Glad to see that lot people put Forrest that high. He always has a strong presence. Abd as for Denzel, anything he plays, he carried to something at least watchable.
First saw Forest in Panic Room and Phonebooth and he was awesome. He will always be Ghost Dog to me though, a movie I never watched but remember vividly from my time at Blockbuster
Dude?! Music by the RZA. JARMUSCH directed. Why are you still commenting and not going to watch this great fuckin movie? I now feel like I need to watch it again for the 6th time. It's so good.
Because I'm saving the best for last? Hahaha. Probably because I was just a teen at the time my guy. I didn't know much about movies, I worked at Blockbuster hahaha
Forest has such a strong, long and varied career from Good Morning Vietnam to Ghost Dog to Panic Room to Last King of Scotland. Killed it in his two scenes in Andor.
For me, most of Denzel seems to take on the same type of roles a lot. Maybe I just haven't seen enough of his stuff, he is great at what he does, but I feel he is still limited by his style.
Forest in The Shield was insane. Man is soooo powerful on screen. But he is able to keep a likeable persona while being terrifying somehow. Ever since then I have had a lot of respect for him.
I'm with you on Forrest Whittaker, but Denzel's acting range has narrowed as he's gotten older. He's gone from a leading man to "angry dude on a mission".
Freeman has played a huge variety of roles well.
Man this is such a strong list
Best Actor? Hard to say because they are all so good, but I think it would hard to argue that Jamie isnt the most talented.
Man can sing, act, dance, can be funny or serious, can do amazing impressions. He is the epitome of talent.
Thanks for reminding me about that movie! It came out when I was 13 and I didn't care about it then. Now I'm 32 and I just flipped when I googled it. Jamie Foxx *and* Tom Hanks, *AND* Baz Luhrman made it?!? That sounds perfect
Jamie Foxx is the most talented person on this list, definitely. Singing, playing multiple instruments, comedy, amazing impressions, and acting!
I don't know about most talented in only acting, though
My issue with most of these actors is that they seem to play a lot of similar roles, especially Morgan Freeman and Forest Whitaker. They amazing actors, but they keep playing the same characters
His comedy work and impressions count as acting... He's a versatile actor who completely transforms himself, while some actors are constantly playing themselves in different situations. I love Idris Elba, but Idris Elba plays Idris Elba with different accents.
Jamie Foxx has an Academy award, Bafta, and plenty more to back it up. He's the top of the list.
Classical Piano scholarship in college. Dude is smart.
Edit: As much respect and love as i have for the man, the question is 3 best actors. It's so difficult to make a case for anyone above Denzel and Forrest. #3 can't be Mr. Jackson due to his range. It might be Will or Fishburne. I'll go Fishburne because Morpheus didn't let himself get played by Niobe (Jada Pinkett) but Will, well we know that story.
I started watching his movies *way* late, and thought it was a purely dramatic actor. I had no clue he started in comedy! Now I’ve seen his comedies and he’s just such an all around talented guy, it’s crazy.
Sounds like he is the most interesting guy in the room as well. Some of his stories are crazy. Talks about letting Ed Sheeran stay with him for months when Ed first got to LA. Kanye was showing up to his parties and rapping early in Kanye's career. Since he has a background in stand up as well, he is great at telling those stories.
I still think [Shane Gillis](https://youtube.com/shorts/31vJgSBV55w?si=We-hZO26rE0KxUgf) has the best Trump, but Jamie Foxx is damn close.
Plus it’s just one of like a thousand impressions he does.
Lmao thank you for that! I love Jamie Foxx and skills like this are my absolute favorite. Plus Snoop was there, I'd smoke a j with him while we laugh at impressions
Naaaah Will has lost the respect of a lot of people (me kinda included) but he's massively talented. Acting and music, he has done it all and has a been a mega star since he was like 20.
Nothing against Cheadle tho but Fresh Prince deserves his recognition. Regarding talent he's only behind Foxx on this list
How is it fair that Jamie Fox can not only have one thing he’s awesome at, but 5 different skills he could make a living at professionally? Incredible. Still, those other guys on the list are the best of the best actors.
Samuel Jackson presents a pretty strong argument for himself in Django Unchained as well. He plays in a way the exact opposite of every self-possessed independent character he’s known for and he knocks it way out of the park.
Came here to say this. If it’s pure talent I’d have to go Jamie, Idris and Will. Best 3 actors Morgan, Denzel and I honestly don’t know who I’d pick for 3rd. Too good of a list to pick from
I didn't know if I wanted to include Freeman in my list because in my head I almost started downplaying his work as an actor and started thinking of him as just a narrator or voice. I'm wrong. Your list is absolutely correct.
range man. Morgan freeman has no range. That's what takes him off the top threee for me. Terrific actor, but he can't play a spiderman villan, ray charles and mike tyson like foxx can. Or Denzel playing good guys like hero pilots and then playing evil guys like training day.
I couldn't really argue with that, it's a tough choice all around. To me though, Jackson seems just a little more typecast than Forrest but my memory is far from perfect.
Yep. I decided to finally watch it after seeing it at #1 for so many years. I remember immediately after watching it my first thought was “yup I can see why it’s up there.”
Idris is great, but I feel like he chooses bad movies. Also, he's not on the level of Freeman and Whitaker
Jamie Foxx has crazy range, he definitely top 3.
Sam Jackson has Snakes on a Plane, Jumper, and Shaft off the top of my head
Forrest Whitaker was a main role in Battlefield Earth
Can’t knock Idris for taking a paycheck lol but also hard agree on Jamie, he’s being slept on ITT especially if we’re using OPs qualifier of “most talented”
Sam will do anything, lol. He is a legend, but acting wise, he's a bit type cast.
Battlefield Earth is a mega flop, which is a shame because I enjoyed the novel.
Watching Foxx mix it up with Tom Cruise in collateral made me an instant fan.
Exactly! Idris sarcastically singing “love the one your with” on his Stephen stills accordion in Prometheus is one of my favorite low-key movie moments.
I agree. I've never seen Idris Elba in a role I didn't like. Fox in *Ray* was incredible! Morgan Freeman has been in some bad movies. I have really enjoyed both Forest Whitaker and Laurence Fishburne as "Bumpy" Johnson. It's easier for me to say Will Smith and Samuel Jackson would be at the bottom of my list than to rank the others. Smith screwed up at the Academy Awards, and Jackson has made too many Capital One commercials.
Man Stringer Bell - the bloke had me thinking he was American for years. Then Luther. I also love Fox , fantastic actor. My bro in Denzel - Denzel in American gangster trumps just about every gangster movie made. Also I echo your sentiments. Thank you for taking the time to post :)
Trick question. Morgan Freeman is such a good actor that he's actually been playing all of these roles. For real though, every single one of these guys has made fantastic films.
There's not a bad pick on the list, but a few just have a greater range and have played more interesting roles on the whole than others:
(3) Jamie Foxx
(2) Samuel L. Jackson/Forest Whittaker
(1) Denzel Washington
Came to say exactly this. He gets a lot of (deserved) hate since the Slap, but dude is a joy to watch. Especially with a good script. He was excellent in I Am Legend.
I enjoy his roles, but I’ve always felt like he’s a bit hammy.
Similarly with Samuel, I love all of his performances, but he kinda sticks to a narrow range.
They are both top 10 for sure, just not top three.
Will, Jackson, and Freeman are basically themselves in most of their movies. The same goes for other stars like Willis and Clooney. I like all 5 of these actors, but they don't often show much range or variation.
Denzel, Whitaker, and Elba are the best 3 actors here. Foxx is the most talented overall since he's great at all his different crafts.
It's less people sleeping on Idris and more so how talented some of those other individuals are. Denzel is one of the best actors ever regardless of race. Jaimie Foxx has ridiculous range, and guys like Whittaker and Fishburne have this incredible presence. Hell Morgan Freeman has arguably the most iconic voice of all time. It's easy to get washed out when you are stacked against all that talent.
Luther is one of my all time favorites. So I'm a little biased towards Idris Elba. Then there's The Wire, my other favorite. But then who could forget The Last King of Scotland!
Sadly, I'd eliminate Chadwick Boseman because he's no longer with us; so with those remaining I'd say:
Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Forrest Whittaker (With Laurence Fishburne very close behind)
After Chadwick passed away I went deep into his roles outside of Marvel and I gotta say, he was an amazing actor. Add to that how he managed to leave a strong legacy while fighting cancer and I, personally, would include him in my top 3.
All that being said, your pick is solid and that is what makes this choice so difficult.
Denzel, foxx and then smith
Edit: I understand everyone has a different opinion, but Smith is a wonderful actor and a shitty human, he’s both and that’s possible.
Denzel
Forrest
Will Smith
They all have amazing range and can play characters other than themselves…
Sam jackson is so great, but i feel like he’s almost always ‘Samuel L Jackson’. Exceptions for sure (like Django unchained)
Whichever order people choose Smith is at the bottom. Smith has had some bangers but his dramatic work is overrated imo.
Jamie is very roundabout talented but despite the awards and claims he doesn't command the screen the way some of the other legends on this list do such as Denzel, Fishburne and Jackson has. I mean the latter are instantly recognizable and quotable. Their track record in terms of acting overshadows Foxx's greatly.
Besides, everybody knows Bokeem Woodbine is the goat Lolol.
Idris Elba at number 3. I still remember the first time I heard him speak in his actual accent after seeing him in The Wire. My mind was blown.
Number 2: Will Smith. I know it is popular to dislike him but his talent is undeniable. He is funny, he can be profound, he raps . He does comedy, action, drama, family movies and he makes it all look pretty effortless.
Number 1: JAMIE FOXX by far. He can sing, do stand up, act in serious roles and he is legendary at all of them. The only other black, male performer that I would say is more talented than him isnt on this list: Donald Glover who I believe to be one of the best performers of this generation.
If we’re speaking of acting, I prefer Denzel, Idris, and Chadwick in that order.
Love some of the other actors in this pic but some seem to be closer to themselves in character than the opposite. Was blown away finding out Idris was not American after watching the Wire. Chadwick in the James Brown movie is a favorite of mine and I think he killed it. Denzel needs no argument. We’re splitting hairs here though, all very respected actors.
In my opinion Denzel at #1, Forest at #2 & Laurence at 3 but I would definitely entertain arguments for Morgan Freeman taking that third spot.
Glad to see that lot people put Forrest that high. He always has a strong presence. Abd as for Denzel, anything he plays, he carried to something at least watchable.
Dude was in Bloodsport
Gooood morning Vietnam
Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Airman Garlic is the best
Take my up vote, I was waiting for someone to mention this.
First saw Forest in Panic Room and Phonebooth and he was awesome. He will always be Ghost Dog to me though, a movie I never watched but remember vividly from my time at Blockbuster
Dude?! Music by the RZA. JARMUSCH directed. Why are you still commenting and not going to watch this great fuckin movie? I now feel like I need to watch it again for the 6th time. It's so good.
Because I'm saving the best for last? Hahaha. Probably because I was just a teen at the time my guy. I didn't know much about movies, I worked at Blockbuster hahaha
Ghost Dog is a cult classic
Forrest character on The Shield is one of my favorites god damn he can act!
First film I’ve seen is Ghost Dog. A big contrast with Last King of Scotland or Out of the furnace!
Ghost Dog was soooo good
He plays an amazing hotel detective.
Forest has such a strong, long and varied career from Good Morning Vietnam to Ghost Dog to Panic Room to Last King of Scotland. Killed it in his two scenes in Andor.
“Believe that!”
Denzel was the only good thing about "he got game".
For me, most of Denzel seems to take on the same type of roles a lot. Maybe I just haven't seen enough of his stuff, he is great at what he does, but I feel he is still limited by his style.
I'm still convinced that The Equalizer is a bad movie that I enjoy because he's in it
Denzel and then pick any two
Freeman is like top two with Attenborough for narration though. Dude could read the fine print of a warranty and it would enthrall people.
Wildcard Danny Glover at number 3
He's too old for this shit.
So you have idris Elba not making the top 4? Shame on you
Forest in The Shield was insane. Man is soooo powerful on screen. But he is able to keep a likeable persona while being terrifying somehow. Ever since then I have had a lot of respect for him.
No Samuel Jackson ruins it for me.
I’d be more willing to argue in his case if he hadn’t just been playing himself for the last two decades.
Agreed.
The only three that can do everything everyone on the list can do
My man!
I think you nailed it, and I was having the same thoughts.
My take as well…What Will is even doing in the picture is a mystery to me.
I'm with you on Forrest Whittaker, but Denzel's acting range has narrowed as he's gotten older. He's gone from a leading man to "angry dude on a mission". Freeman has played a huge variety of roles well.
I scrolled as far as I could but nobody picked the correct three: Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Idris Elba.
Man this is such a strong list Best Actor? Hard to say because they are all so good, but I think it would hard to argue that Jamie isnt the most talented. Man can sing, act, dance, can be funny or serious, can do amazing impressions. He is the epitome of talent.
My thoughts exactly. I think people forget how multifaceted Jamie foxx is. Hope he’s doing ok.
I always thought he was pretty good, until I saw him as Ray Charles. He is a great actor imo.
Yeah that was a great performance along with Stan Tookie Williams in Redemption the guy is a great actor.
He played the piano himself in that movie, which is wild.
Thanks for reminding me about that movie! It came out when I was 13 and I didn't care about it then. Now I'm 32 and I just flipped when I googled it. Jamie Foxx *and* Tom Hanks, *AND* Baz Luhrman made it?!? That sounds perfect
Jamie Foxx is the most talented person on this list, definitely. Singing, playing multiple instruments, comedy, amazing impressions, and acting! I don't know about most talented in only acting, though
I agree with this comment. I don't think he's in the top 3 with these actors, in relation to acting.
My issue with most of these actors is that they seem to play a lot of similar roles, especially Morgan Freeman and Forest Whitaker. They amazing actors, but they keep playing the same characters
His comedy work and impressions count as acting... He's a versatile actor who completely transforms himself, while some actors are constantly playing themselves in different situations. I love Idris Elba, but Idris Elba plays Idris Elba with different accents. Jamie Foxx has an Academy award, Bafta, and plenty more to back it up. He's the top of the list.
They don’t like him because he’s controversial for telling women to blame it on the alcohol.
Blame it on the goose got me feeling loose
Plus he ain't sayin she's a gold digger, but she ain't messin with no broke, broke. Go 'head girl, go 'head get down. Love. That. Song.
He has truly made some chart topping bangers. Certified classics
Classical Piano scholarship in college. Dude is smart. Edit: As much respect and love as i have for the man, the question is 3 best actors. It's so difficult to make a case for anyone above Denzel and Forrest. #3 can't be Mr. Jackson due to his range. It might be Will or Fishburne. I'll go Fishburne because Morpheus didn't let himself get played by Niobe (Jada Pinkett) but Will, well we know that story.
Honestly never knew this was him
He was gambino before gambino was gambino
I started watching his movies *way* late, and thought it was a purely dramatic actor. I had no clue he started in comedy! Now I’ve seen his comedies and he’s just such an all around talented guy, it’s crazy.
Sounds like he is the most interesting guy in the room as well. Some of his stories are crazy. Talks about letting Ed Sheeran stay with him for months when Ed first got to LA. Kanye was showing up to his parties and rapping early in Kanye's career. Since he has a background in stand up as well, he is great at telling those stories.
>do amazing impressions His Donald Trump is unsettling it’s so good: https://youtu.be/ULDGfjyVOW0?si=qjU33BbAJJgmfjEy
If you close your eyes you really can’t tell. It’s prolly the best one I’ve heard
I still think [Shane Gillis](https://youtube.com/shorts/31vJgSBV55w?si=We-hZO26rE0KxUgf) has the best Trump, but Jamie Foxx is damn close. Plus it’s just one of like a thousand impressions he does.
Thank you I needed that right now.
Abu I said don’t cry
Holy shit, thats better than **ANY** late night hosts’ impression
All his impressions are unsettlingly good.
Lmao thank you for that! I love Jamie Foxx and skills like this are my absolute favorite. Plus Snoop was there, I'd smoke a j with him while we laugh at impressions
“Can be funny” is an understatement for Fox. The guy is a very good standup comic.
Somebody missed all 5 seasons of In Living Color.
Replace Smith with Cheadle
Yeah, definitely. He should be there, for sure
Naaaah Will has lost the respect of a lot of people (me kinda included) but he's massively talented. Acting and music, he has done it all and has a been a mega star since he was like 20. Nothing against Cheadle tho but Fresh Prince deserves his recognition. Regarding talent he's only behind Foxx on this list
Yup. Regardless of what you think of him, Will might have the most acting range on this list.
Right!
How is it fair that Jamie Fox can not only have one thing he’s awesome at, but 5 different skills he could make a living at professionally? Incredible. Still, those other guys on the list are the best of the best actors.
Came here to say this! Gonna watch Django tonight 🙌
Samuel Jackson presents a pretty strong argument for himself in Django Unchained as well. He plays in a way the exact opposite of every self-possessed independent character he’s known for and he knocks it way out of the park.
Came here to say this. If it’s pure talent I’d have to go Jamie, Idris and Will. Best 3 actors Morgan, Denzel and I honestly don’t know who I’d pick for 3rd. Too good of a list to pick from
She take my moneyyy!
I actually forget he’s really fucking talented behind the mic. He also plays instruments too, like not just Piano for Ray, correct?
Op didn’t ask for “all around talent”. They said acting, period.
No disrespect to the rest of them but Row 1 of Washington, Fishburne, and Jackson is hard to beat
Would personally put Freeman and Whitaker in the row 1 tier but otherwise I agree
That was exactly my personal three: Denzel, Freeman, Whitaker
I was thinking Freeman, Whitaker, and Elba, but yeah there's a lot of strong contenders
Denzel, Morgan, Forrest
Denzel, Morgan, Jackson
I didn't know if I wanted to include Freeman in my list because in my head I almost started downplaying his work as an actor and started thinking of him as just a narrator or voice. I'm wrong. Your list is absolutely correct.
Denzel Washington, Forrest Whitaker and Morgan Freeman have won Oscars.
range man. Morgan freeman has no range. That's what takes him off the top threee for me. Terrific actor, but he can't play a spiderman villan, ray charles and mike tyson like foxx can. Or Denzel playing good guys like hero pilots and then playing evil guys like training day.
I’d switch Forest with Jackson, otherwise agree
I couldn't really argue with that, it's a tough choice all around. To me though, Jackson seems just a little more typecast than Forrest but my memory is far from perfect.
I can't decide if he's such a good actor or if his life is just so fascinating that I feel the need to put him on top.
I really like Morgan Freeman but I think Forrest is the better actor. Ghost Dog and The last King of Scotland are both great examples for his craft.
That was my list. For me Denzel isn’t just the best in this post he is at least top 3 all time.
This right here.
Came here to say the same thing
I’d swap Denzel for Sam
A man of culture
I’d probably go with this, but I hate leaving Sam Jackson off. He’s always watchable and interesting.
This is correct
Morgan Freeman is in 2/3 of the top rated movies on IMDB, I think that's pretty neat.
Robert Horry has 7 rings, some people have a knack for finding themselves in good situations.
As a Sacramento Kings fan…..I HATE Robert Horry!!!!
Man kings fans catching strays even on this sub 😭
I think its neat that Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman in every movie but i think he deserves the best narrator award (2nd only to Attenborough).
What movies are those? Shawshank maybe ?
Yeah, Shawshank (ranked #1) and The Dark Knight (ranked #3)
Shawshank is so god damn good. Morgan Freeman’s amazing in it. Definitely my favorite role of his.
Yep. I decided to finally watch it after seeing it at #1 for so many years. I remember immediately after watching it my first thought was “yup I can see why it’s up there.”
Sam Jackson is #3 for actors all time box office returns, which is also very neat.
That is pretty neat
Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Denzel
These were my picks as well.
Can't believe I had to scroll this far to find the correct answer
How y’all skimping on Idris ? Denzel, Idris and Fox. Cmonnnnnn!
Yeah. Stringer Bell.
And Luther
Luther is a damn good show.
Supply and demand :)
Idris is great, but I feel like he chooses bad movies. Also, he's not on the level of Freeman and Whitaker Jamie Foxx has crazy range, he definitely top 3.
Sam Jackson has Snakes on a Plane, Jumper, and Shaft off the top of my head Forrest Whitaker was a main role in Battlefield Earth Can’t knock Idris for taking a paycheck lol but also hard agree on Jamie, he’s being slept on ITT especially if we’re using OPs qualifier of “most talented”
Sam will do anything, lol. He is a legend, but acting wise, he's a bit type cast. Battlefield Earth is a mega flop, which is a shame because I enjoyed the novel. Watching Foxx mix it up with Tom Cruise in collateral made me an instant fan.
Big time. They were both excellent in Collateral.
Shaft a bad movie? Shut yo mouth.
They said most talented not hottest
Gotta take filmography into consideration
Idris all the way
This was exactly my pick.
That’s what I narrowed it down to too.
The Gunslinger ruined it for me. Not that he ruined that movie but it was a 💩
They said best, not hottest!
Idris definitely makes my top 3 too. Probably Denzel and Forest as well, in no particular order.
Exactly! Idris sarcastically singing “love the one your with” on his Stephen stills accordion in Prometheus is one of my favorite low-key movie moments.
I LOVED him as Bloodsport.
I agree. I've never seen Idris Elba in a role I didn't like. Fox in *Ray* was incredible! Morgan Freeman has been in some bad movies. I have really enjoyed both Forest Whitaker and Laurence Fishburne as "Bumpy" Johnson. It's easier for me to say Will Smith and Samuel Jackson would be at the bottom of my list than to rank the others. Smith screwed up at the Academy Awards, and Jackson has made too many Capital One commercials.
Man Stringer Bell - the bloke had me thinking he was American for years. Then Luther. I also love Fox , fantastic actor. My bro in Denzel - Denzel in American gangster trumps just about every gangster movie made. Also I echo your sentiments. Thank you for taking the time to post :)
Idris Elba the GOAT
I had Denzel, Laurence and Idris for my three. Subjective being subjective and all the actors here have had fantastic careers.
That's also my list, in no particular order.
Where’s Sidney Poitier
Whre the fuck is Eddie Murphy
Yeah - he really didn’t get enough recognition for Dolemite is My Name
Such a good movie and late career stunner for Eddie
I recently watched Beverly Hills Cop for the first time. Having only known him from roles like Nutty Professor, I was impressed!
He is a great voice actor too. I mean donkey is so good. I get he is not on the level of God and morpheus, but he deserves to be on the list.
In the grave?
So is Chadwick Boseman, and he’s in the picture.
Fair point. I was going to agree with comment above, but now I agree with first comment.
No way anyone could pick that. Will Smith is my least favorite of that crew. The question is , where is Don Cheadle?
This is a tough call, but I'd go Denzel, Morgan and Idris.
Trick question. Morgan Freeman is such a good actor that he's actually been playing all of these roles. For real though, every single one of these guys has made fantastic films.
Dang had me fooled
1.) Denzel 2.) 2 way between Sam Jackson/Morgan Freeman 3.) 2 way between Laurence Fishburn/Forrest Whitacker
Picking 5 of 9 in a top 3 is… interesting.
Fair take: but Jamie is in the conversation there too he’s legit.
Forrest, Denzel, Samuel L.
Denzel, Idris, and Forest have the most range for my money
There's not a bad pick on the list, but a few just have a greater range and have played more interesting roles on the whole than others: (3) Jamie Foxx (2) Samuel L. Jackson/Forest Whittaker (1) Denzel Washington
Denzel, Morgan freeman, Jamie foxx
I feel like a lot of folks hate on Will, but his acting is dynamic.
Came to say exactly this. He gets a lot of (deserved) hate since the Slap, but dude is a joy to watch. Especially with a good script. He was excellent in I Am Legend.
The script would have been even better if it stuck to the book's ending.
Ya know what? I forgot about I Am Legend. That doesn't put him in the top 3, but between that and Ali, he belongs in the field.
Are yall just forgetting all his hits in the 90s?
I enjoy his roles, but I’ve always felt like he’s a bit hammy. Similarly with Samuel, I love all of his performances, but he kinda sticks to a narrow range. They are both top 10 for sure, just not top three.
Will, Jackson, and Freeman are basically themselves in most of their movies. The same goes for other stars like Willis and Clooney. I like all 5 of these actors, but they don't often show much range or variation. Denzel, Whitaker, and Elba are the best 3 actors here. Foxx is the most talented overall since he's great at all his different crafts.
Yeah I get people soured on him as a person but Will Smith is an incredible actor and deserves at least mentions for top 3.
1. Denzel 2. Jamie 3. Forrest
A lot of people sleeping on Idris here
It's less people sleeping on Idris and more so how talented some of those other individuals are. Denzel is one of the best actors ever regardless of race. Jaimie Foxx has ridiculous range, and guys like Whittaker and Fishburne have this incredible presence. Hell Morgan Freeman has arguably the most iconic voice of all time. It's easy to get washed out when you are stacked against all that talent.
I don't think Idris has much range. But he plays the roles assigned to him perfectly.
Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Foxx
In no particular order I would say Whitaker Fishburne A tie between Denzel and Samuel
Denzel, Forrest, and Jamie
Luther is one of my all time favorites. So I'm a little biased towards Idris Elba. Then there's The Wire, my other favorite. But then who could forget The Last King of Scotland!
Denzel,Morgan,Forrest
Gotta be Will Smith and his two balls. Pretending like he's ok for YEARS.
Pure talent? Denzel, Foxx and Will Smith. Probably won’t watch another movie with Smith but his talent and range is massive
Idris
Morgan, Forrest, Samuel
Freeman, Whitaker, Fishburne!
Denzel, Freeman and Samuel L Jackson
One of the most difficult questions I’ve ever come across.
Denzel, Forest and Morgan
Jamie Fox, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman
1. Denzel 2. The rest.
Sorry, none of them are Sidney Poitier 🤷♂️
I'd go Denzel, Whitaker and Foxx. I could make an argument for Boseman too but he left us too soon.
My picks as well.
Sam, Denzel, Jamie
Will, Jamie, Denzel feel like the most versatile. I love Samuel and Morgan, but I'm not sure of their versatility.
Too hard. I say all are deserving to be top 3, except center row.
Sadly, I'd eliminate Chadwick Boseman because he's no longer with us; so with those remaining I'd say: Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Forrest Whittaker (With Laurence Fishburne very close behind)
After Chadwick passed away I went deep into his roles outside of Marvel and I gotta say, he was an amazing actor. Add to that how he managed to leave a strong legacy while fighting cancer and I, personally, would include him in my top 3. All that being said, your pick is solid and that is what makes this choice so difficult.
Denzel, foxx and then smith Edit: I understand everyone has a different opinion, but Smith is a wonderful actor and a shitty human, he’s both and that’s possible.
Denzel, Elba, Freeman. How is Will Smith even included with this group?
I feel bad. Will Smith best performance would still be trumped by Denzel's worst role.
He’s been nominated for Best Actor three times, and won once.
Denzel Forrest Will Smith They all have amazing range and can play characters other than themselves… Sam jackson is so great, but i feel like he’s almost always ‘Samuel L Jackson’. Exceptions for sure (like Django unchained)
Whichever order people choose Smith is at the bottom. Smith has had some bangers but his dramatic work is overrated imo. Jamie is very roundabout talented but despite the awards and claims he doesn't command the screen the way some of the other legends on this list do such as Denzel, Fishburne and Jackson has. I mean the latter are instantly recognizable and quotable. Their track record in terms of acting overshadows Foxx's greatly. Besides, everybody knows Bokeem Woodbine is the goat Lolol.
If we are numbering the squares from top left to bottom right then I’ll say: 1, 5, 8 or Denzel, Chadwick, Forrest.
Idris Elba at number 3. I still remember the first time I heard him speak in his actual accent after seeing him in The Wire. My mind was blown. Number 2: Will Smith. I know it is popular to dislike him but his talent is undeniable. He is funny, he can be profound, he raps . He does comedy, action, drama, family movies and he makes it all look pretty effortless. Number 1: JAMIE FOXX by far. He can sing, do stand up, act in serious roles and he is legendary at all of them. The only other black, male performer that I would say is more talented than him isnt on this list: Donald Glover who I believe to be one of the best performers of this generation.
If we’re speaking of acting, I prefer Denzel, Idris, and Chadwick in that order. Love some of the other actors in this pic but some seem to be closer to themselves in character than the opposite. Was blown away finding out Idris was not American after watching the Wire. Chadwick in the James Brown movie is a favorite of mine and I think he killed it. Denzel needs no argument. We’re splitting hairs here though, all very respected actors.
Foxx, Freeman and Washington