Actors/Actresses who make a movie...

[darkstorme]

And not "make" as in "star in".  I mean "make", as in "make it worthwhile, if it wasn't, and make it moreso, if it was."  These are the people who you might list as "sole redeeming virtue" when describing a blockbuster that fell flat, or simply be one of the highlights of gushing about a good movie.

With that in mind:

Actors:

• Sean Connery - Yes, he's retired.  But the guy was James Bond, Dr. Jones Sr., and Marko Ramius.
• Harrison Ford - He's going to be Indiana Jones.  Again.
  
• Ewan McGregor - Possibly the only person who could do justice to Alec Guiness, one of the best voices to hit the screen in recent years, and one of the better tour-de-force scenes in The Island.
  
• Hugo Weaving - Elrond, Smith, and V. 'nuff said.
• David Hyde Pierce - The funniest deadpan since John Cleese, and better at the neurotic than Woody Allen, the father of neurotic.
  
• John Cleese - see above.
• Morgan Freeman - because he owns any part he plays.

Actresses:

• Natalie Portman - it's not her fault George gave her awful lines.  She has, before and since, more than redeemed herself.
• Judi Dench - Multiple Oscar nominations, one win.  All deserved.
• Nicole Kidman - Purely for Moulin Rouge.

So sue me, I don't remember actresses as well.  Thoughts, comments, your own contributions?

[Kadim]

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a really hard time thinking of amazing actresses, but a fairly easy one thinking of actors.

I think women just need to act better or something? Or maybe we just need to give them better roles? *shrug*

To add to actresses:

Sigourney Weaver - She's just excellent. Watch Imaginary Heroes and The Ice Storm if you don't believe me.
Susan Sarandon - A formidible actress, and she was in Rocky Horror even if she doesn't like to talk about it.

[Dorganath]

It's hard to think of actors/actresses who "make" a movie by their mere presence.  Case in point..."Prince Valiant" which had Sean Connery as a prominent character.

Anyway, I can think of a couple of standout roles that have left a strong memory with me:

• Alec Baldwin - For a scene lasting about 10 minutes (maybe less) in "Glengarry GlenRoss"
• R. Lee Irmey - Drill sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket"....'nuf said

[Pseudonym]

@Darkstorme - IMO, Sean Connery peaked as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez!

Also, I am going to say Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction as I think that movie would have still been THE movie even if you lost any of the other actors or actresses bar him (with the possible exception of Harvey Keitel).

[Kadim]

ooo, and there's Sir Lawrence Olivier. He played an awesome axe wielding nutjob in I forget what film. AND he was Zeus in Clash of the Titans, which has got to be worth something.

[Thak]

Johnny Depp == Epitome of cool

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

James Earl Jones, anyone?

[Kadim]

dude! I met him, and it was the only time I've ever been starstuck.

A friend of mine from uni has the ultimate story though, he managed to meet Arthur Miller about a year before he died. Lucky sod.

[gilshem ironstone]

Ian McKellen - Gandalf
Meryl Streep - Acting goddess
Steve Carrell - So Very Funny
George Clooney - Very Smooth and Charismatic, Seems to always end up in good projects.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Tom Hanks?

[Pseudonym]

I know it's not a movie ... but Ari from Entourage. If you took him out, would the show be even half as good?

[muaddib]

It is quite obvious none of you have any clue what you are talking about since no one has mentioned Clint Eastwood :mad:, except possibly darkstorme for listing Sean Connery.

[gilshem ironstone]

@Pseudonym - For sure... Ari trying to make a deal on Yom Kippur.  One of the funniest things I have ever watched.

[Pseudonym]

Am I spending too much time contemplating Darkstorme's question here?

Regardless,

Ed Norton in American History X (and Fight Club)
James Earl Jones as the voice of Vader
Al Swearengen in Deadwood (yes, another TV show)
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs
Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons

PS. The last one was a joke, just wanted to see if I could set lonnarin off again.

[thedagda]

Chistopher Lee as Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man
 
 Should also give a thumbs up to Brit Ekland in the Wicker Man as well (although not necessarily for the quality of her acitng)
 
 Bob Geldof as Pink......excellent!

[Falonthas]

as much as i really cant stand him elsewhere
tom cruise in last samurai
then ones i do like
bruce willis in tears of the sun
john wayne in any of his movies
kevin costner in the postman
tommy lee jones in u s marshalls

actresses hmm
kiera knightly in king arthur(directors cut much better)
sophia myles in tristan and isolde
monica bellucci in tears of the sun also

im sure there are many more but those were perfect casting and it would not have been as good with someone else

[Xirion]

...that does not count, Pulp Fiction is not an ordinary movie, it is a Quentin Tarantino movie

[Xirion]

Tom Hanks?

What is the questionmark for?
Tom Hanks!
One example is Forrest Gump...

[Polak76]

Actresses:  Well there are only two that do it for me, and not necessarily making the movie any better then it already was.

1, Monica Bellucci - Matrix II, character name 'Persenphone' ie the Frenchmans wife.  
I've already told my wife that our marraige will be made void should Monica Bellucci decide to give me a call.

2, Kate Bekinsale - She needs to be in her tight leathers from underworld whilst giving me her romanian accent from Van Helsing.  Again my wife has been forewarned.

Well that about does it from me.

Polak76