The ones that are huge and can seemingly play any role so well. Some actors just act or “do their jobs”, but what I want to know is who are the actors that play a variety of characters so well in any role they’re given always?

my list:

Hugh Jackman
Ryan Gosling
Patrick Swayze (rip)
Amy Adams
Emma Stone

probably in that order too.

You said Kevin Bacon in another thread similar to this.

I don’t really see him playing too much varietal stuff. No, I don’t think he would fit the bill. I think I said he plays good guys and bad guys very well. I’m talking more variety. Like Hugh can be a song and dance man in a movie or he can be a bad ass superhero, both with equal ease.

Well, he's not from Hollywood, but Cliff Curtis has played just about every nationality there is out there!

Oliver Platt has done everything for decades, even playing Nathan Detroit on Broadway, and is always great in his roles.

Emily Blunt is as versatile as Hugh Jackman



Action, comedy, musicals, modern dramas, horror, sci-fi, westerns, romance, period dramas. Supporting roles, Movie Star roles. Plays British or American.

She's probably more versatile than Hugh Jackman.

Tell me I’m wrong!

I'd love to Gary Oldman in a bad ass villain role again.

Woody Harrelson

I don't think he ever plays the same role twice.

Joel Edgerton

I was gonna post his name. All set.

Great response.

The only actor in Hollywood today that gives Gary a run for his money in the versatility department and maybe even surpasses him, is this man:

/thread

He's never made a singing and dancing musical.

Not a musical. But he sang and danced in Sid & Nancy.

First, I love that this might be another infamous Oldboy duplicate DVD Talk thread. Next, I just watched one of those GQ Youtubes where an actor reminisces on iconic roles throughout their career, and this one happened to be from 2 years back and feature John Lithgow.

Holy cow, he continues to have an incredibly varied career on stage, in movies, and TV. He also comes off as a nice guy who is not just an arrogant Hollywood actor that thinks he/she is better than the rest of us filthy unwashed masses.

Maybe Lithgow was already brought up in the other thread similar to this one.

that's a great montage of pics and yeah, Emily Blunt would definitely fit the bill.

Agreed! Anyone who doesn’t agree, watch Harry and the Hendersons and then watch Ricochet and tell me Lithgow is versatile as shit!

...On behalf of his friend

Finish the trifecta with Raising Cain.

Jeffrey Wright quietly out talents many listed so far... Just saying.

Bryan Cranston, maybe

Gene Hackmann had to make this list. Been in lots of great films and played very diverse roles in them.

Sharlto Copley needs to get his flowers and maybe he could be or should be a bigger star too.

He definitely needs to be a bigger star if you'e gonna post his name without an identifying picture.