Who is the best actor in a War Movie?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Think about all the war movies that have been filmed. Any era and any conflict. Movies including The Longest Day, Platoon and yes even Pearl Harbor (I know the movie sucked).

What actor really stood out and gave a great performance? What actor really stands out. What actor gave that unforgetable realistic (realistic for hollywood that is) performance?

 

[Gnomey]

Richard Todd for me.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, obviously.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Both good choices. I am still thinking of my choice.

 

[cheddar cheese]

I dont know his name, but I like the Sniper guy from Saving Private Ryan. He kicks ass...

 

[evangilder]

Tough call there. Tom Sizemore's character is Saving Private Ryan was well done. Gregory Peck in 12 o'clock high was awesome. I even liked Audie Murphy playing himself in To Hell and Back. Did anyone see Bob Newhart in Hell is for Heroes? Great character, Steve McQueen was good in that one also. The whole cast of Kelly's Heroes were a great bunch. Who could forget Donald Southerland as Oddball. Too many great characters to pick just one!

 

[reddragon]

I dont know his name, but I like the Sniper guy from Saving Private Ryan. He kicks ass...

That would be Barry Pepper, who played Private Daniel Jackson.

 

[reddragon]

I think there are a lot of actors I like, too, and it's hard to pick one. Some I like a lot are Damian Lewis (Maj. Richard Winters) and Neil McDonough (1st Lt. Lynn "Buck" Compton) from Band of Brothers, although many others have done a super job, too. I thought Michael Caine (Col. Kurt Steiner) was good in The Eagle Has Landed and Zulu (Lt. John Chard). How about Jurgen Prochnow (Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) in Das Boot?

 

[evangilder]

Yeah, good call on that. Barry Pepper was excellent in that too.

 

[Gnomey]

The cast of Band of Brothers didn't do badly either...

 

[evangilder]

I was just thinking about that one too, Gnomey! Wild Bill Garnier was a cool character. I also like Lipton.

 

[Gnomey]

Finished watching the whole series on DVD (again) last week. I like all the characters but especially Winters, Speirs, Lipton and Guarnerre.

 

[JCS]

Robert Ryan in the Flying Leathernecks was pretty good. I cant remember the name of his charcter in it though, its been a while since I've seen it.

 

[lesofprimus]

Too many great characters to pick just one!

I agree.....

Willem Dafoe as Elias in Platoon...
Edward Burns as Reiben in Saving Private Ryan...
Lee Marvin as Reisman in The Dirty Dozen...
Robert Duval as Kilgore in Apocalypse Now...
Jurgen Prochnow as Willenbrock in Das Boot...
Sir Alec Guinness as Nicholson in The Bridge over The River Kwai...
Henry Fonda as Roosevelt in The Longest Day...
Robert Shaw as Hessler in Battle of The Bulge...

I could go on and on....

 

[lesofprimus]

And of course, to top it all off, John Belushi as Wild Bill Kelso and Robert Stack as General Stilwell in 1941...

 

[102first_hussars]

I dont know his name, but I like the Sniper guy from Saving Private Ryan. He kicks ass...

Barry Pepper.

 

[syscom3]

I liked Frank Sinatra.......

he was a P38 pilot in "Von Ryans Express" and he was a medic in "None But the Brave"

Robert Mitchum in "Heaven Knowns Mr Allison" was also supurb.

Lew Ayres as Paul Bäumer in "All Quiet On The Western Front" did a great job too!

 

[102first_hussars]

My Choices are.

R. Lee Erney-Full Metal Jacket
Eric Bana- 'Hoot' Black Hawk Down
Tom Seizmore-Col Mcknight' Black Hawk Down
Robert De Niro- Deer Hunter
Terence Knox-Tour Of Duty(The Movie)
Sean Penn- Thin Red Line(not the greatest movie but Sean Penn was good)

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think there are a lot of actors I like, too, and it's hard to pick one. Some I like a lot are Damian Lewis (Maj. Richard Winters) and Neil McDonough (1st Lt. Lynn "Buck" Compton) from Band of Brothers, although many others have done a super job, too. I thought Michael Caine (Col. Kurt Steiner) was good in The Eagle Has Landed and Zulu (Lt. John Chard). How about Jurgen Prochnow (Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) in Das Boot?

I like all the ones you just posted there especially Jurgen Prochnow (amazing performance as an U-Boot Captain) and Michael Caine. I also really do like Willem Dafoe as Elias in Platoon, and Sir Alec Guinness as Nicholson in The Bridge over The River Kwai.

 

[Gnomey]

Good choices guys. I agree there are lot to choose from who are good (but then there isn't a shortage of bad ones either).