Thousands of actors have passed through Hollywood, but few have been allowed to stick around. Only those with unique talent, tenacity, and versatility stand the test of time. Here are 18 of the greatest actors of the Twentieth Century that have achieved legend status.
Robert DeNiro
To deny method actor Robert DeNiro the title of the Best Actor of his Generation would be blasphemy. He’s been a Godfather, a Goodfella, a Raging Bull, a Taxi Driver, a Dirty Grandpa, and a Focker. There’s nothing he can’t do. No wonder he’s Martin Scorsese’s muse.
Jack Nicholson
Beyond the crazed eyebrows and iconic Joker grin, Jack Nicholson is one of the greatest actors of all time. His ‘Joker’ has been rated the best comic book movie villain ever. Still, his versatility has shone through in multiple performances, including One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, About Schmidt, As Good As It Gets, and The Shining.
Greta Garbo
Beauty is ten a penny in Hollywood, but beauty and talent are less so. Directors who worked with Greta Garbo were in awe of her ability to captivate audiences with her magnifying on-screen presence. As quickly as she rose to fame, she renounced it, adding to her legacy.
Tom Hanks
Few actors can show versatility like the Hanks-meister. He plays every role with conviction and heart, and we always feel he’s baring his soul. Two Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump just don’t seem enough. Every role has been Oscar-worthy.
Anthony Hopkins
It’s hard to believe that Anthony Hopkins was a prolific actor before Hannibal Lecter, the role that gave him endless accolades and acclaim. He can turn any script into gold, and we’ll never tire of those gentle Welsh tones.
Bette Davies
Hollywood great and Joan Crawford rival Bette Davies deftly breezed through complex roles, leaving audiences and co-stars transfixed in her wake. She won Oscars for Jezebel and Dangerous but could easily have taken home a dozen more had Hollywood allowed her.
Al Pacino
One of the most fearless actors of all time, Al Pacino approaches every role with the intensity of a bull to a red flag. His famous roles in The Godfather and Scarface have solidified his place as a leading actor, and his upcoming memoir promises to unveil the experiences that led to his immense success.
Gary Oldman
Few characters can chill us to the bone, but London-born Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Drexl in True Romance and unhinged DEA agent Norman Stansfield in Leon is evil personified. Such believable performances make it easy to forget you’re watching an actor regurgitating lines.
Laurence Olivier
Unbelievably, Laurence Olivier never had his sights set on Hollywood, but filmmakers had none of it. As a twenty-something Shakespearean stage actor, he was fully established as a leading man. Few could deliver the words of The Bard quite like Olivier.
Meryl Streep
A Best Actor list without Meryl Streep would be sinful. She’s the go-to for heavyweight characters, making performing look like child’s play. Sophie’s Choice destroyed us, and her embodiment of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady was more like Thatcher than Thatcher.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Shying away from public acclaim, it’s easy to overlook Daniel Day-Lewis’s talents. He takes his craft so seriously that he remains in character throughout filming, trying to embody his character. That’s a whole new level of brilliance.
Jodie Foster
You don’t receive five Oscar nominations and win two Best Actress awards without awe-inspiring talent. Never one to stay within her comfort zone, her portrayal of a child prostitute at the tender age of twelve in Taxi Driver and re-enacting a gang rape in The Accused have cemented a career that spans over fifty years.
Leonardo DiCaprio
He’s the muse of Hollywood’s leading directors, including Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. While his skill for improvising can land him in trouble, there’s no doubt that he brings complexity and heart to each of his characters.
Tom Cruise
All-American Tom Cruise epitomizes the term movie star. He is always a director’s go-to actor due to the intensity and vigor he brings to roles. Few actors can outdo a box-office hit (Top Gun) with a mind-blowing sequel (Maverick). He might be a mere 5 foot 7, but he’s Hollywood’s leading man.
Cate Blanchett
With her ability to transform into a wide range of characters, Cate Blanchett has proven time and time again that she’s committed to her craft. Her versatility keeps giving from Elizabeth I to a range of fantasy characters. There is no dialect that she hasn’t nailed.
Humphrey Bogart
He’s every Grandma’s favorite actor from the Golden Era of Hollywood, and it wasn’t due to dashing good looks. He wasn’t the most attractive or even tallest of actors, but he knew how to bring a powerful energy to every scene he ever appeared in. If you haven’t seen Casablanca, you haven’t lived.
Marlon Brando
He was one of the greatest and most influential method actors ever, and he channeled his inner demons through art. Francis Ford Coppola called him his muse after giving him his two greatest roles as Vito Corleone in The Godfather and Colonel Walter Kurtz in Apocalypse Now.
Audrey Hepburn
Despite her elegance and striking looks, which epitomized 1950s Hollywood glamour, Audrey Hepburn’s appeal lay in her portrayal of relatable characters. Love In The Afternoon showed her comedic side, while Wait Until Dark demonstrated her versatility by playing a terrorized blind woman.
