The 30 Best Actors of All Time
Coming up with a list that englobes the “best actors of all time” is no easy undertaking. It might be a highly subjective endeavour, in fact, seeing as everyone has their own tastes and requirements to be called the “best.” That said, there have been some great actors who shine just a little bit brighter than your everyday Hollywood celebrity, and that’s a fact. Knowing full well that this list is as subjective as they come, we’ve come up with a listing of the 20 actors who we believe are among the best artists to ever grace the silver screen.
Known for his fiery intensity and machine gun-fast line delivery, James Cagney blazed onto the screen in a way few actors have ever matched. Though he started as a song-and-dance man on Broadway, Cagney brought a raw physicality to all his roles in Hollywood.
No matter the part, he attacked it with gusto – like when he shoved a grapefruit into his girlfriend’s face in the gangster classic Public Enemy. That film cemented his fame, showing Cagney could be chilling yet amusing with the same explosive breath. The actor particularly shone when playing unpredictable characters, like the psychotic Cody Jarrett in White Heat.
With a style so ahead of its time, Cagney became synonymous with the fast-talking tough guy. Yet he also revealed stellar comedic chops and dancing abilities alongside the likes of Bob Hope and Doris Day. From the tapping feet to the machine-gun mouth, Cagney brought a blazing kinetic energy that dazzles on screen nine decades later.
With his cool and collected on-screen presence, Henry Fonda cemented himself as one of the most legendary actors in Hollywood history. Over his five-decade career, Fonda brought nuance and gravitas to every role. Though often typecast as the quintessential American hero, he injected even his most conventional characters with subtle depths.
Just look to his Oscar-winning performance as the reticent farmer Tom Joad in the classic drama The Grapes of Wrath. Fonda also flourished in darker
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