Mar 19, 2020 15:46:32 GMT 🤯 said:

I'll definitely concede the point to UT readily that Denzel is the more bankable commercial actor.

Not that Denzel can't muster an epic art performance, but DDL is All art. I wouldn't want to see him in a blockbuster or comedy... Wouldn't feel right.

Overall, I think DDL is like if you add up the chameleon factor of OG GO, the primadonna drama of Christian Bale, the (over?)hype of Meryl Streep, and divide by the project picky-ness of Marlon Brando.

Most of this post sums up my feelings on DDL. Not the most accessible actors to get fully on board with.

Mar 19, 2020 17:29:51 GMT UT said:

His one trick is (as Emperor said) epic , long winded movies. That's it. You know exactly what you're getting when the latest DDL movie comes out - yes he is great at that but he doesn't ever go outside of that box he made for himself. And that again , is a choice he obviously made as he appreciates the art side of the job but TO ME that doesn't make him one of the greatest ever. 

I see where you are coming from here, but I think the confusion is that this is a choice that he made. He chooses to do these types of movies and it has nothing to do with his talent or abilities.

The implication with the term “one trick pony” is that the pony is only capable of doing one trick. That is not the case here, so I don’t think it’s a good description.

DDL could easily do those other types of films well if he chose to.

I don’t think anyone disagrees with you that those aren’t always the most entertaining roles or that they aren’t going to appeal to everyone.

I think he put himself in a box. I understand that he makes movies for a certain type but that’s never going to appeal to me.

Hell I’d LOVE to see him take on a lesser movie and have some fun with it. Or better yet , take on the role of a comic villain. Just to prove he can do other things.

I realize also he doesn’t have to do shit for me , and has his own motivations and passions.

Mar 19, 2020 20:45:27 GMT UT said:

I think he put himself in a box. I understand that he makes movies for a certain type but that’s never going to appeal to me.

Hell I’d LOVE to see him take on a lesser movie and have some fun with it. Or better yet , take on the role of a comic villain. Just to prove he can do other things.

I realize also he doesn’t have to do shit for me , and has his own motivations and passions.

Nobody puts DDL in a box!

Wait, that's not the Dirty Dancing Line, is it?

Boxes, corners, babies... Whatever, close enough.

UT your original post threw me because you couldn't get two more polar opposites than the character DDL played in My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood. I understand what you're saying though - DDL isn't box office. He's fantastic at playing characters but he doesn't have a strong personality like other actors. While I find it strange that people can look at a three hour movie about the 19th century oil industry and not get exhillerated by the prospect, I guess it's a matter of different strokes for different folks.

DDL was my #2. His gift as an actor is that he never plays his character one note, he always finds the humanity and gives them layers that other actors would ignore. There's also an authenticity in the performances and he'll actually skill up for his craft so he can get lost in each role. It's why Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise are really good action leads because they really throw themselves into their work. Like Pro Wrestling, the more believable the set-up is, the better the craft.

3. Robert De Niro 

“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?”  ~ Travis Bickle 

Feature Films 

105 

Critical Highs 

IMDB: The Godfather: Part II (9.0/10)

RT: Mean Streets , Taxi Driver , The Godfather: Part II (97%)

Critical Lows 

IMDB: Sam's Song (3.4/10)

RT: Godsend (4%)

Box Office 

Highest Grossing: Meet the Fockers 

Lowest Grossing: Hands of Stone 

Average Gross: $41,431,171 

Total Gross: $3,438,787,152 

Awards and Accolades 

- 5x Oscar Nominee for Best Leading Actor 

- 1x Oscar Winner for Best Leading Actor 

- 2x Oscar Nominee for Best Supporting Actor 

- 1x Oscar Winner for Best Supporting Actor 

- 2011 Winner of Cecille B. Demille Award 

- 4x Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor (Drama)

- 1x Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor (Drama)

- 4x Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)

- 2003 AFI Recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award 

De Niro is an icon obviously and there's not a ton more I can personally say about him. I think if you gave most actors just his resume` from the 70's and early 80's they would all love to take it and call it a hell of a career if it just stopped there. Then though you get into his second act with movies like Goodfellas , Heat , Casino , A Bronx Tale , Jackie Brown and Midnight Run and even lesser beloved but still good things like Ronin and Cape Fear. The guy has had two careers , a decade a part that even a handful of actors on this list would kill for.

He did eventually hit a snag as he got older and there are some absolutely brutal choices by him , but he still had some solid sprinkled in like with his supporting role in Silver Linings Playbook. And you know what? He was great in Meet the Parents too , even though it's a comedy ... he was perfect opposite Stiller.

He's definitely in the conversation for the GOAT. #3 is fine. I would have understood if he took the top spot.

Best work is undoubtedly Meet the Parents.

Although The Intern and Dirty Grandpa were pretty underrated turns as well.

Also, for fear they're not making the list, I'm just going to go ahead and divulge my Top 15 now:

15. Lucille Ball
14. Brock Lesnar
13. Nicolas Cage
12. Brock Lesnar
11. Nicolas Cage
10. Brock Lesnar
9. Nicolas Cage
8. Brock Lesnar
7. Nicolas Cage
6. Brock Lesnar
5. Nicolas Cage
4. Brock Lesnar
3. Nicolas Cage
2. Brock Lesnar
1. Nicolas Cage

There are only two actors I think have the potential to finish over DeNiro. One of them is worthy and the other one absolutely is not.

but I digress. DeNiro IMO is the single greatest actor of all-time, especially if you go by resume. His 70's work was untouchable and his work from the 80's to 1990 was almost as good. Even in the 90's and forward he still had very solid work (Meet the Parents, Analyze This, Bronx Tale, Casino, Heat,) Sure he's had some bad choices as he got older, but that doesn't take away from over 2 decades of unparalleled excellence.

For some reason I’ve always kind of felt that De Niro and Nicholson are very similar. I love both of them, but I would take Nicholson any day.

De Niro is no doubt the better actor of the two...though part of this opinion is likely coming from the inescapable fact that, whenever I look at Nicholson, I can’t help but laugh because he just looks like a comic book villain. His mannerisms are just comical too. He’s a legit amazing actor at the same time though so the combination just wins me over. This is probably why I thought The Shining was mostly a comedy.

De Niro doesn’t have as eccentric a personality and is more of a DDL style actor, so he just doesn’t appeal to me quite as much.

They are both absolute powerhouses though and two of my favorite actors to watch on the screen. Aside from the difference I mentioned, they both kill it in any high-drama role.

It’s like Nicholson is the goofy clone of De Niro.

De Niro has everything going for him, but on a personal level, I'm not especially fond of him. He always has a strong presence in whatever role he plays, but he's not a draw. I don't go out of my way to watch De Niro films.

Robert DeNiro is a legend in acting. We all know how I feel about him personally but I won’t get into all that right now.

Mar 20, 2020 17:35:40 GMT The Kid said:

Robert DeNiro is a legend in acting. We all know how I feel about him personally but I won’t get into all that right now.

Dammit. I saw you posted after Deniro and got excited lmao.

Mar 20, 2020 18:23:38 GMT Ness said:

Mar 20, 2020 17:35:40 GMT The Kid said:

Robert DeNiro is a legend in acting. We all know how I feel about him personally but I won’t get into all that right now.

Dammit. I saw you posted after Deniro and got excited lmao.

And you know what's crazy about DeNiro?

The fact that he actually looks like a motherfucking mobster. He handles himself like a true mobster in films and such and has that look. You would think this guy was a fucking bad ass who just handles his business like a man. Instead he acts like a fucking snowflake and whines and whines like he's in a nursing home annoyed by his latest meal. The dude is the complete polar opposite of what I see him as in films. Honestly, I had him at #3 on my list (I believe) and he is one of my favorite actors of all time but he is probably the biggest grown man bitch I know. Complaining about ambulances and shit, fucking pussy.

Better?

De Niro was my number 1, even watching him in a self parody movie like Grudge Match was a blast and shows he's willing to go out of that much discussed "box." Performances like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull are once in a lifetime for most actors.

Mar 20, 2020 18:29:38 GMT The Kid said:

Mar 20, 2020 18:23:38 GMT Ness said:

Dammit. I saw you posted after Deniro and got excited lmao.

And you know what's crazy about DeNiro?

The fact that he actually looks like a motherfucking mobster. He handles himself like a true mobster in films and such and has that look. You would think this guy was a fucking bad ass who just handles his business like a man. Instead he acts like a fucking snowflake and whines and whines like he's in a nursing home annoyed by his latest meal. The dude is the complete polar opposite of what I see him as in films. Honestly, I had him at #3 on my list (I believe) and he is one of my favorite actors of all time but he is probably the biggest grown man bitch I know. Complaining about ambulances and shit, fucking pussy.

Better?

A little! Guess it just makes him all the better as an actor since if he was the badass he always plays well, it's like Will Smith and Nicholson he's just being himself. But here he's somebody else. Something else. Previous on Arrow.

I get it with The Kid's love/hate for De Niro because of his acting work vs. real life. I'm the same with Mel Gibson. He can do no wrong for me onscreen, but some of his personal life affairs have certainly been a bit cringe to say the least. Maybe we can just concisely call this kind of relationship the Benoit Paradox, since this is a pro wrestling message board after all?

You know what’s crazy?

Leo
Bale
Hanks
Samuel motherfucking Jackson
Will Smith

Only two of these guys are going to make the list and it’s tragic that we got Theron and Hoffman on this list over Hanks. I’m assuming Bale and Leo will wrap up this list but what a shame this is.

Mar 20, 2020 19:31:58 GMT The Kid said:

You know what’s crazy?

Leo
Bale
Hanks
Samuel motherfucking Jackson
Will Smith

Only two of these guys are going to make the list and it’s tragic that we got Theron and Hoffman on this list over Hanks. I’m assuming Bale and Leo will wrap up this list but what a shame this is.

Samuel mothafuckin *L.* Jackson, as great as he is, is way more one note than Denzel, and thus there is nothing wrong with him missing this list.

Controversial take here maybe, but I think Bale is SUPER overrated. Leo and Tom better close this out.

Mar 20, 2020 18:29:38 GMT The Kid said:

Mar 20, 2020 18:23:38 GMT Ness said:

Dammit. I saw you posted after Deniro and got excited lmao.

And you know what's crazy about DeNiro?

The fact that he actually looks like a motherfucking mobster. He handles himself like a true mobster in films and such and has that look. You would think this guy was a fucking bad ass who just handles his business like a man. Instead he acts like a fucking snowflake and whines and whines like he's in a nursing home annoyed by his latest meal. The dude is the complete polar opposite of what I see him as in films. Honestly, I had him at #3 on my list (I believe) and he is one of my favorite actors of all time but he is probably the biggest grown man bitch I know. Complaining about ambulances and shit, fucking pussy.

Better?

This entire argument seems to be based on the fact that he is “whining”. What do you qualify as whining? Because it seems your definition is anyone who is trying to make a difference over something they believe in that you happen to disagree with.

Mar 20, 2020 19:36:41 GMT 🤯 said:

Mar 20, 2020 19:31:58 GMT The Kid said:

You know what’s crazy?

Leo
Bale
Hanks
Samuel motherfucking Jackson
Will Smith

Only two of these guys are going to make the list and it’s tragic that we got Theron and Hoffman on this list over Hanks. I’m assuming Bale and Leo will wrap up this list but what a shame this is.

Samuel mothafuckin *L.* Jackson, as great as he is, is way more one note than Denzel, and thus there is nothing wrong with him missing this list.

Controversial take here maybe, but I think Bale is SUPER overrated. Leo and Tom better close this out.

I'm positive it's going to be Tom and Leo.   But Leo finishing over DeNiro is flat out laughable.

Mar 20, 2020 19:31:58 GMT The Kid said:

You know what’s crazy?

Leo
Bale
Hanks
Samuel motherfucking Jackson
Will Smith

Only two of these guys are going to make the list and it’s tragic that we got Theron and Hoffman on this list over Hanks. I’m assuming Bale and Leo will wrap up this list but what a shame this is.

You think it’s Bale!? Lmfao what. It’s obviously Tom Hanks. Go back to the schoolyard, Kid.

I don’t care for Bale but people are obsessed with him so I figured he’d be on the list. I don’t have him on my list so go suck a dick Lionheart.

And thereallt, I am devastated to learn that you are envious of Leonardo DiCaprio. We agree on so much and seeing this side of you hurts me. It hurts bad. Almost as bad as Lionheart throat feels when he gets face fucked.

Mar 20, 2020 20:12:33 GMT thereallt said:

Mar 20, 2020 19:36:41 GMT 🤯 said:

Samuel mothafuckin *L.* Jackson, as great as he is, is way more one note than Denzel, and thus there is nothing wrong with him missing this list.

Controversial take here maybe, but I think Bale is SUPER overrated. Leo and Tom better close this out.

I'm positive it's going to be Tom and Leo.   But Leo finishing over DeNiro is flat out laughable.

No need for hyperbole. Leo is every bit as good as DeNiro, assuming he hasn't now surpassed him.

Leo is the greatest actor to ever live.


Point.

Blank.

PERIOD.

Point Blank is a fantastic movie.

If he's #2 Kid is going to LOSE IT.

Mar 20, 2020 21:22:44 GMT Lionheart said:

Point Blank is a fantastic movie.

You mean Grosse Point Blank?

Mar 20, 2020 21:23:45 GMT Ness said:

If he's #2 Kid is going to LOSE IT.

For sure!