<b>Morgan Freeman</b> - 9 - Definitely a good actor. Fuck, great actor. Has a distinct voice and can play a wide variety of roles. See <b>The Shawshank Redemption</b> and <b>Se7en</b> for proof.
<b>Sean Penn</b> - 8 - I like him, and I think he can act, but I don't fancy him some genius or astoundingly good actor. He's very good, no doubt, but I wouldn't put him in a top-ten list any day.
<b>Brad Pitt</b> - 8 - Brad Pitt has grown on me. I used to think he was just a prettyboy, but he's shown that he can handle real roles with depth. <b>Se7en</b> was great for him, but it was just scratching the surface. Pitt was great in <b>Fight Club</b>, but again, nothing compared to one of his very best roles, <b>Snatch.</b> He was, quite simply, amazing as Mickey O'Neil. He's also been enjoyable in <b>Ocean's 11</b> and <b>Spy Game</b>. Also enjoyed his part in <b>Sleepers</b>. I used to hate Pitt, but he's definitely a strong actor. Can't deny that anymore.
<b>Denzel Washington</b> - 9 - I don't need to justify or explain this. We all know he's great. One word: <b>Glory</b>. I'm not sure if he would be in a top ten, but if he wasn't, he would be damn close. Very fine actor.
<b>Tom Hanks</b> - 9 - I can appreciate that some would get tired of him. Personally, I'm not. He's shown that he can play a wide variety of roles and do well in them, and he has a wide appeal because he's an everyman. Again, I don't need to justify this one. Like Washington, if he wasn't in the top ten, he would be relatively close.
<b>Samuel L. Jackson</b> - 7.5 - I enjoy SLJ's roles very much, and I always love watching his movies. However, I don't think he's had the opportunity to play a wide variety of strong roles. He's generally given weaker material with which to work. I can't assume that this is his fault, but I can't rank him higher either - he simply hasn't shown me that he's capable of being considered one of the "greats".
<b>Russel Crowe</b> - 7.5 - He's a fine actor. Let's not kid ourselves. <b>The Insider</b> and <b>L.A. Confidential</b> were great flicks, and he was a big part of each of them. What I'm not impressed with is his off-the-camera attitude, but it doesn't change the fact that he can get into a role and own it when he has to. Unfortunately, he's only been given the opportunity to do this a few times. Hopefully we'll see more deep roles for him in the future.
<b>Marlon Brando</b> - 9.5 - another great actor with an ego. He's certainly one of the best actors of all time, and easy a "great", yet there are other contemporary actors that I'll rate above him. While I haven't seen all of his work (and really, who here has?), in general, I'm disappointed by his off-the-screen persona, but I can't hold that against his movies. Even so, there's no excuse for <b>The Island of Dr. Moreau</b>.
<b>Robert De Niro</b> - 10 - Come on. <b>The Godfather, Part II</b>. <b>Taxi Driver</b>. <b>The Deer Hunter</b>. <b>Raging Bull</b>. <b>Once Upon A Time In America</b>. <b>The Untouchables</b>. <b>Goodfellas</b>. <b>Cape Fear</b>. <b>A Bronx Tale</b>. <b>Casino</b>. <b>Heat</b>. <b>Wag The Dog</b>. <b>Analyze This</b>. <b>Meet The Parents</b>. How many great roles has De Niro had? And I haven't even named them all (and probably not even half). Simply one of the finest actors, <b>ever</b>. Easily in my top ten. Easily in my top five. Easily in my top two. An amazing actor.
<b>Edward Norton</b> - 9 - And an easy nine at that. If <b>American History X</b> didn't convince you, <b>Fight Club</b> probably did. And you probably missed him in <b>Primal Fear</b>. Edward Norton is an amazing actor. We'll be seeing great things from him in the future, guaranteed.
<b>Al Pacino</b> - 10 - Rating him any less is absurd. His portrayal of Michael Corleone and his hardening heart is simply amazing. He's been spectacular in nearly every movie he's been in. Easily in my top ten. Easily in my top five. Easily in my top two. And I don't need to justify it. If you haven't rated him higher, you haven't seen enough of his films.
<b>Kevin Spacey</b> - 9.5 - Kevin Spacey has been my favorite actor for a damn long time (actually, ever since I saw him in <b>Swimming with Sharks</b> on PPV way back in the day). He's only cemented that with his later roles. He was spectacular in <b>Se7en</b>, even though he had relatively little screen time. <b>The Usual Suspects</b> was my favorite movie until I saw him in <b>American Beauty</b>, and both of them were pretty fucking amazing. I simply can't rate him any lower than a 9.5, though I can't quite put him up there with the greatness of De Niro and Pacino. I imagine, however, that he'll be there some day.
As you may be able to tell, I'm a movie buff, and I take that shit pretty seriously, so all of these opinions are based upon repeat viewings of some of the finest movies of all time. Of course, I respect your right to disagree with me. However, you're wrong.
