. Robert Duvall
17. Denzel Washington
18. Orson Welles
19. Robert Mitchum
20. Al Pacino
21. Dustin Hoffman
22. Peter Sellers
23. Jack Lemmon
24. Gary Oldman
25. Spencer Tracy
Definitely some shocking omissions. No Henry Fonda, Michael Caine, Burt Lancasterr, Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas?
Pile in with your outrage as only lovers of lists can do!
For anybody interested in the discussion of the list , you can find it on Episode 495, with input from character actor Stephen Tobolowsky
Michael Caine was the one name I would’ve expected to be on that list (Number 26 perhaps?), and good to see Gary Oldman getting recognition (the greatest British Actor of the last 30 years?).
Phillip Seymour-Hoffman is an exalted company against a relatively short, but prolific, career
Steve McQueen is another omission in my view
Tom Hardy was asked for his reaction, and he said:
“Hrrrras uaggtttfffwvvva wwaee iuuyyyyfff”
PS. Philip Seymour Hoffman at number 2? Don’t be f888ing stupid.
Yes, I raised an eyebrow at that. You can see him acting. Natural, he ain’t.
No Anthony Hopkins? From the repressed butler in Remains Of The Day to Hannibal Lecter, I think he’s pretty great.
Kurt Russell I like in many films but I’ve never seen much evidence of his ability to act.
I like Donald Sutherland
Two actors that I will watch whatever film they are in… no make that three:
Gene Hackman
Tom Hanks
Robert Duvall
I’m an avid watcher of Ray Winstone films – however, I wouldn’t nominate him for the Top 25
Ben Kingsley might be in without a shout
Showing my age here, but honestly, no Walter Matthau, Alan Bates, Albert Finney, Phillipe Noiret, Yves Montand. Agree with JJ about Burt Lancaster, great actor.
Stan Laurel? The funniest man to walk this earth.
No argument with the quality of all those on the list, but no females?
Or is there a separate list for them?
There is a separate female list: I confess I haven’t heard that podcast yet, but I’ll put that one up when I have ( after I’ve had a good scoff of course).
You hungry?
I’m sure than many Powell & Pressburger fans, like myself, would like to see Roger Livesey somewhere on the list.
I’m ashamed to say I’ve never seen one film featuring the actor who made no. 8 on the list, Toshiro Mifune.
I’m assuming (hoping) this is a list for male actors only. Apart from the fact that’s almost entirely an English language list, another obvious omission from me would be james Cagney. Good to see James Stewart and Cary Grant right up there.
I’m glad to see Grant so high too. I’ll watch pretty much anything with him in it as he’s such a pleasure to watch. In addition to the suave looks there’s his acrobats grace, and the way that there always seems to be more going on behind his eyes than the script lets on.
My first reaction is that Kurt Russell has to be a joke entry. I’ve often confused him with Jeff Bridges. Maybe they did too. Name one essential film Russell has acted well in and I’ll check it out. Glad to see more comedic actors getting their dues.
I’ll get back with my own view on notable omissions. Paul Newman seems an odd omission…especially versus Russell.
Alec Guinness, FFS? Where’s he? Jean Reno & Javier Bardem, just for the sake of argument? It’s a very USA-centric list, not surprising I suppose.
Fine list, not perfect, but no list is (except mine)
John Cazale.
Listen to madfox on this point.
Ooooh. Dustin Hoffman won’t be happy being listed one place below Al Pacino. In fact I suspect Hoffman will be upset that there are 20 other actors above him.