Sunday 20 May 2012

10 Best Actors of All Time- Relay Race


Phew! This relay race, started by Nostra at My Film Reviews has been going around for a while now- more than two months. And it's finally here, thanks to the lovely Ruth at "...let's be splendid about this...". This is the idea-

"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. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best actors."

First, the race so far-

The Actors

Humphrey Bogart

Robert De Niro

Marlon Brando

Daniel Day Lewis

Jack Nicholson

Paul Newman

Ralph Fiennes

James Stewart

Gary Oldman


Now who I was going to pick was easy. The real difficult task was who to cut from this prestigious (I think I can say that) list. I chose-
Jeff Bridges

For the simple reason that I couldn't possibly cut anyone else from the list. Bridges is a wonderful actor and has done a variety of roles in many genres. My favourite performance of his is *obviously* as the Dude in The Big Lebowski. But I feel least guilty about this choice, so I am going to go with it. Sorry Dave!


Now my choice. Drum roll please, maybe a few bagpipes too-
Johnny Depp

Let me tell you a little anecdote first. In my final year of school, my batch was given a graduation party for the first time. With the hat and the gown and everything. Each and every student from my batch received a personalised citation from the school that talked about their personality, talents, activities, etc. My citation talked about how I was an "ardent fan of Johnny Depp" among other things. This is my legacy in the most important institution of my life so far. And I love it!

I wrote a tribute for him on his birthday a couple of years back. My first Depp film was Edward Scissorhands and I was truly amazed by this weird creature. I don't think I even considered him as an actual person who is pretending to be someone else- I most certainly did not know who Johnny Depp was back then. I was just in awe. It was much later, when I saw the first Pirates of the Caribbean film on DVD, that the bug finally bit me. I mean Captain Jack Sparrow is like a tour de force- there is no one like him, and as I started watching more of Depp's filmography, I came to realise that no one else could have possibly played him.

Johnny Depp has the uncanny ability to blend into his roles, which are more often than not, quite crazy. But he makes them believable. He has a star quality, but he still isn't quite the star. His work in everything- Benny and Joon, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco, Fear and Loathing Las Vegas, Sleepy Hollow, Blow, Secret Window, Finding Neverland, Sweeney Todd, Public Enemies- it is all quite splendid. Even today, when his career choices seem to have gone awry, he can play an animated cowboy lizard in an Oscar-winning film and make people weep with laughter in a four minute scene. Johnny Depp lives acting in many ways, and I seriously think that his best is yet to come.

For this reason and many more, Johnny Depp is my one and only pick for this fantastic list of great actors. I hope he stays there for a while :)


I now pass on the figurative battalion to SDG of U, Me and Films

27 comments:

  1. YOU LEFT JIMMY STEWART IN, YAY!!!! :D
    And I perfectly understand your choice with Depp. I was almost going to take Bridges out myself. Depp is such a chameleon.

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  2. Wonderful addition; in spite of recent roles, I still think he is an interesting, very charming actor! I love him, too! Please see Cry Baby, I am curious to see what you think about it!

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    1. Thank you. He is a very charming actor. I will see Cry Baby soon, I promise :)

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  3. I like Depp, but mostly in Ed Wood. His recent work feels lacking for some reason.

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    1. He was incredible in Ed Wood. His main stuff feels lacking, but then again he does a tiny role in 21 Jump Street and reminds us what a natural entertainer he is.

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  4. Nice Choice !! I like Depp for versatility in his roles, even though lately that is THE one thing I think that lacks in his roles. However, for someone who saw Pirates and Finding Neverland on consecutive days, it was almost impossible to guess that same actor played these two vastly different roles.

    Thanks for thinking of me. Since Ruth took my 1st choice, I have some thinking to do.

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    1. Thanks. He can be very versatile- couldn't have given a better example than Pirates and Neverland myself. His current choices have gone a bit stale though, I agree. But he still is a great actor, imo.

      Really? I expected another Golden Age actor to be your 1st choice.

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    2. Who ? Cary Grant ? Nah..even though I am obsessed with Notorious, he is like 4th thing I talk about in Notorious(1st three would be Camera, Direction and Bergman)

      Interestingly, even Bergman wouldn't be my First choice for an actress(that would be Audrey Hepburn), even though she is close second.

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    3. Yeah :P Yeah he would be the fourth thing I would talk about Notorious too. Or maybe the fifth- I'll give those kisses a spot before him :P

      Now I'm really psyched to see who you choose :)

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  5. Oooh controversial! Recently all I see is Depp rather than getting sucked into the character he plays. He has been great on occasion but I think Bridges is the better actor so sad to see him go.

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    1. Oh well, controversy is my middle name. No, not really. It's "Depp-worshiper".
      I had to choose someone to take out. I think everyone else in the list is better than Bridges. Yes Depp's recent roles are bad, but De Niro was also in New Year's Eve.

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  6. He is a unique choice and like Pete says, might be a controversial one! Lately he's mostly known for playing crazy characters, so that might work against him staying on the list.

    Really appreciate you joining the relay race!

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    1. Yeah. I am hoping he stays. For me there was really no one else I could have chosen :)

      It's a great idea and thank you for commenting :D

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  7. Sorry for taking your choice SDG, hahaha. But I'm sure you'll think of someone!

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    1. That's fine..I am just happy he is in the list one way or the other.

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    2. @Ruth and SDG- I'm really happy Stewart is on the list too :)

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  8. Great choice! Undeniably talented.

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    1. Thank you! Completely agree.
      Thanks for commenting :)

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  9. Interesting choice! He is very talented but lately he was so lazy, choosing easy projects and nothing that would really challange him. I love his work in Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, Sleepy Hallow and Edward Scissorhands but for me his best roles are in Arizona Dream and Donnie Brasco, so outside of Tim Burton's universe.

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    1. Thanks. Again, he has been lazy in his main roles but he's also done things like Rango. So even when he's bad, he's good/great in other stuff.

      I have not seen Arizona Dream, or Donnie Brasco completely for that matter. But he can do things in and out of Burton's universe so perfectly well.

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  10. At least, we know who is going to get cut next! :D Ahaah I'm kidding. I like Depp but the guy needs to stay away from Tim Burton for good.

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    1. Gee thanks Castor, you're a real pal -.-

      I just could not have chosen anyone else :P
      He does need to stay away from Burton. I agree whole heartedly :(

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  11. And see, I don't like Johnny Depp because of his "lack of versatility". I agree with Sati. So many of his roles have been the same...perhaps because he and Tim Burton appear to be joined at the hip!

    However, he does have some great success and I hope it continues.

    LOL at Castor's comment.

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    1. He and Burton do appear to be joined at the hip. Once upon a time that gave me a lot of joy. Now however...

      He *does* have some great successes. Even in his "less versatile" roles, he gets some sort of acclaim. It;s the films that are bad. I hope he minds his ways, and his success continues.

      Yes, that Castor is a funny one -.-

      Thanks for the comment :)

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  12. I think Johnny Depp is always a solid choice. While I think Jeff Bridges has had some Iconic roles, he's not as solid as Depp in the span of his career. Depp has been in some terrible movies, but he's always able to rise above the material.

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    1. Yes he is. He is almost always very good, it's the movies that are terrible. And he does them out of loyalty, if you think about it.

      Thanks for commenting :)

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