If an actor does his/her job right, then you should be 100% convinced by their performance and believe that they ARE the character that they are portraying. If they don't, then your mind might go to who might have played the role better. So really, the quesion is, who is the best actor/actress?
However, in movies where an actor had to be replaced because of death, like in Richard Harris' case, then it's easy to compare him to his replacement, and I agree that Gambon was a poor replacement, because Harris completely became the character of Dumbledore, but Gambon admitted to not even being familiar with Harry Potter - and it showed.
Or in the case of franchises like Bond, where the actor is replaced after a certain number of films, again, it's then easy to sit a question who best becomes the character. For me, it was Pierce Brosnan, who always looked exactly right and played it exactly the way I imagined the suave English spy would be. Saying that, Sean Connery would always be the standout, because he was the first, and will always be considered the best by most.
Some of the best actors for me are:- Tom Hanks. His Oscar winning performances were perfection in "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump." Maggie Smith. It doesn't matter what she plays, she always makes the role her very own. As the Dowager Countess or Professor Mcgonagal, she is those characters. Johnny Depp. The man is an acting powerhouse, and can do "Out there on the edge of insanity," just as easily as "heartfelt and poignant." He IS Captain Jack Sparrow, but in my mind he is also "Willi Wonka," or "Sweeny Todd," or pretty much anything else he has ever played.
I also agree 100% about Arnie. Nobody could have played The Terminator better than he did.
Diane Keaton - Annie Hall (Annie Hall)
Kate Hudson - Penny Lane (Almost Famous)
Dianne Wiest - Helen Sinclair (Bullets Over Broadway)
Jack Nicholson -R.P. McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid in HP. But that's only because I read the books before hand and to me he fit perfectly. I recall JKR saying afterwards that she wrote Hagrid with RC in mind!
sigourney weaver (Ripley) Alien films
Steve Mcqueen (Frank Bullitt) Bullitt
Morgan Freeman (Red) Shawshank Redemption
Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde)
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
Ron Perlman as Hellboy
Marty Feldman as Igor in Young Frankenstien
Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle
Robert Shaw as Quint
Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Another example that comes to mind is Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. There were parallels between Randy the Ram and Rourke's personal life such as when he left Hollywood to become a boxer. His life had declined and everyone has written him off as an actor. Rourke, said himself that he could engage with the atmosphere of being the ring. Also the director Darren Aronofsky fought hard to secure Rourke the role after it was alleged that Nicholas Cage was going to cast as Randy the Ram.
Comments
OJ didn't look like a killer....
Lance Henrickson was also considered at one point.
However, in movies where an actor had to be replaced because of death, like in Richard Harris' case, then it's easy to compare him to his replacement, and I agree that Gambon was a poor replacement, because Harris completely became the character of Dumbledore, but Gambon admitted to not even being familiar with Harry Potter - and it showed.
Or in the case of franchises like Bond, where the actor is replaced after a certain number of films, again, it's then easy to sit a question who best becomes the character. For me, it was Pierce Brosnan, who always looked exactly right and played it exactly the way I imagined the suave English spy would be. Saying that, Sean Connery would always be the standout, because he was the first, and will always be considered the best by most.
Some of the best actors for me are:-
Tom Hanks. His Oscar winning performances were perfection in "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump."
Maggie Smith. It doesn't matter what she plays, she always makes the role her very own. As the Dowager Countess or Professor Mcgonagal, she is those characters.
Johnny Depp. The man is an acting powerhouse, and can do "Out there on the edge of insanity," just as easily as "heartfelt and poignant." He IS Captain Jack Sparrow, but in my mind he is also "Willi Wonka," or "Sweeny Todd," or pretty much anything else he has ever played.
I also agree 100% about Arnie. Nobody could have played The Terminator better than he did.
Kate Hudson - Penny Lane (Almost Famous)
Dianne Wiest - Helen Sinclair (Bullets Over Broadway)
Jack Nicholson -R.P. McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
As soon as I saw the thread title I thought Vivien Leigh as Scarlett.
But can't agree about Clark Gable, always comes across as sleazy and too old to me.
Would say Olivier Di Havilland as Mellie was the other outstanding performance that you can't separate the actor from the character.
Didn't he create the character himself? The role really was tailor made for him if so!
Michael J Fox - Marty McFly
Christopher Lloyd - Emmett Brown
Yep he did i bileve and he did the screenplay for Rambo
......runs away laughing......
ETA.. Jody Foster - Clarice... that useless bint in Hannibal wasn't a scratch on her.
This^^ Was the first thing that came to mind and for the same reason!
I always think Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick was ideal casting. To me, how he was in that is how I see him in real life!
Day Lewis is great in everything he does, but this was sheer acting perfection.
Steve Mcqueen (Frank Bullitt) Bullitt
Morgan Freeman (Red) Shawshank Redemption
Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde)
Ron Perlman as Hellboy
Marty Feldman as Igor in Young Frankenstien
Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle
Robert Shaw as Quint
Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Betty Davis and Joan Crawford in "Whatever happened to Baby Jane"
With their well known rivalry I couldn't imagine two better matched actresses to play those roles.