It’s been 50 years since All The President’s Men was released in 1976, an incredible year in film. It’s a movie I’ve watched a few times over the years. As a political science major in college (and a film buff), it was in my semi-regular rotation, and I still think it’s the best political thriller of all time. That it came out so soon after the events of Watergate that took down President Nixon is just as impressive. On a recent rewatch (with my HBO Max subscription), my first in at least a decade, I was struck by a couple of things that I’ve never put much thought into before.

Everything Was So Polite On One Level

As someone born in the ‘70s and raised in the ‘80s, the Watergate era is pretty familiar to me. I wasn’t born early enough to remember the events as they unfolded, but the era isn’t weird. Rotary dial phones, cigarettes everywhere, stylish corduroy… I do remember all of that. So All the President's Men doesn’t feel as “old-timey” to me as it might to people younger than me. However, I was really struck by how polite, almost genteel, so much of the investigation was.

Whenever Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) or Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) needed information, it was often just a phone call away. Woodward even calls John Mitchell, the former Attorney General, at home like it’s no big deal, and Mitchell answers! There is such a big difference in how people treat phone calls today. Like most people, I don’t answer my cell phone if the call is from an unknown number. Back in the early ‘70s, when the events in the movie occurred, that wasn’t an option. Everyone answered the phone, because you never knew if it was going to be important or not.

Everyone answered the door, too. There are so many times where Woodward and Bernstein knock on the door of someone they want to interview, and the person answers and often invites them in for coffee (and more cigarettes). It’s incredible how much social norms in this regard have changed over the years. Here were two reporters working on what would become one of the biggest stories of the century, and everyone was opening their doors to them. It doesn’t bother me that things have changed, but this movie highlighted to me just how much they have.

How The Most Famous Quote Is Always Relevant

I am not going to get political in this story; that’s not what this is about. However, one of the most famous lines in All the President's Men, coming from Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook), is still, and really has been since the dawn of time, incredibly relevant. Corrupt governments from the time of Nero up through today have always been about the money first. If you want to find the real motivation for corrupt politicians, always “follow the money.”

One reason All the President’s Men has aged like fine wine, and what makes it one of the best movies of the ‘70s is that at its core, Watergate was no different than many political scandals over the centuries, making the lessons timeless. The money is always the key to unlocking the conspiracies. 25 years later, Lester Freamon would use the same line when uncovering all the corrupt politicians in Baltimore in The Wire (one of the best shows on HBO Max).

The Movie Is So Well Constructed

The other reasons the movie has aged so well are because of how well it flows, explains the dense amount of information it presents, and, of course, the performances. It's crazy that Redford wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar, nor was Hoffman. Both are just great at portraying young reporters who make mistakes along the way, but triumph in the end. At least Jason Robards, who plays the legendary Ben Bradlee, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (one of four Oscars that the film won). Jane Alexander was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as “The Bookkeeper,” based on the real-life Judy Miller.

The pacing of the movie is top-notch. Despite having very little action, the movie is tense and moves along at a perfect clip. It is also remarkable just how well it presents the material. Remember, most of this investigation was through paperwork and interviews, and it was complicated. All the President’s Men nails all the critical information and serves it up to viewers in an easily digestible manner. You can go way deeper into the Watergate Scandal with books (or even Wikipedia), but here, you get all the really important points of the investigation, and the movie is still snappy and fun.

It Really Made Me Miss Robert Redford

I don’t remember what the first movie was that I saw Robert Redford in, but I have a hunch it was The Natural. Over the years, he’s always been one of my favorite actors, and while he certainly lived a full, amazing life, it was still hard to digest his death last year. I watched a couple of his movies in the wake of his death, including The Natural, but this was my first revisit of All the President’s Men since then. Watching him at what was really the height of his career really made me miss him.

Even though Redford's playing a somewhat prickly character in Bob Woodward, he’s still so utterly charming at all times. He also looks so sharp in that brown corduroy suit he wears in much of the movie. His rapport with Hoffman is fantastic, especially when they are doing a “good cop/bad cop” routine with people they are trying to interview. The style of the movie, with overlapping dialogue, plays really well because of their chemistry.

Political thrillers, or really any movie about politics, are tricky to make, especially when they are based on real events, and doubly so for events that had happened so recently as was the case in All the President’s Men. Director Alan J. Pakula, who was nominated for Best Director, and screenplay writer William Goldman, who won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, along with all the actors, really pulled a rabbit out of a hat here.

Some of the most enduring stars got their starts more than six decades ago, and they are still going strong today. Stars like Harrison Ford, Dame Judi Dench, Jeff Bridges, and even Jodie Foster have been acting their whole lives, and their amazing careers will live on forever. Here is our list of amazing actors who started in the 1960s and are still working today.

Robert Duvall

After cutting his teeth with some television appearances starting in 1959, Robert Duvall made one of the most memorable film debuts of all time as Boo Radley in 1962's To Kill A Mockingbird. Duvall hasn't stopped stealing scenes in the 60+ years since. He's starred in some of the greatest movies ever, like The Godfather, and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies. His most recent credit is The Pale Blue Eye from 2022.

Sally Field

Sally Field is truly America's sweetheart. Her breakout role came on the classic TV show Gidget, and she's starred in some legendary movies and TV shows ever since. With roles in movies as diverse as Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, and Fried Green Tomatoes, Field has proven she can handle any role she takes on.

Clint Eastwood

There are no bigger legends in Hollywood history than Clint Eastwood. Not much has been said here. His career started in earnest with Spaghetti Westerns, and he's been directing and starring in movies ever since.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Henry Fonda, so it's no surprise that she started her career at a young age. Her first credit goes all the way back to 16960's Tall Story, and she's still starring in movies today, like 2023's 80 for Brady.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman's career really didn't take off on screen until the 1980s (though he had plenty of credits in the '70s, too). He started mostly on stage in the 1960s and kept his focus there until landing a TV gig in 1971 on PBS's The Electric Company. Today, he remains one of America's most beloved stars.

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine made her film debut way back in 1955 and by the 1960s was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her star has never dimmed in the decades since, either, with memorable roles in Downton Abbey and the live-action The Little Mermaid in 2018.

Dustin Hoffman

When you burst onto the scene in a movie like The Graduate, as Dustin Hoffman did in 1967, it's pretty much a guarantee you're going to be a star. In the 60 years since that seminal movie, Hoffman has won countless awards and starred in everything from comedies like Tootsie to dramas like Rain Man, getting nominated for Oscars for both (and winning his second for the latter).

Faye Dunaway

If you look at a list of the best movies of all time, you'll notice Faye Dunaway in the credits of many of them. Starting with Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, right up until the 2020s. She took a small hiatus in the teens, but has been back working regularly since.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell's career started when he was just a kid, often starring in Disney projects. It's even Hollywood folklore that Walt Disney's last words were when he scrawled Russell's name on a piece of paper. Though there is no way to know when the note was written. Still, for the better part of seven decades, Kurt Russell has been a Hollywood superstar.

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren (you know they are important when they get a title like "Dame") started in film in 1966, and that was after having already started acting professionally on stage in the UK. She's never stopped, including starring in the recent hit MobLand on Paramount+

Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins' first credited film role came in the Shakespeare adaptation The Lion in Winter in 1968 alongside Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. He's since become one of the most beloved actors of his generation and has won countless awards and accolades.

Jodie Foster

If you look at Jodie Foster's credits, you might think she started in the 1970s as a teenager, but she was starring in commercials as far back as 1967 when she was just three years old.

Jeff Bridges

When you have a legend for a father like Jeff Bridges with Lloyd Bridges, its not hard to understand how he got his start so young. His amazing career in the decades since can only be credited to his immense talent, charm, and charisma on and off screen. And that's not, like, my opinion, man, it's a fact.

Rita Moreno

Puerto Rican superstar Rita Moreno can do it all. She can act, she can sing, and she can dance, and she's been dancing into our hearts since she first way back in 1950! For those of you counting, that's EIGHT decades of excellence.

Judi Dench

Like Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judy Dench started in the theater, especially doing Shakespeare plays. Her first professional stage credits date back to 1957, and right up through the 2020s, she's been a favorite of millions. One of the best actors of her generation, it's crazy she's only won one Oscar (for Shakespeare in Love).

Harrison Ford

The first thing you might think of when you think of Harrison Ford is Star Wars or Indiana Jones. It's true that it was those movies in the late '70s and early '80s that made him a superstar, but his career started humbly with roles in movies like A Time for Killing and Luv in 1967.

Sophia Loren

For more than 70 years, Sophia Loren has been a star in Europe and the United States. She started in her native Italy in 1950 before coming Stateside in 1958 when she signed on to star in movies for Paramount. Before long, she was a superstar on both sides of the pond.

Warren Beatty

Like his co-star in Bonnie and Clyde, Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty has been a star in Hollywood for decades. He's also been discerning in the roles he's taken over the years, so he doesn't have a long list of credits like most of the people on this list. That's not because his star dimmed. He's just particular, and that is something we all strive for.

Barbra Streisand

What can we really say about Barbra Streisand? She's a legendary singer and actor, and she's equally well-known for both. There are few stars as enduring and amazing as "Babs."

Robert Redford

Though he is officially retired now, Robert Redford is still one of the biggest Hollywood stars today (and ever). His career started with early roles on shows like The Twilight Zone, and by the time he hung up his cleats, so to speak, the star of The Natural was one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry.

Blythe Danner

Like many on this list, Blythe Danner started her professional career on Broadway and Off-Broadway in the 1960s. Her first movie credit came in 1972, but by then, she was a seasoned pro. She may be best known as the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow these days, but that is selling her way short, as she's been an award-winning actress for decades.

Al Pacino

Famously, Al Pacino entered the American consciousness in 1972's The Godfather, but he'd been working for a few years at that point, mostly on stage. His film debut was in Me, Natalie, alongside Sopranos cast member Nancy Marchand. He has been widely considered one of the best actors of his generation ever since.

Ellen Burstyn

Though her breakthrough didn't come until 1971 with The Last Picture Show, Ellen Burstyn had been picking up small roles on TV shows for years at that point. She has since gone on to win an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award. Not too shabby.

Robert De Niro

When you ask someone who the best actor of the last 60 years is, there is a decent chance Robert De Niro will be the name that comes out of their mouth. For many, many decades, De Niro has been stealing scenes and working his tail off to be the best actor he can be. He's gained weight for roles, dropped weight for others, and gotten completely cut for still others. All the while delivering his trademark charm and skills.

Cher

If you could turn back time and you were taking bets in the 1960s that Cher would still be one of the biggest stars in the world in the 2020s, you would probably get pretty good odds that she wouldn't be. She's proven everyone wrong, winning an Oscar for Moonstruck and continuing to wow audiences with her concerts.

Martin Sheen

It's hard to say just what role Martin Sheen will be best remembered for long after he's gone. Will it be Jeb Bartlett on The West Wing? Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now? Carl Fox in Wall Street? Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg? What is for sure is that Sheen, who landed his first movie role in 1967, will be remembered fondly by millions of fans.

Vanessa Redgrave

English actress Vanessa Redgrave got her star in period pieces like A Man For All Seasons and Camelot in the 1960s. She parlayed that into a decades-long career that is still going, including a role in Cold Storage in 2025.

Ian McKellen

For modern generations, Ian McKellen is known for his roles as Gandalf the Grey and Magneto, but his career is so, so much more. One of the great Shakespearean actors of the last 60 years, he's been starring on stage and screen since the mid-'60s.

Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen found her biggest fame in the 1990s with Murphy Brown, but her career started way back in 1966 in the Sidney Lumet film The Group. She was a model before that, and has turned in role after beloved role on TV and in films.

Ron Howard

These days, Ron Howard is pretty much sticking just to directing, and he's an ace director to be sure. He famously started his Hollywood career as a kid in the 1950s and became a child star in the '60s as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. He later starred in Happy Days, before getting behind the camera and becoming one of the great directors of his time.

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn first became a household name in 1968 when she starred in Laugh-In. She's been a star ever since, including starring in a slew of box office hits in the '70s and '80s. There is no question she is one of the funniest actors of her generation, and now she's also the mother to some big stars, too, in Wyatt Russell and Kate Hudson. Not a bad legacy to leave.

Patrick Stewart

Like others on this list, Patrick Stewart will be best known for roles that came in the second half of his career, like Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor X in The X-Men series. Of course, his career is much more than those two roles. It's a career that started in TV in the '60s on British shows like Coronation Street and Civilisation.

The Academy Award for Best Actor has been handed out every year since 1929 — fun fact, it was awarded to German actor Emil Jannings for not one but two acclaimed roles, in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 86 actors. But while taking home that coveted statuette is definitely a career highlight for any performer, the honor does add a little extra pressure on the actor's next project. Will it be as beloved and acclaimed as the role that won them the gold? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actors did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Cillian Murphy

After the enormity of portraying famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar blockbuster Oppenheimer, and taking home the 2024 Oscar for Best Actor in the process, Cillian Murphy went small for his next film — literally. In the 2024 adaptation of Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, Murphy returned to his native Ireland to play Bill, a quiet coal merchant and father of five internally struggling with the harsh realities of the infamous Magdalene Laundries. While Murphy didn't replicate the awards dominance of Oppenheimer with SMTLT, his internal and affecting performance was widely praised by critics.

Joaquin Phoenix

After four nominations throughout his decades-spanning career, Joaquin Phoenix finally took home that Best Actor statue in 2020 for his engrossing portrayal of the nihilistic clown Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker. Following that iconic role, Phoenix next appeared in the 2021 Mike Mills dramedy C'mon C'mon, an improv-heavy performance that saw the actor play a middle-aged radio journalist tasked with babysitting his nephew (Woody Norman) while on the road for work. Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance at the Gotham Awards, and the film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 Independent Films of the year.

Will Smith

Will Smith had quite an, um, eventful evening when he took home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022 for King Richard after two prior nominations (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness). Winning an Oscar means that a spotlight is already bright on an actor, but the added publicity from the ceremony means his post-slap comeback would be even more scrutinized than usual. His follow-up was 2022's Emancipation, in which he played a runaway slave in 1860s Louisiana. Though the drama received mixed reviews overall, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.

Anthony Hopkins

Though he's garnered six Oscar nominations across his illustrious acting career — with his most recent win being for 2021's The Father — Anthony Hopkins' first Academy Award was for that scene-stealing villain, psychiatrist turned serial killer Hannibal Lector in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. Following up such an iconic performance is no small task and unfortunately, Hopkins' next film, 1992's Freejack opposite Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger, was a sci-fi dud, bombing both with critics and audiences. During an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Hopkins himself called the film "terrible."

Leonardo DiCaprio

Five-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio had a bit of "always the bridesmaid" syndrome where the Academy Awards were concerned, until he finally took home the Best Actor Oscar for his emotionally raw and physically punishing performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 2019 Western epic The Revenant. His next big-screen role was, graciously, a bit less cold and blustery, trading the frosty American Midwest for starry Los Angeles in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The latter received 10 Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including a nod for DiCaprio's individual work.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had already taken home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a Civil War soldier in the 1989 war drama Glory, but he got his first big Best Actor win for portraying corrupt LAPD officer Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day. His next performance was another memorable Denzel role: as the title character in the 2002 Nick Cassavetes-directed drama John Q, which saw Washington play a desperate father who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a heart transplant. Alas, despite some praise for Denzel's performance, the film itself boasts only a 26% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert De Niro

Six years after taking home the Best Supporting Actor statue for The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro got his Best Actor win for his iconic and intense work as boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. A year later, De Niro put away the boxing gloves and picked up the Bible to play a Roman Catholic monsignor in 1981's True Confessions, opposite fellow The Godfather great Robert Duvall. Though reviews for the neo-noir were largely positive, the National Review's William F. Buckley, Jr. panned it: "Robert De Niro is badly miscast. He is never entirely convincing."

Matthew McConaughey

After acclaimed turns in 2011's Lincoln Lawyer and 2012's Magic Mike, the so-called "McConaissance" was officially solidified a year later with Matthew McConaughey's Oscar-winning portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS, in the biopic Dallas Buyers Club. Despite not having nearly as much screentime, the actor's next performance was just as memorable: a chest-thumping, meme-inducing extended cameo as Mark Hanna in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street.

Tom Hanks

Beyond being one of the most beloved actors of all time, Tom Hanks also holds a piece of cinema history: he's one of only two actors to win back-to-back Academy Awards for acting. Yes, that means after taking home the Best Actor Oscar for his heart-wrenching performance as HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in 1994's Philadelphia, Hanks struck Oscar gold yet again with his very next performance, as the titular lead of 1995's Forrest Gump.

Rami Malek

Rami Malek belted his way to an Oscar as legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the glossy 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. His first post-award performance also revolved around his voice — voice acting, that is, as Malek portrayed a mountain gorilla named Chee-Chee in the 2020 fantasy-adventure film Dolittle, with his future Oppenheimer co-star Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doc. The family-friendly flick received abysmal reviews from critics, with Courtney Howard of Variety writing: "What should have been an awe-filled adventure quickly curdles into an awful one, thanks to a pedestrian formula and the filmmakers' fixation on fart jokes."

Adrien Brody

In 2003, Adrien Brody made Oscar history when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at age 29 for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama The Pianist, becoming the youngest actor ever to win in that category. Later that year, he followed up his historic win with the musical crime comedy The Singing Detective, about a mystery writer (Robert Downey Jr.) who relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations. The film scored a 39% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx had one hell of a 2004, serving up not one but two award-worthy performances: He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as soul great Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray and also received a Best Supporting Actor nod that same year for his work in the crime film Collateral. It would be near-impossible for any performer to hit that kind of stratospheric high again, especially with Foxx's follow-up Stealth — the 2005 military action flick co-starring Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel was dubbed a "stink-bomb" by Roger Ebert.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Acting legend Daniel Day-Lewis deservedly holds the record for the most Best Actor awards ever, with three wins out of six nominations, but his first was for playing Christy Brown, a writer-artist born with cerebral palsy, in the 1989 drama My Left Foot. And though he would later follow that iconic role up by playing famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Bill the Butcher, his immediate next performance was as an Irish-American dentist traveling around Argentina in the forgettable 1989 dramedy Eversmile, New Jersey.

Jack Nicholson

The first of three Academy Awards for the legendary movie star, Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest performance as Randle McMurphy nabbed him the Oscar in 1976. Later that year, he would star as cattle rustler Tom Logan opposite Marlon Brandon in the Arthur Penn-helmed Western The Missouri Breaks. Coming hot on the heels of not only his own Oscar win but also Brando's for The Godfather, the film was highly anticipated — however, it failed to live up to those expectations and became a notorious critical and commercial flop.

Marlon Brando

One of the most iconic cinema stars of all time, Marlon Brando was nominated for eight Oscars across his decades-spanning career. He won two, the first being for his electrifying role as prizefighter turned longshoreman Terry Malloy in the 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, widely considered one of the greatest acting performances of all time. His next role as Napoleon Bonaparte in the historical romance Désirée didn't win him any awards, but Variety reportedly called his performance "a masterful exhibition of thesping" at the time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman had already solidified himself as a vibrant and vital supporting actor with films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, Magnolia and 25th Hour, but his Oscar-winning portrayal of author Truman Capote in 2005's Capote officially upped him to leading man status. He would receive another three Oscar nominations in the years to follow, but his very next role was more of a crowd-pleaser than an awards grab: as arms dealer Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III.

Russell Crowe

Audiences and critics alike were very much entertained by Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 Rome-set epic Gladiator, which earned the New Zealand-born star the Best Actor Oscar at the 73rd Academy Awards. Crowe would go up for the same award only a year later, for his portrayal of American mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biographical drama A Beautiful Mind, but he lost to Training Day lead Denzel Washington.

Jean Dujardin

Jean Dujardin rose to international fame with his performance as George Valentin in the 2011 silent movie The Artist — his Oscar win was a historic one, as he was the first French performer to ever take home the Best Actor statue. Despite his newfound Hollywood status, however, the actor-comedian returned to his native France for his next film credit: The Players, a 2012 comedy anthology co-starring Gilles Lellouche, with each man also directing and writing a segment.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage's filmography is a wild ride, from critically acclaimed fare like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Adaptation to straight-to-video shlock. Thankfully, his 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas falls into the former category, winning Cage the Best Actor Oscar for his role as alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson. (Funnily enough, it's not one of Nic Cage's favorite Nic Cage movies.) His next movie was the 1996 action thriller The Rock, which also won Cage an award: the Best On-Screen Duo statue at the MTV Movie Awards alongside co-star Sean Connery.

Eddie Redmayne

British star Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama The Theory of Everything. But that career high was immediately followed by a career-low: a Golden Raspberry Award — a parody award honoring cinematic failures — for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in the galactically goofy 2015 space opera Jupiter Ascending. Even he admitted his performance was bad!

Sidney Poitier

A movie icon through and through, Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier made history in 1964 as the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. A year later, he moved on from that seminal role with the 1965 Cold War thriller The Bedford Incident, as a civilian photojournalist aboard a U.S. Navy ship that gets into some messy business with a Soviet submarine. Though Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "the whole thing transcends plausibility," other critics clearly disagreed — the movie has an 86% Certified Fresh rating.

Sean Penn

After a trio of Best Actor nominations, Sean Penn's haunting performance as a grieving, vengeful father of a murdered Boston girl in the Clint Eastwood-directed neo-noir Mystic River finally got him the Academy Award in 2004. Later that year, Penn starred in yet another crime thriller, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, based on the story of the POTUS's would-be assassin Samuel Byck in the mid-1970s. The latter film didn't share the award-worthy gravitas of Mystic River, though, per Rotten Tomatoes, critical consensus said: "A fascinating true story and compelling Sean Penn performance are worthy compensations."

Roberto Benigni

Few Oscar wins were as memorable as Roberto Benigni's, what with presenter Sofia Loren's passionate declaration of "Roberto!" to Benigni's literal victory lap up to the stage. The Italian actor-director took the Best Actor trophy in 1998 for the Holocaust tragicomedy Life is Beautiful, making him the first honoree for a non-English language performance. A year later, he would appear in a very different movie: French-Italian-German comedy adventure flick Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar opposite Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier, which was a box office success.

Al Pacino

One of the most influential actors in modern cinema, Al Pacino was nominated for eight Academy Awards — including for The Godfather films, Serpico and the crime drama classic Dog Day Afternoon — before finally taking home the Best Actor statue for playing Frank Slade in 1992's Scent of a Woman. That Oscar win gave viewers an extra critical eye on his next role, as Nuyorican criminal Carlito Brigante in the De Palma crime drama Carlito's Way, however, reviews were largely positive.

Ben Kingsley

It's a daunting thing playing any famous figure in movies based on true stories, especially when the subject is so famous, that they need only one name. Case in point: Gandhi, the 1982 bio epic about the Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and performed by English actor Sir Ben Kingsley. Luckily for them, the film won Best Picture and Kingsley took home the Best Actor award. Though his next project, the 1983 film adaptation of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal, didn't get Oscar acclaim, it was well-received by critics.

Humphrey Bogart

It seems surprising that Humphrey Bogart didn't win the Oscar for a role as iconic as Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic Casablanca. No, it would actually be another eight years until ol' Bogie won Best Actor for The African Queen, starring as Canadian mechanic Charlie Allnut opposite Katharine Hepburn's Methodist missionary Rose Sayer. His post-Oscar follow-up was the 1952 noir Deadline – U.S.A.: Variety said "Bogart gives a convincing performance all the way" as a big-city newspaper editor who exposes a gangster's crimes.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker was ferocious and formidable as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland, one of his best performances that got the performer a Best Actor Oscar in '07. Later that year, the actor appeared in the ensemble crime drama The Air I Breathe alongside Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and Brendan Fraser. Though reviews for the film were overwhelmingly negative, several singled out Whitaker's performance. Annabelle Robertson at Crosswalk wrote: "Whitaker, in particular, is extremely sympathetic in his role—a feat that is all the more outstanding after his turn as the evil dictator in The Last King of Scotland."

Dustin Hoffman

After three Best Actor nods, New Hollywood icon Dustin Hoffman received his first Academy Award for playing half of a couple going through a devastating divorce (alongside an equally great Meryl Streep) in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. His next movie role is just as much of a classic: as Michael Dorsey-slash-Dorothy Michaels in the beloved 1982 comedy Tootsie, which nabbed the star yet another Best Actor nomination.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman was nearly unrecognizable in his prosthetics-heavy performance as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 2017 historical drama Darkest Hour. The Academy Awards honored the quintessential Oldman role with a Best Actor award, his second nomination after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His next role was just as transformative, if not nearly as acclaimed: Oldman voiced an artificial intelligence in the 2018 sci-fi thriller Tau, which holds a woeful critical rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Laurence Olivier

One of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in film history, cinema icon Laurence Olivier starred in and directed adaptations of three of the Bard's best-known words, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955), and earned a Best Actor Oscar for playing the Prince of Denmark. After portraying one of the most famous characters of all time, Olivier switched it up by cameoing as a no-name policeman in the 1951 drama The Magic Box, a "distinguished" bit of stunt casting that The New York Times praised as a delightful "extravagance."

Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck's devastating performance as a father grieving the loss of his three children in Kenneth Lonergan's gut-wrenching Manchester by the Sea clearly broke the collective hearts of the Academy, which voted to give the Boston-bred performer the Best Actor award in 2017. That year, he would tackle another exploration of love and loss with the supernatural drama A Ghost Story, which was a hit with critics — Richard Brody of The New Yorker included the title on his list of the decade's best films.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser experienced quite the career comeback when he took the Best Actor Oscar for his acclaimed performance as a morbidly obese, housebound English teacher in the 2022 Darren Aronofsky-directed melodrama The Whale. He kept those high-profile projects going with his next film credit, as attorney W. S. Hamilton in Martin Scorsese's stunning American crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

We see it all the time, serious actors with some major dramatic skills tearing it up in lighter, more comedic roles. Actors who’ve made us cry in Best Picture winners have gone on to make us fall over with side-splitting laughs, which can sometimes be harder than you’d think.

In the past, we’ve talked about some of the great dramatic performances by comedians, but today we’re going to turn our attention to the other side of that coin and highlight 32 serious actors who crushed in in comedic roles.

Robert De Niro (Meet The Parents)

Robert De Niro, an Oscar-winning actor known for serious parts in some of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, including Raging Bull and Goodfellas, as well as his turn as a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, showed the world that he was also one of the funniest stars in Hollywood with his portrayal of the iron-fisted Jack Byrnes in Meet the Parents. The deadpan expressions, the playing on his gangster roles, and his chemistry with Ben Stiller make this an all-time classic.

George C. Scott (Dr. Stranglelove)

George C. Scott will always be remembered for his portrayal of U.S. General George S. Patton in Franklin J. Schaffner’s Patton, but the acclaimed actor also crushed it in a more comedic role a few years earlier. His take on General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is nothing short of magnificent and hilarious as it gets. The satirical tone of this iconic anti-war film is biting, as is Scott’s legendary performance.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Along Came Polly)

Though we could have included Rusty from Twister or Brandt from The Big Lebowski, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance in Along Came Polly is just too good to overlook. Though he’s atrocious at basketball (and in most social situations), Sandy Lyle is a force of comedic nature. It’s crazy that Hoffman went from Cold Mountain to this 2004 rom-com to Capote in the span of three years.

Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder)

Tom Cruise steals the show in Tropic Thunder, which is no easy feat considering Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. sit atop the cast of this outrageous 2008 action comedy. But hey, Les Grossman, Cruise’s over-the-top and ill-tempered Hollywood exec is unforgettable in every single one of his scenes, especially whenever he dances.

Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her)

Though not a slapstick or “laugh-a-minute” comedy, Death Becomes Her does feature some wild and hilariously comedic performances from the likes of Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, and Meryl Streep, who kills it with her portrayal of Madeline Ashton. The Oscar winner does get to show off her serious skills in the movie, but her character’s darkly humorous personality is worth a watch.

Leslie Nielsen (Airplane!)

It’s wild to think that Leslie Nielsen, an actor mostly remembered for spoof films, started out as a very serious dramatic actor. But that all changed with landmark comedies like Airplane!, where his deadpan humor and signature charm truly shined.

Kate Winslet (The Holiday)

Kate Winslet is known for dramatic movies like Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Revolutionary Road, but the talented dramatic actress was able to show off her comedy chops in The Holiday. This 2006 Nancy Meyers romantic comedy showed off a different side of Winslet, one we haven’t forgotten nearly 20 years later.

James Caan (Elf)

James Caan wasn’t really known for his comedy. Sure, his characters had some humorous lines in The Godfather and Thief, but drama was always his bag. And that’s what makes his performance in Elf so great. We weren’t used to seeing Caan share the screen with someone like Will Ferrell, and that juxtaposition of personalities made it so much fun to watch.

Morgan Freeman (Bruce Almighty)

Morgan Freeman will go down as one of the best dramatic actors of all time, and for good reason. His work in The Shawshank Redemption, Glory, and countless other movies is the stuff of legend. However, let’s not forget that he also put on one of the funniest performances when he played God in Bruce Almighty.

Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

A little more than two decades after playing the vile Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List (and only a few years after portraying Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies), Ralph Fiennes proved he was a great comedic actor with his take on M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Equal parts hilarious and charming, this performance was a breath of fresh air.

Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon)

After playing more serious roles in films like The Color Purple, Witness, and Silverado, Danny Glover showed off his comedy skills in Richard Donner’s iconic buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon. Though he was more straight-laced compared to Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs, Roger Murtaugh gave us some laughs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Kidergarten Cop)

Kindergarten cop isn’t just one of the funniest Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, it’s also one of his best. Featuring some of the actor’s most memorable one-liners, this 1990 action comedy showed that the Austrian bodybuilder-turned-actor was more than an ice-cold robot or trained killer.

Jeff Daniels (Dumb & Dumber)

Two years after playing Colonel Joshua Chamberlain in Gettysburg, one of the best Civil War movies ever made, Jeff Daniels played a vastly different type of character in Dumb and Dumber. The obnoxious and absurdly dim-witted Harry Dunne would end up becoming one of the more dramatic actor’s most famous roles.

Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets)

Jack Nicholson, one of the most well-known dramatic actors of the 20th century, has popped up in comedies over the years. Perhaps the best of the bunch, As Good as It Gets earned the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Terms of Endearment star his third Oscar.

Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski)

Whenever the topic of the best Jeff Bridges movies comes up, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to The Big Lebowski. Still considered to be one of his most iconic roles, the performance also showed that the largely dramatic actor could pull off an incredibly funny and beloved character.

Liam Neeson (Extras)

Liam Neeson is best known for his work in dramas like Schindler’s List and the Taken action movie franchise, but the decorated actor with that ice-cold delivery has shown off his funny side over the years. His attempt at improv on Extras is the stuff of legend, as is work in The Lego Movie.

George Clooney (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

George Clooney often rides the line between comedy and drama in the likes of the Ocean’s movies and several Coen Brothers projects, and one of the best examples of that is found in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a 2000 loose adaptation of The Odyssey. The scheming and conniving Ulysses Everett McGill is one of the all-time great movie characters.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

The Graduate, Kramer vs. Kramer, Midnight Cowboy, and All the President’s Men were just a few of the movies that showed off Dustin Hoffman’s incredible dramatic acting skills. It’s a similar story with Tootsie, the beloved 1982 comedy in which Hoffman plays an unlikeable and hirable actor who decides to dress like a woman to land a gig on a daytime soap opera.

Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire)

Cuba Gooding Jr. was out of this world in early 1990s dramas like Boyz n the Hood and A Few Good Men, but he was even better in Jerry Maguire as Tom Cruise’s titular character’s temperamental and needy client Rod Tidwell. The over-the-top performance was hilarious beyond belief.

Timothy Dalton (Hot Fuzz)

Timothy Dalton, an actor best known for playing James Bond and showing up in adaptations of Jane Eyre, got to show off his comedy chops in Hot Fuzz, Edgar Wright’s satirical action comedy. His take on Simon Skinner is just as great all these years later.

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Leonardo DiCaprio teamed up with Martin Scorsese for the fifth time in 2013 to make The Wolf of Wall Street. While previous collaborations like Gangs of New York and The Departed were far more dramatic, this hopped-up and raucous biopic allowed the actor to be outrageously funny on screen, and it paid off.

Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa)

Up until starring in Bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton was mostly known for dramatic roles in films like Monster’s Ball and Sling Blade, but this 2003 R-rated comedy changed all of that. Over the line, vulgar, and one of the funniest performances of the 2000s, Thornton’s take on a mall Santa was an instant classic.

Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading)

Burn After Reading isn’t the best Coen Brothers movie, but it does feature one of Brad Pitt’s funniest performances. Chad Feldheimer, Linda Litzke’s (Frances McDormand) lovable yet moronic coworker is just so silly, so memorable, and so dumb. You just can’t help but love him.

Michael Caine (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

On top of being an actor who’s appeared in the most Christopher Nolan movies, Michael Caine is also one of the all-time greats of screen and stage, with dozens of iconic films to his name. And while he’s mostly known for his dramatic work, his portrayal of the dastardly Lawrence Jamieson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is so dang good.

Matt Damon (Dogma)

Long before he showed up as an actor playing Loki in Thor: Ragnarok, Matt Damon did it for real in Kevin Smith’s 1999 comedy, Dogma. Sandwiched between Rounders and The Talented Mr. Ripley, the actor’s portrayal of a fallen angel banished to Wisconsin was great and showed a funnier side.

Samuel L. Jackson (The Other Guys)

Samuel L. Jackson in The Other Guys is on a whole other level and is funnier than anything else the actor has done over the years. Sure, Pulp Fiction and Jurassic Park are better movies, but his short yet memorable performance as a gung-ho cop who throws caution (and himself) into the win is comedy cold.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Alexander Dane, a Shakespearean actor fed up with life and his career direction in Galaxy Quest, is so funny yet so heartbreaking. The way the Die Hard actor (who was also classically trained) finds the balance between comedy and tragedy is perfection.

Russell Crowe (The Nice Guys)

Russell Crowe made a career out of giving commanding, and largely dramatic, performances in everything from Romper Stomper to Gladiator, so it was great to see him play a more comedic role in The Nice Guys. This 2016 Shane Black film also starring Ryan Gosling, felt like a throwback to buddy action movies of yesteryear, and allowed Crowe to try a different approach to character-driven stories.

Mandy Patinkin (The Princess Bride)

Tony and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Mandy Patinkin has given incredible dramatic performances in movies like Yentl and shows like Homeland, but he’s probably best known for his portrayal of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. The skill with a sword, the dashing good looks, and a killer backstory make this not only a great cinematic character but also a hilarious icon of the fantasy genre.

Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda)

Kevin Kline is great in just about everything (especially The Big Chill and Dave), and that includes some great comedies. One of the best featuring a serious and dramatic actor’s work is A Fish Called Wanda. The despicable and charismatic Otto West steals the show whenever on screen.

Christian Bale (The Big Short)

Though not the most standard comedy of the past few years, The Big Short is funny in a frightening and thrilling kind of way. Adam McKay’s biographical crime dramedy about the events that led to the 2007 housing market crash and subsequent economic crisis does feature one of Christian Bale’s most interesting and hilarious performances with his take on hedge fund manager Michael Burry. Not a totally likable guy, but a great character without a doubt.

Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok)

Thor: Ragnarok is still considered one of the best Marvel movies years after its release, and that’s mostly because of Chris Hemsworth’s new and improved portrayal of the “God of Thunder.” While the character was more serious in the first two movies (and two Avengers films), the more light-hearted and silly superhero was a comedy tour de force.

The 1980s was not just a great time for movies but for the people in them. Many of our all-time favorite actors got their start in '80s movies (or at least started to hit it big during that time).

The question is, in what film did these stars hit their peak of cinematic brilliance during that decade? Let's see if we can provide an answer by looking at the best '80s movies starring the most iconic '80s actors, in our opinion.

Bruce Willis (Die Hard)

While the TV series Moonlighting made Bruce Willis a household name, playing John McClane, a New York cop at war with violent German thieves in an LA high-rise on Christmas Eve, made him a movie star in 1988. However, Die Hard might be the actor's best film in any decade, let alone the greatest action movie of all time. 

Sigourney Weaver (Aliens)

Fans have been debating which is the best Alien movie for years but no one disagrees that James Cameron's Aliens is the best Alien movie of the '80s. The 1986 sci-fi movie classic, in which our human protagonists take on plenty more than just one vicious extraterrestrial this time, saw Sigourney Weaver reprise Xenomorph survivor Ellen Ripley to Academy Award-nominated acclaim.

Jack Nicholson (Terms Of Endearment)

The single most iconic Jack Nicolson performance from the 1980s, arguably, comes from the horror movie classic, The Shining. However, we chose to highlight his Academy Award-winning performance in director James L. Brooks' tragic 1983 Best Picture Oscar winner, Terms of Endearment, as Garrett, who forms a complicated relationship with his widowed next-door neighbor, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine). 

Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally...)

Meg Ryan made up one of Hollywood's most beloved onscreen couples with Tom Hanks, but we loved her the most in the '80s when she was falling in love with Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... Considered one of the greatest rom-coms of all time, director Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's clever and sweet 1989 favorite traces the titular duo's evolution from enemies, to friends, to lovers over the course of 12 years.

Tom Cruise (Top Gun)

Everyone had the need, the need for speed, in 1986 when director Tony Scott's romantic, action-packed instant classic, Top Gun, ruled the box office, captured the hearts of audiences everywhere, and spawned an acclaimed blockbuster sequel in 2022 called Top Gun: Maverick. If Tom Cruise was not a movie star before then, there was no doubt he was at the top of A-list after giving his all as daredevil Navy pilot, Maverick.

Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice)

There are few actors with as much esteem in Hollywood as the great Meryl Streep, who earned her second Academy Award for her mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance in the title role of Sophie’s Choice. Writer and director Alan J. Pakula's adaptation of William Styron's passionate novel follows the relationship between a Polish woman who survived the Holocaust and a Jewish-American man (played by Kevin Kline) who is obsessed with the tragedy.

Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice)

The all-time best Michael Keaton movie and performance might always be up for debate but no one can deny that, in the 1980s, no film saw him demonstrate his high-energy comedic talents and versatility better than Beetlejuice. The Oscar nominee plays the title role of Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy classic (actually spelled "Betelgeuse") — a sleazy "bio-exorcist" begrudgingly enlisted by a recently deceased couple (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) to scare their home's new inhabitants out.

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias)

The 1980s was a great time for Sally Field, who won both of her Oscars during that decade — one for Norma Rae in 1980 and another in 1985 for Places in the Heart. However, we believe the one film that best encapsulates the actor's stunning range is the powerful, charming 1989 dramedy Steel Magnolias, in which she shines brightly among an ensemble cast including Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts as a close-knit group of Louisiana women.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

There were few movie stars in the '80s bigger than Eddie Murphy, who made such a huge impact in very little time on SNL before hitting it big with feature-length classics like 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop. Yet, 1988's Coming to America was the first film to see him disappear into multiple roles and, not to mention, African Prince Akeem's search for love in Queens, New York, amounts to a hilarious and heartfelt story.

Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club)

The first face we tend to picture when we think of the Brat Pack is Molly Ringwald, who was the go-to young female actor for coming-of-age dramedies of the '80s, such as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. However, her best film — and, arguably, the greatest high school movie of all time — is writer and director John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, in which she and four of the decade's most essential stars (Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson) play a group of socially disparate teens who find unexpected kinship during Saturday detention.

Denzel Washington (Cry Freedom)

Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington received his first Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of activist Steve Biko in director Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom. The 1987 film focuses primarily on the friendship between the influential Black anti-Apartheid activist and the white South African journalist Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), who puts his own life at risk to investigate Biko's death.

Jodie Foster (The Accused)

Not only does 1988's The Accused feature one of Jodie Foster's most powerful, Academy Award-winning performances, but it is also an enduringly relevant indictment of a flawed justice system that silences women. Foster plays Sarah Tobias, the victim of a violent assault who, along with her prosecuting attorney, Katheryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), is challenged by a case that puts the blame on her.

Robert De Niro (Raging Bull)

Out of all of Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese's collaborations, none have been as unique and as moving as 1980's Raging Bull. De Niro delivers a roaring one-two punch in the masterful sports movie as real-life boxer Jake LaMotta, tracing his rousing success in the ring and his tragic self-destructive tendencies outside of it.

Cher (Moonstruck)

In 1987, Cher proved that she was a master in both the world of music and the world of acting with her Academy Award-winning performance as Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck. Soon after the widowed Italian-American woman agrees to marry her boyfriend, Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), she finds herself falling deeper and deeper in love with his brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage).

Harrison Ford (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

One of Harrison Ford's all-time greatest characters is the rough, resourceful, globe-trotting archeologist Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones. The iconic hero was first introduced in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark — director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas' tribute to cinema that would later inspire countless tributes to its stunning visual design, John Williams' sweeping score, and its endlessly thrilling, wall-to-wall action.

Diane Keaton (Reds)

Diane Keaton is an absolute revelation in co-writer and director Warren Beatty's 1981 historical epic, Reds. She plays famed activist Louise Bryant who falls in love with radical-minded fellow journalist John Reed (Beatty) as he hopes to bring the ideals of Russia's Communist Revolution to the United States.

Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society)

The late Robin Williams gives us the best of both his comedic energy and dramatic authenticity in director Peter Weir's moving 1989 drama Dead Poet's Society. As English teacher John Keating, he serves as a much-needed role model to a close-knit group of Catholic boarding school students (played by rising stars such as Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard) who learn how to seize the day.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface)

It was in the '90s when three-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer really began to hit her stride but her strongest work in the '80s is, arguably, Scarface. She stars in director Brian de Palma's 1983 gangster movie classic as Elvira Hancock, who becomes the wife of Cuban crime lord, Tony Montana (Oscar winner Al Pacino).

Morgan Freeman (Glory)

One of the most inspiring Morgan Freeman performances comes from 1989's beloved, moving war movie, Glory. The Oscar winner stars as Sergeant Major John Rawlins, who is the highest-ranked Black member of his regiment in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Legendary comedian Whoopi Goldberg earned her first Academy Award nomination for her heartbreaking performance as Celie Johnson in 1985's The Color Purple. Director Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's seminal novel chronicles decades in the life of the Black, Southern woman as she endures dehumanizing adversity and traumatic abuse. 

Kurt Russell (Escape From New York)

One of co-writer and director John Carpenter's best movies, 1981's Escape from New York, takes place in a war-torn future when Air Force One crash lands inside a maximum security prison that used to be the Big Apple and the President of the United States (Donald Pleasance) is taken hostage by the prisoners. The only one who can save him is a recently arrested, hardened war veteran named Snake Plissken, which is easily one of Kurt Russell's coolest roles and certainly one of his greatest performances.

Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction)

While we do not condone treacherous acts like boiling a family's pet rabbit alive, we would consider Alex Forrest to be a villain with understandable motivations, and not just because Glenn Close gives a brilliant performance in 1987's intense thriller, Fatal Attraction. It was married lawyer Dan Gallagher's (Michael Douglas) mistake to indulge in a one-time fling with the New York editor, who then misconstrues the affair for love and continues to taunt him and his family in increasingly horrifying ways.

Sylvester Stallone (First Blood)

Sylvester Stallone has played many iconic roles in many great action movies, especially in the 1980s, but his best role from that decade would have to be John Rambo in First Blood. The 1981 adaptation of David Morell's novel is not a conventional shoot-em-up thriller like the later Rambo movies but an emotionally charged, nuanced drama in which the burdened Vietnam veteran is pushed to the edge by a cruel sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and wages a war against a whole town.

Goldie Hawn (Overboard)

Many of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn's most memorable roles see her sharing the screen with her real-life romantic partner, Kurt Russell, and the couple's chemistry was at an all-time high in director Garry Marshall's Overboard. Hawn stars in the inventive and charming 1987 rom-com as a spoiled socialite with amnesia who is convinced by a carpenter (Russell) that she is his wife and the mother of his four boys to get back at her for her cruel treatment. 

Bill Murray (Ghostbusters)

Academy Award nominee Bill Murray is one of the most beloved comedic talents of the '80s (or any decade, really) and to understand why, all you need to do is watch 1984's Ghostbusters. Also one of director Ivan Reitman's best movies, the spooky, kooky classic sees Murray's masterfully witty Peter Venkman team up with Ray Stantz (writer Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) to rid New York of its scariest spirits.

Geena Davis (The Accidental Tourist)

Geena Davis earned an Academy Award for her wonderfully eccentric performance in 1988's The Accidental Tourist as Muriel Pritchett. Emotionally distant travel writer Macon Leary (William Hurt) meets and begins to fall for the free-spirited dog trainer after splitting with his wife (played by Kathleen Turner), following the death of their son, in director Lawrence Kasdan's moving dramedy. 

Kevin Bacon (Footloose)

It is no wonder why Chris Prat's Peter Quill regarded Kevin Bacon's role in Footloose as one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history. Ren singlehandedly brought dance back to the cruelly repressed small town of Bomont in the timelessly entertaining music movie from 1984.

Kathleen Turner (Romancing The Stone)

The ultimate romantic adventure comedy would have to be director Robert Zemeckis' 1984 hit, Romancing the Stone. Kathleen Turner is wonderful as novelist Joan Wilder, who enlists the help of a rogue mercenary to help rescue her kidnapped sister in Colombia and ends up joining him on the search for a prized artifact. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator)

The film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger the leading action movie hero of the 1980s remains his best action movie from the decade, as far as we are concerned. The Austrian bodybuilder gives a pitch-perfect, ice-cold performance as one of the best '80s movie villains — the cybernetic title role of James Cameron's The Terminator, which is sent from a war-torn future to prevent the birth of humanity's savior by killing his mother, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton).

Jane Fonda (9 To 5)

After taking the '70s by storm as one of the decade's biggest and most acclaimed stars, Jane Fonda started off the 1980s right with 9 to 5. In the hilarious workplace satire, her character, Judy Bernly, teams up with fellow office assistants Violet (Lily Tomlin) and Doralee (Dolly Parton) to turn the tables on their nightmare of a boss (played by Dabney Coleman).

Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man)

In his second Academy Award-winning performance, Dustin Hoffman plays autistic-savant Raymond Babbitt in Barry Levinson's Best Picture Oscar winner, Rain Man. He stars opposite Tom Cruise as his younger brother, Charlie, who gets to meet him for the first time in this beautiful family story from 1988. 

Daryl Hannah (Wall Street)

You can find Daryl Hannah in many of the '80s' most iconic cinematic classics but the cream of the crop would have to be Wall Street. She stars in Oliver Stone's riveting 1987 drama as Darien Taylor, who once shared a romance with corrupt stockbroker Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) and begins a relationship with his ambitious protege, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen).

How many times have you watched an incredible acting performance and looked up to see how many awards it won only to find out that the Oscar went to someone else that year? It’s shocking how many times this has happened over the years for some of the greatest actors and actresses of all time. Here are 32 times an incredible performance didn’t win an Academy Award for one reason or another.

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Though he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s name wasn’t called at the 67th Academy Awards. This is nothing against Martin Landau’s performance from Ed Wood, but Jackson’s foul-mouthed and righteous hitman is an all-time great character that should have been recognized.

Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver)

Robert De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his career-defining portrayal of Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1977 psychological thriller, Taxi Driver, but the unhinged and memorable performance wasn’t enough to win Best Actor. It’s hard to be mad, as Peter Finch’s Academy Award-winning turn in Network is the stuff of legend.

Harrison Ford (Witness)

One of the best actors without an Oscar, Harrison Ford has only one Academy Award nomination to his name, the 1985 crime thriller, Witness. Though not Ford’s most iconic character, his take on Philadelphia detective John Book as he goes to great lengths to protect a young boy is nothing short of amazing.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

Morgan Freeman gave the performance of a lifetime as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption. If the movie would have come out any other time besides 1994, a year dominated by Forrest Gump, there’s a good chance the aging prisoner and accomplished smuggler would have earned Freeman an Oscar.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Bill Murray’s portrayal of cynical, washed-up actor Bob Harris in Lost in Translation will forever be one of the comedian’s most beloved roles. While Sean Penn’s performance in Mystic River is more than deserving of an Oscar, it’s a shame the iconic comedian didn’t get properly recognized for a once-in-a-decade showing.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Whoopi Goldberg showed off a more dramatic side with her lauded portrayal of Celie Harris-Johnson in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple. It’s absurd that the emotional, dynamic, and powerful performance didn’t win Goldberg a much-deserved Oscar, which went to Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful, instead.

Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List)

Schindler’s List features one of the best Ralph Fiennes performances with his portrayal of Nazi work camp commandant Amon Goeth in Steven Spielberg’s 1993-defining film. And while the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Fiennes’ unforgettable turn was not among them. Instead, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

If you’re looking for one of the best New York City movies, Tootsie has you covered. If you’re looking for a movie featuring an acting performance that should have won an Oscar but didn’t, Sydney Pollack’s 1982 comedy has you covered there as well. Seriously, how Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Michael Dorsey wasn't awarded is something we just don’t get.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington eventually won a Best Actor Oscar for his unforgettable turn in Training Day, but the actor was robbed nearly a decade earlier after not winning the big prize for his take on the titular Civil Rights leader in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.

Florence Pugh (Little Women)

Florence Pugh was already a rising star at the time of Little Women’s release, but her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age drama took her to new heights. Though she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, Pugh lost out to Laura Dern from Marriage Story.

Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained)

Here’s something wild to think about – Jamie Foxx not only didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Django Unchained, he wasn’t even nominated for Best Actor. Admittedly, it was a stacked list of actors – Daniel Day-Lewis, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Denzel Washington – but not even being named is just something.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

The Wrestler felt like Mickey Rourke’s big redemption arc, more so than the character he portrayed in Darren Aronofsky’s great wrestling movie. Despite pushing himself to the breaking point from both a physical and emotional standpoint, Rourke lost out to Sean Penn’s take on Harvey Milk in Milk.

Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Michael Keaton gave the performance of a lifetime in the 2014 mind-bending drama film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), one that seemed to channel the actor’s past in such a way it felt like an autobiography. However, stealing the show as Riggan Thomson, a.k.a., Birdman, wasn’t enough, as the prize went to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne instead.

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar on four separate occasions, but not a single win, which is something. One of the performances that deserved an Academy Award the most was that of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. The portrayal of a confused high school senior on the verge of entering the next stage in her life lost out to Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Tim Curry (Clue)

Tim Curry’s portrayal of Wadsworth in Clue, a butler or undercover FBI agent depending on which ending you watch, is a role that is beloved by fans of the classic murder mystery comedy. However, it wasn’t recognized at the Academy Awards or other ceremonies, which is the real crime.

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Rosamund Pike’s take on Amy Elliott-Dunne earned the sole Academy Award nomination for David Fincher’s Gone Girl, a nod that was more than deserved. However, the incredibly nuanced and dynamic performance failed to win the Best Actress Oscar, which went to Still Alice’s Julianne Moore instead.

Jimmy Stewart (Rear Window)

Jimmy Stewart is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors of all time and his portrayal of L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of the his top-tier performances. However, his take on an injured photographer who uncovers a murder mystery didn’t even get a nod at the Academy Awards.

Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Kate Winslet gave one of her most powerful and unique performances in the 2004 sci-fi dramedy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Her take on Clementine Kruczynski, a woman who had all memories of her ex-boyfriend wiped from her brain, was rich, beautiful, and iconic, but just wasn’t enough to win Best Actress.

Al Pacino (The Godfather)

Al Pacino put himself on the map with his portrayal of reluctant crime boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The gradual evolution of the character over the course of the film’s three-hour runtime should have been enough for an Oscar, but like co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall, who were also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he didn’t get the win.

Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

Gloria Swanson’s "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." line from Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic quotes in all of Hollywood and part of an Oscar-worthy performance. While Swanson was nominated for her take on aging film star Norma Desmond, she didn’t take home the top prize.

Jack Nicholson (The Shining)

Though considered one of Jack Nicholson’s best roles, his portrayal of Jack Torrance in The Shining didn’t result in an Oscar win. In fact, Nicholson wasn’t even nominated for the unforgettable performance. 

John Cazale (The Godfather Part II)

John Cazale’s Fredo Corleone in The Godfather Part II is one of cinema’s great tragic figures as well as one of the late actor’s best characters. What’s even more of a travesty is the fact that the late actor didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Tragically, Cazale would never receive an Academy Award nomination prior to his shocking death in 1978.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It?)

Angela Bassett received her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Go to Do with It?, but the miraculous turn as one of American music’s most famous and influential figures didn’t earn her a Best Actress win. 

Edward Norton (American History X)

Reformed neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard is one of Edward Norton’s most controversial and complex characters of his career, and the American History X performance earned him a Best Actor nod at the 71st Academy Awards. However, Roberto Benigni from Life Is Beautiful ran away with the top acting prize.

Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)

Somehow, Ingrid Bergman, who was astonishing as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, not only didn’t win Best Actress at the 16th Academy Awards, she wasn’t even nominated for her iconic portrayal of a woman caught between two men and two different lives in the 1943 black-and-white classic.

Paul Giamatti (Sideways)

In a perfect world, Paul Giamatti would have won the Oscar for Best Actor in Alexander Payne’s Sideways, but alas, that is not the reality in which we live. Miles Raymond is one of Giamiatti’s best characters and carried the movie about two friends on a wine trip they’ll never forget.

Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men)

An amazing courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men is still arguably one of the best movies of all time. While its star, Henry Fonda, received a Best Picture nomination as a producer, his dynamic and rich portrayal of a juror who insisted on getting things right didn’t earn him an acting nod, which is a real miscarriage of justice.

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski)

You can add John Goodman to the list of great actors who have never received an Oscar nomination, which just doesn’t make sense. It’s especially maddening when you consider his legendary portrayal of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, a character loosely based on John Milius, per Far Out Magazine.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line)

Joaquin Phoenix has since won an Oscar, but his portrayal of Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s 2005 biographical drama, Walk the Line, was more than deserving of the top acting prize at the Academy Awards. What’s interesting is the fact that Phoenix was beat by his future The Master co-star, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won for his take on Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s Capote.

Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream)

A little more 25 years after winning an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her outstanding performance in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Ellen Burstyn had another shot at capturing an Oscar with her turn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. Her take on a woman battling unchecked depression, anxiety, and a diet of weight loss pills gave audiences one of the most incredible and sympathetic characters of the early 21st century. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the same year Erin Brockovich was released. 

Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)

There Will Be Blood is remembered more than a half-decade after its release because of the Academy Award-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but one of the three-time Oscar winner’s castmates was also deserving of recognition. Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday (he also played the smaller part of Eli’s twin brother, Paul) is one of the more fascinating characters of modern cinema, and he should have received an Oscar for his troubles. Dynamic is an understatement for this overzealous, petty, and temperamental preacher.

Robert Shaw (Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, won three Academy Awards – Best Filming Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound – but Robert Shaw, who acted his tail off as the boat captain, Quint, wasn’t recognized. This shameful act by the Academy, especially after watching the USS Indianapolis monologue, still stings nearly 50 years after the fact. That scene alone deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination and win.

Many of these actors won an Academy Award either before or after these movies and performances we just covered, but it’s just wild to think about how some of these roles didn’t take home the big prize at the Oscars.

Though Hollywood A-listers make more money for one movie that some of us will see in a lifetime, there are times where even some of the highest grossing actors of all time didn’t make as much as you'd think. Over the years, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt have brought in massive paydays for acting and producing, but those same stars have also seen incredibly small paychecks for one reason or another.

If you’ve ever wanted to know about 33 actors who made way less than you’d think for a beloved movie, look no further…

Robert Downey Jr. Made $500,000 For Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the first major star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would be a staple of the Infinity Saga for more than a decade. During this time, he made a ton of money for his superhero performances. However, he only took home a comparatively small payday of $500,000 for 2008’s Iron Man, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Murray Made $9,000 For Rushmore

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s ever since the release of Rushmore back in 1998. That fruitful partnership started out modestly for the SNL alum, as he was paid $9,000 for his take on Herman Blume, per Vulture.

Gal Gadot Made $300,000 For Wonder Woman

When Gal Gadot first signed on to portray Diana Prince in the DCEU back in 2014, Variety reported that the Fast & Furious star would take on a salary of $300,000 per movie, including Wonder Woman, which was released three years later.

Julia Roberts Made $300,000 For Pretty Woman

Though she had some success at the box office prior to its release, Julia Roberts turned into a massive star thanks to 1990’s Pretty Woman and one of the most well-known A-listers on the planet. However, Roberts, who would go on to earn a ton of cash for movies like Erin Brockovich years later, reportedly received a modest sum of $300,000 for her role in the all-time great romantic comedy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hilary Swank Made $3,000 For Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank won her first Oscar and became one of the most talked about actresses thanks to her transformative portrayal of Brandon Teena in Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry. When appearing on Women’s Dinner Party years later, Swank revealed she was paid $3,000 for the role, which wasn’t enough to qualify for health insurance.

Tom Hanks Made $50,000 For Toy Story

Tom Hanks, who won two Academy Awards prior to the 1995 release of Toy Story, was reportedly paid $50,000 to provide the voice of Woody in the landmark Pixar film, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the same article, the publication reported that Hanks made $5 million upfront for its 1999 sequel.

Oprah Winfrey Made $35,000 For The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple back in 1985. The media mogul, who is worth billions today, later told Essence she was paid $35,000 for portrayal of Sofia.

Robin Williams Made $75,000 For Aladdin

Aladdin will forever be remembered as one of the best Robin Williams movies, and rightfully so. And while the late actor provided countless hours of incredible lines for his co-starring performance, he only made $75,000 for his troubles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamie Lee Curtis Made $8,000 For Halloween

John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the best horror movies, turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a scream queen almost overnight. However, the Academy Award winner later told People Magazine that she only made $8,000 for her portrayal of Laurie Strode.

Nick Castle Made $25/Day For Halloween

Nick Castle has played Michael Myers a total of five times over the years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. Though the role made him a horror icon, Castle told Vanity Fair he was only paid $25 for each day of shooting in the original back in 1978.

Matthew McConaughey Made Less Than $200,000 For Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that ushered in a new era of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was paid less than $200,000 upfront for the movie9 but did receive an undisclosed amount on the backend.

Chris Evans Made $300,000 For Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans was a driving force for the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was paid handsomely for his efforts later on. However, when he was cast to play Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, he reportedly only made $300,000, per The Guardian.

Jeff Daniels Made $50,000 For Dumb And Dumber

Jeff Daniels, who was mostly known for his dramatic roles at the time, was cast to appear alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber despite New Line Cinema wanting someone else. Years later, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio low-balled him with an offer of $50,000, thinking he’d say no. You know the rest.

Taraji P. Henson Made $150,000 For The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a performance that netted her a great deal of screen time. However, as she later told Variety, she was only paid $150,000 for the gig, which was several hundred thousand dollars less than her initial request of $500,000.

Jonah Hill Made $60,000 For The Wolf Of Wall Street 

Jonah Hill was paid $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. While that may seem small considering the size of his role, Hill later told Howard Stern (via BBC) that he immediately took the offer, adding that he would have sold his house and given all his money to work with the acclaimed director. 

Orlando Bloom Made $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 

Orlando Bloom was an instrumental part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his character, Legolas, being featured heavily throughout all three movies. During a 2023 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed he was paid a total of $175,000 for the entire project.

Jon Heder Initially Made $1,000 For Napoleon Dynamite 

Napoleon Dynamite pretty much came out of nowhere and took the world by storm in 2004, partly because its star, Jon Heder. A few years after the film’s release, Heder told Stuff Magazine that he initially made $1,000 from the movie but was later able to negotiate his deal after MTV picked up distribution.

Daisy Ridley Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

Daisy Ridley was a relatively unknown actress when she was cast in one of the lead roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which might explain her low salary for the 2015 blockbuster. According to Variety, that number was reportedly between $100,000 and $300,000.

John Boyega Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

John Boyega’s Finn was one of the most heavily featured characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the young actor reportedly only received a payday somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000, per Variety.

James Earl Jones Made $7,000 For Star Wars

James Earl Jones’ dynamic voice gave Darth Vader a menacing edge in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars (and the rest of the franchise), but did you know that he was only paid $7,000 for the first movie? When speaking with the American Film Institute, the legendary actor admitted that he thought that was good money at the time.

Mel Gibson Made $9,000 For Mad Max 

After appearing in Mad Max, Mel Gibson would go on to lead some of the best action movies of all time, but back when he was cast in the late ‘70s, he was a broke college student. That’s why, as he told ExperienceWith.com, his $9,000 salary for George Miller’s dystopian thriller seemed like a fortune.

Seann William Scott Made $8,000 For American Pie 

American Pie was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and Seann William Scott’s Stifler was its breakout character. So, how much did the young actor make for his career-defining role? Well, as he told The Rich Eisen Show in 2023, he was paid $8,000, most of which he spent on a used Thunderbird.

Christian Bale Made The Minimum Salary For American Psycho 

Christian Bale’s take on the unhinged Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho is one of the actor’s most unforgettable performances, but it could very well be one of his smallest paydays. Though he didn’t reveal the exact number in a 2022 GQ profile, the actor did say it was the “absolute minimum they were illegally allowed” to pay him.

Michelle Williams Made $625,000 For All The Money In The World 

Michelle Williams was reportedly only paid $625,000 for her portrayal of Gail Harris in Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical crime thriller All the Money in the World, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though this is a hefty fee, her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, was reported to have taken home $5 million for his role.

Barkhad Abdi Made $65,000 For Captain Phillips 

Barkhad Abdi became an overnight sensation following the release of Captain Phillips, in which he plays lead pirate Abduwali Muse. According to the New Yorker, Abdi’s acting debut and Oscar-nominated performance earned him $65,000.

Jennifer Lopez Made $0 For Hustlers 

Jennifer Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hustlers, a movie she made for free. During a GQ breakdown of her biggest career moments, the multi-talented star said she starred in and produced the movie for no upfront money, as she was investing in herself. However, it wasn’t disclosed as to how much she made on the backend of the film’s release, which was $157.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Gunnar Hansen Made $800 For Texas Chain Saw Massacre 

Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface is an instantly recognizable horror villain thanks to his mask made of human flesh and signature chainsaw. But did you know that the actor was only paid a three-digit sum for his performance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? In 2013, the actor told Fast Company that he made $800 for his part in the iconic ‘70s horror movie.

Dustin Hoffman Made $20,000 For The Graduate 

The Graduate was the movie that turned Dustin Hoffman into a young Hollywood star, but it was also one that didn’t earn him a whole lot of money. According to a 1968 New York Times article, Hoffman reportedly made $20,000 for his career-defining role, but he only ended up keeping $4,000 of that after expenses and taxes were taken out.

John Candy Made $414 For His Home Alone Cameo 

The late John Candy appears in Home Alone for only a few minutes, but it’s still wild to think that his cameo only netted the actor $414. In the Home Alone episode of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, it is revealed that Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, didn’t necessarily break the bank.

Jessica Chastain Made $1.75 Million For The Martian 

Jessica Chastain’s paycheck for The Martian was shockingly low. Around the time of the film’s 2015 release, there was a report that the actress made $7 million from her part, but she told The Huffington Post that she actually made around a quarter of that, which would be around $1.75 million. The film’s star, Matt Damon, reportedly made between $15 and 25 million for his part.

Brad Pitt Made $6,000 For Thelma And Louise 

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and highest paid actors around today and has been that way for the better part of the past 30 years. However, that wasn’t always the case. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was paid just $6,000 for his breakout performance as JD in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise.

Jon Voight Made The ‘Minimum’ Salary For Midnight Cowboy 

Jon Voight received all kinds of nominations for his performance in Midnight Cowboy, but the actor was paid the “minimum” for his portrayal of Joe Buck. When disclosing this to The Guardian decades later, Voight also revealed he received a $14.73 charge for meals on the final day of the shoot.

Adam Levine Made $0 For Begin Again 

Maroon 5 frontman and former coach on The Voice Adam Levine appeared in John Carney’s 2014 musical dramedy, Begin Again for free. When speaking with USA Today around the time of the film’s release, Levine explained that he did the movie “for no money,” stating that he had made enough through his other ventures and wanted the experience.

It’s safe to say that all of these actors have done okay for themselves over the years after making relatively small salaries throughout their career. But it’s still wild to think about Robert Downey Jr. only making half-a-million to play Tony Stark. What a steal.

When you look at the landscape of Hollywood A-List actors, it’s hard to believe how many haven’t been nominated for an Oscar. Even crazier is looking back on previous nominees like Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman’s careers and seeing where their first brush with golden glory came from. That’s what we’re gathered together to do today, as we look back on a who’s who of acting talent, and those first projects that put them on The Academy’s map! 

Meryl Streep - The Deer Hunter

Where does one begin when talking about Meryl Streep’s own personal golden dynasty? Well, if you want to start at the beginning, you’d take it all the way back to 1978. That’s when Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter put Ms. Streep on the Academy’s radar for the first time. At the time of publication, Streep is the most nominated person at the Academy Awards, thanks to a whopping 21 nods.

Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot

The year 1990 marked an important moment for iconic actor, and three-time Academy Award winner, Daniel Day-Lewis. The now-retired thespian found himself winning on his first time out, with his nomination for the role of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. His portrayal of Brown, who created art while living with Cerebral Palsy, was only the beginning of a legacy involving method acting, which led to several more nominations and wins in the process.

Amy Adams - Junebug

Let’s put aside the fact that Amy Adams and Arrival were failed by awards boards in the 2016- 2017 season. Outside of that grudge that some still hold dear, Adams has a total of six Oscar nominations to her credit. That’s pretty amazing, with the first nod coming from her performance in 2005’s Junebug. With that noted, we can go back to grousing about how she deserves to be at seven nods, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s brain-breaking masterpiece.

Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

While Leonardo DiCaprio could finally call himself a winner as part of 2016’s Academy Award nominees, the path to that victory for The Revenant kicked off in 1994. A hot young talent, DiCaprio’s first nomination was for his role alongside Johnny Depp in the drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Turns out, when it was winning time for Leo, the answer to that question was, “A bear.”

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

One of America’s sweethearts, Sandra Bullock can be counted as a member of the First Timer's Club. Her first nomination was also the one that won her the trophy, as the 2010 Academy Awards yielded a golden win for her role in The Blind Side. Despite the recent controversies and lawsuit from Michael Oher that have hit that film’s story about the football player and the Tuohys, this is a hard-earned win, and the first of two nominations so far for Ms. Bullock. 

Tom Hanks - Big

We all know that Tom Hanks is Academy Award-winning royalty, as America’s Dad has six nominations and two wins under his belt. Looking back at the fact that his first competition for Oscar glory came from 1988’s Big, it’s an impressive feat for happening so early in Hanks’ career as an actor. It’s even more stunning when you take into account that it was for a comedy performance, which isn’t as prevalent at the Oscars as one would hope.

Viola Davis - Doubt

Despite the title of the film she was first nominated for, there was absolutely no Doubt when it came to Viola Davis’ status as an Oscar contender. Her first round came in 2008, through that very film mentioned; and she would eventually be nominated three more times, at the time of this publication. Her first win came in 2016 after she starred with fellow Oscar titan Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of Fences. (It's also worth mentioning that this actress is also in the elite club of EGOT winners.)

Peter O’Toole - Lawrence Of Arabia

Tied with Glenn Close for the most Oscar nominations without a win, the late great Peter O’Toole banked his first Academy Awards nod with the movie you’d most expect. Thanks to the director David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, O’Toole began a dance with Academy voters that only saw him net a 2002 Honorary Academy Award. 

Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver

In the world of Disney actors turned Academy Award contenders, Jodie Foster will always be one of the most notable in that field. At the age of 15, Foster saw her first nomination through her only Best Supporting Actress nod to date. The eventual victor for films like The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie first competed for Oscar glory through the role of child prostitute Iris Steensma in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. 

Morgan Freeman - Street Smart

Even movies with Oscar buzz can become buried in the sands of time. Just ask Morgan Freeman, who first saw himself nominated at the Academy Awards in 1987 for Street Smart. A crime drama starring Christopher Reeve as an ambitious reporter profiling Freeman’s pimp character Leo “Fast Black” Smalls Jr., it’s a movie that most wouldn’t remember; especially when compared to the other films the prestigious actor would be nominated for.

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth

Playing royalty almost feels like a shortcut to winning big-time gold. However, Cate Blanchett is one of those exceptions that sets the rules. While she would later win trophies for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, Blanchett’s first bid for an Academy Award came in 1999, thanks to the titular role in director Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth. 

Anthony Hopkins - The Silence Of The Lambs

Horror is one of those genres that doesn’t seem to get much love on the awards circuit. However, when the results are something as chilling as director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, containing Anthony Hopkins’ equally unsettling performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, it’s hard not to take notice. Score another First Timer’s Club victory, as Hopkins took home the gold his first time up.

Charlize Theron - Monster

Portraying the criminal mind provides such an allure for actors and auteurs alike. A case proving that point was Charlize Theron’s portrayal of convicted killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ film Monster, her first nomination out of three at the time of this writing. Theron won the Best Actress trophy on the first try in 2004, all thanks to this tale of true crime. 

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Able to disappear completely in any character he plays, Academy Award winner Christian Bale has four nominations to his name. Equally split between Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor accolades, his first roll of the dice in 2011 landed him a win in the former category; thanks to David O. Russell’s The Fighter. 

Kate Winslet - Sense And Sensibility

The works of Jane Austen are another one of those sources that seem to periodically score nominations at the Oscars. Kate Winslet’s first is part of the proof, as the first of her current total of seven Academy Award nominations (and one win) came from 1995’s Sense and Sensibility. Ms. Winslet’s heart would go on to win Best Actress…in 2009, for Stephen Daldry’s The Reader.

Denzel Washington - Cry Freedom

Let’s see if King Kong knows this piece of movie trivia. Actor Denzel Washington has had 10 Oscar nominations, with two wins coming from that pool. While most would be tempted to cite his win for Glory as the first time he was nominated, that is incorrect. Washington’s first Academy Awards ceremony happened two years earlier in 1988, for his part in the film Cry Freedom. 

Kathy Bates - Misery

Frightening characters can make for the most golden of dreams, as was proven with 1991’s Academy Awards. Kathy Bates took home her first award on her first nomination, through the role of Anne Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s Misery. A “brilliant” adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, this fan favorite is one of many that’s seen the famed horror author’s work turning in some of the most well-regarded films and performances of all time.

George Clooney - Good Night, And Good Luck/Syriana

Here’s a wild story: George Clooney’s first Oscar nominations came from not one, but two films he was involved with. 2006’s Academy Awards saw the ER veteran land and win Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana, while one of CinemaBlend’s 100 best movies of the 2000s, Good Night, And Good Luck., netted him a Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nod in that same contest.

Helen Mirren - The Madness Of King George

Did you know that half of Helen Mirren’s four Oscar nominations came from playing royalty? Surely most know of Mirren’s win in 2007 as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. But, dear readers, another queen marked the start of Dame Helen’s Academy Awards history. Her Best Supporting Actress nod in 1995 for The Madness of King George would be her initial foray into this circuit, playing Queen Charlotte to Nigel Hawthorne’s titular monarch.

Judi Dench - Mrs. Brown

Dame Judi Dench is another regal figure that practically screams “Oscar” when you see her. Another member of the club of actors winning as royalty, Dench would win in 1999 for her as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. That was only on her second try, because in 1998 Dame Judi received her first nomination, playing Queen Victoria in the film Mrs. Brown.

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate

And here’s to you, Mr. Hoffman; Oscar came a’calling very young. At 30 years old, Dustin Hoffman saw his first Academy Award nomination through starring in 1967’s The Graduate. What may be more surprising than the actual 6-year age gap between himself and co-star Anne Bancroft is that his first Oscar win would take place 12 years later, with 1980’s Kramer vs. Kramer.

Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City

Five nominations and one win are actor Susan Sarandon’s Academy Award legacy, at the time of this writing. But her first nomination was from an Oscar-buzzed title that most folks may not remember: 1981’s Atlantic City. With nominations in “The Big Five” categories, Sarandon and the film at large walked away empty-handed that year.

Russell Crowe - The Insider

Before his name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe found himself heading to the Oscars under a different moniker: Jeffrey Wigand. Nominated for the first time in 2000, Crowe’s role in Michael Mann’s whistleblower drama The Insider gave the Australian actor his first golden thrill ride. One that he’d repeat in 2001, and win for through the strength and honor of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

Angela Bassett - What’s Love Got To Do With It

Surprisingly, Angela Bassett only received her second nomination as part of 2023's Academy Awards, thanks to Marvel Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Bassett’s first nomination came from playing royalty of a different type, as her lead role in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It saw her walking the Oscar red carpet in 1994.

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Count this as another shocker in Oscar nominations history: Gary Oldman only received his first Academy Awards nomination in 2012. You’d think the Bram Stoker’s Dracula actor would have had more than the three nods and one win he currently holds. However, his dreams of golden splendor only started after he played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Julia Roberts - Steel Magnolias

With three nominations and one win, Julia Roberts’ odds of firing you up or making you cry with her Academy Award-nominated projects are officially even. Her first time in the race came in 1990, in the dramedy classic Steel Magnolias. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, we’ll leave it to you to find out which bucket this particular nom falls into on your own time.

Al Pacino - The Godfather

Some roles are such an indelible part of an actor’s career, they just had to land an Oscar nomination for it. Al Pacino is certainly one of those cases, as he would turn his first Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather into a Best Actor nod in The Godfather Part II. Both stem from his portrayal of Michael Corleone, the favorite son who descended into darkness and power.

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

“It came true.” Those three words marked the end of Anne Hathaway’s journey to Oscar gold, with her second nomination and first win for Best Supporting Actress in Les Miserables. But the beginning of Ms. Hathaway’s Academy Awards journey was in 2009, when she was nominated for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married. 

Matt Damon - Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both won their first Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, thanks to 1998’s Good Will Hunting. But much like other members of the First Timers Club in this list, Damon’s first victory was also his first time at the dance. How ‘bout dem apples indeed.

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter’s Bone

The second time was the charm for Jennifer Lawrence, as her role in Silver Linings Playbook made her a winner in 2013. That wasn’t too long after her initial foray into Oscar victory, which came in 2011 thanks to her lead role in the neo-noir gem Winter’s Bone. Who’d expect any less from the eventual "girl on fire" that would lead The Hunger Games to box office domination?

Ben Affleck - Good Will Hunting

Sailing on the same current as his writing partner and longtime buddy Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s first Oscar nomination came from his co-authoring of Good Will Hunting. And to think, if Damon and Affleck’s hijinks involving the script hadn’t worked, we may never have seen either contributor go on to the storied careers they enjoy today.

Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction

Fans of Samuel L. Jackson are about to engage in some harsh language, as the current MCU star only has one Academy Award nomination. While it’s rightful for his Best Supporting Actor-worthy role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the man’s gone on to deliver several other powerhouse performances worth at least a nod or two. This is something that not even the tastiest beverage could wash away.

As an actor, you never know where that first win or nomination is going to come from. And when you're an A-lister as iconic as the people we've just discussed, those initial impressions are all the more interesting to look at as time goes on. Who knows where these blockbuster draws will find their next brush with golden glory, and how it will compare to these humble beginnings? 

George Clooney as Ferris Bueller? Eddie Murphy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Sammy Davis, Jr as… Beetlejuice? These are just a few actors who almost starred in classic ‘80s movies and could’ve changed film history. They aren’t the only ones either. Here is our list of 20 actors who almost starred in classic ‘80s movies.

Tom Selleck (The Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

In one of the more infamous casting decisions of all time, Tom Selleck was offered the part of one of the most iconic characters in film history, Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. It’s often falsely reported that Selleck turned the offer down, but as he explained to Rachel Ray, he didn’t say no to director Steven Spielberg, CBS did. The network decided to pick up the pilot he shot for Magnum PI and they wouldn’t let him take the time to shoot Raiders. Harrison Ford is very grateful for it.

George Clooney (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

Yep, that’s right, everyone’s favorite truant, Ferris Bueller, was almost played by George Clooney, instead of Matthew Broderick, in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. According to casting director Janet Hirshenson, she had Clooney read for the part but thought he was too mature for the role and would’ve been "the college student version of Ferris Bueller."

Ethan Hawke (Stand By Me)

River Phoenix had his breakout role as Chris Chambers in Stand By Me, but director Rob Reiner also thought another up-and-coming actor at the time would have been great for the part. In an interview with The Guardian, Ethan Hawke explained that Reiner told him, "You’re really good, but I just gave the part to another kid with a bird name." 

Nicolas Cage (Fast Times At Ridgemont High)

Nicolas Cage did make his big screen debut in a small part in one of the best high school movies of all time, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, but he almost had a much more significant role. According to Judge Reinhold, who played the lead, Brad Hamilton, the producers were going to cast Cage (then known by his given name, Nic Coppola) in the Brad role. The part ended up going to Reinhold because Cage was under 18 at the time and that would’ve required working fewer hours due to child labor laws.

Yaphet Kotto (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

In one of the coolest and most interesting “what could have been” moments, the now legendary role of Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back wouldn’t have been played by Billy Dee Williams. Alien star Yaphet Kotto was the first person offered the part of the former smuggler-turned-Empire bureaucrat, as Kotto was asked by Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner to star as the character. According to the actor, he turned it down because after having just starred in Alien, he was worried about staying "up there," saying,  

You can't blame a guy for worrying about being type-cast, but missing out on Star Wars must have stung! 

Eric Stoltz (Back To The Future)

In another of the more famous “almost-was” casting decisions, it was almost Eric Stoltz, not Michael J. Fox, as Marty McFly in Back To The Future. For six weeks, they filmed Stoltz in the lead role before deciding he wasn’t right for the humor. They went back to their first choice, Fox, who found a way to cram the film into his busy schedule shooting Family Ties, and the rest is history. 

Dustin Hoffman (Dead Poet’s Society)

Of all the roles on this list, the one that would’ve dramatically changed its film most (pun intended) is Dustin Hoffman as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Hoffman was cast in the part early on and according to writer Tom Schulman, the movie would’ve been very different. In the original script, Keating was dying of leukemia, something Hoffman was ready to embrace in the character, per Schulman:

A dying John Keating played by a dour Hoffman sounds intriguing, but the tone Robin Williams struck makes for much better movie. 

Dustin Hoffman (Blade Runner)

Speaking of another movie that would have been quite different if it had starred Dustin Hoffman, the Rain Man actor was director Ridley Scott’s first choice to play Deckard in Blade Runner. According to the Mirror and production executive Katy Haber, the producers weren’t thrilled with Hoffman, and for the second time in his career, Harrison Ford caught a break and was cast in a film that would become a franchise. 

Matthew Modine (Top Gun)

It’s impossible to image anyone other than Tom Cruise in the role of Maverick in Top Gun, or its sequel Top Gun: Maverick, but it almost happened. The part was originally offered to Matthew Modine, but the Stranger Things star turned down the film because of his personal politics, telling Salon, 

You have to admire Modine for sticking to his personal morals, even if the role he turned down made Tom Cruise one of the biggest stars of all time, to the point where the 2022 sequel hit some major milestones at the box office. 

Mickey Rourke (Beverly Hills Cop)

Well, this one is just bizarre. Before Beverly Hill Cop helped establish Eddie Murphy as one the most bankable stars of the 1980s, it was a very different movie. So different, in fact, that the actor originally attached to play the Axel Foley character was Micky Rourke. The idea was for it to be an action flick, not a comedy, and, as producer Jerry Bruckheimer explained, they contracted Rourke to star for a whopping $400,000. Eventually, Bruckheimer changed his mind and we’re all grateful for it. 

Eddie Murphy (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

Eddie Murphy isn’t immune from making the wrong call, either. While visiting with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Murphy talked about how he was offered the role of Jimmy Valient in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. According to the Shrek star,

At least it sounds like Murphy is pretty good at not turning down hits on a regular basis!

John Belushi (Ghostbusters)

Sadly, this isn’t a case of an actor or a producer making the wrong (or correct) call by casting someone else in a role, this happened because the actor tragically died. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd were close friends and often castmates. As such, when Aykroyd wrote Ghostbusters, he wrote the role of Peter Venkman with Belushi in mind. Luckily for us, Bill Murray stepped into the part and the film still became a classic. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger (RoboCop)

The part of the titular RoboCop is a little different than most others. This time, a big star was very interested in the role but lost out. According to The Movies That Made Us on Netflix, Fubar cast member Arnold Schwarzenegger was very keen to play the role and was riding a wave of success. It all makes sense, right? Well, no, and somewhat ironically, it was Schwarzenegger’s legendary physique that might have lost him the job. While his bulging biceps helped make him a star, the producers of RoboCop were worried he wouldn’t fit into the suit, so the gig went to Peter Weller. 

Kris Kristofferson (The Shining)

This one is almost too hard to even contemplate. There is no one that could be Jack Torrance in The Shining other than Jack Nicholson, right? Well, it almost didn’t happen that way. While Nicholson was director Stanley Kubrick’s first choice to play the writer-gone-psycho Jack Torrance, there was a backup plan in case a deal couldn’t be made for the star. Kris Kristofferson was that plan, according to Kubrick historian Lee Unkrich. 

Billy Zane (Dirty Dancing)

There has rarely been on-screen chemistry like that between Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. Would you believe it almost never happened? According to writer Eleanor Bergstein in The Movies That Made Us, it was almost Billy Zane in the legendary role of Johnny Castle. Unfortunately for Zane, but fortunately for the rest of us, Bergstein said he danced, "like someone who looked like he had learned to dance beautifully for his bar mitzvah."

Frank Sinatra (Die Hard)

In what must have been the most ridiculous casting pitch of all time, the producers of Die Hard were contractually obligated to offer the role of John McLean to Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. You see, Die Hard was adapted from a book called Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. That book was a sequel to his 1966 novel The Detective, and that was adapted in 1968 into a movie of the same name starring Sinatra. Because of all this, the legendary singer/actor had the first right of refusal to play the role in future films. Of course, a 70-year-old Sinatra turned down the role and fans rejoice every Christmas when we get to watch Bruce Willis as McLean taking out the terrorists. 

What If…

Finally, a few “what ifs” that were never particularly close to being cast, but directors were interested in filling some iconic roles with some really out-there choices. Take, for example, Tim Burton’s desire to cast Sammy Davis, Jr. as Beetlejuice, instead of Michael Keaton. It’s got to make you giggle at least a little bit to picture Davis trying to drive the Deetzes out of their home by crooning “The Candyman Can.”

How about instead of Sly Stallone as the grizzled Vietnam vet John Rambo, audiences got 1970s superstar, Burt Reynolds? The Smokey & The Bandit star was one of many big-name actors the producers contacted in hopes of landing them for the role. In an interview with Empire, Stallone once mentioned a few names that the part was offered to, including Reynolds, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino. Frankly, the movie might have worked with any of them, but we’re lucky it “fell” to Stallone. 

Burton also had an out-of-the-box thought for the Joker in his Batman. Instead of Jack Nicholson owning that role, just imagine, for a second, David Bowie as the Clown Prince of Crime. Ziggy Stardust was the director’s dream pick, but it’s pretty safe to say that “settling” on Nicholson is a win for audiences, like almost every casting call on this list.

Somewhere in an alternate universe, all these parts were played by different actors and you have to wonder how the butterfly effect could have changed the course of careers and, indeed the film industry if these casts were different. We all believe the right choices were made, but were they? We'll never know. 

With Geena Davis’ new memoir Dying of Politeness out now, the actress has been discussing her advocacy and research regarding women in film, her array of skills, and her iconic acting career. She’s worked with some of the best in the business from Tom Hanks to Susan Sarandon to Michael Keaton. She has also worked with Dustin Hoffman multiple times, and said she used some of the Rain Man star’s advice to reject Jack Nicholson’s advances. 

What led to this story coming up was a New Yorker journalist asking Davis about the advice she’s received from Dustin Hoffman. The actress had mentioned that Hoffman told her on the set of Tootsie to always read a lot of books and to try to get the rights to the stories she liked. He also gave her advice to never sleep with her co-stars, which led her to this story about Jack Nicholson. She reflected on the advice Hoffman gave her, saying: 

Davis said the advice worked. The two actors have not made a movie together, but some of their best-known work did come out around the same time in the ‘80s and ‘90s. 

The actress has had quite a career since Tootsie, which was her first movie. She went on to star in Fletch, Beetlejuice, Thelma & Louise, and A League of  Their Own. All these movies are iconic but she’s likely best known for the last two mentioned. The incredible baseball movie is considered one of the best sports films, baseball movies, and one of the best women-led comedies. 

Along with her work on screen, Davis has had a phenomenal career behind the scenes. She founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and created a documentary called This Changes Everything (which can be watched with a Netflix subscription) that discusses the research she's done and dives into gender disparity in Hollywood. 

Adding onto all this research, Davis has remained a constant on-screen presence. She’s had roles on the shows Grey’s Anatomy and GLOW, and will be in the cast of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. 

You can read more stories about Davis’ early days in Hollywood, similar to the one about Nicholson in the actress’ memoir Dying of Politeness. You can also catch her on-screen on October 25 when Netflix’s Cabinet of Curiosities. 

What a year in movies 2019 shook out to be, huh? The 2020 Oscar nominations were announced Monday morning with massive recognition going to Joker, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Marriage Story and so forth. The talent is especially stacked in the Academy Award for Best Actor category, with a high chance four-time nominee Joaquin Phoenix will finally nab his first Oscar, alongside first-time nominees Jonathan Pryce in for The Two Popes, Antonio Banderas for Pain & Glory and Marriage Story’s Adam Driver joining 2017’s Revenant Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio in esteemed Oscars category.

As we await The 2020 Oscars, let’s look back at the best actors to nab a gold trophy at the Academy Awards throughout history. Here’s our ranking:

10. Leonardo DiCaprio (1 Win, 6 Nominations)

The youngest actor to grace this list is 45-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio, who is among one of the nominees at the Oscars for the sixth year in his illustrious career for the role of troubled actor Rick Dalton in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. DiCaprio was first invited to the Oscars when he was 20 years old for a Best Actor nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape for playing the mentally-disabled younger brother to Johnny Depp’s titular role.

And Leonardo DiCaprio has never been a stranger to the Academy for long, nabbing nominations for his memorable roles as Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street and 2006’s Blood Diamond. He finally won in 2017 for his brutal role in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant acting in below freezing temperatures in Canada leading to the actor catching the flu a few times, eating raw liver despite being a long-held vegetarian and working with little to no dialogue. The guy really worked for his Oscar!

9. Anthony Hopkins (1 Wins, 5 Nominations)

Another one of the 2020 nominees is one of the best actors to ever take home the award. Anthony Hopkins has been recognized this year in the Best Actor category for his supporting role as Pope Benedict alongside Best Actor nominee Jonathan Pryce’s Pope Francis in The Two Popes. The 82-year-old British actor has been acting since the ‘60s but his well-known role to date is the chilling Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. He won his only Oscar for playing the serial killer, along with the crime-thriller taking home Best Picture and three other awards.

Between The Silence of the Lambs and The Two Popes, Anthony Hopkins has been nominated for playing WWII butler with Emma Thompson in The Remains of the Day, the 37th US president in Nixon and John Quincy Adams in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. Hopkins has shown again and again his ability to disappear into roles and intrigue audiences with his riveting performances.

8. Dustin Hoffman (2 Wins, 7 Nominations)

He may not be active in recent years as he once was, but Dustin Hoffman has been a part of quite a few timeless movies that will be revisited again and again. The 82-year-old talent has nabbed two Oscars in his lifetime for 1979’s divorce drama opposite Meryl Streep Kramer vs. Kramer and as the autistic brother to Tom Cruise in 1988’s Rain Man.

Along with his two wins, Dustin Hoffman was first recognized by the Academy for Mike Nichols’ classic The Graduate when he was 30 years old. His other nominations include his role in Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie and Wag the Dog alongside Robert De Niro. Hoffman belongs on this list because when he stars in a movie his performance is just about always the highlight of the flick. His presence elevates the material and brings a particular emotion that leaves the audience in tears.

7. Daniel Day-Lewis (3 Wins, 6 Nominations)

Daniel Day-Lewis has since retired from acting, but not without a particularly impressive career in Hollywood. The 62-year-old is a favorite of the Academy’s, collecting an Oscar 50 percent of the time he’s been nominated. Day-Lewis’ first nomination lead to a win in 1990 for his leading role in My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown where he played a man who was born with cerebral palsy and learns to write and paint with his only working limb.

Daniel Day-Lewis is of course best known for Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, which awarded him his second Oscar. His most recent win was for playing Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 biopic. He’s also been nominated for In the Name of the Father, Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and Anderson’s Phantom Thread. Like his colleagues, Day-Lewis dazzles with his method acting – like the time when he built a canoe during the making of the Last of the Mohicans.

6. Denzel Washington (2 Wins, 8 Nominations)

Hollywood has long been a white man’s game. Just look at this list! But, there’s one actor who not only broke the disparity, he shattered it. Denzel Washington was the first Black actor to receive two Academy Awards with Mahershala Ali since following his lead in the past few years. Of course, it’s not just about firsts – Washington has starred in some of the best movies of all time such as Malcolm X and Philadelphia.

Denzel Washington’s first win came in 1990 when he won for his role as a Civil War soldier in Glory and his second for 2001’s Training Day. In between, he was recognized by the Academy for Malcolm X, The Hurricane, Flight, Fences and Roman J. Israel, Esq. The 65-year-old actor has delivered some incredible performances, namely about the Black experience in America and inspiring others such as Michael B. Jordan, who referenced Glory for Black Panther.

5. Tom Hanks (2 Wins, 6 Nominations)

Another veteran to the Academy’s good graces returning to the nominee list in 2020 is Tom Hanks. The 63-year-old actor was nominated in the Best Actor category for his supporting role as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. As the Golden Globes recently reminded us when Hanks was honored with Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2020 Golden Globes, Hanks has some of the most memorable roles in history. It’s countless really.

The actor won two Academy Awards for two years in a row. In 1993, Tom Hanks nabbed his first for starring in the true story of a man with HIV who takes his law firm to court after being fired for his condition. His second was for playing the iconic and quotable role, Forrest Gump. He’s also been nominated for Big, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away. He’s America’s Sweetheart for a reason – he always manages to get us on his side and empathize with his performance.

4. Robert De Niro (2 Wins, 7 Nominations)

Now we’re down to the wire. And amazingly enough these next two actors gave incredible performances in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman in 2019. Robert De Niro will mainly be remembered for his partnership with Scorsese where he was nominated for Taxi Driver in 1976, Cape Fear in 1991 and won for Raging Bull in 1980, but there’s a ton of meat on his acting bone. Did you know his first nomination and win was for his supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather: Part II back in 1975?

He nabbed another nominee in 1979 for The Deer Hunter – an examination of the effects of the Vietnam War along with flawlessly playing a catatonic man to Robin Williams’ physician in 1990’s Awakenings, and father to Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook. De Niro has always picked challenging roles and challenging subjects that stick with us for years… decades since.

3. Al Pacino (1 Wins, 9 Nominations)

Also finding beginnings in The Godfather is Al Pacino, also nominated this year at the Oscars for his supporting role as Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman. Pacino is Scarface, he’s Serpico and he’s an Oscar winner for 1992’s Scent of a Woman, where he played a blind man who his prep school “babysitter” (played by Chris O’Donnell) discovers to be an alcoholic army veteran.

Al Pacino has been recognized for a whopping nine Oscars (the most on this list thus far) for playing Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part I and II, NY cop in Serpico, a bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon, lawyer in And Justice For All, Big Boy Caprice Dick Tracy, and realtor in Glengarry Glen Ross. He’s done everything imaginable and the Academy clearly loves him. He’s memorable in just about every role he does. He’s Al Pacino!!

2. Jack Nicholson (3 Wins, 12 Nominations)

The No. 2 spot goes to a record setter at the Oscars. Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male actor in the Academy Awards history. (Meryl Streep leads with 21 and he ties with Katherine Hepburn at 12). The 82-year-old actor first impressed back in 1969 with motorcycle drama Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. He steadily kept coming back to the awards show through the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

Jack Nicholson’s first big win was for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest after playing a rapist who is sent to a mental institution despite not having a mental illness. It followed four prior noms for Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail and Chinatown. Nicholson also won for family drama Terms of Endearment in 1983 and As Good As It Gets in 1997. Of course the actor has tons more credits to his name – also playing Joker in The Batman and Frank Costello in The Departed. It’s overwhelming!

1. Marlon Brando (2 Wins, 8 Nominations)

At the top of the best actors to win Best Actor is Marlon Brando. He’s the kind of actor who has influenced just about every man on this list with his classic performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, Apocalypse Now and so forth. He’s well known for adopting the Method Acting formula which many of these men have adopted and have contributed to their Oscar wins later. He’s a model career to many, still being emulated today. If Joaquin Phoenix wins the next Best Actor Oscar, his Joker performance certainly has roots in Brando.

Brando won twice – first for 1954’s On the Waterfront and second for playing Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Although, he did not attend the ceremony purposefully choosing Native American actress Maria Cruz to accept his award to make a statement about the poor treatment of American Indians in Hollywood. This certainly shows that even the best of actors don’t always approve of Hollywood and its functions. It’s about the art, not the recognition.

Who's the Best Actor to win Best Actor? Sound off in the comments below and vote in our poll!

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We all mess up from time to time. Sometimes we forget someone's name, and sometimes we get confused during a conversation. However, we usually do it within the confines of a casual group of friends, and we don't often make these embarrassing errors in the presence of Hollywood royalty. Sadly, that wasn't the case for Saturday Night Live veteran Leslie Jones, and the Ghostbusters star recently made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to confess that she once made the mistake of referring to Dustin Hoffman as Al Pacino upon meeting the Tootsie actor, saying:

As far as cringe-worthy moments go, I would argue that this is pretty notable. Leslie Jones has experienced a massive rise in stardom within the last few years, and it has been great to watch the comedienne take on bigger projects with bigger names. However, on the flip side of that development, it has also put her in some fairly compromising positions. She could've used IMDB at that moment, but alas, she was left with her foot firmly in her mouth. It's a good thing Hoffman is a seasoned comic actor in his own right, as she seems to indicate he played it off well enough.

In all fairness to Leslie Jones, there are reasons to get Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino mixed up. Though both of them have become legendary actors in their respective ways, they have arguably resembled one another for a long time -- particularly back during the 1970s. Don't believe me? Just look at a side-by-side comparison of Al Pacino in The Godfather and Dustin Hoffman in Straw Dogs, which debuted only a year apart.

Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino have also experienced similar career paths over the course of the last 40 years. Both rose to fame for hard-hitting dramas in the 1970s, and gradually moved into more unique and offbeat roles as they progressed through their respective careers. It's certainly an understandable mistake for Leslie Jones to make, though that probably doesn't make it any less embarrassing for her.

Check out the video from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below to hear more of Leslie Jones' story about getting Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino confused.

One thing is clear: we have a feeling that Leslie Jones won't make that mistake a second time. For now, make sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more news related to all of your favorite movies and performers, and take a look at our comprehensive movie premiere guide to keep yourself up to date on the rest of the major theatrical releases left on the schedule for 2017!

After waiting what seems like an eternity, Kung Fu Panda 3 is finally heading our way next month! Some of you have probably been waiting for this moment for a while, while others may not have known that such a wondrous occurrence was heading your way. No matter which camp you’re in, we here at Cinema Blend are here to help – as we’ve got a guide chock full of the information that tells you everything you need to know about Po’s latest journey.

While it’s only a little over a month from its January 26th release date, Kung Fu Panda 3 almost looked like it would never happen. First scheduled to hit in a March 2016 release window, the film moved to December of 2015... only to move back to its March date, so as to avoid any competition with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. From that point, it moved to its final date of January 26th, so as to avoid any sort of trouncing Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice would have delivered.

As if shifting release dates weren't bad enough, the film lost two cast members – Mads Mikkelsen and Rebel Wilson – due to the production schedule for the film preventing them from being present. Both roles were recast, with Wilson's being the more urgent replacement, as she dropped out of the film as recently as September. Yet through all of this, Kung Fu Panda 3 has never derailed. Check out a preview of the film with the trailer below:

Now, without further ado, let's get to breaking down the upcoming animated blockbuster!

The Directors

Directing Kung Fu Panda 3 are Dreamworks Animation stalwarts Alessandro Carloni & Jennifer Yuh. Carloni previously worked as a director on Me And My Shadow, with supervising positions throughout the Kung Fu Panda films, as well as the holiday special. Outside of Po’s world, Carloni has also worked on the How To Train Your Dragon films, Over The Hedge, and The Croods. Yuh co-directed Kung Fu Panda 2& was the head of story for Kung Fu Panda; as well as a story artist on Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Madagascar.Both Carloni and Yuh are experienced in the ways of Dreamworks Animation, as well as the Kung Fu Panda series – making them clear picks for the honors of ushering in a third installment.

The Story

After two films worth of personal growth and kung-fu mastery, Kung Fu Panda 3 finds Po’s story picking up where the last film left off. With Po’s father, Li Shan, sensing he’s still alive after the end of the second film’s events, a reunion is in order. Not only is Li Shan trying to bring his son home to a village of pandas who are in need of training in the ways of kung fu, he’s also trying to set him up with his arranged wife, Mei Mei. As if things couldn’t possibly get more complicated, Kai – an ancient spirit of evil intent – is robbing kung fu masters of their powers. Po’s life is about to get a little more difficult, but with a bowl of noodles and a heart as warm as broth, he just might pull it off.

Po

The protagonist of the Kung Fu Panda series, Po was orphaned by the evil Lord Shen, during his campaign to exterminate the panda race. Shen was motivated to do so by a prophecy that called for a special panda that would one day defeat him, which eventually came true thanks to Po being rescued and raised by Mr. Ping – a noodle merchant who found him in a radish crate as a baby. Throughout both previous installments, Po has grown as a kung fu master under the tutelage of Master Shifu and his Furious Five, which has lead to him being instrumental in defeating the evil Lord Shen, as well as Shifu’s previous student, Tai Lung. Po is voiced by Jack Black, who originated the character in the 2008 origin story.

Tigress

The closest thing to a love interest that Po has ever had in the Kung Fu Panda series, is that of Tigress. While the two were originally adversaries, considering she wanted the vaunted position of Dragon Warrior that was given to Po by Grand Master Oogway, their quarrel was dispelled after the defeat of Tai Lung. While the two haven't exactly shared that many "tender" moments, her concern for Po is warm, and could be tested once he leaves the Furious Five to become a kung fu mentor to the survivors of his village. Reprising the role of Tigress is Angelina Jolie, who most recently was seen starring in, writing, and directing By The Sea; though she's no stranger to voice acting as she previously voiced a character in Dreamworks’ Shark Tale.

Shifu

Trained by Grand Master Oogway, and the master of many a kung fu master in his corner of the world, Master Shifu is as fierce as he is wise. His greatest claim to fame is the mentorship of the "Furious Five," the most elite group of kung fu fighters ever known. Unfortunately, his great wisdom also created his own greatest foe, as a former pupil of his turned to a life of evil when denied the position of Dragon Warrior. Eventually, that honor went to his most challenging pupil – Po the panda. When we catch up with Master Shifu in Kung Fu Panda 3, we find that he's encouraging Po to take his training to the next step, by becoming a teacher himself. Dustin Hoffman is, and always will be, the voice of Master Shifu in the Kung Fu Panda films; with a strong resume of voice acting roles in The Tale Of Despereaux, Racing Stripes, and even an episode of The Simpsons to compliment this esteemed role.

Monkey

A carefree, but wise, warrior in the ranks of the Furious Five, Monkey is probably the only member of the Furious Five that's voiced by someone who can actually do the kung fu moves you see on the screen. Voiced by legendary martial artist, and experienced actor, Jackie Chan, Monkey is a fighter who uses a staff, as well as his body. While this is Chan's only voice work to date, he has been the focal point of the animated series Jackie Chan Adventures, in which he'd appear in short sequences as himself. Of course, his most prolific work has to be the Rush Hour franchise, as his profile in the film industry skyrocketed with the first film in 1998.

Mantis

Master Mantis is, literally, a much stronger character than you’d think. With a strength that suggests a creature of a greater size, Mantis is also a whiz in the art of acupuncture… provided he knows the ins and outs of the anatomy he’s working with. Also unfamiliar with the presence of his father, Mantis eventually grew to be an ally to Po and revealed himself to be quite a bit of a softy, waiting for a woman who’ll bite his head off, like his dear old Dad before him. A Dreamworks veteran in his own right, Seth Rogen returns to the role of Mantis in the same year that he finds himself voicing a character in the much more mature Sausage Party, which are the latest credits to a voice-over resume that includes roles in Shrek The Third, Monsters Vs. Aliens, and Horton Hears A Who.

Viper

Despite her lack of an effective set of fangs, Master Viper has abilities that makes up for her inability to use her venomous powers. Using speed and agility to confuse her opponents, Viper’s childhood hobby of ribbon dancing helped her become a weapon of precision targeting and enemy distraction. The most empathetic member of the group, Viper does not have much of a stomach for the injustices her enemies visit upon their victims, which also helped her become friends with the clumsy Po. While Lucy Liu’s best known for her roles in films like Kill Bill and shows like Elementary, Liu has had two steady voice-over roles since 2008’s Kung Fu Panda: Master Viper, and the fairy known as Silvermist in Disney’s Tinker Bell series.

Crane

While Po had to work to get the rest of the Furious Five to even interact with him in Kung Fu Panda, Master Crane was the first one to actually talk to Po in his time of isolation. Over time, once Po had endeared himself to the Furious Five, Crane and Po became a sort of team when it came to combat. In addition to being able to carry every member of his team on his back, Crane mostly uses his flying abilities to save Po when he’s fallen from extreme heights. Last, but not least, Master Crane can act as the "eye in the sky" for the team, surveilling the battlefield like no one else can. Voiced by David Cross, Crane is one of two Dreamworks roles Cross has banked in his career, the other one being Minion in Megamind.

Li Shan

During Lord Shen’s gigantic panda cleanse of his village, Li Shan was separated from his wife and child. For the years between Po’s childhood and the events of Kung Fu Panda 3, his father would be the leader of the pandas that survived, as they had taken refuge in a secluded corner of the kingdom. However, with the arrival of Kai, the film’s villain, Li Shan goes on a journey to reconnect with his newly empowered son, whose presence he felt after his triumphant victory in Kung Fu Panda 2. Strangely enough, father and son are right under each other’s noses in their first appearance together in one of the trailers for Kung Fu Panda 3, which has us wondering just how Li Shan will ultimately recognize his son. Li Shan is voiced by Bryan Cranston, but was originated by veteran voice actor Fred Tatasciore when he first appeared at the end of Kung Fu Panda 2.

Mei Mei

One of the pandas that survived the invasion and destruction inflicted upon the panda village was none other than Mei Mei – the woman that Po has been arranged to marry. Besides her fixation on her husband to be, Mei Mei has one true passion in her life: she loves ribbon dancing. Though that may make her sound helpless, she does also seem to have some skills with nunchucks, so perhaps Mei Mei has more fight to her than one could imagine. Mei Mei is voiced by Kate Hudson, in her career’s first voice acting role. Previously, Rebel Wilson was cast in this role, but due to the "extended production schedule" on Kung Fu Panda 3, she had to drop out.

Kai

Every Kung Fu Panda movie has had a villain that, one way or another, was connected to the past of one of our protagonists. Which makes Kai, the new baddie on deck for Kung Fu Panda 3, the first supernatural force that the team is fighting against. A bull who dual wields two jade blades, bound together by a sturdy metal chain, Kai is also known as the "the master of pain," "the beast of vengeance," and "the maker of widows." He also, in some capacity, worked with Grand Master Oogway – Master Shifu's teacher, who ascended to the heavens in Kung Fu Panda. Cast as Kai is Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons, who is taking over the role from its previous occupant, Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen

It looks like the remake craze has claimed its latest project. Recent news tells us that Steve McQueen’s classic jailbreak adventure flick Papillon is headed for a brand new adaptation - with some interesting talent behind the wheel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Danish filmmaker Michael Noer will be directing the caper film that tells the story of Henri Charriere and his many escapes from the infamous French Guiana prison colony, Devil's Island - both failed and allegedly successful. The film will be produced by Red Granite, the studio behind The Wolf of Wall Street, as well as Dumb and Dumber To; and is written by Prisoners screenwriter, Aaron Guzikowski.

The original Papillon was released in 1973 and starred the dynamite duo of Steve McQueen as Charriere, and Dustin Hoffman as his friend and escape partner, Louis Dega. The name of the film, Papillon, comes from the French word for "butterfly," which is also Charriere's nickname - as well as the figure tattooed across his chest, Danny Trejo style.

The original film was based on Charriere’s autobiography of the same name, however, numerous sources over the years have spoken out against the alleged falsehoods it depicted. It is alleged that Charriere took many real stories from the lives of other prisoners, and projected them as experiences of his own. Most largely agree that it is likely only a small percentage of the scenes written into the movie actually happened to Charriere as he had asserted. How the modern remake will adjust to these claims remains unseen.

Papillon was heralded and scorned upon its release with many lauding the acting performance of McQueen and Hoffman and others conflicted by a film that asked its audience to sympathize with and cheer as a criminal is depicted as a hero in its title character. Religious groups proclaimed Papillon as a purveyor of the decline in civilization, while most simply accepted and appreciated the story as an enthralling piece of fiction. Even if he was imprisoned for something he didn’t actually do, it’s a tough sell to get your audience to root for the supposed "bad guy."

If you ask anyone who saw Prisoners, they'll tell you that Aaron Guzikowski has a real knack for making very sympathetic characters who do real bad things. As for Michael Noer, he cut his teeth directing documentaries, before finding success with his prison drama feature called R. More recently, Noer was behind the camera on the gang drama Northwest, so the director is no stranger to incarceration and the criminal element. Noer's remake will be produced by Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman, and Roger Corbi, and will be executive produced by David Koplan, Yan-Fischer-Romanovsky, Joshua D. Maurer, Terrence Chang, and Martin Hellstern.

Red Granite has produced an interesting slate of films that vary widely in tone. In addition to Martin Scorcese’s Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle and the Jim Carrey-Jeff Daniels reunion, the studio is also responsible for the 2013 thriller Out Of The Furnace, which boasted the all-star cast of Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Shepard. Scott Cooper served as director, and it was produced by DiCaprio and Ridley Scott.

With that sort of pedigree, it will be intriguing to see who the studio pursues from the acting end, especially if DiCaprio joins the mix as a leading candidate. There is no set release or production deadline, so as soon as we find out any thing new, you'll be the first to know.

Academy Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman may be 77-years-old, but that doesn’t mean he’s slowing down, or that he doesn’t have opinions on the current state of cinema. Always busy, the Tootsie star recently shared his view on the movie landscape, and it is blunt and none too rosy.

Sitting down to talk to The Independent, the elder statesman of the industry assessed his chosen field, comparing the world of movies and television. In his view, one is clearly doing better work than the other. He said:

From his words, a big reason for this seems to be the studio’s unwillingness to make, and pay for, smaller movies. And he has a point about movies like The Graduate. A bonafide classic, it wouldn’t have been made today, at least not in the same way. There’s no way a studio or financial backer would give a film like that the resources to shoot for 100 days.

Nowadays this same story would be a low-budget indie shot on the cheap that would likely make the festival rounds and maybe, if it was lucky, land a limited theatrical run from a boutique distributor. There’s not a huge market right now for that sort of mid-tier, aimed-at-adults kind of movies. The mentality, especially at the studios, is that blockbusters and potential franchises come first, second, and third, and everything else is an afterthought that maybe slips through.

This has led a number of filmmakers to seek refuge in television, the once maligned younger sibling of film, where they’re increasingly finding more and more freedom to tell the stories they want, the way they want, with less interference. Steven Soderbergh and Cary Fukunaga directed entire seasons of The Knick and True Detective, respectively, David Fincher helmed and produced episodes of House of Cards and is working on Utopia for HBO, and Guillermo del Toro created The Strain. And that’s just a few of the at least part time defectors.

TV, especially with the advent of streaming, the ability to binge watch an entire season in a short span, and more creative freedom attracting big name talent—including directors, writers, and stars—is experiencing a golden age of sorts. Sometimes, especially during the summer months, it feels like the only movies out there in theaters are sequels, reboots, adaptations, or a piece of some ubiquitous shared universe.(Inside Out is a welcome exception.)

It’s easy to see why someone who loves cinema, like Hoffman, might look around and not like what he sees. But the nature of the business is ever changing, and people are always bemoaning how things used to be better. This, too, will pass, and before long the landscape will have shifted again to something we haven’t even imagined yet.

The fervency with which fans have taken to HBO's original series True Detective is nothing short of impressive. The series' striking visuals, gripping storyline, and incredible acting have helped turn this show into can't-miss TV of the grandest variety. But given the series format — it's an anthologized, like American Horror Story — and the fact that Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey's story ends after the finale next month, some minds have turned to casting season two. And we've got some ideas of our own.

When it comes to HBO’s most popular and inventive drama (at least until Game of Thrones returns in April), there’s a seriously ravenous audience that loves (nay, obsesses) over its every hypothetical scenario — just look at Patton Oswalt’s Twitter feed. Nowhere was that more evident than in the immense popularity of the hashtag #TrueDetectiveSeason2 this week, wherein folks cast (mostly jokingly) dynamic duos to take over the starring vehicle.

We thought we’d do them one better, though: what if, instead of joking, we took a serious look at some pairs of killer actors who’d take on the impressive mantle of the series and do it justice? We've already done it for dream directors, so why not the cast? The result was 10 pairings we’d really love to see on the Nic Pizzolatto series. So we decided to share them with you. Feel free to leave your own serious contenders in the comments. After all, the more to deduce from, the better.

Winona Ryder and Elisabeth Moss

With Ryder’s steely, confident brand of crazy and Moss’ impressive investigative seriousness (as evidenced in Top of The Lake), these two could potentially hit it out of the park, so to speak. Just imagine: a dusty, dried up town somewhere in middle-of-nowhere California? Ryder as a down on her luck cop stranded in a hometown she wants nothing to do with and Moss as her following-in-the-family-footsteps partner. Admit it: you’re into it.

Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor

This one may be mostly selfish: these two astoundingly impressive and incredible actors need to be in something together, STAT. Elba already has the impressive-cool detective stylings down thanks to his work on Luther, and Ejiofor just commands the attention of any scene he’s in. Imagine: a season set against the backdrop of Detroit’s disintegrating-but-trying urban landscape with these two and just try and pretend you’re not wholly on board.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Joaquin Phoenix

Now, here the question is obvious: would Phoenix act opposite the sometimes perma-bubbly JGL? Methinks he could, and the unexpectedness of it all would work in both of their favor. Just imagine it: small town, maybe out in Utah somewhere. Devious dealings with a local Mormon religious figure? Phoenix harboring a secret tie to the man’s empire and Gordon-Levitt hot on that connection’s tail — only to find it brings him more compassion for his crooked compatriot than originally anticipated? You’d watch the shit out of that, don’t play.

Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks

Any excuse to get more Cranston on your television, right? The levity that would infiltrate the season with the addition of Banks might be just the sort of reengineering the series needs to ensure it doesn’t become stale. Both intelligent and competent actors, we’d love to see Banks in something serious after her domination in the comedy game. And who better to bring that sort of brooding brilliance out of her than Cranston? Something tells us a small town outside of Seattle would do well to have these two detectives.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Parker Posey

Parker Posey as a seriously off-center but broodingly dark detective? Gyllenhaal besting her brother’s performance in Prisoners? These two women are phenomenal actors, and no doubt an unfolding mystery on par with this season’s True Detective would do well in their care. Something tricky, psychosexual, and absolutely bonkers would be the perfect fit — maybe out somewhere in Kansas? In the backwoods of New England? Either way, we’re into it.

Sam Rockwell and Michael Fassbender

Of all the pairings, this might be our favorite. Two genius actors that have yet to do television would make serious waves if cast in season two. Like Fassbender, Rockwell has incredible range and commitment — he inhabits characters with such convincing aplomb you’re almost terrified of him. Naturally, the sort of duality both men charismatically possess would ensure a terrific season of television. Put them somewhere bleak and expansive — the Dakotas, maybe even middle-of-nowhere Nevada — and watch the electricity fly.

Kevin Spacey and Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordon as a green detective with a jaded outlook on life, paired up with old-timer Spacey (who recently lost his partner under curious circumstances), a bubbly and seemingly benevolent believer in the old guard? You want to see that. Nay: you need to see that. Put them in some deeply southern town with a lot of dark patches in their history — perhaps somewhere swamp-laden? — and you’ve got a clash of cultures as well as a seriously charismatic leading duo.

Anne Hathaway and Michael C. Hall

We know, we know: you might think this one is weird, but just hear us out. Hathaway would play a goody-two-shoes sort, assigned to work with Hall on her first-ever detective-ing endeavor. A quiet girl with a mysterious and foggy past that she won’t discuss, Hall and Hathaway are teamed up to investigate a series of child abductions and suspected murders in upstate New York. Only what comes to pass is that Hathaway has a lot more insight into the case than her 15-years-on-the-job partner. You like it, eh?

Aaron Paul and Jimmi Simpson

Imagine this one taking place in Washington, DC and stay with me. Two genius detectives in the US’ cyber crimes become embroiled in a plot to infiltrate and destroy the government from the inside. With House of Cards hacker Simpson’s brilliant technological mind and Breaking Bad star Paul’s charisma and keen intuition, the duo source out who’s at the heart of the attacks and unfold an even bigger plot that’s in development across the world.

Bradley Cooper and Dustin Hoffman

Last but far from least, we have Cooper and Hoffman. Can you imagine a more dynamic old/new guard pairing? Between Cooper’s unhinged electricity and Hoffman’s quiet brilliance, we see a seedy underbelly story rife for the solving with these two actors on board. Perhaps somewhere in Iowa? Both men not only have the gravitas it takes to carry a series, but they also play extremely well with others in a more ensemble setting. Put these two in charge of season two and we bet you’d be hard-pressed to find a story they couldn’t make engaging.

Dustin Hoffman is on the mend after one of the biggest scares of his life. The actor was recently diagnosed with cancer, but he elected to battle it with surgery and emerged from the procedure with a clean bill of health.

Details on the specifics of the cancer or the timetable haven’t been made available, but the seventy-five-year-old’s publicist did speak on the record today to clear up any rumors or misconceptions. Here’s what Jodi Gottlieb told People…

Beyond that initial surgery, Hoffman has also reportedly decided to have some preventative treatments in order to reduce the chance of the cancer returning at some point in the future. Like most of the other details related to this story, the specifics haven’t been made public, but since one would imagine he’s getting among the best medical treatment possible, we’ll just assume doctors advised him wisely.

Given his advanced age, common sense would tell you Hoffman will likely slow down in the next few years, but in actuality, he’s continued and will continue to work pretty steadily. Last year, he spent large portions of his time aggressively promoting his first directorial feature Quartet. Moving forward, he already has both Chef and The Song of Names on the docket, and it’s also rumored he’ll do some voice work for Kung Fu Panda 3 when the production advances to that stage.

Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to Hoffman and his entire family during this trying time. It sounds like he’s beaten the hard stuff, but there will still be plenty of long nights related to thse additional procedures. Here’s to hoping he’s able to continue battling as fiercely as ever.

Until then, I’ve gone ahead and embedded video spanning Hoffman’s career. The first clip comes from The Graduate. The second comes from Rain Man, and the final one is a scene from Last Chance Harvey released just a few years ago. Enjoy…

After reprising his role as Happy Hogan in Iron Man 3, Jon Favreau, who directed Iron Man 1& 2 for better and for worse, is pulling quadruple duty on his next feature, Chef. Favreau not only wrote and is directing the film, but also serves as its producer and star. The independently produced comedy that secured financing at Cannes is now in production in Los Angeles. And Favreau gave fans a look behind the scenes while announcing some exciting new cast members with the tweet below:

That's Emmy-winning character actor Bobby Cannavale, who had critics raving with his sidesplitting performances in a pair of Thomas McCarthy's indie dramedies Win Win and The Station Agent, and recently did a stint on Boardwalk Empire as the murderous Gyp Rosetti. While Favreau's caption says he's new to the cast, Cannavale was said to be attached along with Sofia Vergara and John Leguizamo back in May, when Robert Downey Jr. made headlines by signing on for a re-team with his Iron Man director. However, the appearance of screen legend Dustin Hoffman is a surprise! Though sadly this brief looping vid gives us no idea who he might play.

What we do know so far is that Favreau will front the film as the titular Los Angeles chef, an arrogant aspiring restaurateur who quits his job to open his own food cart in hopes of reclaiming his artistic promise. Judging from Cannavale's costume, he'll also be playing a chef, but sadly Favreau has so far kept quiet on what roles the rest of his cast will play. Still, it's intriguing to see Favreau back off of big budget action movies and returning to small indie comedy.

Memorably, Favreau first made his mark as the writer and co-star of the swing music-fueled comedy Swingers in 1996. The movie launched his co-star Vince Vaughn to comedy stardom, and led to Favreau making his directorial debut with Made in 2001. Bigger opportunities followed, and before long he had a string of hits with Elf and the first two installments of the Iron Man franchise. But with Iron Man 2 earning some critical scorn, and his follow-up Cowboys & Aliens flopping badly, Favreau's prospects took a turn. So, a return to his roots as a witty writer-director seems a smart move. Hopefully, it will also prove a return to form.

Another curious element of this casting announcement is the use of Vine. The video share app that allows users to create and upload looping videos of six seconds or less has gained popularity fast. And it's been a welcomed tool for certain celebs to boost their online profile. Perhaps none have done so as effectively as Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, whose faux shocked response to the "Red Wedding" episode went viral and spurred a demand for more, more, more. She has kindly obliged with a growing string of silly, self-mocking vids. But will we see more filmmakers sharing updates on their project via Vine? It seems inevitable. Twitter has become a place for artists to communicate directly to their fans, and filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky, Sylvester Stallone, and Bryan Singer have been using it to share tantalizing teasers to great effect. The edition of short and easy to produce vids that could more easily go viral seems a no-brainer way to raise a movie's profile.

Chef is expected to hit theaters in 2014.

It's been nearly 31 years since Sydney Pollack's Tootsie made its debut, but still the comedy that earned ten Academy Award nominations—and a win for supporting actress Jessica Lange—is considered one of the best ever made. The setup seems silly, but its message about gender inequality still packs a punch. An actor (played by Dustin Hoffman) is fed up when he can't get cast, so he changes his niche by masquerading as a woman named Dorothy Michaels. As a fiery actress, he lands a coveted role on a popular soap opera, and finds it’s the role that changes his life in ways he'd never imagined. The former ladies man becomes an unexpected feminist when waking in another (wo)man's shoes shows him how skewed the world is against the so-called "fairer" sex.

With a whip-smart script from Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal and outstanding performances from Hoffman and Lange, as well as Charles Durning, Teri Garr, and Bill Murray, it's little surprise that Tootsie still ranks on both the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movies and on their Top 100 Laughs. It's #69 on the former, and #2 on the latter, second only to Billy Wilder's cross-dressing comedy Some Like It Hot. Fitting then that it's a video from the AFI archive that has brought Tootsie back into the spotlight. In the clip above, tipped by The Mary Sue, Hoffman talks about the makeup tests for the film, and how pivotal they were to his understanding—not just of his character—but of the gender politics we are all subject to in this world.

"If you were born a woman, how would you be different?" Tootsie co-writer Murray Schisgal aked Hoffman as he prepared for the role of Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels. Not "What does it feel like to be a woman?" It's a subtle distinction, but the emphasis on his own identity intrigued Hoffman. The actor, who had long before won acclaim and professional respect for roles in Midnight Cowboy and The Graduate, considered this hypothetical question for years before the film had even found its director. As part of his preparation, Hoffman asked Columbia to pay for make-up tests so he might actually see what he would look like if he had been born a woman. The results shook him to his core completely.

Hoffman initially wanted to be sure he could look like a believable woman who would walk by unnoticed on the streets of New York, and not some obvious "guy in drag" or a "freak." He didn't want to strain the audience's suspension of disbelief. But when it actually came down to seeing himself in this woman look, he was shocked he wasn't an attractive woman. So, he asked them to do it again, but this time, make him beautiful. "I thought I should be beautiful," he explains. However, they broke it to him: this is as pretty as we can make you. Hoffman tears up at the memory of what happened next:

This quote speaks for itself. But if you want to hear more, you can find a fuller version of this interview on the Tootsie DVD. And you can also see the film's trailer below if you need a more general reminder of the movie's brilliance.

Taerg swen sredaer! Ahem. Great news readers! One of the quaintest children’s stories of our times is getting a big screen adaptation, and it has instant classic written all over it, if wishful thinking if alive and well. Esio Trot, Raold Dahl’s 1990 illustrated sub-micro –novella is soon going into production. It seems a cheat to just refer to this as a children’s book, as it easily translates adult themes on level enjoyable to all ages.

Which is good, because I don’t know how many children skew towards films that star Dustin Hoffman and Dame Judi Dench, because those are the two Oscar winning actors that Irish director Dearbhla Walsh will be working with, as reported by Showbiz411. With that kind of talent leading a film that will be adapted from an admittedly slight narrative, the bulk of the work will come down to Walsh, but she won the 2009 Primetime Emmy for her miniseries Little Dorrit and that’s on top of a solid career in television work in series such as Shameless and Borgia.

Esio Trot is the age-old tale of a man who lies in order to attract the attention of a woman, only sweeter and weirder. Mr. Hoppy, a bashful old fellow is in love with Ms Silver, the woman in the apartment below his. She has a tiny pet tortoise that she wishes would grow larger, and Mr. Hoppy has just the ticket: a semi-elaborate scheme. I expect the movie will elaborate further on said scheme in order to pull off a normal runtime. I certainly hope Walsh will go for a more stylized look than your average children’s film, or whatever this eventually gets marketed as.

In the meantime, you can catch Dench inspiring Oscar buzz in Stephen Fears’ drama Philomena opposite Steve Coogan. And Hoffman just directed his first film, Quartet, based on Ronald Harwood’s play of the same name.

An England production is set to begin filming.

This year’s crop of Kennedy Center Honorees spent their afternoon being praised at the White House for contributions to the entertainment and artistic communities. Comedian David Letterman, ballerina Natalia Makarova, actor Dustin Hoffman, blues guitarist Buddy Guy and the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin were all the subject of gushing remarks by President Barack Obama as he continued the government’s tradition of “honoring some extraordinary people with no business being on the same stage together.”

According to ABC News, the president spent much of his time at the microphone discussing all of the honorees’ humble beginnings and how each of their journeys involved overcoming adversity before reaching the point where they made lasting contributions to society. Their quests were fundamentally American and, to him, prove the nation is still the greatest on Earth at cultivating, nurturing and providing the ideal environment for those with passion and dreams to thrive.

Every year, the Kennedy Center honors a group of men and women from a wide range of artistic fields who inspired others and achieved greatness over a long period of time. It’s hard to imagine how the selection committee could have possibly chosen people more worthy than those selected this year. Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to each and every one of them. They put smiles on our faces, made us think and implored entire generations of girls and boys to dream a little bigger.

Those looking to fill the inevitable void after the second season finale of everyone's favorite gangster series, well, you don't even have to change the channel. HBO's brand new show called Luck should definitely appeal to the Boardwalk Empire crowd, and it's no coincidence that the pay-cable network scheduled a sneak peek of the pilot to follow the season ender of the Prohibition drama. Here is another brief look at the rapidly approaching new show.

It's rather odd that the pre-premiere of HBO's big new series Luck takes place in under two weeks, and they've yet to really make an effort in the advertising department. There are no publicity stills on the HBO website and only a few promotional videos thus far, including the snappy new teaser below. Called the "Quiet" trailer, it comes across as anything but, showcasing all the major players and some of the stunning camera work, all set to a snappy tune that can't help but rouse memories of The Sopranos (at least for me). Take a look at the 30-second spot and see if it doesn't get you ready for the races.

The new spot also announces a firm date for the beginning of the series' actual run on HBO. Luck debuts on Sunday, January 29th but, as mentioned above, the pay cabler will air a special screening of the pilot after the Boardwalk Empire season two finale on Sunday, December 11th, at 10 p.m. ET. Now, a closing note on the lack of advertising for the series -- I'm starting to suspect that HBO knows they have quality on their hands and that after this preview screening of the pilot, the buzz from critics, fans, everyone will begin the real promotional push for the new series. I'm excited, giddy up.

Luck stars Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn, Richard Kind, and Kerry Condon. It is from executive producers David Milch, Michael Mann and Carolyn Strauss.

Director Paul Weitz has a ton of pressure on him with his latest film, Little Fockers. Not only does he have to manage a massive top-notch cast, but he’s also the guy who has to take the reins from Jay Roach, the man who helmed the first two films that grossed over $330 million and $516.6 million worldwide, apiece. But Weitz is the guy responsible for critically acclaimed films like About a Boy and In Good Company and he certainly has experience managing an ensemble cast and dealing with some pretty raunchy material thanks to his very first feature, American Pie. Little Fockers was right up his alley.

This time around the action takes place in Greg and Pam’s (Ben Stiller and Teri Polo) hometown, Chicago. They’re about to throw a big birthday party for their twins and the whole family is coming for the occasion. Well, everyone except Greg’s dad, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman), because he’s busy studying the Flamenco in Barcelona. As much as the kids want their grandfather to be there, one less person might not be a bad thing because Greg is already trying to deal with the usual pressure from Pam’s father, Jack (Robert De Niro), her ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson), trying to get the kids into the esteemed Early Human School and attempting to promote the erectile dysfunction medication for the beautiful drug rep Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba) without Pam questioning his motives.

There’s a lot going on in this film and there was a lot going on on the set as well. While Weitz was thrilled to be working with John Hamburg on the script, a significant amount of material came naturally, through improvisation. Unfortunately, with so much on-set inventing came many more cuts in the editing room. Check out what Weitz had to say about guiding his cast while still giving them their freedom, what didn’t make it into the film, but will be on the DVD and much more.

When it came time to take on this franchise, what were some of the clichés you knew you wanted to avoid?

One cliché I wanted to avoid is that there’s no reason to do the third version of a franchise and there’s a big temptation to just go to the well and have 100 Focker jokes and every new actor who comes to it wants to at some point say, ‘Focker, Focker!’ [Laughs] You have to gently go in and say, ‘I’m sorry. We just did that five minutes ago in the film.’

Can you tell us about the Jaws and The Godfather references? Were those in the script or just something that came up while filming?

The Godfocker reference was in the script phase and I assume it was John Hamburg who did a lovely job and was really helpful to me not only in terms of the script, but in terms of helping me make the film. That was part of what made this make sense to me was this ridiculous sense that there is such a thing as complete leadership of a family and that it’s going to fall to the man to be that and Ben’s character is confident enough in his life now that makes him fall into this fatal trap of being The Godfocker. Then in terms of the Jaws scene, I can’t remember when that came up. It might have been the stunt coordinator who put some Jaws music over it. [Laughs]

How do you manage all those personalities and getting them all screen time?

[Laughs] It is like managing an all-star team where you have to distribute the ball. This one, the generator of it is Ben [Stiller] and Bob [De Niro]’s relationship, which is similar to the first film and there’s so much conflict in that relationship that it’s a good place for it to be. I’ve witnessed in my directing that I can make actors worse as well as make them better and so I try to recognize that. If I give a terrible note, I’ll go up and say, ‘That note was terrible and please just do the opposite or do anything you want.’ [Laughs] They know what they’re doing and eventually it boils down to some game of make believe where you’re having a good time trying to figure out what that character would be going through and that’s what I would tell to my idols who I was getting to direct.

This film has a lot of physical comedy. Did you ever look at the script and say, ‘This is going too far?’

I did start out by directing American Pie, so I have great experiences with bodily fluids of all type. [Laughs] Nothing was ever going to feel quite as inappropriate as that. My experience did come in handy. I know that when you’re doing a certain kind of situation below the belt, it’s [the actor’s] decision what size of prosthetic they’re going to get. [Laughs] So I’m pretty shameless and what you try to pay attention to is that everything is hopefully coming out of something that the characters are doing. So the kid vomits not just because it would be funny and mortifying to be vomited on by your kid, but because Greg is stupid enough to think that now that he’s the boss of his family, he’s going to get his kid to eat something that the kid doesn’t want to eat. I’ve done that in a restaurant. It was actually way worse than the situation in the film. [Laughs] I was trying to get her to eat some sort of peanut butter praline thing and my daughter threw up on me and on the table.

Did you feel the need to top the other movies?

I didn’t think I could top the others. I think the funny thing in this one is that so much of that mortification is born by Bob’s character. He’s the one who gets the erection that he can’t get rid of and he’s the one who gets buried under a ton of dirt and so it was interesting to shift things a little in that direction.

How difficult is it to sit down with Robert De Niro and say, ‘We’re going to fit you with a prosthetic penis and then we’re going to throw some dirt on you?’

Well, if I said it that way, it would be really difficult. Bob is really game and he really wants to get it right. It’s somewhat terrifying having your star jumping into a ball pit with full force, face first and you just really hope that it’s in focus and that you’re not going to have him do it too many times because he will do it. It’s not difficult with him because he’s so game.

Was anything off limits with him?

I gave him a couple of cringe worthy notes. It was really funny because I got to rehearse with him a little bit and I genuinely was rehearsing with Bob and Ben and everybody as if I was doing the school play. [Laughs] I was doing acting exercises. There’s that scene when they’re on the phone together and I knew I was going to have them in the same room when they shot it. I knew it had to feel somehow like they’re in the same room when they were cutting back and forth between locations, so it was a room about this size and I set it up so that there were six chairs and at a certain point in the dialogue, I started them far apart and had them move closer and closer until they were really facing each other. I’m sure that they were absolutely just humoring me, but they did it.

What do you think you brought to this franchise?

I think eventually I brought a degree of humility, which is probably the main quality that was going to serve me. I am sort of drawn to people grappling with the myth of what manliness is and how that works and how that very culture clearly isn’t outdated. I’m also in a similar situation to Ben’s character in that I have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son and so I’m at that point where it no longer feels like some sort of fever dream that I have children; it’s sunk in that I have kids and I could quite possibly screw up this most important job. Also I can identify with his feelings of insecurity, perhaps often too much. [Laughs] And also I bring to it being a fan of these actors, so it was exciting to me doing a bunch of takes with Bob or Dustin [Hoffman] Barbra [Streisand] or Harvey [Keitel] – and to get to say their first names. [Laughs]

Jay Roach produced this film, so did he have any good advice for you having directed the first two films?

I asked him early on, ‘How many takes do you do?’ And he kind of said, ‘Let them go.’ I wish he was around sometimes because sometimes it was hard for me to know when to say cut, which is kind of like the director’s main job. If you sit around dozing in your chair and then mumble cut at a certain point, the movie will get made. [Laughs] But when you have people that are improvising and doing real fun stuff it’s really hard; there were times when I called cut and they’d look over at me and go, ‘We were just getting into it.’ So then the next take, I’d wait around and I wouldn’t call cut until the camera ran out and they’d look at me and sort of go, ‘Why are you doing this to us?’ [Laughs] So those were moments when I wished Jay would have been around to nudge me.

How was it directing Barbra specifically?

There’s a scene, which will be on the DVD extras where she sings really poorly. She sings “Happy Birthday” very off key. [Laughs] I know she had a hoot doing it and I found it really funny. She is very prepared. When I first met her, I went to her house and we were sitting in a room and at first, my back was to the ocean and around twilight she said, ‘How would you like to sit over here and catch the view from this side?’ So I said, ‘Sure, that’s be great.’ So I went and sat over there and I realized that she had changed her lighting. She was in complete control [laughs], so I had no delusions. She’s a marvelous director and a powerful mind, so I just had a really good time doing it and she was very gracious about my fumbling around.

Did she adlib a lot?

She adlibbed a bit, but it was more like she would come in with ideas for the script or that she and Dustin would work something out. I think Dustin really cracks her up and I think sometimes before a take, before I’d start shooting, I’d hear them giggling and I knew it was Dustin doing something inappropriate with her. [Laughs]

You’re speaking about the actors as though you’re constantly managing improvisation and always thinking about ways to approach them. Is that true? What is the way that you approach them?

One thinks of improvisation as coming up with new lines, but actually acting needs to be improvisatory because filmmaking is so mechanical. You have these cameras around; it’s a little easier when it’s digital, but still, there’s people standing around watching and possibly texting other people and it’s very hard to retain the feeling of reality, which is you don’t know how you’re going to react next. You might know what you’re going to say next in a conversation, but you don’t know how you’re going to say it. So I feel like there’s some element of being prepared and at the same time trying to create spontaneity even if it’s exactly what’s scripted on the page. To me it’s always about keeping a moving target with the actor. What I want is no separation between the actor and the character, that they internalized it so much and know so much more about that character than I do that they’re living inside the moment in a very strange situation, which is the lowly thing about filmmaking, there’s some lesson there about being spontaneous in an artificial situation.

Bob, Owen [Wilson] and Dustin spoke about how there were some great scenes that were improvised that didn’t make it into the final cut. Can you tell us about them? Can we expect to see some of this on the DVD?

You can expect about five movies worth of stuff. Everybody sort of points to editing as a marvelous part of the filmmaking process and it is, but it’s also kind of heartbreaking because you end up, for the sake of the film being as tight as possible, cutting lots of really terrific stuff and that was certainly the case here. Some of my favorite stuff is not in the film.

Like what?

Some of the really eccentric stuff. There’s a point when Owen falls from the flagpole at the end. Actually Laura Dern was there at one point and he says that he’s like Icarus – flew too close to the sun. [Laughs] I really liked that and I wish it was in the film, but it will be on the DVD I imagine.

I was really looking forward to making a joke about Teri Polo being the “Motherfocker” to Ben Stiller’s “The Godfocker” in this piece, but not only are the “fock” jokes completely overdone at this point, but Polo was a bit under the weather and couldn’t attend the Little Fockers press day. However, on the bright side, that did mean the press got the Byrnes family matriarch, Blythe Danner, all to ourselves.

In the third installment, Dina Byrnes is back and ready to do whatever is necessary in order to insure her husband Jack (Robert De Niro) and son-in-law Greg (Ben Stiller) play nice. She and Jack travel to Chicago where Greg and Pam are preparing for their twin’s birthday party. While they rush to set up for the bash, attempt to get the twins into the prestigious Early Human School and Greg tries to make an extra buck promoting the erectile dysfunction medication Sustengo, Dina is busy considering more of Roz Focker’s sexual advice.

Danner may have been unexpectedly flying solo during this press conference, but she certainly had no problem fielding all of our questions. In fact, she wanted more. Danner took the time to address everything from returning to the franchise to the pressure of showing off Dina’s more sexual side and much more. Take a look for yourself below.

What makes you most excited about doing another Focker movie? Is it seeing your friends and playing this character?

Blythe Danner: It’s feeling comfortable and knowing I’m going to have a nice paycheck. I think it’s the comfort zone because it always takes a while when you’ve joined a new cast to adapt to one another and, ‘How does that one work,’ and, ‘Gee, can I bee this kooky?’ It’s a very sensitive thing when you’re working with the other actors to find out first how they work. With this group when we first began, I’d known Ben [Stiller] a little bit since he was a little boy because his parents were friends, so I saw when he was first starting how brilliant he was. And Bob [De Niro], of course, is iconic and so I was a little intimidated, but he was very welcoming and all embracing. We immediately felt like a company. So that was when we were Focker virgins. [Laughs]

Can you tell us about that seduction scene?

That was fun. I was very nervous being an older lady putting on all that underwear, but in the film I think it’s very brief, so I don’t know that you see anything. I knew they would certainly not want to show too much because that’s a little unsightly at my age [laughs], but that was a lot of fun. Bob has this hilarious way of breaking up. He’s very quiet and he just kind of shakes, [imitates De Niro laughing], with this little expression on his face. I think he had a lot of fun on this one. He seemed to really let loose. There were some things that were cut out, which I was sorry about. I think they shot it, when Ben wakes up in the beginning of the film having a nightmare that Bob’s dressed in a wedding gown and all gussied up and comes towards him to kiss him and then he wakes up. I was so sorry it wasn’t in it because I’d love to see that. [Laughs]

This is a gift. Doing these is really a gift because they’re tremendous fun, they don’t demand a lot of us like the boys. Barbra [Streisand] and Dustin [Hoffman] in the second were also a gift; that was such a great infusion of energy having them there. And in this one Jessica Alba who could just eat with a spoon, she’s so beautiful and funny and spunky. And Laura [Dern] who I adore is a friend as well and Harvey Keitel. I wish Harvey even had more scenes because he’s so funny. I just feel fortunate to have had this because I work on a lot of independent films so this one is really like sort of being treated like queen for a day. They put you in your own beautiful camper, lovely food. Sometimes you dress behind a bathroom, on certain films.

[Your daughter], Gwyneth [Paltrow], is getting a lot of attention recently for her musical talent in Country Song. Where do you think that interest in singing came from?

My family was very musical. My brother is an opera singer, my parents both sang. My earliest memories of Gwyneth first singing is in bed when we would make up songs. The most I could do was harmonize like a third above and at two years old, she’d be doing sixths. I said, ‘Where in the world did that come from?’ She’d just make up songs. And then she would sort of jazz scat to Sesame Street [laughs]. I thought, ‘My gosh. We’ve got something here.’ But she’s always been musical. When she did Jefferson in Paris, the Merchant Ivory people sent over a harpsichord to her apartment. My husband and I gave her and her brother piano lessons when they were small, but she would just throw the music away and could only really play it by ear, which nobody in the family had ever done. That was extraordinary. They used her on the score of Jefferson in Paris because she’d become so proficient with playing harpsichord and didn’t read the music, just heard it. So that’s something that’s above and beyond anything the family could do.

How would you describe yourself as a mother-in-law in real life?

I don’t give my advice unless it’s asked for. [Laughs] I have a very dear son-in-law and an incredible daughter-in-law, so I’m really blessed. I have another son and another daughter. I think you just have to be very careful. You want to be around as much as you hope they want you around and the way to do that is just to be all embracing. They’re such peripatetic full lives and I feel very fortunate that I’m a part of them.

In the film you play a proud grandmother, so what’s it like being a grandmother in real life?

It’s what they say; you don’t have the responsibility, but you have all the joy and it’s wonderful. I guess I’m amazed at they’re wisdom. My daughter is extraordinary with them. She’s a much more patient mother than I was and she pulled back in the way that I pulled back, but I had never had the career she had when I pulled back. I always said to her, ‘Don’t leave until you’ve really made your mark so you can relax and then come back as you want to.’ And she did; she won her Oscar and that was thrilling, but when she had children she just was completely devoted to that and listens to them and talks to them. They never have temper tantrums because she just knows how to sweep them aside and talk to them and they listen. She’s very rational. [Laughs] I just admire it. I don’t know how she does it really. They’re very wise little ones. I’ve been trying to sell an apartment I’ve had in California and little Mosey who was just three at the point said to me, ‘Lalo, do you have three houses?’ He was thinking of the New York apartment and I was building the little solar thermal house; I’ve been involved in the environment for longer than Gwyneth’s alive and they call me “Lalo.” So, I said, ‘I guess I do Mosey,’ and he said, ‘Lalo, you don’t need three houses, do you?’ It was just wild. They’re very wise and very dear; they’re sweet kids, they’re not spoiled kids.

Do you see this movie as a roadmap for marriages to help get through some of the rough spots along the way?

Yeah, it’s too bad Teri isn’t here to talk about that. She was saying, I think what happens after you’re in a marriage for a while and you have children and there’s not that much time for one another, your whole focus is the children. I remember when the children were going off, I actually worried what [my husband and I] would talk about. I thought, ‘Gee, our wholes lives have been them and now what would we talk about?’ Of course, when they left, we realized why we’d gotten together in the first place and that we really did like one another a lot. [Laughs] What I like about this film too is that they’re two married couples. There are the Fockers and the Byrnes and they’re both married, which is a rarity. I’m finding myself just sort of assuming when I meet people and they talk about their families and you want to say, ‘Are your parents together?’ So many aren’t anymore. My husband was very special and very funny and outspoken and he would have a black and blue every so often because under the table, I’d say, ‘Don’t say that!’ Sort of what Dina does to Jack.

What’s your ideal project at this point? What do you really want to do? Something with Gwyneth, a musical, comedy, TV …

Any of the above! We played Sylvia together; she was so brilliant as Sylvia Plath. I played her mother in that. We’ve been up to Williamstown; with Chris Walken we played Chekhov’s The Seagull and we did another new play up there. I’m up for anything, especially stage I love. I hope that she’ll be doing more on stage, too. I know she would like to.

I’d love to see the two of you sing together.

That would be fun! I’d like that. We were always harmonizing in our family. My son too has a wonderful voice and they’d be in the back singing “Stand By Me” and all these songs. So, yeah, luckily I’ve been working quite a bit. I’ve got a few things coming out; I’ve got a film with Anna Faris and one with Simon Pegg and some of the kids from Saturday Night Live. The wonderful thing is that they need grandmothers now, so I feel my career’s not completely dead. And we hope more of these will come along if you all like them enough.

Owen Wilson is a busy guy, particularly this month. Not only was he busy promoting How Do You Know, but this weekend’s release Little Fockers, too. Right after the Little Fockers press conference, Wilson bolted to promote How Do You Know and then came back to talk Fockers. All it took was a little Sports Center, a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit and Wilson was ready to go.

If you think you know his character Kevin, think again. Wilson did have some screen time in Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers, but here, his role is exponentially larger. After a failed marriage proposal, Kevin decides to travel to Chicago where Greg and Pam (Ben Stiller and Teri Polo) are throwing a birthday party for their twins. Sure enough, Kevin gets a little too close for comfort, making Greg increasingly concerned that Pam’s ex-flame is going to move in on his territory.

As eager as I was to ask Wilson everything and anything Little Fockers, so was he to get my take on the film and on his character in particular. Regardless, there was still tons of time to discuss everything from Wilson’s mini make-out session with Barbra Streisand, his bright blue unitard, his hopes for the future and more.

Let’s just get right into it; how was it shooting your more intimate moment with Barbra Streisand?

Owen Wilson: That is cutting straight to the chase. It was actually kind of an exciting scene. To be able to say you kissed Barbra Streisand, that’s pretty major. That’s one you can check off the to do list. But it was kind of surreal; you kiss Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman comes in.

How was it working with such a big cast? You’ve worked with so many fantastic actors at this point; is it just more of the same or can this kind of ensemble still be overwhelming? Do you ever get star struck?

I do. I remember on the first Meet the Parents having to give some speech when I’m showing everyone around my house and I turn and I see Robert De Niro and I just literally forgot all my dialogue just because you know his face, it’s so familiar from all these great roles.

It seems like you’ve grown pretty close to some of these iconic performers especially after that press conference earlier with you and Dustin Hoffman. Is that what it was like on set, too?

Especially with Dustin. He’s so funny so getting to do this press stuff, it makes me think we need to be doing a buddy comedy together.

Would you really consider doing that?

I’d love to! You know what’s funny? Of course he did Tootsie and that’s a funny movie and he’s won Academy Awards as this dramatic actor, but you see him, what’s your sense of him? He seems more like he’s Robin Williams. Doesn’t he?

Exactly! So is he the funniest of the bunch?

Well, I would say Dustin is definitely a nice person to be paired with when you’re doing press junkets because he’s really going to do a lot of heavy lifting because he says so much funny stuff. He makes it so entertaining. But Ben and I have worked together on ten movies or more, so yeah, we end up really getting along.

What’s it like moving from film to film with Ben Stiller and having shared so much of your career with him?

I just saw him now and we’re talking about doing another Zoolander movie. In a way it kind of doesn’t seem quite believable. Like, geez, have we been in Hollywood that long where we could have worked on this many movies together? It’s a little bit strange to think that we’ve worked together so much and we’ve been around so long that we could have.

Speaking of Zoolander, what’s the status of the new film? Will you go into production soon?

I think so. I think there’s a really good script and I think we’re going to do it.

Do we have a new fashion line to look forward to? No more Derelicte?

No more Derelicte, but I think that people will be happy with some of this new stuff we have.

So both you and Ben are coming back, but what about the rest of the cast? Will Ferrell?

I think so. Yeah, I think so.

Back to Little Fockers, is it hard to get the work done with a batch of comedians on a set?

Yes! [Laughs] It is hard to get the work done. It’s hard just to organize everybody. You have such a big cast and it ends up being like a reunion. You’re seeing everyone again and I’m just laughing and having a good time. Ben and I have worked together so much that anytime we’re in a scene we were always kind of laughing and stuff together.

What’s it like balancing so many strong personalities? I imagine you all have very different ways of preparing and performing.

Well, I’m pretty loose the way I prepare, although maybe I should have gone to Cirque du Soleil to prepare for some of that end stuff. I think everyone kind of knows the way their character behaves and acts, so everybody’s pretty comfortable at this point.

Speaking about that ending, how comfortable was that blue unitard?

That unitard was surprisingly comfortable. Yes, I can really recommend them. If you haven’t worn a unitrad in a movie, go out and get yourself one. They’re the new fashion item.

Did you get to keep it?

Yes, I did.

Ever wear it for fun?

Yes. [Laughs]

So, how was it doing that last scene? I think it’s safe to assume you had a stunt double for that scene, right?

Yeah. Although some of it no, but they had a wire that they green screened out that allowed me to kind of hang upside down and do some of the stuff. But it’s pretty crazy, isn’t it? How would you describe my character in this movie?

Like a misguided guidance counselor.

[Laughs] That’s good!

He has a good heart.

He’s not mean spirited at all with Ben. He doesn’t know how annoying it is for Ben. De Niro still seems to favor Kevin, but yeah, a misguided guidance counselor. How else would you describe him?

I’d say he’s an all-around good guy. He may not be giving the best advice, but there’s still something warm and lovable about him.

Yeah, that’s good. What scene did you like with Kevin? It’s interesting for me because I haven’t seen the movie.

That last scene with Barbra is pretty funny and the tattoo part, too.

Yeah.

If you had to get a tattoo of someone’s face on your back, who would it be?

Churchill. I like Churchill. That would be a very odd, but good tattoo to get.

What was your favorite scene?

Well one that seemed kind of what we were talking about, very strange and surreal was the scene with Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, to work with them. It was really funny. I have fun doing those kind of awkward scenes between Ben and me. What would you say was one of the awkward exchanges between Ben and me?

I’d definitely say the hospital scene.

Yeah, what happens there? Where I bring a toy?

That moment, and your whole performance for that matter, reminds me of what you said during the press conference about the kind of comedy where the humor comes from the character keeping a straight face.

Yeah, it does. What happens in the hospital exactly?

Kevin brings the gift for the son after he breaks his arm.

Yeah and the kid seems to love me. I seem kind of like a child whisperer.

It’s like the relationship between Kevin and Greg’s son and Kevin and Greg’s wife where you’re invading his territory a bit.

Yeah.

How was it working with Paul Weitz? What do you like in a director? What makes you the most comfortable?

Well, what made me comfortable with Paul was how relaxed he was and supportive about trying new things and that you always felt comfortable in a scene to do different stuff.

I know you have a knack for adlibbing and improv; did Paul let you put it to use?

Yeah, you did get to adlib and they were also good when [writer] John [Hamburg] and Paul were working on the rewrite about [being] open to hearing ideas and stuff. Does it say in the movie about how even though I have a great house that I volunteer at a homeless shelter?

Yeah.

That stuff we added in the script and that seems to kind of work for Kevin’s character.

That line says a lot about Kevin.

Yeah, it does.

You are a talented actor, but your heart is also in the writing. Ever think about writing again?

Yeah, I saw Wes [Anderson], went to a couple of dinners this week in New York. It would be really fun to work on writing something.

What are you working on next?

I’m still working on Cars 2.

That voice cast just got better and better. Do you get to work directly with anyone on that?

Yeah, I got to do a scene actually on the first one with Paul Newman where we came to New York and we worked with him one day in the studio and of course, you know, that’s incredible. In this one when I’ve done the sessions it’s just been by myself, so far.

What are your plans for the holiday?

My plan for the holidays, I’ll go see my family in Texas I think.

The third installment of the Meet the Parents series, Little Fockers, is about to hit theaters and the Byrnes family “Circle of Trust” is still intact – well kind of. Turns out Dr. Bob couldn’t live up to Jack’s (Robert De Niro) expectations, so now Jack is keeping an even sharper eye on Greg (Ben Stiller). Greg keeps telling Jack that he and Pam (Teri Polo) have their own thing going on and it works, but now that Kevin is back in the picture and Greg is spending a lot of time with the beautiful drug rep Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba), Jack is on high alert.

The press conference with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro was the exact opposite of the one with their co-stars Owen Wilson and Dustin Hoffman; it was quite orderly. The press may not have received any French fries, but the actors did have quite a lot to say about their experience making Little Fockers and some of the messages it’s trying to get across. Check out what they had to say about filming their big fight scene, getting back into character for round three and much more in the interview below.

Would you say this film is a roadmap for marriages that have bumps and curves down the road?

Ben Stiller: I feel like it definitely related to reality and we tried to take all of our experiences and have them be a part of what the story was. That's sort of like the idea of the movie; how do we tell a new story with these characters and where would they be 10 years down the road with the marriage, the kids and how that affects the marriage? So, that was the core idea for the movie, and we also wanted it to be organic and try to feel like there was a reason to tell the story. Hopefully there are some relatable elements in there in terms of juggling life and all the elements of life.

Robert De Niro: I would say that's why people like the film – I hope this one too - because of the story, the situation, the family dynamic, one family meeting another. It's like going into territory you have to deal with. Part of you is saying, "Why am I here?" But you have to be there. You’re with this other family and you have to deal and I think anybody can relate to that.

This is the third go-around. What do you guys look forward to most when you start a new Fockers movie? Is it seeing old friends, is it re-inhabiting the characters? What gets you the most excited?

Stiller: For me it's definitely getting to work with all the actors again. And getting the script to a place where it felt like, okay, this was a new situation and to see Jack and Greg's relationship having evolved and seeing a new dynamic where Greg’s gotten to the point where he’s a little more confident in himself and then having to deal with this situation of Jack losing confidence in him and where he's at, how he reacts differently. Just being able to see that play out, that was exciting for me. But basically just being able to come back and work with all these actors and the team; I really enjoy these people. It's always fun to have a chance to work with Bob.

De Niro: We have fun; I enjoyed it a lot. When you're doing comedy I have less restrictions or constrictions. You can either just cut the thing out or the director will say to try something else or that’s not working, it’s too broad or whatever. There's more room for just having fun in a certain way.

With the fight scene, how much of that did you guys actually do and what’s it like to punch Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in the face?

Stiller: [Laughs] We did a fair amount, but obviously it's a movie fight. The ball pit stuff was all real. It's a very strange environment to be in, a ball pit. They're not very hygienic either. Ball pits are all giant petri dishes. That stuff was all really fun and the bouncy house was challenging. I pulled a muscle; I'm not going to say which muscle, but I pulled a muscle. [Laughs]

De Niro: Did we leave the take off on The Wrestler?

Stiller: Yeah, yeah.

De Niro: Where I had to go down and when you hit the ball pit, you have to watch out because your back. It’s not as easy as it seems, so I did it from a short distance and the stunt guy [did it higher].

Stiller: Yeah, it's hard to get your equilibrium. Those are environments that are made for children, not older gentlemen like ourselves.

Mr. De Niro, it's so nice to see Harvey Keitel in this movie. How’d he come aboard to begin with and what was that scene like to do?

De Niro: It seemed like a good thing for Harvey to be in it and everyone was okay with it and that’s how it went.

Was it a lot of fun?

De Niro: Yeah, it was fun. When you have different people with different styles of working, sometimes you’ve got to get around that stuff so we do that and Harvey is one of my oldest, dearest friends, so we had to get all that working. It was good though, terrific.

How would you describe yourself as a son-in-law and father-in-law?

De Niro: Oh god. Ben, do you want to?

Stiller: It’s funny, I think I try to be my best possible self with my father-in-law and I think I'm okay at it, but it's definitely one of those relationships where you're always aware of the dynamic that's there. But we're pretty friendly. I think I’m okay. I think if you're a good husband then that makes you a good son-in-law.

De Niro: I feel the same way. I'm not like the character; I'm less stern about those things, but I'm still - watchful. [Laughs]

Going back to the physicality of the ball pit fight, what's the most painful scene in any comedy film you've done where you’ve literally suffered for your art?

Stiller: I don’t know. Whatever you're doing when you do it, you’re doing it and you don't think about it. Sometimes there's that feeling like, ‘Well, this isn't real because it's in a movie,’ even though it is real, it's happening to you. I can't think of anything that was actually physically painful. I’ve been in some lonely moments. A couple of scenes in There's Something About Mary where I was like, "Wow, I'm just here doing this by myself." I remember one scene in particular...

De Niro: Oh, was that the one in the bathroom? [Laughs]

Stiller: I remember shooting that scene and going, ‘Okay, I'm doing the scene,’ and all of a sudden nobody was around, they were all just far away and I just hear from far away, "Action."

What do you think about the qualities laid out for being a Godfocker? Do you think those qualities are realistic and are things you’d like to see in a son-in-law? Is it just providing security and a house for your children or are there other things that are more important?

De Niro: Kidding aside, they are important for the security of one of your kids. There's an element of truth to that obviously. I haven't told this to my children, but I would if I could think of it, just look at the parents of the person you're with and you’re interested in and know that you're not only getting into it with them, but how they behave, how they are and how you have to interact with them for hopefully the rest of your life, so that’s something to think about. You're not just marrying the person, you're attaching yourself to the family, for better or for worse as they say, which is kind of interesting.

Stiller: All those things that he says in the movie are sort of like those things about being an adult, being a responsible grown-up and those are things that are basically what you have to deal with when you get older and especially if you have a family. It can be a little daunting, but I think it's also part of growing up, too.

Earlier Dustin [Hoffman] mentioned that some of his improv didn’t make the final cut. Was there a lot of improv and how much made it into the film?

Stiller:

I think overall there probably wasn’t that much. You know, improv is kind of a catch-all phrase; sometimes it’s just in the moment something that happens or a line, but hopefully the script is in a place where it’s good enough that you can trust that and then if you find something and you want to try some stuff, that’s good to have that. And Dustin, he just comes up with so much in the moment. He always has ideas, so he’s always trying stuff and putting it out there. I don’t know how much improvisation he did in Midnight Cowboy [laughs], but he’s hilarious. That’s the first thing I think when I see a movie is, ‘Oh they didn’t put that in. They cut that out,’ because we’re actors and that’s the point of view you see.

So you felt pretty locked with the script?

Stiller: Well, yeah, it evolved. The situations are the most important things, the dynamic and the situations, and that stuff was there. And we were fortunate to have a really great writer and director.

De Niro: Sometimes you have to be careful with improv. The actors have to be aware of how much they can do, otherwise it loses its shape and you can hopefully in editing bring it back, but still, there’s that fine line.

Stiller: Sometimes a scene is a very delicate thing where even though you can come up with something funny, if it’s getting away from the intention of the scene and the rhythm of the other actor, you’ve got to keep the reality going.

What sort of new dynamic was director Paul Weitz able to bring to the film while still maintaining what Jay Roach had developed on Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers?

De Niro: Well, Paul has his own feelings about things. He was good. It's a hard thing to take over something like this, to stay within certain confines, service the material. It is like a franchise, so it's that kind of exercise in a way. It’s important, at the end of the day, that those things are kept going.

Stiller: Paul is a parent and he’s a really good writer, too. He and John [Hamburg] worked together and he’s a writer-director, so he brought this sense of his experience with his own kids and the marriage and he was really aware of the dynamics, the emotional underpinning of all of it. He’s not a guy who just goes for jokes, so I think he saw it in that way and really was very cognizant of the Jack and Greg relationship. And the other thing is just having somebody outside the whole thing come in and having their point of view, which freshened it up, too.

Would you put your kids in a school like the Early Human School from?

Stiller: All of those scenes for me and I think for Paul too, come out of the real life experience of taking your kid. If you’re taking your kid to a private school, that screening process can be really tough on the parents because you’re watching your children be evaluated and I literally just went through that with my kids. It’s really hard. You’re sitting there wanting to, ‘Come on. Get it right,’ and then at the same time resenting the people who are judging your kids, too. It’s just a tough situation to be in. And there are these schools that really talk about children’s development in ways that’s so scientific and it can be really annoying because at the end of the day, they’re just kids.

Half the fun of going to see a new installment of the Meet the Parents franchise is getting to hang out with the families you’ve grown to love over the past few years, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more crazy characters. She isn’t a Focker or a Byrnes, but in Little Fockers, Jessica Alba steps in as series newcomer Andi Garcia.

Andi is a peppy drug company rep who asks Greg (Ben Stiller) to represent their latest product, Sustengo, an erectile dysfunction medication. The promotional campaign kicks off and Andi gets a little too close for comfort. When a chance meeting in a hospital results in Andi and Pam (Teri Polo) meeting face-to-face, Jack (Robert De Niro) grows increasingly concerned that Greg may not be a faithful husband and unworthy of the title “The Godfocker.”

This is a big production for Alba not only because she stars alongside some of the greats like De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, but also because this is her first attempt at slapstick comedy. Alba spilled on everything from face planting in an empty pool with Stiller to what it’s like being the new recruit on set and even addressed that whole debacle caused by comments she made about screenwriting.

Your character is so bubbly. When you went to work each day, was that something to look forward to or was it ever a drag having to pretend to be that excited?

Jessica Alba: Well, I was taking meth and speed and shooting Red Bulls. I was snorting it actually. No, I’m kidding. No I’m not. Yes I am. [Laughs] No, it was great because no matter what mood I was in, she was so enthusiastic and so happy and excited that it was nice. It turned every day into a funny, silly day. And also, I was kind of the joker, so I just got to make people laugh. If I could just make people giggle, that was fun. It was very satisfying.

As a married woman, what do you think about Ben Stiller’s character’s interaction with yours? Did he cross the line?

Not at all and I don’t think my character was trying to maliciously do anything. She wasn’t manipulative, she wasn’t malicious and I think that’s what made it so great was that she was just having fun and she was just in the moment and she wasn’t really trying to screw anything up. She was just a big fan, she just loves her job so much and she has no filter, she really doesn’t have any boundaries and she’s completely unedited and not self aware. She’s just a ball of fun, so it was fun playing somebody like that because it was very liberating. I might be a little bit of a control freak in my real life. Maybe.

How comfortable were you on set as the newcomer?

And it’s not like they had fruitful careers prior to this movie either, huh? [Laughs] It’s certainly a pretty intimidating group of actors, icons, my heroes and an incredible franchise and they do all know each other and they’ve known each other for so long that it’s almost so scary and intimidating, you kind of just have to let it go and just have fun and that’s exactly what I did.

What kind of guidance did Paul Weitz give you in terms of your character, specifically when she attacked Ben Stiller?

He was really great because I would go off into the deep end so much because I did really have fun and I really was kind of a clown. I’m inspired by Lucille Ball and Peter Sellers and the National Lampoon movies in the 80s, the John Hughes movies and I love that stuff; I love slapstick. So I would go way over there and [Paul] always made sure that I kept it grounded and we would always do a more grounded, more centered take once I went off the deep end.

This is going to be the first time a lot of people see you do slapstick comedy, so what surprised you the most about doing this type of comedy? Also, can you clarify the comments you recently made about screenwriters?

Oh yeah, that wasn’t true. Just so it’s clear, films don’t even get made and nothing ever gets a green light unless there’s great material, so that goes without saying and that’s always a #1 thing before you can get a director, actors or a studio even interested in anything. There was an article written recently where I was completely and totally paraphrased and things were taken out of context and mushed together and it just simply wasn’t true. It was a four-hour interview that got condensed into a page and a half for a fashion magazine.

So, that’s just not true and I have the utmost respect for screenwriters and in fact, the point of it was even when I was doing my first job where I was talking to dolphins in The New Adventures of Flipper when I was 13 – it was a fake dolphin, we had a great relationship [laughs] - when he would go off script, the dolphin, I didn’t know how to. He would squeak and I couldn’t squeak back. It took me like 15 years to learn to do that and lots of therapy. So, basically I was saying that I didn’t have the courage and didn’t really understand how to bring my own thing to the table and I would never veer away from the script, ever, no matter what. Even when actors would go off book, I didn’t know what to say. And in this, it’s encouraged. Once you got it and you say exactly what’s in the script, then it’s like, ‘Okay, we got it. It was awesome. Now let’s have fun and do something else, do something crazy.’ And so that’s what it was; it was amazing to think on your feet. I have so much respect for people who do stand up comedy, live theater, any sort of live performance. It’s hard and it’s hard when you’re on the spot and you have to have that back and fourth. It was like ‘Okay, this is Ben Stiller throwing zingers at me. I’ve got to throw them back! Oh my gosh!’ And so I just tried not to disappoint him because he was sort of the boss as well.

Did you use a stunt double for the scene where you two dive into the empty pool? That scene looked painful.

Oh! Spread eagle? All me. It was all me. I channeled my Dark Angel days. Who knew that was going to come in handy – in underwear – in a mud pit?

What do you find more challenging, the dramatic or comedic roles?

There’s definitely a vulnerability when you’re doing drama and you never know what’s going to happen next and you’re really open, but it’s the same in comedy actually. The thing about dramas, you can kind of indulge in the drama of the moment and no one’s really going to criticize you because it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s that. The angry emotion just isn’t right.’ No one’s going to say that. But if you’re not funny, that’s terrible. You know that right away. People either have the visceral reaction or they don’t and then you’re exposed and you’re open and you failed. So I think comedy might be more difficult – for me at least. But it’s fun when it works.

It’s time for you to meet the little Fockers, Colin Baiocchi and Daisy Tahan. The kids are the newest addition to the Meet the Parents franchise and are the focus of the third film, appropriately titled Little Fockers. Recently you might have caught Baiocchi as Kevin in Couples Retreat, the kid who took the liberty of using a model toilet in a retail store and Tahan alongside Uma Thurman in Motherhood.

Here they’re Henry and Samantha, Greg and Pam’s twins. As grandpa Jack says, Henry is the one who got a “double dose” of Focker. While Samantha is busy snooping around the house spying and maintaining a vow of silence with her father, Henry is getting into all sorts of trouble, a tendency that doesn’t work in his favor when his parents try to get him into the prestigious Early Human School. However, getting through the vomit, broken bones and some very disturbing images is no problem because at the end of the road is their massive birthday party packed with a ball pit, bouncy castle, blowup obstacles courses and much more.

Clearly snagging a role in Little Fockers is every kid’s dream and not just because it means they’ll be sharing the screen with some of the greats like Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Ben Stiller. Tahan and Baiocchi particularly like the party rides, Teri Polo’s incredible Elmo impression and their toy-packed bedroom. Check out their take on working on Little Fockers below.

You have that big birthday party in the movie. Did you get to go in the ball pit and bouncy castle?

Colin Baiocchi: Yeah, it was really fun because sometimes I’d be in between takes and at the end of the day could get to go on everything. We went on everything like five times.

What was your favorite?

Daisy Tahan: Probably the ball pit because it was so deep. I thought it was going to be pretty shallow, but I couldn’t touch my feet to the ground.

Baiocchi: I really liked the obstacle courses because there’s a dragon obstacle course and then there’s this caterpillar obstacle course. On the dragon obstacle course the top was actually open, but in the caterpillar you were inside this tube. It was really fun.

Was it weird seeing your faces on those giant balloons in the movie? Were those balloons?

Tahan: No, I think they were just like statues of our faces and that was really funny.

Who was the most fun in between takes?

Baiocchi: Definitely Teri Polo because she could imitate Elmo.

Tahan: It was kind of scary because she sounded so much like Elmo. She could be Elmo.

There are a lot of really big stars in this movie. Have you seen any of their other films?

Baiocchi: We’ve both seen Madagascar and Night at the Museum. I hadn’t heard of Dustin Hoffman, but then when we were doing reshoots and he was gonna be in it and I saw Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

Daisy, did you know who most of these guys were?

Tahan: I only knew who Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson were before that.

Were you allowed to see the movie with your parents?

Baiocchi: Yeah, we had a cast and crew screening and everyone from the cast and crew got to go and could invite anybody.

This is a movie about family, so of the cast, who would you want to be in your family?

Tahan: Teri, definitely.

Baiocchi: Teri and Ben probably because Ben’s just really funny and plus I really wish I had that room for real because there were these soldier guys that Daisy played with. It was so awesome.

When did you first know you wanted to be an actor and actress?

Baiocchi: I started commercials when I was two but then I got Couples Retreat and then I really wanted to continue being an actor because you get to do so many stunts and you get to do so many special effects.

Tahan: I never knew that I really wanted to be an actress, I just went for an audition one day because they asked me to and then I did modeling and then I did commercials and now I’m doing movies and TV.

What’d you think about that scene when you puke on Ben?

Baiocchi: It was not really fun ‘cause the rig that went up, it had a tear in it so when it pushed everything down, it just exploded inside my clothes. It was not funny. It was really gross.

Tahan: It smelled like real puke. It was disgusting.

What was it?

Baiocchi: It was mashed up vegetable lasagna with water in it to make it liquidy. And after the tear went, everyone was like, ‘Okay, no more puking for the rest of the movie. We’re done!’

What’s the best birthday party you’ve ever had?

Baiocchi: I’ve had a lot of birthday parties at my grandpa’s house, but I think if I had to pick your backyard or even if I had a backyard [as] big [as the one from the movie], I would love to have that birthday party because it’s got a giant bouncy castle!

Tahan: First of all, I would love to have a birthday party like the one in the movie, but my favorite birthday party was probably the one, I forget where it was, but it was at this little place where you could hold all these animals and there was this giant turtle that I got to pet.

Daisy, your character is pretty tough and doesn’t talk to her dad almost the whole movie and Colin gets scared easily. Are you guys like your characters at all?

Baiocchi: I’m really different from Henry because I don’t really get that scared, but I really like to go outside a lot. I like to do new things. Like on the rock wall at school, I’m really good at climbing it because I just go really fast.

Tahan: There’s only one thing that I’m exactly like Samantha and it’s because she spies a lot and I do that with my neighbor Alex. We just go around the neighborhood hiding behind trees and going up into the trees and just spying on people inside their windows and stuff. [Laughs]

Do you get in trouble?

Tahan: No.

Colin, did you get to keep the pet lizard?

Baiocchi: No because I have two cats, plus a fish and plus two cats that are just running around the house and that’s just not a good idea.

Can you tell us about what it’s like at school for you?

Baiocchi: I go to public school. I’m in the second grade. School is kind of easy for me. The hardest thing is learning new stuff in math. I can do one problem and then I get to hang it and I can be done with the last problem the minute the teacher flips over the paper to the back.

Tahan: It’s kind of easy because when you go away for the movies the teachers usually give you work to do with the tutor that’s on the movie set and you just do it there and then when you go back to school you’re all caught up.

Was it fun for you guys playing brother and sister?

Baiocchi: We’re actually twins. Yeah, because we get the same room, but what’s kind of funny is Daisy, her character, she actually plays with war figures. I was expecting her to play with Barbie dolls.

What do you guys think when you see yourselves on the big poster?

Baiocchi: I think I should get a million bucks.

Over the past few years, I’ve been to a number of press conferences, but this one was a different breed. In fact, this wasn’t much of a press conference at all, rather a Dustin Hoffman and Owen Wilson comedy show and even though this event was supposed to be about their upcoming film, Little Fockers, I had absolutely no problem with this duo going off track.

Just to get a little Focker information out there, both Wilson and Hoffman are reprising their roles for round three. Hoffman is back as Greg’s father, Bernie, but sadly, he’s missing his grandchildren’s birthday party because he’s abroad studying the Flamenco. On the other hand, not only is Pam’s ex, Kevin (Wilson), back in the picture, he’s coming to Chicago for the festivities.

From the moment Hoffman and Wilson walked into the room, we knew what we were in for. Not only did the pair enjoy bantering with each other, but with the press, too. Hoffman was pretty busy passing around French fries, talking about the colored foam tips of the microphones and making napkin boobs most of the time, but the guys did squeeze in a quick discussion about certain film-related elements like the removal of certain improvised scenes and their hopes for the fourth installment. You can check it all out in the interview below, but, before you continue, one word of advice, insert laughs in between just about every response. Enjoy.

Dustin Hoffman: I had my choice for who I wanted to do this junket day with, Barbra Streisand or Owen Wilson and there was not a moment of hesitation. [Laughs]

Would you call this film a roadmap for marriages and something that can be used to guide couples through the tough times?

Owen Wilson: You know, what you just said reminded me. We were riding up on the elevator and [turns to Hoffman] were those strangers that said that?

Hoffman: Yes.

Wilson: They were talking about what would make a good t-shirt and one said that their father had told him here in New York because they kept looking at the map, put down the map and feel the city.

Hoffman: Now, I’m curious; how does that relate to the question of marriage?

Wilson: [Laughs] Did you say something about a map? Roadmap? Yeah, that’s what it was. Put down the roadmap question and just feel these guys sitting here.

Hoffman: There is nothing more unnatural than family or marriage. That’s why they’re both so difficult.

Wilson: You don’t choose your family and Dustin took it one step further and goes, ‘You don’t even choose your wife.’

Hoffman: You just wake up and suddenly clunk, you’re ready. ‘Okay, I guess that’s it.’

Wilson: It’s already written.

Hoffman: Yes, it is. It is. And that’s why arranged marriages I think make a lot of sense because you’re not under the pressure of being in love. It’s an easy contract. You don’t have to like each other and then whatever happens, happens.

Wilson: It does seem to take some of the romance out of courting though.

Hoffman: There’s nothing wrong with courting or romance, it just shouldn’t have to go into a contractual phase, which is marriage.

Wilson: Somebody came up to me at the museum.

Hoffman: Which museum? Be specific.

Wilson: The Met. [Laughs]

Hoffman: In New York?

Wilson: [Laughs] Yes.

Hoffman: Did you go for that mummy thing?

Wilson: [Laughs] I love when you said, ‘be specific,’ it was like you’ve hammered me on that before. ‘Owen, that’s your problem. Come on. Get back on. Be specific, I’ve told you that.’

Hoffman: Was it for the mummy thing?

Wilson: No, it was more just so I could …

Hoffman: Meet girls.

Going into another one of these movies, what do you look forward to the most?

Hoffman: A back end.

Wilson: [Laughs] A lot of the funniest comedians I’ve always noticed they’re able to say something really funny [with a] blank expression. They don’t telegraph with a laugh.

Hoffman: I think – I’ll answer for Owen – I think that he should wind up with Teri Polo because I don’t think that’s a good marriage. That a bad marriage, Ben and Teri. And I think that we start off the next one with Teri having a tattoo of Owen on her back, not necessarily just his face.

Wilson: You’re throwing your son under the bus!

Hoffman: Yes I am. Anyway, you take it from there.

Wilson: I just do the slow pitch softballs up to Dustin, let him just Babe Ruth them out of the park. Well, you know, it would be nice in the next one if we had a few more things to do.

Hoffman: We would like to have more action together. Most of our stuff takes place during junkets. [Laughs] May I throw the question back at you? And did you pick the red tip of your microphone?

I did not, no.

Hoffman: Just thought I’d throw that out. [Laughs] It would have been my choice. What do you think the fourth should be? Did everybody like this film? Did you get some giggles?

I think the fourth has to be – they keep saying they have their own thing going and it’s fine as long as the in-laws are away, so if everyone moves onto the block, is that thing still going to be good? One family on each side of their house.

Hoffman: Jewish side, Christian side so to speak. I could see [Owen] getting Bar Mitzvahed.

Wilson: Bar Mitzvahed?

Hoffman: In the first reel because Teri Polo could have converted and we never knew that before and now she’s left Ben for you and she wants you to become Jewish.

Wilson: Well, there is a little bit of a kind of rabbinical side to Kevin that wouldn’t make that as farfetched as it might appear.

Hoffman: Can you do the “ch” sound? “Baruch.”

Wilson: I can’t do that and I can’t trill my R’s.

Hoffman: You don’t have to trill; that’s French. Can you do “baruch atah?” Just try it.

Wilson: Baruch ateau.

Hoffman: No, not “teau.” “Tah.”

They’re both such …

Hoffman: Did you pick your orange tip?

I did. I asked specifically for the orange. Owen, you were actually a little like Cash and do so much more.

Hoffman: What did he say?

Wilson: He liked Cash.

Hoffman: Who’s that?

How do you prepare for that?

Wilson: The character I played in The Royal Tenenbaums.

Hoffman: Oh!

Wilson: And you said this character reminded you?

More so in the first film.

Wilson: Well, I think it did seem like it was a progression where in the first one he says, ‘Who better to model yourself after than JC?’ And so he took that and now he’s kind of moved more into this inner faith spiritual Zen kind of guru while still being a Wall Street rich guy. It was just funny stuff that we were coming up with.

Hoffman: [Makes snoring noise.]

Wilson: I’m not used to being the real straight man, but it’s just tossing them up and this guy is just like, [laughs].

Hoffman: We counter very well.

Red tip.

Hoffman: Yes!

Wilson: Did you choose that red tip? [Laughs]

Yes, I did choose the red tip. Would you prefer that I had the orange?

Hoffman: No! Never!

Wilson: Red’s more Christmassy.

My question is can I have some of those French fries? No …

Hoffman: Yes!

[Hoffman gets up and brings out the fries.]

Hoffman: [To the first reporter] Pass them on.

When you have a franchise like this …

Hoffman: A French fry like this? Oh, sorry.

When you have a franchise like this one and you know who your characters are, was there anything in this particular film that startled you or that you were surprised by in regards to your character?

Hoffman: Yes, that my part was so much smaller. [Hoffman unwraps a sandwich and crinkles the paper into the microphone.]

Wilson: [To Hoffman] Why are you being so stingy with the ketchup? No one’s going to get any ketchup?

Hoffman: What? Are they going to go like that and pass it on? Okay, let’s try it.

[Hoffman brings out the ketchup.]

Dustin, you do have a much smaller part in this film, so I’m curious what was it that brought you back?

Wilson: I think as you looked forward to was this junket with me. You said that sustained you. A lot of actors don’t look forward to junkets.

Hoffman: I said if the stuff that Owen and I have to do in the film, if we’re allowed to improvise, then I’ll do it and they kept their word and they let us improvise and it’s not in the film.

Were there any particular scenes that you wish they had kept?

Hoffman: God knows. I hope there’s a DVD of the deleted.

Wilson: Well, there was not a deleted scene. You’re talking about within the different takes of the one scene we did.

Hoffman: No, the first half of the scene in the what do you call it? In the tent scene. We had a whole thing together.

Wilson: They cut that?

Hoffman: During rehearsal, remember I go …

Wilson: Oh, yeah. Where you slap me.

Hoffman: Yes and then we changed it to a hug.

Wilson: I have a confession to make. I cut that.

Hoffman: [Hoffman plays with his napkin] Why?

Wilson: [Laughs] You seemed very fit. I didn’t …

Hoffman: [Still distracted by the napkin] You never told me that.

What are you making?

[Hoffman puts the napkin on his head. He made napkin boobs.]

Hoffman: Now, you have a choice; there or there? [He moves the napkin to his chest.] I can teach you that if you have children. [Laughs]

Owen, you give some well-meaning, but not so great romantic advice in the film. Have either of you ever gotten terrible romance tips?

Hoffman: Romantic advice? Do you have to speak so generally? Does that mean use a condom?

Owen: I actually think the advice [Greg] gives is pretty good, but then Kevin kind of takes it to this extreme of – I think he just gets a piece of twine and ties it around her finger, but also you get the feeling that Kevin, although he doesn’t admit it, there’s still something with Pam obviously and I think that’s Ben’s worst nightmare, that a single Kevin is back on the scene. Cue the snoring.

Hoffman: [Makes snoring noise.] Romantic advice? Well, my wife, she broke three or four cardinal rules because we slept together on the first date and you are told not to do that.

Wilson: Did you really?

Hoffman: Yes we did. This was going to be her first movie star, her first older man, her first ex – someone who had broken up with their wife - and the first date and she did all four. And then she said I ruined it by calling the next day. That probably went again every romantic advice because she told me later that her grandmother always said, ‘If you give away the milk, you have to buy the cow,’ or something. What is that?

They won’t buy the cow.

Hoffman: They won’t buy the cow!

Wilson: That’s not true, is it? [Laughs] In fact, it’s more likely if you love the milk, you’re going to buy the cow.

Hoffman: Before your question I want Owen to expand on that. It’s not true?

Wilson: If you have a great glass of cold milk that’s really refreshing, you’d be even more inclined not to let that cow go.

Hoffman: Right - and you try to find some chocolate chip cookies.