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Top 100 Greatest Actors of All Time (The Ultimate List) by ChrisWalczyk55 • Created 11 years ago • Modified 6 years ago. The actors on this list are ranked according to their lifetime success (awards & nominations), along with their acting skills, versatility and role transformation.
- 23 Robert Mitchum
- 22 Sidney Poitier
- 21 Buster Keaton
- 20 Groucho Marx
- 19 Burt Lancaster
- 18 James Dean
- 17 Kirk Douglas
- 16 Orson Welles
- 15 Gene Kelly
- 14 Laurence Olivier
Adored for his imposing stature, weary gaze, and soulful demeanor, Robert Mitchum is regarded as one of classic Hollywood's most recognizable antiheroes, whose career transcended five decades and established him as one of the cinema's most sought-after leading men. Mitchum expertly starred in picturesof all shapes and sizes, yet he ultimately becam...
Sidney Poitier made Academy Awards history when he became the first Bahamian and African-American actor to win the Best Actor award, taking home the prestigious accolade for his phenomenal performance in Lilies of the Field in 1964. Poitier achieved widespread stardom with celebrated roles in films such as The Defiant Ones, A Raisin in the Sun, and...
Revered for his fearless physical comedy and signature deadpan expression, Buster Keaton rose to prominence during the Silent film era and dazzled audiences with his commitment to the craft, ultimately earning the nickname "The Great Stone Face." Keaton proved to be a powerful force in Hollywood, emerging as a major cinema star with a distinct appr...
Actor, comedian, and singer Groucho Marxis generally considered to be one of the greatest comedy performers of all time. Along with his brothers Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo, he performed under the name the Marx Brothers, starting off in vaudeville on stage before transitioning to films.
Over the course of his 45-year-long career, Burt Lancaster made a name for himself as one of Hollywood's most reliable leading men. His breakthrough film role came in 1946 when he starred in The Killers opposite Ava Gardner. From then, he became typecast as a soft-hearted tough guy, which was apparent in films such as Brute Force, Desert Fury, Veng...
Hollywood heartthrob James Dean was only 24 years old when he tragically lost his life in a car accident in 1955. Though his film career was brief, he still managed to establish himself as a cultural icon and one of the best acting talents of the time. A figure of youthful rebellion, Dean's most famous role was as unruly teenage Jim Stark in 1955's...
A frequent collaborator of Burt Lancaster and father to Michael Douglas, Kirk Douglas is one of the most prevalent actors in Hollywood. Beginning his film career with a supporting role in the 1946 noir The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Douglas went on to star in more than 90 titles over the course of his almost 70-year-long career.
Few individuals have had as much influence on film as Orson Welles. Known for his writing and directing as much as his acting, he helped to shape modern cinema and created some of the finest films along the way. Welles's first feature was 1941's Citizen Kane, a film he wrote, directed, starred in, and produced. Considered by many to be the greatest...
Gene Kelly may be here for his acting, but he is one of the most renowned dancers of all time. Kelly was a dancer, actor, and choreographer, and he even did some directing. Like Fred Astaire, Kelly is one of the most incredible dancers in cinema, so many of his films had, well, a lot of dancing. He is known for An American in Paris, Anchors Aweigh,...
Laurence Olivier, one of the most Oscar-nominated actors of all time, also won one and received two honorary Oscar awards. He was nominated for ten Oscars, including a nomination for Best Director in 1949 for Hamlet, which he also starred in, and won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
May 4, 2024 · From comedy to drama, these actors approach roles with excitement, dedication and mastery of their craft, making them the greatest actors and actresses of all time.
- Rosa Escandon
- Denzel Washington. Notable roles: Alonzo Harris (Training Day), Malcolm X (Malcolm X), Private Silas Trip (Glory), Troy Maxson (Fences), John Creasy (Man On Fire), Frank Lucas (American Gangster), Robert McCall (The Equalizer, The Equalizer 2)
- Tom Hanks. Notable roles: Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump), Andrew Beckett (Philadelphia), Woody (Toy Story), Jim Lovell (Apollo 13), Captain Miller (Saving Private Ryan), Captain Phillips (Captain Phillips), Josh Baskin (Big)
- Marilyn Monroe. Notable roles: Rose Loomis (Niagara), Lorelei Lee (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Pola Debevoise (How to Marry a Millionaire), The Girl (The Seven Year Itch), Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk (Some Like It Hot), Roslyn Tabor (The Misfits)
- Robert De Niro. Notable roles: Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver), Jake LaMotta (Raging Bull), Vito Corleone (The Godfather Part II), Jimmy The Gent (GoodFellas), Neil McCauley (Heat), Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein (Casino), Al Capone (The Untouchables), Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran (The Irishman)
4 days ago · Most divisive: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over 190.3K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Actors In Film History. 1. Al Pacino. The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Scarface. 52,551 votes. With his intense gaze and captivating screen presence, Al Pacino is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of all time.
When the lists were unveiled, Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas (the longest-lived star at 103) and Sidney Poitier were alive, but have since died. At 89 in 2024, Sophia Loren is the sole surviving star. The AFI's 50 greatest screen legends. Nominees.
Premiere's The 100 Greatest Performances of All Time. → #44 as Tramp in City Lights (1931) 2. James Stewart. Actor. Director. Producer. Vertigo (1958) James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store.
