By far the best work of a screen actor's life

Chief Dan George and Richard Mulligan in Little Big Man.
Beatrice Straight in Network.
Jeanne Tripplehorn in Basic Instinct.

 

I love "Fandango," and it's coming on in five minutes on some channel called Outer.

 

I remember reading in a supermarket tabloid he was set to marry a stripper/porn star named Beverlee Hills.....

 

Jesus Muscatel, wherever you are ... the parachute school scene has arrived. ;D

 

Curtis Armstrong as Dudley "Booger" Dawson.

This guy rules. He not only played a dude named Booger, but a guy named Ack-Ack. Not everyone can pull that off.

 

Bravo HH for citing "Nobody's Fool," a little-known gem with, as a bonus, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the cop who shoots at hiom, and the best line of Philip Bosco's career -- "You know my views on arming morons. If you arm one, you have to arm them all, or esle it's no fun." --- but Newman's best is still "The Hustler."

 

It's so cliche... but god, I love The Sting..... especially Karle Heinz Granitza

 

Always thought The Sting was a lot better than Butch and Sundance.

 

Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Goodfellas.

This is not arguable.

 

He was just as good in "Narc." He was obviously great in "Goodfellas," but the gap between the two performances wasn't that far.

 

Robert Forster, Jackie Brown. What a tremendous job he did as Max Cherry, overshadowing Pam Grier -- who supposedly was supposed to be the one "reborn" in that role. Unfortunately, Forster didn't capitalize on the Oscar nomination and get any more really meaty projects.

I brought this up earlier in the thread, but it got no response. I wanted to post again because I think this performance is text book what we're talking about here. Tarantino has a real gift for not only writing great scripts and getting great performances from his actors -- but in the editing room choosing the correct take for the moment.

 

I'll agree, though Forster was quite obscure by the time he did Jackie Brown. I remember seeing him and thinking "I know I've seen him in something, but I have no idea what."

Guys like Baldwin in Glengary Glen Ross was obviously much more high profile before delivering their best performances.