Best Acting Performance Ever?

hertfordseasider said:
Jack Nicholson - One flew over the cuckoo's nest
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I saw this film when on a course in Southend, many years ago.
The cinema was up a long, wide flight of stairs.
Coming out after the finish we walked down those steps, which were crowded.
There was complete silence the whole way down.
What an impact that wonderful film had made.
 
Bloodtangerine said:
In Film or TV….

There is no one answer but I’m going for Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone 1993 …..utterly brilliant
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Great film that Blood. “”I’ll be your huckleberry”
There really are some great actors out there
Al Pacino. Scent of a Woman and of course Any Given Sunday

Interesting there are not many shoutouts for women so I’ll go for Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost,
Cathy Bates in Misery and Jessica Walter in Play MIsty for Me, which links to Clint Eastwood. Heartbreak Ridge
 
Edward Woodwood in the Wicker Man one of the few films that actually scared me. I would have said the Equalliser films too but he wore blackface which was racist of him.
 
Goldfinger said:
Great shout.
Not forgetting Louise Fletcher as the chilling Nurse Ratchett
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everyone in that film was magnificent, it really was unbelievable, I went to the cinema in 1975 to see it in Blackpool and it was the same for me at the end there was total silence in the cinema in fact I think we sat there in silence until the credits had rolled
 
hertfordseasider said:
everyone in that film was magnificent, it really was unbelievable, I went to the cinema in 1975 to see it in Blackpool and it was the same for me at the end there was total silence in the cinema in fact I think we sat there in silence until the credits had rolled
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It remains one of my favourite films of all time, and indeed everyone was magnificent.
Brad Dourif imo has never bettered his performance as Billy Bibbit.
 
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood, he is simply the best film actor of the last 50 years, an actor that transforms himself into the character

rather than just playing himself in every picture.
 
Another one for Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects.
I am surprised there are not more more women nominated on this thread. So, I will also highlight Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple.
 
David Bradley as the doomed Billy Casper in ‘Kes’, but also Brian Glover as Mr ‘I’ll be Bobby Charlton’ Sugden & Colin Welland as Mr Farthing.

I suspect many on here grew up in the late 60’s/early 70’s & were all too familiar with these characters in our real lives.

Brutal in many ways, but in portraying real life for all too many then, absolute genius.
 
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Philip Seymour Hoffman in anything he appeared in. A lot of the best performances aren't shouty and in your face, it's often the supporting actors who give the best performances.
 
Al Pacino’s transformation from the start of The Godfather to the end is phenomenal.
Denzil Washington in John Q
Heath Ledger’s Joker.
De Niro in raging bull and Christian Bale in Machinist - both seriously put their health at risk to achieve the results
 
Bruno Ganz in Downfall. I watched this film in the cinema and the whole audience held its breath during 2 of the key scenes - absolutely extraordinary.

Honourable mentions to Christolph Waltz as Hans Landa, Bernard Hill as Yosser Hughes and Val Kilmer in Tombstone.
 
Barkhad abdi as the lead Somali pirate in Captain Phillips. If they had used a real Somali pirate they would have been less convincing.
 
Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘Commando’.

See also: any of the supporting cast, especially ‘Bennett’.
 
Paul Scofield in A Man For All Seasons. Brilliant humility in a world of obnoxious tyrants.
Strange how the world does not seem to have changed very much.
 
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