these are the timeless men who made
Hollywood great and great time welcome
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
ultimate decade defining actors as I
think we ought to get to the bottom yeah
for our series on the top ten decade
defining male actors / period we’ve made
our choices based on a combination of
their commercial success their
box-office scores their productivity
their awards and how they helped set the
tone and raise the standard in Hollywood
for the era in which they excelled let’s
talk a little business
number 10 John Wayne hello Burdett been
expecting you an all-out icon John Wayne
reigned supreme for many a decade but in
the 50s he produced some of his most
notable work thank you he starred in 142
movies throughout his career
most of them westerns and set the
archetype for masculinity at the time
you get it Reverend come on blanket head
a quiet man the high and the mighty The
Searchers and Rio Bravo were particular
successes sir will you join me
matter of fact I’d like to buy everybody
three he was undeniably typecast but he
was also undeniably good at what he did
Wayne exude charisma and cinema-goers
just couldn’t get enough I’m given the
orders here I’m giving the orders
and you’ll follow him are we’re
splitting up right here and now number 9
James Stewart I can promise you one
thing I’ll do nothing to disgrace the
office of the United States Senate in a
decade when Humphrey Bogart and Orson
Welles were also influential Jimmy
Stewart stole the show during the 1940s
while he was also dedicating time to
World War two military service Stewart’s
roles as the average aspiring American
resonated with and gave encouragement to
just about everyone dust I’ll have a
washroom
thank me his natural style won him an
Oscar for the Philadelphia Story having
been previously nominated for Frank
Capra’s mr. Smith goes to Washington
however he found everlasting Fame as
George Bailey in it’s a wonderful life a
captivating performance in a Christmas
classic his was the highest standard
during one of Hollywood’s highest points
where Cinderella gets off now you hurry
back to the ball before you turn into a
pumpkin and six white mice combined
number eight Tom Cruise risky business
is thought of as his breakthrough movie
and it ensured that working with Tom
Cruise would be anything but risky from
then on all right all right
a stellar name in cinema for over three
decades now the impact he had in his
first 10 years was unrivaled with Top
Gun he flew further up the acting ladder
and with born on the 4th of July he
picked up his first major award a Golden
Globe for Best Actor killing our
brothers in Vietnam tonight
setting the standard for a glittering
career cruise controlled Hollywood in
the 80s and that’s why he makes our list
go fight go kill charge your name ready
car now let’s go let’s go look come on
left it’s all idle you’re waiting a
high-speed jet boat went out go you with
us or not I pray ya go you wanna gave
you one right yeah for sure to pick up
the phone number 7 Al Pacino
this guy’s career is particularly hard
to nail down to one decade but largely
for his part in the Godfather series he
was a huge star of the 70s and I have a
guarantee no more attempts on my
father’s life
he played mobster Michael Corleone in
Francis Ford Coppola ‘he’s iconic
gangster film and was nominated for a
Best Supporting Actor Oscar don’t ask me
about my business know he boycotted the
ceremony though believing his role to be
lead actor material that’s crap and you
know it ironically he went on to be
nominated for the desired award four
times during the decade including one
nomination for the Godfather Part two in
my bedroom where my wife sleeps where my
children come and play with their toys
all right Marshall what do you say I
done number six
Clint Eastwood he’ll remember me no you
hang a man you better look at him the
spaghetti western so-called because of
the Italian directors behind them is an
iconic film genre of the 60s and one in
which Clint Eastwood ruled see that’s
what I want to talk to you about as the
man with no name he portrayed one of the
most convincing anti-heroes ever
captured on film you see in this world
has two kinds of people my friend
I was with loaded guns who dig you dig
the part was supposedly offered to Eric
Fleming Eastwood’s co-star in the TV
Western drama rawhide he turned it down
and Eastwood went on to own it forever
after his name would be synonymous with
the wild wild west thanks I’ll be moving
on I’m a police officer number five
Sidney Poitier
when trying to achieve success early on
in his acting career Sidney Poitier
struggled because he was tone-deaf he
couldn’t meet the expectation of black
performers at the time because he
couldn’t sing that’s not exactly what I
had in mind but you get the idea but
years of dedication were finally
followed with acceptance and excellence
in 63 he became the first black man to
receive the Academy Award for Best Actor
for lilies of the field her skin is
white my skin is black the commercial
peak of his career didn’t come for a
further four years however when guess
who’s coming to dinner
became an instant classic cementing his
spot as a 60s era mainstay I can explain
I can’t imagine what’s going on in your
mind but we can explain number four Jack
Nicholson how’d you get past the guard I
tell you the truth I lied a little like
other actors on our list it’s hard to
confine Nicholson’s excellence to one
time period after all he’s had such an
illustrious career I hear you but Oscar
nominations for his roles in the last
detail and Chinatown as well as the
first of three wins for One Flew Over
the Cuckoo’s Nest make the 1970s a
particular success Jesus Christ as
Randall McMurphy he plays a forcibly
repressed man who tries to break out and
as an actor Jack Nicholson sure breaks
the mold yeah I know but you think we
might ease it down a little bit so maybe
the boys didn’t have to shout huh
well where is copy number three Cary
Grant
oh that mean Amy streets after you Hildy
Johnson Street they’ll be statues of Eva
Park I’m always I’ll be a cue the radio
by tomorrow morning I’ll bet you there’s
a Hildy Johnson cigar and she’s the bill
boys now is it line up with Hildy
Johnson grant spent the 30s as an
official Englishman before obtaining
American citizenship in 1942 Mae West is
largely credited with giving this
definitive leading man his breakthrough
opposite her and she done him wrong
her and I’m no angel yeah well you
wouldn’t mind if I look around me Judy
Chu the awful truth was a pivotal movie
though as an established grant as
rom-com royalty David there’s a time and
place everything for a professional
artist after all my dear getting married
tomorrow
after that he paired up with the likes
of Katharine Hepburn and bringing up
baby and Rosalind Russell in his girl
Friday grant is a legend of laughter and
a legend of love they obviously some
cold to me they have no warmth no soul
I’m sorry you think more of your
diamonds and you do of your soul number
two Robert De Niro I see my enjoy soon
LG symmetry AJ at Martha Wayne now just
a man Marty
as a list as they come and the 70s were
his era though he’s had non-stop success
ever since
DeNiro found fame with in a partnership
he formed in the early 70s with director
Martin Scorsese beginning with mean
streets and taxi driver you talking to
me by 77 everyone was talking to him or
at least about him and a role as Michael
Vronsky in the Vietnam War movie The
Deer Hunter further established his
reputation maybe you’ve got to do it you
don’t do it they’re gonna throw you in a
pit they throw you in the pit you’re
gonna die of course he also managed the
small feat of playing the oscar-winning
part of Vito Corleone in The Godfather
Part 2 what a man that’s not the father
me I take everything you are essential
to the cause
Yeomans own unique umayyah mission may
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions out of
all men that beg for a chance to drill
rods maybe one in 20 will be oilman the
rest will be speculators that’s men
trying to get between you and the oil
men to get some of the money that ought
by rights come to you right bad people
my name is mr. Abagnale that’s Abagnale
not a big gnarly not a big nail but
avidly that plane leaves the ground and
you’re not with him you’ll regret it
maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but
soon and for the rest of your life
behold is my dear
the war you saved my life me strange and
I always thought of you as an Aryan I’m
a vegetarian I’m not a smart man but I
know what love is number one Marlon
Brando Rock n Roll was bursting through
our radios and our chart topper was
personifying it on the movie screen you
think you’re too good for me nobody’s
too good for me anybody thinks it too
good for me I make sure I’m knock him
over sometime Marlon Brando was one of
the coolest trendiest most desirable
guys on the planet he was also a fine
actor picking up an Oscar for his role
in on the waterfront
Brando also starred in a streetcar named
desire Viva Zapata Julius Caesar and the
wild one to name but a few
they’re asking me to put the thing on my
own brother he had magnetism masculinity
and an attitude that established him as
the 50s male sex symbol and as our
number 1 decade definer you don’t
understand I could have had class I
could have been a contender I could have
been somebody instead of a bum do you
agree with our list you can have my
answer
no ok which actor do you think is the
most iconic for more classic top 10s
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com
you
Hollywood great and great time welcome
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10
ultimate decade defining actors as I
think we ought to get to the bottom yeah
for our series on the top ten decade
defining male actors / period we’ve made
our choices based on a combination of
their commercial success their
box-office scores their productivity
their awards and how they helped set the
tone and raise the standard in Hollywood
for the era in which they excelled let’s
talk a little business
number 10 John Wayne hello Burdett been
expecting you an all-out icon John Wayne
reigned supreme for many a decade but in
the 50s he produced some of his most
notable work thank you he starred in 142
movies throughout his career
most of them westerns and set the
archetype for masculinity at the time
you get it Reverend come on blanket head
a quiet man the high and the mighty The
Searchers and Rio Bravo were particular
successes sir will you join me
matter of fact I’d like to buy everybody
three he was undeniably typecast but he
was also undeniably good at what he did
Wayne exude charisma and cinema-goers
just couldn’t get enough I’m given the
orders here I’m giving the orders
and you’ll follow him are we’re
splitting up right here and now number 9
James Stewart I can promise you one
thing I’ll do nothing to disgrace the
office of the United States Senate in a
decade when Humphrey Bogart and Orson
Welles were also influential Jimmy
Stewart stole the show during the 1940s
while he was also dedicating time to
World War two military service Stewart’s
roles as the average aspiring American
resonated with and gave encouragement to
just about everyone dust I’ll have a
washroom
thank me his natural style won him an
Oscar for the Philadelphia Story having
been previously nominated for Frank
Capra’s mr. Smith goes to Washington
however he found everlasting Fame as
George Bailey in it’s a wonderful life a
captivating performance in a Christmas
classic his was the highest standard
during one of Hollywood’s highest points
where Cinderella gets off now you hurry
back to the ball before you turn into a
pumpkin and six white mice combined
number eight Tom Cruise risky business
is thought of as his breakthrough movie
and it ensured that working with Tom
Cruise would be anything but risky from
then on all right all right
a stellar name in cinema for over three
decades now the impact he had in his
first 10 years was unrivaled with Top
Gun he flew further up the acting ladder
and with born on the 4th of July he
picked up his first major award a Golden
Globe for Best Actor killing our
brothers in Vietnam tonight
setting the standard for a glittering
career cruise controlled Hollywood in
the 80s and that’s why he makes our list
go fight go kill charge your name ready
car now let’s go let’s go look come on
left it’s all idle you’re waiting a
high-speed jet boat went out go you with
us or not I pray ya go you wanna gave
you one right yeah for sure to pick up
the phone number 7 Al Pacino
this guy’s career is particularly hard
to nail down to one decade but largely
for his part in the Godfather series he
was a huge star of the 70s and I have a
guarantee no more attempts on my
father’s life
he played mobster Michael Corleone in
Francis Ford Coppola ‘he’s iconic
gangster film and was nominated for a
Best Supporting Actor Oscar don’t ask me
about my business know he boycotted the
ceremony though believing his role to be
lead actor material that’s crap and you
know it ironically he went on to be
nominated for the desired award four
times during the decade including one
nomination for the Godfather Part two in
my bedroom where my wife sleeps where my
children come and play with their toys
all right Marshall what do you say I
done number six
Clint Eastwood he’ll remember me no you
hang a man you better look at him the
spaghetti western so-called because of
the Italian directors behind them is an
iconic film genre of the 60s and one in
which Clint Eastwood ruled see that’s
what I want to talk to you about as the
man with no name he portrayed one of the
most convincing anti-heroes ever
captured on film you see in this world
has two kinds of people my friend
I was with loaded guns who dig you dig
the part was supposedly offered to Eric
Fleming Eastwood’s co-star in the TV
Western drama rawhide he turned it down
and Eastwood went on to own it forever
after his name would be synonymous with
the wild wild west thanks I’ll be moving
on I’m a police officer number five
Sidney Poitier
when trying to achieve success early on
in his acting career Sidney Poitier
struggled because he was tone-deaf he
couldn’t meet the expectation of black
performers at the time because he
couldn’t sing that’s not exactly what I
had in mind but you get the idea but
years of dedication were finally
followed with acceptance and excellence
in 63 he became the first black man to
receive the Academy Award for Best Actor
for lilies of the field her skin is
white my skin is black the commercial
peak of his career didn’t come for a
further four years however when guess
who’s coming to dinner
became an instant classic cementing his
spot as a 60s era mainstay I can explain
I can’t imagine what’s going on in your
mind but we can explain number four Jack
Nicholson how’d you get past the guard I
tell you the truth I lied a little like
other actors on our list it’s hard to
confine Nicholson’s excellence to one
time period after all he’s had such an
illustrious career I hear you but Oscar
nominations for his roles in the last
detail and Chinatown as well as the
first of three wins for One Flew Over
the Cuckoo’s Nest make the 1970s a
particular success Jesus Christ as
Randall McMurphy he plays a forcibly
repressed man who tries to break out and
as an actor Jack Nicholson sure breaks
the mold yeah I know but you think we
might ease it down a little bit so maybe
the boys didn’t have to shout huh
well where is copy number three Cary
Grant
oh that mean Amy streets after you Hildy
Johnson Street they’ll be statues of Eva
Park I’m always I’ll be a cue the radio
by tomorrow morning I’ll bet you there’s
a Hildy Johnson cigar and she’s the bill
boys now is it line up with Hildy
Johnson grant spent the 30s as an
official Englishman before obtaining
American citizenship in 1942 Mae West is
largely credited with giving this
definitive leading man his breakthrough
opposite her and she done him wrong
her and I’m no angel yeah well you
wouldn’t mind if I look around me Judy
Chu the awful truth was a pivotal movie
though as an established grant as
rom-com royalty David there’s a time and
place everything for a professional
artist after all my dear getting married
tomorrow
after that he paired up with the likes
of Katharine Hepburn and bringing up
baby and Rosalind Russell in his girl
Friday grant is a legend of laughter and
a legend of love they obviously some
cold to me they have no warmth no soul
I’m sorry you think more of your
diamonds and you do of your soul number
two Robert De Niro I see my enjoy soon
LG symmetry AJ at Martha Wayne now just
a man Marty
as a list as they come and the 70s were
his era though he’s had non-stop success
ever since
DeNiro found fame with in a partnership
he formed in the early 70s with director
Martin Scorsese beginning with mean
streets and taxi driver you talking to
me by 77 everyone was talking to him or
at least about him and a role as Michael
Vronsky in the Vietnam War movie The
Deer Hunter further established his
reputation maybe you’ve got to do it you
don’t do it they’re gonna throw you in a
pit they throw you in the pit you’re
gonna die of course he also managed the
small feat of playing the oscar-winning
part of Vito Corleone in The Godfather
Part 2 what a man that’s not the father
me I take everything you are essential
to the cause
Yeomans own unique umayyah mission may
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions out of
all men that beg for a chance to drill
rods maybe one in 20 will be oilman the
rest will be speculators that’s men
trying to get between you and the oil
men to get some of the money that ought
by rights come to you right bad people
my name is mr. Abagnale that’s Abagnale
not a big gnarly not a big nail but
avidly that plane leaves the ground and
you’re not with him you’ll regret it
maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but
soon and for the rest of your life
behold is my dear
the war you saved my life me strange and
I always thought of you as an Aryan I’m
a vegetarian I’m not a smart man but I
know what love is number one Marlon
Brando Rock n Roll was bursting through
our radios and our chart topper was
personifying it on the movie screen you
think you’re too good for me nobody’s
too good for me anybody thinks it too
good for me I make sure I’m knock him
over sometime Marlon Brando was one of
the coolest trendiest most desirable
guys on the planet he was also a fine
actor picking up an Oscar for his role
in on the waterfront
Brando also starred in a streetcar named
desire Viva Zapata Julius Caesar and the
wild one to name but a few
they’re asking me to put the thing on my
own brother he had magnetism masculinity
and an attitude that established him as
the 50s male sex symbol and as our
number 1 decade definer you don’t
understand I could have had class I
could have been a contender I could have
been somebody instead of a bum do you
agree with our list you can have my
answer
no ok which actor do you think is the
most iconic for more classic top 10s
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com
you
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