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There were many American actors in the 80's, actors such as Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger to mention but few. In your own few who do you think was the greatest among the American actors in the 80's.
I hope you're not suggesting that those three remotely qualify as "greatest."
Since Lonesome Dove though, I can't think of anything he has done which was distinguished, in fact, he mostly seems to be playing a parody of himself, just sort of phoning it in.
Nope. Granted, he's done so many movies and TV shows that many of them were not great. But just a few of his great roles since Lonesome Dove:
Stalin. Not a great movie, but his performance was amazing.
Falling Down. Great movie, and Duvall is brilliant in it.
Phenomenon. A movie I ended up liking a lot more than I thought I would. And Duvall steals every scene he's in.
The Apostle. One of his most acclaimed roles. And Duvall not only gave a masterful performance, but he wrote and directed this movie as well.
A Civil Action. One of the most evil characters he ever played.
Open Range. Back as a cowboy at last. Good movie, and Duvall carries the whole picture. Fantastic.
Secondhand Lions. A charming little sleeper. Duvall and Michael Caine are one of the best "buddy" teams on film in the past 20 years.
Broken Trail. Robert Duvall? Check. In a cowboy hat? Check. Riding a horse on the open range? Giddy-up!
Nope. Granted, he's done so many movies and TV shows that many of them were not great. But just a few of his great roles since Lonesome Dove:
Stalin. Not a great movie, but his performance was amazing.
Falling Down. Great movie, and Duvall is brilliant in it.
Phenomenon. A movie I ended up liking a lot more than I thought I would. And Duvall steals every scene he's in.
The Apostle. One of his most acclaimed roles. And Duvall not only gave a masterful performance, but he wrote and directed this movie as well.
A Civil Action. One of the most evil characters he ever played.
Open Range. Back as a cowboy at last. Good movie, and Duvall carries the whole picture. Fantastic.
Secondhand Lions. A charming little sleeper. Duvall and Michael Caine are one of the best "buddy" teams on film in the past 20 years.
Broken Trail. Robert Duvall? Check. In a cowboy hat? Check. Riding a horse on the open range? Giddy-up!
We apparently have different standards, "Broken Trail" and "Open Range" were precisely the films I had in mind when writing that Duvall is now just parodying himself. In both films he provides us with recycled Gus McCRay. In "The Apostle" it looked like he was just running through the list of the Duvall bits he has developed over the years as his acting signature.
Duvall had a great run for a couple of decades, sufficient to establish him as one of the greats of American cinema, but that run ended about twenty years ago. There is absolutely nothing that Duvall can do anymore to surprise an audience. He has exhausted his bag of acting tricks. Same as Pacino, same as Nicholson or Hoffman or Newman or Heston or Bronson....
We apparently have different standards, "Broken Trail" and "Open Range" were precisely the films I had in mind when writing that Duvall is now just parodying himself. In both films he provides us with recycled Gus McCRay.
Gus was irascible anarchy. His character in broken trail was wise and compassionate. In Open Range, his chief flaw was pride. He was right, but his sutbbornness led to a whole lot of bloodshed. They're all very different characters. Duvall's character in Open Range is actually a lot more like Tommy Lee Jones's character in Lonesome Dove.
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Originally Posted by Grandstander
He has exhausted his bag of acting tricks. Same as Pacino, same as Nicholson or Hoffman or Newman or Heston or Bronson....
I'd tend to agree with you on Pacino and Nicholson. Hoffman hasn't had a good role in years. But give Newman a break. It's hard to get good roles from beyond the grave. Same with Heston and Bronson -- although in their cases I would say they both had a great screen presence, true movie stars, but I would hardly call them brilliant actors.
Gus was irascible anarchy. His character in broken trail was wise and compassionate. In Open Range, his chief flaw was pride. He was right, but his sutbbornness led to a whole lot of bloodshed. They're all very different characters. Duvall's character in Open Range is actually a lot more like Tommy Lee Jones's character in Lonesome Dove.
The characters were different but the performance was the same.
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I'd tend to agree with you on Pacino and Nicholson. Hoffman hasn't had a good role in years. But give Newman a break. It's hard to get good roles from beyond the grave. Same with Heston and Bronson -- although in their cases I would say they both had a great screen presence, true movie stars, but I would hardly call them brilliant actors.
The point was that all actors reach the point of exhausting what they can do. Acting bits and gimmicks are finite, no one has limitless and perpetual creativity. By a certain age, typically between 40 and 50, the actor will have come up with every gesture, look, reaction or emphasis that he or she has in the arsenal. After that it is a matter of recycling the bag of tricks.
You need not take my word for this, next time you see a Duvall performance, try and find a single bit of acting which you have not seen from him before in other films. Or watch several Duvall performances back to back and the count the number of times he relies on the same gimmicks. And not just Duvall, it will work with anyone.
Now and again you might come across an actor who goes completely against type because he or she is tired of turning in the same performance again and again. Most frequently these turn out to be terrible because you know what movie stars are? They are actors who discover or assemble a pleasing bag of gimmicks and bits, and clever enough to work them into different characters who they play. Watch Jack Nicholson in "Easy Rider" and then watch "A Few Good Men " You will see Jack employing the same sort of eyebrow raising looks, mouth puckering at the ends of sentences, intense stares...the Nicholson bag of gimcracks.
In the case of Duvall, all of his repertoire had already been formed before he played Gus McRay, but that role was a perfect coming together of the part and Duvall's particular set of bits. Since then it has just been his same old set of bits.
we always watched Stallone, Arnold, and Eastwood film in many of the African country they were much popular then and even now, so this name Duvall is strange but almost everybody that has comment mentioned him can somebody tell me who he is and title of some of his films?
There were many American actors in the 80's, actors such as Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger to mention but few. In your own few who do you think was the greatest among the American actors in the 80's.
If I had to chose one in the 80s it would be Harrison Ford. He started off the decade with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and followed that up with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Blade Runner(1982) then Return of the Jedi (1983). These were all huge hits.
Then he made Witness(1985) and later made Working Girl(1988) and lastly Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade(1989).
That's quite a list for just one decade.
What are the parameters for determining who the greatest actor of the 80's?
Who made the most $?
Who won the most awards?
Who was working the most? (Working & income do not always go hand in hand)
Are they those who first appeared in the 80's and was popular with the studios- most sought out for leading roll (first on the casting list).
Who was the most versatile?
Tom Cruise was/is popular, but not a great actor...he's rather blah to me.
Kevin Bacon was starting to gain attention in the 80's and not a bad actor.
I agree with Harrison Ford being on the list.
Scratch Arnold off the list- he's not American.
Patrick Swayze perhaps? It used to be that for one to be hired by a studio, one had to act, sing and dance....he does (or sadly said, did).
John Travolta is similar in that regard.
FWIW:
Best actor Oscar winners-
1980 - Dustin Hoffman; Kramer Vs Kramer (I'd put him on my personal greatest list)
81- Robert De Niro; Raging Bull
82- Henry Fonda; On Golden Pond
83- Ben Kingsley; Gandhi (I think he did a damn good job, 'forgot' who he was just an actor)
84- Robert Duvall*; Tender Mercies
85- F. Murray Abraham; Amadeus
86- William Hurt*; Kiss of the Spider Woman
87- Paul Newman*; The Color of Money
88- Michael Douglas; Wall Street
89- Dustin Hoffman*; Rain Man (another one that I totally 'forgot' it was Hoffman)
* was nominated in more than just the year they won.
Many greats were nominated (some several times) through the decade, but never won.
Gene Hackman, Jack Nicolson, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford, Jon Voight, Jack Lemmon.....
Sean Penn?
Robert De Niro?
Christopher Walken?
Eric Roberts?
Charlie Sheen?
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