Perfect Person-Perfect Role

[cabinetman]

There was some western on TV this morning and I said to myself that the actor playing the lead was absolutely perfect for the role. He looked, talked, acted if he was right out of that era. He was that cowboy. A lot of actors could have played that role. It was Sam Elliot. I started to think of a few that might have been better for the role, and Sam still fit the bill.

It might be interesting for a response giving your "perfect actor" for the role, like the perfect detective, perfect soldier, perfect doctor, etc. Feel free to add your own roles and actors. Or, from a memorable movie, in which you felt that who played the role was a perfect choice. Dead or alive doesn't matter.
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[cgallery]

Not a big Keanu Reeves fan here. That monotone voice, the expressionless face, the sort of plodding walk.

But I think he was ideal for the Matrix series of movies.

It is an interesting topic because I've often thought Tom Hanks is an outstanding actor. I think he can believably play any role. I just don't think he can give you that last five percent of scum like Sean Penn, or the last five percent of mean like Clint Eastwood. OTOH, guys like Sean Penn could never do Gump (JMHO).

[germdoc]

Just saw Crazy Heart--Jeff Bridges was awesome in that. He was born to play the role of down-on-his-luck country singer Bad Blake. (And, of course, The Dude.) He pretty much channels Kris Kristofferson via Townes van Zandt.

There is no other Sam Spade than Bogart, but when I read Philip Marlowe stories I think immediately of Robert Mitchum. Those guys define the hard-boiled private eye.

Robert Duvall is good in almost everything he does, but my favorite performances are in Lonesome Dove, Honeysuckle Rose, the Apostle and the Great Santini. As far as the last role, I can't think of anyone who could have done it better.

[frumper64]

Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird" - I can't think of anyone better for the role of Atticus Finch

[Uncle Cracker]

Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man"...

Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men"...

Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump"...

Sean Connery in any of his "Bond" roles...

[williwatt]

I think Tom Selleck is also a natural in a western movie and he and Sam Elliot were great as brothers in "The Shadow Riders." Selleck was also great in "Quigley Down Under" and "Crossfire Trail." He also made pretty decent PI in Magnum P.I.

[cabinetman]

There is no other Sam Spade than Bogart, but when I read Philip Marlowe stories I think immediately of Robert Mitchum. Those guys pretty much define the hard-boiled private eye.

Along the old timers theme, Edward G. Robinson fits the bill a lot better than Joe Pesci as the bad a$$.

Steve McQueen was the perfect Ralph "Papa" Thorson, Bullitt, and Papillon.
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[Hoover]

Clint Eastwood, his early westerns such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; also his Dirty Harry movies, he fits the roles perfectly. He plays mean in class by himself.
Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, and Apollo 13, he can play comedy or dramatic roles quite convincingly.
Another actor I like is Humphrey Bogart. Movies like Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and the Caine Mutiny proved he had real depth in the roles he portrayed.

[Tom Slick]

Ed Harris as Gene Kranz in Apollo 13 was outstanding. If you watch old footage of Gene Kranz Ed Harris portrayed him perfectly.

Sam Elliot as a cowboy is always good and he was great as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley in We Were Soldiers.

[Uncle Cracker]

Sam Elliot as a cowboy is always good and he was great as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley in We Were Soldiers.

Know why he was such a hardass? Because his folks named him Basil Plumley...

[cabinetman]

Elizabeth Taylor - Cleopatra

Charlton Heston - Moses
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[JoeyGee]

Vinny Chase as Aquaman, of course...

Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold on Entourage is perfect.

[michael.scheller]

Sam Elliot as a cowboy is always good and he was great as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley in We Were Soldiers.

As a guy who spent 29 years pissing off Sergeants Major, Elliot was perfect in that role. But he plays a biker pretty well too, as in Mask and a true Cavalryman, the underrated Buford in Gettysburg.

Sam Elliot is probably my favorite actor.

[phi1l]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Lee Van Cleef as Colonel Mortimer

[Richard in Smithville]

Harrison Ford as Indyanna Jones.