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Are there any universally liked actors/actresses?

Benzadmiral

Call Me a Cab
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2,815
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The Swamp
Asking for actors who are liked by pretty much every one, I second Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant and Bill Powell.
In my personal opinion, Clark Gable, Jack Lemmon and Bette Davis (!) need to be on the list of the all time favorites, but I know there are people who dislike them.

And Elvis...

I'm an Elvis fan but I'm not so sure about his acting abilities. He was sort of a comedic talent and maybe had some dramatic talent too (see Wild in the Country), and there are a lot of speculations about what he might have been able to do if the Colonel would have let him, but the fact is: he didn't. So I better stick to his music (although I have to admit that as a "proper" fan, I have most of his movies at home *blush*)
Elivs handled his dramatic role in King Creole quite well, I thought. Far better than James Dean would have, and Elvis had that dark edge to his looks and manner (or could put that edge across in a performance) which suited the role.
 

Lady Day

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
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Crummy town, USA
Picture12.png


LD
 

Widebrim

I'll Lock Up
The scene in the Church with Linda and Tyrone Power disguised as a Franciscan friar
is arresting....[angel]

Oh, yes it is, Harp! I think that it is second only to the scene when Don Diego steps out from Lolita's balcony, showing that he is indeed The Fox. The look of adoration in Lolita's eyes ("You...are Zorro.), and the way she holds on to him before he takes off is absolutely, to use your work, arresting...From what I've read in her biography (American Beauty), Linda Darnell at age eighteen was actually still naive and fairly innocent, so her scenes in the film come off rather convincing.
 

Betz

New in Town
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18
Location
San Francisco, CA
She was one-of-a-kind, even if she looked plainer without the make-up. And she was one star who really didn't have any dirty laundry.

P.S.- Like your avatar of JFK.

Thanks. :)

As far as dirty laundry goes, didn't Veronica have a terrible alcohol problem that eventually killed her? Or am I getting my actresses confused? hah
 

Widebrim

I'll Lock Up
Thanks. :)

As far as dirty laundry goes, didn't Veronica have a terrible alcohol problem that eventually killed her? Or am I getting my actresses confused? hah

Oh, of course you're right about that. I meant during her time as a star; as far as I know, her alcoholism came after her decline in popularity. When she was stellar, she basically kept away from the Hollywood parties and scandals.
 

Snowdrop

Familiar Face
Messages
95
Location
England
I know he's been mentioned before, but it would have to be the lovely James Stewart for me. I researched him for a biography writing class last year and he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy, a true gentleman! :)

As for present day actors, I've always liked Martin Sheen.
 
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Atomic Age

Practically Family
Messages
701
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Oh, of course you're right about that. I meant during her time as a star; as far as I know, her alcoholism came after her decline in popularity. When she was stellar, she basically kept away from the Hollywood parties and scandals.

Veronica Lake had a reputation in Hollywood for being "difficult" to work with. Joel McCrea, her co-star in Sullivan's Travels, reputedly turned down the co-starring role in I Married a Witch, saying, "Life's too short for two films with Veronica Lake." Eddie Bracken, her co-star in Star Spangled Rhythm was quoted as saying, "She was known as 'The Bitch' and she deserved the title." Raymond Chandler referred to her as "Moronica Lake" during the filming of The Blue Dahlia.

By that film she was drinking HEAVILY and it was known that she was mentally unstable. People were refusing to work with her. After a string of marriages and ugly divorces, Paramount finally dropped her contract in 1948. After that she did one film for Fox, and that was the end of her career. At that point the IRS seized the remainder of her assets for unpaid taxes.

The studios managed to keep most of Lake's problems from the general public, but it was WELL known in Hollywood.

Doug
 
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