actors that brought me to the movies

Did he ever have a title role? If he did, I have forgotten it. He was THE supporting cast and always nice to see.

The humor of the meek? Or maybe humorus interruptus? I don't know. A style all his own and he is still funny as in the Russians Are Coming. Very, very special.

The Profile. Was too old for the talkies but what little remains is SPELLBINDING.

Training Day did it for me. Proved he could play more than just nice guys.

Always a CHAMPION for the little guy. Maybe not so apparent in his life as an actor as in his life of writer and singer of his own songs. A truly nice guy.

Had he worked in English, he would have been a household name all over the globe. Caught in the swedish language he was not even a name in his own household, so it seems.

Like a label of QUALITY. If he is in the film, the film is always worth while. As mysterious as he is large. No, more mysterious than that.

Looked as if he had just stepped out from a fairy-tale and maybe he did for all I know.

Mr Japan # 2.

The man in the fez.

King of the One-Liner, so they say. He sure is funny though.

Peter Lorre.

Straightforward but still not dull. Lurking intelligence beneath it all.

The first Hannibal the cannibal. INTENSE actor always and you're always grateful that he is in the movie.

SUPPORTING actor most of the time but also chilly as the most important actor in The River's Edge.

Who could portray the capitalist scoundrel better than this man?

Great actor, that unfortunately did not act so much. He directed more.

NUANCED actor if ever there was one. Compelling as Charly, engaging in Underworld USA and believable in 3 Days of the Condor and Brainstorm.

Often SPECTACULAR but a good actor with much sentiment. Don't remember Dracula as much as the film Leon and you will understand what I mean.

What an ACTOR! From comedy such as Used Cars, to impersonation such as the Elvis film, to action such as Big Trouble in Little China, to drama, to thriller, to...whatever - he has played them all with gusto.

Almost TIMID actor at times. Much like the character he played in Longitude. I always try a movie in which he plays.

Also an ATHLETE once. Made a pledge for something - I don't know but he seemed very sincere about it. I hope he knew. Fantastic in Elmer Gantry and 1900. Therefore on this list.

Not just Columbo but Columbo broke the ice.

The Spencer Tracy of France - or was it the other way around? That potatoe-nose of his did nobody any good but at least it was not Karl Malden's. GRUMPY but not bad and often most entertaining.

What happened to his face? First a world-famous actor and THEN a boxer! Could he not find something better to do? Loved him for his early roles such as in Year of the Dragon. Something tells me that his life is more interesting than his films and that he therefore is unique amongst actors.

GOOFY ukelele-playing funny-man with nostalgia now written all over him. Is it the memories he awakes or is he really good? A little of both, I guess.

Looking distrustful and then suddenly laughing as if relieved and then suddenly looking distrustful again and then looking something in between and then - that poor face sure had to work even more than the face of Louis de Funès. Meanwhile, you were laughing your head off. In big pictures as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad...World he was toned down considerably and not so funny.

Did he really eat all these cigarettes and whatnot? Is he trying to be funny so hard that he is funny for trying so hard? Well, an original anyway.

Sympathetic. Then too much actor. Then sympathetic again.

Was it in Trouble In Store that he sang so beautifully? Did not sing much otherwise. Good old working class.

Another black man with no traits of undignified behavior like Wesley Snipe and, to a much lesser degree, Will Smith. Nice to see.

Starred in the most underrated film of all time "Death Rides a Horse". Is therefore on this list.

More of a LEGEND than an actor.

DOMINATED the scenes he was in. No actor got the better of him. Almost always the crook that got killed last. Absolutely splendid in The Getaway.

The actor you loved to hate. What a relief when Gene Hackman finally shot him in French Connection 2! Had to be some actor to be able to produce such hate, especially since he also was able to do sympathetic roles.

The embodiment of SADNESS. Easy to be touched by this guy.

Too much of an actor at times but I did seek him out in his prime. Now he has drifted away into cheap comedy and doesn't seem to get out of there.

Also far too much of an actor. Therefore late on this list.

On this list for his early westerns, which I all sought out.

Not always in good films. Sometimes you got fooled when you sought him out.

Ditto.

With Reds and Bulworth under his helm, maybe a more interesting director than an interesting actor. Did seek him out though.

Fools around too much and it would be better if he focused on things like his directorial debut The Brave.

Always interesting but not always good. Therefore late on this list.

Intense actor, who is really good when he is good as in Salvador.

Often in good movies. Often interesting and sometimes quite moving. Sometimes, however, also too much of an actor and therefore he is late on this list.

What a voice!, which was never better than in that series "Hollywood" about the silent films.

Handsome actor in search of roles to play. So far, only Photographing Fairies did him justice.

Ditto but he was not in Photographing Fairies. Quite nice in the Time Machine though.

In his later years worth seeking out. Before that rather wooden.

Politically an imbecile, unaware of how sinister the propaganda was that he was often a part of. Belonged to another age somehow and that is why I forgive him. As character, especially in his later years, he emanated dignity, which is why he is on this list. Too sad about his politics though but, then again, he was not the only one to confuse the Soviet Union with communism and not the only one who knew nothing about anarchism. That was true of me too until late in puberty.