Hmm. The thing with Firth is he might always be seen as Mr Darcy first and foremost - though that wasn't a film of course. Bit soon to judge with Bradley Cooper!
De Niro in Taxi Driver is obvious. As is Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I'm not her biggest fan but there's a strong case for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
Edward Norton in Primal Fear It might seem an odd choice seeing as though it was his first film but it was arguably his best performance and set him off on his carreer.
Shindler's List
Ben Kingsley was well known as Ghandi and in other roles.
Ralphy boy was recently known as the bloke from The English Patient
Neeson had been around for a while.
I think after that film both Feinnes and Neeson's reputations were greatly improved and even Kingsley was thought of in a heigher regard.
I also think that Spielberg may have gained a few fans from those that though him an action/fantasy director
Daniel Day Lewis - My Beautiful Laundrette or A Room with a View, but I think many regard My Left Foot as his true breakthrough?
Colin Firth - Another Country, but I think Pride and Prejudice is the real answer
Helena Bonham Carter - A Room With a View (I simply refuse to acknowledge Lady Jane)
Robert Shaw - From Russia with Love
Hugh Grant - Four Weddings and a Funeral
Edward Fox - The Day of the Jackal
Richard Harris - This Sporting Life
I can't make up my mind on Julie Christie. Billy Liar, Darling or Dr. Zhivago?
Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate
Daniel Craig - Casino Royale
Sean Connery - Dr No
Paul Schofield - A man for all seasoms
Michael Caine - Alfie
Bruce Lee - Enter The Dragon
Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Dustin Hoffman - Tootsie
Tom Cruise - Top Gun
Though I love Tootsie I would hardly call it a career defining movie for Hoffman. Surely The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy or even Straw Dogs, Papillon, All the Presidents Men, and even popular box office hits like Kramer vs Kramer and Marathon Man would be better qualified as career defining.
OK, perhaps some of the movies above are before your time and Tootsie may be the first film you became aware of him, but that's not the same as career defining, as in a role that an actor performed that made both the public, critics and peers sit up and took notice of the actor.
That said, In terms of Hoffman's career, without a doubt that would certainly be The Graduate.
Meryl Streep - Sophie's choice
Although she had success prior to that, it still remains an acclaimed performance and allowed Meryl to stand on her own as a lead actress, as The Deer Hunter and Kramer Vs Kramer only gave her supporting roles.
Anne Hathaway - The devil wears prada. She did a lot of family friends films before, but this role was very grown up for her. This film really led to the roles she did in films such as Batman and of course her now oscar winning performance of Les Miserables. Maybe not really a defining for her career but it was a stepping stone in the roles she is doing right now
Mmmmmm...not sure I would class that as career defining in the true sense, considering it's a very recent movie and he has been making movies (on and off) for over 30 years.
Maybe we need to actually define what we really mean here by 'career defining' - for me it's a film in which an actors performance first made everyone sit up and take notice, the film that effectively made their career take off. In most cases for an actor those movies are often very obvious to everyone, but not always. I think some people here are choosing either the first movie they specifically saw them in, or their favorite movie of that actor.
As far as Rourke is concerned, surely movies like Rumble Fish, Diner, 9 and a Half Weeks, Angel Heart would be more appropriate?
Glenn Close - Dangerous Liaisons (I know Fatal Attraction came first, but I think her performance in DL was far better)
Charlize Theron - Monster
I'd disagree with that.
Fatal Attraction was one of the defining movies of the 80s and after watching it recently it still has all of its power. Glenn Close fought tooth and nail for that part and it really was the performance that put her on the map.
DL as good as it is has become one of those slightly "forgotten" movies.
If you get down to the basics of "career-defining" i suppose it's the role that changed everything for that actor and put them where they are now.
If Glenn Close hadn't done FA her career would've been very different. DL wouldn't have done the same for her career.
Comments
De Niro in Taxi Driver is obvious. As is Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I'm not her biggest fan but there's a strong case for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars and again in Dirty Harry
Michael Caine in Alfie
Shindler's List
Ben Kingsley was well known as Ghandi and in other roles.
Ralphy boy was recently known as the bloke from The English Patient
Neeson had been around for a while.
I think after that film both Feinnes and Neeson's reputations were greatly improved and even Kingsley was thought of in a heigher regard.
I also think that Spielberg may have gained a few fans from those that though him an action/fantasy director
Gene Hackman- The French Connection
Jack Lemmon- Some Like it Hot
Samuel L Jackson- Pulp Fiction
Brad Pitt- Moneyball
Terminator - Arnie
Dustin Hoffman - Tootsie
Tom Cruise - Top Gun
Colin Firth - Another Country, but I think Pride and Prejudice is the real answer
Helena Bonham Carter - A Room With a View (I simply refuse to acknowledge Lady Jane)
Robert Shaw - From Russia with Love
Hugh Grant - Four Weddings and a Funeral
Edward Fox - The Day of the Jackal
Richard Harris - This Sporting Life
I can't make up my mind on Julie Christie. Billy Liar, Darling or Dr. Zhivago?
Daniel Craig - Casino Royale
Sean Connery - Dr No
Paul Schofield - A man for all seasoms
Michael Caine - Alfie
Bruce Lee - Enter The Dragon
Though I love Tootsie I would hardly call it a career defining movie for Hoffman. Surely The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy or even Straw Dogs, Papillon, All the Presidents Men, and even popular box office hits like Kramer vs Kramer and Marathon Man would be better qualified as career defining.
OK, perhaps some of the movies above are before your time and Tootsie may be the first film you became aware of him, but that's not the same as career defining, as in a role that an actor performed that made both the public, critics and peers sit up and took notice of the actor.
That said, In terms of Hoffman's career, without a doubt that would certainly be The Graduate.
Die Hard, still the best action film ever made and The Sixth Sense, which revealed that he could act.
Edward Scissorhands
Ed Wood
Pirates Of The Carribbean
Tyler Durden- Fight Club
Detective Mills - Seven
Christopher Walken - The Deer Hunter
Al Pacino - The Godfather Pt II
Glenn Close - Dangerous Liaisons (I know Fatal Attraction came first, but I think her performance in DL was far better)
Charlize Theron - Monster
Although she had success prior to that, it still remains an acclaimed performance and allowed Meryl to stand on her own as a lead actress, as The Deer Hunter and Kramer Vs Kramer only gave her supporting roles.
Anne Hathaway - The devil wears prada. She did a lot of family friends films before, but this role was very grown up for her. This film really led to the roles she did in films such as Batman and of course her now oscar winning performance of Les Miserables. Maybe not really a defining for her career but it was a stepping stone in the roles she is doing right now
He was great in 12 Monkeys, which came out a few years before Sixth Sense
In terms of people proving they can act, Jim Carrey in The Truman Show is a great example.
Diane Ketaon- Annie Hall
Emily Watson- Breaking the Waves
For me it would be Thelma and Louise, first time he really got noticed and came to prominence in a major movie.
Mmmmmm...not sure I would class that as career defining in the true sense, considering it's a very recent movie and he has been making movies (on and off) for over 30 years.
Maybe we need to actually define what we really mean here by 'career defining' - for me it's a film in which an actors performance first made everyone sit up and take notice, the film that effectively made their career take off. In most cases for an actor those movies are often very obvious to everyone, but not always. I think some people here are choosing either the first movie they specifically saw them in, or their favorite movie of that actor.
As far as Rourke is concerned, surely movies like Rumble Fish, Diner, 9 and a Half Weeks, Angel Heart would be more appropriate?
I'd disagree with that.
Fatal Attraction was one of the defining movies of the 80s and after watching it recently it still has all of its power. Glenn Close fought tooth and nail for that part and it really was the performance that put her on the map.
DL as good as it is has become one of those slightly "forgotten" movies.
If you get down to the basics of "career-defining" i suppose it's the role that changed everything for that actor and put them where they are now.
If Glenn Close hadn't done FA her career would've been very different. DL wouldn't have done the same for her career.
Humphrey Bogart - Casablanca
Gloria Swanson - Sunset Boulevard
Vivien Leigh - Gone With the Wind
Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia
Tom Hardy - Bronson
Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Will Ferrell - Anchorman?