Plan B Forum

On one of our cable channels, I have been watching a show that deals with the films of a particular year in film history, starting in the early 30s. One of the things that surprised me was how many of the actors are names that would still be recognized today--actors like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Ingrid Bergman, Katherine Hepburn.. the list can go on and on. And it made me wonder how many of todays actors are likely to be remembered 70-80 years from now. Now I'll admit things are different now--movies aren't the center of the entertainment industry the way they were, and big studios don't have tables of stars that they de3velop by releasing films they can excel in, but movies are still big business and there are a number of box office draws today. I wonder who people might select. Let's limit it to people who werein movies from the 70s onward. I'll start it off:

I don't think there are a lot of people destined for that sort of long lived fame, but here are a few that might be:

Males: Robert Deniro and Al Pacino (Both of them have moved away from their forte of drama to make silly comedies, but I think their body of work--like the Godfather saga and Taxi Driver, will stand that test of time), Jack Nicholson, Mat Damon.

Females: Meryl Streep (again, she tried to make the move to comedy and even action, but her early body of work will remain), Susan Sarandon, Julianne Moore, Emma Thompson.

Certainly some of these are debatable, but who would you add/drop>

Interesting question...

I'll return to this thread when I have more time and have given it more thought, but off the top of my head I would add Johnny Depp to the male list...(he's demonstrated great dramatic range with everything from heavy drama to light comedy) also Michael Caine (And probably Sean Connery; not just for his Bond films but other classics like The Wind and The Lion and The Man Who Would Be King)

Oh, and of course Keanu Reeves...

On the female list I'm not sure Sarandon belongs on it, but I would definitely add Helen Mirren...

some worthy names Jim; I included Sarandon for her versatility, and I loved a lot of her early work, including Rocky Horror (she played that role right on), Pretty Baby , Atlantic City, as well as for films I was not so crazy about like Bull durham, Thelma and Louise and Lorenzo's Oil, in which I have to applaud her performances.

There are some I can think of that aren't really great actors but who are still likely to be remembered because their films are so popular and will probably still be watched for decades to come...

Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood come immediately to mind in this category...

Some of my greatest faves:


Cate Blanchette
Judy Dench
Annette Benning
I think Julia Roberts will always be beloved and watched.

Denzel
Colin Firth
Morgan Freeman
Dustin Hoffman
Anthony Hopkins

In addition to most of the above, I nominate:

George Clooney, Idris Elba, Paul Newman, Peter O'Toole.

Jodie Foster, Michelle Pfeiffer, Madeline Kahn, Jane Fonda, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, maybe Amy Adams (showing super talent in HBO's Sharp Objects, which I am otherwise really hating; Patricia Clarkson is also outstanding in the series).

A lot of good picks mentioned...

Let's limit it to people who were in movies from the 70s onward.

If I can interpret that to mean actors who were still performing in the 1970s even if a lot of their best work may have been earlier, then I definitely want to add Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers...

I guess John Wayne would also qualify...(Like Ford and Eastwood, not really one of the all-time greatest actors; but an iconic one with a huge body of popular work...)

Of the crop of pretty boys and girls in the last 30 years I would ditch Depp, Cruise, DiCaprio and Julia Roberts but pass through Tom Hanks and Kristen Stewart. (Re Stewart - watch The Clouds of Sils Maria which I watched for Juliette Binoche who did well as always but who was outclassed by Stewart.).

Daniel Day-Lewis

Robert Duvall
Tommy Lee Jones
Guy Pearce
Robert De Niro
Joe Pesci


An enthusiastic thumbs up for Helen Mirren (just re-watching the Prime Suspect series)
Mary McDonnell
Emma Thompson
Mary Louise Parker (OK it was the overbite)
Alfre Woodard
Maggie Smith
Frances McDormand

I'm impressed with the breadth of the response; I don't agree with them all (I would think no one would), but some very fine actors are being listed, some of whom, like Robert Duvall and Frances McDormand, didn't immediately come to my mind.

Michael Caine
Gene Hackman
Ellen Burstyn
Denzel Washington
George C. Scott
Vanessa Redgrave
Sigourney Weaver
Albert Finney

Many of the names that came to mind quickly were already posted.

robin williams

Martin Freeman
Benedict Cummerbatch
Simon Pegg
David Tennant
Olivia Coleman
Aidan Turner
Hugh Lawrie

This question is interesting because of the lens by which we answer. Last weekend I watched much of Amazons’s new series drop (Jack Ryan) which includes a male actor, highly lauded in the 70s and 80s, whose name has not shown up in any of these lists.

It makes me think half of these names (or more) could be mostly forgotten in 20-30 years.

Anyone remember

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Timothy Hutton?

Guinevere wrote:
Timothy Hutton?

The Last Picture Show.

A great example of someone who got red hot for awhile and the mention of now would get you a blank stare from most people under 45 is Elliott Gould (or, at best, "oh, the guy from the Oceans movie and Ray Donovan").

And who can ever forget Tom Hulce?
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Almost everyone, it seems.

Michael Keaton?

I'm not a huge fan of his, but I know some others here have had praise for his acting skills, so I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned Sean Penn...