TCG

some of the best actors of their generation, and they're in similar films.

for me, i cant decide between Denzel and Hanks. Both great.

muggins

Ooh...

It was a toss up for me between Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson. I went for Tom Hanks.

Jackskeleton

Tom hanks has the best range.

talemyn

I'm giving it to Hanks, but just barely over Washington. Honestly, I have trouble putting Crowe and Gibson in with them. What about Morgan Freeman?

Michael Corvin

Denzel is good and all but for me I get tired of seeing him in the same role every movie... the down and out black man being opressed by the white man.

Training Day was a nice change of pace for him.

Hanks gets my vote. You can't beat back to back oscars.

QuiGonJosh

Hanks

Big Quasimodo

I went with Crowe. Although he does not have the body of work of the other 3, he has shown, in my opinion, to be the best dramatic actor.

The other 3 are so big, that they often overshadow their roles. Hanks has a hard time being anything other than Hanks to me (at this point in his career). Denzel has been Denzel (as great as he is, in every film except GLORY). Gibson would probably be my 2nd choice.

Hanks and Gibson are superior comedic actors, for sure. But I think Hanks is limited in his dramatic range....I don't buy him as anything other than a nice, everyman kind of guy (Philadelphia being a strong exception).

I will certainly agree that all 4 are excellent and have been some of the best of their generation. 10 years from now, Crowe may have pidgeonholed himself too...but I kind of doubt it.

Groucho

Crowe by a mile, although they're all good actors.

Oddly enough, out of those four I can only think of two pairings that have already been on film:

Washington/Hanks
Washington/Crowe

Other than that, I don't think these actors have worked together much.

matome

Mel

B.A.

Even though Mel Gibson is my favorite actor, I think Russell Crowe is the best actor of the four.

garolo

To try to determine that one actor's ablity is better than another is ludicrious unless they have all played the same part. Only then can someone better than I judge who's the best. Other than that one can only ask who is your favorite actor. And for me that would be Tom Hanks because overall I've enjoyed watching him submerse himself into the characters he's played. The same can be said for Crowe.

Watching a film with Washington (aside from Malcom X) and Gibson I always see them as actors playing a character not the character himself. They don't seem to become the character, at least to my eyes they don't.

Geofferson

Hanks

Groucho

I remember Humprhey Bogart said the same thing about the Academy Award for "Best Actor."

das Monkey

I went with Crowe. I agree that it's a pointless question, but what the hell. I love Hanks ... he's one of my favorite actors, and I'll see most anything he does, but his range (of roles, not talent) is limited. Until he plays more dynamic characters, I cannot rank him as the best.

Honestly, I'm at the point where I believe Crowe could play any role you could possibly give him and do it to perfection. I cannot say the same for those other 3 great actors.

das

garolo

Great minds think alike.

hgar78

hanks has more variety/range and he's great in all of them.

the rest are good but they need to expand. i guess mel comes closest for range but he still always seems to play mel.

PalmerJoss

Tom Hanks. He invests so much in each of his roles and it shows on screen. Denzel is a very close second, but I can't rank Russell Crowe anywhere near Denzel or Tom. He brings a lot of baggage to any movie he is in, and his reputation has certainly not helped him IMO. Mel Gibson is a fine actor, but I don't consider him much of a dramatic actor. He does comedy very well, but he's not very versatile.

Numanoid

Tom Hanks, edges out Mel. Crowe should be miles away from this list. Denzel is a great dramatic actor, but always plays the intense black man, with a rage bubbling just under the surface. *yawn*

Can you imagine Crowe or Washington pulling off Hanks' character from Bachelor Party or even The Money Pit? Puh-leeze. They would embarrass themselves. Hanks can play straight comedy, wacky comedy, simple drama, intense drama, you name it - and all successfully. Only Mel has proven to be able to do similar work, but less often, so the nod goes to Hanks.

Kal-El

Hanks, with Denzel and Mel a close second.

lisadoris

I was all set to go with Denzel until I read Numanoid's comments. I think Hanks has more range where comedy is concerned. Granted Washington may play the intense black man role in the majority of his films - how much of that can be attributed to those are the roles he's being offered.

None of them really make me forget that I'm watching them play a role as opposed to them embodying the role itself. The latter seems to be a dying ability.

Crowe hasn't done anything to impress me enough to be near this list. I'm with talemyn, bring on Morgan Freeman instead.

Big Quasimodo

To my way of thinking, those films are a strike AGAINST Hanks.

But, to play devil's advocate, can you imagine Hanks in Romper Stomper or Gladiator .

Hanks is a 2-trick pony whom I currently respect more as a producer than as an actor.

You have to read between the lines a bit for Crowe, as he has certainly not been as prolific as the other 3, but it is clear that his dramatic range is impressive.

tanman

Hanks by far. He has an ability to play in almost any kind of movie or role. I thought he did a good job as the "bad guy" in road to perdition.

Crowe second. Despite his off screen reputation (some of it undeserved) He can really get the audience to empathize with him and feel his emotions.

Gibson. Not as consistent. Sometimes he plays amazing roles and does and excellent job; signs, braveheart etc. but sometimes I just don't feel it.

Washington. Right now he is the definition of a one trick pony. People say he really branched out for Training Day. Uh...not really. He still played that same ol' strong role. He totally did not deserve that Oscar for that movie. I think he more deserved it for The Hurricane. I personally enjoy him more in his older films where he didn't settle in his niche yet.

DodgingCars

I thought Crowe was easily the best. I was surprised to see the overwhelming "support" for Hanks.

Spooky

Range? What range? He plays the same guy in most of his films. Like him or not, Crowe is the best actor in the bunch. Why? Because when Crowe takes on a role, I FORGET I'm watching Russell Crowe...when the other three guys act, I never forget the real-life person I am watching.

DodgingCars

I agree that Crowe is almost a chameleon. I hardly recognized him in The Insider.