American Male Lead Canon (work in progress)

cranly
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 18, 2019 19:57:33 GMT Viced, Mattsby, and 3 more like this

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Post by cranly on Jul 18, 2019 19:57:33 GMT

One film per actor, so each represents my overall choice (most days) for their best performance. Definitely some picks here that will register as left-field which I'm hoping to boost/make a case for. Still haven't made it to 100 yet... Comments and alternates/suggestions welcome, the more obscure or idiosyncratic the better!

Lon Chaney - The Unknown (1927)

Lew Ayres - All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Paul Muni - Scarface (1932)

Paul Robeson - The Emperor Jones (1933)

John Barrymore - Twentieth Century (1934)

Spencer Tracy - Fury (1936)

Walter Huston - Dodsworth (1936)

Burgess Meredith - Of Mice and Men (1939)

Henry Fonda - The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Laird Cregar - The Lodger (1944)

Hurd Hatfield - The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Edward G. Robinson - Scarlet Street (1945)

John Garfield - Force of Evil (1948)

Juano Hernandez - Intruder in the Dust (1949)

James Cagney - White Heat (1949)

Joseph Cotten - Under Capricorn (1949)

Richard Widmark - Night and the City (1950)

Humphrey Bogart - In a Lonely Place (1950)

Canada Lee - Cry, the Beloved Country (1951)

Robert Ryan - On Dangerous Ground (1951)

Montgomery Clift - From Here to Eternity (1953)

James Dean - Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Robert Mitchum - The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Kirk Douglas - Lust for Life (1956)

James Stewart - Vertigo (1958)

Dean Stockwell - Compulsion (1959)

Anthony Perkins - Psycho (1960)

Sidney Poitier - A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Jason Robards - Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)

Jerry Lewis - The Nutty Professor (1963)

Burt Lancaster - The Leopard (1963)

Rod Steiger - The Pawnbroker (1964)

Orson Welles - Chimes at Midnight (1965)

Yaphet Kotto - Othello (1966)

Rip Torn - Coming Apart (1969)

George C. Scott - Patton (1970)

James Earl Jones - The Great White Hope (1970)

Marlon Brando - Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Stacy Keach - Fat City (1972)

Gene Hackman - The Conversation (1974)

Warren Oates - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

Al Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Ben Gazzara - The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

Paul Newman - Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976)

John Cassavetes - Mikey and Nicky (1976)

Dustin Hoffman - Straight Time (1978)

Robert De Niro - Raging Bull (1980)

John Heard - Cutter's Way (1981)

James Caan - Thief (1981)

Harry Dean Stanton - Paris, Texas (1984)

Philip Baker Hall - Secret Honor (1984)

Jon Voight - Runaway Train (1985)

William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

Jack Nicholson - Ironweed (1987)

Ed Harris - Walker (1987)

Forest Whitaker - Bird (1988)

John Malkovich - Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Michael Kirby - The Golden Boat (1990)

Christopher Walken - King of New York (1990)

John Turturro - Barton Fink (1991)

River Phoenix - My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Robin Williams - The Fisher King (1991)

Harvey Keitel - Bad Lieutenant (1992)

Jack Lemmon - Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Denzel Washington - Malcolm X (1992)

Jeff Bridges - Fearless (1993)

Tommy Lee Jones - Cobb (1994)

Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Morgan Freeman - Seven (1995)

Sean Penn - Dead Man Walking (1995)

Jeffrey Wright - Basquiat (1996)

Robert Downey Jr. - Two Girls and a Guy (1997)

Nick Nolte - Affliction (1997)

Robert Duvall - The Apostle (1997)

Benicio Del Toro - Traffic (2000)

Billy Bob Thornton - The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

David Morse - The Slaughter Rule (2002)

Bill Murray - The Life Aquatic (2004)

Johnny Depp - The Libertine (2004)

Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote (2005)

Sam Rockwell - Snow Angels (2007)

Frank Langella - Starting Out in the Evening (2007)

Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises (2007)

Jeff Goldblum - Adam Resurrected (2008)

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler (2008)

Michael Shannon - Take Shelter (2011)

Joaquin Phoenix - The Master (2012)

Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Ethan Hawke - First Reformed (2017)

Willem Dafoe - At Eternity's Gate (2018)

Last Edit: Aug 1, 2023 5:05:46 GMT by cranly

Viced
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 18, 2019 20:19:08 GMT cranly and franklin like this

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Post by Viced on Jul 18, 2019 20:19:08 GMT

Nice list! Some of my favorites not mentioned:

Ernest Borgnine - Marty (1955)

Steve McQueen - Love With the Proper Stranger (1963)

William Holden - The Wild Bunch (1969)

Stacy Keach - Fat City (1972)

Lee Marvin - Emperor of the North (1973)

James Coburn - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)

Walter Matthau - Hopscotch (1980)

James Caan - Thief (1981)

James Woods - Cop (1988)

John Cusack - Say Anything (1989)

Matt Dillon - Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

James Spader - sex, lies, and videotape. (1989)

Val Kilmer - The Doors (1991)

Robin Williams - The Fisher King (1991)

Laurence Fishburne - What's Love Got to Do With It (1993)

Woody Harrelson - The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

Jim Carrey - The Truman Show (1998)

Edward Norton - American History X (1998)

David Strathairn - Limbo (1999)

Kurt Russell - Dark Blue (2002)

Kevin Bacon - The Woodsman (2004)

Bruce Dern - Nebraska (2013)

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Last Edit: Jul 18, 2019 20:23:02 GMT by Viced

cranly
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 19, 2019 12:28:46 GMT

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Post by cranly on Jul 19, 2019 12:28:46 GMT

Okay, I'm gonna straight up steal several of these because reading them in your list made me realize I should have included them myself, namely Keach, Caan and Williams.

Some others you've listed I need to re-watch, and two I've never seen at all! (What's Love Got to Do With It and Dark Blue - now at the top of my queue)

I strongly considered Norton but at this point I'm holding out for his Motherless Brooklyn role. I suspect it could be a dark horse for best actor awards next year despite not entering into those discussions much yet.

Thank you and likewise an excellent list! Thanks for sharing it.

Mattsby
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 19, 2019 19:28:08 GMT cranly likes this

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Post by Mattsby on Jul 19, 2019 19:28:08 GMT

Most of the major names already mentioned but three big ones for me --

Beatty - McCabe (or Bugsy, Reds, Bonnie and Clyde, etc—)
Peter Falk - Mikey and Nicky
Woody Allen - The Front

and others, some lesser, that I love --

Eric Roberts - Star 80
Ray Liotta - Goodfellas
Jason Patric - After Dark My Sweet
Steve Buscemi - Trees Lounge
Steve Carell - Foxcatcher

Last Edit: Jul 19, 2019 19:30:36 GMT by Mattsby

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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 19, 2019 20:07:13 GMT cranly likes this

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Post by Mattsby on Jul 19, 2019 20:07:13 GMT

few more!

Eli Wallach - The Good the Bad the Ugly
Gene Wilder - Young Frankenstein
Charles Grodin - The Heartbreak Kid
Elliott Gould - The Long Goodbye (or California Split or The Silent Partner)

Martin Stett Legend "Stett is weirder than New York" - Urbanpatrician Posts: 11,362 Likes: 7,498	American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 19, 2019 20:51:35 GMT cranly likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Martin Stett on Jul 19, 2019 20:51:35 GMT Mel Gibson - Blood Father Roy Scheider - All That Jazz
	Last Edit: Jul 19, 2019 20:52:02 GMT by Martin Stett And so, let the curtain rise on tonight's dream

Nikan Based Posts: 3,154 Likes: 1,560	American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Jul 22, 2019 20:32:55 GMT cranly likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Nikan on Jul 22, 2019 20:32:55 GMT Kurt Russel as Elvis. The most America an American male lead ever led.

Mattsby
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Mar 25, 2020 4:33:37 GMT Martin Stett, Tommen_Saperstein, and 3 more like this

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Post by Mattsby on Mar 25, 2020 4:33:37 GMT

Vincent Price when he hears that we forgot him....

(gif from Tales of Terror which is prob my pick, as we get three very different Price perfs - one sensitive, one hilariously flamboyant, and one creepily haunted)

Last Edit: Mar 25, 2020 4:36:46 GMT by Mattsby

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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Nov 21, 2020 1:48:18 GMT cranly likes this

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Post by Mattsby on Nov 21, 2020 1:48:18 GMT

There's a definite case for Bronson in the leading man canon - he was the world's most popular actor for a while in the 70s. OUATIW for perf, tho there's probably a dozen you could pick...

Personal fav not mentioned yet - Dan Duryea. Extremely memorable in his early shrilly-wriggle villain perfs like Scarlet Street and Criss Cross, though his best might be Winchester 73. He could surprise you sometimes or level out too (Little Foxes, Lady on a Train, Flight of the Phoenix, the jaded lead in The Burglar).

And since Forest Whitaker has been mentioned, how about some better black actors...

Paul Winfield - Huge talent. Best perf Sounder, or Go Tell It On the Mountain, also like him in White Dog, Angel City etc - haven't seen his MLK.
Sam L Jackson - How hasn't he been mentioned! Best perf Sunset Limited (take a sit Pulp Fiction)
Ossie Davis - Gone Are the Days! also love him in The Hill, Scalphunters, etc.
Joe Morton - The Brother from Another Planet

Last Edit: Nov 21, 2020 1:52:07 GMT by Mattsby

dadsburgers
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Nov 21, 2020 18:47:53 GMT cranly likes this

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Post by dadsburgers on Nov 21, 2020 18:47:53 GMT

My counter-offers to a few of your choices:

James Stewart - It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Marlon Brando - A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver (1976)

Denzel Washington - Training Day (2001)

Morgan Freeman - The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Billy Bob Thornton - Sling Blade (1996)

Bill Murray - St. Vincent (2014)

Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt (2008)

Joaquin Phoenix - Her (2013)

fiosnasiob
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Nov 21, 2020 21:00:17 GMT cranly and pupdurcs like this

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Post by fiosnasiob on Nov 21, 2020 21:00:17 GMT

Is this more about the actor or the performance ? Both ? Anyway, some others names :

Lionel Barrymore - Broken Lullaby (1932)
Gary Cooper - High Noon (1952)
Broderick Crawford - Il Bidone (1955)
Art Carney - Harry and Tonto (1974)
Sylvester Stallone - Rocky (1976)
Christopher Reeve - Superman (1978)
Eddie Murphy - Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Something from H. Ford, Pitt/Cruise too. And I forgot Bruce Willis, his brillant and iconic performance as John McClane is the first Die Hard has its place in a list like this, no doubt.

Last Edit: Nov 21, 2020 21:24:10 GMT by fiosnasiob

Nikan Based Posts: 3,154 Likes: 1,560	American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Sept 25, 2021 16:22:57 GMT cranly likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Nikan on Sept 25, 2021 16:22:57 GMT Slowly going through this (and loving it for the most part)... is there a female-counter list on the forum?

franklin
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Sept 25, 2021 20:52:57 GMT via mobile cranly likes this

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Post by franklin on Sept 25, 2021 20:52:57 GMT

Gary Cooper: High Noon (1952)
Montgomery Clift: A Place in The Sun (1951)
James Dean: Rebel Without A Cause (1955)
Jack Nicholson: Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Gene Hackman: The Conversation (1974)
Dustin Hoffman: Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Leonardo DiCaprio: The Basketball Diaries (1995)
Joaquin Phoenix: The Master (2012)
Christian Bale: American Psycho (2000)
Adam Driver: Annette (2021)
Oscar Isaac: Ex Machina (2015)

Last Edit: Sept 25, 2021 21:11:21 GMT by franklin

Mattsby
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American Male Lead Canon (work in progress) Oct 17, 2022 19:28:55 GMT cranly likes this

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Post by Mattsby on Oct 17, 2022 19:28:55 GMT

More unmentioned names to consider....

Robert Forster - came to this thread for him bc I feel like everybody took his serene and subtle talents for granted. Why was he in b-movie hell for decades? He appears in some classics Medium Cool, Reflections in a Golden Eye, Lady in Red, Mulholland Dr….. a great lead in Jackie Brown, many underrated perfs - Diamond Men, Walking the Edge, Lakeboat, Alligator, etc.

Joe Pesci - My Cousin Vinny his best lead, but I don't get the hate for Dear Mr Wonderful (4.4 on IMDb), it's like his own Toback character study. He's beloved, comedic gold, an Oscar winner, and Irishman proved untapped sides of him.

Martin Sheen - aka Pacino's former roommate..... lotta crackling perfs Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, Badlands, Apocalypse Now, or The Incident, a bunch of underrated leads on Tv. He can crackle or seethe like mad on screen and never seems to get credit for all his work.

Jack Black - School of Rock
Jim Brown - Slams, Riot, or Black Gunn
Robert Blake - Electra Glide or In Cold Blood

Arthur Kennedy - Lusty Men, Monday’s Child?
Sterling Hayden - not sure which to single out