Not all the time. He changes it up every once in a while - see Donnie Brasco, Scent Of A Woman, Glen Garry Glen Ross, The Godfather (first one). Also Carlito’s Way if I recall correctly.
He is guilty of this more often than not though but at least he can genuinely act and it’s that intensity that makes him fun to watch.
Travis Bickle, Jake LaMotta, Al Capone, Max Cady…
Really?
I also vote for Nicholas Cage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man actually act. His mannerisms never really change.
Deniro was great as Max Cady but was no Robert Mitchum.
Sounds like you should watch more than one Denzel Washington movie first…
Some of you guys seem like you’re just posting random names of actors, here.
Cera wins the thread anyway. I am 100% certain I’d have enjoyed Scott Pilgrim more with almost any other lead, and I’m a HUGE fan of Cera from Arrested Development (less so now I know that wasn’t a character he was playing, exactly).
Norm MacDonald
Chevy Chase
David Spade
Jerry Stiller
Steve Buscemi
A lot of those old time comedians from SNL seem to fit the category pretty well.
I’d alway wind the clock back and say that he doesn’t always play the same comedic character either: ever see “The World According to Garp”?
As for my vote to add to the list, its gonna cause a lot of screaming probably, but I think Meryl Streep plays herself in everything. Even in “River Wild” she was just a muscle-bound version of herself. Oh, and add Robert Redford to the list.
Perhaps. Whenever I think Julia Childs, I see Meryl Streep. Sort of like how I imagine General Patton looks a lot like George C. Scott.
I realize it’s all about the celebrity taking over my mind, but on some level it just doesn’t matter because I enjoy seeing Meryl when I think of Julia and I rarely (if ever) thought of Julia prior to watching Julie & Julia.
Christopher Walken. Granted he’s fascinating to watch but like Nicholson, you just can’t see him as the character. It’s always Christopher Walken.
As for Nicholas Cage he deserves a break for Raising Arizona. A lot of dreck under the bridge since (Face Off) but with most of it bookended by Raising Arizona and Leaving Las Vegas, he gets my love.
H.
You might not like Face/Off, but he does a hell of an acting job in that movie.
The prison. Was called. Erehwon. I went into a cheese coma.
H.
I challenge you to look back at some of Streep’s early work and still say that, though. Like Sophie’s Choice or Kramer vs. Kramer. Or even Out of Africa. She was so amazing back then. Not that she isn’t now, but her early stuff has no trace of the hang-wringing, eye-rolling mannerisms that you often see her rely on when given unchallenging material.
Lucky. When I think of Julia Child, I see Aykroyd in drag.
Not a big Samuel Butler fan? Did his send up of Victorian society put your cravat out of sorts?
Liam Neeson (he has always either lost his wife, or kids, or both).
Ricky Gervais, Russell Brand, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Al Pacino, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham…
Does Steven Segal “act” anymore? Other than a puppet of Putin?
No one has mentioned The Rock yet?
Will Smith. He’s been the prince of bel air in every movie, and the prince of bel air is Will Smith.
The Rock is not an actor, he’s a national, nay global treasure.