I can’t believe Nostra began this series way back in March. This relay has taken all sorts of crazy and unpredictable turns! I’ve seen some of my favorite on-screen performers come and go from this ever-evolving list. I’m the 20th recipient of this relay and I don’t think my choice of actor will rock the boat too much.
To sum up the point of all this, in Nostra’s words:
So what’s the idea behind the relay? I’ve created a list of what I think are the best actors. At the end I, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another blogger who will write his own post. The blogger will have to remove one actor (that is an obligation) and add his own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the blogger chooses another blogger to do the same. The idea is to make this a long race, so that each blogger gets a chance to remove and add an actor. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best actors.
The Previous Entries:
- My Film Views
- The Focused Filmographer
- Front Room Cinema
- I Love That Film
- FlixChatter
- All Eyes On Screen
- Time Well Spent
- The Warning Sign
- moviesandsongs365
- And So It Begins…
- cinematic corner.
- Andy Buckle’s Film Emporium
- Duke and the Movies
- Southern Vision
- Defiant Success
- Cinematic Paradox
- Encore Entertainment
- Okinawa Assault
- Amiresque
The Actors
Bogart
Brando
Day-Lewis
De Niro
Fiennes
Newman
Nicholson
Burton
Sellers
Can I start off by saying that I love this list as it stands right now? I was bummed to see some other actors go, but seeing the likes of Nicholson, Newman, Fiennes, Brando, etc., just makes me proud to be a film geek among film geeks. That said, removing one of the actors on the previous list was an easy choice for me. I didn’t hesitate. I have nothing negative to say about the guy; it’s just that my personal viewing experience doesn’t warrant his inclusion on my own top ten list of actors.
Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin is a legend. An icon. One of the most influential giants of the movie industry. I’ve only seen one of his films – Modern Times - and that was in film school over 15 years ago. Silent films are simply not on my radar, but I do recognize the importance – and sheer brilliance – of the format. Chaplin was a pioneer in front of the camera and behind. His inclusion on this list is justified.
However, I needed to make room for another giant. Literally and figuratively.
Bridges
Jeff Bridges, standing tall at 6’1″, has been an acting powerhouse since 1971 and is still going strong. In fact, I had it narrowed down to two actors. Bridges and Dustin Hoffman. I love Hoffman and have been waiting for his inclusion on here since its inception. But what made me pick Bridges over Hoffman? Consistency. Jeff Bridges has been consistently good throughout his entire 40-year-plus career. Looking at his body of work made it very clear to me that he belongs on this list.
His versatility was apparent right from the get go. The Last Picture Show (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Stay Hungry (1976), and Tron (1982) showed us that Bridges was not going to be pigeonholed inside of a particular genre. The 80′s, in fact, were really good to him. He released Starman (1984), Against All Odds (1984) and Jagged Edge (1985) within one year from each other, certifying him as a box office star. He sizzled on screen with Jane Fonda (The Morning After [1986]), Kim Basinger (Nadine [1987]), and Farrah Fawcett (See You in the Morning [1989]). He went from a matinee idol to an esteemed actor with some spectacular, high-caliber performances in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), The Fisher King (1991), American Heart (1992) and Fearless (1993). He was no longer a movie star. He was now an actor.
In the years that followed, Bridges mixed it up. The Big Lebowski (1998), The Contender (2000) and The Door in the Floor (2004) are my personal favorite performances from Jeff Bridges. The amount of range and depth he has shown in his body of work never fails to amaze me, and those three roles showed me how good he can be when he is firing on all cylinders. Bridges, of course, has made a few mediocre films, but he always remains an interesting figure on screen. Blown Away (1994), White Squall (1996), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), and Arlington Road (1999) are not great films, but Bridges has made them highly watchable. I can think of moments in each of those films that worked because of Bridges and that wonderfully expressive face of his.
The last decade had its share of ups and downs. He led the charge with the well-received Seabiscuit (2003) and created a memorable villain as Obadiah Stane in Iron Man (2008). I admired his performances some very small films, like The Amateurs (2005), Stick It (2006) and The Open Road (2009). The return to his Kevin Flynn/Clu characters in Tron: Legacy (2010) was remarkably good. The film was flawed, but go back and soak in his dual, layered performances. He was more dazzling than the special effects. Then there’s the one-two punch that finally led him to his long-deserved Oscar. He’s phenomenal in Crazy Heart (2009), a movie I didn’t love. But his performance was typical, masterful Bridges. And wasn’t he just about perfect in True Grit (2010)?
Jeff Bridges is irreplacable. I hope he stays on this list for a long, long time. I know if this were my personal Top Ten, he’d never come off!
But since it’s not my personal list, I gotta pass it along. The buck now stops with Diana at Aziza’s Picks. Go crazy, Diana!
Dammit if I knew I could have switched the pictures around I would have done it too. Removing Chaplin kind of hurts but Bridges coming in is great, although I’m more familiar with his brother. I should also watch Fearless and his other 90′s stuff more.
Ha ha! I noticed some other folks did it too, so I felt like switching them up. I know removing Chaplin may be tough for some, but it was an easy choice for me. I personally don’t have any connection to him. I just haven’t seen enough of his work to be passionate about him.
There’s a LOT of really great Jeff Bridges stuff out there. You have your work cut out for you!
To be honest my ‘hurt’ thing was just me wishing for proportional representation within lists. Token silent guy, token studio guy, token comedian, etc. But your list is your list, man
Thank you very much, I’ll post it soon!
Looking forward to it!
Removing Chaplin is very sad but I completely respect your reasons for doing so. And what a fantastic choice for your addition. I’m actually very surprised Bridges hadn’t already made an appearance. Really great choice!
Thanks Pete! There are so many great actors out there, that goes without saying. I think Bridges deserves his due but I know they will need to make room for others. I’m curious to see how the list will evolve over time…
I don’t think anyone can possible disapprove of the Dude being on the list
I think you’re right!
I had a feeling Chaplin wouldn’t last much longer, but at least you replaced him with a choice actor.
Thank you! Glad you agree…
Oh, Bridges is a cool pick! I know I rarely consider his entire body of work when I think of him, just because The Dude is such an overshadowing role – and would be in anyone’s filmography. But when you think about all the films he has done, he really always delivers. Good thinking on adding him to the list, Dave!
Thanks Emil. I love the Dude as much as the next Dude-lover, but he’s always damned good. I think his role as President in The Contender is one of the three best movie Presidents EVER.
I can talk about his other roles in depth all day long. That’s why I think he belongs on here.
Great choice with Bridges. He’s a consistently brilliant actor. I approve of the Dude!
Groovy! Glad you approve of the dude of all dudes!
Very happy to see Bridges make the cut. Great choice Dave, even if it meant removing an icon.
Eric, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chaplin ended up back on this list before this relay ends!
The relay went so quick suddenly, that I lost track of where it was headed, glad to find the list again, thanks to your comment on my site!
Hmm, of Jeff Bridges and Dusty, Hoffman would get my vote, but the beauty of this race is how subjective good acting is. For me, Bridges has been kind of typecast as the pothead drunk for years.I personally think Dustin Hoffman, at least to me, has shown more range of performances. However I have probably only seen about half of Bridges’ films you mention, so I am at a disadvantage there. (looks like most of the Bridges’ performances that I HAVE SEEN he was a drunk )
Sorry to disagree, but you wouldn’t want me to kiss your ass? ( : I think this list is evolving into allowing all the great actor have their moment of appreciation, which I think is a wonderful development ( :
Chris, welcome back to the fray! You know, I weighed this thing for a while — Hoffman Vs Bridges — and I believe they are both truly worthy. I really hope someone picks Hoffman eventually. Hoffman DOES have more range and some of his performances are just breathtaking. I think Bridges won out because Dusty just hasn’t been giving us his all lately. I couldn’t get into LUCK (though that’s not his fault). Before that… what? I thought he was brilliant in ’06′s PERFUME. Before that, probably WAG THE DOG in ’97? At least Bridges knocks one out of the park every 3-5 years.
I saw Hoffman in LENNY for the first time not too long ago, and I think it’s one of the best things he’s ever done. Blew. Me. Away.
Thanks for coming by….and I’m glad you didn’t kiss my ass.
Sad to see Chaplin go. Bridges is a very good actor, who people don’t name very quickly. Completely understand you picked him.
Thanks Nostra! I wanted to pick a guy who was widely known to be a great actor, but not always the first choice. Too bad he didn’t last too long!
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