Actor/Actress With an Impressive Body of Work

[katyseagull]

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Wow 4 in a row is tough.

Then I thought Jack Nicholson...nope.

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Nicholso did not have 4 great films exactly in a row, but it's close:

Carnal Knowledge (1971)
The Last Detail (1973)
Chinatown (1974)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Not to mention:

Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Easy Rider (1969)

He later goes through a good streak again:

Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Terms of Endearment (1983)
Reds (1981)
The Shining (1980)

And this just represents the cluster years of great films. He has other that come up periodically.

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Wynton/Kdawg,

For some reason I was shrugging off Jack Nicholson, I guess because I haven't watched many of his films in recent years, and the ones I have seen (The Departed, Something's Gotta Give, and Anger Management) really didn't leave much of a big impression on me as far as his acting skills. But glancing at your list, and checking out imdb, wow, I am reminded what wonderful roles he's had! Jesus he has made a lot of movies.

And now I'm remembering how good his performance was in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, as well as Carnal Knowledge, Chinatown, and As Good As It Gets (love that one!).

I'm sure there are multiple strings of 4 excellent JN films in a row. There has to be.


btw, I just finished reading a review of Carnal Knowledge. I'm really surprised that some people call it a comedy. I thought it was kind of bleak myself! I saw this movie when I was around 18 and didn't like it too much. Well, I liked the first half but I thought the second half was kind of depressing. Jack Nicholson was really good in it though. Curious if anyone else has had a chance to see it? I think the casting was cool - Art Garfunkel, Candice Bergen and Ann-Margret. If you're interested in what Jack Nicholson was like in his younger years you might want to check this one out.

lol, excerpts from two reviews:

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This is narcissism and '70's nihilism at its zenith. The film does deliver strong performances , but the subject matter and the spiraling negativism is a little hard to endure. One of the main draws of this movie is Ann-Margret who looks fantastic, it's worth a viewing just for her.

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It's noteworthy that "Carnal Knowledge" was released just as the nascent feminist movement began to have some voice in real American life. The language was deemed too strong by many critics, and the film was so controversial that it was argued all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1974, the Court ruled that the movie is not obscene.

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That's pretty funny

Now I'm in the mood to watch a Jack Nicholson film! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[MrMon]

While I like Jack Nicholson, it seems to me that he doesn't have that great a range, he's always playing some version of Jack Nicholson. But lots of stars do that, Katherine Hepburn for one was famous for it. What's exciting now, however, is the emergence of a new breed where the star buries themself in the role to the point they're unrecognizable - see Charlize Theron or Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Vincent D'Onofrio. They're what we used to call character actors, only they're the lead.

[CrazyPsycho]

Philip Seymour Hoffman has a huge run:

Magnolia
The Talented Mr.Ripley
State And Main
Almost Famous
Love Liza
Punch-Drunk Love
Red Dragon
25th Hour
Owning Mahowny

Haven't seen a couple at the top, but have heard good things.

From Almost Famous down though, great run.

Then add in the variety of The Big Lebowski, Capote, Boogie Nights..

[katyseagull]

I love great character actors so I'm happy with this trend. I'll have to think about the Jack Nicholson thing. I guess you have a point. But God was he good in Cuckoo's nest! Sometimes I think Clint Eastwood plays the same type of guy in all his films.

I'm sure you're going to say that Johnny Depp is a character actor, but how about Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio? Which category would those guys fall into? They're both pretty talented actors.

[katyseagull]

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Philip Seymour Hoffman has a huge run:



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I agree with this. Very impressive.

[Blarg]

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Philip Seymour Hoffman has a huge run:

Magnolia
The Talented Mr.Ripley
State And Main
Almost Famous
Love Liza
Punch-Drunk Love
Red Dragon
25th Hour
Owning Mahowny

Haven't seen a couple at the top, but have heard good things.

From Almost Famous down though, great run.

Then add in the variety of The Big Lebowski, Capote, Boogie Nights..

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Don't forget Happiness.

[blackize]

Anthony Hopkins- He has an amazing body of work. He has been wonderful in a number of Shakespearean films as well as his more modern roles. Sure he has done some crap(Company Man, Instinct, and a few others), but he is always solid.

A few of my favorite Hopkins roles

Hearts in Atlantis(The book is way better though)
Meet Joe Black
The Edge
Nixon
Silence of the Lambs

[glorfindel]

While he doesn't always play leading roles, John Hurt's prodigious filmography ranges from cheap sci-fi to Shakespeare, and includes low budget, well written and directed, "artsy" films. Further, he always brings his role to life with superb acting.

[John Cole]

Let's see, he appeared in three Hitchcock films, a number of Anthony Mann westerns, great screwball comedies, a couple little Frank Capra films, and even saw a pooka in Harvey. Oh yes, and he shot Liberty Valance, or so the legend goes. How's that for range, Katy.

[Stagger_Lee]

For the win

Tom Hanks

Splash
Bachelor Party
The Man with One Red Shoe
Volunteers
The Money Pit


then

Dragnet
Big
Punchline
The 'burbs

then

League of Their Own
Philadelphia

then

Forrest Gump
Apollo 13
Saving Private Ryan
The Green Mile
Castaway
Band of Brothers
Road to Perdition
The Terminal


In there you can throw a few other big movies + work on the best animated movies - Toy Story 1 & 2 and Cars