ARE ENGLISH ACTORS AND ACTRESSES BETTER THAN AMERICAN ONES?

please be objective on your comments…

sometimes.

No, they just have more pleasant voices.

I think British actors are more likely to be method actors and American actors are more likely to be character actors. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. Character actors tend to give more emotional, naturalistic performances, whereas method actors are far more adaptable to different types of characters.

what… the… ?

british actors are more often classically trained. they have a great stage tradition that is lacking in most ‘hollywood’ actors

British film actors still haven’t figured out Shakespeare.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

This is rather a chauvinist (as in the original meaning) question, isn’t it?

Therefore, don’t expect serious answers.

Yeah, British actors are classically trained.

That’s why they always play such memorable characters on American television.

that’s hollywood looking for ‘new’ faces. like house or stringer bell and mcnulty on the wire. most of my friends didn’t believe me when i told them those guys were british lol. it would be interesting to see an american actor go to britain and pull that off

Mena Suvari, I can’t remember her last name. She was the love interest of Kevin Spacey in “American Beauty” played a waitress at a British restaurant in a film I can’t remember the title of. I didn’t even know that it was her, until after watching the movie. Kate Winslet is very good at faking an American accent and Helena Bonham Carter’s American accent in “Fight Club” was good too.

A predictably trivial round of answers to a lightweight question. (Jirin: I have to admit that your response makes little sense, given method acting’s Lee Strasberg, NYC roots and full flowering in Kazan-mentored American actors.). The British are, as a whole, more witty and wise than us Americans, a fact that I (and others) attribute to their provenance: an Empire in decline. All great art comes from cultures on the skids. In coming decades, American art should be very good, indeed.

LOL! here’s hoping!

Z Bart, my response was tailored as a statistical tendency, not a pigeonhole. Yes, there are many method actors in the US, and yes there are many character actors in Britain. If you pick one random English actor and one random American actor, the English one is more likely to be method, particularly if you pick from the famous ones.

As for them being more witty and wise, are you freaking serious? Britain is one of the few democratic countries with a more arcane political structure than the US. We have our silly electoral system, but at least we don’t automatically award the presidency to a person hand-selected by the head officials of the party with a plurality of locally elected ministries. (Not that there aren’t uncanny similarities between Barack Obama and Jim Hacker.) And witty? Unless your absolute standard for wittiness is the ability to trade referential barbs in a dry deadpan manner, I believe you’re being very selective in your example picking.

Jirin: However you explain it, your distinction between “method acting” and “character acting” seems odd and dehistoricized. And, yes, I’m freaking serious about my “witty and wise” observation. Look at the difference between David Thewlis’s Johnny and Robert DeNiro’s Travis Bickle, to take one example of the hyper-articulate nature of the British roustabout versus the neanderthalic nature of the American version. Poltical structures have nothing whatsoever to do with the topic at hand.

I don’t know about you guys, but I really dislike Hugh Grant. Really.

Come on, that’s like saying that everything European is better. Silly. There are good actors all around the world. England does not have a claim on all the best ones.

Have to agree with @Z.Bart – It’s not true that more British actors are Method. I think many from a certain generation crossed over into more Method or Stanislavski’s techniques (not the same thing) like Daniel Day Lewis for example – but I always hear Brit actors in general making fun of American actors penchant for Method acting.

Also, no. I don’t feel like English actors are necessarily better I just feel like because the film industry in Europe as a whole is different, quality actors actually are celebrated, work more often since films tend to have more adult subject matter, and are more likely to be put through their paces in the theatre. AND only the really good ones end up crossing over to Hollywood – there’s a whole subindustry of shitty singer/actress/bimbos like Kelly Brook in England who are just as crap as people like Blake Lively over here.

EDIT: Just found one of the articles I got this info from…
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/newsfocus/543940-is-method-acting-out-of-date

I think, way back, the English approach to acting was different from the American approach. Olivier used to say he worked from the outside in, whereas Americans, particularly since “The Method,” worked from the inside out. It has been said by some English actors that Americans limit themselves by working through emotion or “sense memory” exclusively. However, many English actors (Anthony Hopkins, for one) have been profoundly influenced by Brando. I think both cultures do so much acting together that their modes of acting have blended somewhat.

It’s funny that in big-budget American movies, Americans are still cast as heroes and English are cast in villainous, or at least sinister parts. It must have to do with the clipped diction or British posture.

No nation has the monopoly on great actors, or writers, or artists of any kind.

English and / or Americans are NOT the Gods and Goddesses of acting. Yet again another thread that insinuates these two countries hold the barriers of the most “beloved” acting since the dawn of cinema. Thus, it becomes clear that the lack of knowledge of other countries’ acting has deified these two “giants” along with a couple more “selective” members of the cinematic acting dome like Italians, French, German, Japanese and a bit from Russia / Sweden due to 2 directors’ popularity.

I’m as objective as I can: forget about politics and that Yankees vs Whigs or whatever “clashes” and let’s focus on a worldwide appreciation of Acting without the need to “give props” to certain individuals just because their films have had DVD releases or are more respected within academic and film school communities.

Another thread about to be derailed….

By and large, British actors tend to be better because more have a classical training in the theatre before selling out and going to Hollywood.

I believe that it is a silly question, I think that it should just be based on an individual basis.
Yet going to the idea of classically trained actors going on to big or “serious” parts, I think this has some truth in it.
You look at Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian Mckellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, they all paid their dues in the theatre world before going on to film acting. So perhaps stage acting makes them more adaptable? But I am sure you could say that about American stage actors who went on to film. Would Fred Astaire been half the performer if he hadn’t started off in doing side shows etc developing a different kind of method which could be used on stage as well as in films?
In Britain lately I’ve heard dicussion about how actresses such as Gemma Atherton are going straight to film and the opportunities presented there rather than paying her “dues” in the theatre world, and some theatre lovers are worried that a lot of the best talent being produced by the theatre is going to be taken by the film industry before they have the chance to develop fully as say someone like judi dench did into a world class actress or actor.
But then you look at the other side of things at David Tennant made his name in one of the most recent representations of Dr. Who, became famous on the television and then went on to do a number of RSC theatre performances plsying the lead in Hamlet and getting mass critical acclaim, and entering the classical sphere through television acting.
But back to the main question, perhaps classically trained actors are more adaptable but it has nothing to do with nationality I believe.
Even though I was born American, moved to Britain at 6 months old and lived here last 20 years. So no favouritism involved at all!

American Actors of English descent :O)

source: wikipedia :O(

Jensen Ackles
Maude Adams
Ben Affleck – Of partial English descent
Casey Affleck
David Anders
Kevin Bacon
Alec Baldwin – Of partial English descent
Daniel Baldwin – Of partial English descent
Stephen Baldwin – Of partial English descent
William Baldwin – Of partial English descent
Fred Ball – Mother of Partial English descent
Lucille Ball – Mother of partial English descent
Ethel Barrymore – Father of English descent Mother of half English descent
Drew Barrymore – Father of English descent
Maurice Barrymore – Both Parents of English descent
Hania Barton – Father of English descent
Mischa Barton – Father of English descent
Lake Bell – Mother of English descent
Tobin Bell – Mother of English descent
Joan Bennett – Grandfather of half English descent
Barbara Bennett – Grandfather of half English descent
Constance Bennett – Grandfather of half English descent
Emily Bergl – Father of English descent
Halle Berry – Mother of English descent
Jessica Biel – Of partial English descent
Rachel Bilson – Great Grandfather of English descent
Kelly Bishop
Bill Bixby – Both Parents of English descent
Violetta Blue
Humphrey Bogart – Father of partial English descent and Mother mainly of English descent
Elizabeth Bracco – Mother of English descent
Lorraine Bracco – Mother of English descent
Marlon Brando – Both Parents of partial English descent
Benjamin Bratt
Jordana Brewster – Father descendant of Mayflower passengers
Richard Bright
Louise Brooks
Betty Grable – Of partial English descent
Sandra Bullock – Father of partial English descent
C
David Carradine
Lynda Carter- Her Father is of English Heritage⁷⁸⁹
Mary Castle
Lon Chaney Sr – Father mostly of English descent
Lon Chaney Jr – Of partial English descent
Carmen Chaplin
Clark Gable
Charles Chaplin, Jr.
Charlie Chaplin
Dolores Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin
Josephine Chaplin
Kiera Chaplin
Michael Chaplin
Sydney Earle Chaplin
Victoria Chaplin
Ruth Chatterton – Father of English descent
Chevy Chase
Glenn Close
Lily Collins – Father English singer Phil Collins
Constance Collier – Both Parents of English descent
Jeffrey Combs
Gary Cooper – Both Parents of English descent
Courteney Cox¹⁰
Edward Coxen – Both Parents of English descent
Jeanne Crain – Father of English descent
Joan Crawford
James Cromwell
Bing Crosby – Father a descendant of Mayflower passengers
Tom Cruise – Father of partial English descent
Jamie Lee Curtis – Mother of partial English descent
Cher – Mother of Partial English descent
Miley Cyrus – Partial English descent
D
Matt Damon – Of partial English descent
Ted Danson
Dorothy Dandridge – Father of half English descent
Dorothy Davenport
Fanny Davenport – Both Parents of English descent
Harry Davenport
Bette Davis – Of partial English descent
Jaye Davidson – Mother of English descent
James Dean
Bruce Dern
Laura Dern
Cameron Diaz – Mother of partial English descent
Taylor Dooley – Of partial English descent
Melvyn Douglas – Mother of English descent
Mamie Van Doren
David Dukes
Eliza Dushku – Mother is of half English descent
Robert Duvall
Hilary Duff – Of partial English descent
Deanna Durbin – Both Parents of English descent
Ellen DeGeneres – Of partial English descent
E-F
Alison Eastwood – Of partial English descent
Clint Eastwood – Of partial English descent
Kyle Eastwood – Of partial English descent
Scott Eastwood – Of partial English descent
Nicole Eggert
Shannon Elizabeth – Mother of partial English descent
Sam Elliot – Both parents of English descent
Farrah Fawcett – Of partial English descent
Sally Field¹¹
W.C. Fields – Father of half English descent
Frances Fisher – Father of English descent
Pauline Frederick – Father of half English descent
Bridget Fonda
Joan Fontaine – Both Parents of English descent
Glenn Ford
Wallace Ford – Both Parents of English descent
Robert Forster – Father of half English descent
Matthew Fox – Father of English descent
Jennifer Ehle – Mother of English descent
G
Andrew Garfield – Mother of English descent
Ava Gardner – Mother of partial English descent
Judy Garland
Greer Garson
Lillian Gish¹²
Paulette Goddard – Mother of English descent
Selena Gomez – Mother is of partial Egnlish descent
Betty Grable – Of partial English descent
Gloria Grahame – Mother of Italian descent
Stewart Granger – Both Parents of English descent
Cary Grant – Both Parents of English descent
Sydney Greenstreet – Both Parents of English descent
Melanie Griffith – Father of English descent
Christopher Guest – Father of English descent
Gale Gordon – Mother of English descent
Carla Gugino – Partial English descent
Jennifer Garner – Father is of partial English descent
H
Gene Hackman – Maternal Grandmother of English descent
Linda Hamilton
Tom Hanks
Oliver Hardy
Mariska Hargitay – Mother of half English descent
Mark Harmon
Rondo Hatton
Goldie Hawn – Father of English descent
Olivia de Havilland – Both Parents of English descent
Rita Hayworth – Mother of half English descent
Audrey Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn – Descendant of Mayflower
Charlton Heston – Of half English descent
William Holden – Both Parents of English descent
George Holland – Both Parents of English descent
John Houseman
Kelly Hu – Of partial English descent
Kate Hudson
Rock Hudson – Mother of half English descent
Anjelica Huston – Father of partial English descent
Danny Huston – Mother of half English descent
Jack Huston – Both Parents of English descent
John Huston – Mother of half English descent
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Katie Holmes – Mother of partial English descent
Bryce Dallas Howard
I-M
Kate Jackson
Don Johnson – Both Parents of English origin
Shirley Jones
Boris Karloff
Laura Keene
Deborah Kerr
Justin Kirk – Of partial English descent
Lillie Langtry
Alan Ladd – Mother of half English descent
Alan Ladd, Jr. – Grandmother of half English descent
David Ladd – Grandmother of half English descent
Jordan Ladd – Great Grandmother of half English descent
Burt Lancaster- English & Irish descent
Angela Lansbury – Father of English descent
Charles Laughton – Both Parents of English descent
Stan Laurel – Both Parents of English descent
Cloris Leachman ¹³
Matt LeBlanc¹⁴
Janet Leigh – Of partial English descent
Blake Lively
Carole Lombard – Mother of English descent
Ida Lupino – Father of English descent
Christopher Lloyd
Seth MacFarlane – Father of partial English descent
Jayne Mansfield – Of half English descent
William Mapother, actor and Tom Cruise’s cousin on his part paternal (Lost (TV series)).
Steve Martin
Lee Marvin – Father of English descent
Burgess Meredith
Dina Merrill
Sienna Miller
Wentworth Miller – Father is of partial English descent
Mary Tyler Moore – Mother of English descent
Emily Mortimer
Agnes Moorehead – Of partial English descent
Merle Oberon
Frank Oz
N-Q
Jack Nicholson – Mother of English descent
David Niven
Edward Norton
Gloria Pall – Both Parents of English descent
Sarah Jessica Parker – Mother is of half English descent
Tera Patrick
Gregory Peck – Both Parents of half English descent
Matthew Perry
Anthony Perkins
Osgood Perkins
Lori Petty
Mary Pickford – Father of English descent
Christina Pickles – Both Parents of English descent
Brad Pitt¹⁵
Eliza Poe – Both Parents of English descent
Vincent Price
Victoria Principal – Mother of English descent
Bill Pullman
Gwyneth Paltrow – Mother of partial English descent
R
Thurl Ravenscroft
Robert Redford
Donna Reed
Claude Rains
Christopher Reeve¹⁶
Alma Reville¹⁷ – Both Parents of English descent
Natasha Richardson- Both Parents of English descent
Brandon Routh – Of partial English descent
Lynn Redgrave – Both Parents of English descent
Keanu Reeves – Mother of English descent
Tara Reid – Of partial English descent
Jason Ritter¹⁸
John Ritter¹⁹
Roy Rogers
Emma Roberts – Of partial English descent
Eric Roberts²⁰
Julia Roberts²⁰ – Mother of partial English descent
Paul Rudd – Both Parents of English descent
S
Susan Sarandon – Father of partial English descent
Lizabeth Scott – Father of English descent
Seann William Scott – Of partial English descent
Kyra Sedgwick – Father of English descent
Tom Selleck – Both parents of English descent
Nicollette Sheridan
Brooke Shields²¹
Alicia Silverstone – Father of English descent
Slash (Saul Hudson) – English Father
Christian Slater
Jaclyn Smith
Jamie Lynn Spears – Grandmother of half English descent
Julia Stiles – Mother of half English descent
Glenn Strange
Meryl Streep – Of partial English descent
Gloria Stuart
Patrick Swayze
Madeleine Stowe – Father of English descent
Jean Simmons – Both Parents of English descent
Jessica Simpson – Of partial English descent
Ashley Simpson – Of partial English descent
Barbara Stanwyck – Of partial English descent
Sharon Stone
Hilary Swank – Of partial English descent
Gloria Swanson
Taylor Swift – Both Parents of partial English descent
T
William Talman – Mother of English descent
Jessica Tandy – Both Parents of English descent
Elizabeth Taylor
Shirley Temple
Gene Tierney
James Thiérrée
Billy Bob Thornton – Father of English descent
Franchot Tone – Of partial English descent
Tammy Townsend – Mother of half English descent
Spencer Tracy- Mother of English descent
Liv Tyler – Mother of partial English descent
Lana Turner – Of partial English descent
Dick Van Dyke
Vince Vaughn – Of partial English descent
Milo Ventimiglia – Mother is of partial English descent
Tracey Ullman – Mother of English descent
W-Z
Donnie Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Robert Wahlberg
Jon Walmsley
Sam Waterston – Mother was a descendant of Mayflower passengers
John Wayne
Dennis Weaver – Of partial English descent
Sigourney Weaver – Mother of English descent
Raquel Welch – Mother of English descent
Tuesday Weld
Peter Weller
Tom Welling²²
Reese Witherspoon
James Whitmore
Robin Williams – Father of partial English descent
Treat Williams
Elijah Wood – Of partial English descent
Fay Wray – Father of English descent
Gig Young
Bruce Willis- Father of English descent

all the best actors happen 2 be on that list :O)

^ that would be impressive if most white people living in the US in general weren’t of English descent…

…most white people living in the US in general weren’t of English descent…

Per wiki:

According to American Community Survey in 2009 data, Americans reporting English ancestry made up an estimated 9.0% of the total U.S. population,¹ and form the third largest European ancestry group after German Americans and Irish Americans.

therefore the list is impressive :O)

according 2 wiki :O(

and the english themselves are of german descent. this thread becomes ever more ridiculous

@L2S
The list is out-of-context i.e. meaningless.

oy, on sooooo many fronts

From my point of view brittish actors are always the same when acting, they are not too ductile. Good actors may cause a diffrent reaction from the spectator depending on the character but they are always the same person expressing different feelings. Take Michael Caine as an example. I know that this is only one man, but there are many like him. He’s an incredible actor, but no matter what he’s doing, if his playing Alfie, Alfred in Batman, Eliot in Hannah and her sister, etc, he’ always the same british man with that distinct accent. I think that american actor are a little more passioned and can make us believe they are a different person in every character they play. For example, Johnny Depp.
Don’t forget that there’re always exceptions. One exception is the british actor Gary Oldman who I belive acts like an american actor.