Defining Roles

What do you think the career defining roles are for the following actors?:
(feel free to add your own)

Nicholson
DeNiro
Pacino
Schwarzenegger
Stallone
Willis
Cruise
Russell
Kilmer
Van Damme
Seagal
Costner

 

I'll play I guess. All of the top of my head because I don't feel like IMDB'ing anything. These are not necessarily the BEST, but more in line with the topic.


Nicholson - "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

DeNiro - "Raging Bull"

Pacino - "Godfather II"

Schwarzenegger - "Conan The Barbarian"

Stallone - "Rocky"

Willis - "Diehard"

Cruise - "Risky Business"

Russell - "Escape From New York"

Kilmer - "The Doors"

Van Damme - "The One He Does The Splits In"

Seagal - "Above The Law" (1st film, and he never came close to matching it again)

Costner - "The Untouchables"

 

Nicholson =One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
DeNiro = Taxi Driver
Pacino - The Godfather Part II
Schwarzenegger = Predator
Stallone =Rocky
Willis = Die Hard
Cruise = Top Gun
Russell = Tombstone
Kilmer = Tombstone
Van Damme = BloodSport
Seagal = Above The Law
Costner= Dances With Wolves

 

In the case of Arnold I was going originally with his breakout role as Conan, but that didn't put him in the map (see the failure of the sequel). Terminator is the most iconic one, but he was not the main character even though he gets top billing. Commando was his first hit as a star in a non-franchise film that told people in Hollywood 'this guy can open a film', but it was 'Predator' the one that defined his career as a box office superstar and an action hero. From that point on there was no turning back.

 

Nicholson- The SHining

DeNiro- Taxi Driver, Raging Bull

Pacino- The Godfather, Scarface

Schwarz- Terminator 2

Stallone- Rocky

Willis- Die Hard

Cruise- fuck him

Russel- The Thing, Escape from NY

Kilmer- Top Gun, The Doors

Van Damme- Blood Sport

Seagal- Above The Law

Costner- Dances WIth Wolves

 

While I'd hardly say that it was best acting performance, and probably not his BEST overall movie, Jack Nicholson's most infamous role, and what he'll ALWAYS be best known for is The Shining.

I mean, when anybody hears "Here's Johnny!"..... I assure you, NOBODY thinks of Johnny Carson. Jack's face in that door is the first thing people equate that to.

One Flew Over is a CLASSIC movie, but I wouldn't say it's ICONIC in the same way The Shining is. And Jack is 90% of the reason why The Shining is so iconic.

Therefore, it's Jack's defining role. Defining role and best acted role are two completely different things; although they're sometimes the same role.

 

I would think of Johnny Carson first, to be honest, if I heard that:dunno:

to add some famous actors:

Hackman - The French Connection

Newman - Cool Hand Luke

Eastwood - Dirty Harry

O'Toole - Lawrence Of Arabia

 

if you had to pick one for Eastwood, it'd be difficult to pick between DIrty Harry and The Good The Bad and the Ugly.

 

"Ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?"

 

What about DiCaprio?

Denzel

Affleck

Diesel

Damon

 

DiCaprio has been in better films, but he'll likely be most famous in the long run for "Titanic"

Denzel, I would say "Malcom X"

Ben Affleck is a pretty good director/writer and a shit actor

Vin Diesel should never be referred to as an actor... He makes Affleck look like Gene Hackman

Matt Damon is a tough one... Probably the "Bourne" films

 

Malcolm X is Denzel's BEST PERFORMANCE. However, he'll always be best known for Training Day.

And for Matt Damon, I'd say it's Good Will Hunting.

 

I don't know about the first one, there, he was already Hollywood royalty a good decade before that film, already an icon

Good shout on Damon, I might be inclined to agree

 

He was already an icon before Training Day and a Hollywood Star, however, Training Day made him a MEGA STAR, and when his career is over, if you ask the average joe the first movie that comes to mind when they think of Denzel, most will likely say Training Day.

I can see a case for Malcolm X though. Def comes down to one of those two movies.

 

How bout these?:

Crowe
Bale
Penn
Clooney

For me, Crowe is an easy one. His defining performance is Gladiator. Even though, his BEST performance is A Beautiful Mind.

For Bale, damn, sadly he'll always probably be associated with Batman. Prior to Batman, I guess he was most known for American Psycho.

Difficult for me to call it on Sean Penn, but I guess I'd say Mystic River.

And Clooney is another difficult one.

 

Empire Of The Sun?? He was 12

American Psycho was his best-known role prior to the Batman films

 

Penn's defining role is clearly "I am Sam"
































:scared2:

 

Yeah, I dunno where the Hell Empire of The Sun came from.

You could actually argue that he was just as well known for being in Shaft, prior to Batman. However, American Psycho is a cult classic, so he was indeed best known for that.

BTW - you know what I've always found hilarious? They make Bale into an AMERICAN Psycho, with an AMERICAN Hustle, and the fucker is Welsh!

 

Does defining mean most iconic? If so:

Nicholson - Shining
DeNiro - Taxi driver
Pacino - scarface
Schwarzenegger - Terminator
Stallone - Rocky
Willis - Die Hard
Cruise - Jerry McGuire?
Russell - Escape from New York
Kilmer - ?
Van Damme - Universal Soldier
Seagal - ?
Costner- Bodyguard

 

For Cruise, I'd say Top Gun. That remains his most iconic role, to this day.

And for Kilmer, it's Tombstone. Although, the mainstream will sadly always best know him for playing a TERRIBLE Batman.

 

yeah Tombstone, Top Gun and Doors are his biggest roles, though his character in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has also achieved cult status.

 

How about Cocktail for Tom Cruise?

 

Now that I think about Cruise more, I've changed my mind. I agree with Hut. I think he's best known for Jerry McGuire.

How bout Kevin Spacey? I think the pretty easy answer for him is The Usual Suspects. With Se7en and American Beauty as honorable mentions.

How bout Brad Pitt? I'd be inclined to say for him it's Troy. Prior to Troy, he was probably most infamous for Fight Club. What originally made him a superstar is when he co-starred with Cruise in Interview With The Vampire.

How bout Morgan Freeman? That's a trick one.

 

LOL, yeah that's true... I have to say though that his American accent is more believable than a lot of Brits have pulled off... It is funny though

 

American Hustle isn't even his best performance of the YEAR, IMO.

I'm in the minority, but I think he was better in Out Of The Furnace. Not only that, but Out of The Furnace was a better movie than American Hustle.

 

I think I'd go with American Beauty and Fight Club for Spacey and Pitt.

 

A "defining role" is a role that defines you.

 

agree with the latter, but for the former I'd say "The Usual Suspects"