Film Greatest film presence of all time - give your top 5.

[Fortitude]

I don't think I've seen an actor with more command of the screen and sheer presence than James Earl Jones. From the moment he is on screen, he captivates, and that's before he even uses that voice of his and compounds matters.

I think Sidney Poitier was another one who screen time seemed to stand still for until his scenes were over. Marlon Brando, another. Some would say the same of Charlton Heston, but he's not got the aura of those mentioned, for me.

My top 5 has three positions pretty much set in stone, but I'm juggling the remaining two places quite a bit. I'm trying to think of any actors who predominantly featured from the 90's onward to add to the list, but I think that old, theatre training and the rigours of the craft from times gone by led to the difference in raw magnetism of even the best actors of now compared to times gone by.

Perhaps it's better to do an overall list and a modern one so others can get their due? Also, do any women rank in your top 5, or should they have their own category, too?

I wonder if a distinction will be made between just being a great actor as opposed to having presence and charisma or if people see it as one and the same.

What do you think?

 

[VorZakone]

- Sean Connery
- Denzel Washington
- Marlon Brando
- Christopher Walken
- Al Pacino

 

[Tommy]

- Sean Connery
- Denzel Washington
- Marlon Brando
- Christopher Walken
- Al Pacino

That was my first thought. Second thought is Clint Eastwood, but I'm not sure... I'm not a huge movie buff, honestly.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

DDL surely has to be in that top list.

 

[Hoof the ball]

Tommy Wiseau.
/thread

Alt. Anthony Hopkins

 

[Tarrou]

Brando, Eastwood, Hopper, Hackman, Nicholson

 

[lsd]

Denzel, doesn't matter who is starring with you look at Denzel .

 

[spwd]

In no particular order, Walken, Eastwood, Nicholson, Hopper and Denzel.

 

[SteveJ]

Welles.

 

[Green_Red]

Daniel Day Lewis
De Niro
Pacino
Clint Eastwood
Brando

 

[Red Dreams]

Pacino
De Niro
Brando
Welles

 

[SteveJ]

F. Murray Abraham.

 

[Igor Drefljak]

Steve Carrell

 

[SteveJ]

Peter O'Toole, for definite.

 

[HTG]

Meryl Streep
Marlon Brando
Daniel Day-Lewis
Robert De Niro
Amy Adams

 

[SteveJ]

Glenn Close.

 

[The Firestarter]

Tommy Wiseau.
/thread

Alt. Anthony Hopkins

 

[Oldham]

Ben Kingsley in sexy beast

 

[calodo2003]

Entire cast of 'Glengarry Glen Ross.'

 

[SteveJ]

Malkovich.
Philip Seymour Hoffman.

 

[dumbo]

Maybe:
Marilyn
Liz
Burt Lancaster
Mitchum
Brando

 

[luke511]

Jack Nicholson

 

[P-Nut]

Denzel Washington
Morgan Freeman
De Niro
Al Pacino

 

[acnumber9]

Paul Newman. Who else could make eating boiled eggs interesting?

 

[Raees]

I think we could possibly end up conflating the question of best actors or favourites with the most magnetic or powerful presence on screen.

Imagine a hypothetical scene with actors listed above - whose presence would you be drawn to first? Who would in theory steal the scene just by virtue of their aura or presence?

For me Marlon Brando would come out top in terms of orthodox actors doing serious films. De Niro is another standout choice as is Al Pacino.

Jim Carrey might be a strange choice (some may hate the guy) but he’s the sort of actor which you can’t push to the side when you’re watching a scene.

Nicholas Cage similarly has that insane presence where you just can’t help but feel every scene he is in, is a Cage scene. Even if you’re laughing at him - you’re still watching him.

Jack Nicholson just has that sort of face which it’s hard to keep your eyes off. He ends up dominating scenes without even lifting a finger.

Currently I’d go with someone like Robert Downey Jr - he fills the screen with his aura.

Christopher Lee, Om Puri in terms of villians could steal scenes and I think Heath Ledger had the potential (if we are basing on the potential of his Joker performance) to possibly develop into a very magnetic screen presence.

 

[Twins]

Nic Cage is obviously the right answer.

 

[Grinner]

Richard Burton

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

1) Cary Grant - genius is forgotten

2) Michael K Williams

3) Daniel Day Lewis

4) Ed Norton

5) Jon Hamm

 

[Fortitude]

Malkovich.
Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Think this is a great modern shout. He stole just about every scene he was in no matter the duration of his time on screen. A truly captivating performer.


---

Comments:

- cannot believe James Earl Jones is being omitted from these lists! The man brought Vader, one of the greatest movie villains of all time, to life without even being on screen! He made you believe in his authority and the roles he played. His downside is he became typecast and was no longer using his range in his later years.

- De Niro & Pacino - both carried aura and presence during their career apexes and a bit on the way down, but they are shadows of their former selves these days, which suggests they are great actors and not just purely a great and commanding presence onscreen irrespective of role or how bad the actual script is.

- I do wonder if what @Raees stated is creeping in a bit with the conflation of great actors vis-a-vis raw screen presence and the ability to captivate an audience. I do still wonder if it can, or is, one and the same, however, as noted in the opener - it just feels like there's a distinction between someone like Brando delivering the exact same lines as a noted great actor, though. Same goes for someone like Poitier.

- Good to see some mixed sex lists. I did wonder if any women would break an open top 5. It begs the question of whether it's harder for a woman to carry presence and aura given the ease it can be attained by masculine types with strong: appearance, posture or voice (or all three in most cases).

- Barely any modern actors in these lists, as to be expected. Perhaps a separate list for them would be worthwhile?

 

[Nate Dogg]

In no particular order:

John Wayne
Clint Eastwood
De Niro
Charlie Chaplin
Gene Hackman

 

[spwd]

Daniel Day Lewis
De Niro
Pacino
Clint Eastwood
Brando

Can’t believe I forgot De Niro

 

[Kazi]

Tie between Pacino and Eastwood

 

[nickm]

Meryl Streep. Obvious reasons.
Kevin spacey in Seven. He’s on screen for a few moments but his presence is all over the movie.
Margot Robbie. Megawatt screen presence.
Schwarzenegger in his prime. Presence, not necessarily acting.

 

[nickm]

If there was an anti list, I’d have Jai Courtney right at the top.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Wayne Rooney. Some say he is a legend...

 

[Slevs]

Al Pacino
Denzel Waahington
Daniel Day Lewis
Anthony Hopkins
Donald Sutherland

 

[The Cat]

Big John Holmes.

 

[Ubik]

Mifune.

 

[Jericholyte2]

Paul Newman. Who else could make eating boiled eggs interesting?

Absolutely!

Saw Road to Perdition and in a cast with Daniel Craig, Tom Hanks, Jude Law among others, you never can take your eyes off Newman.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Harry Dean Stanton because nobody's said it yet