5 Best Living Actors?

[MuggsyB]

Who ya got?

I think I'd go with:

5)  Kingsley
4)  Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L

[MU82]

LeBron
Any 4 soccer players

[MuggsyB]

LeBron
Any 4 soccer players

I consider flopping a different skill-set.  But he's top 5 for sure in that category.

[WI_Inferiority_Complexes1]

Who ya got?

I think I'd go with:

5)  Kingsley
4)  Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L

I would've guessed two of those dudes were dead.

[MuggsyB]

I would've guessed two of those dudes were dead.

Yes.  I think people have forgotten how great Hackman in particular was throughout his career.

[lawdog77]

Who ya got?

I think I'd go with:

5)  Kingsley
4)  Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L

Before I lock in my answer, are we talking best based on body of work, or based on currently, as several on your list are way past their prime.

Edit: I would put Christian Bale in there if we are talking about recent/current instead of Kingsley.  Also, while going down this rabbit hole, I didn't realize Jami Gertz was a billionaire.

[muwarrior69]

Just my opinion:

Sidney Portier
John Malkovich
Margaret O'Brien
Clint Eastwood
Nehemiah Persoff

[4everwarriors]

Woj gave an Oscar winnin' performance as a basketball coach, hey?

[tower912]

And as a flopper.

[Silent Verbal]

Great list, Muggsy.  I'd replace Kingsley with De Niro, but other than that I'm not sure I could argue against it.

The problem with De Niro and Pacino (and to an extent Nicholson) is that in the last 25 years, they've become caricatures of themselves.  A lot of that has to do with poor career choices, but some of their performances have seemed lazy as well.  That said, when I watched The Irishman, I was stunned at how good they both could still be if they wanted it.  Especially De Niro.

Hackman's my favorite of the bunch, and unlike Al and Bobby, he hung it up before he got too old.  What a remarkable actor.  The French Connection is one of my favorites, and its sequel is underrated.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Tom Hanks

[wadesworld]

Denzel

[MU82]

Nicholson ... De Niro ... Streep ... Hoffman ... Hanks ... with shout-outs to Lithgow and Winslet.

Not sure if they're the 7 best, but they're in the team picture IMHO. Though I'll tell ya ... nobody cries on command better than Freddie Highmore!

[jficke13]

Gary Oldman is pretty dang good.

[MuggsyB]

Denzel

Denzel is awesome.  I absolutely love the guy.  However, I recently saw a Ben Kingsley performance that put him in my top 5.  His versatility and range is off the charts.  In fact when you look at his overall body of work he may be higher than 5 imo.

[Silent Verbal]

I didn't mention Streep because I wasn't sure if there would eventually be a separate "actresses" thread.  But her, Kate Winslet, and Viola Davis are all excellent in everything they're in.

Denzel is also a great choice.  Ditto Tom Hanks.  He was effortlessly good in News of the World.

And even though he's been cancelled, Dustin Hoffman is terrific as well.

[MuggsyB]

I didn't mention Streep because I wasn't sure if there would eventually be a separate "actresses" thread.  But her, Kate Winslet, and Viola Davis are all excellent in everything they're in.

Denzel is also a great choice.  Ditto Tom Hanks.  He was effortlessly good in News of the World.

And even though he's been cancelled, Dustin Hoffman is terrific as well.

I didn't include actresses.  Obviously Streep is among the very best to ever lace them up.  I like Hanks but wouldn't slot him anywhere near my top 5. 

[buckchuckler]

Nic Cage
Nick Cage
Nicholas Cage
N. Cage
Mark Paul Gosselaar

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Nic Cage
Nick Cage
Nicholas Cage
N. Cage
Mark Paul Gosselaar

It is known.

[MU82]

Couple of names that were mentioned -- Gary Oldman and Viola Davis -- this goes to whether we are talking about all-time greats who still happen to be alive but might be doing little if any acting these days ... or great actors who are still doing their thing here in the 2020s.

So are we talkin' about Willie Mays ... or about Mookie Betts?

I mean, I really like Viola Davis. Always very good, often exceptional. I thought she should have won the Oscar for Ma Rainey. But is she really a top-5 all-time actor among those still alive? Is her body of work really up there with some of the other names we've mentioned?

A little more on Streep: Nearly 40 years after Deer Hunter, she is STILL incredible. All those fine performers on Big Little Lies, and she dominated every scene she was in. In 2008, she and Davis shared the screen in Doubt, and both were spectacular. Both were nominated for Oscars -- Davis even though she was on the screen for something like only 15 minutes -- and both should have won IMHO.

But many hadn't even heard of Davis before Doubt -- she was mostly a TV actor who hadn't come close to starring in her own series. By that time, the likes of Streep, Denzel, Jack, De Niro, Pacino, Hoffman, Hanks, etc etc etc, already were icons.

Fun topic, Muggs.

[Silent Verbal]

Couple of names that were mentioned -- Gary Oldman and Viola Davis -- this goes to whether we are talking about all-time greats who still happen to be alive but might be doing little if any acting these days ... or great actors who are still doing their thing here in the 2020s.

So are we talkin' about Willie Mays ... or about Mookie Betts?

I mean, I really like Viola Davis. Always very good, often exceptional. I thought she should have won the Oscar for Ma Rainey. But is she really a top-5 all-time actor among those still alive? Is her body of work really up there with some of the other names we've mentioned?

A little more on Streep: Nearly 40 years after Deer Hunter, she is STILL incredible. All those fine performers on Big Little Lies, and she dominated every scene she was in. In 2008, she and Davis shared the screen in Doubt, and both were spectacular. Both were nominated for Oscars -- Davis even though she was on the screen for something like only 15 minutes -- and both should have won IMHO.

But many hadn't even heard of Davis before Doubt -- she was mostly a TV actor who hadn't come close to starring in her own series. By that time, the likes of Streep, Denzel, Jack, De Niro, Pacino, Hoffman, Hanks, etc etc etc, already were icons.

Fun topic, Muggs.

Great point, 82.  I mean, Sidney Poitier is still alive, and his run in the 1960s is up there with anybody's best, and as the first major black movie star, he's one of the most important actors ever.  But would anyone put him on a list of 5 best on the planet anymore?

I guess I chose Viola Davis because I feel like she could go toe to toe with pretty much any actor living or dead right now and match them.  Ditto Frances McDormand.  So many good actors!

But the person who said Nicolas Cage was probably right.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Not seeing mention of these greats:
Morgan Freeman
Anthony Hopkins
Samuel L Jackson
Micheal Caine
Kevin Bacon

[buckchuckler]

But the person who said Nicolas Cage was probably right.

[lawdog77]

Nic Cage
Nick Cage
Nicholas Cage
N. Cage
Mark Paul Gosselaar

You forgot Nicolas Coppola.

[Jables1604]

Who ya got?

I think I'd go with:

5)  Kingsley
4)  Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L

Any list of the greatest living actors that excludes Jeff Bridges is fake news.