Favorite actors/actresses

[chiefterror]

Anna Magnani wasn't just an actress, she was the Thespian spirit made mortal and manifest. One of the first leading ladies to make rejecting celebrity or conventional glamour look cool. Ridiculously beautiful and had a cool, deep voice that could roar as well as it could sing; every humorous phony Mediterranean accent you've ever heard in a cartoon is just an impersonation of this woman.

[Virtua Wug]

If I had to pick a single actor, probably Ralph Fiennes. I loved every performance I've seen of his, the level of care he puts into his performances to make his characters feel truly imperfect, his range, plus he seems like a very good guy in real life.

[chiefterror]

Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H in Grand Budapest Hotel may be one of my favorite film protagonists of all time, and I can't stand Wes Anderson's films for the most part.

[Virtua Wug]

I quite liked Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr. Fox but I totally get what you mean about Wes Anderson. His style gets to be overwhelmingly quirky and twee, especially the further along you go in his filmography. Hey, if people out there find stuff they love in his filmography then I'm happy.

[ward]

I have never been that into movies... I'd generally rather watch a goofy 80s b-movie than an award-winning flick movie. So, when it comes to actors, I usually for fun, weird, or almost goofy. I guess they have to have a bit of charm and some whimsy. So, I think my list isn't filled with people who are considered to be "technically," the best actors... but they are just people I enjoy watching. If they are in the movie, I'm likely to watch it... in the same way that there are certain actors I avoid.

For instance, I see that lots people like Ralph Fiennes... and whenever I see him in something, I think, "holy shit he is good..." but I've never watched a movie because he was in it.

Favorites (if they are in it, I'll be more likely to watch it):

Ian Holm
Harrison Ford
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mackenzie Davis
Jonathan Frakes
Lee Pace
Rutger Hauer
Scoot McNairy
Bruce Campbell
Ron Pearlman
Keith David
Sigourney Weaver
Denise Crosby
Humphrey Bogart
Gene Wilder
Samuel L. Jackson
John Cleese
Terry Gilliam
Michael Keaton
Fiona Shaw
Kurt Russell
Winona Ryder
Sandra Bullock
Jeff Goldblum
Rooney Mara
Jodie Comer
Bill Murray
Emma Stone
Brent Spiner
Chow Yun-fat
Viggo Mortensen
Patrick Stewart
Leonard Nimoy
Rami Malek
Tilda Swinton
Zhang Ziyi
Keanu Reeves
Leslie Nielsen
Anya Taylor-Joy
Ian McKellen

That's probably plenty.

[Virtua Wug]

@ward

When you said you liked "goofy 80's B-movies" I was gonna recommend The Naked Gun before you mentioned Leslie Nielsen. That guy was just the best there ever was.

[ward]

And he can dance like a beast (I know that's not him)

But seriously, I think comedic actors don't get enough credit... I feel like one must be a master of drama to be truly effective as a comedic actor... Take Monty Python for instance, it's funny because the characters are taking things seriously... they may be cutting a tree down with a fish, but it's not a joke, it's serious business. Comedy fail if the actors are unable to fully commit.

[chiefterror]

I don't know who the lead actor of Time Chasers is but now I want his poster on my wall. To throw darts.

[abowers]

I am really big into horror movies so some of my favorite horror movie actors specifically:

1. Jamie Lee Curtis
2. Anthony Hopkins
3. Jack Nicholson
4. Tim Curry
5. Donald Pleasence
6. Bruce Campbell
7. Robert Englund
8. Linda Blair
9. Anthony Perkins
10. Kathy Bates

[TheLeatherMushroom]

Leslie Neilsen
Vincent Price
Bruce Campbell
Sigourney Weaver
Jeff Bridges
Jean Reno (in Onimusha obvs)
Daphne Zuniga
Rik Mayall
Jamie Lee Curtis (Freaky Friday is peak and it's not up for debate)