top 50 actors of all time

As another year recedes into the mist, I look forward to another installment of that time-honored tradition: the Top Movies of 2010 List. As usual, though, not being a Hollywood Insider, I have seen only a handful of films from 2010 so far. So, as usual, I will postpone this list until I at least get through the Golden Globe Nominees.

In the meantime, though, we must have a list, so I present a new one: the Top 50 Actors of All Time.

All my Top Movies lists are subjective, but this one is more so than most, because, let's face it, there are all sorts of reasons to like actors that have nothing to do with their acting ability.

Even just considering acting ability, though, there is subjectivity in what I consider good acting. As in most things in life, I prefer moderation. That is I like neither the mannered acting of Clark Gable or Marlon Brando, nor the so-natural-I'm-not-acting acting of John Wayne or Kevin Costner. I appreciate a good scene chewing now and then, but only in its proper place with respect to the character and story, and not if that is the entire range of an actor. To make my list, actors need to show at least some range.

But then I would be dishonest if I said acting ability was the sole criterion for inclusion in my list. Appeal - in the form of glamour, charisma, or sex - is at least as much a factor in stardom as acting ability; in this list, it will be a strong but hopefully secondary factor.

Having said that, there is one aspect I find it impossible to be objective about: gender. I have no doubt that, given an emphasis on acting I appreciate I would populate the list with almost all men, and given an emphasis on appeal I would populate the list with almost all women. So I will split the sexes 50/50 - well, 25/25.

Finally, I must address that other aspect of stardom: many of the best actors in Hollywood have never been leading man/lady material. I've included a few supporting actors who have stolen the show over and over, but, ultimately, most supporting roles are not as revealing as a lead role, and so I've also included a category at the end for solitary standout performances.

Obviously, I have not seen every movie, and never will, so even given the subjectivity, this list can never be definitive. So please add a comment if you feel I've left one of your favorites out - I could easily have overlooked a few.

Actors

Robert Duvall
Paul Newman
Russell Crowe
Sidney Poitier
Robert Mitchum
Daniel Day-Lewis
Denzel Washington
James Stewart
Ben Kingsley
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Anthony Hopkins
Burt Lancaster
John Travolta
Don Cheadle
George Clooney
Matt Damon
Jude Law
Alan Arkin
Mel Gibson
Michael Caine
Robert De Niro
Colin Farrell
Robert Downey, Jr.
Charles Laughton
Joaquin Phoenix

Actresses

Cate Blanchett
Susan Sarandon
Meryl Streep
Claudette Colbert
Barbara Stanwyck
Katharine Hepburn
Bette Davis
Shirley MacLaine
Emily Watson
Kate Winslet
Kirsten Dunst
Nicole Kidman
Irene Dunne
Ingrid Bergman
Carole Lombard
Joanne Woodward
Audrey Hepburn
Gwyneth Paltrow
Liv Ullmann
Laura Linney
Mary Astor
Deborah Kerr
Ellen Burstyn
Patricia Clarkson
Ginger Rogers

Standout Performances

Brenda Blethyn - Secrets & Lies
Rita Moreno - West Side Story
Chloe Moretz - Kick-Ass
Amy Adams - Junebug
Cuba Gooding, Jr. - Jerry Maguire
Daniel Craig - Casino Royale
F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus
Hermione Gingold - Gigi
Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg