Movies: Best Actor Tournament (FINALS) - JACK NICHOLSON WINS

[Trap Jesus]

Please consider:

- Acting talent
- Movie/TV selection/filmography

Actors seeded "based on the cumulative domestic box office of all the movies a star has had a leading role in over their lifetime".

Top 100 Stars in Leading Roles at the Domestic Box Office

BRACKET (Click to Enlarge):

Spoiler

FINAL

3. Robert De Niro

Round 1: def. 14 Craig T. Nelson (100%)
Round 2: def. 11 Drew Barrymore (100%)
Round 3: def. 10 Michael Keaton (86%)
Round 4: def. 8 Al Pacino (93%)
Round 5: def. 3 Brad Pitt (59%)
Round 6: def. 3 Robin Williams (88%)
Round 7: def. 1 Johnny Depp (81%)

vs.

8. Jack Nicholson

Round 1: def. 9 Jonah Hill (96%)
Round 2: def. 1 Harrison Ford (61%)
Round 3: def. 5 Meryl Streep (68%)
Round 4: def. 15 Willem Dafoe (68%)
Round 5: def. 13 Michael Caine (84%)
Round 6: def. 7 Anthony Hopkins (68%)
Round 7: def. 3 Denzel Washington (81%)

Click to read more...

 

[Trap Jesus]

What an absolute murderer's row for Nicholson. Jonah Hill is no slouch himself, but just a ridiculous level of competition from rounds 2-8.

 

[kihei]

I figured out my favourite 15 performances by each actor, and in terms of quality, it turned out pretty much dead even (nine of the 15 films for De Niro had the same director, Martin Scorsese. I don't know if that is a mitigating factor against De Niro or not, but kind of odd). Although Nicholson had some bad movies and poor performances at the end of his career, par for most actors in their dotage, he never mailed it in anywhere near as often as De Niro did, nor has Jack been in so many undistinguished and lackluster films as De Niro. No knockout but Nicholson wins on points.

 

[CatchyTune]

Im not voting cause IMO Hanks and Dicaprio are the 2 best of all time.

Sucks they had to vs eachother. Oh well.

Edit: How on earth did Denzel Washington beat Tom Hanks? Denzel is great but come on.

 

[Jumptheshark]

still think there is weakness to the theory by using ticket sales as the baseline for best actors

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

Voted for Nicholson because I enjoy watching him more. I'm not sure I can pick who the better actor is.


Oh, and while I agree that ticket sales is a ridiculous way to find the best actors, I also understand why it was done that way. Trying to pick a group of the best "actors" would be very difficult in and of itself and it's hard to quantify acting talent. My pick for the best actor ever is Daniel Day-Lewis.

 

[kihei]

Day-Lewis is definitely the elephant in the room.

 

[OzzyFan]

I figured out my favourite 15 performances by each actor, and in terms of quality, it turned out pretty much dead even (nine of the 15 films for De Niro had the same director, Martin Scorsese. I don't know if that is a mitigating factor against De Niro or not, but kind of odd). Although Nicholson had some bad movies and poor performances at the end of his career, par for most actors in their dotage, he never mailed it in anywhere near as often as De Niro did, nor has Jack been in so many undistinguished and lackluster films as De Niro. No knockout but Nicholson wins on points.

Building on that somewhat, could you also say that De Niro has taken too many films "in his wheelhouse" and/or typecast into them? Not entirely with Scorcese, . Also on this topic, could you say that Nicholson has a wider range or variety of "best/great performance roles" than De Niro too? I mean, how many hands would it take for us to count all the movies De Niro has played law enforcement or a mobster in? 3? Maybe 4? . I'm more asking then leading here, but based off just what I know and have seen, I'd suggest it, albeit I am not nearly as well read in this department as you or others.

 

[Trap Jesus]

still think there is weakness to the theory by using ticket sales as the baseline for best actors

That's just a vehicle for actors that are recognizable, it's not a representation of talent.

Day-Lewis is definitely the elephant in the room.

Him and Phoenix I think. Those two should be the main challengers to whoever wins this in the next one. I'll start up a recommendation thread for that a bit later.

 

[kihei]

Building on that somewhat, could you also say that De Niro has taken too many films "in his wheelhouse" and/or typecast into them? Not entirely with Scorcese, . Also on this topic, could you say that Nicholson has a wider range or variety of "best/great performance roles" than De Niro too? I mean, how many hands would it take for us to count all the movies De Niro has played law enforcement or a mobster in? 3? Maybe 4? . I'm more asking then leading here, but based off just what I know and have seen, I'd suggest it, albeit I am not nearly as well read in this department as you or others.

I think De Niro has played too many cops/gangsters, for sure. But when I think of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Awakenings, The King of Comedy, True Confessions--those performances seem evidence to me of a guy with an awful lot of range. I don't really think that Nicholson has more range--anti-heroes of one stripe or another seem to have been his go-to choice pretty consistently--but I do think Nicholson has better judgement in the roles that he has chosen (or, more to the point, not chosen) to do. Plus there is not the sense with Jack that he has given basically the same performance over and over in too many movies which is one of De Niro's flaws.

 

[OzzyFan]

I think De Niro has played too many cops/gangsters, for sure. But when I think of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Awakenings, The King of Comedy, True Confessions--those performances seem evidence to me of a guy with an awful lot of range. I don't really think that Nicholson has more range--anti-heroes of one stripe or another seem to have been his go-to choice pretty consistently--but I do think Nicholson has better judgement in the roles that he has chosen (or, more to the point, not chosen) to do. Plus there is not the sense with Jack that he has given basically the same performance over and over in too many movies which is one of De Niro's flaws.

Agreed. Not saying De Niro doesn't belong, just saying the exact bolded last part.

 

[CHfan1]

Him and Phoenix I think. Those two should be the main challengers to whoever wins this in the next one. I'll start up a recommendation thread for that a bit later.

I’d put Gary Oldman up there also.

 

[Voight]

I think De Niro has played too many cops/gangsters, for sure. But when I think of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Awakenings, The King of Comedy, True Confessions--those performances seem evidence to me of a guy with an awful lot of range. I don't really think that Nicholson has more range--anti-heroes of one stripe or another seem to have been his go-to choice pretty consistently--but I do think Nicholson has better judgement in the roles that he has chosen (or, more to the point, not chosen) to do. Plus there is not the sense with Jack that he has given basically the same performance over and over in too many movies which is one of De Niro's flaws.

Cape Fear as well.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Oh god, someone's gonna have to break the tie for the win.

 

[kihei]

Oh god, someone's gonna have to break the tie for the win.

That's great! Who doesn't like overtime?

 

[Trap Jesus]

That's great! Who doesn't like overtime?

Problem being there has been a really bad track record of the tie actually being broken for these polls haha. Nicholson and De Niro may be destined to be tied forever.

I think we're breaking Hull's OT goal record with this one. Hopefully less controversy though.

 

[kihei]

Problem being there has been a really bad track record of the tie actually being broken for these polls haha. Nicholson and De Niro may be destined to be tied forever.

I think we're breaking Hull's OT goal record with this one. Hopefully less controversy though.

Hull is a bad one to mention, seeing how his most famous overtime goal shouldn't have counted.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

How does the tiebreaker work? The poll is closed. Anyway, I've been fairly active in tourney voting and would put in a vote for ol' Jacky Boy if I had the chance.

 

[Trap Jesus]

How does the tiebreaker work? The poll is closed. Anyway, I've been fairly active in tourney voting and would put in a vote for ol' Jacky Boy if I had the chance.

You just did it. All hail Jacky Boy!

 

[WeThreeKings]

Thankfully the tie breaker guy voted Jack because I forgot I accidentally voted for De Niro lmao

 

[kihei]

How does the tiebreaker work? The poll is closed. Anyway, I've been fairly active in tourney voting and would put in a vote for ol' Jacky Boy if I had the chance.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Good. A win for DeNiro would have felt very wrong.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Good. A win for DeNiro would have felt very wrong.

No, no it wouldn't have.

 

[alko]

Please, do also Worst Actor Tournament.

 

[OzzyFan]

Please, do also Worst Actor Tournament.

I'd like that, but we also have to make some guidelines on that/aka minimum requirements. A ton of people could probably be nominated, but they have to get repeated work or have been a long running series or similar I'd suggest. Just throwing out there maybe "on a long running sitcom of at least 6-8years long or in at least 10 movies as a supporting actor or higher.