Best Actor of the 1970's

[Mrdamron]

1970s

Who was the top actor during this great decade of film, based on their work during that time?

WARREN BEATTY
(McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Heaven Can Wait, Shampoo, The Parallax View)

ROBERT DE NIRO
(Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Mean Streets, The Godfather Part II)

CLINT EASTWOOD
(Dirty Harry, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, Escape from Alcatraz)

GENE HACKMAN
(The French Connection, The Conversation, Night Moves, I Never Sang for My Father)

DUSTIN HOFFMAN
(Straw Dogs, Marathon Man, Kramer vs. Kramer, Lenny)

JACK NICHOLSON
(Five Easy Pieces, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Last Detail, Chinatown)

AL PACINO
(The Godfather I & II, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon)

ROBERT REDFORD
(The Sting, Jeremiah Johnson, The Candidate, All the President's Men)

Other
Please explain your choice.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Gena Rowlands. Just watch A Woman Under the Influence.

[LegacyCosts]

Deniro. Look at that film list. Just insane.

[Will.]

Have to go with Jack, but it's a close one.

[Gizz]

Have to go with Gene Hackman.


Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: All right, Popeye's here! get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!

[Page14]

All great actors! I went with Jack, mostly because I enjoyed all of his films that are listed the most. It's hard for me not to choose De Niro or Hoffman.

[chris_sc77]

De niro for Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, 1900 and others.

[Mrdamron]

My take:
This one is really difficult. Leading "Stars" like Beatty and maybe more so Redford consistently put out such great material during the 70s even if they aren't regarded in the same immortal acting category as others on the list. It's hard not to consider them based on their work. I can rewatch Condor or Jeremiah Johnson over and over, so good.

Of course Eastwood as well as McQueen, Newman and Bronson played it cool throughout the decade though I would say McQueen and Newman would better contend for the 1960s crown. And also b/c his work was hit and miss I did not include 1950s King Brando on this list, even though he did give us some amazing performances...as well as some truly bizarre check cashers. Besides, he would not have accepted the crown on his behalf anyways.

Hackman and Hoffman truly immersed themselves in their roles and did terrific work, on par with any of their peers. Their films, terrific as they were, seem to fall a little short in comparison to the work of who I would put in top 3...

Third I would place Al Pacino. Dog Day, Michael Corleone, Needle Park, Scarecrow and prob my fave, Serpico. Al showed his range and if he could have slipped Scarface in to the decade may have been a winner. (Of course then you could argue if The Shining or Raging Bull snuck in...) No doubt he is an all-time great and this was his finest hour. Unfortunately, he had legendary competition also at their very best in....

Jack vs De Niro!?!
One could argue either as the greatest film actor of theirs or any generation and this was truly their peak.
It is hard to imagine a better performance than Travis Bickle and Bobby Milk was nearly as amazing when playing Johnny Boy, or as "One Shot" Micheal, as Young Vito Corleone, in NY, NY, in 1900, etc etc. But then you watch Jack as Bobby Dupea, as RP McMurphy, as Jake Gittes and Buddusky, in The Passenger...wow!

I am really torn. Who put out more legendary performances than Jack or De Niro in any decade? Maybe Brando in the 50's?

[MechaGodzilla]

While all these guys are great, they get and will get enough praise in this thread so I'm voting "other" and giving a shout-out to one of my favorite underrated actors; Roy Scheider. He had a hell of a streak in the '70s with The French Connection, Jaws, Marathon Man, Sorcerer and All That Jazz.

[L.J.]

For me this one goes to Eastwood.

[Hindustani]

De Niro

-Godfather II
-Taxi Driver
-Mean Streets
-Deerhunter

the list is long enough.

[Ray Jackson]

As though it's even in doubt.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

As though it's even in doubt.

[Show spoiler]

This is the correct answer.

[Coenskubrick]

I voted Dustin Hoffman. I know DeNiro is very talented, but so is Hoffman and I just enjoy watching him more.

Clint Eastwood... I haven't seen him in all that much, but... is he really that talented an actor? He usually just scowls or has a straight face.

[Number 6]

Originally Posted by Gizz

Have to go with Gene Hackman.


Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: All right, Popeye's here! get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!

Likewise.

[The Great Owl]

I voted for Gene Hackman, because I love his work in The French Connection, The Conversation, and Night Moves.

With regard to Clint Eastwood...
He's not the best actor, but all of Clint Eastwood's 1970s movies are downright essential to any collection.

[Infernal King]

The four different suit actors for Godzilla.

[Jaymole]

Definitely De Niro.

Too bad he is no longer with us...R.I.P.

[BobbyMcGee]

Easy, John Cazale.

1972: The Godfather
1974: The Conversation
1974: The Godfather II
1975: Dog Day Afternoon
1978: The Deer Hunter

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cazale#Filmography

Robert De Niro is a very close second IMO, followed by Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.

Another actor that deserves mention, Harry Dean Stanton.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

With regard to Clint Eastwood...
He's not the best actor, but all of Clint Eastwood's 1970s movies are downright essential to any collection.

They aren't essential enough for my collection.

The only films of his which I find essential are the Sergio Leone films. Otherwise I'm not a fan of his as an actor or director.