What Actors In Specific Roles Are A Joy To Watch for You?

[overgeeked]

He was also great in both "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Soldier."

Absolutely. And The Thing. He’s almost another everything actor.

 

[pukunui]

In no particular order:

• Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf
• Sir Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, et al as the TNG cast
• William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as Kirk and Spock
• Christoph Waltz as the Nazi in Inglorious Basterds
• Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, etc
• Harrison Ford as both Indiana Jones and Han Solo
• Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia
• Sean Bean as Sharpe / Ned Stark / Boromir
• Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as Scully and Mulder
• Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark
• Michael J Fox as Marty McFly
• Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown
• Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston as as Gomez and Morticia Addams
• Christina Ricci and Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams
• Walton Goggins as Cooper Howard / the Ghoul
• Ella Purnell as Lucy MacLean
• Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham
• Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
• Chris Evans as Captain America
• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Chris Pratt as Peter Quill
• Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm (and the Grandmaster)
• Antonio Banderas as Zorro
• Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy

That'll do for now.

 

[James Gasik]

Keanu Reeves and Liam Neeson kicking ass.

Morgan Freeman playing a detective.

Brad Pitt playing a quirky, offbeat character. Strange accent optional.

Nicolas Cage being Nicolas Cage. Preferably offbeat and strange, but not necessary- 8MM is chilling.

Bill Murray being a lovable scoundrel (ie, being Bill Murray).

James Earl Jones being (or voicing) a villain.

Jason Statham being irritated by something or someone.

Jackie Chan being Jackie Chan. Preferably funny, but not necessary- The Foreigner is amazing.

Robin Williams being alive.

 

[ilgatto]

Sometimes and actor lands in a role that they seem made for, and the way they portray that character is just an utter joy to watch. Which actors in which roles qualify as that for you, personally?

Number one (right now) for me is Karl urban as Billy Butcher. He's so great in that role, even when the show sometimes dips in quality. I love almost every second he is on screen and his mannerisms, expressions and delivery elevate some script work that would be pretty questionable if delivered by anyone else.

It's a tricky question.

But here's some I've found an utter joy to watch, in no particular order (although Carrie Coon absolutely blew me away the mostest of all of them):

Carrie Coon as Nora Durst in The Leftovers
She is so good in this role, especially in Season 1, that it is hard to believe she's acting. It is quite possibly the best performance of ever by any actor.

Brad Pitt as David Mills in Seven
I've never forgotten his reaction to the cardboard box.

Beatrice Dalle as Betty in 37°2 le matin
Enchanting.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep as Father Brendan Flynn and Sister Aloysius Beauvier in Doubt
Chilling performances.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Günther Bachmann in A Most Wanted Man
The way he portrays this burnt out guy is pitch perfect.

Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro as Molly Gilmore and Frank Raftis in Falling in Love
It's been a long time since I saw the movie, but it was the first time I realized how exceptionally good they both are.

Robert De Niro as, um... anything, but especially some mafioso
No explanations required.

Winona Ryder as Kim Boggs in Edward Scissorhands
Much aided by the photography.

Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear
He had me fooled.

Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard in American History X
Absolutely terrifying.

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby in Memento
I could list most of his roles..., well..., maybe not the one in Neighbours.

Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt in Rain Man
Fast-talking salesman/manager in a pickle. Tom Cruise used to be a good actor.

Meg Tilly as Sister Agnes Devereaux in Agnes of God
Plus a huge shout-out to Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft, as Martha Livingston and Mother Miriam Ruth in the same movie.

Oh, and Patrick Stewart, as captain Jean-Luc Picard, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, "The Perfect Mate" (S05E21)

Oh (2), and how could I forget mentioning Zhang Ziyi as Zhao Di in The Road Home?

 

[MarkB]

He was also great in both "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Soldier."

And Stargate, improbable flat-top haircut and all.

 

[Dioltach]

Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder, in all his incarnations.
Miranda Richardson as Queenie in Blackadder II.
Hugh Laurie as Prince George in Blackadder the Third.

The rest of the main cast throughout the series as well, but these three in particular.

 

[Zardnaar]

Arnie as Terminator.
+1 Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder
Mr Bean Darth Maul

 

[briggart]

Cate Blanchett in the role of “whatever role Cate Blanchett is currently playing”.

 

[briggart]

Robin Williams being alive.

 

[Ryujin]

Cate Blanchett in the role of “whatever role Cate Blanchett is currently playing”.

If you haven't seen her in "Don't Look Up" then I recommend that you do. I can't remember her playing a similar character before.