Greatest Living British Actors?

[Lighthouse]

Anybody mentioned Tom Wilkinson? Been about for some time in BBC costume stuff and in Hollywood films. Played the Father in 'In the Bedroom' a fine film about revenge and plenty of stuff since.

[TheDaddy]

Malcolm McDowell


Alex: And the first thing that flashed into my gulliver was that I'd like to have her right down there on the floor with the old in-out, real savage.

[Lighthouse]

Also in A Clockwork Orange was Warren Clarke, better known now for Dalziel & Pascoe

[MrCheviot]

Daniel Day Lewis is a breed apart IMO.

Ben Kingsley is amazing.

Ian McShane in HBO's Deadwood blew my f**king mind.

[FC Silver Fox]

You've all missed the biggest.

Lee Bowyer, the diving, shirt-pulling, cheating big girl's blouse. He only gets my vote because Drogba isn't British.

[finnster01]

You've all missed the biggest.

Lee Bowyer, the diving, shirt-pulling, cheating big girl's blouse. He only gets my vote because Drogba isn't British.

:D ;D

[bog]

Roger Moore never took himself seriously. Was well aware that his looks got him film parts.

[TonyGilroy]

Daniel Day Lewis is a breed apart IMO.

Ben Kingsley is amazing.

Ian McShane in HBO's Deadwood blew my f**king mind.

Deadwood is the best TV series I've ever seen and McShane was incredible.

I'd add Patrick Stewart and Jim Broadbent to the list.

[alfie]

The problem with a thread like this is that everyone has completely different ideas and tastes, what you may think is good i may think is rubbish, it is the same with football coaches/scouts, they all see something different, but if i must choose then i think currently David Tennent very versatile actor.

[The Equalizer]

Daniel Day Lewis is a breed apart IMO.

Ben Kingsley is amazing.

Ian McShane in HBO's Deadwood blew my f**king mind.

Deadwood is the best TV series I've ever seen and McShane was incredible.

I'd add Patrick Stewart and Jim Broadbent to the list.

I was about to post exactly the same Tony. Just on Season 2 of Deadwood and it's ruddy amazing! More profanity than a Manchester slum.

I see no-one has mentioned Ian Holm yet.

[blingo]

Delboy
Rodney
Trigger
Boysey

[TonyGilroy]

I was about to post exactly the same Tony. Just on Season 2 of Deadwood and it's ruddy amazing! More profanity than a Manchester slum.

I see no-one has mentioned Ian Holm yet.


[/quote]

And it justs gets better. You're in for a treat with Series 3. I'll give nothing away but there's one fight scene which is the most gruesome I've ever seen.

Incredibly much of what is portrayed is historically accurate. Apart from the language because if 19th century profanities were used it would seem exceptionally mild - the likes of "drat" or "by God". So to give the correct effect they had to use language that we, even today, find shocking.

[The Equalizer]

Yeah, I Wiki'ed Deadwood and read up on all the characters. It's incredible that all of the events are historically accurate, if somewhat embellished for dramatic effect.

Al Swearengen was actually in his mid 30s during the events of the show.

[GoldCoastWhite]

Charles Dance ?

I'm not really a fan of Sean Connery or Michael Cain. I've enjoyed some of Connery's performances but he plays every character almost exactly the same as the last. Russian sub commander with a Scottish accent ? And Michael Caine much the same for me but a bit more of a range. I did enjoy "Last Orders" though, excellent British production.

[The Equalizer]

I watched Die Hard again last night on Sky. Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber really is the greatest ever movie villain. What a quality actor.

"And when Alexander looked over the breadth of his domain he wept for there were no worlds left to conquer. Benefits of a classical education..."

[Lighthouse]

The problem with a thread like this is that everyone has completely different ideas and tastes, what you may think is good i may think is rubbish, it is the same with football coaches/scouts, they all see something different, but if i must choose then i think currently David Tennent very versatile actor.

The thread is about the Greatest Living British Actor not the favourite. I agree that alot of those names mentioned would not be on my list. Acting is all to do with script and Direction and Production as well as the Acting. There really are not that many greats. Tennant may be versatile but is not great. But then only three or four are.

No Female as yet mentioned. Some great ones out there.

[Logicalman]

What about Robert Carlisle? I can think of three movies that show him in diverse roles, The Full Monty, The 51st State, and that Bond movie, (the one where M - Judy Dench - is kidnapped).

[alfie]

Lighthouse, this is what i mean about this thread
The thread is about the Greatest Living British Actor not the favourite.

If you do not like the actor/actress you are hardly going to consider them to be great, i used to think that Paul Scholfield was the best but of course others thought that Olivier was or Richardson or Redgrave, it's all about personal taste.

[FC Silver Fox]

This thread is about actors, not actresses, Lighthouse. The linguistic distinction exists in the English language. You don't get actors calling themselves actresses, not many anyway.
Its all this gender neutralisation rubbish emanating from the States. Girls calling themselves guys, etc. I take my lead from nature. When cows start growing cojones, I'll call them all bulls.

[Lighthouse]

Lighthouse, this is what i mean about this thread
The thread is about the Greatest Living British Actor not the favourite.

If you do not like the actor/actress you are hardly going to consider them to be great, i used to think that Paul Scholfield was the best but of course others thought that Olivier was or Richardson or Redgrave, it's all about personal taste.

That was my point really. If somebody asked you about Great British Actors you would list Olivier amongst them. But he wasn't your favourite. But he was considered the best. In the same way as you would never mention Roger Moore as a great British Actor, Whoops somebody did, but the exception proves the rule.

Kenneth Branagh is the modern day equavalent. Never a fan until Wallander. But great actor or great part.