Have to agree with Free Agent that Robert DeNiro is a greater actor than Nicholson. My top 3 of all-time are: 1) DeNiro 2) Jimmy Stewart 3) Tom Hanks
Jack Nicholson isn't going to be known for his broad acting skills, but he does something to the screen and he does it convincingly. Actors like Nicholson and Clint Eastwood are American movie icons because they have that charisma that the American viewer admires and will pay good money to watch. Even if DeNiro and Otm Shank are better actors, you can't replace Jack's famous roles and boldly say that it would be a definite improvement.
At the same time, Nicholson or Eastwood couldn't play Forrest Gump or the character from Philadelphia. If you want to talk range, how about Johnny Depp. I know some people may think its absurd, but look at his list. First television, Donnie Brascoe Ed Wood Edward Scissor Hands Blow Chocolat Now that's range.
Nicholson has far more range than DeNiro, imo. DeNiro could have never pulled of the lead role in Carnal Knowledge, for example. My top three- Jimmy Stewart Jimmy Stewart Jimmy Stewart
Uh...it's not a metaphor... Interesting discussion here, as Stewart is my all time favorite actor, and Hanks is my favorite contemporary actor.. I'm not a huge Pacino fan, and I hate, hate, hate the actor he became, but he used to be very compelling. Before Scarface he had this unbelievable quiet energy as an actor..watch him in any of his earlier movies, and it's all beneath the surface...then he started yelling at the end of Scarface, that yelling became his catchphrase, and he proceeded to yell his way through his roles for the next 15 years...until he came down a bit for the Insider, his best role in a decade. His performance in Scent of a Woman is among the worst I have ever seen, and the fact that he won Best Actor ranks with Titanic as Worst Oscars Ever..
I can name 50 better actors than Nicholson working right now...Duval, Caine, Hanks, Crowe, Hoffman, Depp, Hackman, Norton, DeNiro, Penn, Klein, Newman, and many others, and about 500 better British actors... He is, hiwever, amongst the better movie stars going...Guys who I would put in that same category as Nicholson ( ok actor, great movie star) are Ford, Gibson, Washington, Willis, Travolta, Bridges, Nolte and others...great in a certain kind of role, eminently watchable, but not terribly diverse.
Uhh, I realize that, but I figured it wasn't enough of a stretch for you to get the reference. Don't worry about it.
I agree, I feel the same way about Out of Sight Yeah, I don't need my film class to tell me that Nicholson is a character actor, and a very good one, but damn AGAIG was terrible. I don't know how I'd rate the top actors of all time, so I'll just name about 10 guys who I think should be in the top 10 (duh). In no particular order: Tom Hanks Al Pacino Denzel Washington Robert DeNiro Lawrence Olivier Sidney Poitier Anthony Hopkins Jimmy Stewart Jack Nicholson Gene Hackman
Agree with everyone on that list except Nolte. Thin Red Line - War Down and Out in Beverly Hills, 48 Hours- Comedy Affliction, The Deep, Under Fire - Drama Jefferson in Paris - Biography Prince of Tides- Romance A very diverse actor.
The movies are different, but aside from POT and possibly his turn in the Cape Fear remake, he's pretty much the same tough, world weary, nail spitting, wise and acidic guy in each. I will agree, though, that he's closest to being above the list.
I forgot to mention a very good Nolte film. Afterglow: Director-screenwriter Alan Rudolph once again teams with producer Robert Altman (THE PLAYER) for this haunting, funny film starring Nick Nolte and Julie Christie as a married American couple living in Montreal haunted by the memory of their runaway daughter. Plumber Lucky (Nolte) starts an affair with beautiful young client Marianne (Lara Flynn Boyle), who's desperate to have a baby and stifled by her marriage to her narcissistic husband, Jeffrey (Jonny Lee Miller). Meanwhile, Lucky’s wife, former B-movie actress Phyllis (Christie), spends her time looking for their daughter on the streets of Montreal and watching videotapes of her old movies. When she inadvertently finds herself meeting Jeffrey and agreeing to spend the weekend with him, the stage is set for an inevitable showdown among all concerned. This beautifully photographed and brilliantly written film is marked by a stunning, Oscar-nominated performance by Christie, who masterfully combines sexuality, class, and world-weary pain. Nolte is also top-notch, again proving himself one of America's most formidable actors. AFTERGLOW is that rare combination in movies: sexy, funny, intelligent, tragic, and deeply moving.
Michael Caine, Sheryl Crowe, Kevin Klein better actors than Jack? Get the hell outta here. And really, putting him in a class with Nick Nolte, Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, and John Travolta. You've got to be kidding.
Not at all... Michael ( I'll Take It! ) Caine, while often guilty of taking many ill-advised roles in less than stellar films, is an excellent actor with incredible range... I would suggest the following, if you aren't farmiliar with his work. Zulu, Alfie, the Ipcress File, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Man Who Would Be King, The Cider House Rules, Educating Rita, Get Carter ( the original ), the Last Valley, The Wrong Box, Sleuth, and Without A Clue, to name some of his better performances. Russell Crowe has already shown more range than Nicholson. COnsider his incredibly powerful turns in Gladiator and especially L.A. Confidential, when he was pure physical power and energy, and then contrast that with the Insider ( his best, IMO) when he absolutely was soft, copoporate, and introverted. The man, jerk that he may be, is an incredible acting talent. Kevin Kline, apart from being considered amongst the best American Shakespearean actors on stage, is incredibly versatile and believable on screen. He has run the gamut (sp?)...Comedy ( A Fish Called Wanda, etc.) seriuos and brutal ( Sophie's Choice, etc.) sensitive guy ( Cry Freedom, Big Chill), action ( Silverado) musical ( Pirates of Penzance) quirky suspense ( January Man), and others... And I maintain that he is in that class ( with Gibson et al), although I have enjoyed his films more than those of most of the ones you take exception to, he shares with them the ability to make you enjoy watching him and the inability to demonstrate being able to broaden his roles beyond a minor variation on the same staple.
